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History and Archeology questions
Dawn
04/30/02 at 08:20:41
OK, I know these aren't very important theologically ;D, but I have been reading some of the Prophet's biographies and I am now curious.  So, if anyone can answer any of the following or point me to a website, author, etc., I would appreciate it.  

1.  What was the population (approximately, of course) of Mecca at the time of the Prophet?  Same thing for Medina?

2.  Where are the oldest Mosques that are still standing, and how old are they?  If they are older, where and how old are any Mosques which are now ruins, or just foundations, etc.?

3.  When does the oldest copy of the Qur'an which we still have date to?

4.  Where else besides the Dome of the Rock and the Kaa'ba do we find such old Qur'anic inscriptions?

Just curious!   :-*

Peace,
Dawn

Re: History and Archeology questions
eleanor
04/30/02 at 08:50:38
[slm]

Having taken part in WWTBAM I can proudly say I know the answer to Q2!!! :) :) :)

The first mosque to be built was Masjid al-Quba, and it is in Medina. The Prophet laid the foundation stone after he had just arrived from Mecca. So that would make it about 1423 years old!!!!

(or am  I missing something here??? )

wasalaam
eleanor  :-*
Re: History and Archeology questions
Dawn
04/30/02 at 08:55:52
Is it still the original, or has it been rebuilt?  (I don't know  ??? )  I was kinda thinking of "originals" here, but certainly the site would qualify as the oldest Mosque site!
Re: History and Archeology questions
M.F.
04/30/02 at 12:28:52
You're right it's been rebuilt, and so, actually has the Kaaba (except for its foundation which was built by Abraham and Ismael).  Unfortunately the "Aal Saoud" or current saudi rulers pretty much bulldozed any trace of Muslim history dating back from the Prophet's time because they were somehow afraid it would be worshipped.
Re: History and Archeology questions
Abu_Hamza
04/30/02 at 13:54:50
[slm]

Wow, interesting questions.  Most of these require some sort of research :)  Insha Allah I'll try to find out some of them.  

As for Question 2, the first house built on this earth for the worship of one God (Allah) is the Ka'bah in Makkah.  It was built by Abraham.  Abraham later built another mosque, the Masjid al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem.

The first mosque built by Prophet Muhammad (saw) was Masjid Qubaa as eleanor said, and it used to be in the outskirts of the city of Madina back then.  Now, after the expansion of the city of Madina, the mosque is actually inside the city.  

But what is the oldest Mosque structure that stands in its original form ... tough question.  

Answer to Q. 3 is in that book Uloom Al-Qur'aan by Ahmad von Denffer :)  I don't know the exact year, but the oldest copy that we have dates to the time of the khilaafah (caliphate) of Uthmaan ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the 3rd khalifah of the Muslims.  He became the khalifah 13 years after the death of the Prophet (saw), and held that position for 12 years if I'm not mistaken.

The mushaf (scripture) from his time is preserved in a museum in Turkey.

And Allah knows best.

P.S. Uthmaan ibn Affan was the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.
Re: History and Archeology questions
muqaddar
05/01/02 at 11:16:35
[slm]

the qu'ran contains drops of his blood which were spilt
when he was killed
Re: History and Archeology questions
Dawn
05/01/02 at 11:58:07
Daughter was napping and I was surfing, and guess what I found?

[url]http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Text/Mss/museum.html[/url]

It gives museum sources for lots of old Qur'anic texts and partial texts.  Good stuff, from what I can tell, and well documented.  But, no museum from Turkey was listed.  Would anyone happen to know where I could find more about that one?  Which museum is it, etc.?
Re: History and Archeology questions
jannah
05/02/02 at 04:23:24
I read before that Topekai (sp?) has tons of stuff .
Re: History and Archeology questions
haaris
05/02/02 at 05:23:53
Asalaamu Aleikoum wa rahmatullah

[quote]I read before that Topekai (sp?) has tons of stuff [/quote]

Topkapi palace is the former Imperial residence of the Turkish sultans and now has a section that is a museum.  It has all sorts of exhibits, from hairs from the beard of the Prophet [saws] and his sandal and footprint through sabres of the Companions, all set out in the "Chamber of the Sacred Relics".

Check out this page (and the links at the bottom).

[url]http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/topkapi.html[/url]
05/02/02 at 05:24:46
haaris


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