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Al-Aqsa Mosque
Author : Dr Noah Ali Salman
Date Added : 31-07-2013

 

All Praise be to Allah and blessings on His Messenger, Mohammad Peace Be upon Him

The roots of Al-Aqsa Mosque are deep in our hearts based on our faith:

1. The first of these roots is the Miraculous Night Journey (Al-Isra') as Allah Says (What means): ''Glory to (Allah) 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 hears and sees (all things)." [Al-Isra'/1].

 

It is well known that The Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is the most blessed area on earth. The Journey from this place to another place indicates that the other place has equal sanctity and blessings. Muslims in the time of Omar Bin al Khattab (May Allah Be Pleased with him) absorbed that meaning and when they got the chance physically marched towards Al Aqsa Mosque after the Prophet Peace be upon him miraculously travelled to it. From this point, Muslims glorify Al-Aqsa Mosque in the same level they glorify AL-Masjid Al-Haram or the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca).

 

2. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the blessed land resided by bad people who practiced corruption and were punished by Allah consecutively. Thus, it is the turn for a nation whose slogan is the verse, it reads (What means) as follows: "Surely Allah commands to justice and fairness and bringing (charity) to a near kinsman." [An-Nahl /90] to follow that corrupted nations.

 

In addition, this was what happened. Allah ordained that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his nation after him inherit the land. All prophets approved this when they accepted him to lead them in their prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque. For this, we notice that Allah followed the news of Al-Isra' (The prophet's miraculous night journey to Jerusalem) with the news of those who were given the book but did not abide by it and corrupted the land.

 

3. From Al-Aqsa Mosque, Prophet Mohammad Peace Be upon Him was heavenly ascended from earth to heaven and to Sidrat Al-Muntaha (in The Seventh Heaven) from where He was assigned the five daily prayers for all Muslims.

 

We all know that there are several gates to Heaven and that Gabriel (PBUH) exited from the gate opposite to Al-Sakhrah when he came down to the prophet in the cave of Hira'. This choice of the gate opposite to Al-Sakhrah makes Muslims remember Al-Aqsa mosque in every prayer. Muslims should never forget it as it is prone to terrible events. It must all the time be present in the mind of Muslims.

 

4. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first Qiblah for Muslims (The direction that Muslims face when engaged in ritual prayer). Prophet Mohammad PBUH remained 16 months directing his prayers towards Al-Aqsa Mosque when he was in Al-Medina Al-Munawara. Then Allah, The Almighty ordered him to change the direction of Qiblah whereas; He Said (What means): ''Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a Qiblah which you shall like; turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca).'' [Al-Baqara/144].

 

Qiblah means the direction glorified by Allah. Therefore, Allah enjoined Muslims to direct themselves to this Qiblah (Al-Aqsa Mosque) to make them feel the blessings of this place.

 

This glory of being the Qiblah does not fade by being directed to follow another Qiblah. At which prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his flowers were directed to in their prayers remains a sacred place for us until the Day of Judgment. Its holiness is the same as that of Ka'ba. Believers must be as compassionate and protective towards it as they feel towards Ka'ba.

 

5. Al Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "No mosque is to be specially headed to in a journey except for three: Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), the Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) and my Mosque (Al Masjed Al Nabawi in Medina)." [Agreed upon].

 

All mosques are the same in virtue except for these three, which are distinguished in sanctity and respect. The Haram (the inviolate place) is the place sanctified by God and His good believers. In the same way Muslims glorify the Masjid al-Haram in Holy Mecca and the Mosque of the Prophet (Al-Masjed Al-Nabawi) in Al-Medina Al-Munawarah, they must glorify the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and they must protect it.

 

6. A prayer in al Aqsa Mosque is worth 500 prayers performed in any other mosque as the Prophet (PBUH) said.

 

For this reason, our noble ancestors made it a point to travel and stay in Jerusalem for certain times. They made generous donations for this purpose seeking the multiple rewards from Allah and to be always ready to defend the Aqsa Mosque and protect it. For this reason, the people of Jerusalem and those who live around the area are in a state of mobilization until the Day of Judgment.

 

7. We are a nation that sees no difference between any of the Messengers sent by Allah. We believe in them all and respect them all; thus, any mark in Jerusalem related to any Prophet, is precious to us.

This religious fact is a special privilege for the Nation of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Him, and that is why Allah made them witnesses over mankind and custodians for all the holy icons of all religions.

 

For these reasons, the Sacred Land and Al-Aqsa Mosque are precious to all Muslims. For that reason, they rallied to support the Jerusalem financially and spiritually while every generation is keen to leave an impact reminding other generations of the value of this place. Omar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah Be Pleased with him) and all Muslim leaders till today are doing so. We all know the Hashemite architecture in Jerusalem from the days of Sherif Hussain bin Ali to the days of King Hussain bin Talal (may Allah have mercy on him) who shielded the Dome of the Rock with gold pieces. King Abdullah II re-constructed the Saladin's Minbar and sent it back to its place at Al Aqsa Mosque, and he gave his directions to build a new Minaret in the Mosque. May Allah reward them all.

 

These are the roots of Al Aqsa Mosque in the hearts of Muslims. It is rooted in our consciousness and never escapes our thought as long as we read The Words of Allah Who Says (What means): "Glory to (Allah) 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 hears and sees (all things)." [Al Isra'/1].

 

Peace be upon you all.

 

 

A Speech by the late Sheikh Noah Al Qudah delivered at the Hashemite Scientific Sessions organized by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. (The original speech has been edited for publication.)

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

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.

What are the categories of the livestock permissible for Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
An Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is only valid if it is selected from Al-An'am (livestock), which includes: camels, cattle, and sheep or goats—whether male or female, and even if castrated. Allah Almighty says {what means}: "And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] livestock." (Al-Hajj/ 34)
 
In terms of preference, camels are considered the best choice, followed by cattle, then sheep, and finally goats.
A single sheep or goat is valid as a sacrifice on behalf of one person. However, a single camel or cow can be shared by up to seven people. This is based on the narration of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "In the year of Al-Hudaybiyah, we sacrificed along with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a camel on behalf of seven people, and a cow on behalf of seven people." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
(Note: The term "Badanah" used in the original Arabic text specifically refers to a camel in this context). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

Does collecting saliva and swallowing it break the fast?

Swallowing collected saliva does not break the fast, but it is an unnecessary and meaningless act.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on following the actions of the imam in prayer and how this following is achieved?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The follower (ma'mum) is required to follow his imam in the actions of the prayer. This "following" (mutaba'ah) means that the follower performs each action of the prayer after the imam has begun it but before he has finished it. For example, the follower bows (in ruku') after the imam has reached the position of bowing, then rises after the imam has risen. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The imam is only appointed to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say the takbir; and when he bows, then bow; and when he prostrates, then prostrate" (agreed upon, i.e., reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim).
It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (1/505): "Among the conditions of valid congregational prayer (iqtida') is following the imam in the actions of the prayer... meaning that following the imam is obligatory in the physical actions of the prayer, not in its verbal utterances... Complete following (kamal al-mutaba'ah) is achieved when the follower's beginning of an action comes after the imam's beginning of that same action, while the follower's beginning of the action precedes the imam's completion of it" — end of quote, with slight paraphrasing.
And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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