Masjid Al-Aqsa- Why is it so important to Muslims? ‘And the Prophets lived therein. There is not a single inch in Jerusalem where a Prophet or angel not stood’ -Tirmidhi- The Al-Aqsa Sancurtary in Jerusalem is respected and held dear by Muslims for numerous reasons.

First QIbla for Prayer From the beginning of time Muslims always prayed facing Jerusalem. This is important because it shows the significance and special position of Jerusalem. Muslims carried on facing Jerusalem in their prayers until 18 months after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrated from Makkah to Medina.

The Muslims changed the direction of qibla from Jerusalem to the Kabah in Makkah after Allah commanded them. The Jews in Madinah used to face Jerusalem for their prayers and they did not like it that the Muslims did too and would mock the Prophet (peace be upon him). So Allah revealed:

(Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah).) (2:144).

(Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed the Muslims that even though the Qibla had changed this did not reduce the importance of Masjid Al-Aqsa to Muslims.

Second Masjid built on Earth The second Masjid to be built on earth was Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, in Palestine by Prophet Adam. He built Masjid Al-Aqsa 40 years after building the Kabah in Makkah. This makes Masjid Al-Aqsa a central place for Muslims as Allah ordered it to be built by the very first man He put on Earth. Over the years Masjid Al-Aqsa was rebuilt by a number of noble people. Prophet Ibrahim left his birth town, Ur in Iraq and travelled to Jerusalem and started to live in the Blessed Land. He found Masjid Al-Aqsa in ruins so he re-built it with his son Ishaq. After Prophet Ishaq passed, his sons left Palestine and travelled to Egypt. Masjid Al-Aqsa was now left alone and became neglected because people started to forget about Allah. The Masjid then started to crumble and fall down. Many years later the Masjid became completely destroyed. Then Allah sent Prophet Dawud who was very strong and brave. After becoming the leader of Jerusalem he started to rebuild Masjid Al-Aqsa. Prophet Dawud used to pray in the compounds of the Al-Aqsa sanctuary, whilst the Masjid was being constructed. However he did not finish building it before he passed away. His son Sulayman who was also a Prophet of Allah continued to build the Masjid until it was complete. Sulayman had a lot of love for Masjid Al-Aqsa and he commanded the Jinns to help him complete the building. Many Prophets that came after Prophet Sulayman who lived nearby Masjid Al-Aqsa prayed in it and took care of it. Third holiest mosque in Islam Masjid Al-Aqsa is the holiest Islamic site in Jerusalem and is the third most sacred Masjid in Islam. There are many other Masjids and places of significance but Masjid Al-Aqsa has the greatest significance that dates back to the first man on earth, Prophet Adam. Masjid Al-Aqsa has been mentioned many times by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in regards to its virtue and importance. It is the only mosque besides the Ka`bah in Makkah which is mentioned by name in the Qur`an. Abu Darda (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) said, “A prayer in Makkah (Ka’bah) is worth 1000,000 times (reward), a prayer in my Masjid (Madinah) is worth 1,000 times and a prayer in Al-Aqsa Sanctuary is worth 500 times more reward than anywhere else”. [Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Suyuti]