Makkah -- not "Mecca"

[wafa islam]

Makkah -- not "Mecca"

by Abu Atiyyah

The holiest city for the Muslims is Makkah-tul-Mukarramah. It is not "Mecca". Saudi Arabia had officially changed the spelling of the name of this city to "Makkah" a few years ago after realizing the derogatory usage of the word by the Western media and Western authors. And that is the way it should be. We do not like it if our own name is misspelled or mispronounced. How can we then allow it when the same is done to any of our most important icons?

Unfortunately many people, even some Muslims are still careless about it. It is increasingly being observed with a degree of concern that all kinds of businesses are (mis-)using the name "Mecca". "Motor-Mecca", "The Mecca Group", etc. It should be respectfully pointed out to such persons that the usage of the word "Mecca" to name their businesses is offensive. A billion and a half Muslims the world over, hold this holy city in the highest regard and veneration. To desecrate the name of this holy city by abusing it in this fashion is not acceptable.

Recently, The British Rank Corporation, which owns a chain of gambling and entertainment shops under the name of "Mecca", removed the name from its shop fronts as a result of protests from British Muslims. Muslims of Luton in the UK had protested against the defamatory use of the name of this holy city.

In most cases it is done out of ignorance, not deliberately. If pointed out politely but firmly, most companies respond favorably by changing the name.

Muslims should also be encouraged to adopt the proper spelling of Makkah, rather than the old, incorrect "mecca" version. Madinah should rather be spelled as Madinah than being spelled as "medina". Principals and educators of educational institutions such as Madrasahs, Islamic Schools, academies, Muslim writers, authors, researchers, scholars are to be encouraged to use the correct spelling.

Muslims have a duty to be vigilant and decisive in acting against anything that may be deemed sacrilegious, blasphemous or disrespectful to Islam or Muslims, all over the world. Every town, city, province, country should have a dedicated and committed group of people to fulfil this important "watch-dog" role for the sake of the Ummah and Islam.

Source:
http://www.icsfp.com/EN/Contents.aspx?AID=4142

[wafa islam]

:salamext:

I just wanted to add that there are lots of Islamic terms which are pronounced wrongly. I know that the Arabic language contains some letters or even some sounds which are hard to pronounce. Some examples are the letter qaf ق , the letter thal ذ , the letter tha'a ظ , the letter ghayn غ and the letter tha' ث.

Many people pronounce the letter qaf like the letter k. Example: Koran instead of Quran. Some pronounce the letter tha'a and the letter thal, for some reason, like the letter z. Example: Izaa jaa'akal- munaafiqoon, instead of Ithaa jaa'akal-munaafiqoon, which is the correct recitation { Qur'aan [63:1]}. Many people also say Hafiz instead of Hafith (Hafith is a person who has memorized the Holy Qur'aan). And others pronounce the letter ghayn like the letter qaf. Example: qayril-maqduubi 'alayhim wa la daaliin instead of ghayril-maghduubi 'alayhim wa la daaliin, which is the correct recitation {Qur-aan [1:7]}. The most common pronunciation mistake is probably (note that this mistake is done by both Arab and non- Arabs) the mistake by saying the letter ''s'' instead of the letter ''tha''. Example: Sulaasa instead of Thulaatha. (Means Tuesday in Arabic)


The fact that some of the letters in the Arabic language are hard to pronounce, must not keep us away from reading the Qur'aan correctly. We should work hard to read the Holy Qur'aan correctly with right tajweed and with tarteel Insha Allah. Allah subhanhu wa ta'alaa said in the Glorious Qur'aan ‘This (tongue) is Arabic, pure and clear’ (16:103)
I know that it takes time and effort to achieve our goals (and most things as well), but if we really want to change our wrong recitation of the Qur'aan then it will be easy with Allah subhanahu wa ta'aalas help. Insha Allah.

:wasalamex

[H@fiz Aziz]

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