Al Masjid al Aqsā is thousands of years old. It is the second Masjid to have every been built on earth!
How do we know this, I hear you ask? One of Prophet Mohammad’s (sala Allāhu ‘alayhi wasalam) companions by the name of Abu Dharr al Ghifarī rady Allāhu ‘anhu was keen to learn about the first Masjids on earth. He asked:
“Allāh’s Messenger, which Masjid was built first?” He replied, “al Masjid al Harām.” I asked, “Which next?” He replied, “al Masjid al Aqsā.” I asked, “How long was it between them?” He replied, “Forty (years).” He (the Prophet) then said, “Wherever the time for the Salāh comes upon you, perform it, because all of the earth is a place of worshipping for you.”[1]
From here were learn that al Masjid al Aqsā was built only 40 years after the first Masjid on earth! This short space of time may mean that both Masjids were built in a single person’s lifetime, especially since people many thousands of years ago lived much longer than us.
It is then possible that our father Adam ‘alayhi asalām, the first man Allāh created, was also the first man on earth to build al Masjid al Aqsā, just 40 years after putting down the first stones of the great Masjid in Makkah!
A Brief History of the Masjid
Many Prophets came after Adam ‘alayhi asalām, each eager to improve the building of al Masjid al Aqsā just as they did to al Masjid al Harām in Makkah. In around the year 2000BCE, our Prophet Ibrahīm ‘alayhi asalām rebuilt al Masjid al Aqsā. His two sons, Ishāq and Ya’qub ‘alayhima asalām, following in their father’s footsteps did the very same, improving its structure and appearance.
Many years later, around 1000BCE, which is 1000 years after Prophet Ibrahīm ‘alayhi asalām, Prophet Sulaymān ‘alayhi asalām renewed the whole building into a really impressive, and beautifully decorated structure. Notice how the Prophets raced to put their fingerprints on this blessed, ancient area and Masjid. Today, its walls, pillar, doors and monuments speak of their lives in and around this holy land.
After the passing of the final Prophet, Mohammad sala Allāhu ‘alayhi wasalam, in 636CE, meaning 636 years after the birth of Prophet ‘Isa ‘alayhi asalam, an extraordinary event took place. One of the Prophet’s closest companions, ‘Umar b. al-Khattāb rady Allāhu ‘anhu travelled all the way from the Prophet’s city in Madīnah to al Quds. Here, the Christian communities agreed that they should hand over the keys of the holy city to ‘Umar. From here on, the Muslims were to take charge of Jerusalem and make the land a place of peace and security for all people.
‘Umar, himself, began sweeping the Masjid and the rock beneath the dome, removing the litter that the local people had left thrown on the floor of the Masjid. He then built a small structure at the very end of the Masjid. This small prayer house later became the ‘Qiblī Masjid‘ on the southern wall of the compound, developed into the magnificent structure we see today by the many Muslim leaders who came after ‘Umar, may Allāh be pleased with him.
Size and Shape
Al Masjid al Aqsā is the whole rectangular area or ‘compound’ beneath the Dome of the Rock and the Qiblī Masjid. Believe it or not, the Masjid is around 144 thousand square metres in size. This means the Masjid area is larger than 20 football pitches put together! The charming Dome of the Rock was built by the Muslim Caliph ‘Abd al Malik b. Marwān 72 years after the Hijrah or ’72AH’. Caliph ‘Abd al Malik also built the Qiblī Masjid as a structure somewhat similar to the way we see it today, though not exactly the same.
The Dome of the Rock, however, remains almost exactly as the Muslim Caliph, Abdul Malik built it nearly 1400 years ago! The Qiblī Masjid was rebuilt again and again over the ages as several earthquakes hit the region, damaging or destroying parts of the Masjid.
Some Features of al Masjid al Aqsā
Al Masjid al Aqsā is not only a space or building but contains up to 200 monuments! Within the large Masjid area are even some small Masjids where people can pray. There are also many domes, ‘arcades’ (‘Riwāq‘ in Arabic which are collections of pillars), niches or ‘Mihrābs’ which are spaces built in walls that show the direction of Salāh, pulpits, minarets, wells and other amazing landmarks.
The Dome of the Rock sits at the heart of the Masjid area. The Qiblī Masjid is located at the south-most site of the Masjid area and its dome is dark grey in colour, like the lead on a pencil. The Qiblī Masjid has seven arcades in total, one in the middle, three on the eastern side and three on the western side. Of these, 53 pillars are made of marble and 49 are made of stone.
Al Masjid al Aqsā has 25 freshwater wells. Eight of them surround the Dome of the Rock while 17 are in the lower part of the Masjid area. There are also several places where you can make your Wudū (ablution) for Salāh. You can also drink fresh water from the famous, roofed Qaitbay public fountain as well as other ones.
Also inside al Masjid al Aqsā are up to forty flat, square or rectangular shaped stone seating areas known in as ‘Mastabas’. These are slightly raised over the ground are are used for sitting, Salāh, holding classes where students can study Islamic studies including Hadīth, the life of the Prophet (Sīrah), Tafsīr (understanding the Qur’ān), language, calligraphy and other sciences. Men and women, young boys and girls of all ages are welcome to study here!
Space, Shape and Doors
We said that al Masjid al Aqsā is around 144 thousand square metres in size and is rectangular in shape. There are 15 gates that lead into this compound. Of these, 10 are open and five are closed and most are located on the western wall of the compound. Each gate has its own name, including Bāb al Asbāt, Bāb al Hadīd, Bāb al Qattānīn and others!
The Reward of Praying at al Masjid al Aqsā
Praying in al Masjid al Aqsā will earn you so much reward from Allāh. But how much exactly? Well, imagine one Salāh in the Masjid is like praying at least 500 Salāhs in any other Masjid. Some have said that it is up to 1000 times the reward of a single Salāh elsewhere.
Pray Dhuhr anywhere in the Masjid area, for example, would give you the same reward as praying Dhuhr in any other Masjid for more than six months in a row! And you do not have to be inside the built area in Masjid al Qiblī. You can pray under a tree, under a dome, on a Mastaba or inside the Dome of the Rock. All of it is blessed and Salāh anywhere inside the huge Masjid area gives you that huge reward!
Sit back and imagine its melodious Adhān, being called from its four minarets telling you, come to prayer, come to success, as you walk through one of its gates, hoping for your Salāh to be counted as a thousand! This is al Masjid al Aqsā my dear sibling and so much more can be said about it. Insha’Allāh in the next part, I will tell you the story of Palestine from the very beginning!
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References:
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Abi Dharr rady Allahu ‘anh
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