A Brief History of Masjid al Aqsa
Masjid al Aqsa (Bait al Maqdis) was the original qibla for the Muslims. Anas ibn Malik (ra) said, ‘No one remains of those who prayed facing both qiblas (al-Quds and Makkah) except me’. [Bukhari]
Anas(ra) lived to a ripe old age of 103 and to have held on to this thought shows just how great its significance is to our history.
Masjid al Aqsa lies in the heart of Sham, a land Allah(swt) refers to as a place ‘We have blessed’. It is a sacred place of revelations, blessings and miracles throughout human history and countless Prophets and Messengers, peace be upon them all, have lived and been buried there.
Of one such miracle was the night when Angel Jibril(as) had taken Prophet ﷺ on al-Buraq from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa. There, the Prophet ﷺ led all the Prophets (as) who had been assembled in prayer. After, he ascended the heavens to meet Allah (swt). This night and the names of the two most oldest masjids on earth, Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Aqsa are mentioned in the Qur’an so therefore hold deep religious significance for Muslims world over.
In 637 Umar Ibn Al Khattab(ra) opened Jerusalem to the Muslims, remaining with them for the next 462 years, with religious freedom for minorities protected by the Treaty of Umar in accordance with Quran and Prophet’s ﷺ teachings.
Later a war-torn history of this city ensued where the Mosque became a centre-stage of struggle and resistance in Jerusalem (still ongoing today).
In the 1180s, Salahuddin al-Ayyubi managed to bring together the various feuding Muslim states that surrounded Jerusalem at the time. United, the Muslim army liberated the city of Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. Unlike the Crusaders 88 years earlier (when they seized Jerusalem), Salahuddin did not allow a massacre of civilians or soldiers. He did however, order the Crusaders out of the city and retook control of the Haram for Muslims.
“… And whoever honours the symbols of Allah - for indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.”
[Qur’an 22:32]🌙
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