According to the "Dictionary of Islam" published in Japan in 2001, the interpretation of 'Al-Masjid al-Aqsa'identified with Jerusalem was established until the year 17 of the Hijra calendar (p.8). But there are more liberal interpretations on some English websites now.
When I visited El Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in March 2007, I recalled all of those related arguments looking up at the sky. (Lily)
1.MEMRI(http://www.memri.org)
Special Dispatch No.564, September 3, 2003
Egyptian Ministry of Culture Publication: The Prophet Muhammad's 'Night Journey' was Not to Jerusalem but to Medina
Ahmad Muhammad 'Arafa, a columnist for the Egyptian weekly Al-Qahira, which is published by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, wrote an article rejecting the established Islamic doctrine that the Prophet Muhammad's celebrated "Night Journey" (Koran 17:1) took him from Mecca to Jerusalem. 'Arafa, presenting a new analysis of the Koranic text, asserts that the Night Journey in Surat Al-Isra' (that is, "the Sura of the Night Journey") in the Koran does not refer to a miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, but to the Prophet's emigration (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina.
It should be noted that the belief that Muhammad's Night Journey (Koran 17:1) was a miraculous journey to Jerusalem is one of the most important foundations of the sanctity of Jerusalem in Islam. There is an extensive body of Islamic traditions related to this belief, and these are explicitly or implicitly rejected by the author. This article constitutes a dramatic departure from a standard Islamic doctrine. The fact that this article was published in a government journal adds to its political significance. The following is a translation of the article, titled "Was the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to Palestine or Medina?" which was published on August 5, 2003: [1]
Where Is Al-Aqsa Mosque?
"'Praise be to Him who took His servant by night (asra) [2] from the Al-Haram [Sacred] Mosque [in Mecca] to the Al-Aqsa [literally 'the most distant'] Mosque, whose environs We did bless, so that We might show him some of Our signs, for He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing One' (Surat Al-Isra'[17]:1).
"This text tells us that Allah took His Prophet from the Al-Haram Mosque [in Mecca] to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Thus, two mosques are [referred to] here, the first of which is the Al-Haram Mosque, and the second of which is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 'Al-Aqsa' is a form of superlative which means 'the most distant.' Therefore, the place to which the Prophet was taken must be a mosque, and not a place where a mosque was to be established later, nor a place where a mosque had once stood. This place must be very far from the Al-Haram Mosque. It need not be [actually] built, as the Al-Haram Mosque [itself] was at that time merely an open space around the Ka'ba [and not a building].
"But in Palestine during that time, there was no mosque at all that could have been the mosque 'most distant' from the Al-Haram Mosque. During that time, there were no people in [Palestine] who believed in Muhammad and would gather to pray in a specific place that served as a mosque. Most of the inhabitants of Palestine were Christians, and there was among them a Jewish minority. Although the Koran refers respectfully to Jewish and Christian houses of worship, it does not call any of them a mosque, rather 'churches and synagogues' (Surat Al-Hajj [22]:40). The construction of the mosque situated today in Jerusalem and known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque began only in the year 66 of the Hijra of the Prophet – that is, during the era of the Omayyad state, not during the time of the Prophet nor that of any of the Righteous Caliphs. So much for the mosque."
The Night Journey – The Prophet's Flight From His Enemies
"As for the word asra, if we open the Koran and trace the instances in which it occurs we find the following [five] verses.… [3] Hence [the verbal noun] isra' means 'moving secretly from a place of danger to a safe place.' The meaning of the [Koranic] expression 'He took His servant by night' is that He ordered him to journey in secret from his enemies to a place where he and his mission would be secure. In other words, the text speaks of the Hijra of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, and not of a visit to Palestine. [Indeed], the Hijra of the Prophet [to Medina] was carried out unbeknownst to his enemies.
"Let us go back to the beginning of Surat Al-Isra': Allah explains the reason for the Night Journey (Isra') by His words 'so that We might show him some of Our signs.' The exegetes and the transmitters of Hadith usually interpreted this as a reference to [Muhammad's] seeing the prophets and leading them in prayer. Some add [Muhammad's] ascent to heaven, and [his] seeing Paradise and Hell. How do we interpret the signs of Allah in this instance? Which of the interpretations is most acceptable?
"We [on the other hand] interpret this [i.e. the signs] as [signifying] the Prophet' s deliverance from his enemies who were cunningly plotting to murder or capture him, and Muhammad's founding of the [Islamic] state in Medina, his triumph at the Battle of Badr, his making the Al-Hudaybiyya Treaty, and then the conquest of Mecca, and the spreading of his call (Da'wa). These were palpable signs placed in the world of mankind, and they all resulted from the Prophet's Night Journey from Mecca to Medina.
"In contrast, the signs cited by the exegetes and the transmitters of Hadith are not of this world. They are [to be understood] either as shown to the Prophet metaphorically, or that the Prophet's physical nature underwent a change that permitted him to actually see them [that is, the heavenly sights]. Either way, these would not be signs, because the precondition for a sign being truly a [divine] sign is that it be actually seen, and that the man who sees it is in his real physical form. Furthermore, the fact that the reason for the Night Journey is explained with His words ' so that We might show him some of Our signs ' indicates that the Night Journey was a precondition for seeing these signs – that is, he [Muhammad] would not see any of these signs unless he went to a specific place." The Night Journey Was to Medina, Not Jerusalem
"But we say that the triumph of the Prophet's call (Da'wa) was dependent on the journey to Medina, where the Ansar [i.e. the Prophet's supporters in Medina] were. In contrast, the Prophet's journey to Jerusalem is not a precondition for him seeing some or all of the prophets that preceded him, because the miracle of their being resurrected or the Prophet's admission into their [heavenly] abode does not depend on his journey to Jerusalem. Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that all the prophets [who preceded Muhammad] were buried in Jerusalem and took it as a place of worship, it would be more fitting that they would come to him, to Mecca, out of esteem for him and for Mecca, which was about to be the new center of worship of God.
"If we move another step forward in the holy text, we find that it says in what appears to be an explanation of the reason for signs seen by the Prophet: 'He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing One.' This means that Allah took His Prophet from the Al-Haram Mosque to the most distant mosque because He heard and saw things which have connection with this event. Can anyone claim that the Prophet asked Allah to show him Palestine, or the site of the Temple of David, or a number of the prophets that had been sent [by Allah] before him, or the celestial world and Paradise and Hell? If anyone claims this, he is fabricating a lie about the Prophet.
"We, however, say that Allah [the All-Hearing One] heard the Prophet's supplication to protect him from the cunning plot of his own tribe [the Quraysh], and to provide for his mission a safe haven within the Arab environment. And He [the All-Seeing One] perceived their plot to murder or capture him [the Prophet]. Therefore, the Isra', which is the equivalent of emigrating (Hijra) in secret, took place on the very same day they decided to murder or capture him."
The Medina Mosque
"One of the traditions about the Hijra of the Prophet relates: 'He then continued on his way to Medina and entered it after 12 nights had passed from the month of Rabi' Al-Awwal. The Ansar [i.e. his supporters in Medina] gathered around him, each of them trying to grab the bridle of his camel and asking him to be his guest. But he [the Prophet] said: Let her [the camel] alone, for she has orders. His camel kept walking through the narrow paths and the alleyways of Medina until she reached a mirbad (a place where dates are put to dry) [4] belonging to two orphan youths of the Banu Al-Najjar [clan], in front of the house of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari. Then the Prophet said: 'Here is the stopping place, Allah willing. This place had been used by As'ad Ibn Zurara as a praying place before the Hijra of the Prophet, and he [Ibn Zurara] used to lead his friends in prayer there.' The Prophet then gave an order that this place be built as a mosque, and he bought its land for 10 dinars.' This is an abridgement [of this tradition] from the book Fiqh Al-Sira by Al-Buti. [5] The word 'praying place' [musalla] occurring in the above text is the equivalent of the word masjid [mosque]. In other words, this traditional account confirms that the final destination of the Hijra of the Prophet which was carried out secretly was a mosque -– that is, a praying place -– in Medina. "In conclusion, the Night Journey (Isra') was not to Palestine; rather, it was to Medina. It began at the Al-Haram Mosque [in Mecca] after the Prophet had prayed there with his companion, [6] and both of them had left it, and the journey ended at the mosque of As'ad ibn Zurara, in front of the house of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, in Medina, where the Prophet built the mosque known as the Mosque of the Prophet. The details of the journey of the Hijra are the very same details of the Night Journey (Isra'), because the Night Journey is indeed the secret Hijra."
________________________________________
[1] Al-Qahira (Egypt), August 5, 2003.
[2] This Arabic verb means "to lead or carry [someone] in a night journey" or "to cause [someone] to set out on a night journey." From this verb is derived the verbal noun isra', which is the name of the 17th chapter (Sura) of the Koran.
[3] The author cites here and interprets five Koranic verses in which this verb appears - 11(Hud):81; 15(Al-Hijr):65; 20 (TaHa):77; 26 (Al-Shu'ara'):52; 44 (Al-Dukhan): 23 - so as to establish the meaning of isra' in Koranic usage.
[4] The author gives here, in parentheses, an interpretation of the term mirbad, which he rightly assumes to be unfamiliar to present-day readers. Another meaning of this word also given by the classical Arab lexicographers, “a place in which camels and other animals are confined or stationed,” (cf. Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon) seems to be more suitable in this case.
[5] The religious scholar Dr. Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan Al-Buti.
[6] According to the generally accepted Islamic tradition, this companion was Abu Bakr.
© 1998-2013, The Middle East Media Research Institute All Rights Reserved. Materials may only be cited with proper attribution.
2.Most Merciful (http://www.mostmerciful.com)(n.d.)
'Journey By Night' (Isra) of the Prophet...
The Words of Allah, as Revealed in Arabic, DOES NOT REVEAL that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s) was taken from the Mosque (Masjid) in Mekkah to the Mosque (Masjid) in Jerusalem.
Upon deliberating what has been expounded further by Allah (s.w.t.) in Verses 53: 2 to 7 of the Qur'an, it is known to us with certainty that the Prophet was taken to the highest part of Horizon, near the Lote-tree and not to Jerusalem. Often, it is argued that King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was also a MOSQUE. The Verse Number 95 of Sura Al-e-Imran (3) REJECTS that argument. The verse 3: 59 reveals "Undoubtedly, the first House for the worship of Allah ever built for mankind is the one at Bakka (Makkah), a blessed site and a guidance for all the worlds." This Text was Added on September 1, 2008.
Most of the Muslim translators have - based upon the SPURIOUS NARRATIONS - either injected the name "Jerusalem" within the brackets or have specified 'the Mosque in Jerusalem' within their commentaries. It is a recorded historical fact from the Islamic and Jewish history that there was NO MOSQUE in Jerusalem when the Second Khalif Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) conquered this city. Khalifah Umar declined to pray in a Church and instead prayed in the open.
Here is the transliteration of the Opening Verse from Surah Al-Isra (17).
subhanallazee 'asra bi-'Abdihee laylam-minal Masjidil-Harami 'ila-Masjidil-'Aqsallazee barakna hawlahou li- nuriyahou min 'Ayatina; 'innahou Huwas-Samee'ul Baseer
Note:
Neither the name "MEKKAH" nor "JERUSALEM" is mentioned within the above Arabic Text.
The Arabic root word "qsa" means "to be distant". Al-aqsa refers to, "the more remote or further". No doubt, the Mosque that NOW STANDS in Jerusalem is known to Muslims as the "Al-Aqsa Mosque". But Allah (s.w.t) was referring to THE FARTHEST MOSQUE, ONE THAT IS BEYOND THIS PLANET. The Qur'anic Evidences and Support for that is to follow...
Here is a direct translation of the above Verse 17: 1:
Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant for Journey by night, from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did Bless, - in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: For He is the One Who Heareth and Seeth (all things).
Notes: This event of "Al-Isra " is often argued by those who wish to insist upon Prophet's visit to JERUSALEM to be separate from the event of "mi'raj" Ascension, mentioned in the Qur'an Chapter 53 (Sura An-Najam). Upon reading the above verse it is evident that the showing him of "Our Sings" is clearly stated and related with the event of Al-Isra in Chapter 17.
The details of what was shown to the Prophet(S) viz. the Lote Tree, the Garden of Paradise etc., are mentioned in Chapter 53, hence there were NOT TWO SEPARATE EVENTS. The Night Journey was from the Sacred Mosque to the Mosque beyond the Highest Horizon. It may also be noted that there is an article Al (the), before the Names of these Two Masajid and they indicate SPECIFIC DESIGNATED PLACES OF WORSHIP FOR MUSLIMS.
Translator Yusuf Ali's MISLEADING -- SELF-CONTRADICTORY Commentary Number 2168 reads:
The Farthest Mosque must refer to the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem on the hill of Moriah, at or near which stands the Dome of the Rock, called also the Mosque of Hadhrat 'Umar. This and the Mosque known as the Farthest Mosque (Masjid-ul-Aqsa) were completed by the Amir 'Abd-ul-Malik in A.H. 68. Farthest, because it was the place of worship farthest west which was known to the Arabs in the time of the holy Prophet: it was a sacred place to both Jews and Christians, but the Christians then had the upper hand, as it was included in the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, which maintained a Patriarch at Jerusalem. The chief dates in connection with the Temple are: it was finished by Solomon about B.C. 1004; destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar about 586 B.C.; rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C.; turned into a heathen idol-temple by one of Alexander's successors, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C.; restored by Herod, B.C. 17 to A.D. 29; and completely razed to the ground by the Emperor Titus in A.D. 70. These ups and downs are among the greater Signs in religious history.
The emphasis "must refer to" placed by the translator is UNFOUNDED. Surprisingly, the next sentence of that commentary acknowledges the fact that this famous Mosque in Jerusalem known as (Masjid-ul-Aqsa) was completed in 68 A. H. The Prophet passed away in 10 A. H.
Caution:
Yusuf Ali published his translation with commentary in 1938. Millions of copies of that original publication, with the above Erroneous Commentary, have been distributed from Indo-Pakistan and also the revised and edited copies from Saudi Arabia by The Presidency of Islamic Researches, IFTA, Call and Guidance -- printed by King Fahad Holy Qur'an Printing Complex. Any Muslim or non-Muslim, who is not aware of the fact that it is ONLY WITHIN the mistranslated texts and the commentaries this MISCONCEPTION EXISTS may be (naus'billah) inclined to doubt the VERACITY of the Qur'an.
Allah knows the secret in the heavens and the earth (Qur'an 25: 6). How could Allah reveal; His Prophet had visited a Mosque that DID NOT exist during Prophet's life time! It is the translators and commentators misgivings based upon the Spurious Re-reported Narrations quoted little later. Read the revealed verses of the Qur'an that negate these Narrations.
If you feel that you owe to Allah and His Prophet, the dispelling of the Falsehood, please read carefully the entire article and Spread The Truth...
Where was this Farthest Mosque if not in Jerusalem?
The answer is, the Mosque Beyond the High Horizon where the Prophet (s.a.s.) was taken, and where the Angels do Pray, Celebrate and Glorify Allah as mentioned in the Qur'an:
"The heavens are almost rent asunder from above them (by His Glory): and the angels celebrate the Praises of their Lord and pray for forgiveness for (all) beings on earth: Behold! Verily Allah is He the Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." Sura Ash-Shura (42); Verse 5.
Within human concept the distance from Mekkah to Jerusalem is the Farthest, but for Rabb of the Worlds (Universe) it is beyond the high horizon were angles reside.
To understand an obscure passage from the Holy Qur'an it is suggested by Allah (see Qur'an 11: 1), to study other passages from the Qur'an on the relevant subject matter. Here are verses that expound the subject of Prophet's Journey by Night that unfold REALITY and disclose FACTS:
Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him: He was taught by one mighty in Power. Endued with Wisdom: For he appeared (in stately form). While he was in the highest part of the horizon:. Qur'an 53: 2-7
The (Prophet's) (mind and) heart in no way falsified that which he saw. Will ye then dispute with him concerning what he saw? For indeed he saw him second time. Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass: Near it is the Garden of Abode. Qur'an 53: 11: 15.
Notes:
1. "Your Companion" is a reference to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.).
2. Angel Gabriel is called "one in mighty power, endued with wisdom". See Qur'an 81: 23
3. The above verses tell us that the Night Journey of the Prophet was not a physical one.
4. The Garden of Abode and the Lote-tree are located high above the Horizon in the SKY.
5. The Prophet had visited the highest part of that horizon beyond which none can go.
6. Since Angel Gabriel appeared for the second time in the highest part of the horizon (after the first appearance in the Cave near Mekkah), the idea of Prophet meeting Gabriel and drinking a cup of milk offered by him in Jerusalem (see Hadeeth below) can not be entertained.
Those who claim that the Prophet (s.a.s.) met Angel Gabriel for the Second time in the Mosque of Jerusalem and thereafter he was taken to the Highest Horizon near the Lote-tree are in reality refusing to Judge by what Allah (s.w.t.) has Revealed in Q. 53: 11-15 quoted above...
They who do not judge by which Allah has revealed from the high are indeed, disbelievers. (Kafirun) Qur'an 5: 44.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING VERSES FOR SEVEN FIRMAMENTS AND THE SEVEN EARTHS.
Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them (all) descends His Command: that ye may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah comprehends all things in (His) Knowledge. Qur'an 65: 12
Notes:
1. The Arabic term sama ("heaven" or "sky") is often translated as the canopy or the firmament above our earth. Term Seven Heavens or Firmaments often appear in the Qur'an.
2. The phrase "earth (of) a similar number" denotes the multiplicity of the cosmic system, which the mankind has yet to discover. We know there are billions of galaxies and the possibility of life similar to that on this earth cannot be ruled out.
3. Descending of Allah's Command tells us that upon these far away "Earths" may live the obedient servants of Allah. If so, there could be Mosques (Prayer Houses). And, Prophet Muhammad s.a.s. was given the exclusive honor of visiting "the farthest" of these Mosques.
4. We daily recite "Rabbil-'Alameen" meaning Allah is the Rabb of the Worlds (plural). To doubt the existence of other worlds that also need sustaining is to doubt the text of the Qur'an.
Note: In verse 17: 1 above, it is revealed that the objective of THE NIGHT JOURNEY WAS TO SHOW THE PROPHET (S) ALLAH'S SIGNS. The detailed information of Allah's Great Signs shown to the Prophet beyond the highest horizon are recorded under chapter 53, particularly in verse 18. The commentary number 2168 quoted earlier tells us there were no Great Signs of Allah in Jerusalem during the life Prophet to show.
Spurious narrations have superimposed the Qur'an:
There are several such narrations in circulation. I have selected the ones compiled by Imam Bukhari who is regarded as the top most sound authority on the Collection of Hadeeths. Please read the following "cut and paste" text. The Narration is from the classification DRINKS 'Intoxicants and Gambling; Stones and Arrow', Volume 7, Hadeeth Number 482 (the text is reproduced from Alim CD):
Narrated Abu Huraira:
On the night Allah's Apostle was taken on a night journey (Miraj) two cups, one containing wine and the other milk, were presented to him at Jerusalem. He looked at it and took the cup of milk. Gabriel said, "Praise be to Allah Who guided
you to Al-Fitra (the right path); if you had taken (the cup of) wine, your nation would have gone astray."
Notes:
1. The Qur'an has recorded the first meeting of the Prophet with Angel Gabriel in a visible form was in the cave of Hira on the Mountain of Light (Nur), near Mekkah.
2. The Prophet's next meeting with Angel Gabriel in a visible form was during his Miraj or Night Journey, near the Lote-tree and the Garden of Abode as mentioned in verses 53: 11-15. And, that was the 2nd meeting.
3. The Qur'an does not record any meeting of the Prophet with Angel Gabriel in Jerusalem.
4. The Night Journey of the Prophet from this earth to beyond the horizon and in the vicinity of the Lote Tree was a Spiritual Journey and NOT a Physical one -- according to Bibi A'isha (r.a.) the Prophet's body was lying in bed -- the concept of DRINKING MILK by the Spirit on a Spiritual Journey (with physical body in bed) can not be entertained.
5. The Prophet's Night Journey was direct from one Mosque on this earth to another Mosque beyond the Horizon. There was no stop-over.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING HADEETH FROM BUKHARI; CLASSIFICATION FASTING; VOL. 3: 215.
Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri (who fought in twelve Ghazawat
in the company of the Prophet).
I heard four things from the Prophet and they won my admiration. He said;
1. "No lady should travel on a journey of two days except with her husband or a Dhi-Mahram;
2. "No fasting is permissible on the two days of Id-ul-Fitr and 'Id-ul-Adha;
3. "No prayer (may be offered) after the morning compulsory prayer until the sun rises; and no prayer after the 'Asr prayer till the sun sets;
4. "One should travel only for visiting three Masjid (Mosques): Masjid-al-Haraam (Mecca), Masjid-al-Aqsa (Jerusalem), and this (my) Mosque (at Medina)."
Notes.
1. Could the Prophet have spoken about a Mosque that DID NOT EXIST UPON THIS EARTH?
2. While DEFENDING THE ERRONEOUS COMMENTARIES based upon Hadeeths, some scholars do argue that Jewish Temple or Christian Church CAN ALSO qualify as a "Mosque". IF SO, did the Prophet equate, in above quoted Hadeeth, the Church wherein the names of Jesus Christ and Mary - the Mother of Jesus, were being INVOKED with the SACRED MASJID-AL-HARAM???
3. "And Mosques are built for Allah's worship; therefore, invoke not anyone along with Allah." Qur'an 72: 18. This verse disqualify the Christian Churches from being designated as Mosques.
4. Umar Ibn Khattab would not have refused to pray in the Church of Jerusalem or any location where the Prophet had himself prayed.
Text of another Hadeeth from Al-Bukhari 4: 585 (also 4: 636), cut and paste from ALIM CD:
Narrated Abu Dhar
I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which mosque was first built on the surface of the earth?" He said, "Al-Masjid-ul-Haram (in Mecca)." I said, "Which was built next?"
He replied "The mosque of Al-Aqsa ( in Jerusalem)." I said, "What was the period of construction between the two?" He said, "Forty years." He added, "Wherever (you may be, and) the prayer time becomes due, perform the prayer there, for the
best thing is to do so (i.e. to offer the prayers in time)."
1. The Qur'an Reveals that this Masjid-ul-Haram was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ishmael (a.s.), while they were in Mekkah. This was the first Masjid built on this earth.
2. How could Prophet speak of "FORTY YEARS" when he perfectly well knew the REVEALED TEXT for the building of that Mosque.
3. The History of Islam records that the next or the second Masjid, after the one in Mekkah, was built by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) himself in Medina when he had migrated to Medina. Neither the Muslims nor the Prophet had migrated to Jerusalem when Medina Mosque was built.
4. Six years after the Prophet had left this earth the followers of Islam conquered Jerusalem.
5. The foundation of the third Masjid was laid by the Second Khalifa Umar Ibn Khattab (r.a.) while he was in Jerusalem. The Mosque upon the surface of this earth known as Al-Aqsa Mosque was completed by Amir Abdul Malik Marwan and by his son Al-Walid, after 68 Hijri.
6. The Prophet had visited the "FARTHEST MOSQUE" WHICH WAS NOT IN JERUSALEM OR UPON THIS EARTH.
A passage from the biography of the second Khalif named Umar bin al-Khattab (r.a.):
The Patriarch of Jerusalem handed over the keys of the city of Jerusalem to Umar. The Muslims were now the masters of Jerusalem. That was a special divine favour of God to the Muslims. As Umar entered the city he was greeted by the citizens with great enthusiasm. Umar said that he wanted to be led to some place where he could offer thanksgiving prayer to God. He was led to a Church but he refused to pray there, on the ground that that would set a precedent for the Muslims of the following generations to forcibly convert churches into mosques...
Umar stayed in Jerusalem for a few days. He reorganised the administration, and made the necessary arrangements to look after the needs of the citizens. He founded a mosque at an elevated place in the city. This mosque came to be known as Umar's Mosque.
The above passages tell us that there was NO MOSQUE IN JERUSALEM to give Azan or to Pray to Allah, when the Khalif entered the city. He laid the foundation of the First Mosque in Jerusalem.
IMPORTANT QUESTION: If the so called reliable compilers of the Prophetic Narrations could hear and record the above quoted Reliable Narrations related by ABU HURAIRA, ABU SAID AL KHUDRI, ABU DHAR, relating to the MOSQUE IN JERUSALEM CALLED MASJID AL-AQSA, CENTURIES LATER, how come KHALIFA UMAR WHO HAD LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE WITH THE PROPHET (s.a.s.) HAD NOT KNOWN OF IT AND DID NOT INQUIRE ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THIS MOSQUE IN THE CITY DURING HIS STAY IN JERUSALEM AND INSTEAD PRAYED IN THE OPEN SPACE AND LATER ON BUILD THE "UMAR'S MOSQUE"?
To learn the history of Al-Aqsa Mosque visit:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GBSA,GBSA:2005-10,GBSA:en&q=al+aqsa+mosque
Here at http://www.noblesanctuary.com/ one will find the ONLINE GUIDE TO HARAM AL-SHARIF THE NOBLE SANCTUARY IN JERUSALEM. The glimpses of the history of the Temple of Solomon; the Conquer of Jerusalem after the death of the Prophet; the photos and history of the Mosque of Umar; the Dome of the Rock; the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other constructions in the Sanctuary.
After reading the historical facts, IF YOU ARE CONVINCED there was NO MOSQUE IN JERUSALEM during the life of the Prophet, then BELIEVE IT - these Hadeeths were forged by people who lived AFTER THE PROPHET HAD LEFT THE WORLD AND KNEW OF THIS MOSQUE. THESE FORGERS THEN ATTRIBUTED THEIR SOURCES TO THOSE COMPANIONS WHO HAD FOUGHT SIDE BY SIDE WITH PROPHET.
Allah reveals: Those to whom We have sent the Book study it as it should be Tilawatih (Recited): They are the ones that believe therein. Qur'an 2: 121. We cannot ADD the name of city "Jerusalem" or SUBSTITUTE "Mosque" with the Jewish Temple or a Christian Church within Opening Verse of Surah Al-Isra (17). If we truly and sincerely wish to study what Allah has Revealed let us not deviate from the Arabic Text!
Important Question and its Answer:
A Muslim Brother wrote:
Waleykum salaam
Thanks for the article, it's intriguing and enlightening to say the least' but you left one question unanswered. It's maintained in traditions that before turning their Qibla direction towards kaaba, Muslim used to face Jerusalem while they prayed. Why did they do that and what the significance of this prior to the revelation that asked them to turn their Qibla to kaaba?
MY ANSWER: Prior to the promulgation of the Islamic Laws and/or the Traditions by Allah through His Final Testament - the Qur'an, the earlier Revealed Laws and/or the Traditions were applied. As for an example; The "stoning to death" for the sin of adultery was substituted with "flogging" once the Verses of Surah Nur (24: 2 to 6) were revealed. The significance of Kab'ah takes us to our roots in the Patriarch Abraham (a.s.), who is honored by Allah for being Hanif and Khaleel.
A Response Posted on an Islamic website
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html
to a Hadeeth from Bukhari quoted by me earlier, the opening passage of which reads:
I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which mosque was first built on the surface of the earth?" He said, "Al-Masjid-ul-Haram (in Mecca)." I said, "Which was built next?" He replied "The mosque of Al-Aqsa ( in Jerusalem)." I said, "What was the period of construction between the two?" He said, "Forty years."
Please read carefully the following response and my brief note added after the text:
His saying (40 years)
But the possibility mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi is more pertinent. And I found evidence supporting those who say that it is Adam who founded both mosques. For instance, Ibn Hisham mentioned in "Kitab al-Tijan" that when Adam built the Ka`bah, God ordered him to walk to Bayt al-Maqdis and build it and so he did and offered worship in it. And the construction of the House [Arabic: al-Bayt, i.e., the Ka`bah] is famous and we have mentioned earlier the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr that the House was elevated in the time of the flood until God showed Abraham its location. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from the way of Ma`mar from Qatadah: God founded the House with Adam when he descended. But Adam missed the voices of the Angels and their prayers. Therefore, God told him: I sent down a House around which [people] will revolve like it is revolved around my Throne, so set out to it. Adam set out to Makkah - He had descended in India, and his steps were enlarged until he reached the House and revolved around it. It was also said that when he had prayed at the Ka`bah, he was ordered to set out to Jerusalem where he built a masjid [mosque] and prayed therein so that it became a qiblah to a part of his progeny.[17]
In summary, the verse 17:1 refers to the holy locations in Jerusalem and Makkah because they are blessed regardless of the presence or absence of a building at the time of the heavenly trip of Prophet Muhammad(P). From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi showing that it was Adam(P) who built both mosques for the first time and that the job of Abraham and Solomon(P) was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.
Brief note: Prophet Muhammad (p) had no knowledge of the past or future. Neither the text of Hadeeth quoted earlier nor those quoted by the Islamic website indicate that the narrated information had come from Allah, who had Commanded Adam (a.s.) to build these two mosques. On the other hand, we know it with full assurance that the Prophet was conveyed the following:
Remember We made the house a place of assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma`il that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round or use it as a retreat or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). Qur'an 2: 125
________________________________________
RECENT E-MAILS FROM READERS:
Several readers have sent emails informing me that the famous Jewish TEMPLE OF SOLOMON in Jerusalem was the Mosque Al-Aqsa that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) had visited on that night.
My Response: The history books have recorded that Roman Emperor Titus had completely destroyed that Temple in 70 A.D. There was no Jewish Temple or an Islamic Mosque in Jerusalem during the life of the Prophet. Later, the Dome of the Rock was built on that vacant plot of land in 63 Hijri. Yes, there was a Christian Church with the images of Jesus and others...
The Temple Mount - the Haram-esh-Sharif
The Temple Mount (Heb., Har Habayit; Arabic, Haram esh-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary),is identified in both Jewish and Islamic tradition as the area of Mount Moriah where Abraham offered up his son in sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-18; the Koran, Sura Al-Saffat 37:102-110). Here King Solomon built the First Temple almost 3,000 years ago. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, but 70 years later Jews returning from exile built the Second Temple on the same site. King Herod refashioned it into an edifice of great splendor. Following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70, the area of the Temple was deliberately left in ruins (first by the Romans, then by the Byzantines). This desecration was not redressed until the Muslim conquest of the city by the Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab in 638. He ordered the clearing of the site and the building of a "house of prayer". Some 50 years later, the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik built the Dome of the Rock to enshrine the outcrop of bedrock believed to be the "place of the sacrifice" on Mount Moriah. He (or his son, the Caliph al-Walid I) also built the large mosque at the southern end of the Haram, which came to be called al-Aksa.
The above was copied from the Internet...
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What is your Personal Choice?
Since the Prophet's Journey was a singular event in his life time and he was taken Directly from One Mosque to Another Mosque, the important question is; Where was that Al-Aqsa Mosque?
Those who wish to UPHOLD the re-reported Narrations from the Collection by Imam Bukhari as fully Dependable and totally Authentic; the Al-Aqsa Mosque for them was in JERUSALEM...
Those who wish to UPHOLD the revealed verses of the Qur'an in Surah Najm (Ch. 53) the ONLY Dependable and Authentic; the Al-Aqsa Mosque for them was Beyond the HIGHEST HORIZON...
________________________________________
TOP RANKING LEARNED SCHOLARS OF HADITHS OF OUR ERA HAVE DISCOVERED THAT ISLAM TODAY ABSOLVES AND EMBRACES MORE THAN 5000 WEAK, SPURIOUS OR FABRICATED HADITHS...
TO READ THE DETAILS VISIT http://www.mostmerciful.com/al-albaani.htm
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ALLAH ALONE KNOWS THE TRUTH...
3. Telegraph (http://my.telegraph.co.uk)
Muhammad’s claims to Jerusalem is a Myth, 20 July 2011
by amuhd
Strange as it may seem, there are many myths that continue to be perpetuated today as fact when they are clearly myths. As there are people who consider what I have posted unsuitable for adult reading I will attempt once more from a different slant. Muslims claim rights to Jerusalem because they claim that Muhammad set foot in Jerusalem, but this could not have happened because:
“Where does Islam’s claim to Jerusalem come from? Where did it all start?
“Muhammad’s ‘night’-journey (isra) to ‘the farthest mosque’ (al-masjid al-aqsa)”
[The Isra and Mi'raj (Arabic: الإسراء والمعراج, transl. al-ʾIsrāʾ wa l-Miʿrāğ), are the two parts of a Night Journey that, according to Islamic tradition, the Islamic prophet Muhammad took during a single night around the year 621. It has been described as both a physical and spiritual journey.
The Isra begins with Muhammad praying in the Kaaba in Mecca, when the archangel Jibral (Gabriel) comes to him, and brings him the steed Buraq, the traditional "heavenly steed" of the prophets. Buraq carries Muhammad to the Masjid Al Aqsa the "Farthest Mosque", which Muslims believe is "the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem." ( It you can believe that a flying horse could transport a man from Mecca to Jerusalem and back in one night then anything is possible.This mosque did not exist before Muhammad's death. The distance between Mecca and Jerusalem is 755.1 miles. To complete this feat in one night would have meant that Buraq must have been jet propelled in the 7th Century. Hence it's a myth.)
Muhammad alights, tethers Buraq to the Western Wall and leads other prophets including Adem (Adam), Musa (Moses), and `Īsā (Jesus) in prayer. In the second part of the journey, the Mi'raj (an Arabic word that literally means “ladder”[4]), Buraq takes him to the heavens, where he tours the circles of heaven, and speaks with the earlier prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. He is then taken by the angel Jibril to meet God. So Muhammad travels through 7 heavens to meet Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, all called prophets who have died hundreds or thousand of years earlier must be some feat of the imagination. Besides, Adam and Abraham were pagan Sun worshipper, and were never prophets in the Bible, only in the Quran. What words of wisdom did Adam or Abraham ever utter or prophesy to gain them a place as prophet of Islam?
This interpretation was advanced even by the earliest biographer of Muhammad—Ibn Ishaq—and is supported by numerous aḥādīth. The term used for mosque, “masjid”, literally means “place of prostration”, and includes monotheistic places of worship but does not exclusively lend itself to physical structures but a location, as the prophet Muhammad stated ‘the earth has been made a masjid for me and my followers…’ (bukhari volume 1, Book 7, Number 331).
When Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem after Muhammad’s death, a prayer house was built on the site. The structure was expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and finished by his son al-Walid in 705 CE. The building was repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt, until the reconstruction in 1033 by the Fatimid caliph Ali az-Zahir, and that version of the structure is what can be seen in the present day.
Many Western historians, such as Heribert Busse[9] and Neal Robinson,[10] agree that Jerusalem is the originally intended interpretation of the Qu’ran. Muslims used to pray towards Jerusalem, but Muhammad changed this direction, the Qibla, to instead direct Muslims to face towards the Kaaba in Mecca on the basis of having received divine intervention.]
Jerusalem is never mentioned by name in the Qur’an, being mentioned 823 times in the Bible, and Zion (which usually means Jerusalem, and sometimes ‘the Land of Israel’), appears 161 times.
Of the 823 mentions of Jerusalem by name in the Bible, 669 of them are in the Old Testament, and 154 times in the New Testament.
The Qur’an refers to Muhammad’s “night journey” (isra) as follows:-
“Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest mosque……………………(Subhana allathee asra biAAbdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi al-aqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAalbaseeruu)
Surah 17:001
When this Surah was revealed ~621 AD, the Sacred Mosque already existed in Mecca, but where was “the farthest mosque?” It was apparently identified with places inside Arabia; either Medina, or a town called Ji’rana, about ten miles from Mecca, which Muhammad visited in 630 AD.
Palestine had not yet been conquered by Muslim armies, and contained not a single mosque. “
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra_and_Mi\'raj
Where does Islam’s claim to Jerusalem come from? Where did it all start?
“Muhammad’s ‘night’-journey (isra) to ‘the farthest mosque’ (al-masjid al-aqsa)”
Jerusalem is never mentioned by name in the Qur’an, being mentioned 823 times in the Bible, and Zion (which usually means Jerusalem, and sometimes ‘the Land of Israel’), appears 161 times.
Of the 823 mentions of Jerusalem by name in the Bible, 669 of them are in the Old Testament, and 154 times in the New Testament.
The Qur’an refers to Muhammad’s “night journey” (isra) as follows:-
“Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest mosque……………………(Subhana allathee asra biAAbdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi al-aqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAalbaseeruu)
Surah 17:001
When this Surah was revealed ~621 AD, the Sacred Mosque already existed in Mecca, but where was “the farthest mosque?” It was apparently identified with places inside Arabia; either Medina, or a town called Ji’rana, about ten miles from Mecca, which Muhammad visited in 630 AD.
Palestine had not yet been conquered by Muslim armies, and contained not a single mosque.
http://www.danielpipes.org/comments/31175
Obviously, those who believe in Muhammad’s claim to have traveled to Jerusalem either in body or in spirit rely on blind faith rather than common sense. Even if he had never traveled there before, it is highly unlikely that he could not have heard descriptions of the city from others who had, particularly since he was known to seek out story tellers on his business trips.
There is simply no compelling reason to believe that Muhammad’s dream was anything other than that.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Muhammad/myths-mu-jerusalem.htm
This post is simply to show that there are many myths in Islam that has been believed too literally and should be shown as myths and nothing more.
4. http://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/a-journalist-shares-his-experience-life-in-saudi-arabia/
1. Laila Rasheed • August 1, 2013 - 3:55 pm • Reply→
MOHAMMEDANISM: A COSMIC JOKE
ROCKET MAN & HIS FLYING MACHINE
Sahih Bukhari 5:58:227 “…Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me.” … “The animal’s step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal’s sight. …”
AIR MECCA
COME FLY WITH US TO THE MOON & BACK, THE SAME DAY, ON OUR 1 HORSE-POWERED BURAQ, THE GREATEST FLYING MACHINE IN THE WORLD.
WE MAKE NASA LOOK LIKE THE FLINTSTONES!
Yabba-Dabba-Doo & AWAY SHE FLEW
Al-Burāq (Arabic: البُراق al-Burāq “lightning”) is a mythological steed, described as a creature from the heavens which transported the prophets. The most commonly told story is how in the 7th century, Al-Buraq carried the Islamic prophet Muhammad fromMecca to Jerusalem and back during the Isra and Mi’raj or “Night Journey”, which is the title of one of the chapters (sura), Al-Isra, of the Quran.
THE JOURNEY TO 7TH HEAVEN
The Night Journey took place 12 years after Mohammad became a prophet, during the 7th century
MOHAMMED WITH UNLIMITED BURAQ HORSEPOWER
It’s called a buraq, and the myth comes from the hadith, a supplement to the Koran.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Hadith Number 227
“I was brought by the Buraq, Which is an animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, who would place its hoof at a distance equal to the range of vision.”
OPEN HEART SURGERY, 1400 YEARS AGO
The angel cut open Muhammad’s chest, took out his heart, and purified it with the holy water of the nearby Zam-zam well. The angel then restored the heart to Muhammad’s chest, leaving no wound. After this, the Buraq arrived. Muhammad mounted the beast, and in the company of Gabriel, they traveled to the “farthest mosque”. The location of this mosque was not explicitly stated, but is generally accepted to mean Jerusalem.
At this location, Muhammad dismounted from the Buraq, prayed, and then once again mounted the Buraq and was taken to the various heavens, to meet Allah. Muhammad was instructed to tell his followers how many times per day that they were to offer prayers. The Buraq then transported Muhammad back to Mecca.
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227:
Narrated Abbas bin Malik:
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah’s Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying, “While I was lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my body open from here to here.” I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, “What does he mean?” He said, “It means from his throat to his pubic area,” or said, “From the top of the chest.” The Prophet further said, “He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray of Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with Belief) and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me.” (On this Al-Jarud asked, “Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?” I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, “The animal’s step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal’s sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has Muhammad been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). ‘This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’ The gate was opened.
When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and ‘Isa (i.e. Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), ‘These are John and Jesus; pay them your greetings.’ So I greeted them and both of them returned my greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said (to me), ‘This is Joseph; pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!’
The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to me), ‘This is Idris; pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked. ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is! So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel said, (to me). This is Aaron; pay him your greetings.’ I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked. ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. It was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’
When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),’ This is Moses; pay him your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, ‘What makes you weep?’ Moses said, ‘I weep because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked,’ Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me), ‘This is your father; pay your greetings to him.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.’ Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, ‘This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) . Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I asked, ‘What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?’ He replied,’ As for the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.’
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma’mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked, ‘This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.’ Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me), ‘What have you been ordered to do?’ I replied, ‘I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.’ Moses said, ‘Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your followers’ burden.’ So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, ‘What have you been ordered?’ I replied, ‘I have been ordered to observe five prayers a day.’ He said, ‘Your followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower’s burden.’ I said, ‘I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah’s Order.’ When I left, I heard a voice saying, ‘I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Worshipers.”
BUKHARI
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 228:
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:
Regarding the Statement of Allah”
“And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens) which We made you see (as an actual eye witness) was only made as a trial for the people.” (17.60)
Ibn Abbas added: The sights which Allah’s Apostle was shown on the Night Journey when he was taken to Bait-ulMaqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) were actual sights, (not dreams). And the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Quran is the tree of Zaqqum (itself) .
You have to feel for people in countries that don’t have a good infrastructure. No bus routes or train lines, no underground subway. I sometimes think back to when I had to cycle eight miles a day to get to and from work. I am so grateful that I now have a car.
Back in the 7th Century, travel was much more of an issue, but thankfully there was one special way to get about in no time at all. This form of travel didn’t have alloy wheels and carbon brakes, a large exhaust pipe and a turbocharger engine. Nor did it have a v12 engine with 2000hp. This was a completely different kind of horsepower.
It was a flying horse.
That’s right. A horse that could fly. It’s a popular story for Muslims. They tell the tale of how 12 years after becoming a prophet, Muhammad had a lot of travelling to do. He had been in his home city, Mecca, visiting his cousin when Buraq appeared (with an angel). Muhammad saddled up and flew on it to Jerusalem, which is about 766 miles. He got down, said a prayer and then they were off again, apparently to visit the various heavens.
Now that’s fast. 766 miles in one night, on a horse. Then back.
Buraq also appeared to Abraham who made regular use of such a magnificent beast. He lived in Syria with one of his wives but would often travel via super-horse to Mecca in order to visit his other wife, Hagar, and his son Ishmael. After a nice meal and a catch up, Buraq would take him back in the evening.
Muhammad, by the way, was apparently instructed at this time that people should pray 50 times a day to God. No wonder! With travel being so convenient, you’d have time to pray 50 times a day!
Muhammad’s claims to Jerusalem is a Myth
Strange as it may seem, there are many myths that continue to be perpetuated today as fact when they are clearly myths. As there are people who consider what I have posted unsuitable for adult reading I will attempt once more from a different slant. Muslims claim rights to Jerusalem because they claim that Muhammad set foot in Jerusalem, but this could not have happened because:
“Where does Islam’s claim to Jerusalem come from? Where did it all start?
“Muhammad’s ‘night’-journey (isra) to ‘the farthest mosque’ (al-masjid al-aqsa)”
[The Isra and Mi'raj (Arabic: الإسراء والمعراج, transl. al-ʾIsrāʾ wa l-Miʿrāğ), are the two parts of a Night Journey that, according to Islamic tradition, the Islamic prophet Muhammad took during a single night around the year 621. It has been described as both a physical and spiritual journey.
The Isra begins with Muhammad praying in the Kaaba in Mecca, when the archangel Jibral (Gabriel) comes to him, and brings him the steed Buraq, the traditional "heavenly steed" of the prophets. Buraq carries Muhammad to the Masjid Al Aqsa the "Farthest Mosque", which Muslims believe is "the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem."
( If you can believe that a flying horse could transport a man from Mecca to Jerusalem and back in one night then anything is possible. This mosque did not exist before Muhammad's death. The distance between Mecca and Jerusalem is 755.1 miles. To complete this feat in one night would have meant that Buraq must have been jet propelled in the 7th Century. Hence it's a myth.)
Muhammad alights, tethers Buraq to the Western Wall and leads other prophets including Adem (Adam), Musa (Moses), and `Īsā (Jesus) in prayer. In the second part of the journey, the Mi'raj (an Arabic word that literally means “ladder”), Buraq takes him to the heavens, where he tours the circles of heaven, and speaks with the earlier prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. He is then taken by the angel Jibril to meet God.
This interpretation was advanced even by the earliest biographer of Muhammad—Ibn Ishaq—and is supported by numerous aḥādīth. The term used for mosque, “masjid”, literally means “place of prostration”, and includes monotheistic places of worship but does not exclusively lend itself to physical structures but a location, as the prophet Muhammad stated ‘the earth has been made a masjid for me and my followers…’ (bukhari volume 1, Book 7, Number 331).
When Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem after Muhammad’s death, a prayer house was built on the site. The structure was expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and finished by his son al-Walid in 705 CE. The building was repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt, until the reconstruction in 1033 by the Fatimid caliph Ali az-Zahir, and that version of the structure is what can be seen in the present day.
Many Western historians, such as Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson, agree that Jerusalem is the originally intended interpretation of the Qu’ran. Muslims used to pray towards Jerusalem, but Muhammad changed this direction, the Qibla, to instead direct Muslims to face towards the Kaaba in Mecca on the basis of having received divine intervention.]
Jerusalem is never mentioned by name in the Qur’an, being mentioned 823 times in the Bible, and Zion (which usually means Jerusalem, and sometimes ‘the Land of Israel’), appears 161 times.
Of the 823 mentions of Jerusalem by name in the Bible, 669 of them are in the Old Testament, and 154 times in the New Testament.
The Qur’an refers to Muhammad’s “night journey” (isra) as follows:-
“Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest mosque……………………(Subhana allathee asra biAAbdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi al-aqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAalbaseeruu)
Surah 17:001
When this Surah was revealed ~621 AD, the Sacred Mosque already existed in Mecca, but where was “the farthest mosque?” It was apparently identified with places inside Arabia; either Medina, or a town called Ji’rana, about ten miles from Mecca, which Muhammad visited in 630 AD.
Palestine had not yet been conquered by Muslim armies, and contained not a single mosque. “
Obviously, those who believe in Muhammad’s claim to have traveled to Jerusalem either in body or in spirit rely on blind faith rather than common sense. Even if he had never traveled there before, it is highly unlikely that he could not have heard descriptions of the city from others who had, particularly since he was known to seek out story tellers on his business trips.
There is simply no compelling reason to believe that Muhammad’s dream was anything other than that.
（End）
