In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
What a blessed place of prayer.
How did the status of Al-Aqsa feature in the lives of the Companions?
The noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, realized from the very beginning of their Islam
the status of the Holy Land, its spiritual importance, and its doctrinal significance,
until it became a life project for which they sacrificed everything precious and dear.
They were keen to conquer it and preserve it,
and this was only due to their intense love for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and their emulation of him
regarding his circumstances and his profound attachment to that blessed land.
How could the Companions not love that blessed spot, that holy land, and that virtuous place,
when they had prayed in difficult circumstances and at a most critical stage
with the Prophet, peace be upon him, in Makkah before the migration, while their qibla was Bayt al-Maqdis?
On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to pray while in Makkah facing Bayt al-Maqdis,
with the Kaaba in front of him. After he migrated to Madinah, he continued this for sixteen months,
then it was turned toward the Kaaba." Whoever follows the circumstances and the Prophetic biography of the Companions
will find wonderful examples and radiant images.
The noble Companion Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Jundub ibn Junada, may Allah be pleased with him,
one of the early pioneers and the elite of the Companions,
for he was the fifth of four who embraced Islam,
was not deterred by the injustice, persecution, and hardship of the Makkan era
from asking about Al-Aqsa Mosque, its status, and its connection to the Sacred Mosque.
On the authority of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, which mosque was built first on earth?'"
He said, "The Sacred Mosque."
I said, "Then which?"
He said, "Al-Aqsa Mosque."
I said, "How much time was between them?"
He said, "Forty years.
Then, wherever prayer overtakes you, pray,
for the merit is in it."
The love for Al-Aqsa Mosque and its emotional attachment continued in the soul of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him,
for after their migration to Madinah and the increase in the burdens of the state and responsibilities,
he did not forget to discuss the status and virtue of that land in the presence of the noble Companions.
For on the authority of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
"We were discussing, while we were with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, which is better:
the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
or the Mosque of Bayt al-Maqdis?"
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"A prayer in this mosque of mine is better than four prayers in it.
And what an excellent place of prayer it is!
A time will soon come when a man will have a piece of land the size of his horse's tether,
from which he can see Bayt al-Maqdis,
and that will be better for him than the entire world,
better than the world and all that is in it."
The *shatan* is the rope.
Contemplate this scene;
it is as if it were a forum and a gathering,
a Prophetic, Jerusalem-focused council par excellence in Madinah
in the presence of the noble Companions.
Amazing aspirations,
and an unparalleled sense of responsibility for this unique generation.
Abu Dharr’s attachment to Al-Aqsa Mosque was not
merely a matter of theory or abstract principles,
but it was reflected in the course of his life,
remaining present in his mind and thoughts,
so that he participated in the army that conquered Bayt al-Maqdis in the year fifteen after the Hijra.
Indeed, he traveled there to reside and worship.
Because of their intense religious attachment to that land
and their knowledge of priorities and virtues ranked by importance,
Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, says:
"The Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, came to me
while I was sleeping in the mosque of Madinah,
and he nudged me with his foot and said,
'Do I see you sleeping in it?'
I said, 'O Prophet of Allah,
my eyes overcame me.'
He said, 'What will you do when you are expelled from it?'
I said, 'I will go to Al-Sham, the Holy Land.'
He said, 'And what will you do when you are expelled from Al-Sham?'"
He said, "I seek refuge in Allah."
The best of creation after the Prophets, may the blessings of Allah be upon them,
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him,
had pivotal stances
and great concern for that Holy Land,
among the most prominent of which was the dispatching of the army of Usama ibn Zayd,
which was the last expedition in the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
to the lands of Al-Sham to meet the Romans,
and the first expedition in the life of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him.
The Caliph Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, during his life
hoped that the city of Bayt al-Maqdis would be in the possession of the Muslims,
and he made the goal of the army led by Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with him,
Palestine and Aelia.
People used to hear Abu Bakr’s instructions to Amr, may Allah be pleased with them both:
"You must head for Palestine and Aelia."
And in Abu Bakr’s letter to Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with them both:
"Hasten to your brothers in Al-Sham,
for by Allah, a village of the villages of the Holy Land that Allah conquers for us
is dearer to us than a district of the districts of Iraq."
The *rustaq* is a place containing crops, villages, or clustered houses.
Bayt al-Maqdis was conquered during the era of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
and he received its keys.
He came himself with his servant,
and his garment had seventeen patches,
and he waded through the mud.
Abu Ubayda, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him,
"You have done a great thing."
The Faruq, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him,
"If anyone other than you had said that, O Abu Ubayda,"
and he struck his chest.
Then he said his famous statement:
"We were the most insignificant of people, the most humiliated of people, and the most wretched of people,
then Allah honored us with Islam.
And whoever seeks honor in anything else, Allah will humiliate him."
The doctrinal attachment of the Companions and their spiritual connection to Bayt al-Maqdis
was reflected practically in their lives,
for a great number entered it, having traveled there,
and they intended to reside and worship there,
as well as to preach, guide, and teach,
and some of them were buried there.
Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali said:
"As for those who entered Bayt al-Maqdis from among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them,
they are a great multitude,
whom none can count except Allah, the Glorified and Exalted."
Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
one of the ten promised Paradise,
was the commander-in-chief of the conquest armies in Al-Sham.
And Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with him,
witnessed the conquest and was the first to call the adhan in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Among those who traveled there and resided there from the Companions
were Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with them both,
and Ubadah ibn al-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him,
the first to hold the judiciary of Palestine,
for he resided in Bayt al-Maqdis and was buried there.
Among those who resided there were:
Tamim ibn Aws al-Dari,
Abdullah ibn Salam,
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari,
Shaddad ibn Aws al-Khazraji,
Anif ibn Malla al-Judhami,
and Barr ibn Abdullah al-Dari,
whom the Prophet, peace be upon him, named,
and others, may Allah be pleased with them all.
Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to travel there
and pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque,
and he would intentionally not drink water
so that his intention would be purely for prayer alone,
in order to fulfill the supplication of Sulayman, peace be upon him,
and attain the great reward and forgiveness,
as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"When Sulayman ibn Dawud finished building Bayt al-Maqdis,
he asked Allah for three things:
a judgment that coincides with His judgment,
a kingdom that should not be granted to anyone after him,
and that no one should come to this mosque intending only to pray in it
without emerging from his sins like the day his mother gave birth to him."
What an excellent place of prayer!
We are a sun that does not set;
if the caller calls, we respond.
We restore the right, sound and whole;
we support the beloved Al-Aqsa.
In it, the best of creation prayed;
it is truly an excellent place of prayer.
The landing place of the Trustworthy Revelation,
the sending place of the Messengers,
the qibla of the Muslims,
the destination of the conquerors.
In it, the best of creation prayed;
it is truly an excellent place of prayer.
It is truly an excellent place of prayer.