Was Bekka in the North? Rethinking Qur'anic Geography and the Location of the First House
Introduction
Surah As-Saffat (37:133–138) describes the story of the Prophet Lot and his people, ending with a powerful reminder:
"And indeed, you pass by them in the morning and at night. Will you not then reason?" (Qur'an 37:137-138)
This verse is clearly addressed to the people of Muhammad, referring to the visible ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah.
These cities are traditionally identified near the Dead Sea, between modern-day Jordan and Palestine. Their remains were well-known landmarks on ancient trade routes. So why does the Qur'an say that the people of Muhammad passed by these ruins daily, if Muhammad was from Mecca in the far south?
Geographical Logic from the Qur'an
• Daily Passage by Lot's Ruins
The Qur'an emphasizes that Muhammad's audience passes by the ruins of Lot's people "morning and night". This implies geographical proximity — not mythological memory.
• Location of Lot's People
Archaeologically and scripturally, Sodom and Gomorrah lie near the Dead Sea. These are hundreds of kilometers north of Mecca.
• No Historical Route from Mecca to Dead Sea
No trade route from Mecca would pass by Lot’s ruins on a daily basis. But routes from Petra, Edom, or Moab would.
• Logical Implication
If Muhammad's people passed by those ruins, then either he lived near them, or his early audience did. That puts the early Islamic audience in northern Arabia, not Mecca or Medina.
Qur'anic Verses Pointing North
Here are several examples where the Qur’anic narrative points to northern locations:
• Lot's People: Qur'an 37:137-138, 15:76 — near Dead Sea
• Thamud: Qur'an 15:80-84, 89:9, 91:11 — Madain Salih (northwest Arabia)
• Madyan & Shu’ayb: Qur'an 11:84 — Tabuk/southern Jordan
• Fig and Olive: Qur'an 95:1 — symbolic of the Levant
• Children of Israel's Land: Qur'an 5:21 — Canaan/Palestine
• Blessed Surroundings of Al-Aqsa: Qur'an 17:1 — Jerusalem
These all support a northern setting, with major events and ruins located far from Mecca.
Isaiah 42:11 – A Parallel Prophecy
"Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops."
• Kedar: Son of Ishmael, traditionally located in northwest Arabia, near Midian and Edom.
• Sela: Hebrew for "rock", often identified as Petra.
This passage in Isaiah is part of a larger messianic prophecy (Isaiah 42), which speaks of:
• A new song to Yahweh
• A servant bringing justice to the nations
• Gentiles (nations) putting hope in this coming light
• Kedar and Sela rejoicing
It is not a random geography lesson. It is saying:
“The time is coming when even the Arab tribes (Kedar) and the Petra region (Sela) will raise their voice in joy and truth.”
If we take Isaiah 42 literally and geographically, it describes a time when:
• Arab descendants of Ishmael (Kedar)
• And those near Petra (Sela)
Will rejoice in a new revelation or guidance.
This matches far more with the idea that the original message of Muhammad, or the Qur’anic “first House,” was rooted in the north, not Mecca.
So — Isaiah 42:11 actually supports the idea that Bekka, the early sanctuary, and the prophetic voice were in the north, in the region of Sela and Kedar — not in the Hijazi Mecca of later Islamic tradition.
Isaiah 42 — A Prophecy About Muhammad, Not Jesus
If we examine Isaiah 42 carefully, it becomes clear that the prophecy cannot apply to Jesus but fits Muhammad with unmatched precision.
Key Descriptions in Isaiah 42
• A servant chosen by God
• Who brings a new law and justice to the nations
• Who is gentle and patient
• Who becomes a light to the Gentiles
• Whose message reaches the coastlands
• And whose law the nations wait for
• Whose arrival causes Kedar and Sela to rejoice
Now ask: Who fits this? Jesus?
• Born in Judea, not among Ishmael’s descendants
• Did not bring a new written law — he confirmed the Torah
• Did not preach to Kedar or reach Sela
• Was largely rejected by Gentile nations during his lifetime
• No historical connection to Kedarites or Petra
Muhammad?
• Direct descendant of Ishmael, from the line of Kedar
• Brought the Qur’an — a new law and guidance for nations
• His message converted the Kedarites and reached Petra (Sela)
• Spread to the coastlands and islands in just a few decades
• His followers literally “sing a new song” in their daily prayers and recitations
Conclusion:
There is no other figure in history who:
• Came from the region of Kedar
• Reached the people of Sela
• Brought a new law awaited by nations
• Caused Arabs to shout for joy and follow divine guidance
Only Muhammad fits Isaiah 42 literally, geographically, historically, and theologically.
This is not a matter of religious belief — it is a matter of textual accuracy and historical fact.
Isaiah 42 is not a vague prediction. It is a clear prophecy — and Muhammad is its fulfillment.
Could Bekka Be There?
The Qur'an says:
"The first House established for mankind was in Bekka." (Qur'an 3:96)
• Bekka (Bakkah) is never explicitly said to be Mecca in the Qur'an.
• The root B-K-K means weeping or gushing, matching the "Valley of Baca" in Psalm 84:6.
• Genesis 21 describes Hagar weeping, an angel appearing, and a spring gushing forth — all in the southern Canaan region, near Beersheba and Hebron.
• This is also close to Sela (Petra) and Lot's region.
Conclusion
If we strip away later traditions and read the Qur'an in its own terms, the geographical clues consistently point north, not south.
• The people of Muhammad passed by the ruins of Lot — not near Mecca.
• The figures of Kedar and Sela point to northwest Arabia.
• The themes of weeping, divine presence, and sacred valleys match the Hebron-Petra region.
• Mecca, as later defined, doesn't align with the original textual evidence.
Bekka, the first house, may well have been in that sacred northern region — near the lands of the prophets, and the place where Hagar wept, angels descended, and justice was promised to rise.
This reopens the door to understanding the Qur'an not just theologically, but geographically and historically — rooted in the landscapes where the light first dawned.
