It is Makkah or as the westerns say Mecca. The word ‘mecca’ coined in English dictionary to mean a place of attraction. Here is an entry in Webster dictionary for mecca: a center of activity sought as a goal by people sharing a common interest.

Searching Quran for the characters and significance of Makkah reveals some interesting verses, look at some:

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

And when We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of) security, and: Appoint for yourselves a place of prayer on the standing-place of Ibrahim. And We enjoined Ibrahim and Ismail saying: Purify My House for those who visit (it) and those who abide (in it) for devotion and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate themselves. [2:125]

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

[3.96] Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and a guidance for the nations.

Here are facts about Makkah

Makkah is:

1. wife of lamb
2. holy city
3. coming from heaven out of God
4. Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you
5. like a jasper clear and crystal
6. high wall with twelve gates
7. twelve angels at the gates
8. wall had twelve foundations
9. A square city
10. Wall of jasper and city of gold
11. each of the foundations of the wall with precious stones
12. The twelve gates were twelve pearls
13. The great street of the city was of pure gold
14. No temple in the city
15. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it
16. The nations will walk by its light,
17. the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it
18. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there
19. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it
20. No impure will enter it (No entry for Non-Muslims)
21. Only those who’s names are written on the Lamb’s book of life will enter it (Only Muslims)
22. your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm
23. the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
24. to you the riches of the nations will come
25. Herds of camels will cover your land
26. young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come,
27. they will bring bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord
28. All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you,
29. the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
30. they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, (this is the sacrifice of beast on Hajj day 10^th of Dhul Hijja)
31. and I will adorn my glorious temple
32. "Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? (Pilgrims flying from all over the world like dove to perform Hajj (every year) and Omrah (all through the year))
33. Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, (today they reach the Islamic port of Jeddah and Yanbu)
34. Foreigners will rebuild your walls, (today bin Laden company usually handles the construction and they have engineers from all muslim countries (foreigners))
35. Though in anger I struck you,
36. in favor I will show you compassion
37. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night
38. You will drink the milk of nations
39. and be nursed at royal breasts (Kings of Saudi Arabia today proud to be titled: the custodians of two holy mosques)
40. the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish
41. The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary;
42. The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet
43. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler
44. I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.
45. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
46. you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise
47. Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever.
48. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor (these are the Muslims who worship their lord 24/7/365 day and night all the week the month and the year)
49. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation.
50. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.

From Revelations 21

9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.

11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.

14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.

16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.

17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using.

18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.

19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

From Isaiah 60

1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4 "Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm.

5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.

7 All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.

8 "Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?

9 Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.

10 "Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion.

11 Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations-- their kings led in triumphal procession.

12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.

13 "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet.

14 The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.

16 You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler.

18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.

19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.

21 Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.

22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly."

Makkah in Hadith

«إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَحِلَّ الْقِتَالُ فِيهِ لأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي، وَلَمْ يَحِلَّ لِي إِلَّا فِي سَاعَةٍ مِنْ نَهَارٍ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ، وُلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ، وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهَا إِلَّا مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا، وَلَا يُخْتَلَى خَلَاهَا فقال العباس يا رسول الله إلا الأذخر فإنه لبيوتهم ولقيهم فقال الا الأذخر ولا هجرة ولكن جهاد ونية وإذا استنفرتم فانفروا»  مسند الإمام أحمد (2898)

Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him- said on the day of the conquest of Makkah,

Beware! Allah made this town (Makkah) a sanctuary when He created the heavens and earth, and it is sacred by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. Fighting in Makkah was not permitted for anyone before me, and it was made legal for me for only a few hours or so on that day. No doubt it is at this moment a sanctuary by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. It is not allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs, hunt its game, pick up its lost objects, except by announcing it, or to uproot its trees.

Al-`Abbas said, `Except the lemon grass, O Allah's Messenger, as they use it in their houses and graves.'

The Prophet said:  (Except lemongrass)

حدثنا قتيبة حدثنا الليث عن سعيد بن أبي سعيد المقبري عن أبي شريح العدوي: أنه قال لعمرو بن سعيد وهو يبعث البعوث إلى مكة ائذن لي أيها الأمير أحدثك قولا قام به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم للغد من يوم الفتح فسمعته أذناي ووعاه قلبي وأبصرته عيناي حين تكلم به إنه حمد الله وأثنى عليه ثم قال ( إن مكة حرمها الله ولم يحرمها الناس فلا يحل لامرئ يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر أن يسفك بها دما ولا يعضد بها شجرة فإن أحد ترخص لقتال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقولوا له إن الله أذن لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يأذن لكم وإنما أذن لي ساعة من نهار وقد عادت حرمتها اليوم كحرمتها بالأمس وليبلغ الشاهد الغائب) فقيل لأبي شريح ما قال لك عمرو ؟ قال أنا أعلم بذلك منك يا أبا شريح إن الحرم لا يعيذ عاصيا ولا فارا بدم ولا فارا بخربة . خربة بلية (أخرجاه في الصحيحين)

The Two Sahihs also recorded that Abu Shurayh Al-`Adawi said that he said to `Amr bin Sa`id while he was sending the troops to Makkah (to fight `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr), "O Commander! Allow me to tell you what Allah's Messenger said on the day following the conquest of Makkah. My ears heard it and my heart memorized it thoroughly, and I saw the Prophet with my own eyes when he, after glorifying and praising Allah, said,

Allah, not the people, made Makkah a sanctuary. Therefore, anybody who has belief in Allah and the Last Day, should neither shed blood in it nor cut down its trees. If anybody argues that fighting in it is permissible on the basis that Allah's Messenger fought in Makkah, say to him, `Allah allowed His Messenger and did not allow you.' Allah allowed me only for a few hours on that day (of the conquest), and today its sanctity is as valid as it was before. So, those who are present, should inform those who are absent of this fact.).''

Abu Shurayh was asked, "What did `Amr reply'' He said that `Amr said, "O Abu Shurayh! I know better than you in this respect; Makkah does not give protection to a sinner, a murderer or a thief.''

حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا أبو اليمان انا شعيب عن الزهري انا أبو سلمة بن عبد الرحمن ان عبد الله بن عدى بن الحمراء الزهري أخبره : انه سمع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو واقف بالحزورة في سوق مكة والله انك لخير أرض الله وأحب أرض الله إلى الله عز وجل ولولا انى أخرجت منك ما خرجت

Abdullah bin `Adi bin Al-Hamra' Az-Zuhri said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say while standing at Al-Hazwarah in the marketplace of Makkah,

By Allah! You are the best of Allah's land and the most beloved land to Allah. Had it not been for the fact that I was driven out of you, I would not have left you(

Imam Ahmad collected this Hadith and this is his wording. At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah also collected it. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih.''

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