V. THE SANCTITY OF JERUSALEM IN ISLAM

I

The sanctity of Jerusalem provides one of the most controversial issues in the Arab-Israel conflict. Jerusalem is a holy city in Islam. The roots of this belief will be examined here in some detail. Why is it that Islam, which originated in the Arabian peninsula and far removed from Palestine, came to invest Jerusalem, of all cities, with an aura of sanctity? Were the sages of Islam always unanimous on this issue? Why was this belief so devoutly nurtured in Islamic tradition? Of course, any answer to these questions will be only partial because of the complexity of the pro• blems and traditions involved, and also because of the over abundance of material on this subject available in Arabic sources as well as in general research literature. Nevertheless, a general summary of traditional and scholarly views of the problems involved may help to clarify the issue. The concept that Jerusalem is sacred to Islam stems from both Judaism and Christianity. But scholars are divided on the question as to which of the two religions had the stronger influence on Mul_lammad, and who were his outstanding teachers. Some are inclined to opt for the theory that they were Jews; others think they were non-orthodox Christian sectarians. There is no doubt, however, among scholars that Mul_lammad took some basic concepts from both Judaism and Christianity. Among others these include the Unity of God, the Covenant between man and his Maker, man's responsibility for his own actions, the Day of Judgement, and reward and punishment. If this is true, can we not assume that he also received the idea of the sanctity of Jerusalem from the same sources? Jerusalem is not expressly mentioned in the Qur'an (although most Muslim interpreters-and some Islamic scholars-are inclined to consider that Sura XVII, v. 1 refers to Jerusalem). However, the sanctity of the Land of Israel and the divine promise given to the Children of Israel that this land would be theirs is expressly stated in the Qur'an, which cites the words of Moses in the story of the spies: ''Oh my people, enter the Holy Land that has been promised to you." (Sura V, v. 21 ); cf. also, the expres• sion "Holy Land" in Zech. II, v. 14). Other verses in the Qur'an attest, at least indirectly (as in Sura II v. 136 ff.) to the fact that the direction toward which Mul_lammad and his followers turned in prayer (Qibla) was originally Jerusalem-obviously SANCTITY OF JERUSALEM 59

under the influence of Jewish and Christian customs prevalent in the Arabian peninsula at that time. Muslim students of tradition and historiographers and commentators of the Qur)an have stated this express• ly, and some even explain it as a divine commandment, given in order to convert the Jews of Arabia to Islam. This is why one of Jerusalem's ap• pellations in Islam is, to this very day, Ulii-l-Qjblatayn-the first of the two directions to be faced in prayer (the second and dominant one in Islam be• ing toward Mecca). The direction in prayer towards Mecca was establish• ed later, shortly after Mul).ammad's arrival in Al-Madina, and probably after the break between the Prophet and the Jews. In the same period• and for the same reasons-the Islamic fast was changed from twenty four hours on the tenth day of the first month (like the Jewish Day of Atone• ment) to a daily fast from sunrise to sunset, lasting the whole month of Ramac;lan, perhaps in order to sever any association withJudaism. But the ties between Islam and Judaism were not completely severed even after the clash with the Jews. For example, the fast of the tenth day of the first month remained an optional one in Islam (but because of the abolition of intercalation in Islam it may fall in different seasons, unlike the fixed Jewish Day of Atonement). The basic concepts of the Ramac;lan fast re• mained similar to those of the Jewish Day of Atonement: repentance, judgement, forgiveness, etc. The idea that the Qur)an was revealed in the month of Ramac;lan resembles the Jewish idea about the two Tablets of the Covenant.' Even the description of the beginning of the fast in the Qur)an (Sura II, v. 187)-" ... and eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn"-seems to have the imprint of the language of the Mishna (Berakhot 1,/2). 2 If this is the case with a basic law like a fast, Jewish influence may have been even stronger with regard to a general idea, such as the sanctity of Jerusalem. Even after the direction of prayer was changed in Islam, the idea of the sanctity of that city, located so far away from the cradle of Islam, was maintained and cultivated, especially among circles of pious Muslims who felt attracted to the religious concepts of Judaism and Christianity.

II

The historic events which occurred after the death of the Prophet in 632 C.E. have reinforced the sanctity of Jerusalem even more by giving this concept a pragmatic meaning. The Muslim armies stormed out of the Arabian peninsula shortly after Mul).ammad's death. They conquered many countries and built up an empire that reached Gibraltar in the west