Al-Aqsa Mosque, located south of the Temple Mount and one of the most important and sacred mosques in the Muslim world.[1] and a symbol of Palestinian national identity, [2]Al-Aqsa Mosque ("The Farthest Mosque") is one of two buildings where Muslims go to pray in the Al-Aqsa Compound, in East Jerusalem, the other is the Dome of the Rock.
History
[change | change source]Abdul Malik ibn Marwan asked for the mosque to be built, but he died before they finished building it, and it was finished by his son Al-Walid I in 705 AD.[3] The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a part of the Al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif, or "The Noble Sanctuary". This area is known as the Temple Mount by Jews, and it is believed to be the location where the Jewish Temple was built.[4][5] The mosque is the 3rd most important place in Islam. Muslims believe that Muhammad went from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the story of the "Night Journey". Also, some Islamic traditions say Muhammad led prayers there before his ascension.[6]
Attacks
[change | change source]In September of 2000 Ariel Sharon visited Al-Aqsa, and Palestinians who were at the mosque threw objects at the police force that was with Sharon. In return the police shot rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians. Palestinians said Sharon visited the mosque to make people angry, but Sharon said he had gone there with a message of peace.[7] This visit is what some believe caused the Second Intifada.[8]
Name
[change | change source]"Al-Aqsa Masjid" means "the farthest Mosque". The masjid's name comes from a story in the Quran called "The Night Journey". In the story Muhammad goes from Makkah to East Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa Masjid is. Then he went up to Heaven (Jannah).[9][10]
History
[change | change source]The mosque was first built in 705 AD. The first mosque was destroyed in an earthquake in 748 AD and had to be built again. We do not know when it was built again, but it was probably in 771 AD, and this mosque was destroyed soon after they finished building it. The third mosque was built around 780 AD. In 1033 AD there was another earthquake, and the mosque had to be built again.[11]
East Jerusalem was taken over by the Crusaders in 1099. Instead of taking down the mosque, the crusaders used the mosque as a palace. In 1119 it was changed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights.[12]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Al-Aqsa Mosque - iTravelJerusalem". www.itraveljerusalem.com. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ↑ "Israeli crowds storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, West Bank villages on Jewish holiday". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ↑ Al-Aqsa Mosque, archived from the original on 2016-02-25, retrieved 2008-07-02
- ↑ Barton, George (1901–1906). "Temple of Solomon". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ↑ Milstein, Mati (2007-10-23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers". National Geographic. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ↑ Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. 1999. p. 70. ISBN 9780877790440.
- ↑ Hanna, Mike (2000-09-28). "Violence erupts after Sharon visits Jerusalem holy site". CNN. Archived from the original on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ↑ "Al-Aqsa Intifada timeline". BBC. 2004-09-29. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ↑ "Lailat al Miraj". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ↑ "Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ↑ Jeffers, H . (2004). contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple. KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. ISBN 9780881257991.
- ↑ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule. Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 9780415230001.
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