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Jerusalem came under Islamic rule
during the reign of the second Caliph Umar (may
Allah be pleased with him) in the
year 638.
It was a peaceful conquest. The
ruling patriarch of the city, whose name was
Sophronius, offered the keys of the
city to the Caliph himself.
Upon entering the blessed city, the
Caliph asked about the location of the mosque of
David (al-Masjid al-Aqsa) and the
blessed Rock from where the Prophet went in Miraj.
The site was a desolate place at that
time. Romans had destroyed the so-called Second
Temple in the year 70 CE and no
non-Christian or Christian ruler of that city after that
ever tried to build any place of
worship there.
According to historians, it was a
garbage dump, a dunghill for the people of Jerusalem.
Umar, upon learning this was the site
of the Masjid of Jerusalem and the place from
where the Miraj took place, cleaned
the place with his own hands and put his
forehead in payer on that ground. The
Masjid al-Aqsa was later built in that area.
In 691 CE the Dome of Rock and a more
elaborate mosque were constructed. Those
were, perhaps, the first most
expensive and expansive sacred monuments built in the
history of Islam.
Jerusalem was always held in great
esteem by Muslims. The Prophet said, "Journeys
should not be taken (with the
intention of worship) except to three mosques: the
Sacred Mosque in Makkah, my Mosque in
Madinah and Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem."
On the basis of this Hadith, Muslims
always considered it as a religious deed to visit the
city of Jerusalem, its mosque and its
sacred and blessed precincts. Often pilgrims
made it a point to visit Jerusalem on
their way to Makkah and Madinah.
Muslim rulers and philanthropists
built many hospitals, schools, and religious centers in
and around the city. They purchased
land in and around the city and dedicated it as a
Waqf (endowment) for religious
purposes. The whole city is virtually Waqf land that is
non-salable and nontransferable.
Many Muslim scholars also migrated
and settled in the city. The Al-Aqsa Masjid was a
great seat of learning. Thousands of
pious people and scholars included provisions in
their wills to be buried in
Jerusalem. There are thousands, perhaps millions of Muslims'
graves in the city of Jerusalem.
Muslims also recognized the rights of
Christians and Jews who hold the city dear to
their hearts and sacred in their
faiths.
Under Islamic rule they were given
permission to settle there. When the Caliph Umar
made the treaty with the Christian
Patriarch Sophronius it was agreed, at the request
of the Christian patriarch, that "No
Jews will live with them in Aelia (Jerusalem)."
But later, due to Muslim tolerance,
this rule was relaxed and Jews were allowed to
come and settle in the city.
After the re-conquest of Jerusalem by
Salahuddin in the time of the Crusades, Jews
were again permitted by Muslims to
come back and live in the city. The Crusaders
during their 90-year rule (1099 -
1187) had banned both Jews and Muslims from that
city.
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