Al-Aqsa Mosque

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Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa
Front entrance to the al-Aqsa mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
DistrictOld City
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusMosque
Location
LocationJerusalem
Geographic coordinates31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E / 31.77639°N 35.23556°E / 31.77639; 35.23556
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleIslamic
Specifications
Capacity5,000 (inside); 400,000 (precincts)[1]
Minaret(s)4

31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E / 31.77639°N 35.23556°E / 31.77639; 35.23556

For other uses, see al-Aqsa.
For the nearby structure, see Dome of the Rock
Southern wall of the Temple Mount. The dome of the al-Aqsa mosque can be seen.

Al-Aqsa Mosque ("The Farthest Mosque") (Arabic: المسجد الاقصى, [IPA /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, Al-Masjid al-Aqsaⓘ) also known as al-Aqsa and the Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit), is a mosque in Jerusalem, which was first built by Abdul Malik ibn Marwan (646-705), fifth caliph of the Arab Umayyad dynasty, and finished by his son in 705 AD[2]. The al-Aqsa mosque is part of the Al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif ("The Noble Sanctuary"). Jews know the area as the Temple Mount, believing it to be the location where the Jewish Temple was built.[3] [4] It is considered the third holiest spot in Islam. Muslims believe that Muhammad went from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the al-Aqsa Mosque during the Night Journey. Islamic traditions say Muhammad led prayers there before ascending to heaven.[5]

These significant religious beliefs have led Muslims and Jews to fervent claims of exclusivity of al-Aqsa. Conflicts have arisen as a result.

The mosque has been the target of planned attacks, some of which were executed. In 1969 Michael Dennis Rohan set the mosque on fire, destroying a large portion of it. Some members of the Gush Emunim Underground, a militant Jewish group, planned to blow up the mosque, but the attack was thwarted.[6]

In September of 2000 Ariel Sharon visited al-Aqsa, and Palestinians threw various objects at the accompanying police force. In return the police shot rubber bullets at the protesters. Palestinians said the visit was meant to be provocative, while Ariel Sharon denied these allegations, saying he had gone there with a message of peace[7] This visit is what some believe caused the Second Intifada[8], though it is a controversial issue[9][10] .

Name

"Al-Aqsa Mosque" translates to "the farthest mosque". The mosque's name is a reference to a story in the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which Muhammad goes from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then up to Heaven on a flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif [1] [11]

History

Pre-Construction

The site of the Mosque originally contained the Chanuyot storehouse for the Temple in Jerusalem. The Chanuyot was destroyed along with the Temple by Roman Emperor (then General) Titus in 70 CE. Unlike the Temple, which was completely destroyed, a significant portion of the Chanuyot may have survived the destruction as the current mosque includes rows of ancient Corinthian columns that appear to predate the Islamic architecture, as visible in the photo to the right. Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s and consecrated to the Virgin Mary by the name of Church of Our Lady. The church was later destroyed by the Persians in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[12]

Interior of Al Aqsa mosque

Construction

When Jerusalem came under the control of Muslims in 638, Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattāb (580-644) was given the key to the city by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Sophronius. Islamic tradition alleges that Caliph Omar clears rubbish from Temple Mount and prays there in 638 CE, thereby consecrating it as a mosque.

He later asked the Patriarch to show him what Umar spelled out as "Masjid Dawud" (Mosque of David) [citation needed] and what was called "Mihrab Dawud" (David's sanctuary or prayer niche) in the Qur'an (38:21). David chose the site on which Solomon built his temple. The Patriarch took him to the door of the sanctuary which was almost blocked due to the trash that was placed at the door. Umar looked left and right and said: “Allah is Great, I swear by the one who holds my soul in his hand that this is the Mosque of David which the prophet of Allah described to us after his night journey.”[citation needed]

Umar started cleaning the place, using his clothes to remove the rubble, other Muslims imitating him in this. Umar then entered the clean building and started praying, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[citation needed]. Thereby, Umar converted the building into a mosque, an Islamic place of prayer which infringed on nearby Christian and Jewish sites of worship.

Umar also asked Ka'ab al-Ahbar, a Rabbi who converted to Islam and came with Umar from Medina, to guide him to the Rock's location.[citation needed]

The present-day building is a result of different stages of construction and renovations. It is usually agreed upon that 'Abd al-Malik (685-705), the Umayyad Caliph who was the patron of the Dome of the Rock, began reconstructing the mosque at the southern end of the precinct.[citation needed] This work was continued by his son and successor al-Walid I (709-715), who renovated and expanded the building and at this time called it Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Middle Ages

The Al-Aqsa Mosque has been rebuilt and reconstructed sveral times. In 748, the mosque was entirely destroyed in an earthquake. It is uncertain when it was rebuilt, but it was probably rebuilt in 771, and this mosque was destroyed yet again, soon after its construction. The third mosque was built around 780, and is the first with known written records about it. In 1033, there was another severe earthquake, and the mosque had to be reconstructed again[13]

Crusades

Jerusalem was captured in 1099 as part of the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the crusaders used the mosque, which they called "Solomon's Temple", as a palace. In 1119 it was changed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this time period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch and the addition of an apse. A church was added, as well as a cloister and a dividing. [14]

Modern history

Interior of Al Aqsa mosque showing the mihrab

1969 Arson attack

On August 21, 1969 there was a fire at Al-Aqsa that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque, which was known as Haram as-Sharif. Among other things the fire destroyed was a one-thousand-year-old wood and ivory pulpit (minbar) that had been sent from Aleppo by Saladin[15].

At first the Arabs blamed Israel for the fire. Arabs marched through the streets, chanting "Death to Israel!" Some Israelis blamed Fatah for the fire, and said they had caught the mosque on fire so they could blame Israel for it, and arouse hatred against Israel[16]. However, neither Fatah or Israel started the fire. The arson was a tourist from Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God[17]. He hoped that by burning down the Al-Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus[citation needed]. Rohan told the court that he acted as "the Lord's emissary" on divine instructions, in accordance with the Book of Zechariah, and that he had tried to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque in order to rebuild the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount[citation needed]. He was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel[18].

Bomb plot

In the 1980's Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that by blowing up the two mosques he would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and it would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock.[19] [20]

Second Intifada

On September 28 of 2000 Ariel Sharon, and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 Israeli riot police, visited the compound around the mosque. A group of around 200 Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon, and the Likud Party members left, the group of Palestinians became violent. They threw stones at the Israeli police force present there. The police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people.[21]

On September 29 of 2000 the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they threw rocks at the police. The police stormed the mosques compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians. 4 Palestinians were killed, and over 200 were injured[22].

Excavations

In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the Al-Aqsa Mosque[23]. The excavations caused many in the Islamic world to become angry, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya, a high profile member of Hamas[24], requested that all Palestinians unite to protest Al-Aqsa, and Fatah said they would end their cease-fire with Israel[25]. Israel denied all charges against them, calling them ludicrous[26].

Architecture

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Al-Aqsa has a hypostyle hall and a silver-coloured dome (made of lead).

Religious significance

Islam

In Islam the Al-Aqsa isn't just what is now referred to as Al-Aqsa Mosque, but is all of the Noble Sanctuary.[27]

Farthest mosque

The "farthest mosque" in verse 17:1 of the Qur'an is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands.This is also confirmed by a number of hadith in which the farthest mosque is explicitly mentioned as being in Jerusalem. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, "masjid", literally means "place of prostration", and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in verse 17:7 (in the same sura) is described as a "masjid". Many Western historians regard this as the originally intended interpretation, for instance Heribert Busse[28] and Neal Robinson[29]

It has been also mentioned explicitly by Muhammad himself that his night Journey was toward Bayt al-Maqdis as narrated in this hadith: A hadith attributed to Anas bin Malik reports:[citation needed]

The Messenger of Allah said: I was brought al-Buraq...who would place his hoof a distance equal to the range of vision. I mounted it and came to the Temple (Bait Maqdis in Jerusalem)... prayed two raka'ah in it, and then came out and Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, ... Then he took me to heaven... we saw Adam. He welcomed me and prayed for my good.... The (gate) was opened for us, and lo! Idris was there. He welcomed me...(The gate) was opened for us and then I was with Aaron. He welcomed me prayed for my well-being...(The gate) was opened for us and there I was with Moses...(The gate) was opened for us and there I found Abraham...Then Allah revealed to me a revelation and He made obligatory for me fifty prayers every day and night...I then came down and when I came to Moses and informed him, he said: Go back to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: I returned to my Lord until I felt ashamed before Him. Template:Muslim


A hadith attributed to Jabir bin Abdullah reports:[citation needed]

The Prophet said, "When the Quraish disbelieved me (concerning my night journey), I stood up in Al-Hijr (the unroofed portion of the Ka'ba) and Allah displayed Bait-ul-Maqdis before me, and I started to inform them (Quraish) about its signs while looking at it.


However some disagree, arguing that at the time this verse of the Qur'an was recited (traditionally at around the year 621), many Muslims understood the phrase "furthest mosque" as a poetic phrase for either a mosque established as an exclusively Muslim place of worship - in existence during Muhammad’s lifetime - (such as Medina [4], Jirana,[30] or Kufa [5]), or a mosque in Heaven, or as a metaphor.

A number of factors are enumerated why they find it unlikely that this verse referred to a location in Jerusalem :

  • There were already two places that Muslim tradition of that time period called "the farthest mosque"; one was the mosque in Medina[31] and the other was the mosque in the town of Jirana, which Muhammad is said to have visited in 630.[32]
  • Even over a century later, Islamic scholars continued to locate the "farthest mosque" with a site inside Arabia. For example, al-Waqidi in his 9th century book Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Maghazi (Book of History and Campaigns) preserved the tradition locating it in Jirana, which Muhammad visited in 630, about ten miles from Mecca.[33]
  • No mosque existed in Jerusalem during Muhammad's lifetime. It was 6 years after Muhammad’s death that the Muslims conquered Jerusalem. Only then were the foundations of the mosque laid by the Second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattāb while he was in Jerusalem. The actual Mosque was completed by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and his son Al-Walid I, 68 years after Muhammad’s death.
  • A passage from the biography of Umar states:
The Patriarch of Jerusalem handed over the keys of the city of Jerusalem to Umar. The Muslims were now the masters of Jerusalem… As Umar entered the city he was greeted by the citizens with great enthusiasm. Umar said that he wanted to be led to some place where he could offer thanksgiving prayer to Allah. He was led to a church but refused to pray there on the ground that that would set a precedent for the Muslims of the following generations to forcibly convert churches into mosques... Umar stayed in Jerusalem for a few days…he founded a mosque at an elevated place in the city. This mosque came to be known as Umar's Mosque.
Actually, the above passage informs us that there was no known (by the people) mosque in Jerusalem to pray in when Umar entered the city. So, he laid the foundation of a mosque in Jerusalem as above mentioned that the door to the mosque was covered with trash.
  • Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya (638-700), a close relative of Muhammad, is quoted denigrating the notion that Muhammad ever set foot on the Rock in Jerusalem: "these damned Syrians," by which he means the Umayyads, "pretend that Allah put His foot on the Rock in Jerusalem, though [only] one person ever put his foot on the Rock, namely Abraham."[6]
Thus he asserts Muhammad never ascended to heaven from the Rock in Jerusalem and that another location was indeed meant by the "farthest mosque".
  • When Muslims finally conquered and occupied Jerusalem, they are not known to have identified the Temple Mount with "the farthest mosque" until 715. According to A.L. Tibawi, a Palestinian historian, in 715 the Umayyads built a new mosque which they named al-masjid al-aqsa, or "farthest mosque"."[34]
  • In October 2003 an Egyptian government-owned weekly questioned the sanctity of Jerusalem to Muslims, pointing out that the Muhammad never made the miraculous "night journey " to the city. According to Al-Qahira, which is published by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the two mosques on the Temple Mount were built only to divert the pilgrimage from Mecca in the context of political rivalry between Muslim leaders:
When Abed al-Malik ibn Marwan became caliph and his rival Ibn al-Zubayr held control of Hejaz, he feared that the people would be inclined towards him Ibn al-Zubayr when they made pilgrimage [to Mecca], because the only way they could enter Mecca and Medina was with Ibn al- Zubayr's permission and under his control... Therefore, Abd al-Malik prevented people from making pilgrimage until [Ibn al-Zubayr was defeated and] the war ended. He began to build a large mosque in Jerusalem... It is from this point in time that some transmitters of traditions started to promote the religious significance of this mosque and turn it into the 'third to the two holy mosques' [of Mecca and Medina].
The article written by Egyptian columnist Ahmed Arafeh rejects the established Islamic doctrine that Muhammad's celebrated night journeytook him from Mecca to Jerusalem. He argues that the journey mentioned in the Qur'an's Surat al-Isra does not refer to a miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, but to Muhammad's emigration from Mecca to Medina.[35]
  • There is an opinion among some Muslim scholars that "the farthest mosque" in the Qur'an actually points to the Temple of Solomon and not Al-Aqsa, which was built by Umar (c. 581-644), the Muslim caliph who conquered Jerusalem in 638. However this had been destroyed many centuries earlier.[36]
  • Even if Jerusalem was indeed intended, it was nevertheless a “miraculous” occurrence, raising doubts whether Muhammad had ever physically set foot in Jerusalem at all. This could be supported by the hadith which states:
The Prophet said, "When the Quraish disbelieved me (concerning my night journey), I stood up in Al-Hijr (the unroofed portion of the Ka'ba) and Allah displayed Bait-ul-Maqdis (Jerusalem) before me, and I started to inform them (Quraish) about its signs while looking at it." Template:Bukhari-usc
  • Muslims generally believe that Muhammad physically journeyed to al-Aqsa in the Night Journey. Many Islamic scholars discuss the Night Journey as a vision or a dream. They point to a verse in Qur'an: ...and We did not make the vision which We showed you but a trial for men... [Quran 17:60] and a hadith regarding the Night Journey in Sahih Bukhari: ...Allah's Apostle said, "O Moses! By Allah, I feel shy of returning too many times to my Lord." On that Gabriel said, "Descend in Allah's Name." Muhammad then woke while he was in the Sacred Mosque (at Mecca). Template:Bukhari-usc. They argue that it was a mode of revelation for Muhammad in symbolic form for the guidance of the Muslim nation. This event also foretold Muslims that Allah would now raise Muslims up as a world power and Jerusalem would soon fall into their hands, which happened indeed within less than three decades of this event.[37][38]

A hadith attributed to Ibn 'Abbas reports:[citation needed]

(regarding the Verse) "And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens "Miraj") which We showed you (O Muhammad as an actual eye witness) but as a trial for mankind.' (17.60): Allah's Apostle actually saw with his own eyes the vision (all the things which were shown to him) on the night of his Night Journey to Jerusalem (and then to the heavens). The cursed tree which is mentioned in the Qur'an is the tree of Az-Zaqqum.


First qibla

The historical significance of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasised by the fact that Muslims turned towards the Temple Mount when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months.[39]

As it was the place at which Muhammad performed the first commanded prayer after Isra and Mi'raj, it became the qibla (direction) that Muslims faced.

For this reason the Temple Mount, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is known to Muslims as the "First of the Two Qiblas".

The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason Umar, despite identifying the Rock upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638 neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was over in Islamic jurisprudence after the change of qibla event in Islamic ideology.

However, because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself, Umar did make a small mosque in the southern corner of its platform which initially was called "Mosque of Umar" and today is known as "Masjid Al-Aqsa", taking caution to avoid the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Kaaba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[40]

Importance of Al-Aqsa Mosque

A hadith attributed to Abu Huraira reports:[citation needed]

Abu Huraira reported it directly from Allah's Apostle that he said: Do not undertake journey but to three mosques: this mosque of mine (Medina), the Mosque of al-Haram (Mecca) and the Mosque of Aqsa (Bait al-Maqdis). Template:Muslim


  1. Masjid-al-Aqsa is one of the holiest sites in Islam because, it is where, according to Muslims, Abraham (the patriarch of the Abrahamic faiths) established his covenant with Allah and spread the teaching of monotheism. Muslims respect all the prophets revered by Judaism and Christianity and their venerated places are also central to the ethos of Islam. Solomon was a prophet and revered by Muslims.
  2. Judaism belief in the Temple of Solomon (Haykal Sulaiman) as the Noble Sanctuary is coherent with the Islam believe in Masjid al-Aqsa because the literal meaning of masjid does not mean a building or any specific place. The word Masjid derived from the root word "Saa Jaa Daa" in Arabic which means (to prostrate) (act of worship). In this case not only the Mosque of Umar is considered as Masjid al-Aqsa but the entire precinct too. Muslims belief that the Temple of Solomon meant by the Jews was a Masjid and not a temple because Islam believes that all prophets conveyed the same message and prostrated to Allah during prayers.
  3. It was the site where Muhammad ascended to heaven during Isra and Mi'raj. (The main place, however, where Muhammad received most revelations, including the first, was in the cave of Hira where he meditated frequently during the first forty years of his life.)
  4. The Mosque of Umar reminds all about the atrocity and devastation suffered by the inhabitant of Jerusalem during the Roman occupation. It also signifies freedom of religion achieved by Jews which was granted to them by the Muslims after a long time.
  5. It was the first qibla, the second house (of worship) of Allah after Kaaba in Mecca, and the third holiest site in Islam.

Second house of prayer established on Earth

Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?"
"The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al-Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said.
"'And then which', I asked?"
"The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa, i.e. Holy Temple)", he said.
"I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?"
"Forty years," Muhammad replied.

Third holiest site

Main article: Holiest sites in Islam

Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[41]

Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern-day political tracts, tend to treat al-Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[42] For example, the Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al-Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al-Masjid al-Aqsa is worth 500 prayers more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate Al Aqsa from the Zionist occupation", refers to the Al-Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in the city) as the third holiest site in Islam. [43]

Some point to traditions which evidence that pilgrimage to al-Aqsa is not required. For instance, 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 Al-Aqsa Mosque he replied: "The Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) said, ‘He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the Al-Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed Salaah (five daily ritual prayers of Islam) therein.’[44] This type of leniency is common in Islam: pilgrimage to the Ka'aba in Mecca is not obligatory for children, the sick, and those who are unable to bear the expenses for Hajj.

There are those who believe that the use of the term "Third Holiest" is driven by political motives and that Al-Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site. Some believe that al-Aqsa is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and point to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. They argue that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al-Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[45] Others point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al-Fadhail (history of cities), where we can see that perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[46][47]

Judaism

The Al-Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. This temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the 10 Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[48]

Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac.[49]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al-Qibli Chapel.

References and footnotes

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  2. ^ Al-Aqsa Mosque
  3. ^ Barton, George (1901–1906). "Temple of Solomon". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-06-29.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  4. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007-10-23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers". National Geographic. Retrieved 2008-06-29. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. p. 70. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Inside Terrorist Organizations. Routledge. p. 194. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ Hanna, Mike (2000-9-28). "Violence erupts after Sharon visits Jerusalem holy site". CNN. Retrieved 2008-06-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "Al-Aqsa Intifada timeline". BBC. 2004-9-29. Retrieved 2008-06-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "NPR's Second Intifada". Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  10. ^ Gilead Ini (November 26, 2007). "Wall Street Journal Ignores Palestinians' Admissions, Blames Israel". Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
  11. ^ "Lailat al Miraj". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-29. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71-1099)". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  13. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple. KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule. Routledge. p. 91. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ "Who was responsible for the al-Aqsa Mosque fire in 1969?". Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ "The Burning of Al-Aqsa". Time Magazine: 1. 1969-08-29. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  17. ^ "The Burning of Al-Aqsa". Time Magazine: 2. 1969-08-29. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  18. ^ "Madman at the Mosque". Time Magazine. 2006-01-12. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East. Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations. Routledge. pp. 98–99. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  21. ^ "2000: 'Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots". BBC. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  22. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003?). The Middle East and North Africa 2004: 2004. Routledge. p. 560. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  23. ^ Lis, Jonathan. "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal". Haaretz. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  24. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya". BBC. 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007-02-08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007-10-14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  27. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers - Islamic History and Biography. MSA Publication. p. 12. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  28. ^ Heribert Busse, Jerusalem in the Story of Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension, Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam 14 (1991): 1–40
  29. ^ N. Robinson, Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text, 1996, SCM Press Ltd: London, pg.192
  30. ^ al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi 9th century (Oxford UP, 1966, vol. 3, p. 958-9). Jirana, which Muhammad visited in 630, is about ten miles from Mecca.
  31. ^ Arthur Jeffrey, The Suppressed Quran Commentary of Muhammad Abu Zaid, Der Islam, 20 (1932):306)
  32. ^ Alfred Guillaume, Where Was Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa? Al-Andalus, (18) 1953: 323–36)
  33. ^ al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi 9th century (Oxford UP, 1966, vol. 3, p. 958-9).
  34. ^ A.L. Tibawi, Jerusalem: Its Place in Islam and Arab History, Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1969, pg. 9
  35. ^ / Jerusalem Post, October 7, 2003
  36. ^ Moiz Amjad, The Position of Jerusalem and the Bayet al-Maqdas in Islam, understanding-islam.com, Al-Mawrid Institute.[1];
  37. ^ Ascension of the Prophet (sws), Renaissance, Al-Mawrid Institute, Vol. 8, No. 7-8, July & August 1998.[2].
  38. ^ A Question on the Night Journey of the Prophet (pbuh) , understanding-islam.com, Al-Mawrid Institute.[3]
  39. ^ Allen, E (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries, Cambridge University Press, p. 192, retrieved 2008-06-09
  40. ^ The History of Al-Tabri
  41. ^ el-Khatib, Abdallah (May 1, 2001). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān" (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 28 (1): 25–53. "The third section deals with the verses which imply ambiguous, but likely references to the same [i.e. Jerusalem]. The fourth section deals with the verses that imply ambiguous, but unlikely references. It was found that there are about 70 places in the Qur'an which fall into these two last categories.". doi:10.1080/13530190120034549. Retrieved 2006-11-17. The third section deals with the verses which imply ambiguous, but likely, references to the same [i.e. Jerusalem]. The fourth section deals with the verses that imply ambiguous, but unlikely, references. It was found that there are about 70 places in the Qur'an which fall into these two last categories {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ Wendy Doninger, consulting ed., ed. (1999-09-01). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0-877-79044-2. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help), reviewed on Google books
  43. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2-IS". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference. February 24, 1974. Retrieved 2006-11-17. RECALLING once again, the deep attachment of the Muslims to the Holy City of Jerusalem which for them is the First Qibla and the Third Holiest Shrine… {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah
  45. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97-0 ISBN 0701130709. Martin Gilbert describes how the Nazi mufti of Jerusalem raised money from an Indian prince to gild the dome and finance a publicity campaign throughout the Arab world to promote the mosques of Temple Mount as the third-holiest shrine in Islam, making them 'far more prominent than they had been hitherto in the minds of Muslims everywhere.'
  46. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February, 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. ISSN 1061-1924. Retrieved 2006-11-17. The holiness of Jerusalem was related to the rise and expansion of a certain type of literary genre, known as al-Fadhail or history of cities. The Fadhail of Jerusalem preserved the traditions of the Prophet regarding Jerusalem, the statements of various holy personages, and the city's popular lore. All of these inspired Muslims to embellish the sanctity of the city beyond its status in the holy texts. The greatest source of information for al-Fadhail was the hadith, the Prophet's traditions, which were beginning to be quoted extensively in the last third of the first Muslim century (the seventh century of the Christian era). The traditions were used to enumerate the values of visiting the city and al-Aqsa Mosque. Circulating widely during the Umayyad period, these traditions were often a reflection of the Umayyad policy of enhancing the religious status of Jerusalem. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (May 6, 2005). "The opposite of holiness". Retrieved 2006-11-17. After the prophet died in June 632 a series of successors, or caliphs, assumed authority as Islam's leaders. Between 661 and 750 the Umayyad Dynasty held the Caliphate and ruled from Damascus. During the time they ruled, on account of various internal and external pressures, the Umayyads exerted enormous effort to elevate Jerusalem's status, perhaps even to the level of Mecca...the Palestinian historian A.L. Tibawi writes, that building an actual Al Aqsa Mosque "gave reality to the figurative name used in the Koran...." As Pipes points out, moreover, "it had the hugely important effect of giving Jerusalem a place in the Koran post hoc which naturally imbued the city with a higher status in Islam." Which is another way of saying, before the Umayyads built Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa, Jerusalem had no status at all in Islam. Israeli scholar Izhak Hasson says: "construction of the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque, the rituals instituted by the Umayyads on the Temple Mount and the dissemination of Islamic-oriented Traditions regarding sanctity of the site, all point to the political motives which underlay the glorification of Jerusalem among the Muslims." In other words the sanctification of Jerusalem in Islam is based on the Umayyad building program. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  48. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel". BBC. 2001-01-18. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  49. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-07-03.

External links

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