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The
Centrality of Masjid al Aqsa in Islam
Continuation...
4.
Masjid al Aqsa and therefore Jerusalem's importance was further
emphasized by the
sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam):
(a)
According to Islamic teachings there are only three places to which
it is desirable to
undertake a journey for the purpose of Salaah.
Abu
Huraira [ra] is quoted as saying that Allah's Messenger [Sallallaahu
Alayhi
wasallam] said, 'set out deliberately on a journey only to
three mosques: this
mosque of mine (in Medina), the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah) and the
Masjid al
Aqsa (in Jerusalem) (Bukhari & Muslim)
(b)
The virtues of praying in Masjid al Aqsa are exalted:
Abu
Darda [ra] is quoted as saying that the Prophet of Allah Muhammad
(Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) said, a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah)
is
worth 100, 000 prayers, a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth
1, 000 and a
prayer in Jerusalem is worth 500 prayers more than in an any other
mosque.
(Bukhari)
As
part of another tradition, on the authority of Maimunah bint Sa'd,
it is reported that,
upon
being asked about a person who is unable to travel to the Masjid al
Aqsa, the
Messenger of Allah [Alayhis salaam] said, 'He should make
a gift of oil to be burnt
therein, for He who gives a gift to the Masjid al Aqsa will be like
one who has prayed
Salaah therein.' (Ahmad & Ibn Majah)
(c)
The Masjid al Aqsa is the second house of prayer established on
earth:
Abu
Dhar [ra] is quoted as saying, I asked the beloved Prophet
Muhammad
(Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) which was the first mosque on earth? 'The Sacred
Mosque (in Makkah),' he said. And then which, I asked? 'Masjid al
Aqsa,' he said.
I
further asked, what was the time span between the two? 'Forty
years,' the Prophet
[Alayhis
salaam] replied. (Muslim)
(d)
Abu Umamah al Bahili [ra] reports that the Prophet of Allah [Alayhis
salaam] as saying,
'A
group of my ummah will remain firm upon the truth, dominating their
enemies. They will
not
be harmed by their opponents until Allah's decree arrives upon them.
They asked, 'Oh
Prophet of Allah [Alayhis salaam]! Where will they be?' He
replied, 'In Bait al Maqdis and
its
surrounding areas. (Ahmad)
5.
The Masjid-al-Aqsa was the First Qibla (the direction to which
Muslims faced when
praying Salaah):
The
centrality, historical and cultural significance of Masjid al Aqsa
is further emphasized
by
the fact that Muslims used to turn towards Jerusalem when they
prayed. This was
practized
until 16 to 17 months after hijra, when Allah I commanded in His
wisdom, for
the
Muslims to face Makkah. The importance of Masjid al Aqsa remained
and all the
worship performed facing Masjid al Aqsa was good and valid.
6.
The resting place of Prophets [Alayhis salaam] and Prophet's
companions [ra]:
The
land of Palestine has in it some of the noblest souls the earth has
seen. The graves
of
many Prophet's are in Palestine. Including Ibrahim Alayhis salaam,
Yakub Alayhis
salaam, Ishaq [peace be upon them] and according to some
commentators there are
over
100 Prophets buried in Palestine.
Palestine also has the bodies of some of the closest companions of
the Prophet
(Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) and thus the first generation Muslims. Included in
these are
the
graves of Ubada ibn al Samit, Shaddad ibn Aws ibn Thabit al Ansari
and Tamim al
Dari
[ra].
7.
Merits of Performing Haj or Umrah from Masjid al Aqsa:
Umm
Salamah [ra] narrates that she heard the Prophet [Alayhis salaam]
saying,
'whosoever starts his Umrah or Haj from Masjid al Aqsa his wrong
actions will be forgiven,
both
past and future.' In another version, he is reported to have said
that Paradise would
be
his reward. (Targheeb)
8.
Freedom of the Holy City.
After
the battle of Yarmuk the Muslim forces under the command of Abu
Ubaydahr alay
siege
to Jerusalem. The inhabitants consented to surrender on condition
the Khalifa,
Umar
ibn al Khattab (ra) came in person. Umar [ra] travelled to Palestine
and formally
received the keys to the city in 637 AC. On his arrival, he
concluded the famous peace
treaty with the people of Holy City. This opened the doors to the
Jews, who were denied
access for thousands of years and for the first time Jerusalem under
Muslim rule became
truly
an OPEN CITY to all the three faiths. Throughout Muslim rule of over
one thousand
two
hundred years of Jerusalem, members of Jewish, Christianity and
Islam found a
heaven to prosper from. Muslim rule enabled the city to live up to
its rightful title of 'The
Holy
City' as it encompassed all the believers in One God to go about
their business
without hindrance.
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