-
When Ibrahim left Hajira and baby Ishmael in the desert, they looked for water until Hajira found a water fountain where Ishmael was scratching. This secure supply of water caused tribes to settle there, and create the foundations of Mecca.
-
The prophet Ibrahim built the Kaaba, (House of God), that is the Holy Shrine that all Muslims face when performing their daily prayers.
-
The 5 daily prayers of Muslims became directed towards the Mecca and the Kaaba, rather than Jerusalem.
-
The prophet Muhammed leads the Hajj during the revelation of Islam.
-
The Kaaba was set on fire and had to be rebuilt following Ibrahim's original dimensions.
-
The local rulers of Hejaz started taxing the pilgrims. However, this was considered illegal by Islamic jurists and the taxes were overthrown in around 1171.
-
The Hajj will only be able to be performed by 1000 people who already reside in or near Mecca, which is much less than the regular 2.5 million.