Mecca, the Holiest place for Muslims in the World
Mecca holds a special place in Islam. It’s a city of immense historical and religious importance to over 1.9 billion people worldwide. It’s also the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Mecca, situated 45 miles to the east of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, is a city nestled in a valley surrounded by rugged mountains, ranging from 1,000 to nearly 2,500 feet in height. This unique location places Mecca at an elevation of 909 feet above sea level.
The weather in Mecca can get scorching, with temperatures soaring above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and it generally receives minimal rainfall throughout the year. Despite its arid climate, Mecca has experienced flooding in the past due to its valley location. In 2008, the city had a population of 1.7 million.
Throughout history, Mecca has been known by various names. In the Holy Quran, Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) has mentioned Mecca using several names, including Mecca, Bakkah, Al-Balad, Al-Qaryah, and Ummul-Qura.
Mecca is renowned for housing the world’s largest and holiest mosque, called Masjid Al-Haram. This grand mosque boasts an impressive 160,000 square yards of floor space, making it capable of accommodating up to 1.2 million worshippers at a time.
Praying at Masjid Al-Haram holds special significance, as the rewards granted by Allah for prayers offered here are a hundred thousand times greater than those in any other mosque worldwide, except for two others. The first is Masjid An-Nabawi (the Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah, where the reward for prayers is a thousand times greater than in other mosques. and the second one is Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem where the reward for prayers there is 500 times more than that of any other mosque any where in the world.
