All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The sacred rock from which the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) started his ascent into heaven on the Night of the Mi`raj is the ceiling of a cave attached to the mountain from several sides. However, what is strange is that this rock is attached to the top part of the mountain although a cave is usually attached to the side of the mountain. Not only this, but this rock is actually the peak of the mountain itself!
What is told about the sacred rock of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) being suspended in the air defies reality since this rock is attached to the mountain of which it is a part. In addition, there is no authentic Hadith mentioning that the rock is suspended between the heaven and the earth, and every Hadith reported about its virtues is fabricated.
Al-Alousi (May Allah have mercy on him) said: "Amongst the famous lies is that when the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) ascended into heaven on the Night of M`iraj, the sacred rock followed him and remained suspended in the air by the power of Allah The Almighty." {Rooh al-Ma`aani, vol.9/pp.15}.
Moreover, the special status enjoyed by the sacred rock is due to being the place from which the journey of al-Mi`raj had started. As for the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) tethering al-Buraq to the ring used by the prophets, many authentic Hadiths were reported in this regard; however, only Allah knows how al-Buraq looks like, so we believe that it exists and leave everything else to Allah.
It is narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) 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………." {Related by Muslim}.
Narrated Ibn Buraidah: from his father that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When we reached Bait Al-Maqdis, Jibra'il pointed with his finger causing a crack in the rock, and he tied Al-Buraq to it." {Related by Tirmith, Bazzar, and Ibn Hibban}.
As for the rock that Jibra`il caused a crack in, its exact place in unknown because al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) is very vast, so whatever is surrounded by the wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque is al-Aqsa Mosque and it includes two mosques. The first is located in the southern side and it is Al-Jumu`a Mosque, which people call Al-Aqsa Mosque. The second is the Dome of the Rock. Moreover, the whole wall surrounding these mosques is al-Aqsa Mosque.
Muslims must pay attention to this issue since there are attempts to build a non-Islamic temple in the yards of al-Aqsa Mosque. If this, God forbid, happens, a non-Islamic temple will be constructed in the middle of al-Aqsa Mosque.
The significance of al-Aqsa Mosque is well-known to everyone as it is the Mosque of the Two Qiblas', the third of the two holy places, reward for praying in it is multiplied, it is the place from where and to which the journeys of Isra` and M`iraj took place, and Muslims have sacrificed their lives for protecting it. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.