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Sample Religious Studies Essay on The Importance of
Mecca to Muslims
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Sample Religious Studies Essay Summary on the Importance of Mecca to
Muslims
The Importance of Mecca (Makkah) to Muslims
Mecca, a city in Western Saudi Arabia is considered a Holy City for Muslims. This is because every Hajj period,
many Muslims visit the city for pilgrimage (Campo 985). Believed to be the birth city of Prophet Muhammad,
Mecca attracts many visitors during the Hajj period, raising the population of the city from an average of 2 million
people to 16 people in the pilgrimage season. The city thus plays an important role in the accomplishment of the
five Islamic pillars, one of which is Hajj.
The five pillars of Islam were created by Prophet Muhammad to guide Islamic faithful. The Hajj, one of the pillars
involves a visit to Mecca by able bodied men. For those whose visit may constitute and inconvenience to
families, the Islamic faith allows representatives to be sent. This visit occurs during the tenth month of the Islamic
calendar. The history of the city was begun with the building of the Kaaba by Ishmael and Abraham in 2000BC.
Visiting Mecca allows Islamic faithful to worship five times each day while facing Kaaba.
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The birth of Prophet Muhammad occurred in 570 AD in the city of Mecca. He was born into the ruling tribe at that
time. Eventually, Muhammad took control of Mecca in 630Ad and cleansed the city of all forms of idolatry in the
Kaaba and devoted the structure to the worship of Allah. This led to the initiation of the Islamic faith. During his
reign, the prophet ordained the city as the place of Muslim pilgrimage and set aside features such as the
ZamZam well as important cites for Islamic worship. Despite the expansion of the city, minimum changes have
occurred with regards to the features made by Prophet Muhammad (Makkii 270).
In the religious aspect, the city of Mecca is set apart by the Quran as the point of purification and pilgrimage for
Islamic faithful. The key location in Mecca is the Kaaba, which is described by Muslims as the house of God. In
this central place, the Muslims go to worship God while bending and kissing the ground seven times. The actions
of Muslims at the Kaaba are in line with their beliefs that the Kaaba presents the point where the Power and
blessings of God touch the ground directly.
While the Muslims are obliged to visit Mecca during the lifetime, visiting Mecca or Medina or even participating in
the Hajj celebrations is forbidden for non-Muslims (Mubarakpuri 359). During the Hajj celebrations, the key
rituals include walking around the Kaaba seven times, kissing the black stone and a walk referred to as the
Sayee. The importance of the city of Mecca to Muslims extends to the rituals carried out therein such as the
Qibla which refers to special prayers conducted at specific times.
Apart from the major rituals, Muslims who visit the holy city also engage in purification rituals before entry into the
city. In addition to this, the Muslims also have to walk the distance between Safa and Marwa hills in a bid to relive
the moments of Hagar’s search for water in the desert for her son Ishmael. The conclusion of the Hajj ceremony
involves walking to Mina where the devil is exemplified through a mounted stone at which the Muslims throw
stones. In conclusion, the city of Mecca plays a very crucial role in the accomplishment of the pillars of Islamic
faith.
Works Cited
Campo, Juan E. Encyclopaedia of Islam. New York, NY: New York Press, 2009. Print.
Makkii, Ghaazii. Mecca, the Pilgrimage City: A Study of Pilgrimage . Westport: Greenwood
Print.
Press, 2005.
Mubarakpuri, Safiur. History of Makkah. Riyadh: Darussalam, 2002. Print.
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