Mecca in the Bible

Throughout history, Makkah has been regarded as the sacred center of worship in Islam, but what if its significance was also foretold in the Bible? This article explores Biblical references that align with Islamic teachings, highlighting the connections between the Valley of Baca, Paran, the shift from Jerusalem to Makkah, and the prophecy of pilgrimage. It also examines the role of the Black Stone, the prophecy of the Comforter, and the restrictions on non-believers entering Makkah, revealing how these references point toward the truth of Islam, Read the complete article to know more!

1. The Valley of Baca and Makkah

📖Psalm 84:6 – “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs…”

• Baca = Bakkah: The word “Baka” in the Bible closely resembles “Bakkah,” which is another name for Makkah in the Qur’an.
• 📖Qur’an 3:96 – “Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah – blessed and a guidance for the worlds.”
• Pilgrimage & Worship: Psalm 84 describes a place of longing for worshippers, just as millions of Muslims yearn to visit the Kaaba for Hajj and Umrah.

• 2. Paran and Ishmael’s Settlement in Makkah

  📖Genesis 21:21 – “And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran…”

  • Paran = Makkah: Ishmael (Ismail) and his mother Hagar (Hajra) were left in Paran, which aligns with Islamic history that they settled in Makkah.
  • 📖Qur’an 14:37 – “Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House…”

  📖Deuteronomy 33:2 – “The Lord came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran.”

  • Prophecies of Three Prophets:
    • Sinai = Moses (Musa)
    • Seir = Jesus (Isa)
    • Paran = Muhammad (PBUH)

  3. Pilgrimage and Worship in Makkah Foretold

  📖Isaiah 60:1-7 – “All gather and come to you… Herds of camels will cover your land, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.”

  • Connection to Hajj: Pilgrims from all over the world travel to Makkah, bringing wealth and offerings in devotion.
  • 📖Qur’an 22:27 – “Proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every distant pass.”

• 4. Makkah is Forbidden for Non-Believers

  📖Isaiah 35:8 – “A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it.”

  • Qur’anic Confirmation:
    • 📖 Qur’an 9:28 – “Indeed, the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach Al-Masjid Al-Haram after this, their [final] year.”
    • Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter Makkah, matching Isaiah’s description.

  5. A New Place of Worship Other Than Jerusalem

  📖John 4:21 – “A time is coming when you will worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

  • Jesus clearly stated that worship would no longer be centered in Jerusalem.
  • Yet, Evangelicals and Jews still claim Jerusalem as the “holy city” and insist that God’s house remains there.

  📖Qur’an 2:144 – “We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a Qibla with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it.”

  • God Himself commanded the shift from Jerusalem to Makkah.
  • If Jerusalem was still the house of God, why did Jesus predict the change?

  Evangelical Hypocrisy

  • Evangelicals falsely claim that Jerusalem is still the chosen place for worship.
  • Yet, their own book (Bible) says the place of worship would change!
  • They ignore Jesus’ words and try to justify their political and religious lies.

  Jewish Belief vs. Reality

  • Jews also believe the “House of God” is still in Jerusalem.
  • Yet, their own scriptures predict the coming of another prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18) and the shift to a new place of worship.

  6. The Stone Rejected by Builders – The Black Stone

  📖Daniel 2:34-35
  A stone (אֶ֙בֶן֙ ) was cut out by no human hand… became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

  • Explanation: The Kaaba’s Black Stone, heaven-sent, kicks off Islam’s spread. From this tiny rock, a “great mountain”—the Muslim faith—grew to cover the earth, all tied to the Kaaba.

  📖Psalm 118:22 – “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

  • The Black Stone (Hajr-e-Aswad) in Makkah is significant in Islam, where pilgrims symbolically kiss it during Hajj.
  • 📖 Joshua 24:27 – “This stone shall be a witness against us; it has heard all the words of the Lord.”
    

    Some Christians use the Book of Revelation and the letters of Paul, which were added to the Bible 70-80 years later, to claim that the stone refers to Jesus. However, Jesus never said, “I am the stone.” This interpretation does not fit at all, as these stories were made up centuries later and originated from the Book of Revelation and Paul’s letters.

  7. The Coming of the Comforter – Prophet Muhammad Foretold

  📖John 16:13 – “But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth; he will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.”

  • The “Comforter” is Prophet Muhammad:
    • He conveyed only what was revealed to him in the Qur’an.
    • 📖 Qur’an 4:52 – “And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command… and indeed [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path.”

  📖John 14:26 – “The Comforter, whom God will send in my name, will teach you all things.”

  • Some Christians believe this refers to the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit was already present before Jesus’ departure (e.g., in John’s baptism), whereas the prophecy states that the Comforter would come after Jesus.

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Isaiah’s Prophecy and the Pilgrimage to Makkah

📖Isaiah 60:1-7
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.”

✅ Fulfillment in Makkah:

• The light mentioned refers to the final guidance – Islam.
• People from all over the world gather in Makkah, just as the prophecy states.
• The reference to Kedar’s flocks is significant – Kedar was a son of Ishmael, whose descendants settled in Arabia, particularly Makkah.
• Pilgrims travel from distant lands, just as the Hajj brings people from every nation.

📖Quran 22:27
“And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.”

✔ This verse directly aligns with Isaiah’s prophecy—pilgrims come from afar, bringing their wealth, traveling on camels, and gathering in Makkah for worship.

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1. The Place and Time of the Vision

📖 Ezekiel 40:1-2
“In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither, In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.”

🔹 Analysis:

• Ezekiel describes a journey occurring on the tenth day of the month at the beginning of the year. In Islam, the tenth day of the last month (Dhul Hijjah) marks Eid Al-Adha, the most sacred day of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
• He speaks of a city to the south of Israel. Mecca is directly south of Israel and is surrounded by mountains.

• 2. The Shape of the Sacred Place

  📖Ezekiel 42:15-19
  “Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed, He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.”

  🔹 Analysis:

  • The structure is foursquare in shape, similar to the Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam.
  • No other sacred house in Judaism or Christianity is described as a perfect square, but Islam’s Kaaba fits this description exactly.

  📖Ezekiel 41:4
  “So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.”

  🔹 Analysis:

  • The Kaaba is referred to in Islam as the ‘Most Sacred House’ (Baytullah).
  • The concept of a sacred house with specific measurements aligns with the Kaaba’s structure.

  3. Prophecy of the Enlargement of the House

  📖Ezekiel 41:7
  And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.”

  🔹 Analysis:

  • This prophecy speaks about an enlarging house with a structure that goes upward. Over time, the Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram have been expanded multiple times, accommodating millions of pilgrims.
  • The phrase “winding about still upward” resembles the Tawaf, where pilgrims circumambulate (walk in circles) around the Kaaba.

• 4. The Water Flowing from the House: Zamzam

  📖 Ezekiel 47:1-5
  “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar, Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side, And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles, Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins, Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.”

  🔹 Analysis:

  • The water flowing from beneath the house aligns with Zamzam water, which is found near the Kaaba and has never dried up for over 1400 years.
  • Ezekiel’s vision describes the water increasing in depth, similar to how Zamzam water has been miraculously abundant despite being used by millions.
  • The water flowing eastward can be connected to the Islamic tradition where Zamzam’s water reaches far distances.

• 5. About the Altar

  📖Ezekiel 41:7
  And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.”

  📖Ezekiel 41:22
  The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.”

  According to the description, the altar mentioned is merely symbolic and not intended for animal sacrifice, as it is too small for such a purpose. This station, known as Maqaam’e Ibrahim, is the same location described in Ezekiel 47:1. In reference to Isaiah 35:6, the stream and well of Zamzam that Allah gushed forth for Hagar and Ishmael in the desert is one fulfillment of this prophecy. By Allah’s will, many more fulfillments will come to pass. We are already witnessing some of them in the world today, such as Zamzam and climate change making the Arabian desert greener.

  📖Isaiah 60:6-7
  Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.”

  6. Kedar: Son of Ishmael and Settled in Saudi Arabia Among the 12 Sons

  📖Genesis 25:12-16
  Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.”

  📖Isaiah 35:8
  And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.”

  The “Way of Holiness” that Arabia will have in it is without a doubt referring to the Muslims’ yearly pilgrimage to Mecca, today.

  7. Pilgrims and Pilgrimage

• 📖Ezekiel 44:15-17, 21
  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD. They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat. And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.”

  The meaning of these verses is clear and needs no interpretation. Ezekiel refers to the pilgrims as “Priests of Levites,” which happens when the people of Israel stray from God, implying that the pilgrims are not from Israel. He describes their clothing, which matches exactly the clothing worn by Muslim pilgrims. He also mentions how the pilgrims will change into different garments before entering the holy chambers, which is known as Al’Ihlaal.

  📖Ezekiel 42:13-14
  Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.”

  In these verses, Ezekiel refers to the sacrifice made during Hajj, which includes a meat offering and a sin offering. Additionally, he talks about Al Ihram, which marks the beginning of the Hajj, during which pilgrims lay aside the garments in which they serve and put on other garments. These are the same garments described by Ezekiel in 44:17-19.

• 8. God’s Command to Ezekiel to Preserve Mecca’s Sacred Place and Measures

  📖Ezekiel 44:5-6
  And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations.”

  But why did God ask for such a thing? The answer comes from the Quran:

  📖Quran 2:144
  We see the turning of thy face (for guidance to the heavens): now shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is Allah unmindful of what they do.”

  The matter of changing the Qibla was very confusing for Muslims. The Jews in Al Madina used that for their own advantage, yet Allah unveiled them in the Qur’an. Allah says clearly, “The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord,” so that God ordered Ezekiel to preserve the place and its description to be a proof against them in their own books, even after their corruptions. Indeed, “they think they are overreaching God, but God will overreach them.”

• 9. Does the House of God Describe Solomon’s Temple?

  📖1 Kings 6:3-7
  And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. And for the house he made windows of narrow lights, And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about, The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”

  🔹 Analysis:

  • The description of Solomon’s temple includes porches, chambers, and specific architectural details, which differ significantly from Ezekiel’s vision.
  • The temple is not a perfect square, but rather an elongated rectangular structure with varying dimensions.

  📖1 Kings 6:8-13
  The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar, And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father, And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”

  🔹 Analysis:

  • Solomon’s temple had multiple chambers and stairways, unlike the simple and foursquare structure described in Ezekiel.
  • The dimensions and design do not match Ezekiel’s vision, further proving that Ezekiel was not describing the Jerusalem temple.
  • The rectangular layout contradicts the Kaaba’s distinct square shape, emphasizing that Ezekiel’s vision aligns more with Mecca rather than Jerusalem.

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Is Praying Towards a Specific Direction Idolatry?

Some people accuse Muslims of idolatry for praying towards Mecca, but they often ignore the fact that Daniel, a respected figure in both Christianity and Judaism, prayed facing Jerusalem. If praying towards a specific direction is considered idolatry, then was there an idol buried in the Western Wall that caused Daniel to supplicate to it?

Biblical Evidence for Praying in a Specific Direction

📖2 Kings 20:2
“Hezekiah turned HIS FACE TO THE WALL and prayed to the LORD.”

📖Jonah 2:4
“I said to my Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more towards your holy Temple.”

📖Psalm 5:7
“But as for me (David), I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I WORSHIP TOWARD THY HOLY TEMPLE.”

📖2 Chronicles 6:38
“And if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, AND PRAY TOWARD THE LAND YOU GAVE THEIR ANCESTORS, TOWARD THE CITY YOU HAVE CHOSEN AND TOWARD THE TEMPLE I have built for your Name.”

• Clearly, the Bible commands people to pray toward a specific place, proving that it is not idolatry. If this was considered idol worship, then these prophets and righteous figures would also be guilty of it.

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Daniel’s Example of Praying Toward Jerusalem

📖Daniel 6:10
“Now when DANIEL knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; AND HIS WINDOWS BEING OPEN IN HIS CHAMBER TOWARD JERUSALEM, he kneeled upon his knees THREE TIMES A DAY, AND PRAYED, AND GAVE THANKS BEFORE HIS GOD, as he did aforetime.”

📖1 Kings 8:44
“When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name.”

Since Daniel himself prayed in the direction of Jerusalem, does that mean he worshiped an idol? Those who criticize Muslims for facing Mecca must also accuse Daniel and other prophets of idolatry.

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Jerusalem in Bible

Verse	Description
Jeremiah 13:27	According to Yahweh, Jerusalem is cursed and will never be holy again.
Jeremiah 19:7-15	Yahweh declares that Jerusalem and its people are disobedient and rebellious.
Ezekiel 2:1-3	Yahweh describes the people of Jerusalem as adulterous and wicked.
Matthew 12:39	Jesus refers to the people of Jerusalem as a sinful generation and states that God has left Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:37-39	Jesus laments the disobedience and sinfulness of Jerusalem’s people and compares them unfavorably to Sodom and Gomorrah.
Matthew 11:21-24	Jesus reproaches the cities where most of his miracles were done, including Jerusalem, for their unbelief and sinfulness.
Isaiah 1:10	God compares the people of Jerusalem to the wickedness of Sodom.
Psalm 78	The nation of Jerusalem is characterized by vibrant wickedness.
Matthew 3:7	John refers to the people of Jerusalem as a brood of vipers

Summary:

I am using a Bible here, not the Qur’an. The Bible speaks evil about them, but you insult the Qur’an. Christians are struggling to understand the holy temple issues because you have stolen the Jewish Bible, and you don’t follow what is in it. You insult Muslims for things that are already in your Bible. You have a holy stone in your Bible, not only a stone, but also holy water and holy clothes that transmit holiness to priests. You even have a replica bronze snake attached to a pole that could heal anyone who was bitten by a poisonous snake and sinned by looking at it. Moses made it and attached it to the pole (Numbers 21:8-9). I am waiting for Christians to tell me if that was not idolatry

Distortion and Relics of Divine Revelation in the Bible

Topic	Information
Distortion of Divine Revelation	The Bible contains relics of the truth sent down by God, but some parts are not from God and have been distorted. The clear references to Makkah in the Holy Scriptures contained in the Bible have been altered, as well as other important dogmatic issues.
Distorted References to God	In the Bible, God is described as needing rest and feeling regret like human beings so that a son can be ascribed to Him. “Begotten” is also interpolated and given as a description of Jesus to distinguish him from other sons of God in the Bible, leading people to believe in his divinity.
Distorted References to Prophets	Prophets and messengers of God in the Bible are purported to have drunk alcohol, committed adultery, and gotten intoxicated to pave the way for belief in the alleged salvation brought by Jesus.
Biblical Prophecies of Prophet Muhammad	Most biblical prophecies of Prophet Muhammad were obliterated, and the remaining prophecies are denied and misinterpreted. The clear-cut references to Makkah are likely blotted out as well.
References to Makkah	Despite distortion and corruption, the Bible still contains references, direct and indirect, to Makkah. The distorters cannot answer certain questions, and there are still relics of genuine divine revelation in the Bible.

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Do those descriptions not resemble those ones the Qur’an quotes Abraham as giving?

Genesis 21:14-20
Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba, When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die. And as she sat there, she began to sob. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there, Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

Quran 14:37
Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.

Summary	Genesis 21:14-21
Passage Content	The passage recounts how Hagar, the maidservant of Abraham’s wife Sarah, and her son Ishmael were sent away by Abraham after the birth of Isaac. Hagar wandered in the Desert of Beersheba with her son and ran out of water. God heard her cries and opened her eyes to a well of water. Ishmael grew up in the desert and his mother found a wife for him from Egypt.
Question	Where is the Desert of Paran referred to in the Bible, and where is the well and the location where Ishmael grew up and begot a great nation?
Islamic View	The location of the Desert of Paran referred to in the Bible is in the vicinity of the city of Makkah in modern-day Saudi Arabia. It is noteworthy that the story of Hagar and Ishmael in the Bible closely resembles the Islamic tradition reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas.

📖Isaiah 19:19-25
In that day there will be an altar to the LORD (אָ֫רֶץ  Earth, land, ground, country, territory) in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a stone (מַצֵּבָה – Matzevah) to the LORD at its border, It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and He will rescue them, So the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them, The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them, In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together, In that day, Israel will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing upon the earth, The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”

Explanation

1️⃣ “An altar to the LORD in Egypt, and a stone at its border”

• The Hebrew word מַצֵּבָה (Matzevah) means a standing stone.
• The Kaaba in Makkah has the most famous standing stone in monotheistic worship—the Black Stone (Al-Hajar Al-Aswad).
• Though the Kaaba is in Saudi Arabia today, ancient Egyptians traveled through Arabia for trade and religious connections.
• • In ancient times, Egypt’s influence extended beyond modern borders.
  • The “Land of Egypt” included the Sinai Peninsula, which was a buffer zone between Egypt and Arabia.
  • The Sinai Peninsula and northwestern Arabia were culturally and economically linked through trade and migration.
  • Ancient Midian (now in Saudi Arabia) was directly east of Sinai and had strong Egyptian interactions.

  📖Exodus 2:15 – “Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian.”
  Midian is in modern Saudi Arabia, meaning Egypt’s connection to Arabia was well-known even in biblical times.

• The Kaaba is the first house of worship (📖 Quran 3:96), fulfilling the prophecy of a major altar and stone.

2️⃣ “It will be a sign and witness to the LORD… He will send them a savior and defender.”

• The word “savior” in Hebrew is מושיע (Moshi’a), NOT משיח (Mashiach – Messiah).
• A Moshi’a means a deliverer, not necessarily the Messiah.
• Egypt was under Roman (Byzantine) oppression before Islam.
• In 639 CE, the Muslim army led by Amr ibn al-As liberated Egypt, bringing justice and religious freedom.
• Prophet Muhammad and Islam fulfilled the role of the “savior” who delivered Egypt from oppression.

📖Quran 21:107
“And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy to the worlds.”

3️⃣ “The LORD will strike Egypt… and heal them.”

• Egypt suffered under foreign rule (Persians, Greeks, Romans).
• Islam ended foreign oppression and restored monotheism in Egypt.
• The spread of Islam fulfilled this prophecy by bringing Egypt back to the true worship of God.

4️⃣ “There will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria… The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.”

• Assyria included modern Iraq, Syria, and Turkey—all are Muslim countries today.
• Islam united these lands under monotheism, fulfilling the prophecy that Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
• The “highway” represents Islam’s expansion, which connected these lands through religious unity.

5️⃣ “In that day, Israel will join Egypt and Assyria in a three-party alliance.”

• The word “Israel” in the Bible often refers to true believers, not the political state.
• Many Jewish tribes in Arabia (Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadir, etc.) were aware of monotheism but rejected the Prophet.
• Some Jews accepted Islam, fulfilling the prophecy of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel being united in faith.

Additional Information

In this article, we have provided references from the Bible that point towards Makkah and the Kaaba. The concept of the stone has different interpretations in Christianity, but the verses in Daniel do not align with Christian claims. Similarly, the Ezekiel verses are not necessarily about the Temple of Jerusalem. Our understanding suggests that they may refer to Makkah, but we acknowledge that this interpretation could be debated, However, the clear references to Makkah, Zamzam water, pilgrimage, and bowing towards the sacred site are undeniable. Additionally, these verses demonstrate that stone, temples, and bowing towards a place of worship are not considered idolatry in the Bible. The Kaaba was built as a direction for worship, not as an object of worship itself, following God’s command, just as other sacred structures were built in the past for guidance.