August 23, 13 Jewish year 5773, B.E. 2556, Islam 1434 In the name of God Allah, Most Gracious and Most Merciful. We believe that Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet and the zeal of all prophets. (33/40) Our today’s sermon is about the city ‘Bakkah’ and relevant issues. Many Western scholars understand that Allah is the Supreme Deity of the Arabs because the Qur’an was first revealed in Mother City or Bakkah hereafter called Makkah in Arabic form. Muslims believe that there is no deity but only Allah which is known as the Rahman by Christians and as the Rakhim by the Jews. اللَّـهُلَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ﴿٢﴾ Chapter 3/2 ‘ Allah there is no deity except He, the Living, the Eternal.’ Nice to know & Need to know the word ‘Bakkah’. إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ Chapter 3/96 ‘The most important shrine established for the people is the one; in Becca, a blessed beacon for all the people.’ ‘Bakkah’ (The Qur’an chapter 3/96) is ancient name ‘Mecca’. While the form Mecca is used in chapter 48/24. وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَفَّ أَيْيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِن ‘And He it is Who has withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Mecca..’ Mecca is the city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah Province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located 70 km. (43 mi.) inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of 277 m. (909 ft.) above sea level. The resident population in 2012 was roughly 2 million. As the birth place of Abul Qasem first name of Prophet Muhammad and a site of Muhammad’s first revelation of the Qur’an. The site is specific of a cave 3.2 km. (2mi.) from Mecca. Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam. Most people believe that they are synonyms, Bakkah, Bakah, Bakka, Becca, Bekkha etc, the ancient name for the site of Mecca. An Arabic language word of its etymology like that of Mecca is obscure. Please note that resident in Mecca ascribe ‘Baka’ name from Ba Kaf Kaf. Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca. The story of Ibrahim/Avram/Abraham from the Glorious Qur’an: Ibrahim original Messenger of Islam, the founder of Islam, the religion recognized by God since the time of Adam (3/19,85) Abraham is reported in the Qur’an as the first user of the word ‘Islam’ and the one who called everyone ‘Muslims’ (22/78). Millat Ibrahim: Islam is called ‘Millat Ibrahim’ the religion of Abraham by the Qur’an throughout the Qur’an (2/130, 135, 3/95, 4/125, 6/161, 12/37-38, 16/123, 21/73, 22/78). Moreover, the Qur’an informs us that Muhammad was a follower of Abraham (16/123) He is the father of the Prophets and one who is singled out for extra love ‘Khalil’ of the Most Merciful. Ibrahim is mentioned by name 69 times in the Noble Qur’an. For more information, please open the Qur’an chapter 21/51-72, 6/74-82, 26/69-68, 14/35-42, 11/69-76, 3/65-67. He was born in Iraq, settled in the city of Ur Al-Kaldaniyyah. His father was Azar bin Nahur, though it is said that Azar was his uncle. The confusion stems from the custom of addressing one’s uncle with the word ‘father’. Ibrahim traveled with his second wife, Hajar to Makkah and she took her son, Ismail/Ishmael along with her. After Ibrahim left Makkah which at the time was a forsaken and barren place, the well of Zamzam gushed forth. Now that water was found in Makkah, it became a desirable place to live and so when the tribe of Jurhum was passing through the area and found out about well, they settled down alongside Hajar. As for Ibrahim’s death, he died in Palestine and was buried there in the city of Hebron. God Never Ordered Abraham to Sacrifice His Son: One of the reputed scholars cited out that God is the Most Merciful. He never violates His own law (7/28), nowhere in the Qur’an do we see that God ordered Abraham to kill his son. On contrary, God intervened to save Abraham and Ismail from Satan’s plot (37/107). He told Abraham : ‘You believed the dream (37/105). Undoubtedly it was a dream inspired by Satan. God’s irrevocable law is: ‘God never advocates sin. God sent notice to Jews/Christians and Muslims: Chapter 3/67 مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ‘ Abraham was neither a Jewish, nor Christian; he was a monotheist submitter. He never was an idol worshiper.’ Chapter 33/40 ‘Muhammad was not the father of any man among you. He was the messenger of God and the final prophet. God is fully aware of all things.’ مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّـهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا The story of Avram/Abraham from the New Testament & Old Testament: Bakkah is where Hagar/Hajar and Ishmael settled after being taken by Abraham to the wilderness, a story related in the Bible’s Book of Genesis 21/41. Genesis tells of how after Hagar and Ishmael ran out of water to drink. In Arabic tradition, Hagar runs back and forth for help before sitting down despair, at which point the angel speaks as recorded in Genesis 21/17-19. God heard the cry of the boy and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heeded the boy, come, lift the boy and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him. The God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water and let the boy drink, this spring came to be known as ‘Zamzam’. Ibn Ishaq, the 8th- century Arab Muslim historian relates that during the renovation of Kaaba undertaken by the Quraysh before Islam, found an inscription in one of the corners of the foundation of the building that mentions Bakkah. Composed in Syriac, it was in comprehensible to the Quraish until a Jew translated it for them as follows: ‘ I am Allah, the Lord of Bakka. I created it on the day, I created heaven and the earth and formed the sun and the moon and I surrounded it with seven pious angels. It will stand while its two mountains stand. Blessed to its people the meat and water.’ However, the name Bakkah is woven into kiswa, the cloth covering the Kabba that is placed each year before the Hajj. Please note that the original Hebrew language phrase for the Valley of Baca is ‘emeq ha-Baka.’ It can also be translated as ‘Valley of the Balsam Tree’ or ‘Valley of the Weeper. This otherwise unidentified valley has been connected to Bakkah by Islamic writers. The Haj. season is coming soon, be the guest of Allah and perform the Haj. The word Hajjah is for a Muslim lady as the guest of Allah and for men as Hajji. In one’s life time of a person, if the person is affordable then please fulfill your Haj’s duty. May God Allah accept our pray and His Dean guide everyone the right path
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 01:17:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015