Salvation in Islam has a lot to do with Ka'ba by daily bowing towards it several times and by visiting it at least once. Therefore Ka'ba is a literal image of Allah and his residency. The Hajj is the most sacred religious event for Muslims. Meanwhile it is also a social gathering and a business appointment. In this period of time, Muslims fulfil their most sacred religious duty, meet to extend their relationships and build unity and use the opportunity to develop business and make material profit. The territorial triangle composed of Mecca, Medina and Jeddah is designed to be the capital religious-social-commercial center of the Islamic world. The period between the 7th, 8th and 9th days of the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar is the time set for the Hajj. The feast of sacrifice is held on the 10th.
- Allah of Islam is not a Father. Calling Allah "Father" or Yeshua "Son of G-d" is a blasphemy that Allah and his servants hate and punish by capital death.
- Muslims Call Yeshua/Jesus "'Isa." However, His name in Arabic is "Yasu'e". 'Isa is a twisted name for Yeshua. It is actually "Esau". It is also said that "Isa" was the name of a false god! The point is that Satan in Islam is not even willing to spell Yeshua's name correctly. That means that he fears even the name of Yeshua.
- Most Muslims never heard about the person of the Holy Spirit and even those who have, believe that He is their prophet Muhammad and falsely interpret John 14:16-17, 25-27. This one of the major keys they also use to deceive weak Christians and Messianic believers and lead them to believe that Muhammad is a true prophet. In Matthew 24:26, Uesjia clearly warned about a prophet in the desert and that he is a deceiver and an antichrist (that clearly fits with Muhammad).
The spirit of pride and false honor: One of the 99 names of Allah is "Al-Mutakabbir", it means the Prideful one. Therefore, Muslims honor pride and stick to it even to death. YHWH (or Yeshua) never described Himself as a prideful G-d. Instead He says that He opposes the proud. The spirit of religion of Islam: Islam is a religion that promotes the work of the flesh and defends it with zeal even to death. The spirit of self-righteousness: Muslims boast about their religious rituals and Hajj. A Hajj becomes like a holy man, a sinless person after performing his pilgrimage. The spirit of a one world system: Islam is a very well structured religion. Its goal is to unify the whole world under it in all the aspects of the human activities, religion, politics, society and trade. Hajj is a yearly opportunity to stimulate that spirit. The spirit of fear: Allah is a fearful god who requires total submission to his rules and rituals. For example, if a Muslim doesn't pray to Allah daily, before going to heaven he must pass by hell and perform those missed duties. Muslims worship Allah out of fear of punishment on earth and in heaven. The spirit of Babel: The Arabic language of Koran is considered as the language that is going to unify men again under it. The Koran urges Muslims to learn Arabic because it is the very language of Allah!
Muslims believe that Koran is the sign that the curse of Babel has been broken by Allah and a call by him to return to one universal language, the Koran Arabic language. Amazingly, there is a verse in Koran which challenges men and demons to use science to escape from earth and the heavens. He urges them to use science for that purpose. The sign of Babel can be seen also in mosque towers. There is a competition right now going between mosques to see which one will reach the highest levels (Hassan II in Casablanca is the one that breaks the record with its minaret that reaches 170m.) (See Genesis 11:1-9). I discern that Muslims are bound by the spirit of Babel and are under the curse of G-d. I believe that is why Muslims have a lot of conflicts amongst themselves, and can never have peace, even according to the physical dimension. The spirit of the antichrist: Koran denies the deity of Yeshua (John 2:22-23). It also denies the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Him, which is the very heart of G-d's message to human beings. Islam fits into all of the characteristics of the antichrist. The body of Islam is a body which is directly designed to be an adversary to the body of Christ and a competitor with it. Islam is a clear picture of the allegory of the beast of the sea in Revelation 13:1-10. The spirit of tradition: Muslims are often controlled by their traditions. They may not believe that they are good but still they feel that they must follow those rules out of duty and by fear of the curse of Muhammad and their forefathers.
The city of Mecca
Mecca is a city in the South West part of the present Saudi Arabia, not far away from the Red sea. Centuries before the rise of Islam, Mecca was serving as the main religious, cultural and commercial center for all of the Arabic tribes. An amazing detail about the city is that it is surrounded by seven hills.
Mecca is also the city which gave birth to Muhammad (the strongest antichrist ever to appear throughout the last 2000 years) and to his religion of Islam. It became the capital of the Islamic empire and the official residency of Allah. Therefore, and since then, Mecca gained the title of being called "almadina almukarrama" (the bountiful/honored city). Muslims' prayers are required to be directed toward the city and its shrine of "Ka'ba." It is also their duty and one of their five pillars of faith to visit the city at least once in their lifetime. Non-Muslims are strictly forbidden to touch the (holy) soil of Mecca. If someone is caught, he will definitely be put to death.
The shrine of Ka'ba
Ka'ba is a cubic shrine in the middle of the city of Mecca. The shrine is covered by an expensive dark cloth made out of silk and satin, embroidered with golden koranic verses (and decorated by gems). On one of the corners of Ka'ba, there is a black stone covered by gold. This stone looks like a kind of meteor that can be found in the asteroid belt. The room inside Ka'ba is a forbidden place to visit. Only the king of the nation, the Imam (priests) of the city, and on rare occasions Muslim kings and princess are allowed to enter that room, (Nobody else knows what is displayed in its interior). Surrounding the shrine from four sides is the huge mosque called "alMasjid alharam". It is capable of holding around two million people at once. Ka'ba and the mosque are considered the most holy places on earth and the represent first direction for prayer. Islam teaches that Allah (the god of Muslims) chose the site of Ka'ba and commanded Adam to build a sanctuary there for the purpose of worship. This event was supposed to have happened right after Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Allah gave the black stone to Adam (in order to use it as the corner stone) for building the shrine.
(It is important to notice that, in the Koranic version of the story of Adam's fall, there is no mention of G-d's provision of skin garment 'sacrifice' [Genesis 3:21]. From this window one can see that Islam is a religion that is 100% designed to support the work of the flesh as the requirement for salvation. The blood and sacrifice of a substitute has absolutely no room in Islam). According to Islam, Adam and his descendants for generations worshipped at the 'holy' shrine, but when Noah's flood came the shrine was destroyed and its location remained unknown until the time of Abraham. Furthermore, according to Islam, Allah commanded Abraham and his son Ishmael to rebuild the shrine at the same site and use the black stone remaining there as the corner stone. Meanwhile they restored monotheism by calling all men to worship Allah and to gather at the site for Hajj every year.
According to the Koran, it was Abraham and Ishmael who instituted "Islam". Muhammed came to restore what was corrupted in Islam (that includes Judaism and Christianity) and to seal all prophecies. They also believe that the Well of Zamzam was dug by Ishmael. They believe that the water of Zamzam can heal them from all kinds of diseases. (There is no mention in the Bible that Abraham and Ishmael ever went down to that area. There is no archeological or historical evidence that can prove that Ka'ba existed since the time of Abraham and his son.)
Some other questions can be raised here. For example, if the story was true, why didn't G-d ask Moses and Israel to go to Ka'ba and worship there, instead of making a tabernacle? Why didn't Allah tell David (if he had ever spoken to him) that he already had a house down in Arabia? Why wasn't Yeshua ever dedicated to G-d at Ka'ba instead of at the temple? Or at least, why didn't he need to go to fulfill His 'duty' of Hajj as Allah has commanded?).
The best speculation a sincere and logical person can come up with is that Ka'ba was undoubtedly established and Hajj instituted some time during the early AD centuries. There is, in fact, evidence that can prove this speculation. For example, the examination of pre-Islamic Arab poetry....
When Muhammad appeared, Ka'ba was already there and was considered a religious, political and commercial center. Prior to Islam, some 360 idols surrounded it and Allah was their chief god. Interestingly, during Muhammad's early adulthood (before his "prophethood"), Ka'ba had to be renovated and, of course, it was he who had the privilege and honor to re-install the black stone as the corner stone for the new building. Afterward, Muhammad used this fact to prove to the Arabs of his time that he was the messenger of Allah. The moving of the black stone, according to Muhammad, was a sign from Allah to the people that he was Allah's true messenger. Ka'ba has been renovated at least twice during the past 1,400 years. The most recent renovation was just before last year's Hajj. Now, Ka'ba stands anew again like a young, 'beautiful' and strong woman. (She is still ready to receive more and more people to share in her arrogance and adultery. She is using the oil, gold, money and luxury to seduce them and make them her slaves.)
When Muhammad received his prophethood from Allah, he urged his followers to perform the Hajj, even during the time of his escape to, and exile in, Medina. When he defeated the Meccans and seized their city and shrine, he decreed the Hajj and made it a pillar of Islam. He also instituted the rituals relative to it and the times to perform them. Those rituals are the same ones that Muslims perform to this day. However, there are two kinds of Hajj. There is a regular, 'small' one called "Umra", and then the 'great' Hajj, which is officially called "Hajj". Umra can be performed at any time of the year and takes only one day, but Hajj is to be performed only once a year and takes several successive days.
The main point to emphasize is that the city of Mecca and its abominable shrine of Ka'ba have covered and fulfilled most of the characteristics of the Bible's 'harlot'. If you compare the information about Mecca from the physical, historical and spiritual dimensions, it's amazing to note how she perfectly fits into the harlot's picture, as described by John in Revelation 17! Ka'ba as a whole is indeed a literal idol of the false god Allah. She doesn't look like an image or statue, but two strong elements that prove her idol status are the fact that Muslims have to bow their heads toward her and worship her black stone.
During the 1st day of Hajj, pilgrims must spend the day at Mecca and perform the ritual called "Tawaf". They are required to turn seven times around the Ka'ba and try to touch and even kiss the black stone. Kissing the stone is considered a blessing, privilege and honor. Pushing, shoving and elbowing their way, strong pilgrims can reach their goal, but weaker ones are cast out or even stepped on and crushed under the feet of others who are trying to get near the stone. The bodies of those who die in that ritual are to be immediately buried. According to Muslims, this is not barbaric torture, but a sacrifice "Jihad" for the sake of Allah. Of course, the victims' relatives viewthe death of their family member as Allah's blessing for their loved ones and something that gives them honor and pride as well.
Every Friday afternoon after the "Jumu'a," those who have been sentenced to death, or hand cutting or whipping are to be punished in public, so that people can learn the fear of Allah and his horrible judgments about sin and disobedience. The punishments are held outside the city on a hill. Unfortunately, several Christians, who have been found guilty of worshipping Jesus/Yeshua or giving testimony about him, have been decapitated at that same spot....
One of the other necessary rituals of Hajj is called "Tawafu Assa'y". During the "Tawafu Assa'y" ritual, pilgrims have to walk as fast as they can, back and forth between places called "Assafa" and "Almarwa", chanting verses from the Koran and making their wishes to Allah. Those weak people who have survived the Tawaf of Ka'ba (7 circles around the shrine), are exposed to yet another risk of being trampled beneath the feet of the strong. Therefore, more pilgrims will be 'sacrificed' to Allah on the path between Assafa and Almarwa.
According to Islamic beliefs and tradition, the area between Assafa and Almarwa is the very place where Genesis 21:15-20 took place. Hagar (Allah's chosen wife for Abraham), was the first one who performed that ritual and was supposed to have made a wish to Allah to provide water for her son. Meanwhile, her little boy, who was sitting on the ground and crying, dug a hole in the sand and, miraculously, the water came out as a result of Allah's answer to Hagar's wish. Then, according to Islam, she called the well "Zamzam" (which means hush baby, don't cry anymore!) The story goes on to say that it was at that time Hagar realized why Allah sent her and her son to that desert place. It was supposedly the site where Allah's shrine had rested before. Later, it is said that Allah showed Ishmael and his father the black stone and commanded them to rebuild the shrine and call people to worship Allah there.
Many details in Allah-Muhammad's version of Genesis 21:1-21 contradict the Bible and its original details. There is no mention in the Bible of Mecca being a place of worship of the true G-d at all. According to the Bible, Ishmael lived far from Mecca, in the desert of Paran (around Beersheba). There is no historical evidence that can support any fact that either Hagar, Ishmael or Abraham had ever reached the soil of Mecca. However, Muslims believe that the Jews have twisted the Biblical account out of hatred and jealousy toward Ishmael and his descendants.
According to Muslim belief, Allah's promise of a savior was made to Abraham about the seed of Ishmael, not of Isaac. They claim that Muhammad's version of the story in the Koran is the true and genuine one, and that Jews should be punished and even exterminated for their 'perversion of the truth', although, again, there is no historical evidence to prove their version of the story.
(Note: Please be aware that Allah and the True G-d of Israel are not one and the same, even though Muslims claim that they are.)
The day at Mount Arafat
After finishing the duties of Hajj at Ka'ba and Mecca, pilgrims head toward Minan and then to Mount Arafat to perform another duty of their Hajj. They have to spend the whole 9th day (of the last month in the year, according to Muslim calendar) in the wilderness. Most of the time they have to stand under the scorching heat of the sun and listen to a sermon given by the Imam (high priest) in commemoration of Muhammad's last sermon. They also have to perform their five daily prayers on that spot as one of the Hajj duties before heading toward a place called "Almuzdalifa" to spend the night prior to returning to Mecca to end their official Hajj.
According to Muslim beliefs, the day of Arafat is a type of judgment day, where Allah will judge all men, whether they are believers (Muslims) or unbelievers (non-Muslims). The ritual is somehow a kind of training for Muslims to be able to stand and wait for their turn to be judged according to their works. In Islam there is no guarantee for salvation or hope to escape that horrible day of judgment. In one of Muhammad's Hadiths (sayings), he said that even he, 'the prophet of salvation', can't guarantee the escape from hell for himself.
(Muslims are usually kept away from the Gospel and the fact that Yeshua has paid for their sins and provided a way out of judgment. In this way, Satan is able to convince Muslims that only the pure in heart and righteous are able to make it to heaven. Unbeknownst to these poor, lost souls, they could instantly seek salvation via Yeshua haMashiyach (whom Christians call Jesus Christ), the true Judge in the day of reckoning and the only One who can make them pure and righteous through His sacrifice on the cross and His blood.)
It is amazing to note how Muhammad tried to copy and imitate Yeshua. Many "Hadiths" (Mohammad's sayings) have been literally copied from Yeshua's words and actions, such as a "sermon on a mount". Sometime before he died (632AD), Muhammad stood at Mount Arafat and gave his last commandments to Muslims, in preparation for his impending death. Within a year, he indeed died. Muslims consider it a miracle from Allah, that he allowed his prophet to know the time of his death; this is one of the supposed proofs about Mohammad's prophethood. (NOTE: Some Pagans and Satanists, such as Jostredamus, for example, have predicted their deaths accurately as well. There were also saints and true prophets who have done such things; even Yeshua predicted His own death. Predicting death with accuracy can be either from G-d or from Satan, like any other "miracle".)
The Feast of Sacrifice
After spending the night at Muzdalifa, pilgrims return to Mecca, perform a Tawaf (circling around Ka'ba), then gather for the Eid (feast) prayer. During that prayer the Imam (high priest) preaches a sermon to seal the Hajj and declare it ended. Then he slaughters a sheep in commemoration of Abraham's sacrifice. Afterward, pilgrims return to their residences and slaughter sheep of their own. During one year's Hajj sermon, the Imam called Muslims to make a Jihad against Israel and the Western (Christian) world and 'liberate' AlQods (Jerusalem) from the hands of the 'infidels' - the Jews. The sacrifices of Islam have a totally different meaning from Old Testament sacrifices. Their sacrifice is not atonement for sin, but for eating and celebration for the work (Hajj) they accomplished. The feast is celebrated among all the Muslims world wide. It is social warfare where Muslims must remember the poor and needy and share with them the meat of their cattle.
Islam totally denies Yeshua's death on the cross. It is considered as a blasphemy against Allah and his Koran, because it nullifies the effort of the flesh and the pride of doing it. (This is another way we can discern who Allah is really is. By performing Hajj, Allah allows his followers to have something of their own to boast about and share in his character "almutakabbir" which means the prideful or haughty one.)
Visit to Muhammad's tomb
Muslims are required to visit the dome of Muhammad and pray at his mosque "Al-Masjid-Annabawi", the second holiest place for Islam. This is an extra-ritual that a pilgrim can perform either before or after the Hajj. Before his death, Muhammad asked his followers to make a tomb next to his and leave it empty. In his arrogance - the character of antichrist and its satanic revelation - he claimed that Yeshua would be buried next to him. He 'prophesied' that when Yeshua returns to earth, he will break the cross, punish and kill all of the infidels (Christians, Jews, Torah observant believers in Messiah Yeshua) and the unbelievers (the rest of non-Muslims), then unify the world under Islam, get married and live for 40 years. Then, when he dies, he will be buried next to Muhammad! In his desire to be the first to be resurrected, Muhammad denied the crucifixion and the resurrection of Yeshua. He even claimed that he led all the prophets, including Yeshua, in prayer before Allah at Alaqsa mosque (where the temple was and the Dome of the Rock lies). Indeed, Muhammad exalted himself before everybody else as the book of Daniel foretells (Dan.11:36-39)....
Muslims do not realize how deceived they are by Muhammad's claims about himself and his so-called "prophecies". They truly believe and await the coming of his 'Yeshua' who is not the true Messiah, but the final antichrist of all times: "Imam Al-Mahdi." They believe he is coming to prepare the way for their 'Isa the Messiah, who can only be the antichrist according to what Muhammad described. Knowing this, we can speculate that the final antichrist will have links and alliance with Muslims, that he will have many similarities to Muhammad, and that he is going to honor him and support Islam!
Legends and facts about ka'bah
Mecca (in Arabic Makkah) is the center of the Islamic world and the birthplace of both the Prophet Muhammad and the religion he founded. Located in the Sirat mountains inland from the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, ancient Mecca was an oasis on the old caravan trade route that linked the Mediterranean world with South Arabia, East Africa, and South Asia. By Roman and Byzantine times it had developed into an important trade and religious center, and was known as Macoraba. According to ancient Arabian legend, when Adam and Eve were cast forth from Paradise they fell in different parts of the earth; Adam on a mountain on the island of Serendip, or Sri Lanka, and Eve in Arabia, on the border of the Red Sea near the present port of Jeddah. For two hundred years they wandered separated and lonely about the earth. Finally, in consideration of their penitence and wretchedness, they were permitted to come together again on Mt. Arafat, near the present city of Mecca. Adam prayed to God that a shrine might be granted to him similar to that at which he had worshipped in Paradise. Adam's prayers were answered and a shrine was built. This shrine passed away, and many generations later Abraham and his son Ishmael rebuilt the ancient tabernacle. Gabriel assisted them and brought a magic stone for the shrine (that is the famous black stone).
According to legend also, flavored with some Quranic stories, the shrine was destroyed during Noah's flood and forgotten, until the time of Abraham and Ishmael. When God sent away Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham's tent, they journeyed until they reached the place, which became later the city of Mecca. When they arrived there, they had no more water and the baby Ishmael got very thirsty and began to cry. In her frustration and anxiety, Hagar, dropped the boy on the ground and cried out to Allah and he heard her. Then water sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael's tiny feet and they called it Zam Zam. They settled there and Abraham came to visit them. Later on, Allah led Ishmael to discover the remains of the old shrine and then him and his father Abraham rebuilt the shrine and called it Ka'bah (means cube). Then Abraham re-instituted the pilgrimage to the shrine and called it Hajj (the word probably derived from an old Semitic root meaning 'to go around, to go in a circle'), gradually the Hajj became a ritual of the many nomadic Arab tribes of the vast desert regions surrounding Mecca. As time passed "the original Abrahamic observances" at the Ka'bah were somewhat muddied by the addition of various pagan elements (these arriving via the caravan routes that led to Mecca) thus Hajj pilgrims visited not only the sacred stone of Gabriel but also collections of stone idols housed in and around the Ka'bah. During this pre-Islamic period Mecca became a thriving cultural and economic center with great trading fairs, pilgrimage celebrations and widely attended poetry gatherings. The city gained its real religious significance, however, following the birth and life of the Prophet Muhammed (570-632AD).
Another legend about Ka'bah is that by the time prior to Muhammed's birth (570AD), Allah did a miracle to protect his shrine. There was an Ethiopian Christian king, Abraha, whom out of jealousy and hatred declared war against Allah's shrine and marched toward Mecca to destroy it. In addition to his mighty army, he brought an elephant also who would destroy the building (like a tank!). When the helpless people of Mecca heard about it, they cried out to Allah and he heard their cries. He sent an army of birds, carrying stones from hell and threw them on the invading army until they were totally destroyed. Arabs called that year, the year of the elephant, and it was the year where Muhammed was born. The Ka'bah shrine was frequently rebuilt and enlarged, and became the dominant institution in Mecca. According to Arab traditions, during the time of Muhammed (before his prophethood), the shrine wore out and the Meccans decided to rebuild it. While doing so, a conflict rose between the main two tribes of Mecca regarding whom should be in charge of put the black stone back to its place. The dispute got so tense to the point where war was going to break between the two tribes. Noticing the danger, the "wise" young man Muhammed stepped out and made a solution to the problem and restored peace back to the city. Therefore and as recognition to his intervention, the Meccans, gave him the honor of being the person in charge of re-setting the black stone, and that was a sign from Allah to them about his prophethood.
In 630 Muhammed took control of Mecca, destroyed the 360 pagan idols, declared the city a center of Muslim pilgrimage, and dedicated it to Allah. Muhammed did not, however, destroy the Ka'bah and its sacred stone. Rather, he made them the centerpiece of the Muslim religion based on his belief that he was a prophetic reformer who had been sent by "God" to restore "the rites first established by Abraham" which had been corrupted over the centuries by the pagan influences. Thus, by gaining political control over Mecca, Muhammed was able to redefine "the sacred territory" and restore "Abraham's original order" to it.
According to the words of Muhammed and Quran, the Hajj pilgrimage is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the 'Five Pillars of Islam'. The Hajj is an obligation to be performed at least once by all male and female adults whose health and means permit it. The pilgrimage takes place each year between the 8th and 13th days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Before setting out, a pilgrim should redress all wrongs, pay all debts, and plan to have enough money for their journey and the support of their family while away. As pilgrims undertake the journey they follow in the footsteps of many millions before them. When the pilgrim is about 10 kilometers from Mecca he enters the state of holiness and purity known as Ihram, and dresses in special garments consisting of two white seamless sheets that are wrapped around the body. Entering the great Mosque in Mecca, the pilgrim first walks seven times around the Ka'bah shrine, now a huge hollow stone cube covered in black cloth embroidered with gold. Then entering into the structure, the pilgrim kisses the sacred stone. The stone is mounted in a silver frame in the wall of the northeast corner of the shrine, it is of an oval shape about seven inches in diameter, composed of seven small stones - probably basalt - of different sizes and shapes joined together with cement.
Legend tells that the stone was originally white but became gradually darkened by the kisses of sinful mortals. During the next few days the pilgrim follows a ritualized route to other sacred places in the vicinity and returns to the Ka'bah on the final day. Once a believer has made the pilgrimage they may add the title al-Hajji to their name. In some countries returning pilgrims will dye their hair or beard with henna (deep red colour) to indicate they have made the Hajj, while in other countries they will paint pictures of the Kabah (and their means of transportation to the shrine) upon the walls of their homes. It is interesting to note that prior to the age of the great European world explorations, the pilgrimage to Mecca was the single largest expression of human mobility. Nowadays about 2,000,000 people (even more) perform the Hajj each year, and the pilgrimage serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing together followers from diverse countries and language groups. In a certain sense Mecca is said to be visited by all Muslims every day; this because five times each day, throughout the vast Arab world, millions upon millions of believers kneel to pray. Wherever the place of prayer, they face towards Mecca and are united to the Ka'bah by an invisible line of direction called the qibla. The Ka'bah has its east and west facades aligned to the sunrise at the summer solstice and sunset at the winter solstice. Its south face is directed to the rising of the bright star Canopus.
- Adam's and Eve's fall was spiritual, not a literal fall from a 'planet to earth'. They were driven out from the garden of Eden.
- There is no evidence or information about any shrine/temple/tabernacle built for God, before Moses. Nether Adam nor Abraham built a building for prayer or pilgrimage.
- Ishmael was a lad when Abraham sent him and his mother away, not a tiny baby.
- Ishmael settled in Midian, between Israel and Egypt, hundreds of miles away from Mecca.
- Ka'bah was never mentioned once in the Bible as a temple for the YHWH. The only symbolic mention of Ka'bah in the Bible is in the prophetic/apocalyptic book of Revelation, chapter 17.
- There is no historical or archeological evidence about Ka'bah and Mecca's origin and dating back to Abraham's and Ishmael's time. Actually, the founding of Ka'bah and Mecca is still a 'mystery'. The main reason is because Saudi authorities wouldn't allow anybody to touch the 'holy ground' or to dig for the city's origin and past.
- The story of the Ethiopian king Abraha has no evidences of its occurrence, except its record in the Muslims 'holy' book, the Quran, which dedicates a whole chapter for the story as if it were a well known fact.
- Mecca didn't become a 'universal' religious center until the appearance of Islam. Even by the time of Muhammed, sectarian Jews and Christians of Arabia, used to face Jerusalem in their prayers and not the Ka'bah.
'Eid al-adha 1420AH (The feast of sacrifice 2000 AD)
Eid-ul-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of the patriarch Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of the 12th month (Zul-Hijja). Hence, pending actual crescent sighting, Eid-ul-Adha, this year should be on Thursday 16th March 2000 for the Middle-East and Friday 17th March 2000 for most other locations. On that day, most pilgrims sacrifice a ram, goat or camel. They give the meat to the poor after, in some cases, keeping a small portion for themselves to enjoy eating while staying at their tents in Mina. Muslims around the world share with the pilgrims by performing identical, individual sacrifices in a worldwide celebration of 'Eid al-Adha. There are more than one billion Muslims around the world. Image how many poor animals would be slaughtered within that 48 hours, if every Muslim family would sacrifice an animal (primarily a ram)! The instruction regarding the feast of sacrifice is given to Muslims in accordance with the following verse from Quran: [22:36] "The animal offerings are among the rites decreed by Allah for your own good. You shall mention Allah's name on them while they are standing in line. Once they are offered for sacrifice, you shall eat therefrom and feed the poor and the needy. This is why we subdued them for you, that you may show your appreciation."
As we all know, some of Satan's main characters are lying, deceiving and thief who tries to rob things that belong to God and turns them into his. No wonder that he took one of the most significant symbolic elements about God's message about His Son and turned it into joke. However, God in His infinite wisdom, He has allowed Satan to rob that element and to make part of the rituals he dictated in his Quran and Babylonian religion of Islam. Why? The Lord didn't permit Muslims (Ishmael's seed) to stay without a testimony about the sacrifice and work He accomplished on their behalf on the cross. Despite the fact that Muslims firmly deny the literal crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ, by believing that they are following Abraham's action, they actually testify against themselves that God provided a substitute to spare Abraham's son from death, a shadow of Christ's sacrifice.
Interesting elements about the rite and similarities with the biblical teachings: According to the Islamic law and tradition, there are some specific conditions to be met, as follow: The sacrifice is to be held once a year. It is similar to the Day of Atonement, which takes place once a year, and a testimony that Christ had to die only once. The animal destined for sacrifice should be a male animal, preferably a ram (sheep), over a year old and has no defect or disease. The animal's requirements are similar to the biblical requirements, which symbolize Yeshua haMashiyach, the innocent lamb without any blemish, the only pleasing sacrifice to God and way of reconciliation with Him. The Imam (national priest) should be the first one to slaughter the sheep, for himself and on behalf of all of the community, especially, those who cannot afford it. The sacrifice is an obligation only for the Imam, the rest are doing it only optional. This is another similarity with the OT high priest's atonement on behalf of the nation. Only one sacrifice is required and obligatory, the rest are only optional. It is also a testimony about Christ's death for all. The sacrificed ram should be shared between the community, especially the poor, those who cannot afford have their own animal should get a portion of meat and on that same day. According to some customs, families exchange meat or invite each other to share in eating with them. The idea here is similar to the Passover lamb and how all the community shares in it. This also a testimony that all people, especially the lowly ones should hear the Gospel and receive Christ so that the joy can be complete. The day of sacrifice is right in the middle of the week's long spiritual journey. Without sacrifice, the Hajj is of no value to Muslims. Yeshua came in the middle of the earth's history week of God's plan for redemption. Another interpretation, if Yeshua is to be taken out of the picture, humans journey (pilgrimage) in life and works for seeking righteousness are totally empty and in vain.
The sad part, Muslims do not think about why they follow Abraham's example by sacrificing an innocent and helpless animal. They blindly do the action, feed their bellies and rejoice for a time, but forget to really focus on the essence of it. In one hand, it's because the event has become more of a tradition rather than a spiritual task. On the other hand, it is because Satan has blinded their eyes and deafened their ears so that they couldn't understand. And that is by adding to the event some demonic and Babylonian yeast.
Demonic elements in the sacrifice's ritual: The animal is to be sacrificed to Allah, a pagan god, whom Satan has turned into 'God.' In the above Quranic verse (22:36), the meaning of sacrifice has been perverted and turned into a bribe given by Allah to those who worship him at Mecca and bow to his idol, Ka'bah. Satan in his craftiness, in the Quran twisted the Genesis account about Abraham's attempt to sacrifice Isaac. He used the word "only son" instead of Isaac for the purpose of confusion and leading Muslims astray. Muslims speculate that Ishmael was the son, not Isaac and therefore miss the point and turn 180 degree off from the truth and God's message of redemption.
NOTE: We originally borrowed the above from an article on the internet which has since been removed. We do not know the author. If anyone does, please contact us immediately.