101 Reasons Why We Left Islam – Chapter 4: Islamic History – Reason 43
Introduction:
Islamists do not consider history as a good reason to challenge Islam and have avoided debates on this subject because one of their main counterarguments suggests that historical records are corrupted. However, the facts we present here are hard to dispute because they mainly come from Islamic sources or are directly found in the Quran. Thus, making it well-founded and irrefutable. What is left is for them to make excuses for them. These reasons for leaving Islam will be a lot shorter than previous reasons because attempts to debunk these tend to be limited.
Reason #43: The Destruction of the Kaaba!
I am confident that 99% of Muslims do not know that the Kaaba was destroyed many times and rebuilt after the Prophet died. Islam’s holy place in the centre of the Masjid Al Haram is brick by brick, nothing like the building that stood at the time of the Prophet. Even if we are to believe the Quran, the brick room is not the same structure that stood at the time of Adam, Ismael, or the Prophet. If you have not investigated this yet, search online to see pictures of the inside of the room.
Our focus is going to be the incident of the Qarmatians. The Qarmatians were a radical Isma’ili Shi’a sect that emerged in the 9th century, establishing a significant presence in eastern Arabia, particularly in the region of Bahrain. Their beliefs deviated from mainstream Islam, leading them to challenge established religious practices and political authorities.
In 930, under the leadership of Abu Tahir al-Jannabi, the Qarmatians launched a surprise attack on Mecca during the Hajj season. Initially, they were denied entry into the city. However, invoking the universal Islamic right to perform pilgrimage and pledging peace, they gained access. Once inside, like a Trojan horse, they turned, initiating a brutal massacre of the pilgrims. Riding their horses into the sacred Kaaba, they slaughtered those gathered in prayer around it. Estimates suggest as many as 30,000 pilgrims were killed in this assault. Furthermore, the Qarmatians desecrated the Zamzam Well by disposing of corpses in it, further violating the sanctity of the site.
During the attack, Abu Tahir al-Jannabi reportedly mocked the pilgrims by reciting Quranic verses and poetry. He is quoted as proclaiming: “I am by God, and by God I am … he creates creation, and I destroy them.”
The Qarmatians destroyed the structure of the Kaaba, stripping it of its treasures and removing the Black Stone, a central religious artefact in Islam. They transported the Black Stone to their base in al-Ahsa, where it remained for 22 years (See reason: 44). Its incident from Mecca profoundly distressed the Muslim world. The motivations behind the Qarmatian assault on Mecca remain a subject of scholarly debate. Some historians suggest that the attack symbolized a complete break with mainstream Islam, possibly aiming to provoke the appearance of the Mahdi, a messianic figure in Islam supposedly to come to the end of world. Surprise suprise- that did not happen!
Why is this story a reason to leave Islam? In Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant) Chapter 105 supposedly recounts the miraculous event of Abraha, the Abyssinian ruler of Yemen, who attempted to destroy the Kaaba in Mecca with an army that included war elephants. The name Abraha or Abyssinans is not mentioned. What is only mentioned is the claim that Allah sent flocks of birds (Ababil) that rained down stones of baked clay on an army of Elephants, destroying the invading army to protect the Kaaba from destruction. The Surah is supposed to show Allah’s divine protection over the Kaaba and serve as a reminder of His power over its enemies. Furthermore, the story is supposed to reassure the believers that no force, no matter how mighty, can succeed against Allah’s will.
So, the question that any sensible person needs to ask is, where was Allah the day The Qarmatians came and invaded the Kaaba? Killing 30,000 pilgrims who were calling for His protection. The terror that these people would have faced as they were killed and thrown in the Zamzam well. Those people believed the fairytale that Allah will always protect His holy place because that is what they read in the Quran. That did not happen. Still, let us link this to the next one, reason 44: The Smashing of the Blackstone!