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The Mystical Significance of

 Jerusalem in Islam

• I) Symbolic Importance ofJerusalem during the living ofProphet Muhammad

• II) Spiritual Rise of the Prophet

in Jerusalem

• III) Slides on the town ofJerusalem

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Symbolic Importance of

 Jerusalem

• In year 612, Muhammadinaugurated his preaching inMekka.

• The revelations attacked therichness of the Mekkan Leaders

and denounced idols.• The Hegira or the emigration to

Medina in 622

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The Life Time of Muhammad 

• For Jews, Muhammad was astrange character.

• Muhammad did not accept thatGod chose the nation of Israel.

• Muhammad recognized Jesusas an authentic Prophet.

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The Life Time of Muhammad 

• The Christian monks did notpay any attention to him.

• Muhammad did not call JesusSon of God.

• He rejected the concept ofTrinity.

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The Life Time of Muhammad 

• The physical relation of afather and a son is a humanconcept.

• The Muslims must not attributeanthropomorphic concepts toGod.

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Symbolic Importance of

 Jerusalem

• Abraham sent to Mekka his elderson Ishmael.

• Abraham founded a temple in

Mekka for his elder son Ishmael,as he founded a Temple inJerusalem for Isaac.

• Ishmael was sacrificedsymbolically at Mina close to

Mekka.

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Symbolic Importance of

 Jerusalem

• Jewish piety considers theTemple to be the center of theuniverse.

• Muslim piety considers Mekkaas the center of the earth.

• The change of qibla (directionof prayers) from Jerusalem to

Mekka

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Symbolic Importance of

 Jerusalem

• The change of Qibla made itpossible to the Prophet todistinguish his followers from the

others.• In this City,

seventy thousand Prophets died,Abraham founded a Temple,

Muhammad stopped there during

his night journey (isra’ ) and rise(mi‘raj ).

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Symbolic Importance of

 Jerusalem

• The Rock of Jerusalem and theBlack Stone of Mekka ascoming from the Sky and

belonging to the Paradise• On the Day of judgment,

a wall will be erected toseparate good from evil

people.

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The Dome of the Rock 

• Was built in 691 by theUmayyad Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik

• The heritage of Islam and itstriumph over Judaism andChristianity

• Invites the Christians to adhereto the Qur’anic principlesdecorating the Dome

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 Rise of the Prophet 

• The night journey from Mekka toJerusalem (isra’ )

• The mi‘raj where he rises to the

seventh sky• Muhammad left the print of his

foot on the Rock of Jerusalemlike Abraham on the Ka‘ba andJesus at the Chapel of Ascension.

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 Rise of the Prophet 

• For Ibn Ishaq (d. c. 773):• A major sign of his mission

• A manifestation of the Powerof God

• A proof for the human intellect• A gift of Mercy

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 Rise of the Prophet in Jerusalem

• The experience of the Prophetis used as model

• The night of the journey recallsthat Jerusalem which was the

first qibla will be also their last,that is is for their mystics, theCity of supreme Hegira.

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 Jerusalem

• Jerusalem is for Islam what Romeis for Christianity.

• The place of origin and the place of

return to God• Three degrees of divine

intervention:• I) a seizure

• II) an ecstasy

• III) a transforming union

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 Rise of the Prophet 

• The sacred Mosque of Mekkarepresents the station of the heart.

• The one who is at this station

perceived the signs of the Lord.• The Mosque of al-Aqsa of

Jerusalem represents the station ofSpirit.

• The one who is on this level

understands the real meaning ofthe divine signs.

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 Rise of the Prophet 

• According to Haydar Amuli, a SufiShi‘ite of the XIVth c.,

the Prophet succeeded in reaching

the divine Essence like Abrahamwho reached the same spiritualstation.

• The Mosque of Mekka signifies theheart of reality which is haram,

that is forbidden to the others toenter.

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 Rise of the Prophet 

• The significance of the mostdistant Mosque in Jerusalem isthe presence of the spirit.

• The Mosque of Mekka, whichsymbolizes the heart, is the

qibla of the Muslims as theheart is the qibla of all the

physical limbs and innerorgans.

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 Rise of the Prophet 

• The first internal organ to appearin the formation of the embryon isthe heart;

similarly the Ka‘ba was the firstHouse established on earth.

• The al-Aqsa Mosque which is hisSpirit has been added to him asAllah confirms:

 “And breathed into him my Spirit(XV: 29)” 

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Rise of the Prophet

• The Spirit in the station of al-Aqsais in the highest station ofwitnessing and unveiling as ‘Ali (d.

661) said: “and my heart lives by theknowledge of You and my spirit by

my witnessing of You.” • The Spirit is also the qibla of the

heart of the man just as the heartis the qibla of all the body.