Question:
Was Makkah called Bakkah before the revalation? I have looked everywhere for the reason why Makkah is termed Bakkah in the Qur’an, most do not explain the change in the first letter,
some say it indicates a region around the Ka`bah specifically, but my question is did the people of the area call it Bakkah before or only after the revelation.
Answer:
As-salamu `alaykum.
Thank you so much for your question.
This is one of the Qur’anic signs of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as mentioned in the previous Scriptures. In the Qur’an, the context in which Makkah is called Bakkah/Bakkah is a context of dialogue with the “People of the Book.”
*{Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and a guidance for the nations. }* (Aal `Imran 3:96)
In the same context Allah is asking the People of the Book to “bring the Torah and recite it”. Afterwards, when Allah mentioned Makkah, He mentioned it with its name in the Torah. In nowadays Old Testament, despite ages of changes, the name Bakkah survives in one of the Psalms, and with a close look it reveals a sign of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
For example, according to King James Version, Psalm 84 goes:
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. (4-6)
And according to the New International Version, the verses mean: “Pilgrims” who “dwell in Your house”, “passing through the Valley of Baca,” and the “well” are all clear indications of Muslim pilgrims who visit God’s house in “Baca”/Makkah and drink from Zamzam “well”.
Additionally, it is interesting to note that some latest versions of the Bible have simply omitted any mention of “pilgrimage” and even the name “Baca” itself from these verses. For example, the Contemporary English Version (CEV), intriguingly, reads as follows: (and notice the footnote!)
You bless everyone who lives in your house, and they sing your praises. You bless all who depend on you for their strength and all who deeply desire to visit your temple. When they reach Dry Valley*, springs start flowing, and the autumn rain fills it with pools of water. *84.6 Dry Valley: Or ” Balsam Tree Valley.” The exact location is not known.
So, I believe that mentioning Makkah by the name “Baca” in these verses is a sign for those who are willing to accept the truth from the People of the Book. Thank you again for your question and please keep in touch.
