In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A blessed place of prayer.
Why must we remain loyal to Bayt al-Maqdis?
We have previously mentioned the importance, status, sanctity, and blessings of Palestine.
And its connection to the creed, faith, divine revelation, and the mission of all the prophets.
This serves as a great motivation and incentive for every Muslim to bear the responsibility placed upon their shoulders.
Regarding this vital cause and that usurped land.
However, this does not prevent us from recalling some important historical positions and facts.
And the bright images and victories achieved upon its soil.
To serve as an additional incentive and a powerful drive, out of love and loyalty to that land which Allah has blessed.
In addition to the original religious incentive.
Among the facts that many Muslims may overlook:
Is that significant historical events and unparalleled acts of heroism,
Took place in Palestine and changed the course of history.
Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that the Ummah was passing through a critical, difficult, and extremely dark phase.
To the point that Muslims had lost hope of rising again,
And reclaiming their status and strength.
In this segment, and in answer to the question posed,
We will mention three pivotal moments and important events in the history of Palestine,
That good, holy, and blessed land,
Which restored to the Ummah its glory, elevation, and supremacy,
After dark years and difficult circumstances.
The first scene:
After the Islamic state had expanded from China to France,
Including areas of Europe,
Divisions occurred, and conflicts increased between the smaller states.
To the extent that some sought the help of enemies to destroy others.
Thus, the Crusader campaigns began to seize cities, most notably Antioch.
Then they besieged Bayt al-Maqdis.
They entered the city and stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the year 492 AH.
And committed a great, brutal, and horrific massacre inside it.
So much so that one of the Crusader historians from the Franks described it, saying:
"Our soldiers were wading up to their shins in the blood of the Muslims."
Then, in the year 583 AH,
Salah al-Din, may Allah have mercy on him, marched from Damascus.
The Battle of Hattin took place near Tiberias.
He inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Crusaders.
Then he marched to Acre, Sidon, Jaffa, and Beirut,
As well as Nablus and Ramla.
And he liberated the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Thus, the Battle of Hattin in Palestine was a resounding victory,
And a decisive battle for the history of the Muslims.
It was a bright, untarnished page for Salah al-Din, may Allah have mercy on him,
As it turned the scales and restored to the Ummah its status and glory,
After years of humiliation, weakness, and disgrace.
The second scene:
At the beginning of the seventh century AH,
There were two influential powers in the world:
The power of the Muslims and the power of the Crusaders.
The Muslims ruled from western China,
Through Asia and Africa,
To western Europe in the lands of Al-Andalus.
However, a deterioration and instability in the political situation,
Began to weaken the state's foundation.
The foundation of the Muslims was the Abbasid Caliphate in Iraq,
Along with Egypt, the Levant, the Hijaz, and Yemen,
Under the rule of the Ayyubids,
As well as the Maghreb and Al-Andalus,
The Khwarazmian state, India, and western Persia,
Iran, and Anatolia (Turkey).
The Crusaders were distributed in parts of Europe,
Armenia, and elsewhere.
A new power emerged from Mongolia,
North of China: the Tatars.
Under the leadership of Genghis Khan,
Which means "the conqueror of the world."
Within a short period,
Their kingdom expanded to include vast areas:
All of China,
Nine and a half million square kilometers,
Mongolia, Vietnam,
Thailand, and parts of Siberia.
The Mongol Tatars were characterized by the annihilation of cities,
Without distinguishing between old or young,
Man or woman,
Civilian or military,
Oppressor or oppressed.
They had no honor and kept no covenants.
So they began to invade the Islamic cities,
City by city.
In Baghdad, in the year 656 AH,
In a great massacre,
The likes of which history had never witnessed,
Where more than a million souls were killed.
Then the Tatar advance continued,
To Aleppo, then Damascus,
In the year 657 AH.
Then they occupied Nablus,
And all of Palestine up to Gaza.
Then, within two years, they brought down,
All of Iraq,
And large parts of Turkey and Syria,
Palestine and Lebanon,
Until they reached the borders of Egypt.
Despite the very difficult economic situation,
At that time in Egypt,
The scholars rallied,
Among them 'Izz al-Din Ibn 'Abd al-Salam,
Behind Qutuz, may Allah have mercy on him,
Until they fought with courage at 'Ayn Jalut,
Between Beisan and Nablus,
On the twenty-fifth of Ramadan,
In the year 658 AH.
They achieved a great victory over the Tatars,
And their entire army was annihilated.
Thus, an important page was turned,
And a difficult phase for the Islamic Ummah,
Indeed, for the entire world.
And the Tatars never rose again to this day.
The third scene:
There was a strong desire among French politicians,
And their leaders, to occupy Egypt.
They exploited the weakness of the Ottoman Empire,
Especially after Napoleon's victory,
In a fierce war against Italy,
Where arrogance and pride began,
And eyes turned toward Egypt.
The Jewish millionaire Rothschild,
Covered the French financial deficit,
And funded Napoleon's campaign against Egypt,
In the year 1798.
[1798 AD].
The goal was to convince Napoleon to help the Jews,
In establishing a national home for them in Palestine.
The French fleet landed,
And a battle took place with the Mamluk forces,
The French were victorious,
Followed by the occupation of Cairo.
Napoleon began in the year 1799,
[1799 AD],
A campaign toward Palestine and the Levant,
To bring it under his control,
And to eliminate Ottoman control there.
He occupied Gaza and Jaffa,
They committed massacres against its people,
Even executing 4,000 prisoners.
Then they occupied the city of Haifa,
By the French commander Kléber.
Napoleon continued with Kléber,
And his army marched along the Palestinian coast,
To occupy the city of Acre,
And to subdue its governor, Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar,
The ruler of Acre at that time.
They reached the outskirts of the city,
And imposed a siege around it,
And began shelling it with cannons.
The people of Acre, led by Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar,
Defended the city with desperate resolve.
During that period,
The French forces managed to occupy,
Tiberias, Nazareth, and Safed.
After a siege that lasted 62 days,
Napoleon and his army failed to enter Acre.
And Napoleon returned, dragging,
The tails of defeat, disappointment, and loss.
And he said his famous statement:
"I have buried my dreams under the walls of Acre."
Then the French army broke,
And was defeated in Egypt.
Yes, the place of prayer.
We are a sun that does not set.
If the caller calls, we respond.
We return the right, intact.
We support the beloved Al-Aqsa.
In it, the best of creation prayed.
It is indeed a blessed place of prayer.
The landing site of the trustworthy revelation.
The place of mission for the messengers.
The qibla for the Muslims.
The destination of the conquerors.
In it, the best of creation prayed.
It is indeed a blessed place of prayer.