Mecca or Petra?
The claim that Islam and Prophet Muhammad originated in Petra, Jordan, rather than Mecca, has gained attention. These assertions rely on historical and archaeological claims but often disregard or misinterpret the Quran, the primary source of guidance for Muslims.
The Quran Links Prophet Muhammad to Mecca and the Kaʿbah
Prophet Muhammad Lived in Mecca
The Quran explicitly mentions that Prophet Muhammad lived in Mecca:
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى كَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَنْ أَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا
Wa huwa alladhī kaffā aydiyahum ʿankum wa-aydiyakum ʿanhum bibatni makkata min baʿdi an aẓfarakum ʿalayhim wa-kāna Allāhu bimā taʿmalūna basīrā.
He is the One who withheld their hands against you and your hands against them inside Mecca after He made you victorious over them. God is Seer of what you do.
48:24
This verse confirms Muhammad's residence in Mecca and God's protection during his mission.
The Connection Between Muhammad and the Masjid Al-Haram
The Quran repeatedly associates Prophet Muhammad with the Masjid Al-Haram, the sacred mosque in Mecca:
هُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ
They are the ones who disbelieved and repelled you from the Masjid Al-Haram…
48:25
فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ
Humu alladhīna kafarū wa-saddūkum ʿani al-masjidi al-ḥarām.
So turn your face towards the Masjid Al-Haram.
2:144
These verses confirm that Prophet Muhammad prayed at the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca and faced it as the Qibla (direction of prayer).
The Kaʿbah and the Masjid Al-Haram Are the Same
The Quran clearly states that the Kaʿbah is the central structure within the Masjid Al-Haram:
جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكَعْبَةَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ قِيَـٰمًۭا لِّلنَّاسِ
Jaʿala Allāhu al-kaʿbata al-bayta al-ḥarāma qiyāman li-l-nās.
God has rendered the Kaʿbah, the Haram House, an establishment for the people…
5:97
This verse identifies the Kaʿbah as the focal point of worship and pilgrimage in the Masjid Al-Haram.
The Kaʿbah and Hajj
The Quran specifies the Kaʿbah as the destination for Hajj (pilgrimage):
لِيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَـٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍۢ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ
Liyashhadū manāfiʿa lahum wa-yadhkurū isma Allāhi fī ayyāmin maʿlūmāt.
To witness benefits for them and to commemorate God's name during the known days…
22:28
Refuting Claims About Petra
The Quranic Connection to Mecca
The Quran's explicit mention of Mecca, the Kaʿbah, and the Masjid Al-Haram leaves no room for alternative geographic claims.
Prophet Muhammad did not live in Petra and travel over 1,000 kilometers to perform prayers or rituals in Mecca.
Pre-Quranic Masjids Facing Other Directions
The Quran acknowledges that before its revelation, people followed various Qiblas:
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِكُلِّ ءَايَةٖ مَّا تَبِعُواْ قِبۡلَتَكَۚ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِتَابِعٖ قِبۡلَتَهُمۡ وَمَا بَعۡضُهُم بِتَابِعٖ قِبۡلَةَ بَعۡضٖۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَ أَهۡوَآءَهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِنَّكَ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Wa la’in atayta alladhīna ʾūtū al-kitāba bikulli āyatin mā tabiʿū qiblataka, wa mā anta bitābiʿin qiblatahum wa mā baʿḍuhum bitābiʿin qiblata baʿḍ. Wa laʾini ittabaʿta ahwāʾahum min baʿdi mā jāʾaka mina al-ʿilmi ʾinnaka idhan lamina al-ẓālimīn.
If you were to bring to those who have been given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your Qiblah, nor will you follow their Qiblah, nor do they follow each other's Qiblahs. If you follow their personal desires after what has come to you of the knowledge, then you would be of the transgressors.
2:145
Pre-Islamic practices, including directions of worship, have no bearing on the Quran’s commands.
Questionable Historical and Archaeological Evidence
Historical accounts and archaeological interpretations are man-made and subject to bias or error. The Quran, as the word of God, is the ultimate source of truth for Muslims.
Conclusion
- The Quran confirms Mecca as the location of Prophet Muhammad’s mission, the Kaʿbah, and the Masjid Al-Haram.
- Claims about Petra as the birthplace of Islam are not supported by the Quran and contradict its verses.
- For believers, the Quran is the ultimate authority, far above any historical speculation or archaeological theory.