We know from what Muhammad said that Jerusalem holds a significant place in Islamic tradition, particularly due to the event of the Isra and Mi’raj, where he is believed to have traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem on a winged steed, often described as a white horse-like creature called Buraq, and then ascended to heaven.
However, Mecca is historically and theologically recognized as the central holy city of Islam, where Muhammad was born, received his revelations, and established the Kaaba as the focal point for Muslim prayer, though today Mecca is the revered center. The question of whether Mecca or Jerusalem is the spiritual center of Islam involves a nuanced understanding of Islamic history and theology.
Isra: The Night Journey
The Isra refers to the first leg of the journey, where Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night. According to Islamic texts, particularly the Qur’an (Surah Al-Isra, 17:1) and detailed accounts in the Hadith, this journey began when the angel Gabriel (Jibril) woke Muhammad and presented him with Buraq, a mystical winged steed described as a white, horse-like creature capable of moving at incredible speeds. Muhammad mounted Buraq and was transported from the Kaaba in Mecca to the “Farthest Mosque” (Al-Masjid al-Aqsa), traditionally identified as the site in Jerusalem where the Al-Aqsa Mosque now stands. Along the way, it’s said he stopped at various locations, such as Medina and Mount Sinai, to pray.
This journey underscores Jerusalem’s sanctity in Islam as one of the holiest cities, alongside Mecca and Medina. Upon arriving at Al-Aqsa, Muhammad is believed to have led a prayer with earlier prophets like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, symbolizing the continuity of monotheistic faith.
(Author’s note: It must be obvious to any intelligent person that the claim Muhammad flew on a winged white horse in record time, and prayed with Abraham, Moses and Jesus all at the same time is just ridiculous. We cannot confirm that any of them ever lived, but if we believe the Bible these men lived centuries apart.)
Mi’raj: The Ascent to Heaven
The Mi’raj is the second part of the journey, where Muhammad ascended from Jerusalem into the heavens. After praying at Al-Aqsa, he was taken by Gabriel through the seven levels of heaven. In each level, Muhammad encountered different prophets — such as Adam in the first heaven, Jesus and John the Baptist in the second, and Moses in the sixth — culminating in a meeting with Abraham in the seventh heaven near the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha), a mystical tree marking the limit of human comprehension.
The pinnacle of the Mi’raj was Muhammad’s direct encounter with Allah, where he received the divine commandment for Muslims to perform five daily prayers (Salah), which remains a foundational pillar of Islam. Initially, 50 prayers were prescribed, but after Moses advised Muhammad to request a reduction, the number was lowered to five, with the reward of 50 retained for mercy.
Significance
The Isra and Mi’raj together highlight both the earthly and cosmic dimensions of Muhammad’s prophethood. The Isra connects Mecca and Jerusalem, affirming the latter’s spiritual importance, while the Mi’raj emphasizes the transcendence of faith and the establishment of prayer as a direct link between Muslims and God. While Mecca remains the central hub of Islam due to the Kaaba and its role in the Hajj pilgrimage, the Isra and Mi’raj elevate Jerusalem’s status, making it a key site of reverence.
This event is celebrated for its miraculous nature — traveling vast distances and ascending to heaven in one night — and for its theological implications, reinforcing Muhammad’s role as the final prophet and the unity of prophetic traditions.
And if you believe in miracles like this, I have reserved a place in heaven for you, attended forever by 72 houri virgins. But I’m not sure how they will remain virgins, as it has become clear that the Qur’an deems women as 2nd class people who may be used any way they wish as part of their ongoing attempt to subjugate the whole world to their idiotic ideology.
1. Mecca: The Holiest Site in Islam
- Historical and Religious Significance: Mecca, located in present-day Saudi Arabia, is considered the most sacred site in Islam. It is home to the Kaaba, a cubic structure in the Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque). According to Islamic tradition, the Kaaba was built by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Isma’il (Ishmael). It is the focal point of the Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
- Qibla (Direction of Prayer): Muslims face the Kaaba during their daily prayers (Salah). This direction of prayer, known as the Qibla, was established by the Prophet Muhammad in 624 CE, when the Qibla was shifted from Jerusalem to Mecca.
- The Prophet Muhammad: Mecca is also significant because it is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the location where he received the first revelations of the Quran.
2. Jerusalem: A Key Religious Site
- Historical and Religious Significance: Jerusalem is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located on the Temple Mount, a site revered in Judaism and Christianity as well.
- Isra and Mi’raj (Night Journey and Ascension): According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad was transported from Mecca to Jerusalem during the Isra and Mi’raj (the Night Journey and Ascension). From Jerusalem, he is believed to have ascended to the heavens. This event is commemorated by the Dome of the Rock, which is located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
- Historical Role: Jerusalem was the initial Qibla for Muslims, meaning that early in Islam, Muslims prayed facing Jerusalem before the direction was changed to Mecca.
The Prophet Muhammad’s statements and experiences regarding Jerusalem are significant in understanding its role in Islamic tradition. Here’s a detailed look at what Muhammad said about Jerusalem and its place in Islam:
Muhammad’s experiences and statements regarding Jerusalem highlight its spiritual importance in Islam. While Mecca is the primary spiritual center, Jerusalem is deeply revered due to its connection to the Prophet’s miraculous night journey and its significance as a holy site with historical ties to previous prophets.
The Origin of the Mysterious Black Stone
The Black Stone, or Al-Hajar al-Aswad, is a mysterious dark rock set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba in Mecca.
Where did it come from?
Islamic tradition offers a divine origin story: it’s said to have been sent down from heaven by Allah.
Some accounts, like those in the Hadith and early Islamic histories, suggest it was given to Adam after his expulsion from Paradise as a sign of God’s mercy, turning black over time as it absorbed human sins.
(Author’s Note: Isn’t it strange that there is no mention of this stone being given to Adam in the Bible? We know Muhammad plagarised many religious texts. Surely, if he truly was inspired by the Bible wouldn’t he have realized it never mentioned this stone? Or perhaps he just hoped his mostly uneducated followers would never develop the ability to read?)
Others stories link it directly to Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Isma’il), who, according to the Qur’an (2:127), built the Kaaba.
They supposedly placed the stone there as a marker during its construction, a relic of their covenant with God.
(Author’s Note: Once again Muhammad referred to Biblical characters who lived many centuries before him in an attempt to give credence to his new religion. Islamists believe it is true just because it’s written in their Qur’an, which was written long after Muhammad died — just like many of the claims in the Bible that the Christians use to justify their faith.)
According to Islamic tradition, Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Isma’il) did travel to Mecca, though this isn’t detailed in the Bible anywhere. However, it is a key part of the Islamic narrative found in the Qur’an and Hadith. In other words, this story must be true because someone wrote it in a book and called that book “holy”. The logic is astounding.
The story goes like this: Abraham, a prophet revered in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, lived primarily in Canaan (modern-day Palestine/Israel). However, Islamic tradition holds that God commanded him to take his wife Hagar (Hajar) and their son Ishmael to a barren valley in Arabia — the area that would become Mecca.
This journey is tied to a divine test of faith. The Qur’an (14:37) mentions Ibrahim’s prayer after leaving Hagar and Ishmael in Mecca: “Our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House, our Lord, so that they may establish prayer. So make the hearts of people incline toward them and provide them with fruits, so perhaps they will be grateful.”
This suggests Ibrahim settled them there to fulfill God’s plan, establishing a connection to the sacred site, and then abandoned them in the desert to fend for themselves?
Ishmael, as a young child, stayed in Mecca with Hagar, and together they faced the famous trial of thirst, leading to the discovery of the Zamzam well when Hagar ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa, a ritual still part of the Hajj. Ibrahim periodically returned to check on them, maintaining a spiritual connection to the area.
Did They Build Anything in Mecca?
Yes, Islamic tradition states that Ibrahim and Ishmael together built the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca that became the holiest site in Islam.
The Qur’an (2:127) describes this: “And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], ‘Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.’”
According to Hadith and later Islamic scholarship, the Kaaba was originally a simple structure — a rectangular building made of stone — built as a house of worship dedicated to the one God (Allah), aligning with Ibrahim’s monotheistic faith. It’s said to have been a renewal or reconstruction of a structure first built by Adam, the first human, but that’s less emphasized in mainstream narratives. Ibrahim and Ishmael are credited with raising its foundations and setting it as a place for pilgrimage and prayer, fulfilling God’s command.
(Author’s Note: Once again Islam claims Adam helped create their religion, even though there is no mention of this in the Christian Bible. So, who is lying?)
The Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), which we discussed earlier, is also tied to this story. Tradition holds that Ibrahim and Ishmael placed it in the Kaaba as a marker or sacred relic, though its exact placement and significance evolved over time, especially in pre-Islamic and Islamic periods.
Historical and Theological Context
There’s no archaeological evidence directly confirming Ibrahim and Ishmael’s presence in Mecca or their construction of the Kaaba, (of course not!) as the site’s history stretches back thousands of years, predating written records of their time (estimated around 2000–1800 BCE).
However, in Islamic theology, this narrative isn’t about historical documentation but spiritual significance (Ah! We are expected to believe it on a leap of faith, but no evidence). The Kaaba is seen as a restoration of monotheistic worship, linking it to Ibrahim, the “friend of God,” and Ishmael, who became a prophet and ancestor of the Arab tribes, including the Prophet Muhammad’s lineage through the Quraysh.
By the time of Muhammad (7th century CE), the Kaaba had become a polytheistic shrine with idols, but Muhammad cleansed it, re-establishing it as a monotheistic center based on Ibrahim’s legacy. But let’s not forget that he used violence and bloodshed to “cleanse” anything he wanted to justify or use to create his new ideology.
The story of Ibrahim and Ishmael in Mecca is central to why Muslims face the Kaaba during prayer and perform Hajj there, seeing it as the fulfillment of Ibrahim’s covenant with God. Obviously, these claims are based on the same sandy foundations as Arabia itself.
Origins of the Black Stone
Geologically, some speculate it’s a meteorite due to its appearance — dark, smooth, and unlike local rock — but its exact makeup remains unconfirmed since it’s never been fully studied. Whatever its physical source, its spiritual origin in Islamic lore is tied to divine will and prophetic history. Islam tells us to believe it, and therefore we must… Or else!
What It Was Used For Before Islam Adopted It?
Before Muhammad’s time, the Kaaba was a bustling religious hub for Arabian tribes, and the Black Stone was already a big deal.
The Quraysh tribe, who controlled Mecca, saw it as a sacred object, possibly a gift from the heavens, and it drew pilgrims from across the peninsula. Back then, most Arabs were polytheists, worshipping a pantheon of gods with idols — over 360 of them — housed in and around the Kaaba.
The Black Stone wasn’t an idol itself but a focal point of veneration, kissed or touched during rituals. Think of it like a spiritual anchor: tribes rallied around it, and its presence boosted Mecca’s status as a trade and pilgrimage center.
A famous pre-Islamic incident shows its importance; when the Kaaba was rebuilt after a flood, the tribes nearly fought to the death over who would reset the stone, until a young Muhammad (not yet a prophet) solved the dispute by having them share the task using a cloak.
How It Became Integrated Into Islam
When Muhammad began preaching monotheism in 610 CE, he rejected idol worship, which put him at odds with the Quraysh. After years of struggle and slaughter, he returned to Mecca in 630 CE, victorious, and cleansed the Kaaba of its idols, smashing them to pieces.
But he didn’t toss out the Black Stone.
Instead, he kept it, kissing it himself during his circuits around the Kaaba, as recorded in Hadith (e.g., Sahih Bukhari).
Why keep a stone tied to pagan traditions?
He reframed it as a holy relic. In Islam, it’s not worshipped — Muslims Worship Allah alone — but honored as a symbol of Abraham’s legacy and God’s unity. The stone became part of the Hajj pilgrimage, where pilgrims try to touch or kiss it, following Muhammad’s example, as a sign of devotion, not divinity. Its integration wasn’t about adopting paganism but redirecting an existing reverence toward a monotheistic purpose.
Why Use a Stone Already Worshipped by the Infidel Meccans?
The Black Stone was already a long-cherished symbol in Mecca, Muhammad’s hometown, tied to the Quraysh he grew up among. So why use it? For one, it had unifying power. The Quraysh and other tribes respected it deeply. Keeping it bridged the old and new, easing the transition to Islam for a people steeped in tradition. Plus, its link to Abraham — whom Muhammad saw as the first monotheist — fit his message perfectly: Islam wasn’t a total break but a restoration of true faith. By preserving it, he could say, “This isn’t about your idols; it’s about the One God Abraham worshipped.”
How and Why He Transformed Its Role
Muhammad’s decision to preserve the Black Stone was deliberate and brilliant.
How did he do it? When he took Mecca, he could’ve destroyed everything tied to the old ways, but instead, he selectively kept the stone, stripped it of idolatrous meaning, and tied it to Islamic theology. He kissed it during his Hajj rituals, setting a precedent, and taught that it’s just a stone — nothing divine.
The second caliph, Umar, later echoed this, saying he only kissed it because Muhammad did, not because it has power. This is how traditions begin, and no one ever questions it again.
Why do this? It transformed a pre-Islamic relic into a unifying symbol for Muslims. The Kaaba, with the Black Stone, became the focal point for prayer (Qibla) and pilgrimage, rallying a scattered people around one faith. By keeping it, Muhammad turned a tribal treasure into a global emblem of Islam, free of idol worship, rooted in monotheism.
A Big Question
The Black Stone, or Al-Hajar al-Aswad as it is known, looks suspiciously like a woman’s vulva. Is this intentional? Could it be this relic that instills the Muslim man’s fear of women so deeply they hide their women in black backs because they lack the confidence to trust their women among other men. What does this say about the men?
Like much in Islam, there is much disagreement about many aspects of this relic, as well as which city Muhammad claimed should be the center of the new religioni. Muslims and scholars have debated for centuries whether Muslims should pray to Mecca or Jerusalem. If we are to take Mohammed’s statements literally, it should be Jerusalem.
However, as Islam was founded by a man who could not be trusted to keep his word, what are we and Muslims supposed to believe?
**1. Isra and Mi’raj (Night Journey and Ascension)
- Event Description: According to Islamic tradition, one of the most pivotal events involving Jerusalem is the Isra and Mi’raj. This event is described in several Hadiths and is mentioned in the Quran. It refers to the miraculous night journey where the Prophet Muhammad was transported from Mecca to Jerusalem.
- Quranic Reference: The event is mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al-Isra (17:1):”Glory be to Him Who took His servant by night from Al-Masjid al-Haram to Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the precincts of which We have blessed, that We might show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”
- Hadith Reference: In Hadith literature, various narrations describe the Prophet Muhammad’s journey to Jerusalem and his subsequent ascension to the heavens. For example, in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet said:“Then I was taken to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, where I was tethered my animal to the ring used by the prophets, and then I was carried up to the heavens.”
**2. Statements about Jerusalem
- Significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque: The Prophet Muhammad acknowledged the importance of Jerusalem, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam. In Hadith literature, he praised the mosque and its location. For instance:“Prayers in Al-Masjid al-Haram are rewarded a hundred thousand times, and prayers in my mosque (in Medina) are rewarded a thousand times, and prayers in Al-Masjid al-Aqsa are rewarded five hundred times” (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
- Historical Context: The Prophet Muhammad also spoke about the significance of Jerusalem in various contexts, often highlighting its role as a holy site for previous prophets and its connection to the broader Abrahamic tradition.
**3. The Shift in Qibla
- Initial Qibla: Initially, the direction of prayer (Qibla) for Muslims was towards Jerusalem. This was a way to honor the religious heritage shared with Jews and Christians.
- Change to Mecca: In 624 CE, during the second year of the Hijra (the Islamic calendar), the Qibla was changed to Mecca. This shift is mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:144):“We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a Qibla with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward Al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it.”
