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107-960: The Night may refer to: Books [ edit ] Al-Lail (“The Night” or “Night”), the ninety-second sura of the Qur'an Film [ edit ] The Night (1992 film) ( Al-Lail ), a 1992 film by Syrian filmmaker Mohammad Malas La Notte ( The Night ), a 1961 Italian film The Night (2020 film) , a film by Iranian-American filmmaker Kourosh Ahari Music [ edit ] "The Night", an indie dance group formed by members of Nero Albums [ edit ] The Night (album) , an album by Morphine Songs [ edit ] "The Night" (Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons song) "The Night" (The Animals song) , 1983 "The Night" (Disturbed song) , 2008 "The Night" (Goodnight Nurse song) , 2008 "The Night" (Valerie Dore song) , 1984 "The Night" (Scooter Song) , 2003 "The Night",

214-517: A blazing fire awaiting them ( nāran talaźźa , or “a flaming fire”). The term used for them in verse 15 is ‘ashqā ( superlative degree ). Ibn Kathir includes a hadith related to this type of person: Ahmad ibn Hanbal reported Muhammad as saying “Only wretched people will go to Hell .” When asked, “Who is the wretched,” he said, “One who disobeys and does not refrain from evil out of fear of Allah.” Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah that Muhammad said: “All of my followers will enter Paradise on

321-553: A fire; None shall enter it save the most wretched; Who denies and turns away; and those with taqwa will be far removed from it; He who gives of his wealth for self-purification; and who has (in mind) no favor from anyone to be paid back; Except to seek the Face of his Lord, the Most High; He, surely, will be pleased. In the next part of this sūrah , another three truths are stated. First, verse 12 says that Allāh has not left man uninformed in

428-500: A great degree of local autonomy. In 1803 the city was captured by the First Saudi State , which held Mecca until 1813, destroying some of the historic tombs and domes in and around the city. The Ottomans assigned the task of bringing Mecca back under Ottoman control to their powerful Khedive (viceroy) and Wali of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha . Muhammad Ali Pasha successfully returned Mecca to Ottoman control in 1813 . In 1818,

535-543: A great quantity of alms for the support of those who were staying in Mecca and Medina". While in Mecca, prayers were made for (not to) the King of Iraq and also for Salaheddin al-Ayyubi , Sultan of Egypt and Syria at the Ka'bah. Battuta says the Ka'bah was large, but was destroyed and rebuilt smaller than the original. According to Ibn Battuta, the original Kaaba, prior to the conquest of Makkah by

642-401: A listener. However, Sale argues that this sūrah seems to be ruled out of that category by the statements of āyāt 14 where Muhammad appears as a warner, and therefore is entered upon his public ministry. Regarding subject matter, Sayyid Maududi suggests this surah can generally be divided into two parts, the first consisting of āyāt 1 through 11, and the second of āyāt 12 through 21. By

749-512: A man happens to enjoy, and which he can place at the service of others. The Arabic root word zakā implies both increase and purification , and both meanings may be understood to be implied here. The word tazkiyah is the transitive verbal noun ( masdar ) of zakā. Islahi defines it as, purification of something from adulterants, its growth and development to bring it to the height of its perfection. The word zakāt (the obligatory alms) also comes from this same root. Al-Asfahāni states that it

856-586: A place in Jannah (Paradise). Recitation of this sūrah also leads to an increase in sustenance, courage and popularity amongst the people. The Shiite perspective on certain verses in Surat Al-Lail is mentioned in the book, Imamate and Leadership by Mujtaba Musavi Lari . According to Shiite Muslims , the task of the Imam is guiding men and demonstrating to them the path that will lead them to happiness. That being

963-605: A reference to Mecca, similar to the Quran at Surah 3:96 In the Sharḥ al-Asāṭīr , a commentary on the Samaritan midrashic chronology of the Patriarchs, of unknown date but probably composed in the 10th century CE, it is claimed that Mecca was built by the sons of Nebaioth , the eldest son of Ismāʿīl or Ishmael . Thamudic inscriptions Some Thamudic inscriptions which were discovered in

1070-448: A series of oaths: by the night when it envelops the world, by the day when it illuminates and, finally by Himself who has created the male and female (92:1-3). Evidence of these three things are invoked (night, day and gender ) to illustrate how the aims and activities engaged in by both individuals and nations, are, in respect to their moral nature, widely divergent. Verse 92:3 literally means, "Consider that which has created [or "creates"]

1177-452: A song by Basshunter from The Old Shit album "The Night", a song by Heart from Brigade "The Night", a song by Hell on Wheels " The Nights ", a song by Swedish DJ Avicii Other uses [ edit ] The Night (painting) , by Max Beckmann c. 1919 See also [ edit ] Night , the period of time when the sun is below the horizon Night (disambiguation) Nights (disambiguation) Topics referred to by

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1284-613: A state like that of eaten straw. Economy Camel caravans, said to have first been used by Muhammad's great-grandfather, were a major part of Mecca's bustling economy. Alliances were struck between the merchants in Mecca and the local nomadic tribes, who would bring goods – leather, livestock, and metals mined in the local mountains – to Mecca to be loaded on the caravans and carried to cities in Shaam and Iraq . Historical accounts also provide some indication that goods from other continents may also have flowed through Mecca. Goods from Africa and

1391-535: A style common to the brief chapters, three opposing moral characteristics are presented as illustrations, providing a means from which mankind may judge which of the two lifestyles is being represented. 92:1 وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى 92:2 وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى 92:3 وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَى Traits characterizing the first type of individuals are distinguished here by three signs: (1) sacrificing their wealth: (2) adopting taqwa (God-consciousness): and (3) recognizing and supporting all that

1498-473: A threat to Mecca, as in 575 CE they protected it from a Yemeni invasion, led by its Christian leader Abraha . The tribes of southern Arabia asked the Persian king Khosrau I for aid, in response to which he came south to Arabia with foot-soldiers and a fleet of ships near Mecca. By the middle of the 6th century, there were three major settlements in northern Arabia , all along the south-western coast that borders

1605-554: A year-round population of scholars, pious Muslims who wished to live close to the Kaaba, and local inhabitants who served the pilgrims. Due to the difficulty and expense of the Hajj, pilgrims arrived by boat at Jeddah, and came overland, or joined the annual caravans from Syria or Iraq. Mecca was never the capital of any of the Islamic states . Muslim rulers did contribute to its upkeep, such as during

1712-607: Is abandoned, and all of this is in accordance with a preordained decree. There are also many Hadiths that prove this. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Bakr that he said to the Messenger of Allah, "O Messenger of Allah! Do we act according to what has already been decided, or is the matter just beginning (i.e., still undecided)" He replied, "Indeed it is according to what has already been decided". Then Abu Bakr said, "Then what (good) are deeds, O Messenger of Allah" He replied, "Everyone will find it easy to do such deeds that will lead him to what he

1819-510: Is called zakāt because the person who gives it hopes for blessings or he hopes to purify his soul or for both of these aspects. Yusuf Ali adds that wealth (understood both literally and metaphorically) is not for selfish enjoyment or idle show. It is held on trust and may be a trial in itself. The root sidq has several derivatives. The verb saddaqa with respect to statements means to accept and realize. The verb tasaddaqa with respect to funds means gave away, realizing his faith by action. And

1926-428: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Al-Lail Sūrah Al-Lail is a Meccan sura , and was among the first ten surahs to be revealed. Meccan surahs are chronologically earlier surahs that were revealed to Muhammad at Mecca before the hijrah to Medina in 622 CE . They are typically shorter, with relatively short ayat , and mostly come near

2033-579: Is just a few kilometers outside the main sites of the Hajj, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat. Mecca is not served by any airport, due to concerns about the city's safety. It is instead served by the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (approx. 70 km away) internationally and the Ta'if Regional Airport (approx. 120 km away) for domestic flights. The city today is at the junction of

2140-631: Is morally correct ( wa şaddaqa bi-(a)l-ĥusnā ). The second character type – described in verses 8 through 10 - are also distinguished by three signs: they are miserly and do not give of their wealth; they are arrogant and think themselves independent of Allah's Will (92:8); and (3) knowingly dishonoring Truth out of spite, or seeing ugliness where there is beauty. Then, it is stated that these two modes of action, which are clearly divergent, cannot be equal and alike in respect to results, i.e., just as they are divergent in their nature, so they are divergent in their results. Narrated ’Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib : We were in

2247-504: Is prohibited.' Others have said that it means, "Whoever traverses upon the path of guidance, then he will reach Allah (i.e., in the Hereafter). They consider this ayat like Allah's saying: "And upon Allah is the responsibility to explain the Straight path." This has been mentioned by Ibn Jarir . 92:13 وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَى Second, verse 13 contends that Allāh alone is

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2354-563: Is the holiest city according to Islam . It is 70 km (43 mi) inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea , in a narrow valley 277 m (909 ft) above sea level. Its metropolitan population in 2022 was 2.4   million, making it the third-most populated city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Around 44.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and around 55.5% are Muslim foreigners from other countries. Pilgrims more than triple

2461-553: Is the official transliteration used by the Saudi government and is closer to the Arabic pronunciation. The government adopted Makkah as the official spelling in the 1980s, but it is not universally known or used worldwide. The full official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah ( Arabic : مكة المكرمة , lit.   'Makkah the Honored';). Makkah is used to refer to the city in

2568-582: The Jabal al-Nur ("Mountain of Light"), just outside the city, is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad. Visiting Mecca for the Ḥajj is an obligation upon all able Muslims. The Great Mosque of Mecca , known as the Masjid al-Haram , is home to the Ka'bah , believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael . It is Islam's holiest site and

2675-617: The Abraj Al Bait , the world's fourth-tallest building and third-largest by floor area , towering over the Great Mosque. The Saudi government has also carried out the destruction of several historical structures and archaeological sites , such as the Ajyad Fortress . However, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and

2782-666: The Banu Tamim . Other regional powers such as the Abyssinians , Ghassanids, and Lakhmids were in decline leaving Meccan trade to be the primary binding force in Arabia in the late 6th century. Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 CE, and thus Islam has been inextricably linked with it ever since. He was born into the faction of Banu Hashim in the ruling tribe of Quraysh . It was in the nearby mountain cave of Hira on Jabal al-Nour that Muhammad began receiving divine revelations from God through

2889-617: The Battle of the Trench in 627 CE, the combined armies of Arabia were unable to defeat Muhammad's forces (as the trench surrounding Muhammad's forces protected them from harm and a storm was sent to breach the Quraysh tribe). In 628 CE, Muhammad and his followers wanted to enter Mecca for pilgrimage, but were blocked by the Quraysh. Subsequently, Muslims and Meccans entered into the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah , whereby

2996-619: The Day of Judgement except for whoever refuses.” They (the Companions) said, “Who would refuse, O Messenger of Allah,” He replied, “Whoever obeys me, he will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me, then he has refused.” 92:18 الَّذِى يُؤْتِى مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى The spending may be for charity , or for good works, such as advancing the cause of knowledge or science, or supporting ideals. “Wealth” ( māl ) must be understood not only for money or material goods, but also any advantage or opportunity which

3103-468: The First World War . This plan was later carried out by the Saudi government, which connected the two holy cities of Medina and Mecca with the modern Haramain high-speed railway system which runs at 300 km/h (190 mph) and connects the two cities via Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City near Rabigh within two hours. The haram area of Mecca, in which

3210-804: The Ghassanids and the Himyarites of the south supports the Arabic sources tradition that associates Quraysh as a branch of the Ma'add and Muhammad as a direct descendant of Ma'add ibn Adnan. Historian Patricia Crone has cast doubt on the claim that Mecca was a major historical trading outpost. However, other scholars such as Glen W. Bowersock disagree and assert that Mecca was a major trading outpost. Crone later on disregarded some of her theories. She argues that Meccan trade relied on skins, hides, manufactured leather goods, clarified butter, Hijazi woollens, and camels. She suggests that most of these goods were destined for

3317-498: The I’sha salāt , carries the reward of completing a quarter of the Qur'an and is guaranteed that the prayers are accepted. The sixth Shia Imām , Ja’far as-Sādiq (d. 748) has said that the person who recites Sūrah Ash-Shams, Al-Lail, Ad-Dhuha and Al-Inshirah will, on the Day of Judgement, find all creatures of the earth testifying on his behalf and Allah will accept their testimony and give him

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3424-478: The Ka'bah . The Quran refers to the city as Bakkah in Surah Al Imran (3), verse 96: "Indeed the first House [of worship] , established for mankind was that at Bakkah". This is said to have been the name of the city at the time of Ibrahim and it is also transliterated as Baca, Baka, Bakah, Bakka, Becca and Bekka , among others. It was a name for the city in the ancient world. Makkah

3531-575: The Negus of Axum . It gained widespread fame, even gaining attention from the Byzantine Empire . Abraha attempted to divert the pilgrimage of the Arabs from the Ka'bah to al-Qullays, effectively converting them to Christianity. According to Islamic tradition, this was the year of Muhammad 's birth. Abraha allegedly sent a messenger named Muhammad ibn Khuza'i to Mecca and Tihamah with a message that al-Qullays

3638-641: The Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage ( hajj ). Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city . Under the Saudi government, Mecca is governed by the Mecca Regional Municipality, a municipal council of 14 locally elected members headed by the mayor (called Amin in Arabic) appointed by

3745-714: The Red Sea , but piracy had been increasing. Another previous route that ran through the Persian Gulf via the Tigris and Euphrates rivers was also being threatened by exploitations from the Sassanid Empire , and was being disrupted by the Lakhmids , the Ghassanids , and the Roman–Persian Wars . Mecca's prominence as a trading center also surpassed the cities of Petra and Palmyra . The Sassanids however did not always pose

3852-654: The Saudi government . In 2015, the mayor of the city was Osama bin Fadhel Al-Barr; as of January 2022 , the mayor is Saleh Al-Turki. The City of Mecca amanah , which constitutes Mecca and the surrounding region, is the capital of the Mecca Province, which includes the neighbouring cities of Jeddah and Ta'if , even though Jeddah is considerably larger in population than Mecca. Prince Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud has been

3959-701: The Siege of Kut . The British intelligence agent T.E. Lawrence conspired with the Ottoman governor, Hussain bin Ali , the Sharif of Mecca to revolt against the Ottoman Empire and it was the first city captured by his forces in the 1916 Battle of Mecca . Sharif's revolt proved a turning point of the war on the eastern front. Hussein declared a new state, the Kingdom of Hejaz , declaring himself

4066-616: The archangel Jibreel in 610 CE, according to Islamic tradition. Advocating his form of Abrahamic monotheism against Meccan paganism, and after enduring persecution from the pagan tribes for 13 years, Muhammad emigrated ( hijrah ) in 622 CE with his companions, the Muhajirun , to Yathrib (later renamed Medina ). The conflict between the Quraysh and the Muslims is accepted to have begun at this point. Overall, Meccan efforts to annihilate Islam failed and proved to be costly and unsuccessful. During

4173-421: The local tribes , but once a year they would declare a truce and converge upon Mecca in an annual pilgrimage. Up to the 7th century, this journey was intended for religious reasons by the pagan Arabs to pay homage to their shrine, and to drink Zamzam . However, it was also the time each year that disputes would be arbitrated, debts would be resolved, and trading would occur at Meccan fairs. These annual events gave

4280-416: The 1st century BCE in his work Bibliotheca historica , describing a holy shrine: "And a temple has been set up there, which is very holy and exceedingly revered by all Arabians". Claims have been made this could be a reference to the Ka'bah in Mecca. However, the geographic location Diodorus describes is located in northwest Arabia, around the area of Leuke Kome , within the former Nabataean Kingdom and

4387-561: The Arab tribes of Quraysh, Kinanah, Khuza'a and Hudhayl united in the defense of the Ka'bah and the city. A man from the Himyarite Kingdom was sent by Abraha to advise them that Abraha only wished to demolish the Ka'bah and if they resisted, they would be crushed. Abdul Muttalib told the Meccans to seek refuge in the hills while he and some members of the Quraysh remained within the precincts of

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4494-665: The Best reward from Allah (i.e. Allah will compensate him for what he will spend in Allah's way). So, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser... for him, the path for evil.' (92.5-10) In verse 7, humans are told if they strive their utmost towards Allah , that He will provide every help and satisfaction to a “state of ease” ( li-l-yusrā ). People adopting the first mode of action are promised by Allāh that He will make correct behavior easy for them, to such an extent that doing good becomes easy and doing evil difficult. On

4601-611: The Far East passed through en route to Syria including spices, leather, medicine, cloth, and slaves; in return Mecca received money, weapons, cereals and wine, which in turn were distributed throughout Arabia. The Meccans signed treaties with both the Byzantines and the Bedouins , and negotiated safe passages for caravans, giving them water and pasture rights. Mecca became the center of a loose confederation of client tribes, which included those of

4708-521: The God-fearing person who spends their wealth in a good cause “for increase in self-purification”, without any selfish motive, only desiring the “Face of their Lord Most High”, Allah will be pleased with him and he will be satisfied (wa-la-sawfa yarđā). This “Face” or “Countenance” ( wajh ) implies good pleasure or approval; but it also implies something more. It also means the Cause, - either the “final cause” or

4815-424: The Kaaba. Abraha sent a dispatch inviting Abdul-Muttalib to meet with Abraha and discuss matters. When Abdul-Muttalib left the meeting he was heard saying: "The Owner of this House is its Defender, and I am sure he will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonor the servants of His House." Abraha eventually attacked Mecca. However, the lead elephant, known as Mahmud, is said to have stopped at

4922-519: The Kinana tribe and destroy the Ka'bah. Ibn Ishaq further states that one of the men of the Quraysh tribe was angered by this, and going to Sana'a, entering the church at night and defiling it; widely assumed to have done so by defecating in it. Abraha marched upon the Ka'bah with a large army, which included one or more war elephants , intending to demolish it. When news of the advance of his army came,

5029-501: The Prophet, contained images of angels and prophets including Jesus (Isa in Islamic tradition), his mother Mary (Maryam in Islamic tradition), and many others - Ibn Battuta however states these were all destroyed by the Prophet in the year of victory. Battuta describes the Ka'bah in his time as an important part of Mecca due to the fact that many people make the pilgrimage to it. Battuta describes

5136-418: The Qur'an were revealed. Though of some use in reconstructing the Qur'an's historicity, asbāb is by nature an exegetical rather than a historiographical genre, and as such usually associates the verses it explicates with general situations rather than specific events. Most of the mufassirūn say that verses 17 through 21 were revealed about Abu Bakr Siddiq (r. 632-34). Some claim a consensus on this, although

5243-556: The Quran and ahadith . Another name used historically for Mecca is Tihāmah . According to an Islamic suggestion, another name for Mecca, Fārān , is synonymous with the Desert of Paran mentioned in the Old Testament at Genesis 21 :21. Arab and Islamic tradition holds that the wilderness of Paran, broadly speaking, is the Tihamah coastal plain and the site where Ishmael settled

5350-583: The Quran in Surah Al-Fath (48), verse 24. The word Mecca in English has come to be used to refer to any place that draws large numbers of people, and because of this some English-speaking Muslims have come to regard the use of this spelling for the city as offensive. Nonetheless, Mecca is the familiar form of the English transliteration for the Arabic name of the city. Macoraba, another ancient city name mentioned by Claudius Ptolemy Felix' Arabia Felix ,

5457-622: The Quraysh and their allies promised to cease fighting Muslims and their allies and promised that Muslims would be allowed into the city to perform the pilgrimage the following year. It was meant to be a ceasefire for 10 years; however, just two years later, the Banu Bakr , allies of the Quraish, violated the truce by slaughtering a group of the Banu Khuza'ah, allies of the Muslims. Muhammad and his companions, now 10,000 strong, marched into Mecca and conquered

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5564-409: The Red Sea, in a habitable region between the sea and the Hejaz mountains to the east. Although the area around Mecca was completely barren, it was the wealthiest of the three settlements with abundant water from the renowned Zamzam Well and a position at the crossroads of major caravan routes. The harsh conditions and terrain of the Arabian peninsula meant a near-constant state of conflict between

5671-424: The Roman army, which is known to have required colossal quantities of leather and hides for its equipment. Mecca is mentioned in the following early Quranic manuscripts: The earliest Muslim inscriptions are from the Mecca- Ta'if area. Islamic narrative In the Islamic view, the beginnings of Mecca are attributed to the Biblical figures , Adam , Abraham , Hagar and Ishmael . It was Adam himself who built

5778-409: The Roman province of Arabia Petraea . Ptolemy lists the names of 50 cities in Arabia, one going by the name of Macoraba. There has been speculation since 1646 that this could be a reference to Mecca. Historically, there has been a general consensus in scholarship that Macoraba mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE is indeed Mecca, but more recently, this has been questioned. Bowersock favors

5885-422: The Saud were defeated again but survived and founded the Second Saudi State that lasted until 1891 and led on to the present country of Saudi Arabia. In 1853, Sir Richard Francis Burton undertook the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina disguised as a Muslim. Although Burton was certainly not the first non-Muslim European to make the Hajj ( Ludovico di Varthema did this in 1503), his pilgrimage remains one of

5992-409: The Sharif of Mecca was overthrown by the Saud family, and Mecca was incorporated into Saudi Arabia. Under Saudi rule, much of the historic city has been demolished as a result of the Saudi government fearing these sites might become sites of association in worship besides Allah ( shirk ). The city has been expanded to include several towns previously considered to be separate from the holy city and now

6099-415: The Sharif of the state and Mecca his capital. News reports in November 1916 via contact in Cairo with returning Hajj pilgrims, stated that with the Ottoman Turkish authorities gone, the Hajj of 1916 was free of the previous massive extortion and monetary demands made by the Turks who were agents of the Ottoman government. Saudi Arabian conquest and modern history Following the 1924 Battle of Mecca ,

6206-423: The aid of signs. Thus it is evident that the appointment of the Imām should come from Allāh as He alone knows all the secrets of human beings and the unseen matters as well as things which are of good value to us. Mecca Mecca ( / ˈ m ɛ k ə / ; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah , commonly shortened to Makkah ) is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia ; it

6313-499: The best, we will indeed make smooth for him the path to bliss, but who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient and gives lies to the best we will indeed make smooth for him the path to misery.” Sadaqah is thus an indication of truthfullness in faith and sincere belief in the day of Judgement. Accordingly, the Messenger of Allah said sadaqah is a proof (or evidence). (Reported by Muslim) 92:20 إِلاَّ ابْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الاٌّعْلَى 92:21 وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى As for

6420-429: The book A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran , translated by George Sale , Jalal ad-Din as-Suyūti – co-author of the classical Sunni tafsīr known as Tafsir al-Jalalayn - had speculated that this whole description belongs peculiarly to Abu Bakr ; for when he had purchased Bilal ibn Rabah , the Ethiopian (afterwards Muhammad's muadhdhin , or crier to prayers), who had been put to the rack on account of his faith,

6527-438: The boundary around Mecca and refused to enter. It has been theorized that an epidemic such as by smallpox could have caused such a failed invasion of Mecca. The reference to the story in Quran is rather short. According to the 105th Surah of the Quran, Al-Fil , the next day, a dark cloud of small birds sent by Allah appeared. The birds carried small rocks in their beaks, and bombarded the Ethiopian forces, and smashed them to

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6634-401: The capital to Damascus in Syria and the Abbasid Caliphate to Baghdad , in modern-day Iraq, which remained the center of the Islamic Empire for nearly 500 years. Mecca re-entered Islamic political history during the Second Fitna , when it was held by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr and the Zubayrids. The city was twice besieged by the Umayyads in 683 CE and 692 CE, and for some time thereafter,

6741-423: The case, the only right path for selecting the Imam is the same as that which the Qur'an spells out for the prophets: “It is indeed incumbent on Us to guide mankind, for the kingdom of this world and the hereafter is Ours.” (92:11-12) Thus, just as Muhammad is appointed from Allāh, the Qur'anic verses point to the fact that appointment of the Imām also is from Allāh as the Imām's appointment is primarily concerned with

6848-405: The city figured little in politics, remaining a city of devotion and scholarship governed by various other factions. In 930 CE, Mecca was attacked and sacked by Qarmatians , a millenarian Shi'a Isma'ili Muslim sect led by Abū-Tāhir Al-Jannābī and centered in eastern Arabia. The Black Death pandemic hit Mecca in 1349 CE. One of the most famous travelers to Mecca in the 14th century

6955-424: The city. The pagan imagery was destroyed by Muhammad's followers and the location Islamized and rededicated to the worship of Allah alone. Mecca was declared the holiest site in Islam ordaining it as the center of Muslim pilgrimage ( Hajj ), one of the Islamic faith's Five Pillars . Muhammad then returned to Medina, after assigning ' Attab ibn Asid as governor of the city. His other activities in Arabia led to

7062-413: The common ancestor of the Old World monkeys and apes . The fossil habitat, near what is now the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia, was a damp forest area between 28 million and 29 million years ago. Paleontologists involved in the research hope to find further fossils in the area. The early history of Mecca is still largely shrouded by a lack of clear sources. The city lies in the hinterland of

7169-472: The company of the Prophet in a funeral procession at Baqi Al-Gharqad . He said, "There is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell-Fire." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He said, "Carry on doing (good deeds), for every body will find it easy to do (what will lead him to his destined place)." Then he recited: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in

7276-418: The contrary, those adopting the second mode of life, Allāh will make their path difficult in this world and in the Hereafter. Consequently, performing evil actions will become easy, while doing good becomes increasingly difficult. Ibn Kathir further extrapalated on this concept: And there are many Ayat with this meaning, proving that Allah rewards those who intend good with success, while whoever intends evil

7383-411: The covenant of Allāh as well as with the function of guiding people to the right path. In this context Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā (d. 1037) says: The Imām should be infallible and highly virtuous. Since it is not possible for an ordinary person to know such spiritual and intellectual characteristics in man and even if he knows something of it, he knows it in a defective way or through

7490-485: The direction of prayer ( qibla ) for all Muslims worldwide. Muslim rulers from in and around the region long tried to take the city and keep it in their control, and thus, much like most of the Hejaz region, the city has seen several regime changes . The city was most recently conquered in the Saudi conquest of Hejaz by Ibn Saud and his allies in 1925. Since then, Mecca has seen a tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure, with newer, modern buildings such as

7597-402: The end of the Qur'an's 114 sūwar. Most of the surahs containing muqatta'at are Meccan. According to Yusuf Ali , Al-Lail may be placed in the dating period close to Surat Al-Fajr and Ad-Dhuha (93). It is similar in subject matter to the chapter preceding it, Ash-Shams (91). The mufassirūn (Quranic commentators) note a similarity that in all of the aforementioned three suras

7704-523: The first God's house in Mecca according to a heavenly prototype but this building was destroyed in the Noahic Flood . The civilization of Mecca is believed to have started after Ibrāhīm (Abraham) left his son Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) and wife Hājar (Hagar) in the valley at Allah 's command. Some people from the Yemeni tribe of Jurhum settled with them, and Isma'il reportedly married two women, one after divorcing

7811-591: The first, on Ibrahim's advice. At least one man of the Jurhum helped Ismāʿīl and his father to construct or according to Islamic narratives, reconstruct, the Ka'bah ('Cube'), which would have social, religious, political and historical implications for the site and region. Muslims see the mention of a pilgrimage at the Valley of the Bakha in the Old Testament chapter Psalm 84 :3–6 as

7918-425: The hereafter is also varied, according to the type of action and the direction taken in this life... The subject matter of the surah , i.e., action and reward, is by nature double directional, so the framework chosen for it at the beginning of the surah is of dual coloring. It is based on contrasting aspects in the creation of man and the universe. — Sayid Qutb , Fi Zilal al-Qur'an According to an account from

8025-412: The identity of the former, with his theory being that "Macoraba" is the word " Makkah" followed by the aggrandizing Aramaic adjective rabb (great). The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus also enumerated many cities of Western Arabia, most of which can be identified. According to Bowersock, he did mention Mecca as "Geapolis" or "Hierapolis", the latter one meaning "holy city" potentially referring to

8132-541: The infidels said he did it only out of a view of interest; upon which this passage was revealed. However, the style and language of this chapter are against this explanation. It is best, therefore, to regard the whole as addressed to Muhammad's hearers generally. In his book The Corân , William Muir classifies Al-Lail in a Quranic sub-category known as the Soliloquies - a literary form of discourse in which Muhammad talks to himself or reveals his thoughts without addressing

8239-434: The male and the female", i.e., the elements which are responsible for the differentiation between male and female. This, together with the symbolism of night and day, darkness and light, is an allusion - similar to the first ten verses of the preceding surah ( Ash-Shams ) - to the polarity evident in all nature and, hence, to the dichotomy (spoken of in the next verse) which characterizes man's aims and motives. Following

8346-469: The master of both this world and the Hereafter. If an individual seeks worldly goods, only Allāh controls whether or not it will be received. Likewise, for those seeking the Hereafter, once again it is Allāh who will provide. Now, it is up to the individual to decide what should be sought. The third truth is that the wretched ones (‘illa-l-‘ashqā) who rejected the truth when Muhammad invited them to Islam , have

8453-540: The middle part of western Arabia of which there are sparse textual or archaeological sources available. This lack of knowledge is in contrast to both the northern and southern areas of western Arabia, specifically the Syro-Palestinian frontier and Yemen, where historians have various sources available such as physical remains of shrines, inscriptions, observations by Greco-Roman authors, and information collected by church historians. The area of Hejaz that surrounds Mecca

8560-562: The most famous and documented of modern times. Mecca was regularly hit by cholera outbreaks . Between 1830 and 1930, cholera broke out among pilgrims at Mecca 27 times. Hashemite Revolt and subsequent control by the Sharifate of Mecca In World War I , the Ottoman Empire was at war with the Allies . It had successfully repulsed an attack on Istanbul in the Gallipoli campaign and on Baghdad in

8667-485: The night as it envelops; By the day as it appears; By Him Who created male and female; Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse; As for him who gives and has taqwa ; and believes in al-husnā ; We will make smooth for him the path of ease; But he who is greedy and thinks himself self-sufficient; and denies al-husnā ; We will make smooth for him the path to evil; and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down (in destruction) Allah begins this chapter by swearing

8774-564: The people of the city as being humble and kind, and also willing to give a part of everything they had to someone who had nothing. The inhabitants of Mecca and the village itself, he says, were very clean. There was also a sense of elegance to the village. Under the Ottomans In 1517, the then Sharif of Mecca, Barakat bin Muhammad, acknowledged the supremacy of the Ottoman Caliph but retained

8881-474: The population number every year during the Ḥajj pilgrimage , observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah . With over 10.8 million international visitors in 2023, Mecca was one of the ten most visited cities in the world. Mecca is generally considered "the fountainhead and cradle of Islam ". Mecca is revered in Islam as the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . The Hira cave atop

8988-446: The population was closer to 10,000 individuals, a figure extrapolated from data taken from historical records about the Battle of Badr and other military expeditions , emigrants to both Abyssinia and Madinah , and Muhammad’s own household. Al-Ateeqi, a researcher from Kuwait who has written extensively about the early history of Mecca, also makes deductions about the numbers of women, children, servants, and slaves living in Mecca at

9095-409: The provincial governor of the province since 16 May 2007. Mecca has been referred to by many names. As with many Arabic words, its etymology is obscure. Widely believed to be a synonym for Makkah , it is said to be more specifically the early name for the valley located therein, while Muslim scholars generally use it to refer to the sacred area of the city that immediately surrounds and includes

9202-523: The reigns of ' Umar (r. 634–644 CE) and ' Uthman ibn Affan (r. 644–656 CE) when concerns of flooding caused the caliphs to bring in Christian engineers to build barrages in the low-lying quarters and construct dykes and embankments to protect the area around the Kaaba. Muhammad's return to Medina shifted the focus away from Mecca and later even further away when ' Ali , the fourth caliph, took power and chose Kufa as his capital. The Umayyad Caliphate moved

9309-444: The same king.” Many ahadith have been related concerning the spiritual benefits associated with Surat Al-Lail. Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have said that the reward of reciting this surah is so much that the one who recites it will be pleased when he sees it in his Book of Deeds. His inspiration of good deeds ( tawfiq ) will also increase. If recited 15 times before sleeping, one will dream about what pleases him most. Reciting it in

9416-415: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title The Night . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Night&oldid=1120561737 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

9523-603: The sanctuary of the Kaaba . Patricia Crone , from the Revisionist school of Islamic studies on the other hand, writes that "the plain truth is that the name Macoraba has nothing to do with that of Mecca [...] if Ptolemy mentions Mecca at all, he calls it Moka, a town in Arabia Petraea ". Procopius ' 6th century statement that the Ma'add tribe possessed the coast of western Arabia between

9630-461: The south Jordan contained names of some individuals such as ʿAbd Mekkat ( عَبْد مَكَّة ‎ , "Servant of Mecca"). There were also some other inscriptions which contained personal names such as Makki ( مَكِّي , "Makkan, of Makkah"), but Jawwad Ali from the University of Baghdad suggested that there's also a probability of a tribe named "Makkah". Sometime in the 5th century, the Ka'bah

9737-578: The statements are general. Ibn Kathir states that Abu Bakr had a special status among the Sahaba (companions of Muhammad). He helped all the people who sought his help and he was well known for this. On the eve of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (628 CE ), when Abu Bakr showed his anger and chastised Urwa bin Masud, chief of the Thaqif tribe. Urwa told him, "Had I not been under an obligation to you, I would have answered you of

9844-621: The time, pointing out that some wealthy individuals, such as Abdullah ibn Jud’an , had as many as 100 slaves. The first clear reference to Mecca in non-Islamic literature appears in 741 CE, long after the death of Muhammad, in the Byzantine-Arab Chronicle, though here the author places the region in Mesopotamia rather than the Hejaz. Possible earlier mentions are not unambiguous. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus writes about Arabia in

9951-493: The tribes a sense of common identity and made Mecca an important focus for the peninsula. The Year of the Elephant (570 CE) The " Year of the Elephant " is the name in Islamic history for the year approximately equating to 570–572 CE , when, according to Islamic sources such as Ibn Ishaq , Abraha descended upon Mecca, riding an elephant, with a large army after building a cathedral at San'aa , named al-Qullays in honor of

10058-504: The two most important highways in all of the Saudi Arabian highway system, Highway 40, which connects the city to Jeddah in the west and the capital, Riyadh and Dammam in the east and Highway 15, which connects it to Medina , Tabuk and onward to Jordan in the north and Abha and Jizan in the south. The Ottomans had planned to extend their railway network to the holy city, but were forced to abandon this plan due to their entry into

10165-519: The unification of the Arabian Peninsula under the banner of Islam. Muhammad died in 632 CE. Within the next few hundred years, the area under the banner of Islam stretched from North Africa into Asia and parts of Europe. As the Islamic realm grew, Mecca continued to attract pilgrims from all across the Muslim world and beyond, as Muslims came to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Mecca also attracted

10272-500: The verb asdaqa means to give dowry in marriage to women. The meaning of sadaqah is derived from the root sidq because sadaqah implies giving away goods and funds for the sake of Allah in expression of faithfulness and in realization of the belief in resurrection and afterlife. It is for that reason that Qur'an associated giving with affirmation of faith and withholding with rejection of faith; Allah says; “So he who gives in charity and fears Allah and in all sincerity testifies to

10379-459: The wonder and contrast between night and day are appealed to for the consolation of man in his spiritual yearning. According to an interpretation expounded on in the tafsīr (commentary) written by Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi (d. 1979) entitled Tafhim al-Qur'an , the primary theme of Surat al-Lail is distinguishing between two different ways of life and explaining the contrast between their ultimate ends and results. Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966), who

10486-406: The world, but has assumed responsibility for clearly showing humanity the halal (lawful) and haram (unlawful). Another interpretation given to verse 12 is that – ‘Whoever takes the path of guidance will reach Us.’ 92:12 إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَى Regarding this same verse, Qatada ibn al-Nu'man said - Truly, on Us is (to give) guidance - 'This means, We will explain what is lawful and what

10593-419: The “efficient cause” of Aristotelian philosophy . For the atqā (righteous one with taqwa) would refer everything backwards in origin and forwards in destiny , to Allah. Allah is the source of their goodness, as well as its goal or purpose. Asbāb al-nuzūl ( or circumstances of revelation) is a secondary genre of Qur'anic exegesis ( tafsir ) directed at establishing the context in which specific verses of

10700-449: Was Mecca. Yaqut al-Hamawi , the 12th-century Syrian geographer, wrote that Fārān was "an arabized Hebrew word, one of the names of Mecca mentioned in the Torah." In 2010, Mecca and the surrounding area became an important site for paleontology with respect to primate evolution, with the discovery of a Saadanius fossil. Saadanius is considered to be a primate closely related to

10807-429: Was a Moroccan scholar and traveler, Ibn Battuta . In his rihla (account), he provides a vast description of the city. Around the year 1327 CE or 729 AH, Ibn Battuta arrived at the holy city. Immediately, he says, it felt like a holy sanctuary, and thus he started the rites of the pilgrimage. He remained in Mecca for three years and left in 1330 CE. During his second year in the holy city, he says his caravan arrived "with

10914-607: Was a place of worship for the deities of Arabia's pagan tribes . Mecca's most important pagan deity was Hubal , which had been placed there by the ruling Quraish tribe. and remained until the Conquest of Mecca by Muhammad . In the 5th century, the Quraish took control of Mecca, and became skilled merchants and traders. In the 6th century, they joined the lucrative spice trade , since battles elsewhere were diverting trade routes from dangerous sea routes to more secure overland routes. The Byzantine Empire had previously controlled

11021-493: Was also claimed to be Mecca. Some studies have questioned this association. Many etymologies have been proposed: the traditional one is that it is derived from the Old South Arabian root M-K-R-B which means "temple". Another name used for Mecca in the Quran is at 6:92 where it is called Umm al-Qurā ( أُمّ ٱلْقُرَى ‎ , meaning "Mother of all Settlements"). The city has been called several other names in both

11128-534: Was an Egyptian author, Islamist , and leading intellectual of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood , surmised the overall theme of Surat Al-Lail in the introduction to his extensive Quranic commentary, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the shades of the Qur'an) by saying: Within a framework of scenes taken from the universe and the realm of human nature, this surah states emphatically the basic facts of action and reward. This issue had diverse aspects... The end in

11235-506: Was both much better than other houses of worship and purer, having not been defiled by the housing of idols. When Muhammad ibn Khuza'i got as far as the land of Kinana , the people of the lowland, knowing what he had come for, sent a man of Hudhayl called ʿUrwa bin Hayyad al-Milasi, who shot him with an arrow, killing him. His brother Qays who was with him, fled to Abraha and told him the news, which increased his rage and fury and he swore to raid

11342-450: Was characterized by its remote, rocky, and inhospitable nature, supporting only meagre settled populations in scattered oases and occasional stretches of fertile land. The Red Sea coast offered no easily accessible ports and the oasis dwellers and bedouins in the region were illiterate. While one individual has suggested that Mecca’s population at the time of Muhammad was around 550, research published by Binimad Al-Ateeqi in 2020 shows that

11449-433: Was created for". — Ibn Kathir , Tafsir Ibn Kathir 92:7 Thus, the first part of the surah ends having made clear that there are only two ways for all mankind in all times and places. All humanity is in two parties under two headings however numerous are their colors and forms. Truly, on Us is (to give) guidance; and truly, unto Us (belong) the last (Hereafter) and the first (this world); Therefore I have warned you of

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