Why Non-Musims are not Allowed into Makkah( Mecca)
Mecca is the holiest place of Islam but non Muslims are not allowed there
Mecca and Entry of Non-Muslims
Makkah is the transliteration of the Arabic name for Mecca. It is the holiest city for all Muslims and has roots that extend to the 5th century. The city was always a center of worship and, before Muhammad, Arabian pagan tribes venerated the place. Their most important pagan deity was Hubel, which remained till the 7th century. The pagan tribes congregated once a year in Makkah to pray at their shrine.
This was an annual pilgrimage and later perhaps Muhammad borrowed this concept for the Hajj, annual pilgrimage for Muslims. With the advent of Muhammad in the beginning of the 7th century and the foundation of Islam, the city was attacked in 628. At that time, the rulers of Mecca stopped Muhammad but later they agreed and signed the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which permitted Muslims entry into Mecca. But the treaty appears not to have been followed in letter and spirit and, in 630 AD, Muhammad, now at the head of a force of10,000, again attacked Makkah. He was successful this time, and the city surrendered to Muhammad.
The important point to note here is that the pagans had always recognized Mecca as a holy place and Muhammad also declared Makkah as a holy place. He declared it to be a center of Muslim pilgrimage. At that time Muhammad still anticipated that there would be threats to his rule and he wished to insure that no revisionist doctrine should again enter Mecca. To understand this, one has to look at the political and social atmosphere in Arabia at that time. All the tribes had not accepted Muhammad as their master or converted to Islam. To guard against any revisionist attempt, Muhammad decreed that no non-Muslim would be allowed to enter Makkah. This edict must be understood in the historical context of that period. Islam was still a fledgling religion and had as yet not spread its wings, and this was one of the methods Muhammad adopted to stop any threat to Islam and him. History records that there was lot of opposition to him. He decreed that no non-Muslim would be allowed to enter Mecca, on pain of death.
Muhammad also incorporated this injunction in the Koran in the Quranic verse “O believers, polytheists are not except ..., so let them not approach the sacred Mosque after this year of theirs.” (9-28) This verse has become the cornerstone of Islamic philosophy and, as Koran is considered the word of God, the literal interpretation has remained in force for the last 1300 years. One can rationalize and say that in other religions no such injunction exists regarding visiting their holy place, but Islam is different and has its own ethos.
Thus the injunction that non Muslims are forbidden entry to Mecca stands. It is worthwhile to note that Abu Hanifa, who represents the largest judicial school of Islam, has stated that non-Muslims can enter Makkah so long as they do not enter for Hajj or Umra. But the Saudi government, going by the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, has banned entry of non-Muslims to Mecca. Thus, so long as the Wahhabi law is followed and the Saudi dynasty reigns, non- Muslims will never be allowed in Makkah. The Wahhabi school draw their inspiration from the Koran, which they feel is the word of God and thus sacrosanct.
This was an annual pilgrimage and later perhaps Muhammad borrowed this concept for the Hajj, annual pilgrimage for Muslims. With the advent of Muhammad in the beginning of the 7th century and the foundation of Islam, the city was attacked in 628. At that time, the rulers of Mecca stopped Muhammad but later they agreed and signed the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which permitted Muslims entry into Mecca. But the treaty appears not to have been followed in letter and spirit and, in 630 AD, Muhammad, now at the head of a force of10,000, again attacked Makkah. He was successful this time, and the city surrendered to Muhammad.
The important point to note here is that the pagans had always recognized Mecca as a holy place and Muhammad also declared Makkah as a holy place. He declared it to be a center of Muslim pilgrimage. At that time Muhammad still anticipated that there would be threats to his rule and he wished to insure that no revisionist doctrine should again enter Mecca. To understand this, one has to look at the political and social atmosphere in Arabia at that time. All the tribes had not accepted Muhammad as their master or converted to Islam. To guard against any revisionist attempt, Muhammad decreed that no non-Muslim would be allowed to enter Makkah. This edict must be understood in the historical context of that period. Islam was still a fledgling religion and had as yet not spread its wings, and this was one of the methods Muhammad adopted to stop any threat to Islam and him. History records that there was lot of opposition to him. He decreed that no non-Muslim would be allowed to enter Mecca, on pain of death.
Muhammad also incorporated this injunction in the Koran in the Quranic verse “O believers, polytheists are not except ..., so let them not approach the sacred Mosque after this year of theirs.” (9-28) This verse has become the cornerstone of Islamic philosophy and, as Koran is considered the word of God, the literal interpretation has remained in force for the last 1300 years. One can rationalize and say that in other religions no such injunction exists regarding visiting their holy place, but Islam is different and has its own ethos.
Thus the injunction that non Muslims are forbidden entry to Mecca stands. It is worthwhile to note that Abu Hanifa, who represents the largest judicial school of Islam, has stated that non-Muslims can enter Makkah so long as they do not enter for Hajj or Umra. But the Saudi government, going by the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, has banned entry of non-Muslims to Mecca. Thus, so long as the Wahhabi law is followed and the Saudi dynasty reigns, non- Muslims will never be allowed in Makkah. The Wahhabi school draw their inspiration from the Koran, which they feel is the word of God and thus sacrosanct.
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