Jerusalem stands as one of the most contested and revered pieces of land in human history, a city where the spiritual aspirations of three major monotheistic faiths converge. Also, for Muslims, the desire for Jerusalem—known in Arabic as Al-Quds (The Holy) or Bayt al-Maqdis (The Holy House)—is not merely a political ambition or a territorial claim; it is a profound theological imperative rooted in the very foundations of Islamic belief. Understanding why Muslims have historically sought connection to, control over, and access to this city requires an exploration of Quranic revelation, Prophetic tradition, early Islamic history, and the enduring spiritual psychology of the Ummah (global Muslim community).
The Quranic Foundation: The Night Journey and Ascension
The primary theological anchor for the Muslim attachment to Jerusalem is found explicitly in the Quran, specifically in Surah Al-Isra (17:1):
"Glory be to the One Who took His servant ˹Muḥammad˺ by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing."
This verse describes Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj—the Night Journey and Ascension. In Islamic theology, the "Sacred Mosque" (Al-Masjid al-Haram) is unequivocally the Kaaba in Mecca. The "Farthest Mosque" (Al-Masjid al-Aqsa) has been identified by an overwhelming consensus of classical scholars—including companions of the Prophet like Abdullah ibn Abbas and later exegetes such as Al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Qurtubi—as the mosque in Jerusalem.
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This event was not a mere vision; it was a physical and spiritual transportation of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from the holiest site in Islam to the second holiest site before his ascension to the heavens (Mi’raj). By linking the Kaaba and Al-Aqsa in a single miraculous night, the Quran permanently fused the spiritual destiny of Mecca and Jerusalem. In practice, to revere Mecca while neglecting Jerusalem is, in the Islamic worldview, to accept half the miracle while rejecting the other half. The phrase "whose surroundings We have blessed" (barakna hawlahu) further elevates the land itself, designating the region as divinely favored, fertile, and spiritually potent.
The First Qibla: The Original Direction of Prayer
Before the Quranic command to face the Kaaba in Mecca (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144), the early Muslim community prayed facing Jerusalem for approximately sixteen to seventeen months. This period, known as the First Qibla, established Jerusalem as the initial spiritual compass of the nascent Islamic state in Medina It's one of those things that adds up. Practical, not theoretical..
This historical fact carries immense weight. It signifies that the Prophet Muhammad and his companions physically oriented their lives—five times a day—toward Jerusalem. This was not an arbitrary choice; it was a divine instruction linking the final revelation to the prophetic lineage that preceded it. Muslims believe in the continuity of revelation: the same God who spoke to Moses and Jesus spoke to Muhammad. But facing Jerusalem initially was a powerful symbolic affirmation that Islam was not a new, disconnected religion, but the restoration and culmination of the Abrahamic tradition. Even after the Qibla changed to Mecca, the reverence for the First Qibla remained embedded in the Muslim consciousness, ensuring Jerusalem retained its status as the Ula al-Qiblatayn (the First of the Two Qiblas).
The Third Haram: A Pillar of Pilgrimage and Merit
In a famous Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah and recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad stated:
"Do not undertake a journey (for worship) except to three mosques: Al-Masjid al-Haram (Mecca), Al-Masjid al-Aqsa (Jerusalem), and my Mosque (Medina)."
This Hadith elevates Al-Aqsa to the exclusive tier of the Thalathatu al-Masajid (The Three Mosques). In Islamic jurisprudence, traveling specifically for the purpose of worship (Safar li-Ta'ah) is generally restricted or discouraged unless it is to these three sites. This ruling transforms Jerusalem from a mere historical landmark into an active, living center of devotion Turns out it matters..
The spiritual economy of visiting Jerusalem is explicitly quantified in Prophetic traditions. On top of that, prayers offered in Al-Masjid al-Aqsa are described as carrying multiplied rewards—often cited as 500 times (or in some narrations 250 times) the reward of a prayer offered elsewhere, second only to the Kaaba (100,000 times) and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina (1,000 times). Which means for a believer seeking closeness to God (Taqwa), the mathematical spiritual incentive to "want" Jerusalem—to visit it, pray in it, and protect access to it—is overwhelming. It is a capital of Barakah (divine blessing) where the return on spiritual investment is guaranteed by the Divine Promise.
The Nexus of Prophets: Continuity of the Abrahamic Lineage
Islam does not view its prophets as isolated figures but as a single brotherhood (Ikhwan) sent with the same core message: Tawhid (monotheism). Jerusalem is the geographic epicenter of this brotherhood. Islamic tradition holds that numerous prophets lived, preached, died, or are buried in and around Jerusalem, including Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Zakariya (Zechariah), Yahya (John the Baptist), and Isa (Jesus) It's one of those things that adds up. Surprisingly effective..
The Quran recounts the story of Sulaiman (Solomon) rebuilding the mosque in Jerusalem and asking God for three things: judgment in harmony with God’s judgment, a dominion that would belong to no one after him, and that anyone who comes to this mosque praying only in it would leave sin-free like the day they were born (Sunan an-Nasa'i). The Prophet Muhammad confirmed that two of these three were granted, implicitly validating the third—the forgiveness of sins for the sincere visitor That's the part that actually makes a difference. But it adds up..
During the Night Journey, the Prophet Muhammad led all these previous prophets in prayer at Al-Aqsa. This event (Imam al-Anbiya) symbolizes the finality of his message and the unity of the prophetic mission. For a Muslim, Jerusalem is the physical meeting point of this "Assembly of Prophets." To be in Jerusalem is to walk in the footsteps of Abraham, to stand where David judged, where Solomon built, and where Jesus preached. The desire for Jerusalem is, therefore, a desire to connect with the entire chain of divine guidance.
This is where a lot of people lose the thread.
The Conquest of Umar: A Model of Justice and Tolerance
The historical realization of the Muslim "want" for Jerusalem occurred in 637-638 CE (15-16 AH), during the Caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. That's why the Byzantine Patriarch Sophronius refused to surrender the city to anyone but the Caliph himself. Umar traveled from Medina to Jerusalem with minimal entourage, entering the city on foot alongside his servant, taking turns riding a single camel.
The surrender terms, known as the Uhda al-Umariyya (Covenant of Umar), became a gold standard in Islamic governance. It guaranteed the safety of lives, property, churches, crosses, and religious rituals for the Christian population. It explicitly forbade Jews from living in Jerusalem (a condition requested by the Christian patriarchs, reflecting the tensions of the era), though later Muslim rulers, notably
