The History Of Jerusalem Before Islam
Introduction
– The land of Bayt Al-Maqdis has witnessed many events and conflicts before Islam.
– Many prophets entered the city to spread monotheism and make reformations, from Adam to Jesus, peace be upon them .But, who is the builder of Al-Aqsa Mosque? And how was the city before sending Mohammed the messenger?
The First Builder
– Allah created Adam, PBUH, and ordered him to establish the foundational building of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
– He built the nowadays known borders which surround an area of 144 dunums.
– Adam is the father of the human race and the first human to exist.
– He’s the worthiest to be considered the first builder of Al-Aqsa Mosque, not Ibrahim, PBUH, nor the angels.
The First inhabitants
– If we look into the history, we know that the first inhabitants of Jerusalem who settled in it were the Jebusite.
– Their origin goes back to the first Arabs. Then, there were the Canaanites who settled in most of the northern Palestinian areas, which were called “the Land of Canaan”. Back then, Jerusalem was called “Yabous” Al-Khalil was called “Hebron”, and Nablus was called “Shechem”.
– It was ruled by King Melchizedeq, who was known for being good and protecting Jerusalem from the attacks and invasions of the neighboring areas, like Iraq and Egypt.
The Hyksos
– The Hyksos invaded Egypt and the Levant, and took over Jerusalem.
– At that time, Prophet Jacob emerged as a prophet after his father Isaac, and settled with the Israelites south of Negev desert, until they moved with prophet Joseph to Egypt.
The Pharaohs
– The Hyksos ruling became weak, and the Holy Land was under the Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt.
– Jerusalem became semi-autonomous, and during that time, devious beliefs from the belief of Prophet Ibrahim emerged in the city.
– The Holy land was in need for getting rearranged, ideologicallyand theistically.
Prophet Moses, BPUH
– That’s where prophet Moses came in; to guide the Pharaoh and get the Israelites out of Egypt.
– The Israelites were monotheists who worship Allah, but they were also overwhelmed by being materialistic.
– Allah commanded them to liberate the Holy Land from the oppressing people.
The Exodus
| – The Israelites disobeyed Allah’s order to liberate the Holy Land, so He punished them by making them wander in Sinai Peninsula for 40 years.
– Until a new generation appeared, and some of them entered the Holy Land; they resided in Jericho and did not enter Jerusalem. – Then, the events that were reported in Surat Al-Baqara started, and the Israelites came in to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem, and created the kingdom of David.
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The Reign of Prophet Suliman
– Here, the true Israelite ruling, which lasted for 70 years, began.
– The monarch was handed over from prophet Davis to prophet Solomon, who rebuilt Al-Aqsa Mosque, and it is the same building that Jews claim it to be their own, although they do not recognize prophet Solomon as a prophet in the first place; just a king. Prophet Solomon prayed to Allah: “My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such shall not belong to any after me”, and so the kingdom was forever over after him.
The Israelites Split
– The Kingdom of Judah in the South. Its capital was Jerusalem.
– The king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the kingdom of Judah and its capital, and started fire in Al-Aqsa Mosque, in what was called the Babylonian Exile to Iraq.
The Persians
– Led by Cyrus the Great, Persians wiped out the Babylonians, and ordered Jews to return to the Holy Land, and rebuild what they call the Second Synagogue.
Greeks and Romans
– Led by Alexander the Great, the Greeks wiped out the Persians. Yet, their reign didn’t last much after Alexander’s death. After them, Romans enter the city, and the Israelites became citizens of the Roman Empire.
– Jerusalem acquired the character of violence.
The Imrans
– Jerusalem witnessed huge and incredible religious deterioration, until one Jewish houses appeared to be keeping the good faith.
– They are the Imran Family, whom Allah has chosen, and they begot the two prophets John and Jesus.
The Byzantines
– In 300 A.D., the Roman emperor Constantine and his mother Helena converted to Christianity, and the Roman Empire was divided into a Byzantine Empire in the east, and the Roman Empire in the west.
– The Byzantine Empire took over the Holy City, and the Holy city remained troubled for 700 years, until Allah sent Prophet Mohammed, PBUH.
Conclusion
– By this, we finished talking about Jerusalem before Islam.
– It is a part of history that we should know, to be sure of the Muslims’ entitlement to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to have no doubt that victory is coming.