Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem

Location: Old city of Jerusalem

Date: 705 AD

Al-Masjid El-Aqsa is an Arabic name which means the Farthest Mosque. To understand its name, and its importance, it must be remembered that the roots of Islam began in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia today).

Ten years after the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received his first revelation, he made a miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens on a white flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif. During his interval in Jerusalem, the Prophet stopped to pray at the rock (now covered by the golden Dome), and was given the commandment to pray five times a day.

Today, Muslims throughout the World use Mecca as the direction of prayers (Qibla).However, for 16½ months following the ProphetMohammad's miraculous journey, Jerusalem was the Qibla.                                

1.   Tawhid(Unity)

 

-      The mosque functions as a place to unite muslim to conduct prayer and also an educational center for muslims

-      Mihrab is towards the Ka’abah in Mecca, useful as a kibla’ pointer for the Muslim to perform their prayers.

-      The minaret functions as watchtower as well as to call for prayers (azan).

-      The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides

-      There are no minarets on the Eastern side of Al-Aqsa Mosque because there were no inhabitants and thus no-one to call to prayer.

1.   Ikhtiram (Respect)

-      The mosque is where the muslim gather and commit themselves to Allah

-      The courtyard fucntions as a preparation for muslims to enter the praying hall

-      It also acts as a social hall for muslim to conduct educational lessons

-      As you can see that there are no idols in or outside the mosque as it is forbid by islam to portray prophets and Allah

2.   Ikhlas (Sincerity)

-      The stairs leading to the minaret

-      The mosque was damaged by earthquake and was rebuilt several times and was preserve as it is to remain the historical values

3.   Ilm’ (Knowledge)

-      Educational lessons are conducted in the hall

-      In the corner of the hall there is a shelf filled with books for the user to come in pray and also learn

4.   Ikhtisad (Balance)

-      The glass and walls engravings had no idol(as its forbidden)geometry and also mathematical calculations was used to design it

-      Floral design is one of the geometry design that was used for designing

-      As for mathematical comes in to give the design more precision and completion

5.   Haya’ (Modesty)

-      The mosque, with an area of 142 acres, has the shape of an irregular quadrilateral and is built on one of Jerusalem's four hills

-      It is unique because of its numeroussupplementary buildings: domes, water taps,pavilions, schools, water basins, trees, mihrabs,minbars, minarets, doors, wells and libraries

-      its location on earth is blessed by God where all Prophets, together with Prophet Mohammed, prayed on the night of his journey.

6.   Dzikir (Repetition)

-      Dzikir is a repetition,for the user as a remembrance to Allag

-      The repetition of columns are also considered in the repetition in the mosque

-      The rectangular Al-Aqsa Mosque is 144,000 square meters, 35 acres, or 1/6 of the entire area within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem as it stands today.