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The Place of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Muslims' Hearts
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 27-05-2014

 

 

His Grace, The Mufti-General of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

All praise be to Allah, peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions:

Allah, The Exalted, has privileged Al-Aqsa Mosque with a special religious place in the hearts of all Muslims deriving from the very essence of their belief. Therefore, the Prophet`s Night Journey and Ascension (Isra` and Miraj) suffice as a miracle blessing that holy site. Allah, The Almighty, Says in the Holy Quran (What means): "Glory to (God) Who did take His servant for a 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)." [Al-Isra`/1].

 

Al-Isra` is taking the Messenger of Allah for a journey from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the farthest Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

Al-Miraj is when the Prophet travelled upwards to the Heavens from the farthest Mosque to the gate of Heaven which is above Jerusalem because Heaven has many gates, but for honoring Al-Aqsa` Mosque (the farthest Mosque), the Prophet was ascended from it.

The religious status of Al-Aqsa mosque makes Muslims proud of their religion, hold on to their rights, and have faith in their Lord.

 

The Prophet was ascended through the different levels of Heaven from Al-Aqsa mosque, then to the Lute-tree which is said to be the end of worldly knowledge, and beyond which none may pass. During the Miraj, or the Ascension, Prophet Mohammad saw things that he could only dream of. He demonstrated to people how to be true believers, and not to question the Unknown, or the Unseen because none knows them but He (Allah). Allah, The Almighty, Says in the Holy Quran (What means): "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 at a second descent, Near the Lute-tree beyond which none may pass: Near it is the Garden of Abode. Behold, the Lute-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable!) (His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong!" [An-Najm/11-17].

 

During the Miraj Night, the Prophet saw the wonders of Allah`s Kingdom….He saw the much-frequented Fane and the Lute-tree near which is the Garden of Abode to which the Angels, the spirits of the martyrs and the righteous find rest. In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) saw the Archangel Gabriel (PBUH) in his heavenly image.

 

Al-Miraj started from Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, which enjoys a privileged status in the Islamic Faith:

First: The pledge of allegiance took place in Jerusalem where the Prophet (PBUH) led the other Prophets in prayer and they welcomed Him, pledged allegiance to Him, and blessed His Message. It was a divine gathering in which the values of all prophets came together as mentioned in the Prophet's (PBUH) Hadith: "My similitude in comparison with the other prophets is that of a man who has built a house completely and excellently except for a place of one brick. When the people enter the house, they admire its beauty and say: 'But for the place of this brick (how splendid the house will be!). [Agreed upon].

 

Allah, The Almighty, has mentioned this pledge of allegiance in His Holy Book (What means): "Behold! God took the covenant of the prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you an apostle, confirming what is with you; do ye believe in him and render him help." Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I Am with you among the witnesses." [Al-Imran/81].

 

Second: Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first Qibla for Muslims: It is the direction towards which a Muslim offers his/her prayers, acts of worship, and calls on Allah with love and reverence to derive from Him the strength and the determination. Thus, is there a place that is more that are more sacred, glorified, or better than the direction (Qibla) towards which one offers prayers in obedience to his/her Lord?

 

Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do." [Al-Baqarah/144]. Therefore, Al-Aqsa mosque is the Muslim`s first Qibla towards which the Prophet (PBUH) offered prayers for sixteen or seventeen months until the divine injunction came down to offer prayers in the direction of the Holy Kabah.

 

Three: Al-Aqsa Mosque (the farthest Mosque) is the second mosque built on earth after the sacred Mosque, and the third of the two Holy Haram's as regards its sanctity. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) says: "Do not set out on a journey except for three Mosques i.e. Al-Masjid-AI-Haram, the Mosque of Allah's Apostle, and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, (Mosque of Jerusalem). [Agreed upon].

 

Four: Its ground and precincts are blessed for Allah Says (What means): "Whose precincts We did bless." [Al-Isra`/1]. Bilad Al-Sham: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine- is a sacred land whose sanctity is part of Al-Aqsa Mosque`s. Rewards for offering acts of worship are multiplied in Al-Aqsa Mosque. The prophet (PBUH) said: "The merit of offering prayer in the sacred Mosque compared to other mosques: One prayer in the sacred Mosque equals a hundred thousand prayers, one prayer in My Mosque(Prophet`s) equals a thousand prayers, and one prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem equals five hundred prayers." [Al-Tabarania, Al-Baz`zar, and Al-Baihaqi in: “Sho`ab Al-Emaan].

 

The previously mentioned are the reasons that bonded Muslims on basis of creed, which is unchangeable neither with time, nor with individuals.

 

We sincerely ask Allah to forgive our sins, fulfill our aspirations and bestow victory upon us, and that is surely no difficult matter to Him.

 

Praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on istibra' and how is it performed?

Istibra' (cleansing from urine) is recommended. It is for a person to ensure that nothing remains of urine in its passage before performing istinja'. Its method is: to clear the throat (or cough slightly), shake the penis (meaning to pass fingers along it to expel any remaining urine if needed), and walk a few steps to the extent that one thinks nothing of urine remains if walking is needed. Each person knows his own nature best. The preferred opinion is that this differs among people. The objective is for one to think that nothing remains in the urinary passage that he fears will exit later. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

I wish to purchase an online account (a gaming account), and its ownership will be transferred to me. However, my friend will purchase it on my behalf, and I will repay him in deferred installments with an added profit margin to account for the installment sale. What is the ruling of Islamic Law on this transaction?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The ruling on selling electronic games depends on the ruling of the game itself: if the game is permissible, then selling it is likewise permissible. However, if the game contains Sharia violations that render playing it impermissible, then selling it in that case is neither valid nor permissible. Therefore, we advise the necessity of reviewing the Sharia guidelines for electronic games set forth in Fatwa No. (3369).
 
Accordingly, if the game is permissible, a person may purchase it, take legal possession of it, and subsequently sell it in deferred installments for a price higher than its purchase price. The General Iftaa' Department has permitted dealing through Murabaha, while emphasizing the necessity of observing the Sharia conditions required for this transaction; please refer to Fatwa No. (2861). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on praying in congregation at the mosque?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Congregational prayer (Salat al-Jama‘ah) is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah) for resident men regarding the performance of the prescribed (obligatory) prayers. For men, praying in congregation at the mosque is better than praying elsewhere, such as at home. On the authority of Abdullah bin Umar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than the prayer of a person alone' (Reported by Bukhari & Muslim). Furthermore, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Shall I not tell you that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks?' They said, 'Of course, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Performing wudu thoroughly despite difficulties, taking many steps toward the mosques, and waiting for the next prayer after the prayer; that is your Ribat (steadfastness)' (Narrated by Muslim).
 
As for a woman, her praying in congregation at home is better for her than in the mosque, according to the saying of our Master the Prophet ﷺ: 'Do not prevent your women from attending the mosques, but their homes are better for them' (Narrated by Abu Dawood). Young boys should be encouraged to attend the mosques and congregational prayers so they may become accustomed to them. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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