The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

A.D. 692-703] DEATH OF 'ABD AL-MELIK 343
of grieving, that would rejoice my heart!" So strong was A. H. 73-86.
the clannish jealousy and party spirit of the Arab race.
'Abd al-'Aziz, brother of the Caliph, who had long been Welid
Governor of Egypt, held the next title to the throne, having PJo^'_^''^^'^
been nominated by his father Merwan. 'Abd al-Melik now apparent,
sought to set his claim aside in favour of his own son Al- -o/'"d
WelTd, and was supported in his desire by Al-Hajjaj. But
*Abd al-'AzIz would not surrender his right ; nor would he
agree to the nomination of Al-Welid even as his own
successor;— "For," said he, "do not I see in mine own son
what thou seest in thine ? Besides, we know not which of
us may die the first ; leave it therefore thus alone." The
event anticipated did occur, for next year 'Abd al-'AzIz died;
and Al-Welld was then done homtige to as next the throne,
throughout the Empire. The only opposition was at Medina,
where a recusant, affirming the old doctrine of popular
election, demurred even under threat of the sword, to the
declaration of an Heir-apparent. The Caliph, however,
contented himself with inflicting stripes upon the malcontent.
Jerusalem is to Jews and Christians the holiest place on Attempt to
earth. It was only
'"^'^^ J^''"-
by an accident that it was not so to
^ ^ salem the
Muslims as well, and one constant aim of the earlier centre of
^^'
Umeiyads was to shift the religious centre of Islam from the
Hijaz to Syria.^ Mu'avviya had already attempted to remove
Mohammad's pulpit to Damascus, and, when prevented,
explained that he merely wished to see if it were wormeaten.
He was proclaimed Caliph at Jerusalem and on
that occasion performed prayers at Golgotha, Gethsemane,
and the grave of Mar)-. 'Abd al-Melik is said to have forbidden
the pilgrimage to Mecca on the pretext of danger,
and ordered that it should be to Jerusalem. In the year
72 A. II. (691-692 A.n.) he built the Dome of the Rock which
still stands, round which runs the inscription, "This dome was
built by the servant of God '.\bd[allah the Imam Al-Ma'mi"ui,
.AJmir of the Faithful, in the }'ear 72. May God be pleased
with him." l"he letters in brackets are a later insertion
crowded into a space too narrow for them. Originall}' there
stood "al-Melik A" as the spacing and date show. Even
'
I)c (iocje ronsidors lli.il this is impossible, but the wciglit of
evidence seems to l)c
for it.