Jerusalemite Concepts
Mosques in Islam
– Linguistically, a “mosque” is a place of Sujood (kneeling to Allah); i.e. a place of worship. It is claimed that prophet Mohammed, PBUH, has said: “the earth has been made a place of prostration and a means of purification”.
– This doesn’t include all the places were Muslims pray, rather the buildings that are designated for the 5 prayers.
– Any mosque in Islam must have 3 fundamentals:
1 . a land
2 . borders
3 . Qibla
If these 3 requirements exist, the building is considered a mosque.
The Blessed Aqsa Mosque
– This includes all the area within the walls, which is in the Jerusalemite Old Town. The area’s shape is sort of rectangular. It has more than 200 historic landmarks, including prayer halls, domes, schools, terraces, and niches.
– Following are some of the landmarks in Al-Aqsa Mosque:
1 . The Dome of the Rock: an octagon-shaped building with a golden dome. It is right in the middle of Al-Aqsa Mosque. It was named after the Holy Rock that exists inside the building. Today, it is the females’ mosque in the blessed Aqsa Mosque.
2 . Al-Qibli Mosque: it is what most people nowadays call “the Blessed Aqsa Mosque”, since it’s in the southern side of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Qibli Mosqueis considered the main male prayer hall in Al-Aqsa Mosque and the place where the Imam holds the prayers.
3 .The Marwani Prayer Hall: it is located underground of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the southeastern side. Originally, The Marwani Prayer Hallwas built for levelling the ground. It is the place that was turned into a stable by the Crusaders.
4 . Al-Arwah Cave (Spirits’ Cave): it is a natural stone hole inside the Dome of the Rock; that’s why people thought that the Rock is hanging in the air, but off course that’s not true.
Names ofAl-Aqsa Mosque
– Al-Aqsa Mosque has 3 names that it has been known for, back in the day and until now, which are:
1 . Al-Aqsa Mosque: this was first mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, exactly in the first verse of Surat Al-Isra’a, in which Allah says: “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. He is the Hearing, the Seeing”.
2 . Bayt Al-Maqdis: this name was mentioned in the prophetic traditions (Hadiths), like the Hadith about Al-Isra’a journey that starts with “On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven…” and the one that starts with “when prophet Solomon finished building the mosque…”.
3 . Al-Bayt Al-Muqadas (the Sacred House): it is a literary use of words, mentioned in poems, like the one for al-Imam Al-A’sqalani that says:
To Al-Bayt Al-Muqadas came I
asking the Good Lord for residence in the eternal Paradise
Our love for it was our punishment
But after black clouds, clear weather
Al-Aqsa Mosque – Location and Size
Al-Aqsa mosque is on Moriah Plateau in Jerusalem. “Moriah” means “the Chosen”. It is exactly located in the southeastern corner of the walled City of Jerusalem (the Old Town). The plateau is one sixth of the Old Town’s area, which is 144 dunums. The central and northern areas of the mosque are steep, and the ground starts rising towards Al-Sahera area outside the mosque and the Old Town. The mosque can accommodate up to 150.000 worshipers.
The Direction of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa mosque was built in the same direction of Mecca, and it veers slightly to a 15-degree angle.
The Length of Time in which Muslims Prayed toward Al-Aqsa Mosque as their Qibla
Prophet Mohammed, PBUH, and Muslims took Al-Aqsa Mosque as their Qibla for nearly 14 years and a half. Therefore, Al-Aqsa has been the first Qibla for Muslims, and that shows its great status in their hearts.
Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Relation to the Kaaba
1 . The Building: the first unique connection between the two mosques has been in their construction. In the prophetic tradition, the following was reported: Abu Thar narrated: “I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! Which mosque was built first?’ He replied, ‘Al-Masjid-ul-Haram.” I asked, ‘Which (was built) next?’ He replied, ‘Al-Masjid-ul-Aqsa’ I asked, ‘What was the period in between them?’ He replied: ‘Forty (years).’ He then added, ‘Wherever the time for the prayer comes upon you, perform the prayer, for all the earth is a place of worshipping for you’”.
– This Hadith is one of the most important clues that can be used to reflect on the relationship between the two mosques, which started since the beginning of time.
2 .The Two Mosques’ Form of Building and Architectural Character: Studies have shown that the construction plans for Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Kaaba are similar, and that they are compatible in scientific proportions and angles, though they differ in their dimensions and lengths.
– If we study the architectural plans of the two mosques, we notice that all the angles between the external sides in the horizontal projection of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s area and those of the Kaaba are identical. Therefore, the opposite sides in Al-Aqsa Mosque have the same deviation of those of the Kaaba.
– This discovery provides evidence on that they were built by the same person, after a divine inspiration.
3 . Al-Isra’a and Al-Mi’raj Night Journey: Allah chose this journey from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa to connect Tawhid religions (that are based on the Oneness of God), and bring all the messengers and the Last Prophet Mohammed, PBUH, together. Also, it came to connect between the greatest two sacred places in the Eye of Allah. These two mosques demand the care and attention of Muslims for their great status and for the huge reward given for those who care for them, preserve them, go worship Allah in their lands, and even live in there
The Holy Rock
– It is a normal rock with irregular shape. It is in the middle of Al-Aqsa Mosque(slightly to left), and it represents the highest point in the mosque. Its width ranges from 11 meters to 18 meters, and it is about 2 meters high. There are forged Hadiths that have been widely spread regarding this Rock, saying that it is hanging in the air, or that the wind comes from under it, etc. All of these narrations, in addition tothe descriptions that make of the Rock a miraculous matter,are mere lies. One of the myths claim that there is a hole that cuts across the Rock, and that was made by the finger of the Archangel of Allah Gabriel. This can be easily refuted using the historical evidence. The hole was made by the Crusaders, who turned the Rock into a slaughterhouse for their sacrifices when they ruled Jerusalem. They offered sacrifices to their God as a way to get close to him, as their legends say. They made the hole to drain the blood in the cave that is inside the Rock, so that they keep the place clean.
– The Rock may hold a special honor if prophet Mohammed, PBUH, ascended in his Mi’raj Journey from it. Since this is not proven, its status of honor is the same of what Al-Aqsa Mosque, with all its parts, holds.
The Blessed Land
– Whose surroundings we have blessed.
– This is a verse in the Qur’an in which Allah referred to Jerusalem as “the Blessed Land”. Nothing shows the greatness of any place more than this description. Its blessing includes its surroundings without specifying, though most interpret this as the Levant in particular being blessed.
Hajj and Umrah from Bayt Al-Maqdis
– It is a great thing to start the Hajj (Pilgrimage) from Jerusalem, and it is rewarded hugely by Allah. Um Salama said that she heard the Prophet say: “Those who start their Hajj or Umrah from Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa to Al-Masjid Al-Haram have their sins, of the past and the future, forgiven, and will be granted Paradise”.