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The Journey to Mecca

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The Journey to Mecca
Strayer University
World Religions
REL212042VA016-1136-001
Professor Joel Goldstein
August 21, 2013

Abstract
The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba is a mosque built by Abraham according to Muslim tradition, and is built around a black stone. The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam and the direction in which all Muslims should offer their prayers.
The Ka'ba is believed to be the first place that was created on earth and the place at which heavenly bliss and power touches the earth directly. Mecca is located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia. The city lies inland seventy-three kilometers (forty-five miles) east of Jeddah, in the narrow, sandy Valley of Abraham.
The Journey to Mecca
The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Every Muslim is told that they must go at least once in their lifetime if they can afford to do so. The pilgrimage occurs every year on dates that vary because the Islamic calendar has never been updated from a lunar base (Draper, J. 2009). In Mecca, there is a mosque, with a central building called the Ka’bah. This building is said to have been built by Abraham, around 2000BC.
Everyone who visits the Ka’bah walks counter-clockwise around it seven times. Muslims walk around Kaaba holding hands as a show of solidarity among themselves and their submission unto God. The pilgrimage or the Hajj is performed, because this is what Mohamed did in the 7th century. During peak times there are as many as 2 million pilgrims walking around the temple and they each kiss a “Black Stone”, which is said to possibly be an old meteorite, which is positioned in the corner. There are other ceremonies that each pilgrim must perform, and these ceremonies are meant to commemorate the trials of the Prophet Abraham and his family, but the most visible is

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