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Al-Isra` and Al-Mi'raj Reinforce Jerusalem's Place in the Heart of the Muslim Nation
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 31-01-2023

Al-Isra` and Al-Mi'raj Reinforce Jerusalem's Place in the Heart of the Muslim Nation

 

 

Al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) is a blessed land and the focus of the attention of the believers as well as the people from all corners of the world, and from different religions. It has a special place for Muslims because Al-Aqsa Mosque (The farthest mosque) is situated on its land. This Mosque was built 40 years after the construction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque in Makka). Abu Dharr said: "I asked God’s Messenger which mosque was set up first in the earth and was told that it was the sacred mosque. He asked which came next and was told that it was the Aqsa mosque. He asked how long a space of time separated their building and the Prophet told him it was forty years, adding: "Then the earth is a mosque for you, so pray wherever you are at the time of prayer." (Agree upon.)

 

The hearts of the faithful have been attached to Al-Aqsa Mosque, since its construction, and Jerusalem. Jerusalem and its Mosque remained the land of prophecies and the revelation landing ground for long ages until Jerusalem and its precincts became a blessed land for the Worlds. What was deemed sacred for the Prophets: Ibrahim, Suleiman, Moussa, and Esa is also deemed sacred for us nowadays. Allah, The Most Exalted, Said (What means): "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His apostles." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys." {Al-Baqara/285}.

 

Jerusalem witnessed the succession of many civilizations, some righteous and some evil. Therefore, this land of peace and security was stable only for a few stages especially under the reign of the righteous worshippers of Allah. The will of Allah has decreed from immemorial that this earth is Allah`s and He gives it as heritage to His servants. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "Pray for help from God, and (wait) in patience and constancy: for the earth is God’s, to give as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleaseth; and the end is (best) for the righteous." {Al-Araf/128}.

 

The earth is Allah`s and it is cultivated by His righteous worshippers through building mosques and houses of worship, and respecting the privacy of the worshippers. On the opposite side, evil people do their best to ruin the earth, demolish the mosques and houses of worship, and spread corruption. Allah The Almighty Says {what means}: "When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe;" but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting." {Al-Baqarah/114}.

When Allah The Almighty Sent Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to guide the people to the truth and call them to worship Him (Allah) Alone, the earth was illuminated by the light of Its Lord. He (PBUH) started cultivating the earth after it was ruined and corrupted. He was taken on a nocturnal journey from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa where he met all the Prophets (PBUT) and led them in prayer. Almighty Allah Says {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}. Ibn Katheer (May Allah have mercy on him) said: "Al-qsa Mosque refers to Bait Al-Maqdis of Elia. His leading the Prophets in prayer indicates that he (PBUH) is the great Imam and leader.

The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, was taken from Al-Aqsa Mosque to the high heavens until he reached Sidrat Al-Muntaha (Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary). He reached a point where he was disconnected from humankind, angels and Jinn. He saw some of His Lord`s great signs and was showered with His blessings. Al-Aqsa Mosque became an integral part of Muslims' faith and religion since it is the place from where the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him ascended to the heavens. Afterwards, he was taken to the high heavens, the first of the two Qiblas, the second of the two mosques and the third of the two Harams. Abu Hurairah (May Allah Be Pleased with him) reported it directly from Allah's Apostle (PBUH) that he said: "Do not undertake a journey to visit any Mosque, but three: this Mosque of mine, the Mosque of Al-Haram and the Mosque of Aqsa (Bait al-Maqdis)." {Agreed upon}.

 

The Prophet PBUH has always tied Muslims with the Al-Aqsa mosque through religious ties by directing them to pray in it, mentioning its virtues, and restoring it as a place of worship. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is ahead of other mosques, and it is the second spot where signs of slavery to Allah the Almighty have emerged. Since its inception, the Shariah of Islam has paid great attention to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and has made the most important pillar of Islam, which is prayer, linked to it. A reference to its importance in the connection of man with his Lord, and its importance in the faith of Muslims.

Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque have been closely linked to the modern Jordanian State through their direct association with the Hashemites. The link between the Hashemites and Jerusalem is religious before it is administrative or legal for they are the Prophet's dynasty, and his household members. Their association with Al-Aqsa Mosque was ideological, Held by Allah to His Prophet (PBUH) through his visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque on the night of Al-Isra` and Al-Mi'raj, leading the Prophets (PBUT) in prayer there, and Muslims praying in its direction (First Qibla). The relationship between Jerusalem and Bait Al-Maqdis is a historical one that has been inseparable from the time the Prophet (PBUH) was sent with the message of Islam until the present day. The Hashemite custody of Jerusalem and the guardianship of religious sacraments are part of Jordan's long-standing defense of sacraments. This Hashemite restoration of the holy sites played a great role in preserving the Islamic Arab identity, protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque, and all the holy sites in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, thereby contributing to the steadfastness of its people.

Jerusalem is the nation's conscience and its beating heart and the Hashemites continue to provide care and support for it throughout their historical roles. Sharif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif Makkah and King of the Arabs, donated to the reconstruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other mosques in Palestine. This reconstruction process helped preserve the Mosque`s facilities against the violent earthquake of 1927.

 

Sharif al-Hussein bin Ali's response to the request for help from the people of Jerusalem at an early stage reflected his awareness of and commitment to the issues of the Muslim nation. As a gesture of gratitude to the tremendous efforts of Sharif al-Hussein, the people and dignitaries of Jerusalem asked that he be buried in the western yard of al-Haram Al-Shareef on June of 1931. This is in appreciation for his role in preserving Islamic sanctities in Jerusalem.

When Al-Aqsa Mosque was subjected to the treacherous operation that led to its burning in 1969, His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal issued orders to restore al-Aqsa Mosque. Both Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock were restored to their condition as before the fire. It is worth reminding that His Majesty late King Hussein (May his soul rest in peace) donated a sum of his own money to the Reconstruction Commission so that it could carry out its work.

 

Afterwards, King Abdullah II continued this Hashemite care for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque through his continued directives to the Reconstruction Committee and the Ministry of Awqaf. 

 

His Majesty also had honorable positions in all international forums, conferences and symposiums in the defense of Jerusalem and its people, and in the defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the face of aspirants and aggressors who try to undermine its place in the hearts of Muslims and attack its spatial, temporal and emotional sanctity.

 

These Hashemite reconstruction efforts, which barely end in continuity and hard work, are at the heart of their faith and belief in their duty towards their Islamic holy sites and their sense of belongingness to their Arab and Islamic nation.

 

All praise be To Allah The Lord of The Worlds.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Can someone break a make up fast (qada) after beginning it?

Once a person begins a make up fast (qada), it is prohibited to break it.
If they break it without a valid excuse, they are sinful, and the missed Ramadan fast remains a debt upon them.

How to perform the witr prayer in terms of connection (wasl) and separation (fasl)?

 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Witr prayer has several forms that vary in terms of virtue:
 
The First Form: Separating every two units (rak‘ah) with a Tashahhud and a Taslim (salutation). This is superior to connecting the units, even if it is only a single rak‘ah. This is based on the Hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray eleven units between the end of the ‘Isha prayer and dawn, performing the Taslim after every two units and performing Witr with a single unit.' (Related by al-Bukhari & Muslim).
 
The Second Form: Connecting the units with only one final Tashahhud at the very end.
 
The Third Form: Connecting with two Tashahhuds—meaning reciting the Tashahhud before the final unit without performing the Taslim, then standing to complete the final unit. This form is considered the lowest in rank so that the Witr prayer remains distinct from the obligatory Maghrib prayer, as stated in the Hadith: 'Do not make the Witr resemble the Maghrib prayer.' (Narrated by Al-Daraqutni, who stated its narrators are trustworthy).
 
It is stated in Bushra al-Karim Sharh al-Muqaddimah al-Hadramiyyah: 'It is permissible to connect [the Witr] with one Tashahhud in the final unit—which is better—or with two Tashahhuds in the last two units, as both methods are established in Sahih Muslim from the actions of the Prophet ﷺ. In the connected method, more than two Tashahhuds are prohibited. Furthermore, separating (al-Fasl) is better than connecting (al-Wasl) if the number of units is the same, because the Hadiths supporting it are more numerous and it involves more devotional actions.' And Allah the Exalted knows best."

Is an elderly or chronically ill person required to pay additional fidyah if they delay it beyond the first year?

An elderly person or someone permanently unable to fast must pay fidyah by feeding one needy person for each missed day.
However, if they delay paying fidyah beyond the first year, no additional fidyah is required.
This differs from someone who delays making up missed Ramadan fasts (qada) without a valid excuse until the next Ramadan begins—such a person is required to pay an additional fidyah for the delay.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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