بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The second masjid established on Earth

أَبَا ذَرٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَىُّ مَسْجِدٍ وُضِعَ فِي الأَرْضِ أَوَّلُ قَالَ ‏“‏ الْمَسْجِدُ الْحَرَامُ ‏“‏‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىٌّ قَالَ ‏“‏ الْمَسْجِدُ الأَقْصَى ‏“‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ كَمْ كَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ ‏“‏ أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً، ثُمَّ أَيْنَمَا أَدْرَكَتْكَ الصَّلاَةُ بَعْدُ فَصَلِّهْ، فَإِنَّ الْفَضْلَ فِيهِ

Narrated Abu Dhar رضي الله عنه:

I said, “O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ! 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

Our first Qiblah

الْبَرَاءَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ ـ أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ ـ شَهْرًا، ثُمَّ صَرَفَهُ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ

Narrated Al-Bara رضي الله عنه :

We prayed along with the Prophet ﷺ facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months. Then Allah ordered him to turn his face towards the Qibla (in Mecca):– “And from whence-so-ever you start forth (for prayers) turn your face in the direction of (the Sacred Mosque of Mecca) Al-Masjid-ul Haram..”²

One of the three mosque where it is allowed to visit with the intention of worship

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ :‏ لاَ تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلاَّ إِلَى ثَلاَثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى

Narrated Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه:

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not set out on a journey except for three Mosques i.e. Al-Masjid-AI-Haram, the Mosque of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ , and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, (Mosque of Jerusalem).”³

A prayer there is worth 250

أبو ذر الغفاري أنَّهُ سأل رسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ عَن الصَّلاةِ في بَيتِ المقدِسِ أفضلُ أو في مسجِدِ رسولِ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ فَقالَ صلاةٌ في مسجِدي هذا ، أفضلُ من أربعِ صلواتٍ فيهِ

Abu Dhar al-Ghifari رضي الله عنه asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ if a prayer in Bayt al Maqdis is better or the one in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, for which he responded: “The prayer in this masjid here, is four times better than there (Bayt al Maqdis).”⁴

Knowing that a prayer in masjid an Nabawi is worth a thousand :

عَنِ اِبْنِ اَلزُّبَيْرِ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏– صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏– صَلَاةٌ فِي مَسْجِدِي هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ إِلَّا اَلْمَسْجِدَ اَلْحَرَامَ , وَصَلَاةٌ فِي اَلْمَسْجِدِ اَلْحَرَامِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاةٍ فِي مَسْجِدِي بِمِائَةِ صَلَاةٍ

Ibn Az-Zubair رضى الله عنهما narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Offering prayer in my mosque (in Madinah) is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, save for those offered prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah). And prayer offered in al-Masjid al-Haram is better than prayer offered in my mosque by one hundred prayers.”⁵

Visiting Masjid al Aqsa purifies our sins

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : أَنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ دَاوُدَ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمَّا بَنَى بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ سَأَلَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خِلاَلاً ثَلاَثَةً سَأَلَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُكْمًا يُصَادِفُ حُكْمَهُ فَأُوتِيَهُ وَسَأَلَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَأُوتِيَهُ وَسَأَلَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حِينَ فَرَغَ مِنْ بِنَاءِ الْمَسْجِدِ أَنْ لاَ يَأْتِيَهُ أَحَدٌ لاَ يَنْهَزُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ فِيهِ أَنْ يُخْرِجَهُ مِنْ خَطِيئَتِهِ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr رضى الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“When Sulaiman bin Dawud عليهما السلام finished building Bait Al-Maqdis, he asked Allah for three things: Judgement that was in harmony with His judgement, and he was given that. And he asked Allah for a dominion that no one after him would have, and he was given that. And when he finished building the Masjid he asked Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, that no one should come to it, intending only to pray there, but he would emerge free of sin as the day his mother bore him.”⁶

In another version, The Prophet ﷺ added : “Two prayers were granted, and I hope that the third was also granted.”⁷

 It is where the Prophet ﷺ made the Night Journey

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.⁸

The Prophet ﷺ prayed there :

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : أُتِيتُ بِالْبُرَاقِ – وَهُوَ دَابَّةٌ أَبْيَضُ طَوِيلٌ فَوْقَ الْحِمَارِ وَدُونَ الْبَغْلِ يَضَعُ حَافِرَهُ عِنْدَ مُنْتَهَى طَرْفِهِ – قَالَ فَرَكِبْتُهُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ – قَالَ – فَرَبَطْتُهُ بِالْحَلْقَةِ الَّتِي يَرْبِطُ بِهِ الأَنْبِيَاءُ – قَالَ – ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّيْتُ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ

It is narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

I was brought al-Buraq Who is an animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, who would place his hoof a distance equal to the range of version. I mounted it and came to the Temple (Bait Maqdis in Jerusalem), then tethered it to the ring used by the prophets. I entered the mosque and prayed two rak’ahs in it⁹

The Prophet ﷺ led all the prophets on prayer:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي فِي الْحِجْرِ وَقُرَيْشٌ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ مَسْرَاىَ فَسَأَلَتْنِي عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ لَمْ أُثْبِتْهَا ‏.‏ فَكُرِبْتُ كُرْبَةً مَا كُرِبْتُ مِثْلَهُ قَطُّ قَالَ فَرَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ لِي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ مَا يَسْأَلُونِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ أَنْبَأْتُهُمْ بِهِ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي فِي جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ فَإِذَا مُوسَى قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ ضَرْبٌ جَعْدٌ كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ رِجَالِ شَنُوءَةَ وَإِذَا عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ – عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ – قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي أَقْرَبُ النَّاسِ بِهِ شَبَهًا عُرْوَةُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ الثَّقَفِيُّ وَإِذَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ – عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ – قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي أَشْبَهُ النَّاسِ بِهِ صَاحِبُكُمْ – يَعْنِي نَفْسَهُ – فَحَانَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَأَمَمْتُهُمْ فَلَمَّا فَرَغْتُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ قَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَذَا مَالِكٌ صَاحِبُ النَّارِ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ ‏.‏ فَالْتَفَتُّ إِلَيْهِ فَبَدَأَنِي بِالسَّلاَمِ

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

I found myself in Hijr and the Quraish were asking me about my might journey. I was asked about things pertaining to Bait-ul-Maqdis which I could not preserve (in my mind). I was very much vexed, so vexed as I had never been before. Then Allah raised it (Bait-ul-Maqdis) before my eyes. I looked towards it, and I gave them the information about whatever they questioned me I also saw myself among the group of apostles. I saw Moses عليه السلام saying prayer and found him to be a well-built man as if he was a man of the tribe of Shanu’a. I saw Jesus son of Mary عليه السلام offering prayer, of all of men he had the closest resemblance with ‘Urwa b. Masu’d al-Thaqafi. I saw Ibrahim عليه السلام offering prayer; he had the closest resemblance with your companion (the Prophet ﷺ himself) amongst people. When the time of prayer came I led them. When I completed the prayer, someone said: Here is Malik, the keeper of the Hell; pay him salutations. I turned to him, but he preceded me in salutation¹⁰

The Dajjal will not enter there

لَا يَأْتِي أَرْبَعَةَ مَسَاجِدَ: الْكَعْبَةَ، وَمَسْجِدَ الرَّسُولِ، وَالْمَسْجِدَ الْأَقْصَى، وَالطُّورَ

“He will not come to four masjids: The Ka’abah, the Masjid of the Prophet, Masjid al Aqsa and Masjid at-Tûr”¹¹

The virtue to possess a land near Masjid al Aqsa

وَلَيُوشِكَنَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِلرَّجُلِ مِثْلُ شَطَنِ فَرَسِهِ مِنَ الأَرْضِ، حَيْثُ يَرَى مِنْهُ بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا جَمِيعًا

“A time will come where it will be better for a man to possess a piece of land, the size of the reigns of a horse, from which he can see Bayt al Maqdis, than to possess the wealth of the whole world.”¹²

والله تعالى أعلم

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