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World Population Clock: 7.7 Billion People (2018) - Worldometers

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How many people are there in the world? World population has reached 7.5 billion. World population live counter with data sheets, graphs, maps, and census data regarding the current, historical, and future world population figures, estimates, growth rates, densities and demographics

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In 597 BCE Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, violently ransacked Judah and took the young king Jehoiachin and 8,000 of his people, including royal and aristocratic families, prisoners to Babylon.

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Sul sito ufficiale della Santa Sede è possibile consultare: il Magistero dei Sommi Pontefici (da Papa Leone XIII a Papa Francesco); i testi fondamentali del Cattolicesimo in varie lingue (la Sacra Bibbia, il Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica, i documenti del Concilio Vaticano II ed il Codice di Diritto Canonico); documenti dei Dicasteri, degli Organismi e delle Istituzioni della Curia Romana.

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We have updated information about who has access to our hacked @muslim Instagram account and are working on resolving it with the person. We will announce it here when we have access to it again.

The city of Mecca and the surrounding areas are unsurpassed in its historical and religious significance to more than 1.6 billion people around the world. Mecca is the holiest city in the world in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was born in Mecca.

The first verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ( ) in a cave named Hira on Mount Al-Nur on the outskirts of Mecca. The holiest site in Islam, the Kaaba, is located in Mecca. The direction of ritual prayer, called the Qiblah, is to the Kaaba in Mecca. The holiest water in the world to Muslims is found in a well named Zamzam in Mecca. Millions of Muslims make pilgrimage to Mecca every year known as Umrah and Hajj. Mecca and Medina will be the only two cities in the world protected by rows of angels that will not let the Anti-Christ (Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal) enter.

Mecca is located 45 miles east of the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The elevation of Mecca is 909 feet above sea level located in a valley surrounded by rugged mountains that range from 1,000 to almost 2.500 feet in height. The temperatures can reach above 120 degrees Fahrenheit and receives relatively little precipitation throughout the year. However, Mecca has been flooded in the past since it is located in a valley. It had a population of 1.7 million in 2008.

Mecca has been called many different names throughout history. In fact, Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) has mentioned Mecca in the Holy Quran using the following names: Mecca, Bakkah, Al-Balad, Al-Qaryah, and Ummul-Qura.

Mecca is home to the largest and holiest mosque in the world named Masjid Al-Haram. The has 160,000 yards of floor space capable of allowing up to 1.2 million people to pray at any one time. The reward granted by Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) for prayers performed at Masjid Al-Haram (Grand Mosque) is 100,000 that of any other mosque in the world with the exception of two other mosques. The first mosque is Masjid An-Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque) in Medina where the reward for prayers is 1,000 times that of any other mosque in the world. The second mosque is Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem where the reward for prayers are 500 that of any other mosque in the world.

The Kaaba is a large stone structure constituting a single room with a marble floor that lies at the center of Masjid Al-Haram. It now stands some 60 feet high and each side is approximately 60 feet in length. The Kaaba is the focal point around which Masjid Al-Haram was built. Its four walls are covered with a black curtain called the Kiswah that reaches to the ground and is fastened to the Shadharwan with copper rings. The door of the Kaaba is about seven feet from about the ground and is located at the south-east wall. There are pillars inside the Kaaba that support the roof. The interior is furnished with many gold and silver lamps. There are several bands of inscriptions on the inner walls on the Kaaba that record the many repairs that were done in the past.

The Kaaba is the holy shrine dedicated to the worship of Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) built by both Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him). There are some who believe that the founder of the Kaaba was either the Angels or Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). However, the Holy Quran provides irrefutable evidence that the founders of the Kaaba were Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him).

The Kaaba has several names. The first of these names is simply "the Kaaba" meaning a high place with respect and prestige. The second of these names is Bayt Al-Ateeq meaning the Ancient House. Bayt Al-Haram is a third name meaning the Honorable House. A fourth name of the Kaaba is Baytullah meaning the House of Allah (the Glorified and Exalted). However, it is only a figure of speech and does not mean that Allah lives inside the Kaaba.

The Black Stone (Al-Hajar Al-Aswad) is set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba. It was brought from Paradise and presented to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) by the Archangel Gabriel to be placed in the Kaaba. Prophet Muhammad ( ) had the honor of placing the Black Stone back in the Kaaba when it was rebuilt by the Quraysh. Since then it has been broken into a number of fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. Its physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark rock, polished smooth by the hands of millions of pilgrims. Muslims try to kiss the Black Stone because the Prophet Muhammad ( ) used to do so. The circumambulation of the Kaaba, known as Tawaf, performed during Umrah and Hajj begins and ends at the Black Stone.

The Station of Abraham (Maqam Al-Ibrahim) refers to the large stone block that was brought by Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him) to his father Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) to stand on while building the upper walls of the Kaaba. Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) made this large stone block one which he (peace be upon him) stood soft where his footprints are visible. The large stone block measures 2×3 feet and is located in of the door of the Kaaba. The greatest virtue of the Station of Abraham is that Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) commanded Muslims to perform prayers near it after Tawaf. For centuries, the Station of Abraham was preserved in a silver box that was housed in a large domed hall. However, it was demolished in 1387 AH since it took to much space. The Station of Abraham was fixed in exquisite crystal and encased in a sturdy steel cage. The casing was then mounted on a marble platform and a dome was used to cover it that allows the footprints to clearly be seen.

The Zamzam Spring (later converted into a well) holds extreme religious significance because of the miracle of its origin. It is site of a spring that, miraculously, had issued forth from a barren and desolate wadi (non perennial stream) where the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), under Allah's command, had left his wife Hajar and their infant son Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him). In her desperate search for water, Hajar ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwa to provide water for Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him), who was dying of thirst. Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) sent the Angel Gabriel, who scraped the ground, causing the spring to appear. On finding the spring, and fearing that it might run out of water, Hajar enclosed it in sand and stones. The name Zamzam originates from the phrase Zomë Zomë, meaning "stop flowing", a command repeated by Hajar during her attempt to contain the spring water.

The Zamzam Well is located about twenty-one meters from the Kaaba and seven meters from Maqam Al-Ibrahim. It is hand-excavated and is about 30.5 meters deep, with an internal diameter ranging from 1.08 to 2.66 meters. Hydro geologically, the well lays within Wadi Ibrahim, which runs through Mecca, and taps groundwater from the wadi alluvium and, to a much lesser extent, the underlying fresh bedrock. The well is now housed in a basement room, protected by glass panels that allow a clear view of the well. Electric pumps are used to draw water from the well, replacing the ropes and buckets. Visitors are prohibited from entering the Zamzam Well room and surroundings. Outside this room, there was a service area, where cold Zamzam water fountains and dispensing containers were provided for drinking purposes. Recently, the Al-Haram Tawaf area has been extended to cover the entrance to this area and it is no more accessible to pilgrims. Instead, cold Zamzam water fountains and dispensing containers are now placed at the periphery of Tawaf area.

The upper 13.5 meters of the well is excavated in the sandy alluvium of the Wadi Ibrahim, and the lower 17.0 meters in the underlying diorite bedrock. In between lays a 0.5 meter thick highly permeable weathered rock. Most of the alluvial section of the well is lined with stone masonry except for the uppermost 1 meter, which has a reinforced concrete collar. The weathered rock section is lined with stone and it is this section that provides the main water entry into the well.

Mount Al-Nur is located on the outskirts of Mecca. It has an elevation of 2,106 feet and covers an area of 5 square kilometers. The famous Hira cave, where Prophet Muhammad ( ) had his first revelation, is located on this mountain, hence the name Al-Nur (the light) after the light of the prophet hood.

Mount Thawr is located on the outskirts of Mecca. It has an elevation of 2,543 feet and covers an area of 10 square kilometers. It is home to the Thawr Cave where the Prophet Muhammad ( ) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sought refuge for three days and nights from the Quraish as they left Mecca to emigrated to Medina. When they were inside, Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) sent a spider to spin a web from a bush across the entrance the entrance to the cave. Moreover, Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) also commanded two doves to fly down between the spider and the tree to make a nest and lay their eggs.

Lastly, one of the qualities of the religious significance of Mecca and Medina will become most evident near the end of time. That is, Mecca and Medina will be the only two cities in the world that the Anti-Christ (Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal) will be prohibited from entering. The angels will protect all the passageways into Mecca and Medina. However, the disbelievers and hypocrites will not be able to use Mecca and Medina as a safe haven since the Anti-Christ will shake the earth three times and all of them will be drawn to him.

Facts about the Quran

QUESTION

ANSWER

What is the meaning of the word Quran?

To be recited

Where was the first Surah (chapter) of the Quran revealed?

Prophet Muhammad ( ) received his first revelation from Allah ( ) through Angel Jibreel in the cave of Hira which is located near Mecca

On which night was the Quran first revealed?

Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power)

How many Surahs (Chapters) are there in the Quran?

114

How many Ayats (Verses) are in the Quran?

6,236

Which is the longest Surah (Chapter) in the Quran?

Al-Baqarah (The Cow). It has 286 verses

Which is the shortest Surah (Chapter) in the Quran?

Al-Kawthar (The Abundance). It consists of 3 verses

The Farewell Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad

(may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)

The Farewell Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad ( ) was delivered on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah of the tenth year of Al-Hijra. After completing his first and only hajj, he ( ), delivered the Final Sermon to a crowd numbering over a hundred thousand in the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafat.

After offering praise and thanks to Allah (the Glorified and Exalted), Prophet Muhammad ( ) said:

The first day of Ramadan (first day of fasting) was on May 27, 2017. The first day of Eid al-Fitr was on June 25, 2017. The first day of Hajj was on August 30, 2017. Day of Arafah was on August 31, 2017. The first day of Eid al-Adha was on September 1, 2017. September 21, 2017 was the first day of the new Islamic year (Hijri year). The name of the first month in the Islamic calendar is Muharram. Prophet Muhammad ( ) migrated from Mecca to Madinah in the year 622 CE. This migration is called the Hijrah. The Hijrah also marks the start of the Islamic calendar.

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We have updated information about who has access to our hacked @muslim Instagram account and are working on resolving it with the person. We will announce it here when we have access to it again. The first verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad () in a cave named Hira on Mount Al-Nur on the outskirts of Mecca.

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Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our actions. By our actions, we create our destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters--God, soul and cosmos--are essential to one's approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.

1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.

3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.

6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.

7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.

8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.

9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Hinduism, the world's oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations--Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. (click to read about the four denominations)

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A Hindu monastery-temple complex in Hawaii of the Tamil Saivite tradition, home to two dozen monks, pilgrimage destination for sincere devotees, highly respected producer of contemporary, world-class, Hindu religious publications