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En: Rock Tomb attributed to Xerxes Ist in the royal Achaemenid necropolis of Naqsh-e Rostam, vicinity of Marvdshat, Fars province, Iran, April 2008.
Naqsh-e Rostam, a listed World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, has always been a sacred and symbolic place for the ancient civilizations of the Iranian plateau. Apart from the remnants of a rock relief of the Elamite period (2nd millennium BCE), and other reliefs dating from the Persian Sassanid era (3rd to 7th century CE) plus a fire altar from the same period, it contains several elements from the first Persian empire, the Achaemenid Empire. Such elements are a Zoroastrian temple (Kaaba ye Zartosht) and four royal rock cut tombs all made on an identical plan. Such style reflects an official royal art whose canons have been set by Darius the Great. Breaking with the tradition of the first Achaemenid kings that saw at least Cyrus the Great buried in a mausoleum in Pasargadae, Darius, who had already built Persepolis at the foot of the neighbor Kuh-e Rahmat mountain, ordered his grave to be cut in the rock of a nearby cliff. Darius is the only king whose grave is attributed with certainty, because of a long inscription in three languages. The three other tombs are those of the successors of Darius whose reigns have been significant: Xerxes I, Darius II (Codomanus), and Artaxerxes I (Makrocheir or "long hand").
The plan of each tomb is invariant: the cross-shaped tombs are divided into three registers. The lower register is flat and smooth,with no element carved or engraved. The midrange register is remarkable because it provides an accurate picture of the Achaemenid royal palaces as they were at Persepolis and Susa. A large portico surrounds a door whose style is clearly Egyptian ( being decorated by grooves), which leads to the actual tomb, carved in the depth of the cliff. The roof of the portico lay on the top of high thin cylindrical columns, almost identical to those of a Ionian fashion at the palaces. Some differences are indeed observed indicating a desire for simplification: lack of stylized palm trees at the upper parts, and lack of grooves characterizing this Greek style. At the top each column is an animal-form capital, in this case, two divergent bulls between each lay the main beams. The tertiary and secondary beams are upper, perpendiculars, forming the roof. The upper register shows a scene which is emblematic of how royalty wants to be seen. The monarch is represented in an attitude similar to that of Darius in his founding relief at Behistun: a hand raised up and the other holding a bow whose downer end is placed on the ground. Before him is a fire altar, above him is the god Ahuramazda. A moon disk is visible at the top right of the stage. Altar and king lay on a platform resting on horned lions shaped pillars. The platform is supported by many individuals whose ethnic characters and clothes clearly identify the nations subjected to the empire, a recurrent theme of this art. On both sides of the register, immortal guards, heralds, or Persian nobles are represented. The significance of the relief is pretty clear: the king of kings is at the top of the imperial hierarchy, by the will of Ahuramazda, which is the only entity superior to the king. The king of kings takes his power and legitimacy by the strength of his army but also by the support of nations and peoples of the empire, such evidence is imposed by itself to all, even to the nobles.
Fr: Tombe rupestre attribuée à Xerxès Ier dans la nécropole royale achéménide de Naqsh-e Rostam, alentours de Marvdshat, province de Fars, Iran, Avril 2008.
Le site de Naqsh-e Rostam classé patrimoine mondial par l’Unesco a toujours revêtu un caractère sacré et emblématique pour les civilisations antiques du plateau iranien. En effet, outre les traces d’un relief rupestre d’époque Elamite (2ème millénaire BCE) et d’autres reliefs datant de l’ère Perse Sassanide (3ème au 7ème siècle CE) auquel s’ajoute un autel du feu de la même période, il abrite plusieurs éléments datant du premier empire Perse, l’empire Achéménide. Il s’agit d’un temple zoroastrien Achéménide (Kaaba ye Zartosht) et de 4 tombes royales rupestres toutes réalisées selon un plan identique, dont le style témoigne d’un art royal officiel dont les canons ont été fixés par Darius le Grand. Rompant avec la tradition des rois achéménides précédents qui a vu au moins Cyrus le Grand être enterré dans un mausolée à Pasargades, Darius, qui avait déjà fait construire Persépolis au pied de la montagne voisine du Kuh-e Rahmat, fait ainsi sculpter sa tombe dans le roc d’une falaise voisine. Il est également le seul dont la tombe est attribuée avec certitude, du fait d’une longue inscription trilingue. Les 3 autres tombes seraient celles des successeurs de Darius dont les règnes ont été significatifs: Xerxès Ier, Darius II (Codoman), et Artaxerxès Ier (Makrocheir ou « longue main »).
Le plan de chaque tombe est invariant, cruciforme, divisé en 3 registres. Le registre inférieur est plan et lisse, ne comportant aucun élément sculpté ni gravé. Le registre moyen est remarquable car il fournit un aperçu précis de l’architecture des palais royaux achéménides tels qu’ils étaient à Persépolis et Suse : Un grand portique entoure une porte dont le style est clairement égyptien, orné par des cannelures, qui mène à la tombe proprement dite, taillée dans la profondeur de la falaise. Porté par des colonnes cylindriques fines et hautes, presque identiques à celles, ioniennes, des palais. Quelques différences sont en effet observées témoignant d’une volonté de simplification : absence de palmiers stylisés aux parties supérieures, et absence des fameuses cannelures propres à ce style grec. Chaque colonne porte un chapiteau à protomé animal, en l’occurrence, 2 taureaux divergents forment une mortaise dans laquelle s’insère des poutres principales. Des poutres secondaires perpendiculaires puis tertiaires constituent ensuite le toit. Le registre supérieur montre une scène emblématique de la royauté telle qu’elle veut se montrer : le monarque est représenté dans une attitude similaire à celle de Darius sur le relief fondateur de Behistun : une main tendue vers le haut et l’autre tenant un arc dont un bout est posé au sol. Devant lui se trouve un autel du feu, au dessus de lui se trouve le dieu Ahuramazda. Un disque lunaire est visible à la partie supérieure droite de la scène. Autel et souverain sont situés sur une estrade reposant aux angles sur des piliers représentant des lions cornus. L’estrade est portée par de nombreux sujets dont les caractéristiques ethniques et vestimentaires identifient clairement les nations assujetties à l’empire, thème récurent de cet art. De part et d’autre du registre, gardes immortels, héraults ou nobles perses sont représentés. La signification du relief est claire : le roi des rois est au sommet de la hiérarchie impériale, il est souverain par la volonté d’Ahuramazda qui seul, lui est supérieur, son pouvoir et sa légitimité s’imposent à tous, y compris aux nobles par la force de son armée mais aussi par le support des nations et peuples de l’empire.
The Black Stone (called الحجر الأسود al-Hajr e Aswad in Arabic) is a Muslim relic, which according to Islamic tradition dates back to the time of Adam and Eve. Historical research claims that the Black Stone marked the Kaaba as a place of worship during pre-Islamic pagan times.[1] It is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba, the ancient stone building towards which Muslims pray, in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.[2] The Stone is a dark rock, polished smooth by the hands of millions of pilgrims, that has been broken into a number of fragments cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. Although it has often been described as a meteorite, this hypothesis is still under consideration.[3]
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba as part of the Tawaf ritual of the Hajj. Many of them try, if possible, to stop and kiss the Black Stone, emulating the kiss that Islamic tradition records that it received from the Prophet Muhammad.[4] If they cannot reach it, they point to it on each of their seven circuits around the Kaaba.[5]
Contents [hide]
1 Physical description
2 History and tradition
3 Ritual role
4 Scientific origins
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links
[edit] Physical description
The Black Stone, surrounded by its silver frame and the black cloth kiswah on the Kaaba in Mecca.The Black Stone consists of a number of fragments held together by a silver frame, which is fastened by silver nails to the Stone.[6] Some of the smaller fragments have been cemented together to form the seven or eight fragments visible today. The Stone's exposed face measures about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) by 16 centimetres (6.3 in). Its original size is unclear; its recorded dimensions have changed considerably over time, as the stone has been remodelled. In the 10th century, an observer described it as being one cubit (slightly over 2 feet (0.61 m) long). By the early 17th century, it was recorded as measuring 1.5 yards (1.4 m) by 1.33 yards (1.22 m). According to Ali Bey in the 18th century, it was 42 inches (110 cm) high, and Muhammad Ali reported it as being 2.5 feet (0.76 m) long by 1.5 feet (0.46 m) wide.[3]
The Black Stone was first described in Western literature in the 19th and early 20th centuries by European travelers in Arabia, who visited the Kaaba in the guise of pilgrims. Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt visited Mecca in 1814, and provided a detailed description in his 1829 book Travels in Arabia:
It is an irregular oval, about seven inches in diameter, with an undulating surface, composed of about a dozen smaller stones of different sizes and shapes, well joined together with a small quantity of cement, and perfectly well smoothed; it looks as if the whole had been broken into as many pieces by a violent blow, and then united again. It is very difficult to determine accurately the quality of this stone which has been worn to its present surface by the millions of touches and kisses it has received. It appeared to me like a lava, containing several small extraneous particles of a whitish and of a yellow substance. Its colour is now a deep reddish brown approaching to black. It is surrounded on all sides by a border composed of a substance which I took to be a close cement of pitch and gravel of a similar, but not quite the same, brownish colour. This border serves to support its detached pieces; it is two or three inches in breadth, and rises a little above the surface of the stone. Both the border and the stone itself are encircled by a silver band, broader below than above, and on the two sides, with a considerable swelling below, as if a part of the stone were hidden under it. The lower part of the border is studded with silver nails.[7]
Visiting the Kaaba in 1853, Sir Richard Francis Burton noted that:
The colour appeared to me black and metallic, and the centre of the stone was sunk about two inches below the metallic circle. Round the sides was a reddish brown cement, almost level with the metal, and sloping down to the middle of the stone. The band is now a massive arch of gold or silver gilt. I found the aperture in which the stone is, one span and three fingers broad.[7]
Ritter von Laurin, the Austrian consul-general in Egypt, was able to inspect a fragment of the Stone removed by Muhammad Ali in 1817 and reported that it had a pitch-black exterior and a silver-grey, fine-grained interior in which tiny cubes of a bottle-green material were embedded. There are reportedly a few white or yellow spots on the face of the Stone, and it is officially described as being white with the exception of the face.[3]
[edit] History and tradition
A 1315 illustration from the Jami al-Tawarikh, inspired by the Sirah Rasul Allah story of Muhammad and the Meccan clan elders lifting the Black Stone into place.[8]The Black Stone, in Muslim belief, has its origins since the time of Adam. According to the Hadith, "it descended from Paradise whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam made it black".[9] According to belief, an angel spoke to the great prophet Abraham, and told him to institute the rite of the stone in the Pilgrimage at Mecca.[10]
The Black Stone was revered well before the preaching of Islam by Muhammad. By the time of Muhammad, it was already associated with the Kaaba, a pre-Islamic shrine that was revered as a sacred sanctuary and a site of pilgrimage. In her book, Islam: A Short History, Karen Armstrong asserts that the Kaaba was dedicated to Hubal, a Nabatean deity, and contained 360 idols which either represented the days of the year, or were effigies of the Arabian pantheon. The Semitic cultures of the Middle East had a tradition of using unusual stones to mark places of worship, a phenomenon which is reflected in the Hebrew Bible as well as the Qur'an.[11] A "red stone" was for the deity of the south Arabian city of Ghaiman, and there was a "white stone" in the Ka'ba of al-Abalat (near the city of Tabala, south of Mecca). Worship at that time period was often associated with stone reverence, mountains, special rock formations, or distinctive trees.[12] The Kaaba marked the location where the sacred world intersected with the profane, and the embedded Black Stone was a further symbol of this as an object that linked heaven and earth.[13]
Islamic tradition holds that the Stone fell from Heaven to show Adam and Eve where to build an altar, which became the first temple on Earth. Muslims believe that the stone was originally pure and dazzling white, but has since turned black because of the sins of the people.[14] Adam's altar and the stone were said to have been lost during Noah's Flood and forgotten. Ibrahim was said to have later found the Black Stone at the original site of Adam's altar when the angel Jibrail revealed it to him.[11] Ibrahim ordered his son Ismael - who was an ancestor of Muhammad - to build a new temple, the Kaaba, in which to embed the Stone.
Muhammad is credited with setting the Black Stone in place in the wall of the Kaaba. A story found in Ibn Ishaq's Sirah Rasul Allah tells how the clans of Mecca renovated the Kaaba following a major fire which had partly destroyed the structure. The Black Stone had been temporarily removed to facilitate the rebuilding work. The clans could not agree on which one of them should have the honour of setting the Black Stone back in its place. They decided to wait for the next man to come through the gate and ask him to make the decision. That individual happened to be the 35-year-old Muhammad, five years before his prophethood. He asked the elders of the clans to bring him a cloth and put the Black Stone in its centre. Each of the clan leaders held the corners of the cloth and carried the Black Stone to the right spot. Then Muhammad himself set the stone in place, satisfying the honour of all of the clans.[15]
The Stone has suffered desecrations and significant damage over the centuries. It is said to have been struck and smashed to pieces by a stone fired from a catapult during the Umayyad siege of Mecca in 756. The fragments were rejoined by 'Abd Allah ibn Zubayr using a silver ligament.[15] In January 930 it was stolen by the Qarmatians, who carried the Black Stone away to their base in Hajar (modern Bahrain). According to Ottoman historian Qutb al-Din, writing in 1857, Qarmatian leader Abu Tahir al-Qarmati set the Black Stone up in his own mosque, the Masjid al-Dirar, with the intention of redirecting the Hajj away from Mecca. However, this failed, and pilgrims continued to venerate the spot where the Black Stone had been.[16]
According to historian Al-Juwayni, the Stone was returned twenty-three years later, in 952. The Qarmatians held the Black Stone for ransom, and forced the Abbasids to pay a huge sum for its return. It was wrapped in a sack and thrown into the Friday Mosque of Kufa, accompanied by a note saying "By command we took it, and by command we have brought it back." Its abduction and removal caused further damage, breaking the stone into seven pieces.[11][17][18] Its abductor, Abu Tahir, is said to have met a terrible fate; according to Qutb al-Din, "the filthy Abu Tahir was afflicted with a gangrenous sore, his flesh was eaten away by worms, and he died a most terrible death."[16]
The Stone has been subjected to other indignities during its history. In the 11th century, a man allegedly sent by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah attempted to smash the Black Stone, but was killed on the spot, having caused only slight damage.[16] In 1674, according to Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, someone smeared the Black Stone with excrement so that "every one who kissed it retired with a sullied beard". The Shi'ite Persians were suspected of being responsible and were the target of curses from other Muslims for centuries afterwards, though explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton doubted that they were the culprits; he attributed the act to "some Jew or Greek, who risked his life to gratify a furious bigotry."[19]
[edit] Ritual role
Muslim pilgrims jostle for a chance to kiss the Black Stone; if they are unable to kiss the stone because of the crowds, they can point towards the stone on each circuit with their right hand. In each complete circuit a person says "In the name of God, God is Great, God is Great, God is Great and praise be to God". Once people have kissed the stone a guard stands ready to push them away.The Black Stone plays an important role in the central ritual of the Hajj, when pilgrims must walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction. They attempt to kiss the Black Stone seven times, once for each circumambulation of the Kaaba, emulating the actions of Muhammad. In modern times, large crowds make it practically impossible for everyone to kiss the stone, so it is currently acceptable for pilgrims to simply point in the direction of the Stone on each of their circuits around the building. Some even say that the Stone is best considered simply as a marker, useful in keeping count of the ritual circumambulations (tawaf) that one has performed.[20] Its black color is deemed to symbolize the essential spiritual virtue of detachment and poverty for God (faqr) and the extinction of ego required to progress towards God (qalb).[11]
Islam strictly prohibits idolatry. Muslims believe that the Stone's role in hajj is simply representative and symbolic nature, not related to belief in the stone itself as having any special power. A well-known hadith records that, when second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (580-644) came to kiss the Stone, he said in front of all assembled: "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither harm anyone nor benefit anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger [Muhammad] kissing you, I would not have kissed you."[21] Most Muslims follow the example of Umar: they pay their respects to the Stone in a spirit of trust in Muhammad, not with any inherent belief in the Stone. This, however, does not indicate their disrespect to the Black Stone, but their belief that harm and benefit are in the hands of God, and nothing else. Muhammad Labib al-Batanuni, writing in 1911, commented that the pre-Islamic practice of venerating stones (including the Black Stone) arose not because such stones are "sacred for their own sake, but because of their relation to something holy and respected." [22]
In recent years, however, literalist views of the Black Stone have emerged. A small minority accepts as literally true an allegorical hadith which asserts that "the Stone will appear on the Day of Judgement (Qiyamah) with eyes to see and a tongue to speak, and give evidence in favor of all who kissed it in true devotion, but speak out against whoever indulged in gossip or profane conversations during his circumambulation of the Kaaba".[22]
Writing in Dawn in Madinah: A Pilgrim's Progress, Muzaffar Iqbal described his experience of venerating the Black Stone during a pilgrimage to Mecca:
At the end of the second [circumabulation of the Kaaba], I was granted one of those extraordinary moments which sometimes occur around the Black Stone. As I approached the Corner the large crowd was suddenly pushed back by a strong man who had just kissed the Black Stone. This push generated a backward current, creating a momentary opening around the Black Stone as I came to it; I swiftly accepted the opportunity reciting, Bismillahi Allahu akbar wa lillahi-hamd ["In the name of God, God is great, all praise to God"], put my hands on the Black Stone and kissed it. Thousands of silver lines sparkled, the Stone glistened, and something stirred deep inside me. A few seconds passed. Then I was pushed away by the guard.[23]
[edit] Scientific originsThe nature of the Black Stone has been much debated. It has been described variously as basalt stone, an agate, a piece of natural glass or — most popularly — a stony meteorite. Paul Partsch, the curator of the Austro-Hungarian imperial collection of minerals, published the first comprehensive history of the Black Stone in 1857 in which he favoured a meteoritic origin for the Stone. Robert Dietz and John McHone proposed in 1974 that the Black Stone was actually an agate, judging from its physical attributes and a report by an Arab geologist that the Stone contained clearly discernable diffusion banding characteristic of agates.[3] A significant clue to its nature is provided by an account of the Stone's recovery in 951 AD after it had been stolen 21 years earlier; according to a chronicler, the Stone was identified by its ability to float in water. If this account is accurate, it would rule out the Black Stone being an agate, basalt lava or stony meteorite, though it would be compatible with it being glass or pumice.[6]
Elsebeth Thomsen of the University of Copenhagen proposed a different hypothesis in 1980. She suggested that the Black Stone may be a glass fragment from the impact of a fragmented meteorite that fell some 6,000 years ago at Wabar, a site in the Rub' al Khali desert some 1,100 km east of Mecca. The craters at Wabar are notable for the presence of blocks of silica glass, fused by the heat of the impact and impregnated by beads of nickel-iron alloy from the meteorite (most of which was destroyed in the impact). Some of the glass blocks are made of shiny black glass with a white or yellow interior and gas-filled hollows, which allow them to float on water. Although scientists did not become aware of the Wabar craters until 1932, they were located near a caravan route from Oman and were very likely known to the inhabitants of the desert. The wider area was certainly well-known; in ancient Arabic poetry, Wabar or Ubar (also known as "Iram of the Pillars") was the site of a fabulous city that was destroyed by fire from the heavens because of the wickedness of its king. If the estimated age of the crater is accurate, it would have been well within the period of human habitation in Arabia and the impact itself may have been witnessed.[6] However, a recent (2004) scientific analysis of the Wabar site suggests that the impact event happened much more recently than first thought and might have occurred only within the last 200–300 years.[24] The meteoritic hypothesis is now seen as doubtful, and the British Natural History Museum suggests that it may be a pseudometeorite, i.e., a terrestrial rock mistakenly attributed to a meteoritic origin.[25]
Another stitching of Holy Kaaba. 8 Different pictures into 1. This was taken from first floor of Haram Building. You can also see the tallest building in Makkah beside Haram. The income of this luxury hotel is dedicated to Holy Kaaba.
Hajj (Pilgrimage) is always very special for every Muslim but this year its very very special to me because my sister, my brother in law and my sweet nephew Anees are offering their Hajj in Makkah.
I am so glad and excited for my love ones but meantime worried too because of the killing cold there due to heavy rain yesterday.
May Allah accept their Hajj and keep them safe from any trouble. Ameen
A former Indian-run pizza place in Cairo changed owners, belief and posters. But Lord Krishna is curious and has a glimpse at the Kaaba :-)
Allah almighty protect and safe the Masjid Nabwwi (S.A.W.W) and Khana Kaaba forever. Ameen!
Watch Following Video's.
Ziarat-e-Roza-e-Rasool Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallalaho Alaihay Waa-Alayhi Wassalam (S.A.W.W)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnd9lW4z89Y
Superb Azan Masjid Nabwwi Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallalaho Alaihay Waa-Alayhi Wassalam (Must Watch)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyLRyhvQ02s
Mina Musdallifah and Jamraat, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHrdu7rCcrQ
Masjid Nabwwi Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (S.A.W.W), Madina Al Munnawara, Saudi Arabia
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c4b-A9uyos
Masjid Nabwwi (S.A.W.W) Moving Dome (Siraktay Gumbad), Madina Al Munnawara, Islamic Architecture
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0wuWqAj3T8
Khana Ka'aba, Makkah Mukkarma, March 2016
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Vqkm4DRLs
The Closing of Huge Umbrella at Masjid Nabwwi (S.A.W.W), with Naat (Madina Ka Safar Hai)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoIolyFzMBM
Makkah Mukkarma, Streets, Tunnels, Mountains and Trees (Samsung Galaxy Note5)
The Holy City of Makkah.- the holiest city on earth to Muslims. Five times each day, the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, wherever they may be, turn to the Holy City of Makkah to pray. And at least once in their lives, all Muslims who are not prevented by personal circumstance perform the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah. Thus each year the Holy City of Makkah is host to some three million hajjis (pilgrims) from all over the world.
This photograph may not be used in any commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products, or promotions without my approval.
On the early hours after the sunrise I took this picture while I was in the holy city of Makkah and on the ground floor of the Masjed Al-Haram facing the Kaaba. It was really tough to take any picture in this holy site, especially with a large camera, because photography is not allowed.
The movement around the Kaaba is of Muslims performing a tawaf, which consists of circling the Kaaba seven times in a counter-clockwise direction.
"The Kaaba is the cube-shaped building in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The building predates Islam, and, according to Islamic tradition, the first building at the site was built by Abraham. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjed Al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are". (Kaaba, Wikipedia)
A long exposure night shot of the holy Mosque in Makka. The photo was taken from the second floor after the prayer.
Canon Powershot G10
8 seconds
f/8
iso 80
صورة للحرم المكي الشريف من الطابق الثاني بعيد صلاة العشاء مباشرة بتعريض طويل مدته 8 ثواني
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015. More than 2 million Muslims have begun the first rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage, which draws people from around the world to Mecca and areas around it to perform a series of rituals and prayers aimed at ultimately erasing past sins. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. It is located in the Al-Masjed Al-Haram, Mecca- Saudi Arabia. The Qiblah, the direction in which Muslims face during prayer, is the direction of their location towards here. Muslims come here every year for making pilgrimage and doing Hajj ritual.
A shot i took at around 7:00 am just before sunrise in Mecca, i went up to the upper floor and audaciously aimed my camera (Canon A630) . Finally after many visits to Haram in Makkah, i had the guts to do it. It's a 8 Megapixel resolution
A father and his son circle the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015. More than 2 million Muslims have begun the first rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage, which draws people from around the world to Mecca and areas around it to perform a series of rituals and prayers aimed at ultimately erasing past sins. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
heritage-key.com/world/great-cities-ancient-world
The birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, Mecca has been a key city in the region since antiquity. The city was a major commercial town from the 6th century, acting as a trade post between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Islamic tradition says the Koran was revealed to Muhammad while he was working as a merchant in Mecca, but he faced hostilities from the people who feared it would bring social and political change. Muhammed fled to Medina in the north with his followers, and fought a war against the Meccans. After conquering Mecca, the shrine in the city - the Ka'ba which was constructed by the prophet Abraham - became the focal point in which direction Muslims were to pray. A pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the Pillars of Islam, which each follower must undertake during their lives.
The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد), or the 'Emperor's Mosque', was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.
Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshipers, it is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father and predecessor, emperor Shah Jahan.
Badshahi Masjid is one of the locations where Qari' Abdul Basit recited the Qur'an.[citation needed] The Imam-e-Kaaba (Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Al-Sudais of Saudi Arabia) has also led prayers in this mosque in 2007.
History
The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor. The construction of the mosque took about two years from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.
Badshahi Mosque was badly damaged and was misused during Sikh Rule. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the mosque was used as a stable for the army's horses.[1][2] They also would steal the jewels from the mosque, such as marble, rubies, gold, and other valuables. Muslims were not allowed to enter the mosque to worship; they were only given a small place outside the mosque where they could worship.
Even when the British took control of India, they would use the mosque for their military practices by using the mosque for gun practices, cannons, etc. Even when they sensed Muslim hate for the British, they demolished a large portion of the wall of the mosque so the Muslims could not use it as a kind of "fort" for anti-British reasons. After a while, they finally returned it to the Muslims as a good will gesture even though it was in terrible condition. It was then given to Badshahi Mosque Authority to restore it to its original glory.
From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.
In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi.
On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.
Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex. It contains relics of Muhammad(peace be upon him), his cousin Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her). On August 14, 1947, the Pakistani people celebrated their independence from the British command.
Pakistan(Urdu: "land of the pure"), a country of 160 million people, is now the second most populous country in the Muslim world.
Hailed as the country's cultural capital, Lahore – also known as the "Heart of Pakistan" – is rich with many examples of Moghul architecture.
Design Characteristics
Like the character of its founder, the mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression. It was the largest mosque in the world for a long time.
The interior has rich embellishment in stucco tracery (Manbatkari) and paneling with a fresco touch, all in bold relief, as well as marble inlay.
The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of lotiform motifs in bold relief. The embellishment has Indo-Greek, Central Asian and Indian architectural influence both in technique and motifs.
The skyline is furnished by beautiful ornamental merlons inlaid with marble lining adding grace to the perimeter of the mosque. In its various architectural features like the vast square courtyard, the side aisles (dalans), the four corner minars, the projecting central transept of the prayer chamber and the grand entrance gate, is summed up the history of development of mosque architecture of the Muslim world over the thousand years prior to its construction in 1673.
The north enclosure wall of the mosque was laid close to the Ravi River bank, so a majestic gateway could not be provided on that side and, to keep the symmetry the gate had to be omitted on the south wall as well. Thus a four Aiwan plan like the earlier Delhi Jamia Masjid could not be adopted here.
The walls were built with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in kankar, lime mortar (a kind of hydraulic lime) but have a veneer of red sandstone. The steps leading to the prayer chamber and its plinth are in variegated marble.
The prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers. Out of the 7 compartments, three double domes finished in marble have superb curvature, whilst the rest have curvilinear domes with a central rib in their interior and flat roof above. In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat (Qalamdani) with a curved border (ghalatan) at the cornice level.
The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern. The present red sandstone flooring was laid during the last thorough repairs (1939-60). Similarly, the original floor of the prayer chamber was in cut and dressed bricks with marble and Sang-i-Abri lining forming Mussalah and was also replaced by marble Mussalah during the last repairs.
There are only two inscriptions in the mosque:
one on the gateway
the other of Kalimah in the prayer chamber under the main high vault.
Measurements
Courtyard: 528'-8" x 528'-4" (Area: 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m2)), divided into two levels: the upper and the lower. In the latter, funeral prayers can also be offered.
Prayer Chamber: 275'-8" x 83'-7" x 50'-6" high, with its main vault 37'-3" x 59'-4" high but with the merlons 74'-6". (Area: 22,825 sq ft (2,120.5 m2))
Corner Minars: 67' in circumference, 176'-4" high are in four stages and have a contained staircase with 204 steps.
Central Dome: Diameter 65' at bottom (at bulging 70'-6"); height 49'; pinnacle 24 ft (7.3 m) and neck 15 ft (4.6 m) high.
Side Domes: Diameter 51'-6" (at bulging 54'-2"); height 32 ft (9.8 m); pinnacle 19 ft (5.8 m); neck 9'-6" high.
Gateway: 66'-7" x 62'-10" x 65 high including domelets; vault 21'-6" x 32'-6" high. Its three sided approach steps are 22 in number.
Side aisles (Dalans): 80 in number. Height above floor 23'-9"; plinth 2'-7".
Central Tank: 50' x 50' x 3' deep (Area: 2,500 sq ft (230 m2))""""""""""""""
Kaaba-The House of Allah!
1) Rare Information about Kaaba.
2) Kaaba Inside View
3) Kaaba Structure Information
4) Kaaba Cover(Black cloth) Info
5) Kaaba Construction Info
and for many more true & secret and rare information of Islam ,visit our Website .....
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KING
(slave of Allah )
The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
When you zoom in, you can see people praying Maghrib prayers surrounding the Kaaba.
that clock is the largest in the world, more than five times big ben in London. 45 meters in diameter (that's the height of the tallest building in Maale)
Many Paths to God?
‘There are many paths to God‘- has become a politically, correct catchphrase, used by the liberal establishment to imply that all religions and beliefs are equally worthy.
Of course, you don’t need a degree in common sense to work out that this is illogical nonsense.
Everybody is aware that even the major religions disagree on many important issues. Therefore, simple logic dictates that they cannot all be right. Where they all disagree on a particular belief (if any are right) it can only be ONE that is right.
It is obvious then that all those religions that are wrong in any belief cannot be equal in merit, or equal as a path to God, as the one that is wholly right. So, to insist they are all equally worthy is to be unjustly biased against the one that is true.
Error should never be given equality with truth.
Therefore, it is inexcusable that our society should not to make every effort to discern, and then to officially recognise the truth in this matter.
For anyone to contend that ERROR should ever be entitled to equal endorsement and support by the state as TRUTH is unjust, prejudiced, morally reprehensible and downright stupid.
Western civilisation was founded and built on the commendable notion that truth really matters and should be encouraged and supported.
For centuries, it was accepted and agreed by the most learned persons and rulers, that the beliefs of Christianity best represent spiritual truth. Whilst also providing superlative spiritual and social benefits for citizens and society. And therefore, it was agreed that Christianity should be entitled to official recognition and special support by society and the state. The traditions, heritage, laws and culture of Christendom were founded on this generally, accepted precept.
It is not hard to understand why?
Christianity really is special.
Jesus Christ taught love, peace and forgiveness, even forgiveness of one’s enemies. He was not a warlord or military leader, like some others, but the true Prince of Peace.
Jesus is the perfect, role model for Christians. Although they are not always completely successful, the teaching and example of Jesus Christ are what every genuine Christian aspires to. Those things are eminently conducive to the moral, spiritual and material good of society. They are the fundamentals of Christianity and a Christian society..
We hear a lot today about religious fundamentalism being something bad, but in the case of Christianity the opposite must be true. The more fundamental a Christian seeks to be, the more like (the Christian role model) Jesus they hope to become.
In a nutshell, Jesus taught - love God above all and love your neighbour as yourself. and seek to advance the welfare of all, materially and spiritually - be humble, not proud or envious, be prepared to serve others, not lord it over them - love and forgive even your enemies and do not seek revenge or bear grudges.
A major problem today is that the term 'religion' is cynically used by secularists rather than 'religions'. The effect is to lump all religions together and stereotype them as though they are a single entity. Which means if one religion is perceived in some way as not conducive to the public good, people are led to believe that all religions are a problem - that 'religion' is a problem per se. This sort of stereotyping would be unlikely to be tolerated in any other field. But it suits the aims of militant atheists and the liberal, secular, politically correct agenda.
There is no question that the twentieth century was the bloodiest century in the history of the world. It was in this century that the major nations of Christendom began to abandon Christian beliefs, principles and heritage. And, in the misguided name of progress, began to embrace a variety of pagan, atheistic, materialist, Darwinian, Marxist and socialist ideologies. As a result, we were subjected to 2 world wars, numerous other wars, including the Spanish civil war, and an horrendous, mass murder as a result of the German nation adopting the national, socialist policies of a crazed, Darwinian inspired, anti-Christian, pagan occultist named Hitler. An even greater, mass slaughter was carried out by atheistic, socialist revolutionaries in pursuit of their proposed ‘paradise on Earth‘. The historical record of the twentieth century is absolutely horrendous, the atheistic, Marxist, socialist regimes of; Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot were together responsible for the brutal slaughter of an estimated thirty-six million people. In addition, we have seen millions of war deaths, countless murders carried out by other, atheistic, socialist regimes and various other tyrannies, and millions of unborn babies callously slaughtered in state approved and funded, abortion mills.
We hear a lot today about equality, which sounds admirable. And true equality certainly is admirable and a God-given right. However, false equality is not admirable, it can be discriminatory against truth, goodness and, if enforced by the state, can result in an evil tyranny. Error should never be equated with truth and evil should never be equated with good.
So what is true equality?
Every human person is of equal value and should be equally respected and cared for, regardless of gender, colour, race, disability, wealth, influence, intelligence or power. That is true equality.
What is false equality?
False equality is the idea that everything any human person does or believes, is equally valid. The idea that all lifestyles, beliefs, traditions or cultures (that are not against whatever the state decides should be legal) are equally valid and worthy of equal respect.
In post Christian, secular society, while it is demanded by supporters of the liberal establishment that all religions, beliefs and lifestyles should be treated by the state as equally worthy, with no preference or special status given to any. In practice, we can see this is completely ignored in one respect, because there is an exception, inasmuch as it is now the beliefs of 'atheism' that actually receive special recognition and status in most, Western nations. This is evident in the state approved and funded, promotion and teaching of the (unscientific) naturalistic beliefs of Darwinian evolution and spontaneous generation of life, as though they are ‘scientific truths’ (they are treated as sacrosanct - with no alternative, scientific views or contrary evidence, permitted in any state funded or approved, educational curriculum).
The modern, secular state's 'enforced' equality demands that all beliefs etc. are treated as equally worthy, regardless of truth or merit. But, in practice, the liberal mind-set is that all beliefs/religions are inferior to the atheist/secularist ideology, which is perceived as the pinnacle of rationality and arbiter of 'scientific truth' which benevolently deigns to grant (a false) equality to every inferior, belief system. And religions should all be grateful that the secular state grants them equality with each other.
All religions and religious beliefs are thus lumped together as being equal (the crazy with the not so crazy - the logical with the illogical - the true with the patently false) with no intelligent, or logical discernment permitted.
And so we are led to believe by a secular state (which doesn't recognise God) that there are:
‘Many paths to God’ -That all religions and beliefs are equally valid.
But are they?
Anyone who agrees with this automatically rejects the claims of Jesus Christ, who stated; “I am the way, the truth and the life” and “no one can come to the Father except through Me.”
Uniquely, Jesus backed up his claim by suffering an agonising death on the cross as a sacrifice for the salvation of all humanity. The words of Jesus means you cannot be a Christian if you claim or believe there are many paths to God, or that there is any path to God other than through Jesus Christ.
The fact is that Jesus (although completely innocent of all sin himself) suffered for the sins of all humankind, He was crucified for the redemption of His enemies as well as His friends. We are all sinners and have all offended the infinite goodness of God, no one (not even a saint) deserves heaven entirely on their own merit. Everyone is defiled by sin, and nothing defiled can enter heaven. An offence against the infinite goodness of an infinitely loving, but also an infinitely, just God can only be redeemed by an infinitely, good sacrifice. So only a divine sacrifice can pay the price justice demands for our sins.
Only the sacrifice of the true, spiritual messiah, Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, incarnated as man, is sufficient to save us all from the consequences of sin, open the gates of heaven and restore eternal life to the whole human race.
Only those whose garments have been ‘washed white by the blood of the lamb’ are fit to enter heaven.
The debt for our sin has been paid by Jesus and His saving sacrifice is offered as an unsurpassed, loving and free gift to us all. We simply have to gratefully acknowledge and accept that gift in a spirit of humility and repentance.
Jesus requested that a remembrance of his sacrifice should be celebrated (the Eucharist). This unites us with Him and His sacrifice and is the only sacrificial ceremony for sin which is truly acceptable to God. All other sacrifices devised and offered by humans are as ‘dirty rags’ before the divine majesty of the almighty creator.
Only the sacrifice of the true messiah, God made man
(as prophesied by Isaiah in the old testament), is acceptable to God.
By his supreme sacrifice Jesus paid the price for every sin ever committed, and thereby opened the gates of heaven to the whole human race.
Without His sacrifice, no one of any religion could ever enter heaven.
It matters not whether you are the most devout Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Buddhist or person of any other faith, ultimately you will rely, not on any rituals and customs of these various religions, but on the sacrifice of Jesus to enter heaven.
All who enter heaven and eternal life do so only with a passport provided by Jesus, without His sacrifice you would never get there.
This is the truth whether you like it or not.
Of course, we all have free choice. Quite rightly, we are all entitled to follow any religion we wish. But once we know that it is only the sacrifice of Jesus that can make us fit to enter heaven and entitled to eternal life, we will surely wish to follow Him. It would be foolishness indeed for us to choose to follow any other religion which refuses to acknowledge this and pretends that we can redeem ourselves just by following its manmade doctrines and rituals.
Does atheist/secularist ideology, deserve to be regarded by the state and society as the pinnacle of rationality and arbiter of 'scientific truth'?
Atheism revealed as false ... Why God MUST exist.
There are only 2 basic options for the origin of the universe .... an uncaused, supernatural first cause of the universe OR an uncaused, natural first cause of the universe. If you categorically reject the former (as atheists do), you have no option but to accept the latter by default. It is an intellectually dishonest cop-out to say atheism is merely a lack of belief. A genuine lack of belief would be classed as agnosticism, which is a neutral position. It is a 'don't know' or 'fence sitting' position. A 'don't know' position is not one which would specifically single out to reject, attack and ridicule just one side of the argument, i.e. the concept of a supernatural, first cause, as atheism does.
Atheists cannot simply deny, attack and vociferously ridicule the concept of - a supernatural, first cause, without being expected to justify the only alternative - a natural, first cause. That cannot be regarded as intellectually credible or rational.
We see that atheists dogmatically reject supernaturalism and are zealously on the side of naturalism (a naturalistic origin and explanation for everything). That is not a neutral, 'don't know' or objective position. It is not merely a lack of belief. It is a positive and subjective belief in naturalism. And hence a belief in a natural cause of the universe, and everything that exists or has ever existed.
So how do we know that atheism false and that God MUST exist?
Firstly ...
We know that the universe has not always existed, we know it had a beginning and it is 'running down' from an original peak of energy potential at its beginning. The Second Law of Thermodynamics (law of entropy) confirms that. So, we know the universe had an origin.
Secondly .....
What about matter itself?
Can matter have always existed? The simple answer is no.
Matter/energy and all, natural entities and events are contingent, they rely on causes for everything. Because they are contingent they cannot be eternally self-existent or necessary entities. They do not contain within themselves the reason or cause of their own existence. As contingent entities, they are entirely reliant on that which causes and maintains them. They cannot exist or operate in any way without causes, Thus, they must have had an original cause at some stage, even if the chain of causes and effects is very long, it had to have a beginning at some point.
A basic principle of the scientific method is that we can expect to find an adequate cause for every natural occurrence. All scientific research is based on that premise.
To propose a non-contingent, natural occurrence or entity as the originator of the universe (as atheists are forced to do), is unscientific fantasy.
Thirdly ....
A supernatural first cause (God) is not a contingent entity. It is not natural, and is not bound by natural laws which govern matter and all natural events. In fact, as the first cause of matter/energy, it is also the author of the laws that govern matter/energy. It cannot be subject to laws it has created. Those laws are inherent properties of the material realm and an integral part of all material entities.
As the very first cause, it also cannot have had any preceding cause, so we know it cannot be a contingent entity.
Why? Because ...first means first, not second or third. If something is first, nothing preceded it. It must have always existed and must have had within itself the means of its own existence. It could not have relied on anything else for its existence. So the supernatural, first cause (a creator God) has to be eternally, self-existent and necessary.
It also has to have the powers and ability to create everything else that exists in the universe. As the original cause, it has to be an adequate cause of everything ...of all causes and effects that follow it, forever. That means - it has to have the powers, properties and qualities sufficient to create: time, matter/energy, natural laws, information, life, intelligence, consciousness and every characteristic that humans have. Because we, as a mere effect of the first cause, cannot be greater than that which ultimately caused us.
So, God is the non-contingent, self-existent, necessary, supernatural, first cause of everything in the universe.
That is the logical conclusion of the understanding and application of natural laws.
ATHEIST BELIEF IN A NATURAL FIRST CAUSE VIOLATES NATURAL LAW.
THUS, ATHEISM IS ILLOGICAL, AND ANTI-SCIENCE.
Essential characteristics of the first cause.
Consider this short chain of causes and effects:
A causes B, - B causes C, - C causes D, - D causes E.
'A, B, C & D' are all causes and may all look similar, but they are not, there is an enormous and crucial difference between them.
Causes B, C & D are fundamentally different from cause A.
Why?
Because A is the very first cause and thus had no previous cause. It exists without a cause. It doesn’t rely on anything else for its existence, it is completely independent of causes - while B, C & D would not exist without A. They are entirely dependent on A.
Causes; B, C & D are also effects, whereas A is not an effect, only a cause.
So we can say that the first cause ‘A’ is both self-existent and necessary. It is necessary because the rest of the chain of causes and effects could not exist without it. We also have to say that the subsequent causes and effects B, C, D and E are all contingent. That is; they are not self-existent they all depend entirely on other causes to exist.
We can also say that A is eternally self-existent, i.e. it has always existed, it had no beginning. Why? Because if A came into being at some point, there must have been something other than itself that brought it into being … which would mean A was not the first cause (A could not create A) … the something that brought A into being would be the first cause. In which case, A would be contingent and no different from B, C, D & E.
We can also say that A is adequate to produce all the properties of B, C, D & E.
Why?
Well in the case of E we can see that it relies entirely on D for its existence, E can in no way be superior to D because D had to contain within it everything necessary to produce E. The same applies to D it cannot be superior to C, but furthermore neither E or D can be superior to C, because both rely on C for their existence, and C had to contain everything necessary to produce D & E.
Likewise, with B, which is responsible for the existence of C, D & E.
As they all depend on A for their existence and all their properties, abilities and potentials, none can be superior to A whether singly or combined. A had to contain everything necessary to produce B, C, D & E including all their properties, abilities and potentials.
Thus, we deduce that; nothing in the universe can be superior in any way to the very first cause of the universe, because the whole universe, and all material things that exist, depend entirely on the abilities and properties of the first cause to produce them.
So, to sum up … a first cause must be uncaused, must have always existed and cannot be in any way inferior to all subsequent causes and effects. In other words, the first cause of the universe must be eternally, self-existent and omnipotent (greater than everything that exists). No natural entity can have those attributes, that is why a Supernatural, Creator God MUST exist.
What about polytheism, can there be more than one God or Creator.
It is patently obvious there can only be one supernatural first cause.
The first cause is infinite - and logically, there cannot be more than one infinite entity.
If there were two infinite entities, for example, A and B. The qualities and perfections that are the property of B would be a limitation on the qualities and perfections of A. and vice versa, so neither would be infinite.
If A & B had identical qualities and perfections they would not be two different entities, they would be identical and therefore the same entity, i.e. a single, infinite, first cause. So there can be only one infinite being or entity, only one supernatural, first cause and creator of the universe.
So, when atheists keep repeating the claim - that there is no reason to believe the monotheistic, Christian God is any different from the multiple, gods of pagan religions, it simply displays their ignorance and lack of reasoning.
Does the first cause have to be a supernatural one, or is it (as atheists claim) just a desperate attempt by ignorant people to fill a gap in scientific knowledge, by saying - God did it?
What does 'supernatural' mean? It means something which cannot be explained by science, natural laws or by natural processes.
The origin of the universe cannot be explained by genuine science, natural laws or by natural processes. And that is an undeniable FACT.
Why?
Because EVERY possible explanation by natural processes violates both the fundamental principle of the scientific method - the Law of Cause and Effect - and other natural laws.
Hence, the first cause, by virtue of the fact that it cannot be explained by science or natural processes, automatically qualifies as a supernatural entity.
To insist that the first cause must be a natural entity or event is to invoke a magical explanation, not a scientific one. The only choice, therefore is between a supernatural first cause or a magical first cause? A natural event that is purported to defy natural laws and scientific principles can only be described as MAGIC. And that is exactly what atheists propose. They cynically dress up their belief - that nature can evade natural laws - as science, but science certainly cannot envisage a causeless, natural event or entity, science cannot look for non-causes.
No one has ever proposed a natural explanation for the origin of the universe that does not violate the law of cause and effect and other natural laws. But, whenever they are challenged about this fact, they always make the excuse that the laws of nature/physics somehow DID NOT APPLY to their proposed, natural origin scenario.
The most, well known case of this excuse is the alleged 'Singularity' which, it was claimed, preceded the Big Bang. Remember it was claimed to be a "one-off event where the laws of physics did not apply." A natural event that defied natural laws! - That used to be called 'magic', before atheist 'scientists' hi-jacked science with their religion of naturalism - the All Powerful, autonomous, Mother Nature.
Excuses aren't science. A natural event that violates natural laws is by definition, not possible. There are no ifs, buts or perhaps, natural things are bound by natural laws, without question. Natural laws describe the inherent properties of natural entities. And the whole essence of science is the fact that every natural entity/event is contingent - has to have an ADEQUATE CAUSE.
The idea of 'laws not applying' to a natural event, is not science. It is just fantasy.
If the origin of the universe is inexplicable to science, within the accepted framework of normal, natural processes and natural laws, then it is a supernatural event.
You cannot claim something as a natural event that violates natural laws. For that reason it is inexplicable to science.
In fact. to claim that something natural can defy natural laws is anti-science.
Those who believe such nonsense are enemies of science.
ALL NATURAL explanations for the origin of the universe violate the Law of Cause and Effect and other natural laws.
Conclusion: the atheist belief in a natural explanation for the origin of the universe (that Mother Nature did it) is impossible - according to science.
Atheist myths debunked - abiogenesis - the inherent predisposition of matter to create life.
www.flickr.com/photos/truth-in-science/22250603246
The world's first ever photograph.
The new astonishing phenomenon detected on the Shroud of Turin
youtu.be/B6iQGomNqTw
This picture was taken during the 2006/7 Hajj. The black cubic building is the Kaaba. Each year, countless pilgrims encircle the Kaaba during one of the central rites of the Hajj.
Taken with a Contax T camera (38mm sonnar T* lens) + Fuji Acros 100 film.
Best viewed large.
MACCA: September 03 ? A faithful offering dua during Holy Fasting Month of Ramzan. APP photo by Jahangir Khan
Hajj
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A supplicating pilgrim at Masjid al-Haram, the mosque which was built around the Kaaba ("cube"), (the building at center). In this image of the Hajj from 2003, thousands of pilgrims are walking around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction (Tawaf).For other uses, see Hajj (disambiguation).
The Hajj (Arabic: حج Ḥaǧǧ) is a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a moral obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah in the Arabic language). The pilgrimage occurs from the 7th to 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. In 2007, the Hajj was from December 17–21; in 2008 from December 6–10, and in 2009 it was from November 25–29. Ihram is the name given to the special state in which Muslims live whilst on the pilgrimage,
The Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Ibrahim (Abraham). Pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: Each person walks counter-clockwise seven times about the Ka'bah, the cube-shaped building which acts as the Muslim direction of prayer, kisses the Black Stone in the corner of the Kaaba, runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, and throws stones in a ritual Stoning of the Devil. The pilgrims then shave their heads, perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the four day global festival of Eid al-Adha.
As of 2008, about three million pilgrims participated in this annual pilgrimage. Crowd-control techniques have become critical, and because of the large numbers of people, many of the rituals have become more stylized. It is not necessary to kiss the Black Stone, but merely to point at it on each circuit around the Kaaba. Throwing pebbles was done at large pillars, which for safety reasons in 2004 were changed to long walls with catch basins below to catch the stones. The slaughter of an animal can be done either personally, or by appointing someone else to do it, and so forth.[8] But even with the crowd control techniques, there are still many incidents during the Hajj, as pilgrims are trampled in a crush, or ramps collapse under the weight of the many visitors, causing hundreds of deaths. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj has a website, with the message, "Be peaceful, orderly and kind. No crushing."
Pilgrims can also go to Mecca to perform the rituals at other times of the year. This is sometimes called the "lesser pilgrimage", or Umrah. However, even if they perform the Umrah, they are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetimes if they have the means to do so.
Muslim pilgrims perform the final walk around the Kaaba (Tawaf al-Wadaa) at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Mecca on November 16, 2010, as more than two million Muslim pilgrims launched into the final rituals of the hajj ahead of their massive exodus from Islam's holiest city. AFP PHOTO/MUSTAFA OZER (Photo credit should read MUSTAFA OZER/AFP/Getty Images)
Saf ipek kullanılarak dokunan altın işlemeli örtü, Kabe-i Şerif Örtü Fabrikası'nda 3 aylık bir çalışma sonucu dokunuyor.
Mekke'de bulunan Kabe-i Şerif Örtü Fabrikası, yılın sadece 3 ayında çalışıyor ve sadece Kabe'nin örtüsünü dokuyor.
Toplam alanı 658 metrekare olan örtü 14 metre uzunluğunda, 101 santimetre genişliğinde ve 47 parçadan oluşuyor. Her yıl yenisi ile değiştirilen örtü daha sonra müzede ziyarete açılıyor.
120 kilo Altın ve gümüş ipliklerle işlenen, siyaha boyanmış saf ipekten, 16 parçadan oluşan ve yaklaşık 17 milyon Suudi Arabistan Riyali'ne mal olan ve yaklaşık 1 ton ağırlığında olan örtünün üzerinde jakard üslubu ile işlenmiş ‘‘La ilahe illallah Muhammedin Resulullah. Allah Celle Celalühü. Sübhanallahi vebihamdihi subhanallahi el Azim. Ya hannan, ya mannan’’ ibareleri bulunuyor.Kabe'nin her köşesine gelen yazıda İhlas suresi yazıyor.
Birisi Kabe kapısının örtüsü olmak üzere beş parçadan oluşan örtü için, 750 kilo ipek iplikten 658 metre kumaş dokunuyor.
Örtü, Kabe'nin dört duvarından sırayla değiştiriliyor. Asansörle Kabe'nin üzerine çıkan görevliler, saldıkları iplerle Kabe’nin yeni örtüsünü yukarıya çekip, aşağıya salıyorlar. Daha sonra altta kalan eski örtüyü indiriyorlar.
Kabe'nin örtüsü her yıl Mekke'de sadece yerli halkın bulunduğu ve kabenin en boş olduğu gün olan hacıların Arafata çıktığı gün değiştiriliyor.