Wikipedia's first sentence called it “religious gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about theology”. Today it says “underway inside the main complex of masjid al-haram in makkah”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2020 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2020
A halaqa is underway inside the main complex of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah , Saudi Arabia . A halaqa ( - 'circle / ring') in Islamic terminology is a religious gathering or meeting for the study of Islam and the Quran .1 Generally, there are one or more primary speakers that present the designated topic(s) of the halaqa while others sit around them (in an approximate circle) and listen. The attendees may participate in the discussions, ask questions, and voice concerns. Usually, prayers and supplications are part of such programs. Also, meals or snacks may be served to the participants. Al Halaqa is the Arabic word for gathering in a circle – a round table of sorts (loosely) and there can be many types of rounds. It is also the space in which the public storytellers perform. This traditional space, most commonly called al-halaqa (the circle) is as central to the non-Western performance tradition as the storyteller, and similarly layered with cultural echoes and references. Halaqa performers have included both men and women; a female example was the Moroccan performer Fatema Chebchoub . The Jemaa el-Fnaa Square in Marrakesh , Morocco is a major place of cultural exchange where stories and epic poems are told in Al Halaqas in the center of the square, and is considered one of the nine UNESCO World heritage sites.2
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 958015506.
The opening as it stood in 2010
A halaqa is a religious gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about theology, typically Islam . Generally, there are one or more primary speakers that present the designated topic(s) of the Halaqa while others sit on the floor and listen. The attendees may participate in the discussions, ask questions, and voice concerns. Usually, prayers and supplications are part of such programs. Also, meals or snacks may be served to the participants.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 367231438.
The opening as it stood in 2015
A halaqa is underway inside the main complex of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah , Saudi Arabia . A halaqa is a religious gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about theology, typically Islam . Generally, there are one or more primary speakers that present the designated topic(s) of the Halaqa while others sit and listen. The attendees may participate in the discussions, ask questions, and voice concerns. Usually, prayers and supplications are part of such programs. Also, meals or snacks may be served to the participants.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 656589894.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Open Islamic discussion forum A halaqa is underway inside the main complex of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah , Saudi Arabia . Halaqa ( ) in Islamic terminology refers to a religious gathering or meeting for the study of Islam and the Quran . Generally, there are one or more primary speakers that present the designated topic(s) of the halaqa while others sit around them (in an approximate circle) and listen. The attendees may participate in the discussions, ask questions, and voice concerns. Usually, prayers and supplications are part of such programs. Also, meals or snacks may be served to the participants.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1133267766.
The opening as it stood in 2025
Open Islamic discussion forum A halaqa is underway inside the main complex of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah , Saudi Arabia . Halaqa ( Arabic : حلقة , romanized : Ḥalaqah , lit. ' circle/ring ' ) in Islamic terminology refers to a religious gathering or meeting for the study of Islam and the Quran . Generally, there are one or more primary speakers that present the designated topic(s) of the halaqa while others sit around them (in an approximate circle) and listen. The attendees may participate in the discussions, ask questions, and voice concerns. Usually, prayers and supplications are part of such programs. Also, meals or snacks may be served to the participants.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1255408227. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “religious gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about theology”. Today it says “underway inside the main complex of masjid al-haram in makkah”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
religious gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about theology
Now
underway inside the main complex of masjid al-haram in makkah
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
