The Forty Precious Hadiths of Jerusalem
Palestine: Land of Miracles
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The sun was never stopped for any human being
except for Joshua during the nights he marched toward Jerusalem."
Recorded by Ahmad and authenticated by al-Albani.
Vocabulary of the Hadith
"Was not stopped": meaning its rotation and movement were not delayed.
Joshua (peace be upon him)
is Joshua, son of Nun,
the companion, servant, and successor of Moses (peace be upon him).
He became a prophet after the death of Moses (peace be upon him)
and led the Children of Israel into the Holy Land
after the period of wandering had ended.
Overall Meaning
Following the death of Moses (peace be upon him)
and the conclusion of the years of wandering,
Joshua, son of Nun (peace be upon him), marched with the believing generation
that had been raised upon faith and courage,
intending to liberate Jerusalem,
that heavily fortified city.
After laying siege to it and as the decisive battle raged on Friday,
the sun drew close to setting.
Joshua (peace be upon him) looked toward it and said—
as recorded in Sahih Muslim:
"You are under command, and I am under command.
O Allah, detain it for me a little longer."
So it was detained, and the miracle occurred
as an honor to facilitate the liberation of Jerusalem from the tyrants.
Rushing to reclaim the sacred sites,
because preserving their sanctity, both physically and spiritually, is among the highest religious priorities.
The laws of the universe are entirely subject to the will of Allah Almighty;
He alters or suspends them
whenever the interest of the religion and the preservation of the sanctuaries require it.
Jerusalem was the ultimate aspiration of the conquerors;
it never vanished from the heart of Joshua (peace be upon him),
but rather remained ever-present in his consciousness and the foremost goal of his pursuit.
The Jerusalem Forty