In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
We are a sun that never sets.
If the caller calls, we answer.
We shall restore the truth, whole and intact.
We shall grant victory to the beloved Al-Aqsa.
Within it, the best of creation prayed.
It is indeed a blessed place of prayer.
A blessed place of prayer.
What is the second mosque established on earth?
To answer this question,
let us pause and reflect upon this magnificent hadith.
From the hadith of the noble Companion Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him,
who said: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah,
which mosque was the first to be established on earth?"
He replied, "The Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram)."
I asked, "And then which?"
He replied, "The Al-Aqsa Mosque."
I asked, "How much time was between them?"
He replied, "Forty years."
Then, wherever prayer overtakes you after that, pray,
for the merit lies in it.
The hadith explicitly states that the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque
is the second mosque established to realize servitude
to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, on earth.
And that the city of Jerusalem is the second city to know monotheism
after Makkah, may Allah honor it.
Thus begins the bond of faith and the religious attachment,
and the doctrinal connection to that spot since the beginning of time.
As is well known,
the first house founded on earth to realize worship and devotion
is the Sacred Mosque.
As the Almighty said:
They worship their Lord within it,
so their sins are forgiven,
their lapses are overlooked,
and they attain through it acts of obedience and closeness,
by which they gain the pleasure of their Lord,
the attainment of His reward, and salvation from His punishment.
That is why He called it "blessed,"
meaning it contains abundant blessings in both religious and worldly benefits.
The verse and the hadith
both point to an important historical reality
and a depth of meaning,
through the words of our Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He,
"first" in the verse,
and the question using "first" in the hadith,
to denote a temporal beginning in terms of absolute primacy,
and a spatial one in terms of foundation, designation, and the selection of the site.
Herein lies the importance of these two spots and the interconnection of the two mosques.
The meaning of "established" (wudi'a)
is founded, fixed, and set.
From this, a place is called a "mawdi'" (location).
The root of "wad'" (placing) is the setting down, the opposite of lifting.
Since something lifted is far from reach,
that which is "placed" (mawdu') is close and accessible.
Thus, "placing" is used to signify proximity for the seeker and preparation for benefit.
The words of our Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He,
and the words of our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, "established,"
contain a more precise indication than the word "built."
It is a profound indication of their exclusivity for worship,
the designation of the site, and the attention, honor, and reverence given to it,
as well as its religious status, sacredness, and blessing,
and the attachment of people's hearts to it.
It is commonly known among people
that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was the first to build the Sacred Mosque,
and that Ya'qub or Sulayman, peace be upon them, was the first to build Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Scholars have held various opinions in determining this,
but one who reflects on the verse and the hadith, along with historical perspective,
finds that the closest and most likely opinion
is that the Sacred Mosque and Al-Aqsa Mosque
were built—founded, initiated, and their foundations laid—
in the time of Adam, peace be upon him.
It is transmitted that Adam, peace be upon him, built the Sacred Mosque,
and then, forty years later,
Al-Aqsa Mosque was built.
That is, in his time,
and it is possible it was done by his children,
as they spread out after him.
Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"The indication is to the first construction
and the laying of the foundations of the two mosques.
Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was not the first to build the Ka'bah,
nor was Sulayman, peace be upon him, the first to build Bayt al-Maqdis.
There were many prophets, righteous people, and builders.
Allah knows best who began it.
We have narrated that the first to build the Ka'bah was Adam,
then his children spread across the earth,
so it is possible that some of them established Bayt al-Maqdis."
Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned something similar.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, favored the view
that the building of Al-Aqsa Mosque was in the era of Adam,
just as the Sacred Mosque was built in his era.
He says,
and Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said the same,
that the hadith does not indicate that Ibrahim and Sulayman, peace be upon them,
when they built the two mosques,
were the ones who initiated their establishment.
Rather, that was a renewal of what others had founded before them.
The elite of humanity, the prophets and the righteous, realized the importance of Al-Aqsa,
so they took turns building, raising, and renewing it.
Ibrahim, peace be upon him, renewed it,
and when he grew old, Ya'qub, peace be upon him, renewed it,
just as Sulayman, peace be upon him, raised its structure and built it.
Its maintenance continued from generation to generation
until this very day.
For a long time, the Jews have tried to erase these historical facts
and suggest that the beginning of the relationship of Al-Aqsa Mosque on earth
was since Sulayman, peace be upon him,
in order to discard more than two thousand years of its ancient history.
But that is far from their reach.
Just as the sun cannot be covered by a sieve,
their lies, forgery, and distortion
will only deceive the weak-minded and the sick-hearted.
Our sanctities will remain standing tall,
and they will be recovered tomorrow or the day after, by the will of Allah.
A blessed place of prayer.
We are a sun that never sets.
If the caller calls, we answer.
We shall restore the truth, whole and intact.
We shall grant victory to the beloved Al-Aqsa.
Within it, the best of creation prayed.
It is indeed a blessed place of prayer.
The landing place of the Trustworthy Revelation.
The sending place of the Messengers.
The Qibla for the Muslims.
The destination of the conquerors.
Within it, the best of creation prayed.
It is indeed a blessed place of prayer.
It is indeed a blessed place of prayer.