Can Shiites go to Mecca?

In 2009 a group of Shiites on their way to perform hajj pilgrimage (one of the five pillars of Islam that all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform once in their lives) in Mecca were arrested by Saudi religious police due to the involvement in a protest against the Saudi government.

Who destroyed Mecca?

In 930, he led the Qarmatians’ most notorious attack when he pillaged Mecca and desecrated Islam’s most sacred sites….Abu Tahir al-Jannabi.

Can non-Muslims go to Mecca?

Non-Muslims are prohibited from visiting Mecca and advised not to enter parts of central Medina, where the mosque is located.

Are there Shia in Saudi Arabia?

Sunni Islam is the state religion of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the 15 to 20 million Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims, while the eastern regions are populated mostly by Twelver Shia, and there are Zaydi Shia in the southern regions.

Who is buried beside Prophet Muhammad?

The first Rashidun Caliph, Abu Bakr are buried next to Muhammad and Umar.

Can Shias go to Hajj?

Shia Muslims number 200 million and are the second largest denomination in the faith. Many perform the hajj, and they also travel to Iran, Iraq and beyond to visit holy sites. In Mina, Saudi Arabia, hundreds of Shias have travelled from Britain to perform the hajj.

How did the Siege of Mecca change Islam?

It’s four decades since a charismatic preacher and his followers staged an armed takeover of the Grand Mosque of Mecca and the holiest place in Islam became a killing field. The resulting siege, writes the BBC’s Eli Melki, shook the Muslim world to its foundations and changed the course of Saudi history.

Is it possible for a Shia to visit Mecca?

Generally yeah they can. But for time being and regarding the conflicts between Iran (as origin of Shia) and KSA, there are some restraints and obstacles about Omrah or Hajji visas issued by KSA. In my opinion, I don’t think Shia people especially from Iran need to visit Mecca.

What was the cause of the 1987 Mecca incident?

Please help improve it by rewriting it in a balanced fashion that contextualizes different points of view. The 1987 Mecca incident was a clash between Shia pilgrim demonstrators and the Saudi Arabian security forces, during the Hajj pilgrimage; it occurred in Mecca on 31 July 1987 and led to the deaths of over 400 people.

When did the Saudis take over the Grand Mosque?

Saudi soldiers fighting their way into the Ka’aba underground beneath the Grand Mosque of Mecca, 1979. The Grand Mosque seizure occurred during November and December 1979 when extremist insurgents calling for the overthrow of the House of Saud took over Masjid al-Haram, the holiest mosque in Islam, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.