🏰 Islam’s Holy Heists: A Hallmark of Conquest

Thesis:
Islam’s billed as God’s final word, a faith of peace and unity (3:64). But peel back the gloss, and there’s a bloody pattern: taking other people’s holiest sites—pagan, Jewish, Christian—and stamping Allah’s name on ‘em. From Mecca’s Kaaba to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount to Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia, it’s not borrowing—it’s conquest, rebrand, repeat. Early sources scream it: this ain’t divine hand-me-downs; it’s a hallmark of domination, baked in from Muhammad’s first swing.

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1. Mecca’s Kaaba: Pagan Loot to Pillar

• Before: Kaaba’s a pagan party—360 idols, Black Stone, Quraysh goldmine (Ibn al-Kalbi, Book of Idols). Tawaf, Safa-Marwah—centuries old.
• The Grab: 6-7 AH (628-629 CE)—Muhammad tests the turf, Umrah flex on Quraysh (Bukhari 3.50.891-892), truce signed. 8 AH (630 CE)—truce trashed, Mecca falls, idols smashed (Bukhari 5.59.583). Rites stay, gods swap—Quran 2:158—“Safa-Marwah are Allah’s”.
• The Spin: 9 AH—Hajj’s a pillar (3:97), Abraham tagged (2:125)—zero proof, pure retrofit. “Pagan prize, Islamic polish”—first heist, locked in.

2. Jerusalem’s Temple Mount: Jewish Gem to Muslim Crown

• Before: Jewish Temple Mount—Solomon’s legacy, wrecked 70 CE, still their heart. Christians vibe it—Byzantine turf.
• The Grab: Muhammad prays to it (622-623 CE, Bukhari 1.8.387), ties it to Night Journey (17:1—dodgy link). Jews snub him, Qibla flips (2:142). 638 CE—Umar takes Jerusalem, 691 CE—Dome of the Rock rises over Jewish ruins, Abraham claimed (no trace).
• The Spin: Third holiest site—“ours trumps yours”. “Jewish root, Muslim roof”—conquest, not kinship.

3. Hagia Sophia: Christian Glory to Crescent Trophy

• Before: 537 CE—Hagia Sophia, Byzantine Christianity’s jewel, a millennium strong.
• The Grab: 1453 CE—Ottomans sack Constantinople, Mehmet II flips it to a mosque (Kritovoulos chronicles). Cross gone, minarets up. 2020—Erdogan doubles down, mosque again.
• The Spin: Symbol of triumph—“your God’s ours now”. “Christian crown, Islamic cap”—same game, 1000 years on.

4. Medina’s Seed: The Pattern Starts

• 622-630 CE—Muhammad woos Medina’s Jews, gets blanked (Quran 2:120), raids Quraysh caravans (Bukhari 4.52.137)—your revenge call: safe, no need, just spite. 6 AH—Hudaybiyyah truce, Umrah test-run, intimidates Quraysh (3.50.891). 8 AH—truce ditched, Mecca’s his (Ibn Hisham, p. 540). Jews? Qurayza butchered (4.52.68). “Test, strike, seize”—Kaaba’s the blueprint.

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The Playbook: How It Rolls

• Step 1: Conquer: Mecca (630 CE), Jerusalem (638 CE), Constantinople (1453 CE)—“win first”.
• Step 2: Rebrand: Pagan rites? Abraham’s (2:125). Jewish mount? Muhammad’s (17:1). Christian church? Mosque. “Old turf, new tale”.
• Step 3: Flex: Umrah 6-7 AH—probe, spook (your take). Hajj, Dome, Sophia—“ours forever”.
• Why?: 15:9’s “guarded” doesn’t need steals—unless it’s about topping the losers’ gods.

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🔍 Verdict: Conquest, Not Coexistence

From Mecca’s pagan Kaaba to Jerusalem’s Jewish Mount to Constantinople’s Christian Hagia Sophia, Islam’s got a signature: swipe the sacred, slap a crescent on it. Muhammad’s Medina moves—caravan revenge, truce betrayal, Jewish graves—plant the seed. “Revenge with a rebrand”—not divine destiny, but a conqueror’s flex. 33:21’s “best” bleeds when it’s built on nicking other faiths’ souls. Wrecking ball truth: it’s a hallmark, and it’s bloody blatant.