Lucknow. On the morning of 20 November 1979, thousands of people were present in Mecca's Mosque 'Al-Haram' for Fajr prayers. Then a group of armed people captured the mosque. Different historical sources put the number of attackers at around 300 to 600. This incident shocked the whole world.
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Let us tell you that this group was led by Saudi citizen 'Juhaiman Al-Otaibi'. The group called for an uprising against the Saudi monarchy and declared one of its leaders, Muhammad 'Abdullah al-Qahtani, to be the Mahdi, or the one guided by God. After this, all the devotees present in this mosque were taken hostage and Saudi security forces surrounded the mosque. But let us tell you that this action was very difficult, because it is the holiest place of Islam and the question of religious permission for military action there was also at stake. This siege lasted for about two weeks. Saudi security forces eventually evacuated all rebels from the mosque complex. Let us tell you that in this operation a large number of security personnel, attackers and devotees were killed and many people were injured. There is considerable variation in the number of casualties among available sources.
The impact of this incident was not limited to Mecca only.
This crisis of 1979 became a turning point with a deep impact on religious and social policies in Saudi Arabia. Historians have since linked the relationship between the state and religious establishments and the increased religious conservatism in Saudi society to the wider consequences of this event. Most interestingly, the Islamic Revolution also took place in Iran in the same year. That means 1979 was already a year of major political and religious changes for West Asia. The capture of the Grand Mosque of Mecca deepened the debate over security, religious politics, and the role of the state throughout the region.
Ultimately, after about two weeks, on 4 December 1979, the Saudi government reestablished control over the mosque. This incident is still known as 'Grand Mosque Seizure of 1979'. It is also considered an important turning point in the modern history of Saudi Arabia.