The Siege of Mecca The Siege of Mecca The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam's Holiest Shrine and the Birth of Al Qaeda is a 2007 book by Wall Street Journal correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov about the 1979 Grand Mosque seizure in Mecca. Hundreds of Islamic radicals led by Saudi preacher Juhayman al-Otaybi invaded the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Islam's holiest shrine, on Nov. 20, 1979. The intruders included men from all over the Muslim world and a handful of American converts. Tens of thousands of worshipers were trapped inside the compound. The battle for the shrine lasted two weeks, causing hundreds of
Muhammad in Mecca one night along with the angel Gabriel. In the first part of the journey, the "Isra", he is said to have travelled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque" (in Arabic: "masjid al-aqsa"), which Muslims usually identify with the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In the second part, the "Miraj", Muhammad is said to have toured heaven and hell, and spoken with earlier prophets, such as Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa. Many people were visiting Mecca on business or as pilgrims to the Kabaa. Muhammad took this opportunity to look for a new home for himself and his followers. After several unsuccessful negotiations,