The Forty Gems of Jerusalem Hadiths
The beginning of the Ummah's divine guidance stemmed from al-Aqsa Mosque
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was brought,
on the night of his Night Journey to Aelia (Jerusalem),
two drinking vessels, one containing wine and the other milk.
He looked at both of them and took the milk.
Gabriel said:
"Praise be to Allah, Who guided you to the natural disposition (fitrah)!
Had you chosen the wine, your Ummah would have gone astray."
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
"Aelia" is one of the names of the city of Jerusalem.
It was bestowed by the Roman Emperor Hadrian
upon Bayt al-Maqdis after its destruction and subsequent rebuilding,
derived from the ancestral family name of the emperor:
Aelia Capitolina.
"Al-Qadah" means a cup or vessel
primarily used for drinking.
"Hadaka" means He guided you and granted you success.
"Al-Fitrah" is the innate pure state upon which every newborn is created,
and it is the religion of Islam.
"Ghawat": "al-Ghayy" signifies misguidance and plunging into wickedness;
that is, it would have strayed and become immersed in evil.
General Meaning:
Among the momentous events on the Night of the Journey (al-Isra')
was that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Jerusalem,
two vessels were presented to him,
one containing wine
and the other containing milk.
He (peace be upon him) chose the milk,
and was thus guided to the primordial nature upon which Allah created mankind.
This marked the very origin of this Ummah's divine guidance and success,
commencing from the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque.
Reflections on Jerusalem:
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the starting point of the Ummah's guidance and the key to its renaissance;
in it, its right direction was manifested and its spiritual maturity was launched.
Offering hospitality to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
in al-Aqsa Mosque
was an honoring and veneration of his exalted status.
True and absolute success,
along with all goodness and happiness for this Ummah,
lies in reclaiming its holy sites and preserving them.
The Forty Hadiths of Jerusalem.