The issue of Palestine is an issue that concerns us all. We are all aware of the humanitarian side of the issue the brutality, injustice, genocide being done. However we are mostly unaware of our relation to the holy land Baitul Maqdas (Jerusalem) as a Muslim. The city of Baitul Maqdas is a city to which the hearts of our predecessors and Sahaba were attached to. Not only them but the hearts of the prophets of Allah were also attached to this place.
The virtues of Baitul Maqdas are great and its surroundings are also blessed by Allah as is mentioned by Allah in Quran
Glorified be He (Allaah) Who took His slave (Muhammad) from the Masjid al-Haram[Makkah] to Masjid alAqsa [in Jerusalem], the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed.(Ch17 .V1)
The prophet Ibrahim and his nephew the prophet Lut made Hijra from their homeland Iraq to the land of Palestine like the prophet Muhammad made hijra to Madina from Mecca.
We (Allah) said "O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim". And they wanted to harm him but we made them the ultimate losers. And we rescued him (Ibrahim) and Lut to the land which We have blessed (Ch 21. V69-71)
As Ibraheem left his son Ismaeel in the blessed area of Mecca and later they built the Kaaba where Ismaeel used to worship he also left behind him another son Ishaaq who worshipped Allah in the other house of Allah masjid al-Aqsa.
Even the heart of the prophet Moosa was clinging to Baitul Maqdas. After Allah saved bani Israeel from the oppresion of Firawn (pharoah) they did not return to Egypt rather they headed for Bait ul maqdas as Allah informs us in the Quran in Surah Maida that Moosa told his nation
O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allaah has assigned to you and turn not back (in flight); for then you will be returned as losers.( Ch 5: V 21)
but they refused and said you and your Lord fight we will remain sitting here. Then they were punished in their wanderings through the desert of Senai. Moosa still yearned for the Holy Land even till his death when he refused to die far from the Holy land. We were told about this by the Holy prophet as narrated by Abu Huraira:
The angel of death was sent to Moosa and when he went to him, Moosa slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, "You sent me to a slave who does not want to die." Allah restored his eye and said, "Go back and tell him (i.e. Moosa) to place his hand over the back of an ox, for he will be allowed to live for a number of years equal to the number of hairs coming under his hand." (So the angel came to him and told him the same). Then Moses asked, "O my Lord! What will be then?" He said, "Death will be then." He said, "(Let it be) now." He asked Allah that He bring him near the Blessed Land at a distance of a stone's throw. Allah's Apostle said, "Were I there I would show you the grave of Moses by the road near the red sand hill." (Sahih Bukhari)
This was the level of love the prophet Moosa had for Baital Maqdas. Then after Moosa came the prophet Yu'sha(Joshua) who fought for this land and liberated it for bani Israeel who settled there. After that many prophets came and they were in the Holy Lands and they died there and are also buried in the holy land. Masjid al-Aqsa is the place where many prophets sent to bani Israeel worshipped Allah and taught the people. For Bani Israeel masjid alAqsa performed the same role as Masjid alNabwi had in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The prophets worshipped there and taught people there.
Maryam the mother of Eesa also worshipped there and the Prophet Zakariya always found fresh non-seasonal fruit with her when he visited her there as is mentioned in Surah Ale Imran (Ch3: V37). Also the two prophets and cousins Yahya and Eesa worshipped and called Bani Israeel to Islam from here but were rejected by Bani Israel. Yahya was killed by Bani Israeel and they tried to crucify Eesa but Allah saved him and raised him.
These are just some examples of the devotion and relation of the prophets to Baitul Maqdas and Masjid alAqsa.
The virtues of Masjid al-Aqsa are great. In one hadith we find that Aboo Dharr said,
"We were discussing, in the presence of the Messenger of Allaah, regarding which of the two mosques is more superior: The Prophet's mosque or al-Aqsa mosque. The Messenger of Allaah then said, 'A prayer in this mosque of mine is four times greater in reward than a prayer al-Aqsa mosque; though how excellent the place it is! A time will soon come when a man will have a space of the land as narrow as the bridle of his horse and he will then see that Baitul Maqdas is better for him than this world and all that is in it." (Al-Haakim)
The prophet Muhammad also said
No journey [for the purpose of worship] should be undertaken except to three mosques: My masjid (masjid Nabwi), Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah] and Masjid al-Aqsa . ( Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
In another hadith in Sahih Bukhari the companion Abu Dharr asked the prophet "O Allaah's Messenger! Which mosque was first built on the surface of the earth?" He said, "Al-Masjidul-Haram (in Makkah)." I said, "Which was built next?" He replied "Masjid Al-Aqsa." I said, "What was the period of construction between the two?" He said, "Forty years."
Another virtue of Baitul Maqdas is that Dajjal wont be able to enter it nor will Yajuj Majooj.
Once Maymoona asked the prophet ""O Allaah's Prophet, tell us about Jerusalem." the Messenger of Allaah said, "It is the land of Resurrection and Gathering. Go there and pray there. For, one prayer you perform there equals a thousand prayers you perform elsewhere."
Also our prophet on the night of Mairaaj went first to Masjid alAqsa he tied his Buraq to the ring to which the prophets used to tie their animals (this place is the dome of the rock) and led the other prophets in prayer in Masjidul Aqsa and then he ascended to the heavens on his Buraq with Jibraeel where he met his Lord.
The land of palestine will be the capital of the Khilafat near the end of times as 'Abdullaah ibn Hawaalah al-Azdee narrated that the Messenger of Allaah put his hand on his head and said, "Ibn Hawaalah, when you see the caliphate has settled in the holy land, earthquakes, sorrows and serious matters will have drawn near and on that day the Last Hour will be nearer to mankind than this hand of mine is to your head." (Ahmad and Aboo Daawood)
The companions also kept the matter of Baitul Maqdas close to their hearts. Abu Bakr in his Khilafa would say
"It is more beloved to me that I take a small village in Al-Shaam(Palestine and its surroundings) than a big city in Iraq"
Also we find the love that the Sahaba had for Baitul Maqdas in the event of its capture in Khilafa of Umer when he left madina for Baitul Maqdas. There he inquired about the position of Masjid alAqsa and he found that the christians there were using it as a pit for the refuse. Scholars say that there is no area of masjid alAqsa where a prophet did not worship his Rabb and teach the people their religion and they were using it as a pit. So Umer started cleaning the place and the companions followed then he looked for Bilal and asked him to give azaan and Bilal considered this moment to be so momentous that he was convinced to break his vow not to give Azaan after death of the prophet.
Also AbuDharr came and settled in this land and he sent a letter to his beloved friend Salman al-Farsy inviting him to come and live in this blessed and holy land.
Now this land is not only in the hands of the jews but our muslim brothers and sisters are being oppressed there. When I was gathering material to write this post i was thinking masjid al Aqsa is so sacred to us then why dont we desire(in terms of taking actions) for it to be freed for Muslims, desire to visit it like we all wish to go to Mecca or Madina and desire to go live there. If what has happened to Baitul Maqdas happens to Medina will our next generation be as inactive unaffected and unmoved like us when we see the calamities our brothers and sisters are facing in Palestine?
Note: resources used for this post
1- Excellences of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Sheikh Abdul-Baaree Ath-Thubaytee
http://www.scribd.com/doc/
2- Audio lecture: History of Palesine by Sheikh Ali al Tamimi
http://www.dhikrullah.com/
1 comment:
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