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May you be peacefully secure / alaykum salam,

A few weeks ago I thought I knew the answer to many questions that I no longer do. I had spent years studying the reading (al-quran), trying to follow it exclusively, with no extrinsic sources to supplement it. I had heard of free-minds.org, but I had never really used it. I saw some pictures online of what Mecca (Saudi Arabia) might look like in the future

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When I saw these pictures, a few weeks ago, I became very excited. But, over the weeks I have been closely studying some of the articles on this site. I made my forum account yesterday and I have been pouring through post after post on certain topics. But I am still very confused, and I am sending out this call for help. I know that God is the only one who can help us, and I pray that He will help me through your enlightenment.

I have read the posts by brothers Layth and Ayman, and some others, saying that today's "Mecca" is not the Saudi Arabian city that excited me when I saw those pictures. Brother Layth said that perhaps makkah in 4824 was a city related to Muhammad during his battle for Jerusalem, and brother Ayman said that perhaps makkah was a state of destruction, and not a city at all. I read all the explanations and arguments I could find using the search feature, both for and against these two theories, but I could not find one place where all the evidence was neatly laid out in front of me to study. Hence this call for help.

Let me be specific. I am asking everyone who is willing to please take part in this thread to recapitulate and exhaustively explain "the Mecca issue." Please show me the excerpts from any dictionaries or books used (e.g., page X of source Y says "makkah means destruction&quot, and please give me specific historical accounts to study (e.g., page X of source Y says "yathrib appears on this map, while makkah does not&quot.

Some specific questions I have are

1. What does "bakkah" mean in 396?
2. Why can't "awwal" in 396 mean "principal" or "first in importance," instead of "chronologically first"?
3. Where is "haadh al-balad" in surah 95?
4. What is al-masjid al-haram?
5. If Muhammad reclaimed Jerusalem, wouldn't that be recorded somewhere?

I have many more questions, and I have seen some people answer them, but I was mostly confused by changing opinions, some back-and-forth fighting, and a lack of specific references for me to check.

I know I'm asking for much, and I know that if I spend hours and hours I could find out more using the search feature. But please do your young brother a favor and help me figure this out, because I'm a little lost.

Please put yourself in my situation for a second. I'm not a traditionalist or a sectarian. I try to peacefully submit to my god and follow His word alone. I don't pray according to man-made methods, or give away man-made charity proportions (e.g., 1/40). I just want to perform hajj someday, but now I'm stumbling into a conversation that spans several years (did it start in 2006? Wow! Where was I?) to suggest that hajj might not even be a pilgrimage, and al-kabah might be any base, anywhere, and not the building in Arabia. Please help. )

With love, group

-D.L.