Many men, including young Palestinian women, have been injured and sacrificed their lives for Masjid al-Aqsa with a smile. Such pictures are often circulated on social media and are one of the reasons for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palestinians have been fighting Israel for centuries with only stones and a few small-scale missiles against the oppressed and modern armed Zionist Israel in their homeland. Recently, the Palestinian armed organization Hamas shocked the world by suddenly and overwhelming attacking Israel. In fact, many of us don't know or are not able to realize its historical and religious importance and significance.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is very important not only to Palestine or the Middle East, but to all Muslims, it is their love and life pulse. It is the first Qibla of Muslims and the second mosque built in the world after Masjid al-Haram. The name of this place is taken while mentioning the event of Meraj in the Quran. Islamic scholars have traditionally referred to it as "Al-Isra" even after the Khulafay Rashidun. Verse 1 of Surah Bani Israel adds to the importance of "Al-Aqsa". This verse says "Holy and Glorious is He who made His servant travel overnight from Masjidul Haram (in Makkah) to Masjidul Aqsa (in Palestine)". Almost all scholars in their translation and interpretation of this verse specifically mention "al-Aqsa" and "Masjid al-Haram" and confirm that the described "al-Aqsa" is the "al-Aqsa" located in "Jerusalem".
Al-Aqsa Mosque is situated on 27 acres of land and this entire compound consists of different five mosques - Masjid Qibli, Masjid Marwani, Masjidul Karim, Masjidul Borak, Tubbatur Sakram. Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) mentioned it as the place of assembly and departure. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) after its arrival his vehicle stopped where Borak, the mosque built there is called Borak. The place from where Meraj takes place is called Mehrab Ubbatun Nabi.
Jerusalem is one of the holiest places in Islam. Many verses of the Qur'an refer to Jerusalem, which was also mentioned by the earliest Islamic scholars. "Jerusalem" is also mentioned many times in the hadith. Masjid al-Aqsa located here is the third most revered mosque of the Muslims and is also mentioned in many medieval inscriptions. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said, "A person who prays at home gets 25 times good if he prays in Waqtia Mosque, 500 times if he prays in Friday Mosque, 50,000 times if he prays in Al-Aqsa Mosque, 50,000 times if he prays in my mosque i.e. Masjid al-Nababi, and one lakh if he prays in Masjid al-Haram or Kaaba House." Merits will be rewarded. (Ibn Maja, Mishkat). This place is one of the three places that Muhammad (PBUH) said to visit for religious reasons. The remaining two places are Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nawabi. The OIC regards Al-Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam and claims Arab sovereignty over it.
The dictionary meaning of the word 'Isra' is "night travel". The word meraj comes from the Arabic word "uruj dhatu", which means to rise. In the terminology of Islamic Shari'ah, the journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa is called 'Isra' and the journey from Masjid al-Aqsa to Arshe Azim (the sky) is called Meraj. That night Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended to the heavens in a divine way and met with Allah was Shabae Meraj. Meraj has a special importance and significance in Islam, because it is through this Meraj that the second pillar of the five pillars of Islam, i.e. prayer, is determined as essential (faraj) for Muslims and the rule of five daily prayers is practiced.
By God's infinite mercy, Prophet Solomon (AS) obtained such a gift that all the animals and birds of the world, even the jinn and the atmosphere, were completely loyal and obedient to him. All of them obeyed his orders. Prophet Solomon (AS) was determined to fulfill the desire of his father's heart. He brought skilled stonework and famous craftsmen from different countries of the world and built a huge building, decorated with various materials. For this, stones have been extracted from the bottom of the bottomless sea by the jinns. Trees and angels are painted on the walls and surfaces. Gold, silver, pearls, diamonds, emeralds, yakut, turquoise and other metals and stones were inlaid on the roof and the beauty of the beautiful mosque increased a hundredfold. The pious people of Bani Israel were engrossed in the worship of Allah in this Baitul Muqaddas or Holy House of Worship.
Al-Aqsa Mosque has historical importance for Muslims. Early Muslims used this place as Qiblah. As the Quranic verses were revealed after the Hijrah, the Kaaba became the new Qibla instead. This verse was revealed during the prayer in Masjid al-Qiblatin. Since then the Kaaba has been used as the Qiblah. According to early mufassirs, after the conquest of Jerusalem in 638, Umar (RA) consulted the Ka'b al-Ahbar on the best place to build a mosque. He was a Jewish convert to Islam who came with him from Medina. He suggested that it should be behind the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) and thus have all of Jerusalem in front of you. Umar retorted, "Yours is compatible with Judaism!". Immediately after this conversation Umar started cleaning a place, which was full of rubbish and rubbish. He used his jabba (cloth) and the other Companions imitated him until the place was cleared. Umar then prayed at the place where Muslims believe that the Prophet (PBUH) had prayed before Meraj. Umar is said to have rebuilt the site as a mosque. Since it was already a sacred place of worship as the place of prayer of Dawud (AS) and Sulaiman (AS), Umar built it in the southern corner of the structure. So that the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) does not fall between the mosque and the Kaaba and Muslims can only face Makkah during prayer.
The area of Al Aqsa Mosque is full of memorials of many prophets and messengers, and there are many tombs of prophets and messengers around it. There are many memories of the Great Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi. The entire Surah Yasin is written on the stone of this mosque. It has long been the landing place of Ohi, the center of Islam and the pasture of Islamic culture and the cradle of Islamic propagation. It is the love and life pulse of the Muslim Ummah.
