MECCA, THE SACRED CITY BY ZIAUDDIN SARDAR

Mecca, the Sacred City by Ziauddin Sardar. Mecca, the most sacred city revered by more than a billion Muslims in the world. It has it's own share of history and secrets. Packed by Muslims during the hajj seasons and throughout the years for lesser pilgrimage, it has been through a lot since the days of Prophet Abraham PBUH. Sardar went to hajj for 5 times, during his attachment in the Hajj research centre in the 1970s to 1980s. In this book, he brought us through history of Mecca and the Hijaz from the days of Prophet Muhammad PBUH through the days of the Khulafa Ar Rashidin, Umayyads, Abbasids, Ottomans and Wahabbis. Shocking events throughout its history, especially for me who knew only about good things in Mecca. Mecca was ruled by sharifs, countless of them, who benefited from taxes from pilgrims and beneficiaries from most of the Muslim Caliphs of few different empires. Tragedy upon tragedy and massacre upon massacre happened for multiple reasons. Mainly fighting for power and money. Wars between siblings of sharifs, fighting for power. War between tribes for money and power. War between Turks and Meccans fighting for power. Thousands died during these wars. And many pilgrims also died and murdered during the hajj travels by the warring bedouins. Finally, in 1930s, it was the last of sharif of Mecca who was forced to leave Mecca by the armies of Wahabbis, who came from Riyadh, supported by the British empire. Even before that, many wars occurred between the Meccan aided by Ottomans and Turks with the Wahabbis. However, it is not all bad. Mecca enjoyed peace for quite a long period, with many development and expansion of the sacred mosque, mainly by the Ottomans Caliphs. Railways were built to carry pilgrims and supplies from Egypt. All along these period, Mecca totally depended on money and beneficiaries from pilgrim taxes and Egypt. During these period, slavery still thrived for the Hijaz aristocrats. Slaves from Africa were brought in and traded in the markets. They were made to work for the aristocrats, doing trivial works and serving the pilgrims.  After being captured by the Wahabbis in 1935, Mecca undergoes massive development and restructuring, especially after the oil money came. Historical places and many buildings built during the prophet days and the Ottomans were demolished. For these puritans, these need to be done to prevent the Muslims from venerating these places. Mecca was further developed to be a cosmopolitan city just like Houston or any other cosmopolitan city in the world. However, whether it changed Mecca from it's days during the jahilli period, we don't really know. Whether slavery, prejudices, Arab aristocracy had been removed from the hearts of Meccans, only God knows. Whatever has or had happened, Mecca or Makkah will still be very special in the hearts of Muslims.