Cities & Lands · Mother of cities · Sanctuary since the heavens
مكة المكرمة
Makkah · Umm al-Qura
“By Allah, you are the best of Allah's earth… had I not been driven out of you, I would not have left.”
The account
An uncultivated valley given a future by one du'a: Ibrahim settled his family "in a valley without vegetation, by Your Sacred House," and asked for hearts to incline and fruits to arrive (14:37). Both requests are still being fulfilled daily. Its sanctity is not municipal but cosmic: "this city was made sacred by Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth" (Bukhari 1834), its game unhunted, its trees uncut, its ground the only place on earth where the rules were written before the residents.
It birthed the final Prophet ﷺ, in the Year of the Elephant, resisted him for thirteen years, stoned his message, exiled him, and was conquered by him with almost no blood and total amnesty. His feelings on leaving are on record, addressed to the city itself: "by Allah, you are the best of Allah's earth, and the most beloved of Allah's earth to Allah; had I not been driven out of you, I would not have left" (Tirmidhi 3925, sahih). Guarded by angels from the Dajjal, host of the House, the two hills, and the cave of light: the mother of cities holds a third of the Codex inside her valley.
The facts
- TitleUmm al-Qura (6:92)
- SanctitySince the heavens and earth
- His word ﷺ“Best of Allah's earth”
- DajjalCannot enter
The narrations
By Allah, you are the best of Allah's earth and the most beloved of Allah's earth to Allah; had I not been driven out of you, I would not have left.
Tirmidhi 3925 (sahih)
Read beside it
The words
- مَكَّةMakkahHistory
- الدَّجَّالDajjalBelief
- الصَّحِيحSahihHadith
- الدُّعَاءDu'aThe heart
- تَوْحِيدُ الرُّبُوبِيَّةTawhid al-RububiyyahBelief
- حَرامHaramLaw and life
- زَواجُ المُتْعةMut'ahLaw and life
- قِبْلَةQiblahWorship
Lights that name it
- Four women ruled Aceh in a row for fifty eight yearsAceh, Sumatra · 1641 to 1699
- The most famous teacher in Baghdad walked away in 1095Al-Ghazali · Baghdad, 1095 CE
- He tabulated the direction of Makkah for every latitudeAl-Khalili · Damascus, fourteenth century
- He carried two bricks while everyone else carried oneAmmar ibn Yasir · Madinah, then Siffin 657
- A pilgrim who misses this afternoon has missed the HajjPlain of Arafat, near Makkah
- She tore her belt in two and gained a nameAsma bint Abi Bakr · died 73 AH, 692 CE
- An astrolabe is a model of the sky you holdOldest dated example by Nastulus · 927 CE
- He heard Bilal's footsteps ahead of him in ParadiseAbu Hurayra, of Bilal ibn Rabah · Madinah
On the Path
- 11Kaaba Raisedالكعبة
- 14Yusuf: Aziz of Egyptعزيز مصر
- 18Sea Splitانشقاق البحر
- 26Year of the Elephantعام الفيل
- 27Birth: Muhammad ﷺ 570المولد
- 29Hira: Tahannuthغار حراء
- 30Iqra: First Revelationاقرأ
- 31Taif Rejectionالطائف
- 32Isra & Miraj: Buraqالإسراء والمعراج
- 34Hijrah: Cave of Thawrغار ثور
- 36Quba: First Masjidمسجد قباء
- 38Badr: 313 vs 1000بدر
- 41Hudaybiyyah Treatyالحديبية
- 42Fath Makkah: Idols Fallفتح مكة
- 43Hunayn: 12,000 Testedحنين
- 55Ad-Dajjal: The Great Deceiverالدجال
- 68Al-Hawd: The Basin of Kawtharالحوض المورود
People beside it
- Abu Bakr as-SiddiqAs-Siddiq · First caliph · Companion of the caveأبو بكر الصديق
- Uthman ibn AffanDhun-Nurayn · Third caliphعثمان بن عفان
- Zayd ibn HarithahThe beloved · Only companion named in the Qur'anزيد بن حارثة
- Zubayr ibn al-AwwamThe Disciple · Ten promised Paradiseالزبير بن العوام
- Fatimah az-ZahraAz-Zahra · Leader of the women of Jannahفاطمة الزهراء
- Mus'ab ibn UmayrFirst envoy of Islam · Banner of Uhudمصعب بن عمير
- Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-MuttalibUncle of the Prophet · The voice of Hunaynالعباس بن عبد المطلب
- Suhayl ibn AmrNegotiator of Hudaybiyyah · Orator of steadfastnessسهيل بن عمرو
- Ammar ibn YasirSon of the first martyrs · Filled with faithعمار بن ياسر
- Sumayyah bint KhayyatFirst martyr of Islamسمية بنت خياط
- Abdullah ibn AbbasInterpreter of the Qur'anعبد الله بن عباس
- Abdullah ibn UmarThe meticulous followerعبد الله بن عمر
- Umm Ayman (Barakah)The mother after his motherأم أيمن بركة
- The Birds of the ElephantMahmud and the birds of Ababilطير الأبابيل
- Al-BuraqMount of the Night Journeyالبراق
- Ad-DajjalThe great deceiverالدجال
- Muhammad ﷺThe Seal of the Prophets · Mercy to the worldsمُحَمَّد ﷺ
Places
- Cave of Hira · Jabal an-NurWhere the sky first spokeغار حراء · جبل النور
- Cave of ThawrShelter of the second of twoغار ثور
- As-Safa & al-MarwahThe two hills of Hajar's runالصفا والمروة
- The Plain of ArafatThe Hajj itself · Rehearsal of the Standingعرفات
- Mina & the JamaratValley of the sacrifice · Days of Tashriqمنى والجمرات
- The Kaaba & al-Masjid al-HaramThe First House · Qiblah of mankindالكعبة والمسجد الحرام
- Madinah · TabahThe city that expels its drossالمدينة المنورة
- Ta'ifThe city of stones that became a city of Islamالطائف
- The Wells of BadrYawm al-Furqan · The first criterionآبار بدر
- Al-HudaybiyyahThe tree of the pledge · The clear victoryالحديبية
- The Valley of HunaynThe defile where numbers failedوادي حنين
- The Well of ZamzamThe spring that answered a motherبئر زمزم
- Al-Bayda · The Swallowing PlainWhere an army enters the earthالبيداء