The History of Al Aqsa Mosque

بسم الله الر حمن الر حيم

welcome to The Furthest Mosque

The History of Al Aqsa Mosque from Earliest Times to the Present day

For more than thirteen hundred years Al - Aqsa has been venerated throughout the Muslim world

as the third holiest site of Islam. It was to this that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings

upon him, made his Night Journey from the Masjid al - Haram in Makkah. It was from this site that

he, peace and blessings be upon him, ascended on the Miraj, his journey through the heavens to

his Lord :

’Glory be to him Who carried His Servant (Muhammad - peace be upon him) by night, From the

Holy Mosque to the Furthest Mosque, The precincts of which We have blessed,That We might

show him some of Our signs. He is the All - Hearing, the All – Seeing.’

(Qur’an, Surah Al-Isra’, 17:1)

For thirteen hundred years Al - Aqsa has dominated the skyline and the life of the Holy City. For

more than thirteen centuries it was a centre of pilgrimage for Muslims from all over the world. For

the past twenty years, its very existence has been threatened. It is purpose of this publication,

and the videotape available with it, to outline the history of events that has led to this situation and

the Muslim perspective on, and beyond, it

Palestine; The land of the Prophets. Rich in history - the history of generations of believers who

lived and worshipped, and fought and died there, praising their Lord and defending their faith.

Nearly 4,000 years ago the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, stopped in the land of

Cannan. He was a true believer, one pure of faith. He surrendered his will to God alone, with no

associates.

From his sons Ishmael and Isaac came two great nations of believers. The descendants of

Abraham - two rivers from a single sea. But the nearest to Abraham were those who most closely

followed his way.

Six centuries later the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, revived his teachings and led his

people, descendants of Isaac, out of Egypt. Their destination? Palestine, the Land of Canaan.

Two more centuries and the Prophet David, peace be upon him, united the scattered tribes of

Israel. He took Jerusalem for his capital. It is said that he brought with him the ark of the

coveneant.

The Prophet Solomon, peace be upon him, inherited the Kingdom from David, and built

fortifications, and a place of worship; a place of worship on a site revered since ancient times, a

hill known as Moriah.

The Kingdom split into two in the struggle for power following Solomon’s death; Israel to the North

and tiny Judah, including Jerusalem to the South.

After two hundred years of bitter rivalry between these two kingdoms, Israel was conquered by

the Syrians and Judah found itself the sole remaining remnant of the Israelite nation.

A temple cult developed in the house of worship built by Solomon. Elaborate rituals and a paid

priesthood were put in place. Protagonists of a return to the pure teachings of Moses were beaten

and exiled. Incidents of injustice and immorality within the general populace became rampant.

The destruction of the Temple, and with it Jerusalem, was prophesied.

Nebuchadenezzar entered Jerusalem in 586 BC. The temple was sacked and set fire to, and

razed to the ground. The Royal Palace and all the great houses were destroyed, the population

carried off in chains to Babylon. and they lamented on their long march into exile:

"If we had just performed the will of God and devoutly sung His praises, we would not

have into your hands been delivered"

Judah ceased to exist. Four hundred years of rule by the house of David had to come to an end.

In 536 BC, the Persians overthrew the Babylonians and encouraged exiles to return. Construction

began on the Second Temple and was completed in twenty years.

After 200 years of relative peace the Greeks captured Jerusalem. Attempts at Hellenization,

including the rededication of the Second temple of Zeus and the sacrifice of pigs on its altar

sparked a revolt.

In 164 BC Hasmonean Jews captured Mount Moriah and re - consecrated the Temple. But after a

hundred years of Jewish rule, the society they created lay in ruins, broken down by years of

vicious infighting.

Jerusalem was overrun by Rome in 63 BC. Herod was appointed King of Judea. He slaughtered

the last of the Hasmoneans and ordered a lavish restoration and extension of the Second

Temple.

A period of great civil disorder followed with strife between pacifists and Zealots, and riots against

the Roman authorities. In the midst of this chaos Jesus of Nazareth, peace be upon him, began

his teaching mission. His attempts to call people back to the pure teachings of Abraham and

Moses were judged subversive by the authorities. He was tried and sentenced to death; "yet they

did not slay him but a likeness that was shown to them."

Years later Jewish Zealots captured the temple Mount and massacred roman troops in Herod’s

palace. After three years of revolt, Titus of Rome laid siege to Jerusalem. The fiercely defended

Temple eventually fell, and with it the whole city. Seeking a complete and enduring victory, Titus

ordered the total destruction of the Herodian Temple. It was the 70th year of the Christian Era.

A new city named Aelia was built by the Romans on the ruins of Jerusalem, and a temple

dedicated to Jupitor raised up. In 324 Constantine of Byzantium marched on Aelia. He rebuilt the

City walls and commissioned the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and opened the city for Christian

pilgrimage.

After nearly 300 years of Christian rule Jerusalem was sacked again, this time by the Sassanid

Persians. The Christians were massacred and their holy places destroyed. Fifteen years later

Byzantine rule was restored and the Persians expelled.

Attempts were made to rebuild the city. But the die was cast: 600 miles to the south, Makkah had

just surrendered to a far more dynamic and compassionate force. And it was spreading north,

soon to overwhelm all of Byzantium, carrying with it the pure essence of the teaching of Abraham,

the path revealed to Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, the path of Islam.

In 638 Jerusalem’s thousand years of recurrent persecution, intolerance and oppression, were

bought to an abrupt halt: ’Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Second Khalif of Islam, entered Al - Quds.

Eager to be rid of their Byzantine overloads - and aware of their shared heritage with the Arabs,

the descendants of Ishmaeel, as well as the Muslims’ reputation for mercy and compassion in

victory - the people of Jerusalem handed over the city after a brief siege.

They made only one condition: that the terms of their surrender be negotiated directly with the

Khalif ’Umar in person.

’Umar entered Jerusalem on foot. There was no bloodshed. There were no massacres. Those

who wanted to stay were guaranteed protection for their lives, their property, and places of

worship.

It is related that ’Umar asked Sophronius, the city patriarch, to take him to the Sanctuary of David,

as soon as he was through writing the terms of surrender. They were joined by four thousand of

the companions of the Prophet.

When they reached the area of the Noble Sanctuary they found it covered in rubbish. ’Umar

proceeded to the West of the sanctuary and unfurled his cloak. He filled it with debris. those with

him did likewise. They disposed of it and returned, again and again, until the whole area where Al

- Aqsa Mosque now stands was cleared.

The entire area of the Haram ash - shariff, the Noble sanctuary, included more than 35 acres.

The great rock, site of the Prophet’s ascension to heaven on the Night Journey, peace and

blessings be upon him, and direction of the first qibla, lay in the centre. The rock was uncovered

and the ground purified. It was suggested that the Muslims pray to the North of the rock, to

include it in the qibla when facing south toward Makkah, but ’Umar rejected this idea, and

possible future confusion, by praying to the South of the Rock, at the southernmost wall of the

Noble sanctuary.

A huge timber mosque which held three thousand worshippers was erected on this site, the site

of the present Aqsa Mosque. Fifty years later, near the end of the 7th century, it was given to the

Umayyad Khalif, ’Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, to construct one of the world’s most beautiful and

enduring shrines over the rock itself. Highlighting the skyline of Jerusalem, and the memories of

all that visit, the dome of the rock is a tribute to the Muslims’ love and respect for this site.

Thabit Al-Bunani reported on the authority of Anas that the Prophet said,

"I was brought al - Buraq, an animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller

than a mule, whose stride was a distance equal to the range of its vision.

I mounted it and came to Jerusalem, and tied it to the ring used by the Prophets. After

entering the Mosque, and praying two rakats in it, I came out and Gabriel brought me a

vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, and Gabriel said, ’you have chosen

the true religion’ We were then taken to heaven....."

Muslim transmitted it

After completion of the Dome of the Rock, construction began on the site of the original timber

mosque at the south end of the Sanctuary. A vast congregational mosque, accommodating over

5,000 worshippers, rose up. It became known as Masjid Al - Aqsa, although, in reality the entire

Haram ash-Sharif is considered Al - Aqsa Mosque, its entire precints inviolable.

The next five centuries of Muslim rule were characterized by peace, justice and prosperity. The

Noble sanctuary became a great centre of learning; scholars came from all over the world to

worship at Al - Aqsa and to study and teach within its precints. Except for a brief period under the

Fatimid Hakim which caused as much hardship for the Muslims as the Christians and Jews, the

Islamic injunctions to respect the rights of the people of the Book were respected throughout this

period.

"And We gave Moses the book, and made it a guidance for the children of Israel saying:

’Take not unto yourselves any guardian other than me’ They were the seed of those We

bore with Noah; surely he was a thankful servant.

And We decreed for the children of Israel in the book: You shall do corruption in the earth

twice, and you shall become great tyrants. So when the time for the first of these came to

pass, We sent against you servants of ours, men of great might, and they ravaged the

country, and in it was a promise performed."

(Qur’an, Surah Al-Isra)

In 1078 bands of Selijuq Turks took Jerusalem. They ruled for the next 20 years, during which

time the rights of Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem were regularly trampled, together with almost

everyone else’s, in the paths of their fierce internal rivalries.

In 1096, the first Crusade was called by Pope Urban II, ostensibly to redress violations of pilgrims’

rights. Hundreds of thousands of Christians were mobilized to defend their faith.

Sanctified by religion, spurred on by the promise of adventure and material gain, rag – tag army

of knights, foot soldiers, women children and old men, marched across Europe to their destination

and their goal, the Holy City of Jerusalem. Three years of marching and mayhem - - much of it

against their pockets of Jews who crossed their path – and a remnant of the Crusaders, perhaps

a tenth of those that had set out, reached gates of Jerusalem. It was morning of June 7th 1099.

Ironically, by the time they arrived the city was back in the hands of the Fatimids, and the rights of

Christian pilgrims had been restored. After a five-week siege, the city’s ramparts were stormed.

The Crusaders went berserk. For two days, the 40’000 men, women and children of al – Quds

were massacred in the streets, in the mosques, and in their homes. Muslim soldiers were

slaughtered in Al – Aqsa mosque after being guaranteed amnesty there. The cities Jew’s were

burned alive in their main synagogue, where they had huddled together for refuge. Al – Aqsa and

the Dome of the Rock were looted.

A golden cross was placed on top of the Dome of the Rock. It was renamed Templum Domini. Al

– Aqsa mosque became Temple Solomonis. On their enthusiasm to link the glory of the Noble

sanctuary with their own heritage, the new conquerors erased every trace possible of its Islamic

origin. In the Dome of the Rock, Qur’anic inscriptions were plastered over. Steps were carved into

the rock and an alter placed on top of it. Chips of the rock were sold for their weight in gold. Al-

Aqsa mosque was subdivided into a royal palace for the Knights Templar. The vast vaulted

subterranean area to the east of Al – Aqsa became a stable for 400 horses. All this had not

passed by entirely unnoticed by the Muslims outside of Jerusalem. In 1146, Nuradeen Mahmud

ibn Zangi, ruler of Aleppro, commissioned master craftsmen to build an extraordinary cedar

mimbar. It was to be installed in Al – Aqsa on the day the crusaders were expelled from Al –

Quds. It was Nuradeen who, through an auspicious joining of statesmanship, piety, humility and

honour in his own character, reunited the Muslims of Syria into a force capable of rising Jihad

against their enemies. But it was his lieutenant and successor, Salahudeen, who was to lead

them into victory. Generous almost to a fault, shunning luxury and ostentation, Salahudeen was

merciful with those he conquered but ruthless to anyone who maligned the Prophet and the path

of God.

On the 2nd day of October, 1187, the 27th day of Rajab, the day Muslims celebrate the Prophet’s

night journey, peace and blessings upon him, Salahudeen entered Jerusalem after a 12-day

siege. There was no bloodshed. There were no massacres. Those who wanted to leave were

permitted to do so, with all their goods. Those who wanted to stay were guaranteed protection for

their lives, property, and places of worship. The wisdom of the Khalif ‘Umar was observed, the

laws of Islam restored.

The cross on the Dome of the Rock was taken down. Al – Aqsa was purified and reinstated as a

mosque. The magnificent mimbar commissioned by Nuradeen 40 years earlier was put into

place. After 88 years of occupation, the Jumu’a prayer was held once again on the furthest

mosque. The Crusaders dressed in black. They sought aid throughout Europe to recapture

Jerusalem and soon returned to lay siege to the Muslim coastal stronghold of Acre. Richard the

Lionheart joined them in the Spring of 1191. By July the city of acre surrendered into the

crusaders’ hands. Two thousand seven hundred Muslim soldiers and their families were

assembled and massacred outside the city walls. After a year of struggling to get a toehold from

which to regain Jerusalem, Richard finally capitulated and returned to England. The rights of

Christians to worship at their holy sites were guaranteed and Salahudeen’s authority in all but the

coastal areas of Palestine was confirmed.

The next centuries witnessed the final expulsion of the Crusaders from Palestine and successful

resistance to the advance of the Mongols under the energetic rule of the Mamaluks. Awesome in

battle, the Mameluks were no less vigorous in their building programs and public works. The four

minarets on the North and West boundaries of the noble Sanctuary and the arched mawzeen

surrounding the Dome of the Rock are from the Mameluk period, as are endowments for four

madrassas on the grounds of the sanctuary and a trust fund for maintaining Al – Aqsa and the

Dome of the Rock.

After a reign of nearly 300 years Mameluk power declined. By the early 16th Century Ottoman

Turks displaced them, in the process establishing a vast empire which encompassed

Constantinople, Damascus, Cairo, Makkah, Medina and Jerusalem.

On entering Jerusalem in 1517 the ottoman sultan Selim was entrusted with keys to Al –Aqsa and

the Dome of the Rock. A delegation of Christian clerics presented him with a scroll containing the

original covenant of ‘Umar, guaranteeing them rights over the Church of the Holy places. Selim

pressed them to his face and kissed them, confirming his intention to honour ‘Umar’s word.

Selim’s son Suleiman al – Qanuni, known throughout Europe as Suleiman the Magnificent,

consolidated his domain into the greatest world power of the 16th Century. drawing on his

tremendous resources, he restored and renewed all of Jerusalem, building walls, gates, towers,

and aqueducts.

His most remembered gift to Jerusalem, however, was the breathtakingly beautiful tile work

commisioned for the exterior of the Dome of the Rock. With the incomparable skills of Persia’s

master ceramists, 40’000 tiles were fired and put into place, crowned by the inscription of Surah

YaSeen at the top. This brilliant application of exquisite aesthetics to celebrate the message of

God has made the Dome of the Rock a world landmark in sacred architecture.

This was the peak of the Ottoman empire. It soon began to deteriorate. Central authority broke

down. Regionalism rose up. Corruption by petty officials became widespread. Military and political

instructions and frontiers began to crumble. The western powers, restrained by Ottoman strength

for so many years, were joyously anticipating its collapse and the inevitable division of spoils.

In 19th Century Jerusalem their dreams began to be realized. Consular offices representing the

European powers were set up in the old city to begin exerting influence from abroad, while a new

political movement was being cultivated that could exercise power from within Palestine: Secular

Zionism.

 Denying the prophetic message, while at the same time using it as the basis of their claims for a

Jewish state in the Holy Land, crying anti - Semite at every protest of their despotic actions, even

as they planned a ruthless displacement policy against the Semitic Arabs, the European Zionists

created sufficient confusion to successfully deflect world criticism of their nationalistic goals in the

Middle East. From this apparently irreconcilable platform, the political Zionists waged a

successful campaign to gain international sympathy and support for their bizarre concept of a

secular, and at the same time Jewish, state in Palestine.

Ottoman sovereignty was now seriously threatened and with it the believers’ control of the sacred

city of Al - Quds.

When British forces entered Jerusalem after its surrender by the Ottomans in 1917, it was only a

question of time until Zionist plans began to be realized. The Balfour Declaration of the same year

gave support for the idea of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The British Mandate of 1920 helped

to enforce it. But what was originally conceived of as a more passive and politically acceptable

ally in the Middle east, turned out to be an unexpectedly impatient and violent one. Zionist

inspired terrorism and economic blackmail combined to force the British out in 1948.

A hastily prepared UN recommendation for the creation of separate Arab and Jewish states with

Palestine led immediately to an escalation of hostilities. Two Jewish terrorist groups, Airgun and

the Stern gang, led a campaign of terror and psychological warfare calculated to drive the Arabs

out, culminating in their joint undertaking at the Arab village of dayr Yasin, in which 250 men,

women and children were brutally murdered, with threats to repeat performances broadcast

throughout Palestine.

On May 14th, in 1948, David Centurion proclaimed the State of Israel. Lack of unity among the

Arab states in the ensuing Arab/Israeli wars led to huge losses. By the time of the Cessation of

hostilities in 1949, more than 700’000 Arabs were driven out of their homes.

Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock had both sustained damage from the crossfire of

mortars and bombs but remained, together with the old walled city, in the hands of the Arabs.

The first stage of their nationalistic plans realized, the Israelis cast a covetous eye on Gaza and

the West Bank. But the real prize, East Jerusalem, and its jewel, the Noble sanctuary, laid

tantalizingly just out of reach. The Israelites commenced on their plans for the capture of Al -

Quds.

In 1967 they got their opportunity. Through the din of the capricious chants of Arab nationalism

Israel carefully plotted its attack. On June 7th the Israelis took Al - Quds.

Israeli tanks and soldiers entered the Noble sanctuary. The Maghribi quarter was levelled. Two

mosques and 135 homes were bulldozed, leaving six hundred and fifty Muslims homeless. The

West Bank and Gaza were occupied, demographically impossible situations, which would drive

the Jews to desperation and despicable acts of oppression in years to come. Jerusalem was

annexed.

Only the Haram ash-Sharif was returned to the Muslims and their willingness to defend it at any

cost.

"Then We gave you once again your turn to prevail over them. And We gave you wealth

and children, and We made you more in soldiery, saying, ’If you do good, it is to your own

souls and you do good to, and if you do evil it is to them also’

So when the promise of the second came to pass, We roused against you others of Our

servants to ravage you, and to enter the Temple, even as they entered it the first time,

and to lay waste to all that which they conquered with an utter wasting. Perhaps the lord

will have mercy on you but if you return, we shall return - and We have appointed Hell a

prison for the unbelievers."

(Qur’an, Surah Al-Isra)

With the capture of east Jerusalem all of the elements seemed to be in place for the realization of

the Jewish national dream, the rebuilding of the Second Temple, for which virtually every

practicing Jew had been praying, "that in our days may the Temple be rebuilt", for the past 1900

years.

Only according to the Halachah, the Jewish code of law and doctrine, the most critical

requirement for rebuilding the Temple, the coming of the Messiah, had yet to be fulfilled. But the

requirements of Judaic Law had never deterred the Secular Zionists before. Especially when it

involved prohibiting something they desired, like a a fantastic symbol of Jewish nationalism right

in the middle of Jerusalem, to replace the glaring reminder of the Muslims still in their midst. A

Second Temple would do very well indeed, just as it had before its destruction, as an object of

worship for the Jews.

A model of the temple already existed, built on the grounds of the Holy Land Hotel in West

Jerusalem before the Six Days’ War. The only obstructions to the realization of the Zionists

architectural dreams:

• international recognition of the Muslim right to, and ownership of the Haram ash-Sharif,

• the existence of Al - Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock,

• and the vigilance of 600 million Muslims who call this site the third holiest in Islam.

Seeking to establish the principle of the Noble Sanctuary as a place of Jewish worship, extremist

groups began performing Jewish prayer services in the area of the Sanctuary, despite the

prohibition by the chief Rabbinate of Jews of even setting foot in it for fear of violating its sanctity

according to Judaic law.

Fearing retribution from the Muslim World the Israeli attorney General banned such acts in the

Spring of 1969. Four months later the entire south wing of the Al - Aqsa Mosque was destroyed

by fire. Fire fighters from Jerusalem and the West Bank answered the alarm, but not soon enough

to prevent damage that would take more than twenty years of concerted effort to repair.

When the fire was finally extinguished, the Qbla wall, mihrab and dome were destroyed and with

them the mimbar commissioned by Nuradeen over 700 years earlier; the mimbar installed by

Salahudeen when the Crusaders were driven out in the twelfth century.

An Australian visitor at a coastal kibbutz was arrested that night for setting blaze. Reaction from

the Muslim countries was strong and swift. A protest strike and demonstration was called in

Jerusalem. Others followed throughout the Muslim world

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was called, and Israel’s control of Jerusalem

put into question. The Israel’s position about rebuilding the Temple on public record:

"according to the Halachah, the Temple will be rebuilt when the Messiah appears. It is

therefore inconceivable that we ourselves should make any plans for rebuilding the

Temple"

Despite his disarmingly rational courtroom demeanor, and evidence that he may have worked

with others, an Israeli court ruled that the Australian could not be held responsible for his actions

due to mental imbalance. After treatment in Israel he returned to Australia.

Two decades later, work on the restoration of the damage caused by this fire continues.

Supported by Muslims throughout the world, and winning international awards for excellence, the

restoration has nonetheless disrupted worship in al - Aqsa since 1969, with ho immediate end in

sight.

Attempts to establish Jewish prayer services within the Sanctuary continued. In 1976 Israeli

central Courts passed a law permitting them. Two weeks of demonstrations by Muslim Law

students and the subsequent resignation of members of the municipal courts in the West Bank

resulted in their repeal. Other attempts to establish these services were renewed two years later.

In September of 1979, fifteen extremist Jews blocked the way to one of the Sanctuary’s gates on

the day of the Friday congregational prayer, pointing a gun at one of the Muslim security guards.

In may of 1981 the adhan was prohibited from the minaret overlooking the West Wall because of

Jewish celebrations.

The following month the Hakam of the Wailing Wall petitioned the Minister of

Religious affairs in Jerusalem for permission to pray in Al - Aqsa. Harassment and acts of

sabotage escalated in 1981. In August an Israeli helicopter hovered at low attitude over Masjid Al

- Aqsa preventing worshippers inside from hearing the khutba. That same month a tunnel dug by

workers from the Ministry of Religious affairs was uncovered in the sanctuary leading to the

Western Wall. The government immediately ordered the tunnel sealed because of the political

sensitivity of the issue.

Despite warnings by Israeli archeologists against digging beneath the Sanctuary, and UN

resolutions against them, excavations continued, leading to dangerous cracks to buildings

adjoining the Western Wall. Engineers and archeologists were prohibited by Israeli authorities

from revealing anything about their digs beneath Al - Aqsa.

In September Arab students entering one of these tunnels to seal it off were injured in an

encounter with a group of Israelis. A general strike was called by the Supreme Muslim Council to

protest the excavations. Muslims were prevented by Israeli Security Forces from entering

Jerusalem the following Friday for fear of large demonstrations.

The following spring armed Israeli religious students clashed with Muslim security guards. This

time the Minister of Defence was petitioned for permission to perform Jewish services at Al -

Aqsa. Excavations beneath Al - Aqsa continued with Israeli archeologists claiming the discovery

of Jewish ruins under the Mosque. In April of 1982 a parcel with a fake bomb and threats signed

by Jewish extremists was discovered at one of the gates leading to the Sanctuary. Two days later

Muslims mobilized a large demonstration in Al - Aqsa to protest attacks on Holy places.

The following day an ex - Israeli army regular opened fire with his military assault rifle, killing two

Muslims and filling the interior and exterior of the Dome of the Rock with bullet holes. The West

Bank and Gaza rioted in protest. Less than a month later shots were fired into the Sanctuary by a

sniper on the rooftop on the Madrassa Amriyya, and a group of Israelis tried to enter the

Sanctuary with leaflets inciting Jews to take over the Mosque. In nearby Khalil, armed members

of Kryat Arba entered the Ibrahimi Mosque and performed prayer with the support of the Military.

In June the Awqaf received a letter from Europe warning that this fund was trying to buy up Waqf

property to the Sanctuary.

In March Muslim security guards discovered explosives in the entrance to the Sanctuary on the

day of the Friday prayer, four armed Israelis were discovered attempting to enter the sanctuary

through Solomon’s Stables, and arms and plans for rebuilding the temple were found in the

house of an extremist group leader.

The same month a group of Jewish fanatics armed with Uzi’s and M - 16’s and carrying a cache

of explosives were caught attempting to enter the Sanctuary. Radio Israel reported that they were

prepared for a prolonged siege. Six months later they were acquitted in Israeli courts.

In January of 1984 a group of Jewish terrorists carrying ladders and explosives were stopped in

the sanctuary by Muslim security guards in the middle of the night. Four days later time bombs

were discovered by explosive experts.

By the Spring of ’84 armed Israeli guards were patrolling the Sanctuary twenty - four hours a day,

their presence and behavior inimical to the sanctity of the Mosque. The Supreme Muslim Council

petitioned the Israeli Prime Minister repeatedly to withdraw the soldiers but to no effect. With no

response forthcoming from the Israelis, the Supreme Muslim Council petitioned the UN in May of

1984 to pressure Israel to withdraw its troops from Al- Aqsa.

Despite continued demands for their withdrawal, Israeli soldiers continue to patrol the Sanctuary

on the pretense of protecting it from attack. In reality it is the Muslim - run Aqsa Security force -

underpaid, understaffed, and unarmed - whose vigilance has provided the only protection for the

Noble Sanctuary in virtually all the acts of terrorism against it.

The UN Security council has passed more than 20 resolutions condemning Israel’s annexation of

Old Jerusalem and its military occupation of the West Bank. Repeated violations of human rights

led directly to the Intifada, the Palestinian Uprising, in the winter of 1987. Recognizing the

Intifada’s roots in the revival of Islam, the Israelis increased their attacks on places of worship

throughout Palestine. On June 15th, 1988 Israeli troops stormed Al - Aqsa Mosque, firing tear gas

into groups of worshippers. A month later the discovery of new excavations adjacent to the

Sanctuary led to more civil disorder.

Less than one year later soldiers were forced from the precints of the Noble Sanctuary by the

more than 20’000 Muslims who gathered in Al - Aqsa for the first Friday prayer in Ramadan.

Roadblocks were set up around Jerusalem the following week and Palestinians from the West

Bank and Gaza were barred from the Mosque.

In the meantime, the aspiration to rebuild a Jewish Temple on the site of the Dome of the Rock

has become more and more open, despite the Judaic injunctions against it. In July of 1984 it was

reported in the International Herald Tribune that the

"yearning to remove the mosques and build a Jewish temple there has begun to spread

from a few religious fanatics into more established rightist political groups."

A recent article on rebuilding the Temple appearing in one of Israel’s major color supplements,

The Nation, explores such obtuse questions as the location of toilets, parking spaces, and gift

shops - and whether or not to air-condition while pondering the more serious implications of the

multi - billion dollar projected annual income generated by their anticipated monopoly on the

Jewish pilgrim trade.

A visit to the Institute of the Temple overlooking the Wailing Wall, and the sanctuary itself, reveals

just how busy some have been in making preparations for what they feel may be a forthcoming

event. A scale model of the Second temple is on display, together with diagrams of various other

aspects of the Temple based on descriptions of their original counterparts recorded in the Misha,

and a miniature version of the Arc of the Covenant, thought to be buried somewhere under Al -

Aqsa. Major expenditures in time and money have already been made to reproduce what are

thought to be exact replicas of the myriad utensils necessary for the performance of the complex

Jewish rituals to take place within the Temple.

A recent debate in Jerusalem between Muslim, Jews and Christians televised in Britain included

the serious suggestion by an Israeli participant that the Dome of the Rock could be relocated, as

the Temples of Ramses the Second were in Aswan Dam project, to make way for the new Jewish

temple. If the Israeli’s enthusiasm for moving Arabs out of their houses is anything to go by, not to

mention their history of blowing them up, then the Muslims had better keep an eye on Al - Aqsa

and the Dome of the Rock.

Harassment and acts of terrorism against Muslims living adjacent to the Sanctuary, while officially

not condoned, are part of an ongoing policy to drive them from this area. The eventual bulldozing

and replacement of their houses with Jewish condominium fortress complexes can only be a

harbinger of things to come.

The Israelis seem busy preparing for a war while creating the desperation, injustice and despair

necessary to provoke one. Where can it possibly lead?

To the West Bank and Gaza. To the Intifada and a people who have had enough of the insatiable

greed and thoughtlessness of an unconscionable occupation. And to Al - Aqsa, to the furthest

mosque - not to the idol that the Temple became where prophets were slaughtered and pure

religion of Abraham was abandoned - but to the site from where the Prophet Muhammad, peace

and blessings be upon him, made his journey through the heavens to the Lord.

Regarding his ascent the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, related in the last section of

the hadith reported by Thabit al bunani, on the authority of Anas:

".....I found Abraham leaning his back against the frequented house which is entered daily by

seventy thousand angels who do not return to it.

I was then taken up to the lote - tree of the furthest boundary whose leaves are like elephant ears

and whose fruits are like earthen vessels. When what God commands over shadows it, it

changes, and none of God’s creatures can describe it because of its beauty. God revealed to me

what He revealed and made obligatory fifty prayers every day and night.

I then came down to Moses who asked what my Lord had made obligatory for my people. When I

told him he had prescribed fifty prayers every day and night he said,

’Go back to your Lord and ask Him to lighten them, for your people are not capable of that. I have

tested Bani Israel and have experience.’

I went back to my lord and said "O my Lord, make things lighter for my people", so he relieved me

of five. when I returned to Moses and told him he had relieved me of five he said,

"your people are not capable of that, so go back to your Lord and ask Him to make things still

lighter." I then kept going back and forth between my Lord and Moses till he said,

"Muhammad, there are five prayers every day and night. Each will count as ten making fifty times

of prayer. He who intends to do a good action recorded for him. If he does do it, it will be recorded

for him ten times. He who intends to do a wrong action but does not do it, will have nothing

recorded against him. If he does do it, only one wrong action will be recorded against him. I then

came down. When I came to Moses and told him he said, "Go back to your Lord and ask Him to

make things lighter." God’s messenger said that he replied "I have gone back to my Lord until I

am ashamed before him " 

Muslim transmitted it.

source : The Furthest Mosque

Justly reminded !! if you know better , verify this story please !!

al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock

I have recently received an Email advising me of the status of the Masjid al Aqsa and diffrentiating it from the doom of the rock.

Can you please clarify the situation and advise, if the Masjid e Aqsa is

different from the Doom of the Rock, why do we see its picture representing Masjid e Aqsa at all Islamic places, and I (and many other muslims) were completely inaware of the difference.

Praise be to Allaah. Al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) was the

first of the two qiblahs, and is one of the three mosques to which people may travel for the purpose of worship. And it was said that it was built by Sulaymaan (peace be upon him), as stated in Sunan al-Nasaa’i (693) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.

And it was said that it existed before Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) and that Sulaymaan rebuilt it; this is based on the evidence narrated in al-Saheehayn from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, which mosque was built on earth first?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah].’ I said, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.’ I said, ‘How much time was there between them?’ He said, ‘Forty years. So wherever you are when the time for prayer comes, pray, for that is the best thing to do.’”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3366; Muslim, 520.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken on the Night Journey (isra’) to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), where he led the Prophets in prayer in this blessed mosque.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsaa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer” [al-Isra’ 17:1]

The Dome of the Rock was built by the caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan in 72 AH. It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Filasteeniyyah (4/203):

“The name al-Masjid al-Aqsa was historically applied to the entire

sanctuary (al-Haram al-Shareef) and the buildings in it, the most

important of which is the Dome of the Rock which was built by ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan in 72 AH/691 CE, which is regarded as one of the greatest Islamic historical buildings. But today the name is applied to the great mosque which is situated in the southern part of the sanctuary plateau.”

It also says in al-Mawsoo’ah (3/23): “The Dome of the Rock is situated in the middle of the plateau of al-Masjid al-Aqsa, which is in the southeastern part of the city of al-Quds (Jerusalem). It is a spacious rectangular plateau which measures 480 meters from north to south, and 300 meters from east to west.

This plateau occupies approximately one-fifth of the area of the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque which is the place of prayer is not the Dome of the Rock, but because pictures of the Dome are so widespread, many Muslims think when they see it that this is the mosque.

This is not in fact the case. The Mosque is situated in the southern portion of the plateau, and the Dome is built on the raised rock that is situated in the middle of the plateau. We have already seen above that the name of the mosque was historically applied to the whole plateau.

This is supported by the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Majmoo’at al-Rasaa’il al-Kubra, 2/61: “Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the name for the whole of the place of worship built by Sulaymaan (peace be upon him). Some people started to give the name of al-Aqsa to the prayer-place which was built by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab in front of it. Praying in this prayer-place which ‘Umar built for the Muslims is better than praying in the rest of the mosque, because when ‘Umar conquered Jerusalem there was a huge garbage dump on the rock, since the Christians wanted to show their scorn

for the place towards which the Jews used to pray. So ‘Umar issued orders that the filth be removed and he said to Ka’b: ‘Where do you think we should build a place of prayer for the Muslims?’ He said, ‘Behind the rock.’ He said, ‘O you son of a Jewish woman! Are influenced by your Jewish ideas! Rather I will build it in front of it.’

Hence when the imams of this ummah entered the mosque, they would go and pray in the prayer-place that was built by Umar. With regard to the Rock, neither ‘Umar nor any of the Sahaabah prayed there, and there was no dome over it during the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs.

It was open to the sky during the caliphate of ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, ‘Ali, Mu’aawiyah, Yazeed and Marwaan… The scholars among the Sahaabah and those who followed them in truth did not venerate the

Rock because it was an abrogated qiblah… rather it was venerated by the Jews and some of the Christians.” ‘Umar denounced Ka’b al-Ahbaar and called him the son of a Jewish woman because Ka’b had been a Jewish scholar and rabbi, so when he suggested to ‘Umar that he should build the mosque behind the rock, that was out of respect for the rock so that the Muslims would face it when praying, and veneration of the rock was part of the religion of the Jews, not the religion of the Muslims.

The Muslims’ fondness for the picture of the Dome may be because of the beauty of this building, but this does not excuse them from the resulting mistake of not distinguishing between the Mosque and the buildings that surround it.

This may be one of the plots and tricks of the Jews, because of their veneration for the rock and their facing it in prayer. Or is may be in order to give importance to the Rock so that they can fulfil their desire to build the so-called Temple of Solomon on the ruins of al-Masjid al-Aqsa. This is by making the Muslims think that al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the Dome of the Rock, so that if the Jews start to destroy al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the Muslims denounce them for that, they will tell them, “Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is fine,” and will show them a picture of the Dome of the Rock. Thus they will achieve their aims and be safe from the Muslims’ criticism.

We ask Allaah to restore the Muslims’ power and glory, and to cleanse al-Masjid al-Aqsa of the brothers of the monkeys and pigs, for Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not (cf. Yoosuf 12:21). And Allaah knows best.

 US @ NATO @ UN = AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MUST  CLARIFY THE LEGAL STATUS IMMEDIATELY ..,,OR  ZIONISM WILL BE BURIED ALIVE !!