the place is in Palestine , and not Mecca , for more information read THE NATURAL REPUBLIC , SECTION " THE LOST LEGACY OF ABRAHAM"

This chapter will deal with the final and most important feature of unity in
the Islamic republic, and that is its ability to interact with other people and
nations in order to share with them the knowledge and merits of a system
that has been designed by the One in the Heavens for all His creation to
live and prosper in peace and happiness.
?The first Dwelling established for the people is the one in
Bakk?a, blessed, and a 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 the people to make Pilgrimage
The Natural Republic 178
to the Dwelling, whoever can make a path to it. And whoever
rejects, then God has no need of the worlds.? (Qur?an 396-
97)
Every year, we see millions of Pilgrims heading towards Mecca for the
annual Pilgrimage/Hajj. The Pilgrimage takes place in the Arabic month
of Zul Hujja and lasts for a period of three days in which the Pilgrims
perform a number of rites, one of which is being dressed in a white cloth
called Ihraam while circling the Kaaba several times, running between the
two stones of the Safa and Marwa and throwing pebbles at the devil.
Who is the Audience?
?And call out to the people with the Pilgrimage, they will come
to you walking and on every transport, they will come from
every deep enclosure.? (Qur?an 2227)
The single most overlooked clue regarding Pilgrimage is the audience.
Abraham was calling out to humankind and not to the believers or Muslims.
This information poses a serious problem to the belief that Pilgrimage
is a set of systematic rituals, as non-believers would not be able to identify
with any of these rituals and would thus not carry them out.
Why Would People Gather?
?The first Dwelling established for the people is the one in
Bakk?a, blessed, and a 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 the people to make Pilgrimage
to the Dwelling, whoever can make a path to it. And whoever
rejects, then God has no need of the worlds.? (Qur?an 396-
97)
?So that they may witness benefits for themselves and recall
God?s name in the appointed days over what He has provided
for them of the animal livestock. So eat from it and feed the
needy and the poor. Then let them complete their duties and
fulfill their vows, and let them traverse at the ancient Dwelling.?
(Qur?an 2228-29)
The Natural Republic
179
Here are the two main reasons people would gather
To witness benefits for themselves.
To be made aware of the system established by God
for the people.
The first objective of Pilgrimage comes naturally from such a large gathering
of different people at an appointed time(s) and place. This opens the
door to opportunities of trade, information exchange, cultural exchange,
networking, etc. This idea of the meeting and mixing of people/races can
be clearly seen in verse 4913 below as part of God?s decree for humanity
?O mankind, We created you from a male and female, and
We made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one
another. Surely, the most honorable among you in the sight
of God is the most righteous. God is Knowledgeable, Expert.?
(Qur?an 4913)
The second objective of making Pilgrimage is to share with all humankind
the system of laws, government, and teachings that God has decreed
to us through the prophets (both physical and spiritual). This teaching is
achieved during a period of a few days when the Pilgrims are invited to
feast on the meats prepared specially for the event while the system of God
Alone is openly discussed and shared with the visitors. Hence, the term
?recalling God?s name? is to remind those present (believers and non-believers)
of our allegiances to God because of what He has made available
for us on this Earth and everything else He has blessed us with.
Location of Pilgrimage
?The first Dwelling established for the people is theone in
Bakk?a, blessed, and a 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 the people to make Pilgrimage
to the Dwelling, whoever can make a path to it. And whoever
rejects, then God has no need of the worlds.? (Qur?an 396-
97)
1.
2.
The Natural Republic 180
Unfortunately, many people have taken for granted what the Scripture
actually says on this and many other subjects and hence they end up following
the teachings of the sects when it comes to God?s system.
The Scripture gives the clear name Bakk?a (not Mecca) as being the
location for the Pilgrimage.
Where is Bakk?a?
?Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising
thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;
in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through
the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also fills the pools.
They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion
appears before God. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer give
ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.?
The name Bakk?a has been retained in ancient scriptures and is the given
as the name of the area which is reached as pilgrims exited the valley of
Rephaim from the southwest that led to mount Zion in the heart of Jerusalem
(Samuel 522-23).
In-fact, the name Bakk?a is still retained for that very same area that
approaches the heart of Jerusalem from the south west.
Photograph of Jerusalem (Dome of the Rock)?The first Sanctuary
The Natural Republic
181
This evidence of Bakk?a being Jerusalem is bizarrely supported by Islamic
history itself, which records that the Prophet, while in Medina, used
to perform the communion (Salat) towards Jerusalem for a number of
years, but then the focal point (Qibla) was changed away from Jerusalem
(until today, the Muslims refer to Jerusalem as the first of the two Qiblas
?Uwla Al Qiblatain).
The Change in Focal Point (Qibla)
The source of all the confusion that has occurred seems to have been caused
by the change in the Qibla (focal point) during the time of the Prophet
?The foolish from amongst the people will say ?What has turned
them away from the focal point that they were on?? Say ?To
God is the east and the west, He guides whomsoever He wishes
to a straight path.? And as such, We have made you a balanced
nation so that you may be witness over the people, and that
the messenger may be witness over you. And We did not make
the focal point that you became on except to distinguish who
follows the messenger from those who will turn on their heels.
It was a great thing indeed except for those whom God had
guided; God was not to waste your belief. God is Merciful and
Compassionate over the people.?(Qur?an 2142-143)
According to traditional history, the Muslims were focused on the original
Qibla of Jerusalem. Then, after some time, God suddenly gave a new
decree that told them to face ?away? from that Qibla. This change in Qibla
is supported with the Scripture?s verses of 2142 and 2143, and is further
supported by archeological evidence that existed in the city of Medina of
a mosque (masjid) with two Qibla directions (one towards Jerusalem and
one opposite to Jerusalem?assumed to be towards Mecca).
The Sunnis and Shia claim that the command was for the Prophet to
now face Mecca?Arabia as the permanent Qibla. However, what the sects
fail to explain is why the Prophet was facing Jerusalem to begin with, especially
if the Temple was located in Mecca?Arabia all along as per their
claims?Digging deeper into this issue, we find that the sectarian argument that
Mecca?Arabia was being faced in this change of Qibla holds no water as
turning away from Jerusalem would not put the Muslims on a path with
such a supposed location

What further raises suspicion that the Qibla was simply shifted ?away?
from Jerusalem and not towards any city in particular (especially not
Mecca ?Arabia) is that the original mosque with two Qiblas has been
demolished by the Saudi government and a new one built with a possible
realignment done towards Mecca?Arabia.
The Final Qibla
While the initial change in Qibla may have caused the confusion for people
to lean towards the location of Mecca?Arabia, it seems that most commentators
have missed the verses which speak of reverting of the Qibla
back to the Restricted Temple (Jerusalem).
?We see the shifting of your face towards the sky; We will thus
set for you a focal point that will be pleasing to you ?You shallset yourself towards the Sacred Temple; and wherever you may
be, you shall all set yourselves towards it.? Those who have been
given the Scripture know it is the truth from their Lord. And
God is not unaware of what you do.? (Qur?an 2144)
The sectarian commentators of the Scripture tried to promote the idea
that the change that God speaks about in verse 2144 was the original one
from Jerusalem to the Restricted Temple (which they make to be Mecca
?Arabia). The problem with this argument is that it ignores the fact that
in verse 2142 God announces that a change has already taken place and
that the foolish amongst the people will comment saying ?What made
them change from their Qibla?? (i.e. there was a Qibla-1 which is the
original, and a Qibla-2 which has sparked the questions).
Then in replying to the people in verse 2143, God?s answer is given for
the reason for the change by saying ?it was a test to distinguish the true
followers of the Prophet.?
Finally, after this sequence, we are told that the Prophet has been directed
in verse 2144 to make the Restricted Temple his permanent Qibla
(which cannot be Mecca ?Arabia because there has already been one
change of Qibla away from Jerusalem and towards the opposite location).
The only way to explain the current state of Islam (giving priority to
Mecca?Arabia) is that the change back to Jerusalem did not take place
until very near the end of the Prophet?s mission and that he died shortlyafterwards whereby the Muslims fragmented and entered into several civil
wars, as per the Islamic history books. The victors from these conflicts
managed to maintain the power base in Arabia and declared that the temple located in what later became known as ?Mecca Arabia? was the place
where the Sanctuary established by Abraham is found and is the location
of the Pilgrimage.
This would also explain why there is some archaeological confusion in
why the construction of some early mosques had the facing of the Qibla to
be far to the north of Mecca, while even some of the early Muslims such as
Abdul-Malik Bin Marwan believed that Jerusalem was the true Qibla and
center for Pilgrimage and proceeded to expand the building of the Dome
of the Rock by 691AD into the architectural masterpiece that it is today.
Mecca in the Qur?an
More importantly, with regards to Mecca, we find that the Qur?an does
indeed refer to a city/town by such name and that such was an obstacle
for Pilgrims who were trying to make their way to the Restricted Temple
in Bakk?a!
?And He is the One who withheld their hands against you,
and your hands against them in the interior of Mecca, after
He had made you victorious over them. God is Seer of what
you do. They are the ones who rejected and barred you from the
Sacred Temple, and barred your donations from reaching their
destination. And there had been believing men and women
whom you did not know, and you may have hurt them, and on
whose account you would have committed a sin unknowingly.
God will admit into His mercy whomever He wills. Had they
become separated, We would then have punished those of them
who rejected with a painful retribution.? (Qur?an 4824-25)
This is a far cry from the claims that Mecca itself was the name of the
city where the Temple is located, or that Mecca was simply another name
for Bakk?a.
The Kaaba
Allah hath appointed the Kaba,
the Sacred House, a standard for mankind, and the Sacred
Month and the offerings and the garlands. That is so that yemay know that Allah knoweth whatsoever is in the heavens
and whatsoever is in the Earth, and that Allah is Knower of
all things.
We are told that the word ?Kaaba? means a ?cube shape? and that the site
in Mecca has been constructed in accordance with this design requirementHowever, the meaning of ?cube? associated with this word is not completely
accurate as the word ?Kaab/Kaaba? is associated in Arabic with any
feature that is protruding, such as the bones to the side of the ankles as can
be seen below
?O you who believe, if you rise to hold the communion, then
wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe
your heads and your feet to the ankles (Kaabain); and if you
have had intercourse, then you shall bathe. And if you are ill,
or traveling, or you have excreted feces, or you have had sexual
contact with the women, and you cannot not find water, then
you shall select from the clean soil; you shall wipe your faces and
your hands with it. God does not want to place any hardship
on you, but He wants to cleanse you and to complete His blessings
upon you that you may be appreciative.? (Qur?an 56)
The Natural Republic 186
Thus, any construct, regardless of its shape can be called a ?Kaaba? as long
as it stands out from the plain.
What we need to ask to be more detailed is ?are there any special features
that are protruding at the site of the temple of Mecca?Arabia or
Jerusalem that would give it the description of being a Kaaba?
With regards to the temple of Mecca?Arabia, we have no apparent evidence
of any special structure other than those buildings which are manmade;
however, with regards to the temple area of Jerusalem, we have a
unique rock formation that protrudes from the earth as part of the original
mount and upon which the Dome of the Rock was built (hence the
name).
Photo of the Rock within the Dome (Jerusalem)
The Situation of Abraham (Maqam Ibrahim)
Another feature which is noted with regards to the location of the Temple
in Bakk?a is the ?Maqam Ibrahim? (Station/Situation of Abraham) which
we are told is to be found at the site of the Temple
?The first Dwelling established for the people is the one in
Bakk?a, blessed, and a 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 the people to make Pilgrimage
The Natural Republic
187
to the Dwelling, whoever can make a path to it. And whoever
rejects, then God has no need of the worlds.? (Qur?an 396-
97)
Here we can note an apparent discrepancy for the site of Mecca where
the alleged ?Maqam Ibrahim? has been placed outside the alleged sanctuary/
temple while it is supposed to be inside.
It seems that some early Muslims were aware of this glaring discrepancy,
and as such, a solution was invented that pilgrims were to ?imagine? that the
Maqam/Hijr is located inside the temple domain and thus during the Hajj
the area of the Maqam/Hijr is to be walked ?around? andnot ?through? just
as if they are circling a continuous physical part of the temple.
With regards to explaining why the Maqam is located in the wrong
place to begin with, the Muslim scholars have opted for a crude explanation
whereby they claim that the Kaaba walls were destroyed by flash
floods during the life of the Prophet, but that he could not muster enough
money together to rebuild the Kaaba to its original size, so he opted for asmaller Kaaba leaving the Maqam outside the sanctuary!
To locate the true Maqam and its relation to the Pilgrimage, we need
to explore the word as it occurs in the Scripture. The word ?Maqam? occurs
in the following verses 2125, 397, 5107, 1071, 1414, 1779, 1973,
2566, 2576, 2658, 2739, 3313, 37164, 4426, 4451, 5546, 7940. The
meanings ascribed to this word as per its usage are ?Position, status, station,
situation, place.?
Looking at the stories of Abraham in the Scripture and trying to find
the one that is nearest in subject to the Pilgrimage rites, we come across
the famous story when Abraham has a dream in which he is sacrificing
his son. God in His mercy intervenes and ransoms Abraham?s son with an
animal sacrifice.
?And when he grew enough to work with him, he said ?My
son, I am seeing in a dream that I am sacrificing you. What do
you think?? He said ?O my father, do what you are commanded
to do. You will find me, God willing, patient.? So when they
both had surrendered, and he put his forehead down. And We
called him ?O Abraham, you have carried out the vision.? It
The Natural Republic 18
was such that We rewarded the righteous. Surely, this was
an exacting test. And We ransomed him with a great animal
sacrifice. And We kept his history for those who came later.?
(Qur?an 37102-10
This episode recorded in the Scripture describes the trial/situation of
Abraham with his son. Thus, for all purposes, the place where this event
took place may be described as Maqam Ibrahim.
Looking back at the Temple area of Jerusalem, we find a stone outcropping
underneath the Dome of the Rock where it is claimed that Abraham
was about to sacrifice his son in fulfillment of 37102-108.
Photo of the Rock within the Dome (Jerusalem)
It is also found that there are channels carved into the rock which are
designed to siphon liquid to a chamber below, thus making the Maqam
an ideal location for the animal sacrifice which isamongst the rites of the
Pilgrimage.

" the qoran , morality and critical reason" by Mohammad Shahrour

Salam ,
read a book for Mohammad Shahrour called " fiqh el maraa' " he explains the rules of irth according to the qoran

Hi to all sun
I usually don't post and prefer to read but I'm going through a very hard time now and need some advice.

To sum up the situation, I'm a Muslim, God brought me to discover Islam about 4 years ago, THANKS GOD, and my parents are Christians.
My father sexually abused me when I was young until I left his house when I was 18. I had continued to see him and visit my parents, and act like a "normal family" but at one point I started to get very mentally ill from the side effects of the abuse because until I was about 24 years old, I really didn't fully realise what had happend to me. I had blocked out a lot of the abuse from my childhood and had not dealed with it or gotten any kind of help but at one point, you cannot block it out anymore and when the gates open, everything comes flooding out! Flashbacks, nightmares, abnormal behavior, anxiety attacks. I will not go into details or explain how abuse manifests itself but just to say that when you are abused, you feel guilty, ashamed and you can still love the abuser and seek for their approval and love. It's screwed up and dealing with these emotions almost makes you want to jump off a building instead of feeling them. My father also loves to mentally torture the rest of my family including my poor mother who has suffered this for years and doesn't even realise what she endures every day of her life since it is kind of "normal" for her now to be treated like this. My mother and brother were witnesses to little things like my father's pinching my nipples and butt while passing by me, grabbing my head and stuffing his tongue down my ear, that was the abuse that everyone saw but nobody did nothing to stop or help and that was probably because they were too scared of my father because he was a very aggressive and violent man.
5 years ago, after I consulted a psychologist because I thought that I was slowly going crazy and I had fallen into alcohol, drugs, partying, abusing my own body as a punishment (tattoos, peircings, completely shaving off my hair from my head like Britner Spears,....).
The psychologist advised me that I should cut ties with my father and start to heal myself. My mother was so sad that I suddenly cut ties with my father and refused to go to visit her at her house where they both lived. I would go to meet her at her work, we would go out to do things together but I refused to go to her house. She loves to have me over for dinner and pretend that we are the "perfect family". I love her so much and I always felt so bad that I was making her very sad to not go over to see her on holidays. She loves Christmas, and I could see her suffer when she would ask me every year to go over and I would say no. She would ask me to go over on every Christian holiday and I would refuse. The day I decided to cut ties with my father, I felt an enormous amount of weight released from my chest. Every year, I would feel better. No more anxiety attacks, no more suffering of the side effects. In that time, I was brought by God to discover Islam, which helped me so much.
Early this year, I left my country and went to accept a business proposition to open a new business in another country. Once there, I had a bad experience and one partner of my new business in this new country decided that I was no longer needed and wanted me out of the company. He acused me of stealing, which was not true, and I was jailed for 3 months 10 days in a 3rd world country....it was very bad. In this time, my mother did her best to help me, send me money and just be supportive. I got out, acquited of all charges, THANK GOD, and left the country the moment that I got out of jail. I returned to my country but I didn't have a place of my own to come back to because when I left my country, I gave up my apartment. Obvioulsly, I was not in the best of shape after enduring a trial that the outcome was 15 years of jail but then the decision was reversed at the court of appeal, I was malnourished and mentally not all there. My mother came to the airport to pick me up. I had asked her to contact my ex-husband so that he could take me in for a while until I get back on my feet. He had accepted (we are still on good terms and help each other when needed). But when she was driving back from the airport, she decided that she was bringing me to her house....where my father also lives. When I was in jail, I had 104 days to think about my life, where I was heading, what I was doing. When you are in a situation like this, you realise many things that you should change to become a better person and I thought alot about my mother and my father. I thought that maybe I should just give my father another chance since my mother kept on telling me all the time during the 5 years that since I cut ties with him, that he had changed, that he cried for me, that he missed me. In jail, I had nothing. One pair of pants, one sweater and the only thing I was dying for was a Quran but I had nobody to bring me one. I was dying to read the words of the Quran to help me, guide me. In the country that I was jailed, it is an ultra Christian country and many people, even in this day and age, have no idea what Islam is and nobody had a Quran nor could they get one in because the guards revise everything that is brought into the jail and they would not let it in. I did remeber passages that talked about respecting and obeying your parents and that this was maybe the time to turn to God and accept to forgive and move on, to love and respect my parents and this would be a good chance for me to change. I love my mother so dearly and she suffers because I have split the family in 2. I thought that maybe I had to stop being like this, that I had to be the better person and be a good Muslim and obey God and his teachings. So after all this thinking and nowhere to go, I thought that going to my parents house would be a way to reconsiliate and I know that it would make my mother very happy after everything she endured of having her only daughter almost jailed for 15 year. My mother just wanted to be a "normal family". When I arrived, my father told me that he was the one who sent me money when I was in jail, then he gave me more money right then and there to help me out, he was trying to act like the hero and save the day, like trying to repair what he did or something like that. I spent a few days there, trying to avoid my father. I could see the pain in his eyes, like as if he regretted something. But he never said nothing to me. The few first days, he was as nice as he could be. Then slowly, he came back as he always is, insults and agressivity. I started to have panic attacks, anxiety attacks, crying for no reason. I knew that it was because of the abuse feelings coming back again but I told my mother that it was for what I endured in jail but little did she know that jail was nothing compared to the abuse!!! I would of given anything to get back into the dirty, disgusting jail, starving for days and sleep on the frozen floor instead of experiencing the feelings again and again of the abuse.
Then after a few days, I left, got an apartment, and I was putting my life back together again. But my mother is now happy that I am in contact again with my father and she thinks that things are back like they were before eventhough she saw some of the abuse I endured its like as if she doesn't realise it. I had tried to talk to her about it various times and she tells me that it wasn't that bad and that I should not exagerate, she pushes the subject away and gets into a bad mood.
I went to eat Christmas dinner on the 25th. My father was acting bad again, insults and agressivity, putting down my mother, bad mood,.....I started to feel bad again. I was trying to hold back on my tears and try to eat my dinner, I just wanted to throw my dish on the wall, flip the table over and tell him to shut up and stop....but I didn't. I just eat calmly and left. When I left, my mother had tears in her eyes, happy that I had finally assisted her Christmas dinner after 5 years of absence.
I have spent the past 2 days going crazy. Reliving the abuse again, reliving the pain, the suffering. I feel his hands on me, his eyes on me. Its hard to deal with.
I have decided that I will cut the ties on him again and moreso, I will tell my mother that I will not accept for her to make me feel guilty with her tears because I have decided this. I always felt sorry for her but now I realise that things will never be good, what I endured will never go away and my mother who keps on living with him, protecting him and acting like as if nothing ever happened is really starting to upset me alot. My mental health is at stake here and I don't understand why she is trying to play the guilt game on me in getting me back to where she knows that I don't like to be. Is it selfish of her part or am I bad for not obeying and respecting her wishes?
I have suffered damage that has affected my life, I cannot have a normal sexual life, I was married my poor husband went through some bad times with me when I was having the occasional anxiety attack, I do not want get married again because I have issues with sex, I am a complete mental mess, I cannot have children and it is probably linked to the sexual abuse, I have suffered too much to just love and respect parents that do not take responsibility of their actions and try to drag me back into the abuse!

All I have to say is that I tried, after 5 years, I gave time to my father to fix his problem, he has not admitted of having done anything wrong nor does he take responsibility of any wrong doing and still acts like he always did except he doesn't touch me now. When I was in jail, I spoke to God alot, I told God that I have forgiven and will try to forget, I asked for forgiveness for being so selfish and not giving my father another chance and to make my mother unhappy all these years, that I will try again and give a chance but after this, nothing has changed. I tried to make my mother happy but how can I do so when to make her happy is destructive to me? or can I just void them from my life to try to salvage my own sanity?
I have not encountered any mention on how to deal with abusive parents in the Quran. I'm looking and looking but maybe one of you can help me with this. I need to know what to do. If it was just for my decision, I would block out my family and only allow my mother into my life if she stops trying to make me feel bad for breaking up her "family"....because I am sick of thinking that this is all my fault when I am the victime here. But maybe this is not what I should do, maybe God instructed something else. Please let me know if you have any clues!
And thanks for you all that has taken time to read me.

dear ,
its very hard what you have been through. nut you know you are a survival. all what i can say is that you do what works for you . if talking about it to your mom helps do it. also don't feel guilty for your family's situation . you are not the reason for its situation.
god bless you
take care