City of Mecca and the Ka’aba
Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 6:14 pmLong time ago, a tiny spot in the sandy soil of the Arabian Peninsula , became the focal point of the Pagan nomads of the desert: known to them as Bakka, it had a well, they called Zumzum, which supplied them with water throughout the year. Water was one of the rarest commodities in the lives of the desert dwellers. To find it so easily was a miracle to them. Believing that the miracle was worked by Allah, they built nearby the well a House to Him so that they could thank and worship Him for His favor. They named it Ka’aba, or the House of Allah.
The Pagans were a deeply religious people. They believed that there was a god to look after every aspect of their lives. Consequently, they believed that there was a god who gave them life. They also believed that the same god, whom they called Allah, gave them sustenance and protected them from all hazards of earth. They further believed that there were other gods who, apart from carrying out their respective duties, rained water from the sky and made them successful in their battles.
Lesser gods were worshipped because they had the power, and the ability, to intercede, on behalf of their worshippers, with Allah. Notable among them were called al-Lat, al-Manat and al-Uzza. The Pagans worshipped them, because they believed they were the daughters of Allah.
The number of gods the Pagans believed in, and worshipped, stood at three hundred and sixty. All of them were represented by their idols. These idols were kept inside and outside of the Ka’aba, a cubic shape structure that was built by the founding fathers of paganism to protect them from the hostile and unpredictable climate of the desert.
The founders of paganism worshipped idols not because they were idol worshippers, but for the reason that by worshipping them, they hoped to draw nearer to them the living gods, who the idol represented. The Quran confirms this belief of the Pagans. Their descendent followed their footstep and over a period of time, paganism became a part of their life.
One of the major tribes, known as Quraish, dominated the city at the time it was called Mecca by the people of the Arabian Peninsula . The Quraish tribe consisted of three groups of people. One was the priestly group, which controlled the House of Allah, and sustained itself on the income that the House generated from the pilgrims. The second group consisted of a small number of the Quraish people who engaged themselves in trade. The third group was large, and it consisted of the people who earned their livelihood by supplying water and other services to the pilgrims. Their occupation did not guarantee them a regular income; when they had a large number of pilgrims, they earned a good living, but when the number of the pilgrims declined, so did their income. Those people can be compared with our modern-day day laborers; they get paid only when they are employed for an active service.
Anthea: Thought some people might like a little background information
The Pagans were a deeply religious people. They believed that there was a god to look after every aspect of their lives. Consequently, they believed that there was a god who gave them life. They also believed that the same god, whom they called Allah, gave them sustenance and protected them from all hazards of earth. They further believed that there were other gods who, apart from carrying out their respective duties, rained water from the sky and made them successful in their battles.
Lesser gods were worshipped because they had the power, and the ability, to intercede, on behalf of their worshippers, with Allah. Notable among them were called al-Lat, al-Manat and al-Uzza. The Pagans worshipped them, because they believed they were the daughters of Allah.
The number of gods the Pagans believed in, and worshipped, stood at three hundred and sixty. All of them were represented by their idols. These idols were kept inside and outside of the Ka’aba, a cubic shape structure that was built by the founding fathers of paganism to protect them from the hostile and unpredictable climate of the desert.
The founders of paganism worshipped idols not because they were idol worshippers, but for the reason that by worshipping them, they hoped to draw nearer to them the living gods, who the idol represented. The Quran confirms this belief of the Pagans. Their descendent followed their footstep and over a period of time, paganism became a part of their life.
One of the major tribes, known as Quraish, dominated the city at the time it was called Mecca by the people of the Arabian Peninsula . The Quraish tribe consisted of three groups of people. One was the priestly group, which controlled the House of Allah, and sustained itself on the income that the House generated from the pilgrims. The second group consisted of a small number of the Quraish people who engaged themselves in trade. The third group was large, and it consisted of the people who earned their livelihood by supplying water and other services to the pilgrims. Their occupation did not guarantee them a regular income; when they had a large number of pilgrims, they earned a good living, but when the number of the pilgrims declined, so did their income. Those people can be compared with our modern-day day laborers; they get paid only when they are employed for an active service.
Anthea: Thought some people might like a little background information
