Mecca and Medina are two common names many people come across when Muslims are preparing for Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Dhu al-Hijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar where Muslims carry out Hajj. In addition, the tenth day of the month, Eid-al-Adha, the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr, is celebrated in honour of the willingness of Ibrahim – a prophet in Islam – to sacrifice his son. One of the most famous stories about Ibrahim is the Holy Sacrifice (Qurbani), where he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son, Ismail, and eventually did so with a ram as a substitute Sheikh Yusufu Mugisha, one of the Muslim teachers in Kicukiro, Kigali, explained how Eid-al-Adha is celebrated in three days. The celebration involves a special prayer, the practice of Qurbani (sacrificing an animal), and the sharing of the meat with family, friends, and the needy. He said: “The first looks into the history of the Hijra, the migration of Prophet Muhammed and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib which later became Medina when people came for settlement and it is where the mosque of the prophet was built. “The second is reflecting on how a family whose foundation is on Allah gives rise to a better country. Third and last is about praying, thanking Allah and also offering a sacrifice.” ALSO READ: Muslim pilgrims from Rwanda take direct flights to Mecca Mecca and Medina are places of value to Muslims. Aisha Nikuze, a Kigali resident once recognized as the best Hafidha, a female who has memorized the entire Holy Quran by heart, explained the value Muslims attach to Mecca. The two are considered holy cities in Islam, holding enormous religious meaning for Muslims. Mecca, the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and home to the Kaaba – a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia – is considered the holiest city. Medina, the site of the Prophet's final resting place and the first mosque, is the second holiest. She said: “Mecca is generally considered the fountainhead and cradle of Islam. It is revered in Islam as the birthplace of Prophet Muhammed. “The Hira cave just outside the city, is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad. Visiting Mecca for the Hajj is an obligation to all able Muslims.” Delving into the foundational period of the Qur’an, the Hira cave is where Allah gave the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammed. This is where Angel Gabriel revealed to him that he was going to start preaching the Qur'an despite being illiterate, she said. Prophet Muhammed spent 13 years in Mecca teaching the Qur’an. Regarding the significant places of worship, Kaaba in Mecca is a house of worship built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail. During the holy pilgrimage, Muslims have to rotate around Kaaba seven times in a specific direction as an act of praying. This ritual is known as Tawaf. According to Islamic faith, praying in Mecca results in the receiving of gifts which are blessings compared to when Muslims pray from other places. Medina is 500 kilometres away from Mecca and serves as the location of the Hijrah, where Prophet Muhammed and his followers migrated from Mecca in 622 CE. In the historical and religious contexts of Islam, CE stands for Common Era, and is equivalent to AD (Anno Domini). CE is a way of numbering years that starts with the year 1 CE (or AD 1). In Islam, the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is used alongside the Gregorian calendar, and the year 622 CE is significant as it marks the start of the Islamic Hijri calendar. Medina became the first Islamic state, where Muhammad established his leadership and the foundation of the Muslim community. Medina is also the burial place of Prophet Muhammad. Before shifting from Mecca, a number of people from the Quraysh tribe in which he was born wanted to kill him. He preached the Qur’an for 13 years in Mecca and in that thirteenth year, it is when he moved from Mecca to Medina. God told him through revelation to go to Medina. He spent 10 years in Medina preaching the Qur'an and died at 63. Medina is also home to the Quba Mosque, the oldest mosque in Islam. Medina is also known to be where prophet Muhammad drafted a document known as the Constitution of Medina to resolve disputes among the tribes and establish peace.
