Ishmael: Hadith or History?
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Well in Surah 106, God is talking to the Quraysh and he says, "Let them Serve the Lord of this Shrine." What shrine is he talking about? He says 'this' shrine. The only shrine there was the black cube.
God says that the first shrine that was established was in Baka. Now as we all know, Baka is clearly not Mecca. However, the shrine in Mecca is also for God. It is not the Shrine made by Abraham, but it is still a shrine for God. Whether or not it used to be a shrine for some pagan god back in the day doesn't matter, because the Lord of the Shrine is God.
597 says that God has made the Kaba the Shrine. So from what I understand, God has made the Kaba the Shrine. It might not be the Shrine of Abraham, but it has become the Shrine. The Shrine of Abraham was made for God from the very start, but the shrine in Mecca was made a shrine by Allah for the people. So once again, this is a different shrine but it is still for God.
I know there have been some discussions about what the Kaba literally means, but what I present is just another view. This view makes sense to me. If Muhammad would have destroyed all the idols in Mecca, then he would have destroyed the Kabaa also. Now, there is no record whatsoever of someone rebuilding the Kaba from scratch. Caliph Muwayia (5th Caliph) had reconstruction done on the Kaba. I don't know to what extent this reconstruction was, but from what I know, he didn't rebuild it. And even if he had rebuilt it, there would have been great opposition against him for rebuilding an idol in Mecca. There is no such recorded opposition. His only opposition was Ali, but this opposition was before the reconstruction of the Kaba.
To be honest, my views on the Shrine are always changing. As mentioned, there is no evidence suggesting Abraham and Ishmael ever built the Kaba, but when writing this post and searching through the Quran it just hit me that the Shrine in Mecca is still a sacred even though its not the Shrine built by Abraham. It works out imo, but ofcourse point out my errors, I'd like to know.
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Peace SalikahDC
There is no need to turn the pages of History to find the truth, because Allah has exposed the lies of the Hadithers in just one verse.
FA- LAMMAA BALAGHA MAcA -HU AS- SAcY QAALA YAA BUNAY -YA 'INNI -Y ARAA FE AL- MANAAM 'ANNI -Y ADHBAH. -KA FA- UNZ.UR MAA-DHAA TARAA QAALA YAA 'AB -TI IFcAL MAA TU'MAR SA- TAJID -NE 'IN SHAA'A 'ALLAAH MIN AS.- S.AABIREN 37102
Then when (the son) REACHED (the age of) (serious) work WITH HIM he said "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice now see what is thy view!" (The son) said "O my father! do as thou art commanded thou will find me if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!" 37102 (Abdullah Yousuf Ali)
And, when he (his son) was old enough to WALK WITH HIM, he said "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!" He said "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Insha' Allah (if Allah will), you shall find me of As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)." 37102 (Dr. Mohsin Khan)
And when he ATTAINED the age of, running WITH HIM, he said O my son! verily I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering thee; so look, what considerest thou? He said O my father! do that which thou art commanded; thou shalt find me, Allah willing, of the patients. 37102 (Daryabadi)
And when (his son) was old enough to WALK WITH HIM (Abraham) said O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what thinkest thou? He said O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Allah willing, thou shalt find me of the steadfast. 37102 (Pickthall)
Then when (Ismail) (BALAGHA) REACHED / ATTAINED (MAcA -HU) WITH HIM (ABRAHAM), the age of work
It is proved that Abraham never settled in Mecca and Ismail NEVER SEPARATED from his father TILL he REACHED THE AGE OF WORK and this further proves that the story of Zamzam is an absolute fake and fabrication.
Only Abdullah Yousuf Ali and Daryabadi translated correctly the words BALAGHA MAcA HU = REACHED / ATTAINED WITH HIM
The words BALAGHA MAcA HU = REACHED WITH HIM exposes the LIES of the story.
Ismail grew up WITH his father Abraham, and never separated from him up to the age of doing work (according to the Quran) but according to the Hadith, Ismail separated from his father when he was a suckling child.
Thanks
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Peace Riz and Hafeez Kazi, All
Thanks for sharing your opinions and knowledge. While researching this topic in my spare time today, I ran across this article authored by Layth. Its an interesting take on the location of this sanctuary. It may be relevant to discuss here.....
ONE
http//www.free-minds.org/articles/quranic/hajj.htm
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Dear Hafeez,
I like your approach however the verse in question is not specifically about Ishmael is it? It could be Isaac in that verse so the reasoning while valid is not as conclusive as you might initially think.
Also in the reference to surah 106 "Let them serve the Lord of this shrine" is a clear admonishment AGAINST idolatry of the cube. It is not saying 'let them worship the Lord through this shrine' - but rather to concentrate on serving God alone who is the creator of all things.
7191 Is it not a fact that they are idolizing idols who create nothing, and are themselves created?
Regards.
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Peace Truth
AND / THEN We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaque (Isaac) a Prophet from the righteous. 37112
After the SUBMISSION of ISMAIL, Allah gave glad tidings of ISHAQ to Abraham.
So I BELIEVE, it was Ismail and not Ishaq in the story.
THE CUBE = KAABA
It is unfortunate that the Muslims are completely overlooking some "WORDS" of the verses of Allah in the Quran.
And recall what time We settled Ibrahim in the place of the House, Saying ASSOCIATE not thou WITH Me ANYTHING, and purify My House for these who circumambulate and those who stand up and those who bow and make prostration. 2226
Allah commanded Abraham that he should NOT ASSOCIATE with Him, ANYTHING, and this includes the KAABA.
And worship Allah and ASSOCIATE not with Him ANYTHING; and unto parents show kindness, and also unto kindred and orphans and the needy and the near neighbour and the distant neighbour and the companion by your side and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands own Verily Allah loveth not one who is vainglorious, boaster- 436
Say thou come, I shall recite that which your Lord hath forbidden unto you ASSOCIATE not with Him ANYTHING, and show kindness unto the parents, and slay not your offspring for fear of want - We it is who shall provide for you and them -and approach not indecencies, whatsoever is open thereof and whatsoever is concealed, and slay not anyone whom Allah hath forbidden except for justification. Thus He enjoineth you that haply ye may reflect. 6151
It is totally PROHIBITED to ASSOCIATE with Allah ANYTHING, but inspite of the clear warnings, the Muslims still revere the alleged KAABA as the House of God.
And We have enjoined on man kindness unto parents. But if the twain strive to make thee ASSOCIATE WITH Me that of which thou hast NO KNOWLEDGE, obey them not. Unto Me is your return, and I shall declare unto you that which ye have been working. 298
We have NO KNOWLEDGE that the KAABA was built by Abraham. We have NO KNOWLEDGE that Abraham ever visited MECCA. We have NO KNOWLEDGE that the house of idols was once the House of God (during the period of Abraham). We have NO KNOWLEDGE that Allah ever commanded Abraham to leave his home and make settle his son ISMAIL in MECCA. We have NO KNOWLEDGE that prophet PRAYED facing Jerusalem and Kaaba.
These are all conjectures, stories, fantasies, and lies of the LATER SAUDI ARABS to promote the KAABA as the House of God and thereby earn money.
Verily the first HOUSE set apart unto MANKIND was that at Bakka, blest, and a GUIDANCE unto the WORLDS. 396
FORGET ABOUT THE WORLDS,
Is there any Muslim in the world who has received any GUIDANCE from the KAABA?The KAABA cannot GUIDE even the SUNNIS AND SHIA MUSLIMS (who believe that the KAABA, is the house of God), let alone the WORLDS.
Thanks
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I agree that nothing should be associated with God, nevertheless, there is a Shrine mentioned in the Quran. Abraham did build a shrine whether it was in Baka or Mecca. And for those who say that 'shrine' means system or a mental thing, then it really makes no sense that the System was built in Baka so many years after Abraham excepted God as the only God. The creed of Abraham was way before any shrine was built in Baka. The Shrine is a physical place. We are told to go to the Shrine if we can. Where is the Shrine built by Abraham? Who knows. But,as mentioned in the verse I mentioned previously, God has made the Kaba a Shrine as well. Just like a city can be made a capital way after it is built.
Does anyone see a mistranslation I am making in this verse? If so please point it out and correct me.
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Peace brother Riz
It is absolute nonsense to think that Abraham BUILT the Shrine whether in Becca, Mecca or somewhere else
Just contemplate on the following verse.
'INNA 'AWWAL BAYT WUD.IcA LI- AN- NAAS LA- 'ALLADHE BI- BAKKAH MUBAARAK(AN) WA- HUDA(N) LI- AL- cAALAMEN 396
The first House PLACED (WUDIcA) for men was that at Bakka full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings 396
Just read the verse again it says that the FIRST HOUSE was PLACED / SET UP for MANKIND.
The House was never BUILT by anyone but PLACED / SET UP
WUDIcA
And the heaven He has raised high, and He has (WAD.AcA) SET up the Balance. 557
And the earth He has (WAD.AcA) PLACED / SET UP for the creatures. 5510
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord (Allah, when He will come to judge among men) and the Book will be (WUD.IcA) PLACED (open) and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward, and it will be judged between them with truth, and they will not be wronged. 3969
Te definition of the word WUDIcA in the Quran is PLACED/ SET UP and not BUILT.
It is the BAYT which Allah has PLACED / SET UP. Allah never BUILDS ANYTHING but CREATES FROM NOTHING. HE IS THE CREATOR.
Since the FIRST HOUSE is PLACED / SET UP and NOT BUILT, therefore it is not related to ABRAHAM and MECCA.
Don't forget the FIRST HOUSE.
It is not the ONLY HOUSE IN THE WORLD, but at least TWO or MORE.
Which is correct?
- THE FIRST TAJ MAHAL WAS BUILT IN AGRA (INDIA)
Or - THE TAJ MAHAL WAS BUILT IN AGRA (INDIA)
Since there is only ONE TAJ MAHAL, it is not correct to say that the FIRST TAJ MAHAL was built in Agra (India)
SO WHERE IS THE SECOND OR MORE KAABA?
If you consider BAYT as KAABA then what is KAABA and BAYT AL HARAM.
All three are APPOINTED.
Remember We APPOINTED the HOUSE a place of assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma`il that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round or use it as a retreat or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). 2125
The FIRST HOUSE was FIRST PLACED / SET UP for MANKIND and then APPOINTED for MANKIND as a place of REFUGE / PLACE OF RETURN / PLACE OF ASSEMBLY.
Allah has APPOINTED the Ka'bah, the Sacred House, an asylum of security and Hajj and 'Umrah (pilgrimage) for mankind, and also the Sacred Month and the animals of offerings and the garlanded (people or animals, etc. marked with the garlands on their necks made from the outer part of the stem of the Makkah trees for their security), that you may know that Allah has knowledge of all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and that Allah is the All?Knower of each and everything. 597
Allah has APPOINTED THE KAABA and the SACRED HOUSE for MANKIND.
So Allah has APPOINTED BAYT for MANKIND. BAYT AL HARAM for MANKIND, KAABA for MANKIND
How you know that the BAYT is KAABA and the BAYT AL HARAM is KAABA?
Why the THREE cannot be THREE DIFFERENT HOUSES?
The QIBLAH which you face in the PRAYERS is MASJID AL HARAM and NOT KAABA. (Although there is no command to face Masjid al Haram while praying, but a conjecture)
Even the MASJID AL HARAM is APPOINTED for MANKIND
'INNA 'ALLADHENA KAFARO WA- YAS.UDDON cAN SABEL 'ALLAAH WA- AL- MASJID AL- H.ARAAM 'ALLADHE JAcALNAA -HU LI- AN- NAAS SAWAA' AL- cAAKIF FE -HI WA- AL- BAADI WA- MAN YURID FE -HI BI- ILH.AAD BI- Z.ULM NUDHIQ -HU MIN cADHAAB 'ALEM 2225
Verily those who disbelieve And keep away from the way of Allah and the Masjid Al Haram Which we have APPOINTED for the PEOPLE Equal are the (cAAKIF) DEDICATED in it and the (BAADI) PERISHED And whosoever SEEKS in it INFIDELITY with OPPRESSION We shall taste him of our painful punishment 2225
Read the definition of WAY OF ALLAH and the MASJID AL HARAM in the above verse. The MASJID AL HARAM is not a PLACE OF PRAYER.
So the BAYT, BAYT AL HARAM, KAABA and MASJID AL HARAM are all APPOINTED for the PEOPLE and not for MUSLIMS ONLY.
Have you ever thought why all the FOUR are APPOINTED for the PEOPLE and NOT FOR MUSLIMS ONLY?
Before the conquest of MECCA there was no structure in MECCA other than the alleged KAABA. So where were the BAYT, BAYT AL HARAM and the MASJID AL HARAM?
If all FOUR are physical STRUCTURES built by MANKIND then where are they?
You can show only two, the KAABA and the RECENTLY built MASJID AL HARAM.
But you will fail to find BAYT AND BAYT AL HARAM.Don't just jump to conclusion that all the FOUR are ONE, but think over it.
And pursue not that of which thou hast NO KNOWLEDGE; for every act of hearing or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). 1736
Thanks
- THE FIRST TAJ MAHAL WAS BUILT IN AGRA (INDIA)
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Peace,
Hafeez, thanks for the in depth analysis! It will take me a while to digest the bulk of your explanation, but I have a few questions that I would like to ask you now. Assuming that the sanctuary is a physical structure in a physical location
Peace brother Riz
It is absolute nonsense to think that Abraham BUILT the Shrine whether in Becca, Mecca or somewhere else
Just contemplate on the following verse.
'INNA 'AWWAL BAYT WUD.IcA LI- AN- NAAS LA- 'ALLADHE BI- BAKKAH MUBAARAK(AN) WA- HUDA(N) LI- AL- cAALAMEN 396
The first House PLACED (WUDIcA) for men was that at Bakka full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings 396
Just read the verse again it says that the FIRST HOUSE was PLACED / SET UP for MANKIND.
The House was never BUILT by anyone but PLACED / SET UP
Thanks for providing the arabic for this verse. Two questions
For clarification, are you insinuating that Abraham did not construct the FIRST BAYT or that Abraham and Isma'il did not construct a shrine at all? Specifically, what do you make of the references to Abraham in 396 and 397
The first sanctuary established for the people is the one in Bakk?a, blessed, and guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs the situation of Abraham. And whoever enters it will be secure. And God is owed from mankind to make Pilgrimage to the sanctuary, whoever can make a path to it. And whoever rejects, then God has no need of the worlds.? (Quran 396-97)
And what about the story of Isma'il and Abraham raising the foundations? Is there a descrepency in the Arabic
2126
And Abraham said "My Lord, make this town secure, and provide for its inhabitants of the fruits for whoever believes in God and the Last Day." He said "As for he who rejects, I will let him enjoy for a while, then I will force him to the retribution of the Fire, what a miserable destiny!"
2127
And as Abraham raised the foundations for the sanctuary with Ishmael "Our Lord accept this from us, You are the Hearer, the Knowledgeable."AND
1438 And Abraham said "My Lord, make this town a sanctuary, and keep me and my sons away from serving idols."
1439 "My Lord, they have misguided many from amongst mankind. So, whoever follows me, then he is of me, and whoever disobeys me, then You are Forgiving, Merciful."
1440 "My Lord, I have resided part of my progeny in an uncultivated valley near your Restricted Sanctuary. My Lord, so that they may hold the contact-method. So let the hearts of the people incline towards them and give provisions to them of the fruits that they may give thanks."So, I guess my question is, in your opinion, what association does Abraham have with the Restricted Sanctuary?
Allah has APPOINTED the Ka'bah, the Sacred House, an asylum of security and Hajj and 'Umrah (pilgrimage) for mankind, and also the Sacred Month and the animals of offerings and the garlanded (people or animals, etc. marked with the garlands on their necks made from the outer part of the stem of the Makkah trees for their security), that you may know that Allah has knowledge of all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and that Allah is the All?Knower of each and everything. 597
Allah has APPOINTED THE KAABA and the SACRED HOUSE for MANKIND.
So Allah has APPOINTED BAYT for MANKIND. BAYT AL HARAM for MANKIND, KAABA for MANKIND
How you know that the BAYT is KAABA and the BAYT AL HARAM is KAABA?
I am assuming that you are treating the Ka'ba and Sacred House as separate places/structures. Do you believe that there are two separate places for pilgrimage? the first BAYT (396-97) and the BAYT Al HARAM ( 597)?
Before the conquest of MECCA there was no structure in MECCA other than the alleged KAABA. So where were the BAYT, BAYT AL HARAM and the MASJID AL HARAM?
If all FOUR are physical STRUCTURES built by MANKIND then where are they?
You can show only two, the KAABA and the RECENTLY built MASJID AL HARAM.
But you will fail to find BAYT AND BAYT AL HARAM.That's a good point and my primary question. If they are physical structures, WHERE in the world are they? ? ?
Also, do you believe that the above ARE physical structures?
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Peace Salikah,
The article you gave by Layth, is very interesting. Here is an article suggesting archeological evidence of very early mosques actually pointed to Jerusalem as the Qiblah. Layth may be interested in adding some of this info in his article
http//debate.org.uk/topics/coolcalm/qibla.html
The Qibla
According to the Qur'an, the direction of prayer (the Qibla), was canonized (or finalized) towards Mecca for all Muslims in or around 624 AD (see Sura 2144, 149-150).Yet, the earliest evidence from outside Muslim tradition regarding the direction in which Muslims prayed, and by implication the location of their sanctuary, points to an area much further north than Mecca, in fact somewhere in north-west Arabia (Crone-Cook 197723). Consider the archaeological evidence which has been and is continuing to be uncovered from the first mosques built in the seventh century
According to archaeological research carried out by Creswell and Fehervari on ancient mosques in the Middle East, two floor-plans from two Umayyad mosques in Iraq, one built at the beginning of the 8th century by the governor Hajjaj in Wasit (noted by Creswell as, "the oldest mosque in Islam of which remains have come down to us" - Creswell 198941), and the other attributed to roughly the same period near Baghdad, have Qiblas (the direction which these mosques are facing) which do not face Mecca, but are oriented too far north (Creswell 1969137ff & 198940; Fehervari 196189; Crone-Cook 197723,173). The Wasit mosque is off by 33 degrees, and the Baghdad mosque is off by 30 degrees (Creswell 1969137ff; Fehervari 196189).
This agrees with Baladhuri's testimony (called the Futuh) that the Qibla of the first mosque in Kufa, Iraq, supposedly constructed in 670 AD (Creswell 198941), also lay to the west, when it should have pointed almost directly south (al-Baladhuri's Futuh, ed. by de Goeje 1866276; Crone 198012; Crone-Cook 197723,173).
The original ground-plan of the mosque of ?Amr b. al ?As, located in Fustat, the garrison town outside Cairo, Egypt shows that the Qibla again pointed too far north and had to be corrected later under the governorship of Qurra b. Sharik (Creswell 196937,150). Interestingly this agrees with the later Islamic tradition compiled by Ahmad b. al-Maqrizi that ?Amr prayed facing slightly south of east, and not towards the south (al-Maqrizi 13266; Crone-Cook 197724,173).
If you take a map you will find where it is that these mosques were pointing. All four of the above instances position the Qibla not towards Mecca, but much further north, in fact closer possibly to the vicinity of Jerusalem. If, as some Muslims now say, one should not take these findings too seriously as many mosques even today have misdirected Qiblas, then one must wonder why, if the Muslims back then were so incapable of ascertaining directions, they should all happen to be pointing to a singular location; to an area in northern Arabia, and possibly Jerusalem?
We find further corroboration for this direction of prayer by the Christian writer and traveler Jacob of Edessa, who, writing as late as 705 AD was a contemporary eye-witness in Egypt. He maintained that the ?Mahgraye? (Greek name for Arabs) in Egypt prayed facing east which was towards their Ka'ba (Crone-Cook 197724). His letter (which can be found in the British Museum) is indeed revealing. Therefore, as late as 705 AD the direction of prayer towards Mecca had not yet been canonized.
Note The mention of a Ka?ba does not necessarily infer Mecca (as so many Muslims have been quick to point out), since there were other Ka?bas in existence during that time, usually in market-towns (Crone-Cook 197725,175). It was profitable to build a Ka?ba in these market towns so that the people coming to market could also do their pilgrimage or penitence to the idols contained within. The Ka?ba Jacob of Edessa was referring to was situated at "the patriarchal places of their races," which he also maintains was not in the south. Both the Jews and Arabs (?Mahgraye?) maintained a common descent from Abraham who was known to have lived and died in Palestine, as has been corroborated by recent archaeological discoveries (see the earlier discussion on the Ebla, Mari and Nuzi tablets, as well as extra-Biblical 10th century references to Abraham in McDowell 199198-104). This common descent from Abraham is also corroborated by the Armenian Chronicler, Sebeos, as early as 660 AD (Sebeos 190494-96; Crone-Cook 19778; Cook 198375).
According to Dr. Hawting, who teaches on the sources of Islam at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, a part of the University of London), new archaeological discoveries of mosques in Egypt from the early 700s also show that up till that time the Muslims (or Haggarenes) were indeed praying, not towards Mecca, but towards the north, and possibly Jerusalem. In fact, Dr. Hawting maintains, no mosques have been found from this period (the seventh century) which face towards Mecca (noted from his class lectures in 1995). Hawting cautions, however, that not all of the Qiblas face towards Jerusalem. Some Jordanian mosques have been uncovered which face north, while there are certain North African mosques which face south, implying that there was some confusion as to where the early sanctuary was placed. Yet, the Qur'an tells us (in sura 2) that the direction of the Qibla was fixed towards Mecca by approximately two years after the Hijra, or around 624 AD, and has remained in that direction until the present!
Thus, according to Crone and Cook and Hawting, the combination of the archaeological evidence from Iraq along with the literary evidence from Egypt points unambiguously to a sanctuary not in the south, but somewhere in north-west Arabia (or even further north) at least till the end of the seventh century (Crone-Cook 197724).
What is happening here? Why are the Qiblas of these early mosques not facing towards Mecca? Why the discrepancy between the Qur'an and that which archaeology as well as documents reveal as late as 705 AD?
Some Muslims argue that perhaps the early Muslims did not know the direction of Mecca. Yet these were desert traders, caravaneers! Their livelihood was dependant on traveling the desert, which has few landmarks, and, because of the sandstorms, no roads. They, above all, knew how to follow the stars. Their lives depended on it. Certainly they knew the difference between the north and the south.
Furthermore, the mosques in Iraq and Egypt were built in civilized urban areas, amongst a sophisticated people who were well adept at finding directions. It is highly unlikely that they would miscalculate their qiblas by so many degrees. How else did they perform the obligatory Hajj, which we are told was also canonized at this time? And why are so many of the mosques facing in the direction of northern Arabia, or possibly Jerusalem? A possible answer may be found by looking at archaeology once again; this time in Jerusalem itself.
The Dome of the Rock
In the centre of Jerusalem sits an imposing structure (even today) called the Dome of the Rock, built by ?Abd al-Malik in 691 AD One will note, however, that the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, as it has no Qibla (no direction for prayer). It is built as an octagon with eight pillars (Nevo 1994113), suggesting it was used for circumambulation (to walk around). Thus, it seems to have been built as a sanctuary (Glasse 1991102). Today it is considered to be the third most holy site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina. Muslims contend that it was built to commemorate the night when Muhammad went up to heaven to speak with Moses and Allah concerning the number of prayers required of the believers (known as the Mi'raj in Arabic) (Glasse 1991102).Yet, according to the research carried out on the inscriptions on the walls of the building by Van Berchem and Nevo, they say nothing of the Mi'raj, but state mere polemical quotations which are Qur'anic, though they are aimed primarily at Christians. The inscriptions attest the messianic status of Jesus, the acceptance of the prophets, Muhammad's receipt of revelation, and the use of the terms "Islam" and "Muslim" (Van Berchem 1927nos.215,217; Nevo 1994113). Why, if the Dome of the Rock were built to commemorate that momentous event, does it saying nothing about it? Perhaps this building was built for other purposes than that of commemorating the Mi'raj. The fact that such an imposing structure was built so early suggests that this and not Mecca became the sanctuary and the centre of a nascent Islam up until at least the late seventh century, (Van Bercham 1927217)!
From what we read earlier of Muhammad's intention to fulfill his and the Hagarene?s birthright, by taking back the land of Abraham, or Palestine, it makes sense that the caliph ?Abd al-Malik would build this structure as the centre-piece of that fulfillment. Is it no wonder then, that when ?Abd al-Malik built the dome in which he proclaimed the prophetic mission of Muhammad, he placed it over the temple rock itself (Van Berchem 1927217).
According to Islamic tradition, the caliph Suleyman, who reigned as late as 715-717 AD, went to Mecca to ask about the Hajj. He was not satisfied with the response he received there, and so chose to follow ?abd al-Malik (i.e. traveling to the Dome of the Rock) (note not to be confused with the Imam, Malik b. Anas who, because he was born in 712 AD would have been only three years old at the time). This fact alone, according to Dr. Hawting at SOAS, points out that there was still some confusion as to where the sanctuary was to be located as late as the early eighth century. It seems that Mecca was only now (sixty years after the Muhammad?s death) taking on the role as the religious centre of Islam. One can therefore understand why, according to tradition, Walid I, who reigned as Caliph between 705 and 715 AD, wrote to all the regions ordering the demolition and enlargement of the mosques (refer to
Kitab al-uyun wa'l-hada'iq,' edited by M. de Goeje and P. de Jong 18694). Could it be that at this time the Qiblas were then aligned towards Mecca? If so it points to a glaring contradiction to the Qur'an which established Mecca as the sanctuary and thus direction for prayer during the lifetime of Muhammad some eighty to ninety years earlier (see Sura 2144-150).And that is not all, for we have other archaeological and inscripted evidence which point up differences with that which we read in the Qur'an.
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Crone exaggerates and to an extent, lies. The mosques did not exactly face mecca, they were off, but they didn't point more towards Jerusalem than Mecca.
Example, the mosque in Kufa
http//www.islamic-awareness.org/History/Islam/Dome_Of_The_Rock/qiblakufa.jpegFor more info, heres a link
http//www.islamic-awareness.org/History/Islam/Dome_Of_The_Rock/qibla.html