 |
| Pâ•qidꞋ Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu |
2003.10.07 Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, p. 5 – An Egyptian government-owned weekly has questioned the sanctity of [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim] to Muslims, pointing out that the Prophet Muhammad never made the miraculous ‘night journey’ to the city.
According to Al-Qahira, which is published by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the two mosques on the Temple Mount were built only to divert the pilgrimage from Mecca in the context of political rivalry between Muslim leaders.
The article, which has been condemned by Palestinian Authority religious figures as ‘Jewish propaganda’ was written by Egyptian columnist Ahmed Arafeh.
Arafeh rejects the established Islamic doctrine that Muhammad's celebrated night journey took him from Mecca to [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim]. He argues that the journey mentioned in the Koran's Surat al-Isra (the Koran is arranged in 114 surahs of very unequal size; a surah is usually spoken of as a chapter in English) does not refer to a miraculous journey from Mecca to [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim], but to the prophet's emigration from Mecca to Medina.
Following are excerpts from the article, as translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute [MEMRI]: ‘Palestine was conquered [by the Muslims] in the year 17 AH [i.e., 639 C.E.] in the time of Omar ibn al-Khattab, and in his day, the people were [only then just] beginning to adopt Islam. Hence, how could there have existed in Palestine, at the time of the prophet [viz., Muhammad, who died 632.06.08 C.E. before Palestine was conquered by Islam], a mosque, be it called 'the most distant' [al-Aksa] or not.
‘Therefore, the mosque ,known today as the Aksa Mosque is not the one referred to by the koranic words: 'From the Haram Mosque [in Mecca} to the most distant mosque.' It is true that the prophet did direct himself in prayer, according to Allah's instructions, toward Iliya [Capitolina] the name of [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim] in that period for 17 months, and then, instructed by Allah, he redirected himself to the Haram Mosque in Mecca. Aelia was the center of worship for the Jews, as it continues to be…
‘The change of qiblah from [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim] to the Haram Mosque meant that [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim] was no longer the center of worship for the followers of Muhammad and that it no longer deserved to be respected by Muslims beyond what any historical city in their domain deserved. If this is not understood in this way, then the change of qiblah has no meaning.
‘When Abed al-Malik ibn Marwan became caliph and [his rival] Ibn al-Zubayr held control of Hijaz, he feared that the people would be inclined towards [Ibn al-Zubayr] when they made pilgrimage [to Mecca], because the only way they could enter Mecca and Medina was with Ibn al-Zubayr's permission and under his control… Therefore, Abed al-Malik prevented people from making pilgrimage until [Ibn al-Zubayr was defeated and] the war ended. He began to build a large mosque in [Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim]… It is from this point in time that some transmitters of traditions started to promote the religious significance of this mosque and turn it into the 'third to the two holy mosques’ [of Mecca and Medina].’
 |
|
 |