Mecca city has a great importance in Islam. It's a centre of pilgrimage and prayer where Muslims are free from the distractions of daily life.
But do you know non-Muslims are strictly prohibited from entering the city throughout the year.
Non-Muslims even can't travel through Mecca and attempting to enter Mecca for a non-Muslim can result in penalties such as a fine or deportation from Saudi Arabia.
The ban on non-Muslim visitors is mentioned in the Quran as follows: “Oh you who believe! Truly the idolaters are unclean; so let them not, after this year, approach the Sacred Mosque….” (Quran – 9:28) This basic principle drives the restriction to not allow someone 'not clean' into a Mosque - be it a Muslim or a non Muslim.
India TV brings to you 5 possible reasons related to this:
1. According to public forum Quora, some argue that non-Muslims are not allowed in Mecca because it is a holy sanctuary.
2. Others say that one has to qualify certain requirements to be there adding that Mosques or holy places are reserved for meditation and usually have basic requirements for entry.
3. It further says that to keep the spirituality intact, non-Muslims are not allowed in this holy city.
4. Furthermore, restriction non-Muslims are aimed to provide a place of peace for the followers of Islam and preserve the sanctity of the holy city. If non-Muslims and tourists are allowed to enter the city, this would simply add to the congestion and detract from the spirituality of the pilgrimage visit.
5. It also suggests that even Muslims are prohibited if they are not purified according to the Islamic rules. So, it is presumed that people belonging to other religions are unaware of such rules and hence are not purified to enter city.
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