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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

A man led the people in prayer as imam, and at the end of the prayer he performed a prostration of forgetfulness (*sujūd al-sahw*) because he had omitted a short *sūrah* after al-Fātiḥah. What is the ruling on his prayer and that of those praying behind him?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
According to the Shāfiʿī school, it is sunnah to recite a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah in the prayer. One who omits it has a valid prayer, and no prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) is prescribed for omitting it. If someone performs sujūd al-sahw for its omission while knowing the ruling and remembering it, his prayer is invalidated. But one who is ignorant of the ruling, or who did so out of forgetfulness, his prayer is not invalidated, because this is among the matters that are obscure to people, and ignorance of it is not restricted to those who recently entered Islam.
Shaykh al-Islām al-Shams al-Ramlī said in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj ilā Sharḥ al-Minhāj (Vol.2/p.70): “The remaining sunnahs are not compensated for by prostration, such as the remembrances (adhkār) of bowing and prostration, that is, the opening supplication (duʿāʾ al-iftitāḥ) and the sūrah, in accordance with the base rule, because they are not of the same nature as what has been reported [as compensable]. If one prostrates for any of them deliberately, his prayer is invalidated, unless he is excused due to ignorance. As for the objection raised that the ignorant person does not know that sujūd al-sahw is prescribed, and whoever knows it knows its place, this is refuted by denying such a necessary connection, for the ignorant person may hear only that sujūd al-sahw is prescribed before the salām, and so assume that it applies to every sunnah and is not restricted to its prescribed place.”
This is among the matters that are obscure, in which the mukallaf is excused for ignorance, as stated by al-Shabrāmallisī in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.70).
However, if the imam prostrates, and the follower (maʾmūm) presumes that his imam’s prostration is for a reason for which one does not prostrate, it is not permissible to follow him in it, so long as the follower knows the ruling.
Accordingly, the prayer of one who did not recite a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah is valid, and sujūd al-sahw is not prescribed for it. Whoever prostrates out of ignorance or forgetfulness, his prayer is valid, because this is among the issues hidden from the general public. But whoever prostrates while knowing the ruling and remembering it, his prayer is invalidated. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Does the clipping of nails nullify ablution?

No, it does not, and it is preferable to wash the hands afterwards.

Who is required to give fidyah for fasting?

Fidyah—feeding one needy person for each missed fasting day—is required for:
1. Those who are permanently unable to fast, such as:
○ Elderly men and women who are too weak to fast.
○ People with chronic illnesses that have no hope of recovery.
2. Pregnant or breastfeeding women who break their fast out of fear for their child (fetus or infant).
3. A person who delays making up Ramadan fasts (qada) until the next Ramadan begins, without a valid excuse.
4. The estate of a deceased person who had missed obligatory fasts and had the ability to make them up but did not do so.

What is the waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away, and what is the ruling on her wearing gold?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away is four months and ten days for one who is not pregnant. As for a pregnant woman, her waiting period lasts until she gives birth. It is obligatory for her to remain in the marital home, only leaving for a necessity. During this time, it is prohibited (Haram) to display any form of adornment on the body or clothing; this includes wearing kohl, gold, all types of perfume, and dyeing the hair. Likewise, it is prohibited to receive a direct marriage proposal or to marry during this period.
 
It was narrated by Umm 'Atiyyah that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'We were forbidden to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for a husband, for whom the mourning period is four months and ten days. During this time, we were not to use kohl, nor wear perfume, nor wear dyed clothing except for garments made of 'Asb (coarsely dyed yarn). We were, however, granted a concession at the time of purification—when one of us bathed following her menses—to use a small amount of Kust (costus) or Azfar (fragrant substances). We were also forbidden from following funeral processions.' (Narrated by Al-Bukhari). And Allah the Exalted knows best."

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