text:
History of Mecca before Islam
Our understanding about Mecca seems to shape under a spiritualized explanation based on religious doctrines, rather than socio-cultural explanations toward the city.
Aziz Ahmad
Our understanding about Mecca seems to shape under a "spiritualized" explanation based on religious doctrines, rather than socio-cultural explanations toward the city. This is natural, since Mecca is a holy city which is Kaaba (or Ka'bah) as the direction (kibla) that all Muslims should face in obligatory praying. Our desire to travel for Hajj or Umrah, also shapes our emotional engagement to the holy land. Unfortunately, this spiritual view is obscure, or at least slowly 'killing' the broad insights about the historical, cultural and social dimensions of Mecca. In this regard, this writing will explain a little about Mecca by referring to Zuhairi Misrawi's work entitled Mekah: Kota Suci, Perang, dan Keteladanan Ibrahim.
We must acknowledge that the pilgrimage to the holy city, at present, is like a luxury trip. The Prophet's and other historical sites including the houses of the Prophet Muhammad, his wife Khadija, his companion Abu Bakr and several tombs on the graveyards have been demolished. Bulldozed with the fuel of Wahhabism spirit on the one hand, and economic interests on the other.
"Wahabism opposes anything which may embolden the faithful towards idol worship. People are strongly discouraged from visiting locations connected to the birth of Islam and powerful clerics encourage their destruction. Anything that departs from the oneness of God as defined by the Wahhabis as 'shirk' (idolatry), and implies 'kufr' (infidel). From its earliest appearance, Wahhabism has thus viewed many Hijazi customs and rituals– especially those that involve honouring the Prophet Mohammed or his companions, particularly celebrations of the Prophet's birthday, visiting of shrines, reverence of the dead, dreams and visions, the sanctity of sites or shrines and especially sufi practices – as superstitious, if not heretic" (Goenawan Muhammad).
The Kaaba and the Masjid al-Haram, the holiest site in Islam and a place where all Muslims are supposed to be equal, is now overshadowed by towering buildings i.e. the Jabal Omar complex, a development of skyscraper apartments, hotels and an enormous clock tower (Taylor, 2012) that show the luxury of a holy city that has transformed to resemble Las Vegas or London. Finally, inevitably, if we want to look back at the city's cultural heritage, we must re-open its historical literature.
I assume Zuhairi Misrawi's work, the main reference in this article, is a work worth reading to lead us in tracing the historical aspects of Mecca. The book elaborates comprehensively between classical Islamic literature and modern Western literature, starting from the early Islamic historians such as al-Thabari, Ibn Jabir, al-Azraqi, Ibn Hisham, al-Mas'udi, and Ibn Khaldun to the works of a number of Orientalists such as Snouck Hurgronje, Philip K. Hitti, Patricia Crone, and Montgomery Watt.
Meeting Point of Abrahamic Religions
The Kaaba has been the main attraction of Mecca since its earliest period. Sacred sites that become a magnet of a lot of people, including followers of Abrahamic religions from various areas to visit and worship in order to gain inner peace. The Abrahamic religions refer to three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that claim the prophet Abraham as their common forefather. Ibrahim, as mentioned several times in the Old Testament and the Quran, has built this House of God (Baitullah). Mecca itself has other names in several languages such as Miqreb, South Saba language which means holy place, Mekwerab, Old Ethiopian language, meaning holy place and trade center.
Ibrahim's role as the prophet who contributed greatly to the construction of the Kaaba and then returned to Palestine and having a son, Isaac, was a strong reason to call Mecca and specifically the Kaaba as the meeting point of the Abrahamic religions. The Prophet Ibrahim is claimed by Jews as the ancestor of the Israelites, while his son Ismael is portrayed by Muslim tradition as the ancestor of the Arabs. In Christian tradition, Abraham is described as a "father in faith" which may suggest that all three religions come from one source.
The Prophet Adam was the first person who occupy Mecca. Because in this city Baitullah resides. After that, his descendants built a house made of clay and rocks (Misrawi, p. 75) and became a place of residence for a number of prophets, among whom was Noah. Some of the prophets who died around Mecca included Noah, Hud, Shuaib, and Salih. The prophets Ibrahim and Ismael were the prophets who have the most meritorious in building the Kaaba and laying the foundation of the Hajj rituals that practiced by Muslims today.
The holy sanctuary of Kaaba has already been a destination for pilgrimage even since pagan times, attracting thousands of people from all over the region and thus bringing wealth to the inhabitants of Mecca. After Ismail, Mecca was controlled by the Jurhum tribe. Their wealth was obtained by utilizing the arrival of pilgrims to Mecca. The long drought that hit this city was the cause of the loss of Jurhum tribal hegemony towards Mecca. In order to survive from the drought, they sold Zamzam water and even stole valuable ornaments in the Kaaba.
It was reported that the Zamzam water channel became clogged because it was used as a place to store the stolen goods. This prolonged drought also led to the Khuza'a tribe repelling the Jurhum and took over the city of Mecca. Khuza'a managed Mecca professionally and provided the best service for pilgrims. They ruled for about 300 years and continued by the Quraysh descendants. Qushay, one of the Quraysh tribe leaders, managed to buy a key from Abu Ghibsyan, a Khuza'a tribe figure who liked to get drunk and exchanged the key with liquor. Since it was ruled by Qushay, a place called Dar al-Nadwa was built, a gathering place for the rulers of Mecca to discuss the problems facing them, including religious matters.
After Qushay died, the key was handed over to his eldest son, Abdu al-Dar, which then led to a dispute with Abdu Manaf. The dispute ended with the division of tasks between the two parties: Abd Manaf took care of the water problem (al-siqayah), while Abd al-Dar was responsible for the banner key (al-sadanah) and the chair of the meeting. This agreement lasted until Islam came.
Route of International Trade Center
Mecca, as a part of Arabian Peninsula, was favourable for trading route. It was a strategic position between Africa and Asia continents. To its north lie Syria and Trans-Jordan, and on the east Iraq and Persia. On the north-western side lie Egypt, and Southern Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. In the south-western direction adjoining the Red Sea are Ethiopia and Somaliland. In the south, the Indian Ocean separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent. From the early Middle-Age, Arabia and the neighbouring Persian, Ethiopian, and Roman Empires were carrying a major part of world trade (Ziaul Haq, 1968).
Because of its position as a haven for guests and traders from all over the world, the inhabitants of Mecca are known as people who are good at hospitality for the guests. As already mentioned, the presence of pilgrims and traders was one of the factors to stimulate the economic wheels of Mecca. More than that, later on, the value of hospitality in treating guest by the Prophet Muhammad was made as one of the laudable morals in Islam. In fact, as a sign of faith.
Christian Ibrahim Islam jews Kaaba Mecca
PrevThe Universality of Islamic Tenet
NextAsma Murabit: A Long Way Fighting for Women's Equality
1 Separating Religion and State is Impossible
2 Inspiration from the Golden Age of Islam
3 Prophet Muhammad, Islam and China
4 Ibn Khaldun and The Fall of Khilafah
5 Indonesia between Islam and Nationalism
6 Indonesia is an Islamic State. Here's Why
7 The Faces of Al-Ghazali
8 If Islam is Religion of Peace, Why the Prophet goes to War?
9 Post-Islamism in Muslim World
"We Only Fear God": History of Pandemic in Narratives of Religions
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the spread of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease outbreak (COVID-19) as a pandemic since …
The Siege of Mecca 1979: How Extremists Held Masjid al-Haram Hostage
in 1979, Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place for Muslims, was taken hostage by the extremists.
The Issue of Importing Imams in France, A Dilemma of Secularism?
The impact of laïcité causes the Muslim community to survive with the help of Islamic countries outside France. How the France authority deal with it?
Sinoman: A Mixture of Javanese Value and Islam
Sinoman, a unique mixture between local tradition and the Islamic values, has been developing and maintaining harmony among citizens around Java and other parts of Indonesia.
Articles, Practices
Why Do Religious People Fight?
This story approaches emotional feeling of people, so they can understand that spirituality is way more complicated than just imitating certain rituals.
Articles, Fiqh
Indonesian Muslims Fight against Climate Change
Islam carries a mission to bring people to sa'adatud-darain, or happiness in two 'gardens', namely the world and the hereafter.
Asma Murabit: A Long Way Fighting for Women's Equality
Asma Murabit looks directly at social realities where discrimination takes place for women rights in the world, especially Muslim women until now.
The Universality of Islamic Tenet
The question to be discussed is: How could a finite text (al-Qur'an and Hadith) answer an omnipresent and ever-changing reality?
Feature, Obituary
My Name is Abdurrahman Wahid
What is the connection between Asher Lev and Abdurrahman Wahid?


text:
The History of Oklahoma Versus Texas College Football Game – The Red River Shootout
The Dallas Cowboys versus the Washington Redskins; the New York Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox; the universe of sports is loaded with customary contentions. Nothing, in any case, can coordinate with the recorded contention between the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Called the Red River Shootout, it is viewed as one of the three biggest competitions in school football.
These two groups have gone head to head multiple times, and their competition has various attributes that recognize it from others, just as some odd practices. The game frequently has gathering or public title importance – similar as the Cowboys-Redskins Super Bowl go head to head, which doesn't occur an excess of any longer. Additionally, not at all like other group quarrels, the Longhorns and Sooners play at an unbiased site as opposed to a host group arena.
Every one of these schools has had a football program for over 100 years. A portion of their practices, presently broadly known, are regular Texas and Oklahoma conduct. For example, the 'Snare them Horns" Texas custom, considered interesting by individuals from different pieces of the nation, are only an ordinary conversational expressed for individuals of the Lone Star and Sooner states. Another custom is the running of game balls. แทงบอลสูงต่ำ The ROTC units at the two schools utilize a multi stage sprint to rune one game ball from their grounds to Dallas. Once in Dallas, they take an interest in a training scrimmage, with the triumphant group bringing home a prize and gloating rights – something that the two Texans and Oklahomans are astoundingly acceptable at.
The impartial site for the Red River Shootout is normally the Cotton Bowl arena in Dallas, adjoining the Texas State Fairgrounds. The game is held simultaneously as the state reasonable, adding to the demeanor of merriment. The arena, which is by and large somewhere between the two colleges, is separated down the 50-yard line, with a large portion of those going to wearing the red and cream shades of Oklahoma and the other half clad in the consumed orange and white of the Longhorns.
From 1945 through 2004, either of these groups had been positioned broadly in the best 25 school football crews. While Texas has held the matches dominated benefit, before 2005, Oklahoma had dominated 5 continuous matches. This Sooner series of wins additionally remembered the most noticeably awful misfortune for Texas football history, and was the longest losing streak for the Longhorns returning to the 50s. Notwithstanding the way that Oklahoma trails Texas in complete matches dominated in their competition, the Sooners have the most absolute triumphs of any American school football crew since 1945, and have acquired a few AP National Championships since 1950. Texas, then again, in 2002, was chosen as "America's Best Sports College" by Sports Illustrated.
You can have your "Hatfields and McCoys." For a quarrel that is longstanding, loaded with erraticisms, and is probably going to suffer until the cows come home, nothing beats the Longhorn-Sooner contention.
« How to Throw a Great Tailgate Party Before a Football Game
How To Perfect The Notre Dame Football Game Day Experience »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Eddie Jones: 'I should have made changes for final'
Eddie Jones watches proceedings after England's defeat in the Rugby World Cup final. Photo: Getty
Devastated England coach Eddie Jones says he made selection mistakes for the rugby World Cup final.
The high-profile Jones said he should have reinvigorated his team for the clash against South Africa in Tokyo, after the stunning semifinal win over the All Blacks.
"I haven't watched it and I probably won't watch it," the Australian told the Telegraph.
"It's replayed every day. Every time I wake up the World Cup is there in front of me.
"But I know in my head where we could have probably made improvements.
"One of the areas was that I probably made a mistake in terms of selection. That's all with the benefit of hindsight, but I should probably have refreshed the team for the final.
"Apart from that, it was one of those days. Sometimes they start the game brilliantly and things come off for them.
"We start the game a little bit off, lacking a tiny bit of energy because we'd played four big games in a row. That's the reality of it – we just came unstuck."
Jones is staying on for at least two more years - that's when his current contract concludes - and says he will immediately make selections with the development of the next World Cup team in mind.
The tournament review will be concluded this week, and former All Black coach John Mitchell is expected to stay on as an assistant.
Jones, a former Springboks assistant coach, said there was one silver lining to England's World Cup final disaster.
"I'm so pleased for those South African players," he said.
"You can see what a galvanising effect it's had on the country. That dampens the hardship a bit."
RA boss: Folau payout 'wildly inaccurate'
Lions to play two fewer matches
Rugby Australia apologises to Israel Folau
FitzSimons rubbishes Folau captaincy claims
Mistake spurred Barnes to improve
Radradra signs with Bristol
Rugby Australia apologises to World Rugby
No rebuilding excuses for Rennie
Great coaches don't hang around waiting: Castle
Dave Rennie to coach Wallabies
Two new Kiwis in Wales squad
Scottish Rugby Union fined, told to apologise


text:
Norwich Credit Union
Norfolk Pro-Help enabled Norwich Credit Union to cross the language barrier to help vulnerable people avoid the dangers of loan sharks and debt.
A new leaflet produced with thanks to Norfolk Pro-Help is enabling Norwich Credit Union to expand its reach into local migrant communities by translating its advice and information into French, Arabic, Portuguese and Lithuanian.
The striking new leaflets were designed and printed free of charge by Norfolk Pro-Help members Norse, Ten Creative and Interprint.
Norwich Credit Union is a volunteer-led community savings and loans service, established in 1989. Jon Warne, president, explained the urgent need for the leaflets:
"People settling in the region from overseas can be particularly vulnerable to loan sharks (illegal money lenders) if they have financial difficulties. English isn't their first language and they are often isolated from support networks of family and friends. The credit union is a safe way to build up savings and get access to low-cost loans."
The Credit Union does not have enough volunteers with the necessary language skills to communicate the benefits of joining a credit union, which would give migrants access to safe and genuinely affordable loans. They also offer pre-paid cash cards, which are invaluable to people who are, for a range of reasons, not able to open a bank account. The Credit Union is keen to extend its reach into these difficult-to-access communities and prevent them falling prey to local loan sharks who can charge extortionate interest and employ violence and intimidation against those who fall into debt. Often, individuals are familiar with credit unions in their home countries and once they find out about the service, they are very eager to join.
The credit union selected the four languages after talking to frontline volunteers, and its partner organisations who work closely with migrant communities, such as New Routes in Norwich, which supports refugees, asylum seekers and isolated migrants from over 40 countries, and DIAL in Great Yarmouth.
Information about the financial support and services available, and warnings about the dangers of loan sharks, have never been produced locally in multiple languages before, and it is hoped that these will increase awareness of the credit union and enable more vulnerable people to avoid the pitfalls of high cost loans. Credit union volunteer Bernie Sheehan says they have already had great feedback from the frontline members.
Adam Buxton, Senior Creative Designer at Ten Creative, said "It has been a real pleasure working alongside Norwich Credit Union to create these bold leaflets. It was a great opportunity to develop a design that required the use of different languages and appealed to a varied target audience. We look forward to the next project!"
Through Norfolk Community Foundation, Norwich Credit Union was able to access pro bono support from local businesses committed to offering their time and talent free of charge to local charities via Norfolk Pro-Help.
Norwich Credit Union is a community focused organisation and these leaflets will make their service more accessible to our clients, for whom language is often the greatest barrier to integration.
Roshan Dykes of New Routes