Determining the Position of Maqām Ibrāhīm (A New Approach)

Determining the Position of Maqām Ibrāhīm (A New Approach)

Maqām Ibrāhīm is the famous stone Prophet Ibrāhīm (Abraham) (PBUH) stood upon while reconstructing the Kaʿbah upon its original foundations with the assistance of his son, Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) (PBUH). Known in English as the Station (or “Standing Place”) of Abraham, Maqām Ibrāhīm is described in some modern-day sources as being about 11 meters (36 feet) to the Kaʿbah’s east (although the true distance is slightly further away).

But has it always been that way, and what was its exact location prior to the modern era?

This was the question I sought to answer as I researched this issue for inclusion in my recently published book, Makkah at the Time of Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH).

In the book, my focus was on sifting through a collection of seemingly contradictory authentic narrations, with some reports saying that the maqām was right next to the Kaʿbah, and others saying that it was located some distance away. I explained the context of these narrations and showed why they don’t truly conflict with one another, but rather work together in perfect harmony, resulting in a much richer and nuanced understanding of life in Makkah during the lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) and his Companions.

Since the book’s publication, however, I have delved even deeper into this issue to uncover more support for my position, including additional statements from the early scholars of Islām, whose writings include important linguistic insights and other valuable nuances that help pinpoint the maqām’s position throughout the ages, which I have organized into the following time periods:

  • Maqām Ibrāhīm during the Age of Ibrāhīm (PBUH)
  • Maqām Ibrāhīm during the Pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance
  • Maqām Ibrāhīm during the Lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)
  • Maqām Ibrāhīm during ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb’s Reign as Caliph (634–644 CE)
  • Maqām Ibrāhīm during the Modern Era

A New Approach

Beyond this, I also took a completely new “mathematical” approach not ever used by previous researchers to show where the location of the maqām was during the time of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) as compared to today. In order to do this, I had to examine a series of measurements taken by early scholars, including the great Abū al-Walīd Aḥmad al-Azraqī (d. 219 or 222 AH / 834 or 837 CE), who measured the distance between Maqām Ibrāhīm and the Kaʿbah during his lifetime, and also recorded other measurements of relevance to my research.

This approach was far from straightforward, as it required a rigid analysis of what these measurements represent in modern terms. I also could not examine these measurements in isolation and had to keep in mind things like the protective structures built around the maqām over the centuries, which factored into some of the measurements recorded in early sources.

Want to know more?

Become a Pro Member at SirahMaps.com [a website I recently established to provide educational resources about the sīrah (biography) of the Prophet (ﷺ)] to read my full analysis of where Maqām Ibrāhīm was located throughout the ages. This original, never-before-published essay includes the details of my “mathematical” approach, along with a full bibliography of the sources I used in my research.

Pro Members gain access to other research articles as well, along with access to the Pro Version of a newly developed Interactive Map of Makkah and other (future) exclusive materials only found on SirahMaps. com, including an Interactive Map of Madīnah and several battle maps planned for release in the near future.

Already a SirahMaps Pro Member? Follow the link below to continue reading:
The Position of Maqām Ibrāhīm throughout the Ages: A Historical Analysis

The Population of Makkah during the Lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)

The Population of Makkah during the Lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)

Have you ever wondered how many people lived in Makkah during the lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)?

Makkah is not just Islām’s holiest city, but also where the Prophet (ﷺ) was born and grew up, surrounded by his people—the powerful tribe of Quraysh, which had many clans and the safest trade caravans in the Arabian Peninsula. It is where he eventually married and built a life with his wife, Khadījah (RA), throughout their long and devoted marriage. It is also in Makkah where the Prophet (ﷺ) received the first revelations of the Qurʾān and preached Islām’s universal message of tawḥīd (belief in One God) to residents and visitors alike.

Knowing how many people lived in Makkah during the Prophet’s lifetime (570–632 CE) is not just a fascinating detail to share with friends and family; it is vital information that can help build a richer and more nuanced understanding of the environment in which the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions lived.

This is what I had in mind as I researched the issue of Makkah’s population while creating detailed maps of the Makkah Valley for my newly published book, Makkah at the Time of Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH), and later for SirahMaps, a website I recently established to provide a visual representation of the sīrah (biography) of the Prophet (ﷺ) with the use of geography and modern technologies.

Although several attempts have been made to calculate the population of Makkah during the Prophet’s lifetime, many of the estimates offered by researchers have been based on faulty methods. Their figures have thus been heavily skewed and often inflated.

Faced with these outdated and unsatisfactory estimates, I decided to do my own analysis, which resulted in a more accurate breakdown of the relevant demographics, and required looking at things like:

  • The number of Muslims who fled to Abyssinia and Madīnah in the early days of Islām;
  • The number of men who fought on both sides of important battles, such as the Battle of Badr;
  • Who else lived in Makkah or didn’t typically participate in battles.

Want to know more?

Become a SirahMaps Pro Member to read my full analysis of Makkah’s population during the era of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ), which takes all of the relevant factors neglected by others into account to come up with a figure that is more accurate than any of the previous estimates currently in existence.

In my short research article, you will also learn more about the residents of Makkah and what a typical household looked like in the city circa 600 CE. Although I cover much of this material in my book, Makkah at the Time of Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH), the article provides an even tighter analysis, and also includes new information not found in the book.

Pro Members gain access to other research articles as well, along with access to the Pro Version of a newly developed Interactive Map of Makkah and other (future) exclusive materials only found on SirahMaps. com, including an Interactive Map of Madīnah and several battle maps planned for release in the near future.

Already a SirahMaps Pro Member? Follow the link below to continue reading:
The Population of Makkah during the Lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)

Pillars Of Wisdom

Pillars Of Wisdom

While knowledge is part of wisdom, wisdom is not part of knowledge. The components of wisdom exist independently despite wisdom’s dependence on them. A roof raised upon four pillars is only as high as the pillars. The roof without the pillars is not a roof, but the pillars without the roof are still pillars. The roof is not the sum total of the pillars for it is a different thing altogether despite its dependence on them. Likewise is wisdom. It rests upon the four pillars of knowledge, logic, empathy, and experience. The stronger these pillars are, the heavier and higher the wisdom they can carry, and the better it can shelter its possessor, whether an individual or society. The “roof” however will lose balance and collapse into arrogance if the knowledge pillar is much higher and stronger than the rest. It collapses into closed-mindedness if experience is much higher and stronger than the rest. It collapses into callousness if the logic pillar is much higher and stronger than the rest. If the empathy pillar is much taller and stronger than the rest, it collapses into narcissism.

How many people out there have acquired knowledge and experience, and possess both logic and empathy, yet lack wisdom?

In conclusion, wisdom rests on the harmonious balance between well-developed knowledge, logic, empathy, and experience, but even if in balance, they do not produce wisdom. They merely form the foundations upon which latent wisdom can manifest. 

Originally published on February 12, 2017

Note: Critics have emphasized the role of humbleness and assumed that this equation lacks that element. Humility is very much part of the formula. Humility is often (but not necessarily) a byproduct of the four pillars, and true wisdom, which has been identified as a separate thing, inherently contains humility. Finally, due to some debates, it is necessary to reemphasize that the four pillars do not automatically produce wisdom; they simply raise it up and allow it to display itself. One may have been blessed with a strong potential for wisdom, but without the four pillars it does not manifest. Like a roof, the stronger the foundations beneath, the greater the storms it can weather, yet without pillars, a roof on the ground is by definition not a roof. 

Update (November 25, 2020): Recently, I saw a talk by Dr. Jordan Peterson where he, too, states his realization that wisdom is a separate thing from knowledge. In fact, he clarified in his talk that wisdom, knowledge, and intellect are completely separate things. I agree with this, and even a less-than-thorough look at today’s products of the modern higher educational system is more than sufficient to emphasize this. 

(Binimad Al-Ateeqi)

Response to Triggered Commenter from Episode 18

Response to Triggered Commenter from Episode 18

As-salamu ‘Alaykum,

This is a quick blog post about the Quran Math Miracles video series. In my 2018 e-book, Quran Math Miracles, which is available as a free download from this website, I highly praised and supplicated good for those whom I benefit from in these videos. Furthermore, I likewise make it clear in this series of videos that my videos are based on two separate methodologies. One of these methodologies is based on the Uthmanic Quran codex, which more faithfully follows the Quran as it was written, and is the methodology used by the Noon Center for Quran Research and Studies, directed by Sheikh Bassam Jarrar. The other methodology uses modern grammar rules, and is used by those at QuranWay.com. Whenever I add my own findings or observations, I follow the methodology of the Uthmanic Quran codex, which is used by the Noon Center for Quran Research and Studies.

The purpose of this post is to explain why I will no longer be referring to or using the findings published by Quranway.com.

In October of 2017, I was contacted by an employee from Quranway.com, and while the researchers at Quranway, along with the owner of the site, are honorable and seem to be good, polite, and well-mannered, reasonable people, this overzealous employee was unfortunately the extreme opposite. He claimed that I was stealing their findings and claiming that they were mine! Along with these accusations, he added all sorts of rather unpleasant language and hostilities in the comments section on YouTube, and then also via my website contact e-mail.

This included comments telling me that I am worse than atheists who are more honorable than me, as well as comments saying that I purposefully do all sorts of falsehood.

Imagine that… This person was not only extremely disrespectful, but clearly also believed that he could also look into my heart and know the unknown with certainty. He further made several threats, including the making of a video to basically ruin my reputation.

This behavior is simply ironic, because I have long known that once a Muslim tries to do any good, one can unfortunately expect attacks from Muslims before any attacks from non-Muslims. Despite the way I was approached, I responded with very gentle and polite language in a fully respectful manner (all of which is fully documented; however, it is generally wrong to publish private communications), while also highlighting and quoting their very own policy, which is published on their site and gives me and all others the right to translate and disseminate all of their findings (not just the few I selected to contribute to a video) so long as the source is mentioned. I also said that if this was the position they were taking, then I would no longer use their material or help spread the word about them and their findings. Needless to say, this was extremely painful due to how much I respected their efforts, and especially after having highly praised their work and noting them as the source for certain findings and making this clear in the relevant work. Yet what happened next made everything good again…

I was again contacted through the same account, but this time by the real honorable and respectable owner of Quranway, who explained that he has many employees who work for him and use his account and e-mail address, and said that the language they used against me was unacceptable and apologized to me. He used polite and respectable language, which clearly reflects his high moral character. He said he was honored to be in contact with me and confirmed that I and all Muslims have every right to use the information on their website so long as the source is mentioned.

Yet today (June 2, 2020), I again received hostile comments from what was presumably a new employee, who was not only highly disrespectful, but actually literally questioned if I am even a Muslim! He made several unpleasant comments, after which he said that I was using some of their material. He also said that I was mixing up different methods, and that my book mixed up between two separate methodologies.

My book makes it very clear that there are two separate methodologies, and I likewise note this in my YouTube series about the mathematical findings. I clearly explain that there are two separate methodologies and called them Approach A and Approach B.  It is not some secret or conspiracy. I clearly state that there are two methods used, and this is explained in the book and noted in the video series. Likewise I am always making it clear that I use other people’s findings and often add some of my own, but for someone to suggest that all of the findings in this episode (No. 18) are from them, and to say that I stole them and attributed them to myself in a dishonest manner, is not just silly but borderline insane.

The irony is that this was the accusation I received in the comments section of a video where I not only clearly stated Quranway as the source verbally, but also literally wrote it out on the video screen in big, bold letters to make the source even more explicitly clear! [For example, see min. 9:00 of Episode 18, which is the video that triggered all of this hostility from the Quranway employee.]

Furthermore, by no stretch of the imagination was all of the information in the video taken from Quranway as this employee again falsely suggested; in fact, most of it was not taken from Quranway, but instead from the other sources (mainly Sheikh Bassam Jarrar, whom I also clearly cite), which I also clearly mention in the video. In addition, some of the information comes from observations of my own! 

One would imagine with such efforts, sticking his neck out for Allah’s sake and wishing to support his community, that this brother would be supportive and point out any mistakes in a straightforward manner so that they may be fixed. Maybe the brother would also notice that the channel has never been monetized, albeit there is nothing wrong with that (and may change in the future), but I simply want people to be able to see the videos and benefit with as few interruptions as possible. Alhamdulillah, almost all of my Muslim brothers and sisters have otherwise been tremendously supportive, and their kindness is overwhelming and highly appreciated, including their sincere, good-willed criticism, which is also important, helpful, and appreciated.

For this and other reasons related to the tremendously time-consuming work of researching the Prophet’s biography for my new book, in addition to the work of mapping out Makkah and working on the other projects I am involved in, I have decided to stop using all material from Quranway.com in all future works. With “friends” like this, who needs enemies? I can only urge Quranway to give better guidance to their employees and pray for them to have even more success in their work. I must also repeat that the researchers at Quranway are very respectful and good people, as is the owner of the site! This is not a criticism of Quranway itself, which has done great work; rather this is a response to just one seemingly rogue employee.

This post is also intended as a message to my respected followers, some of whom have urged me to continue adding findings from the respectable establishment of Quranway to my videos. Because of the issues explained above, however, any future videos or writings I compile on the topic of Quran mathematics will from now on strictly follow the Uthmanic Quran codex, which more faithfully follows the Quran as it was written, and is the methodology used by the Noon Center for Quran Research and Studies. Having said that, I will also not hesitate to add my own findings along with those of others (of course, citing them whenever appropriate) so long as they also adhere to this methodology.

This will, insha’Allah, actually be much better and more authentic, and will also help keep things even clearer. For those who are familiar with his work, the honorable Eng. Abduldaem Al-Kaheel is also involved in this type of research, and many of his findings also adhere to this methodology, although he may not limit himself to just this approach.

Insha’Allah, this blog post successfully addresses any questions the respected viewers of my YouTube channel may have regarding this matter. To you, respected viewers, I also give you the glad tidings of an amazing surprise related to Makkah at the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that I have been working on day and night with an honorable and kind brother from Pakistan. Allah willing, I will soon be able to announce the details of this surprise, which will be freely available to all.

May Allah protect our hearts from animosity toward our brothers and sisters in faith, and protect us from ever wrongly attributing the work of others to ourselves.

Binimad Al-Ateeqi, June 2, 2020

Upgrades to the Makkah 600 CE Map, Plus a New Book!

Upgrades to the Makkah 600 CE Map, Plus a New Book!

In response to overwhelming feedback and requests, my Makkah, c. 600 CE map is now being upgraded and updated with many more locations and important edits.

It will surpass the previous map and is the best and most accurate of all similar works. Some homes are displayed in their exact locations, while others are very close approximations. The topography of the map is also as close to reality as possible based on the oldest available maps and detailed descriptions from authentic sources.

The new map will (insha’Allah) be available for purchase on this website in July or August of 2019.

A book displaying the map and much more is also planned for release in the near future.

Updates: