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Why Palestine will be foremost in Islamic thought
Prepared by the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
8-09-2017
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Palestine will be foremost in Islamic thought as it is the Land of the Prophets [ambiya].
.• It is an article of Islamic faith to respect all the Prophets. (Qur’anic)
• Our faith has restored to these messengers their dignity and integrity, and refuted the outrageous accusations against many of them. The Qur'an sympathetically relates the incident of Musa Alayhis-Salâm and Maryam Alayhas-Salâm and her immaculate birth of Isa Alayhis-Salâm.
• Muslims are proud to call their children with the names of these Prophets.
• Because of our respect for these Prophets, and the fact that they were associated with Al Quds, and its surroundings, every inch has become an object of reverence.
• It was here where these personalities lived, received revelation [wahy] and on its earth they walked. Its stones witnessed their experience, persecution and prayers. Thus, Safiyya Radiallahu anha, after visiting Masjidul Aqsa, went to the Mount of Olives remarking, “This is the place where Isa Alayhis-Salâm was taken up into the Heaven.” (Tafsir Fathul Aziz)
• One of the reasons why Muslims believe that they are the most appropriate custodians of the land as they revere all the Prophets and personalities of the previous religions. The same cannot be said of other faith groups.
Due to this fact, Al-Quds has been an object of pilgrimage for Muslims throughout history and the flow of pilgrims from other religions remained unhindered during Muslim rule, a fact borne out by history. To illustrate this point, On entering Jerusalem in 1517, the Ottoman Sultan Selim was entrusted with the keys to Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock. A delegation of Christian clerics presented him with a scroll containing the original covenant of Umar, guaranteeing them rights over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other Christian Holy places. Selim pressed them to his face and kissed them, confirming his intention to honor Umar’s word.
The Description of Palestine
Al Muqaddasi, the 10th century scholar and writer from Jerusalem had written about his travels thus:
This Province is of glorious renown, the Land of Prophets! It is the gathering of the righteous. Here dwelt the Saints, and here is the First Qibla; also the Place of Resurrection, and of the Night Journey. For this reason is it called the Holy Land. Its watch-posts are strong, its frontiers are magnificent, and its mountains noble. Thither went Abraham [Ibrahim] as a pilgrim, and there is his tomb. This is the Land of Job [Ayyub], and there is his well; in Jerusalem is the oratory of David [Dawud] and his gate; here are the wonders of Solomon [Sulaiman] and his cities; the tomb of Isaac [Ishaq], and that of his mother; the birth-place of the Messiah and his cradle. So likewise the village of Saul [Talut] and his river; the place of the slaying of Goliath [Jalut] and his rampart; Jeremiah’s [Aramaya] cistern and his prison; the place of prayer of Uriah and his house; the dome of Muhammad and his gate; the rock of Moses [Musa], and the hill of Jesus [Isa], the oratory of Zacharias [Zakariyya], and the waters of the baptism of John [Yahya]; the place of martyrdom of the prophets, and the villages of Job. And, too, here are Jacob’s [Yakub] stations, and the Further Mosque; the Mount of Olives, and the city of Acre; the place of martyrdom of Siddiqa, and the grave of Moses [Musa]; the resting-place of Abraham and his tomb; the city of Ascalon [Askalan], and the spring of Siloam; the home of Luqman the Sage, and the valley of Kin’an; the cities of Lot, and the Place of the Gardens; Omar’s Mosque, and ‘Uthman’s Almshouse [Baitul Mal].
Life and history is moving purposefully towards a climax known as the Day of Judgment.
Towards this, the Shari‘ah has given us signs which foretell the hour and the climax. A great deal of these signs will centre on the precincts of Palestine:
• Maimunah bin Sad Radiallahu anha asked: “O Prophet of Allah! Tell us about Baitul Maqdas to which he replied, ‘It is the land of gathering and resurrection.’” (Abu Dawud)
• Amongst the first of the major signs of Qiyamah will be the appearance of Imam Mahdi. He will proclaim his mission in the land of Palestine, Al-Quds.
• A major sign of Qiyamah will be the appearance of Dajjal [The Antichrist] when no place will be safe from his domination except the Holy Cities of Makkah, Madinah and some narrations also relate to Al-Quds. (Ahmed, Hakim)
• In pursuit of his control over the universe, Dajjal will surround the Muslims, who will take refugee on a Hill in Jerusalem (Ibn Majah). The compilations of Ahmed and Hakim go on to specify the mountain as that of Dukhan.
• Isa Alayhis-Salâm will descend to the Earth as one of the major signs of the end of the time. According to Muslim tradition, he will initially appear in Damascus and then make his way to Baitul Muqaddas (Jerusalem) to assist the Muslims who will be taking refuge from Dajjal. (Muslim, Tibrani, Ibn Asakir)
• Isa Alayhis-Salâm would then kill Dajjal in the town of Lud, probably ancient Lyddia (modern day Lud near Jaffa. (Tel-Aviv)
• The Call for the Day of Judgment will also take place from Jerusalem. “Listen for the day when the caller will call out from a place quite near…” (Surah Qaf, 50:41) Ibn Kathir commented: “Quite near means the Rock of Baitul Muqaddas.”
Thus due to these factors, the sanctity of Palestine will remain in our mind, irrespective of attempts to wipe it from the memories of the Muslims.
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