It is said that Kabah was the first place to be made on earth. This holy place is a place of heavenly bliss, and strong power comes down to earth directly here. On account of Hajj and Umrah. Makkah is also called the mother of all cities or Umm al Qura. The history of Makkah goes back as far as people have been living on earth. In the past, the holy city of Makkah was also called Bakkah. In the past, this city was an important stop along the trade route. In the history of Islam, Makkah is very important. Since our beloved Prophet PBUH was born and raised in Makkah, Muslims look up to and respect it, but its religious importance was set in place long before Islam. You have to know about the history of Mecca and Madinah before the Family Umrah deals. It will help you in visiting the Ziarahs during the Umrah with your family. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty gave Makkah five names: Umm al Qura, which means "mother of all cities," Al Qaryah, which means "the disaster," Al Balad, which means "the city," Makkah, and Bakkah. Allah SWT said in Holy Quran:

"In fact, the first house built for people was the one in Makkah, which is the best and most important place in the world." (3:96)

Islam's history of Makkah

This verse shows how important Makkah is because Allah SWT talks about it in the most reliable book, the Holy Quran. The Holy Kabah is the very first place that was built on the surface of the earth. It has the famous house of Allah Almighty and is where Islam was brought back to life. It is also where the last Prophet SAW and many of his friends were born. It is a place of Muslim brotherhood where no one is better than anyone else and there are no rich or poor, black or white people. The most holy place on earth is the Kabah in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It was built around the Black Stone, which Prophet Ibrahim A.s. called Hajra e Aswad or the stone from Jannah. This Holy Land has a lot of history. For example, Hazrat Muhammad SAW got his first message in the Cave of Hira, which is in Makkah. On Miraj Shareef, the Prophet SAW went to the seven heavens and the earth. At the time, He PBUH was in Makkah. It is the place where Prophet Ibraaheem A.S. was willing to give up his son for Allah. The land of ZamZam, where there is a spring whose water never goes down and is still thought to be the best water after 1400 years. Makkah is where Hazrat Ismail a.s. and Bibi Hajra moved to in the past. As long as the Kabah is at the centre of the Earth, Allah will always bless this Holy Land.

Old Makkah

Allah SAW told Ibraaheem AS to leave his wife and young son. He then brought water from the well of ZamZam and saved the lives of Ismail and Hajra, who believed in Allah even when things were bad. In Makkah, Allah Almighty told Ibrahim a.s. to build the House of Allah Almighty (The Holy Kabah). So Makkah has always been a place where people go to pray. After that, when a strong and noble Arab tribe called the Qurayish tribe took over this city, it became a major trading hub. Aside from trading, the city is known for poetry contests and the way idolaters act too much. Even back then, people went there to pray and celebrate.

When the first revelation came to Prophet SAW, he fought against the paganism of the people in Makkah and began to spread the message that there is only one God to worship. When He SAW started to preach, the people of Makkah turned against him and made him leave the city. Then He went to Madinah, where people were happy to see Him and understood the message He brought. But He SAW went back to Makkah in 630 CE and took the city without any trouble. He got rid of all the doubters there. He SAW got rid of the 360 gods in the Kabah so that only one GOD could be worshipped there. Hazrat Muhammad SAW makes Makkah a holy place for all Muslims to visit. He SAW says that Makkah is the holiest city in Islam and shows Muslims the direction, or Kiblah, where they should pray. Since then, Makkah has become the centre of the world for Muslims. When Muslims conquer Makkah Prophet SAW said:

"Allah made this city holy on the day He made the heavens and the earth, and it will stay holy until the Day of Judgment. Its splint can't be broken, its animals can't hurt it, and you can't pick up things that have fallen on its ground unless you want to give them back to their owner or make a public announcement. It is also not okay to cut the grass that grows here naturally." (Al Muslim).

Makkah History

Haram Sharif, also called Masjid e Haram, and the well of Holy water ZamZam are the most important places of worship in the Holy City of Makkah. The Kabah, which is the holy place of Islam, is in the middle of the central courtyard of the Haram mosque. The process of expanding Masjid e Haram began a long time ago, in 638 CE, when Umar Bin al Khattab was the second caliph. At that time, a lot of people were becoming Muslim.

As time goes on, Makkah becomes more and more important. As Islam spread, it kept a large amount of its independence. Even when the centre of Muslim power moved to Damascus and then to Iraq under the Abassi Caliphate, Makkah was still a part of it. Makkah is always the most important place for Muslims. In 1269 CE, the Sultans of Egypt claimed control over Makkah, and in 1517 CE, the Ottomans of the Turkish Empire did the same. During all of these changes in power in the area, Prophet SAW had to deal with the local ruler of Makkah. But after the Ottoman Empire and the Central Arabian Abdul Aziz Al Saud got into a fight, Abdul Aziz Al Saud took over Makkah and promised to protect the Holy sites.