Title: The Position of Jerusalem and the Bayet al-Maqdas in Islam Question: My question regards the status of Jerusalem in Islam and Islamic tradition. I shall first excerpt an article and letter that I have received: 1. Myths of the Middle East by Joseph Farah http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=15066 ....I know what you're going to say: "Farah, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem represent Islam's third most holy sites." Not true. In fact, the Koran says nothing about Jerusalem. It mentions Mecca hundreds of times. It mentions Medina countless times. It never mentions Jerusalem. With good reason. There is no historical evidence to suggest Mohammed ever visited Jerusalem. So how did Jerusalem become the third holiest site of Islam? Muslims today cite a vague passage in the Koran, the seventeenth Sura, entitled "The Night Journey." It relates that in a dream or a vision Mohammed was carried by night "from the sacred temple to the temple that is most remote, whose precinct we have blessed, that we might show him our signs. ..." In the seventh century, some Muslims identified the two temples mentioned in this verse as being in Mecca and Jerusalem. And that's as close as Islam's connection with Jerusalem gets -- myth, fantasy, wishful thinking. Meanwhile, Jews can trace their roots in Jerusalem back to the days of Abraham. 2. ..,it rates not a single mention in the Koran, Not as Jerusalem but as Al Quds , the Moslem name it does. This claim is more than Isalmic Clerics have responded to this challenge, in a letter to the Jerusalem Post. They claim 'references' in the Koran, probably similar to the chumash which refers to 'the place which I shall show you', only the Tanach references Jerusalem 700 times. The second difficulty is that Islamic tradition tells us that al-Aqsa mosque is near Mecca on the Arabian peninsula. This was unequivocally stated in 'Kitab al-Maghazi' (Oxford UP, 1966, vol. 3, pp. 958-9), a book by the Moslem historian and geographer al-Waqidi . This description by al-Waqidi which is supported by a chain of authorities ( isnad ), was not 'convenient' for the Islamic propaganda of the 7th century. In order to establish a basis for the awareness of the 'holiness' of Jerusalem in Islam, the Califs of the Ummayad dynasty invented many 'traditions' upholding the value of Jerusalem (known as 'fadha'il bayt al-Maqdis' ), Thus was al-Masjid al-Aqsa 'transported' to Jerusalem. It should be noted that Saladin also adopted the myth of al-Aqsa and those 'traditions' in order to recruit and inflame the Moslem warriors against the Crusaders in the 12th century. So, my questions are: What is the position of Jerusalem (and the basis for it) in Islam and Islamic tradition? How do we know that "the farthest mosque" refers to the site presently identified as such, in Jerusalem? What do you make of al-Waqidi's argument (referred to in the second document)? I myself have not seen the book. Does the " masjid al-Aqsa " referred to in the Qur'an refer to only the building that is called " masjid al-Aqsa " today, or to the entirety of the Haram al-Sharif platform? jazakallah khairun Answer: The author of the referred writing finds difficulty in acknowledging the position of Jerusalem and the Bayet al-Maqdas in Islam because of the general tendency of studying Islam in seclusion of the traditions of the prophets of God preceding Muhammad (pbuh). Islam is not a new religion. It has never claimed to be so. The Qur'an has clearly stated that Islam was the religion taught by all the prophets of God. The Islamic tradition, thus, is a continuation of the correct traditions of Judaism. If the author would look at Islam, in the light of the foregoing principle, he/she would not find any problem in acknowledging that the position of Jerusalem in Islam is the same as it is in Judaism, merely on the grounds that Islam is actually in continuation of the true traditions of the prophets of God - including Moses, David, Solomon, John and Jesus (pbut) - even though the name of Jerusalem is not even mentioned once in the Qur'an. Thus, it is an established historical fact that during the initial period of his ministry, the Prophet (pbuh) - under the directives of God - prescribed for the Muslims to offer their daily prayers in the direction of the Bayet al-Maqdas . The venerated position of the Bayet al-Maqdas in Islam is adequately established by this fact alone. Furthermore, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: You should not travel toward any other place for the purpose of worship and veneration except the three mosques: The Masjid e Haraam (i.e. the Ka`bah ); the Masjid e Aqsaa and this mosque [at Medinah] ( Ibn Maajah ). One may, nevertheless, ask what is it that distinguishes these three mosques from the mosques of the rest of the world. The answer is quite obvious: These three mosques were built by three prophets of God, according to God's directives. This fact gives these three mosques a distinctive superiority over the other mosques of the world. As far as how do we know that the phrase ' Al-Masjid al-Aqsaa ' refers to the Bayet al-Maqdas in Jerusalem is concerned, in my opinion, some of the important points in this connection are as follows: The Qur'an has described this mosque as the 'far-off' mosque. The reader should keep in mind that the referred verses were revealed at Mekkah , therefore, this phrase could not have been used for a mosque inside or near Mekkah . The Qur'an has described the referred mosque as one the surroundings of which 'We [i.e. God] have blessed'. It may be interesting to note that a 'land We [i.e. God] have blessed' is generally used in the Qur'an for Palestine [1] . Finally, there is no other mosque which holds a comparable significance in the tradition of the prophets of God or the religions based on divine revelation. Al-Waaqadi has only mentioned an alternate opinion regarding the phrase 'Al-Masjid al-Aqsaa' . This opinion has generally remained unacceptable to the Muslims (since the times of the Prophet), due to the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. 'Al-Masjid al-Aqsaa' , as should be clear from the foregoing explanation, refers to the Temple of Solomon, built according to the directives of God. I hope this helps. April 13, 2001 [1] For example see: Al-Aa`raaf 7: 137, Al-Anbiyaa 21: 71 and Al-Anbiyaa 21: 81. The Bible too has referred to Palestine as a land blessed by God. Addressing the Israelites, Moses (pbuh) is reported to have said about it: 'For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land , a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you.' (Deuteronomy 8: 7 - 10).