It is said that each Muslim’s goal is to visit Mecca the holiest city in the world at least once in their life. To be precise, all Muslims who are not prevented by personal circumstances perform the hajj, the pilgrimage.
We all have heard, and some of us may have visited Mecca.
Most of us have questions like “What’s the story behind Mecca?” and “What is Hajj?”.
Well, you have landed in the right place. The following 7 answers are going to answer your questions.
Where is the holiest city in the world?
‘Mecca’ or ‘Makkah’ is where Prophet Muhammad was born. It is the holiest city on earth for Muslims and is the religious capital of Saudi Arabia, holding 1200 km2 of the area of Saudi Arabia.
What is the History Behind Mecca?
Check out the video below to simply understand Mecca’s history and how it was built over many decades.
What is the ‘Kaaba’ – the Black Box?
Al Kaaba is the black-stoned structure that is the most sacred site in Islam. The Holy Mosque – Masjid al-Haram houses the Kaaba at its heart.
Kaaba means cube in Arabic. Muslims all around the world face the Kaaba’s direction and pray. It means they see the Kaaba as the focal point of the earth, and all the Muslims in unity direct their thoughts and prayers toward the Kaaba and thus making it the “holiest city in the world”. How beautiful! Isn’t it?
What Exactly is Inside the Kaaba?
Now, a black silk covering conceals the Kaaba. They typically close it during the hajj due to the overwhelming number of people. But people get the chance to enter the Kaaba during the ordinary time of the year.
The inside walls of Kaaba are white marble. There is just a small table, a staircase to the roof, three tall pillars and some gold and silver hanging lamps. The inner walls also have scripture about the repairs done to the Kaaba.
What is Hajj?
Hajj means pilgrimage in Arabic. It is a five-day religious pilgrimage to Mecca and nearby holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
Physically and financially able Muslims must perform the hajj at least once in their lifetime, and it is one of the five pillars of Islam.
How does Saudi Arabia Handle all those People Every Year?
Saudi Arabian government sets quotas for each country on how many pilgrims they can send on hajj to Mecca.
Saudi has invested billions in vast and elaborate infrastructure to accommodate and manage the people who come annually to Mecca. In fact, there is a luxury infrastructure around the Riyadh airport with massive road paths to Mecca.
Are non-Muslims allowed inside Mecca?
It feels holy and pure even when I imagine the vibes in Mecca.
If you want to go to Mecca, you must be a Muslim. There is no way around it, and there is high security.
Yet, those who cannot visit Mecca can still watch everything that happens in Mecca live on the internet!
