Saudi Arabia–Mecca

1. The Period and Mode of the Introduction of Islam into the Mecca Region

Islam began in the early seventh century CE (around 610 CE), when the Prophet Muhammad, who was born in Mecca located in the Hijaz[1] region of the western Arabian Peninsula, began receiving the first revelations of the Qur’an from Allah.

At that time, Mecca, which functioned as a central hub along major trade routes, housed approximately 360 idols in and around the Kaaba due to the frequent movement of foreign visitors. Muhammad belonged to the Quraysh tribe, the dominant and influential tribe that governed Mecca; however, as he began to propagate the core Islamic doctrine of monotheism (Tawhid) and the rejection of polytheistic idol worship, he faced strong resistance and persecution from Quraysh leaders who maintained their economic and political power through the existing polytheistic belief system. Consequently, Muhammad and his early followers, fleeing persecution, carried out the Hijrah[2] (migration) in 622 CE to Yathrib (later known as Medina), located north of Mecca. This event marked the historical beginning of the Islamic community (Ummah). After organizing the community in Medina, Muhammad secured the submission of the Quraysh in 628 CE and ultimately led an army to reclaim (conquer) Mecca in 630 CE. He destroyed all the idols in the Kaaba and formally proclaimed the victory of monotheistic faith.

2. Forces of Resistance to the Introduction of Islam and the Position of Pre-existing Religions

When Islam first emerged in Mecca, the most direct and powerful opposition came from the Quraysh tribe and foreign polytheists. At the time, Mecca was not merely a religious sanctuary but also the financial and commercial center of the Arabian Peninsula. The approximately 360 idols enshrined in the Kaaba attracted not only tribes from across the peninsula but also foreign merchants and travelers, thereby drawing them to Mecca. The Quraysh accumulated immense wealth by providing lodging, food, sacrificial goods, and by collecting tolls from pilgrims. As the spread of monotheistic Islam threatened to sever these sources of income, they resorted to physical persecution of Muhammad and the Islamic community and attempted to suppress the expansion of Islam.

3. Changes in Mecca after the World Wars

Mecca became the center of Islam through the conquests of Arab Muslims and later came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. However, following the collapse of Ottoman control after World War I, Mecca entered a new period of political upheaval. Sharif Hussein of Mecca, aspiring to establish an Arab kingdom, revolted against the Ottoman authorities, but ultimately Mecca was captured in 1926 by forces led by Abdulaziz ibn Saud. As a result, Islam’s two holy cities, Mecca and Medina, were incorporated into the territory of the Saudi state. In 1932, Abdulaziz unified the major regions of the Arabian Peninsula and proclaimed the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, becoming its first king.

After World War II, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia officially adopted the title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Mecca and Medina),” thereby consolidating its religious authority and national identity both domestically and internationally. As the administrator of the two holy cities, Saudi Arabia has focused on promoting the unity and aspirations of the Islamic community (Ummah), counterbalancing the expansion of Iranian influence, and maintaining a leading political and religious position in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

4. The Most Influential Islamic School and Key Figure in Saudi Arabia and the Mecca Region

Saudi Arabia adopts Wahhabism, which follows the doctrines of the Hanbali Madhhab—considered the most conservative among the Islamic legal schools—as its official state ideology.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792), who led the Islamic reform movement of the eighteenth century, sought to thoroughly restore the purity of monotheistic (Tawhid) belief. He strictly condemned any form of veneration or prayer directed toward entities other than Allah—such as prophets, saints, or tombs—categorizing such practices as shirk (polytheism). He also advocated a return to the practices of the early Islamic community (the first three centuries), rejecting all religious customs and practices not explicitly prescribed in the Qur’an and Sunnah as bid‘ah (heretical innovations).

Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab emphasized the propagation of monotheistic belief through education and dialogue rather than violent jihad, a stance closely linked to his methodological insistence that Muslims should not merely memorize the Qur’an but understand it substantively.

5. The Influence of Islam on Saudi Arabia and Mecca’s Role in the Islamic World

Islam permeates all aspects of the Saudi state. Wahhabism functions as the core political ideology, while Sharia serves as a constitutional foundation governing political, cultural, social, and judicial systems. The ulama (religious scholars), in exchange for granting religious legitimacy to the ruling monarchy, Wilde significant authority to enforce moral and religious norms throughout society through institutions such as the Shura Council[3].

Possession and administration of the two holy cities, Mecca and Medina, as well as the management of the pilgrimage (Hajj[4]), confer upon Saudi Arabia substantial religious authority over Muslims worldwide and form the basis of its role as the spiritual center of the Islamic world. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia utilizes extensive support for Salafi[5] Islam as a tool of foreign policy, playing a significant role in disseminating Islamic culture and ideology on a global scale.

[1] Around the seventh century CE, the Arabian Peninsula was broadly divided into three major regions based on geography and tribal power structures. Al-Hijaz was a mountainous region along the Red Sea coast and served as the center of a settled commercial culture through which north–south trade routes passed, including cities such as Mecca and Medina; as a result, it was home to a variety of religious traditions. Najd—the vast plateau region in the center of the peninsula and the historical foundation of what is now Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—was the heartland of nomadic tribal societies. Shammar was a strategically important region in the northern Arabian Peninsula, adjacent to Mesopotamia and the Levant, and functioned as a gateway for external relations. Due to differences in climate and topography, these three regions developed relatively independent tribal confederations. On the basis of these regions, the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was eventually formed.

[2] In 622 CE, the Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution. This event marked the starting point of the formation of the Islamic community and state-building, and it also constitutes the beginning of the Islamic calendar (Hijri calendar) as a historically significant turning point.

[3] It is composed of members appointed by the king and functions to review legislation and provide policy advice; however, rather than possessing substantive legislative authority, it operates primarily as an advisory body.

[4] Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and refers to the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, which every adult Muslim is required to perform at least once in their lifetime, provided they are physically and financially able. It is conducted annually during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar (Dhu al-Hijjah). The Hajj symbolizes the equality of all believers before the one God, transcending race and social class, and serves as the most important religious obligation through which Muslims affirm their religious identity and strengthen the sense of unity within the Islamic community (*Ummah*).

[5] It functions as the theological foundation of Wahhabism, the governing ideology of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Wahhabism was systematized in the eighteenth century by Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab and centers on the restoration of the purity of monotheistic belief (*Tawhid*). In the context of contemporary international politics, it encompasses a broad spectrum ranging from moderate pietism to radical jihadism; however, it is unified by the shared call for a return to the principles of early Islam.