HISTORY OF MAKKAH

The story of Makkah begins with the Ka’bah. There is a tradition that
the Ka’bah was first constructed by angels. Then it was Adam who
built it from the stones of five mountains brought by angels. The five
mountains were: Mount Sinai, Mount Hira’, Tur Zeeta, Mount Lebanon
and Al-Judi (Mount Ararat). In addition to the five mountains from
which the Holy Ka’bah was constructed, other mountains mentioned
in history books are mountains of Al-Ahmer, Thabeer, Radwa, and
Warqan, all close to Makkah.

IBRAHIM (ABRAHAM)
About 4000 years ago, in Ibrahim’s old age, his first child
Isma’il was born to Hager. A few years later, his second
child Is’haq, (Isaac), was born to Sarah. God instructed
Ibrahim to settle part of his family in the lonely location of
‘Wadi Ibrahim’. Obeying these instructions, Ibrahim with his
wife Hager and their infant son Isma’il left Palestine, a land
flourishing with fruits and vegetables, and headed for the far-
off valley. There in that lonely place, without any cultivation,
Ibrahim left them near the ruins of the Ka’bah. There was
no settlement and no water. Hager searched for water by
climbing the small hillocks of Safa and Marwah. Her search for
water was eventually rewarded with a miracle; she noticed
that a spring of fresh water (later called Zamzam) was
flowing from the ground near where she had laid baby Ismail.
Some time after the miraculous gushing forth of the spring
of Zamzam, the South Arabian tribe of Bani Jurham saw signs

34

of water in their travels. The tribe settled there with the
permission of Hager and Ismail. It is narrated that it is from
this tribe that Ismail learned the Arabic language.
When Ismail was older, the patriarch Ibrahim returned again.
Together, father and son rebuilt the Ka’bah, and Ibrahim
called for the establishment of the annual pilgrimage, the Hajj.
After the construction, Ibrahim returned to Palestine. It is
said that Ismail married twice into the Jurham tribe. After
the death of Ismail, the Jurham tribe inherited the well
of Zamzam and the guardianship of the Ka’bah. A small
settlement had taken root in Wadi Ibrahim.
Life in the settlement continued slowly. There were periods
of rule by the Amalekites from North Arabia, and Jurham
from South Arabia. The occasional floods destroyed the
Ka’bah, and it was rebuilt by the Amalekites, and again by the
Jurham. The Ka’bah was also known as Bayt-Allah (the House
of God) and Bayt al-‘Atiq (the Ancient House). The Arab tribes
HISTORY OF MAKKAH
Dummy text: Many pilgrims now come
continued the annual pilgrimage. with their own guides, stay in hotels
It was said that Modad Bin ‘Amr of the Bani Jurham, around with their own groups, perform Hajj and
300 CE, fought with the Khuza’a tribe, and this ended with Umrah, and then go back to their own
defeat of the Jurham. Modad realised that Khuza’a would countries. The interaction of pilgrims
with the local Makkawi population is
expel him from Makkah, so he hid some of his valuables in the now limited. Even the shops are manned
well of Zamzam and covered it to deprive the Khuza’a of its by foreign workers.
water. As ages went by, people could no longer pinpoint the
location of the well. Torrents and floods over the centuries
hid all features of the well till it completely disappeared.
QUSAY
Around 400 CE the tribe of Bani Khuza’a was in control of
Makkah. Qusay, from al Sham, married into the Bani Khuza’a,
and through marriage, inherited the guardianship of the
Ka’bah and of the pilgrimage. There was a struggle with the
tribe of Khuza’a, and final battle was at the entrance of Mina
in a place known as Al-Mafjar, as blood was shed there.
THE CITY OF MAKKAH 35
 Qusay also took over the responsibilities for the Ka’bah. He
was the first man who established administrative government
in Makkah and built Dar al-Nadwa as a common council house
for meetings of elders of the tribes living in Makkah. He also
organised the Hajj and assigned the functions of Al-Sekaya,
Al-Refada, Al-Sedana, Al-Lawaa, and Al-Qiyada (water, care,
guidance, flag, and defence) to his sons.
The successors of the Bani Qusay at Makkah were the Bani
Quraysh. Qusay’s grandson, Hāshim Bin Abd Manaf Bin Qusay,
initiated trade agreements with rulers of the surrounding
countries. This enabled the Quraysh to undertake trade
caravans known famously as Elaf al-Quraysh and mentioned
in the Quran. It is thought that the summer caravans went
north to Syria, and in winter, they went south to the Yemen.
The great grandson of Qusay, Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim, had
a dream in which he was ordered to dig and uncover Zamzam.
This famous well at that time had disappeared.
ABRAHA’S CAMPAIGN
It was said that Abraha built a place of worship in Yemen and
named it Qilesse to compete against the Ka’bah. The Arabs
were angry, and someone vandalised Qilesse. In retaliation,
Abraha prepared an army accompanied by elephant(s). He
moved towards Makkah until he came to an area known as
Wadi Mughammas, north of Arafat.
There, Abraha set up a great tent and called for Abdul
Muttalib ibn Hashim, as he was known as an elder of his
tribe. Abdul Muttalib, on arrival, asked for his camels which
Abraha’s soldiers had taken by force. Abraha replied: “I
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regarded you highly and you ask me about your camels,
although you know that I have come to demolish your
Ka’bah.” Abdul Muttalib replied: “Camels are mine, but Allah
will save His house”. Hearing this reply, Abraha gave him back
his camels.
Abdul Muttalib returned to Makkah and asked his people to
pray to God in order to save His house.
Abraha’s armies marched towards Makkah to a wadi
between Mina and Muzdalefah, known as Wadi Muhassar. It
is reported that it was in this wadi that the army of Abraha
was destroyed. God sent birds following each other and
made even beasts fear for the sacredness of His house, so
elephant(s) didn’t move towards Makkah. In the Quran, God
says:
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the
Elephant
Did He not make their plot go astray?
And sent against them birds, in flocks,
Striking them with stones of Sijjîl.
And made them like an empty field of stalks
It was about this time that Muhammad (pbuh) was born, and
Abdul Muttalib had seen his dream where he was ordered to
dig and rediscover the well of Zamzam.
REBUILDING OF THE KA’BAH
About 600 CE the Quraysh decided to reconstruct the Holy
Ka’bah after it was burnt and destroyed by rain and floods. It

is narrated that the Quraysh decided that illicit earnings were
not to be spent for this noble task. Because lawful money was
insufficient, the building was made smaller in the direction
adjacent to “Hijr Isma’il”.
Muhammad (pbuh) was a young man at the time, and he
contributed to the reconstruction of the Holy Ka’bah. He also
settled the dispute that took place on restoring the Black
Stone to its original location.
MUHAMMAD (pbuh)
Abdul Muttalib’s grandson, Muhammad was born in 570-571
CE in Makkah. He married at the age of 25 years. Later in his
life, he used to go to a cave at the top of Mount Hira outside
Makkah and meditate for several days at a time. It was here
that one night, angel Gabriel descended, with verses from the
Qur’an; [Read in the name of your Lord who created> Created
man from a clot> Read and your Lord is Most Generous>,
Who taught by the pen> Taught man that which he knew
not].
This was about 610 CE and Muhammad (pbuh) was about 40
years old. Muhammad (pbuh) started preaching the Word
of God, first hesitant and later more openly. For 13 years,
he preached in Makkah. He faced many hardships, and his
followers faced many kinds of torture.
At the age of 53, in 622 CE, Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to
Yathrib, a city 400 km to the north of Makkah. In honour of
the Prophet residing, the city has become known as Madinah
Munawarah, ‘the radiant city’. Move to Madinah marks the
beginning of the Hijra Calendar. For the remainder of his life,
HISTORY OF MAKKAH
another 10 years, Prophet Muhammad lived in Madinah.
Eight years after the ‘Hijra’, Muhammad (pbuh) returned
to the conquest of Makkah. He camped in Dhi Tuwa, from
where Muslim armies entered Makkah. He declared a curfew.
Anyone who stayed in their houses, in the house of Abu
Sufyan, or in the Masjid al-Haram was safe. Makkah submitted
peacefully.
He went to the Holy Mosque, and walking around the Ka’bah,
felled the idols with his bow saying: “Truth has come and
Bātil (falsehood) has vanished. Surely! Bātil is ever bound to
vanish.” To the people of Makkah, he said: “I say as Yusuf said
to his brothers. No blame upon you. Go you’re free.”
Muhammad (pbuh) returned again in 10H/632 CE to perform
the Hajj. He passed away soon after that in Madinah at the
age of 63 years. The revelations had continued to the end
of his life, for almost 23 years. The compilation of all the
revelations are what is now known as the Qurān.
KHULAFA RASHIDUN: 10-40 H/632-661 CE
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab:
As the number of pilgrims, increased Khalifah ‘Umar Bin
Al-Khattab decided it was necessary to expand the Holy
Mosque. This was the first expansion, and it was completed in
17 H/638 CE.
Also in the same year of Hijra, there was a great flood named
after a woman, Umm Nahishmal, who was washed away. The
torrent also carried away Maqam Ibrahim. Khalifah ‘Umar
gave orders to look for Maqām Ibrahim which was found in
Misfalah, in the south of Makkah. Muttalib Bin Obai identified
THE CITY OF MAKKAH 37
 its original location, and the stone was returned to its place.
Khalifah ‘Umar also issued instructions to fill part of the wādi
with large stones and make protective levies and dykes.
‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan:
The port of Makkah was considered to be Shu’aibah. People
asked Khalifah ‘Uthman Bin ‘Affan, the third Caliph, to make
Jeddah the port due to its proximity to Makkah. He went to
Jeddah to the sea; and agreed to their request.
In 26 H/647 CE, Caliph ‘Uthman Bin ‘Affan carried out further
expansion of Masjid al Haram. He ordered to renew the
signposts marking the boundaries of the Haram of Makkah.
Locations were marked on some peaks of the mountains to
define the limits of the Haram.
THE UMAYYADS: 40-132 H/661-750 CE
The founder of the Umayyad Dynasty, Mu’awiya ibn Abi
Sufyan, paid particular attention to Makkah. He knew that
in Makkah were the Companions of the prophet and their
children, and he gave them more attention than others in his
caliphate.
This was reflected in the advice he gave to his son Yazid when
he said: “Look after the people of the Hejaz, for they are your
origin and your pride, be kind to them and keep a close bond
with them”.
It is recorded that “Mu’awiyah Bin Abu Sufyan, connected
some nearby springs to Makkah in addition to extending
them to Arafat. The water flow continued at a desirable level
until the end of the Umayyad dynasty when it came to a total
halt and the people of Makkah restarted drinking water from
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the old springs”.
From 64 to 73H/683–692 CE Abdullah Bin Zubayr in Makkah
led a movement against the Bani Umayyah. Abdullah Ibn
Al-Zubair rebuilt the Holy Ka’bah after it had been burnt and
ruined by catapult-fire in the era of Yazid Ibn Mu’awiyah. He
wanted to reconstruct it on the foundations of Ibrahim; to
include the “Hijr Ismai’l” in the Ka’bah.
Abdullah Bin Zubayr made two doors reaching to the ground,
one for entry and another for exit. It was said that he clothed
the Ka’bah with “debag”, a cloth from the Yemen. He was the
first one to clothe it with “debag”. He completed the building
on the night of 27 Rajab, 65 H. Abdullah ibn Zubayr also
expanded the Holy Mosque to a total area of 7,465 square
metres.
After crushing the movement against the Umayyads by
Abdullah Bin Zubayr, al Hajjāj Bin Yusuf in 75 H/694 CE
modified the Ka’bah back to its previous shape. He took “Hijr
Isma’il” out of the Ka’aba, closed its back door, and raised its
front door to its previous level. He also raised the height of
the Ka’bah to 27 cubits (about 10 m), giving it the shape and
design seen today.
In 91H/710 CE Khalifah Al-Waleed Bin Abdul-Malik (whose
father had built the ‘Dome of the Rock’ in Jerusalem) also
added 2,800 square metres to the Holy Mosque.
THE ABBASSIDS: 132-656 H/749-1258 CE
During this period, a large number of people in Makkah
devoted themselves to the study of Quran, Sunnah (traditions
of Prophet Muhammad), and Shariah (Islamic law). The Holy

Mosque was like a beehive, as many people went there
to learn from Hadith teachers and Muftis. Therefore, wise
caliphs paid particular attention to the construction and
maintenance of the Holy Mosque.
In 133 H/750 CE the first Abbasid caliph, Abu Al-‘Abbas al
Saffah, gave orders to his governor in Makkah to increase the
number of wells on the road from Makkah to Madinah. He did
this to reduce the hardship of the pilgrims by providing them
access to water. He also gave orders to put signs on the road
for guiding the pilgrimages to places on it.
The second caliph of the Abbasid era, Abu Ja`far Al-Mansour,
in 137 H/754 CE, increased the area of the Holy Mosque by
more than 5,000 m, bringing the total area to 15,491 square
metres. He also built Masjid al Beyah in Mina in 149 H. This
is where the Ansār from Madinah had given an oath to the
Prophet (pbuh), in the presence of his uncle ‘Abbas Bin Abdul
Muttalib, from whose line the Abbasids claimed the right to
the caliphate.
The third Abbasid Caliph Al-Mahdi performed his second Hajj
in 164 H/781 CE. There is a story that he went up on Jabal
Qubays, and looking down, noticed that the Ka’bah was not
in the centre of the enclosure. He ordered to expand the Holy
Mosque, to make Ka’bah in the middle, and to include part
of Wadi Ibrahim inside the Mosque. This required substantial
cutting of Jabal Qubays to change the direction of the
floodwaters.
The expansion by Caliph Al-Mahdi was carried out in two
phases. The first expansion was in 160 H/776 CE, and the
second in 164 H/781 CE. The second expansion was completed
HISTORY OF MAKKAH
five years later under his son Musa Al-Hadi. The two-phase
expansion added 12,500 square metres; the total area of the
Holy Mosque became 28,003 square metres. Khalifah Musa
Al-Hadi had brought marble columns from Syria, many of
which have survived until today.
The expansions by Khalifah Al-Mahdi were the greatest
expansion in the history of Masjid al-Haram. After these
expansions, except for some major modifications and minor
additions, no large expansions were carried out for the next
1200 years till the modern developments by the Saudi State.
Khalifah Haroun Al-Rashid (170-194 H/786-810 CE) wanted
to rebuild Ka’bah as it was during the time of Ibrahim. But
Imam Malek Bin Anas advised him against it. Khalifah Haroun
Al-Rashid set up minarets on top of mountains on four sides
of the Holy Mosque, overlooking valleys on the other side,
and callers were appointed. He did that because he found
that the call for prayers did not reach some places in the city.
One minaret was on Abi Qais Mountain, one on top of the
opposite mountain, another minaret on the mountain that
faced She’ab Amir, and one on Kudai Mountain.
Haroun Al-Rashid also considered building a canal to link the
Red Sea with the Mediterranean. But he decided against it
due to his fears of opening the way for attack on the holy
cities of Makkah and Madinah. His dream of the Suez Canal
was achieved one thousand and one hundred years later in
1286 H/1869 CE by Khedive of Egypt.
Water on Pilgrimage Routes
In 138 H/755 CE, Khalifah Abu J’afer Al-Mansour gave
THE CITY OF MAKKAH 39
 instructions to build water tanks (birkahs) on the road
between Makkah and Madinah. In this year, two tanks were
built; one in ‘Usfan and the other in Badr. They were designed
to store rainwater in order to make use of it for drinking by
pilgrims during their passage on the road.
In 160 H/777 CE Al-Mahdi gave orders to erect light beacons
on pilgrimage road. Also, he gave orders to the chief of
post to build post stations between Makkah & Madinah, in
order to be kept informed of the conditions of the pilgrims
throughout their voyage from Makkah to Madinah. In
succeeding years, the numbers of water tanks were increased
between the two cities.
In 170 H/786 CE, Haroun Al-Rashid gave orders to repair some
of the wells which were destroyed by rains on the road from
Makkah to Madinah. The wells at Badr were considered some
of the more important on this route.
Providing drinking water by a network to people’s homes in
Makkah was a great dream. Queen Zubaydah, wife of Khalifah
Haroun Al-Rashid realised the urgent need for water by
pilgrims and people who lived in Makkah. It was important to
provide drinking water to Makkah even if the water had to be
brought from a long distance and in spite of natural obstacles.
The engineers selected Hunayn (now known as Al Shara’aia).
They bought gardens and cleared the trees to build a huge
dam to collect floodwater. From here, underground channels
(Qanāts) and above-ground aqueducts carried water, flowing
by gravity, to Makkah.
Later Queen Zubaydah started another water supply for
Makkah from Wadi Nu’man in the Kara Mountain east of
Arafat on the al-Hada & Ta’if road. Underground water in this
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wadi was at a higher level than the level of Makkah. It was
with great skill and remarkable engineering that this water
was made to flow naturally to Makkah – without any pumps
or reservoirs. This water supply continued to flow for the next
1200 years and became known as Ain Zubaydah. It was only
in the 1950s that the supply of Ain Zubaydah dwindled and
finally stopped.
In 202 H, Khalifah Al-Mamoun gave orders to reform the road
from Makkah to Madinah. Moreover, he gave orders to repair
some of the wells on this road, in order to provide additional
water.
In 281 H/ 894 CE, Caliph Al-Mu’tadhid introduced a small
expansion on the northeastern side by encompassing Dar
Al-Nadwa, known as the Bab Al-Ziyada expansion, within the
Holy Mosque.
In 307 H/919 CE, Caliph Al-Muqtadir carried out a partial
expansion on the southwestern side of the Holy Mosque.
It was known as the Bab Ibrahim expansion. The total area
of the Holy Mosque was now 29,127 square metres with the
entire structure made on ground floor.
THE QARAMETA
The Abbassid Caliphate had become very weak in its second
half, and many political and religious movements appeared.
The most well-known movement was by Al Qarameta in the
Eastern region of the Arabian Peninsula. Their most famous
leader was Abu Taher Al Qarameti, who moved in a large army
to Makkah to seize it from the Abbasids. He reached Makkah
on 7th of Dhul Hijja 317 H/929 CE.
He refused to protect life and property of Muslims. He also

refused to provide safety for the Hajj and instead used his
sword. He followed people in the Holy Mosque and in the
valleys of Makkah. He killed about thirty thousand persons,
threw bodies in the well of Zamzam, and robbed the pilgrims
and local population of their money. He also removed and
took away Hajr Aswad (the Black Stone from the Ka’bah), and
it was 22 years before pieces of the Stone were recovered.
AL-EKHSHID: 223-358 H/935-969 CE
The Qarameta uprising was put down with the help of
Al-Ekhshidi from Egypt. Makkah returned to the Abbasid
Caliphate, and the Abbasids delegated Mohammad Bin Tagh
Al- Ekhshidi to rule Makkah from his governorate in Egypt.
Al-Ekhshidi thanked the Abbasids for his guardianship of
Makkah and Madinah, for this is a great honour. He said: “If
I don’t rule any other place than Makkah, it will still be an
honour, as it was the intended destination of Adam, Ibrahim
and their lineage. It is our Qibla, it is the home of the Holy
Message, it is the place of upright religion that has covered
the sea and the land, east and west, desert and pastures.
HISTORY OF MAKKAH
Allah gave it victory from heaven”.
THE FATIMIDS: 297-567 H/909-1171 CE
The Abbasids had mastery over Makkah without conflict
till the Fatimids built their state in North Africa. They began
to expand their state eastwards, by conquering Egypt and
al-Sham. They made Cairo their capital in 358 H/969 CE and
began to establish themselves in Makkah and Madinah, thus
giving their rule a legal supremacy in the Islamic World.
INDEPENDENT STATE IN MAKKAH
The result of struggle between the Abbasids and Fatimids
provided an opportunity for the emergence of a separate
social identity in Makkah. The result was the independence of
the Alawi’in in Makkah.
J’afer Bin Mohammad Bin Al-Hassan, one of the descendents
of Al-Hassan Bin Ali, is considered to be the founder of
Al-Ashrāf rule in Makkah. His family was known as “Al-
Musawioun” because of his lineage as Musa Al-Joon Bin
Abdullah Bin Al-Hassan Bin Al-Hussein Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb.
THE CITY OF MAKKAH 41
 The Ashrāf ruled Makkah till the second half of 5thc H/ 12thc
CE. During this period, the Hejaz was independent from the
Abbasids but was still under the rule of the Fatimids.
Following the Al-Musawioun, Abu Hashim Muhammad Bin
Jafar founded the Al-Hawashim state. The Al-Hawashim family
ruled from 456 to 567 H/1064-1172 CE. They were also under
the rule of the Fatimids.
THE AYOUBIDS: 567-648 H/1171-1250 CE
In 577 H/1181 CE, al-Hejaz in general and Makkah in particular
were exposed to a crusader expedition by Arnat, chief of
Al Kirk to the east of the Dead Sea. In the summer of that
year, he started his expedition in the Red Sea with the aim to
conquer the two holy places most prized by Muslims, Makkah
and Madinah.
He continued to advance to a distance of about one day’s
sailing from Madinah. They aimed to dig the tomb (grave)
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and bring out his venerable
body.
Salah al Din (Saladin) was in al-Sham (Syria), and as soon as he
heard this news, he prepared his fleet and followed Arnat and
defeated him in the sea.
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THE MAMLUKS: 648-923 H/1250-1518 CE
The Mamluk sultans in Egypt had a very positive influence
on Makkah. The struggle between the Al-Ashrāf families was
bad for both security and economic life in Makkah and the
Hejaz. During their rule, the Mamluk sultans tried to stop this
struggle, and trade and economic activity again flourished in
Makkah.
THE OTTOMANS: 923-1220 H/1517-1805 CE
In 923 H/1517 CE when Al-Ashrāf in Makkah knew that the
Mamluks had lost in Egypt, Al-Sharif Barakat invited Ottoman
Sultan, Selim I, to govern Makkah. The Ottoman Sultan in turn
authorised the Al-Ashrāf to continue to rule Makkah in his
name. One of the Turkish officers also shared power with the
Al-Ashrāf in some cities such as Madinah, Jeddah, and Yanbu.
Traditionally, the cities of the Hejaz were controlled by the
rulers of Makkah.
The Holy Mosque saw no further expansions, for more
than 1200 years, but it experienced much restoration by the
Ottoman Sultan Selim II who rebuilt the entire edifice in 980
-984 H/ 1572-1576 CE. He replaced the wooden roof of the
arcades (rawaq) with masonry domes, most of which are still
standing in the old part of the Holy Mosque.

The construction by Sultan Murad Khan was started in 1040
H/1631 CE, directly after the Holy Ka’bah was damaged by
heavy rains and floods in 1039 H/1630 CE. The work took
about six months to finish. After twenty years, some cracks
were visible in the wall of the Holy Ka’bah. Sultan Ahmad
Khan then surrounded the Holy Ka’bah with a decorated gold-
and-metal belt to protect it from further ruin.
Sultan Mehmat I endowed part of his money for the poor
people in the two Harams, Makkah and Madinah. He was the
first of the Ottomans who prepared special Surra (money
granted for the poor of the Two Harams) in the first quarter
of 9thc H/16thc CE.
Under the Ottomans, Makkah did not have political stability
because of the continued internal struggle between Al-
Ashrāf. It often led to change of rulers by the Ottoman
Government. The change always happened during the Hajj
season, as the prescript from Istanbul came with the Hajj
caravan from al-Sham. The law-and-order situation was not
good. Al-Ashrāf used to protect themselves in their houses,
but pilgrims and commerce were open to robbery, and life
was not safe.
Towards the end of Ottoman rule, the British consulate was
the first in 1216 H/1801 CE, followed by those of the French
and Russian. These and other consulates which followed
were based in Jeddah.
SAUDI ERA:
On 18th Rabia Al Awal 1343 H (17 October 1924), soldiers of
Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Saud entered Makkah in
HISTORY OF MAKKAH
‘ihram’ clothes and called for peace and security.
Three weeks later, on 10th Rabia Al-Thani, Sultan Abdul-Aziz
came to Makkah. He invited heads of tribes and scholars
(ulema) on 13th Rabia Al Thani and said: “I have come to
Makkah not for authority but to prevent unfairness, I have
come to the bedrock of the divine message for the Sharia to
prevail”.
At the same time, Sultan of Najd asked kings, princes, and
rulers of the Islamic world to send their delegates to Makkah
to hold the first Islamic conference for the future of the
Hejaz. People of the Hejaz were not comfortable with this
invitation, as it put their future in the hands of a shared
government from the Islamic world, many of whom were not
even independent. The Sultan of Najd himself realised the
anxiety of the people of Hejaz.
When Abdul-Aziz entered Makkah, he won the love and
admiration of the population, and they agreed that the Hejaz
should accede to the Sultan of Najd. He accepted it as a
special agreement. As the invited leaders of the Islamic world
had not replied, he considered the accession an international
approval. The kingdom was then completed and the modern
Saudi State was established. In the words of an historian,
control over Riyadh in 1319 H/1901 CE was the first foundation
of Saudi State, and the accession of Al-Hejaz in 1343 H/1924 CE
was the beginning of administrative construction of the state.
THE CITY OF MAKKAH 43