The Prophet’s Locations Mentioned in the Quran

In recent times, some have made the claim that the real origin of the prophet Muhammad and the Quran is not Mecca, but instead 800 miles north in Petra. One major challenge to this narrative is the specific locations mentioned in the Quran that are associated with events in the prophet’s life that have almost no historical connection to Petra but are well established in association with Mecca.

Below is a list of locations mentioned in the Quran that are connected with certain events during the prophet’s life. If one wanted to reestablish the birthplace of the prophet, major events in his life, and the origin of the Quran to Petra then one would need to have to provide proof that these locations are either not their real locations as we understand them today or somehow show that these locations are better coupled with Petra rather than Mecca.

Yathrib (Medina)

Yathrib (Medina), 24°28′12″N 39°36′36″E Distance to Mecca (Kaaba): 271 miles / 437 km Distance to Yathrib (Medina): – miles / – km Distance to Petra: 556 miles / 895 km

Yathrib was the city that the prophet and the early believers immigrated to after being driven out of Mecca. This event is known as the Hijra and marks the start of the Islamic calendar. Prior to the messenger’s arrival, the name of the city was known as Yathrib, but after the Hijra it adopted the name Medina Al-Nabi, City of the Prophet, or what is more commonly known as simply Medina.