Back Home to Al-Aqsa | Jumu'ah Khutbah | Dr. AbdulRazzak Junaid

Back Home to Al-Aqsa

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and that he is the trustee of His revelation. All praises due to Allah, our Creator, the Originator and Designer of the heavens and the earth. And upon the best of creation, Muhammad, we send our salutations upon him, his family, his companions, and all those that follow them in goodness till the end of times. Allahumma ij'alna minhum.

Masjid al-Aqsa: Forty Days Closed

My dear brothers and sisters, for 40 days, Masjid al-Aqsa was closed. For 40 days, Masjid al-Aqsa was closed. For over 200 prayers — for Salat al-Eid, for many Jumu'ahs in a row — just think about that.

Masjid al-Aqsa for 40 days was closed, but alhamdulillah yesterday, our brothers prayed Salat al-Fajr there, and it was reopened. But the occupiers are still there.

I ask Allah to allow us to pray there before we pass away. And I ask Allah that when we go there, we seek permission from none other than Muslims, ya Rabb al-'alameen.

The Quranic Verdict on Those Who Close the Houses of Allah

Allah says in the Quran:

Allah says: and who is more cruel, more wrong, and does more dhulm? This is istifham inkari — the question here is rhetorical — meaning there is no one who is more cruel, wicked, and wrong and does more dhulm than the one who prevents the houses of Allah from Allah's name being mentioned there. There is no one more wicked than that person. No one more cruel than that person who does that.

As Shaykh al-Shinqiti in Adwa' al-Bayan gives several explanations as to how Allah several times in the Qur'an says:

There is no one more wicked than this person — and yet it occurs many times in the Qur'an for different people. وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَيْهِ كَذِبًا and وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ. He gives a few explanations.

One of them is that they are the most cruel within their category. Meaning, from amongst those people that prevent — the worst people, the most cruel and wicked from those who prevent — are those that prevent the houses of Allah from being used and from worshipping Allah in them. That's one explanation.

Another explanation is that they are equally cruel and equally wicked in what they do. They are equally oppressive in what they do.

And what do they prevent, my dear brothers? Masajid are not just buildings. Masjid is ism makan — the place of sujood. The houses of Allah are meant for us to be connected to Him. So can you imagine the punishment of those people that are cutting the connection between us and our Lord? Cutting the connection between us and our sujood to Allah and from us remembering Him?

وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَابِهَا — and not only that. Al-sa'y is to walk briskly, meaning that they are actively striving and putting effort in destroying the houses of Allah. Physically perhaps by demolishing them, destroying them, dirtying them — or even by preventing the worship of Allah. Preventing the 'ibad al-Rahman from going to worship Allah.

What does Allah say about them?

Those people — those oppressors, those wicked, cruel people — they have nothing but to enter into those houses of Allah except out of fear and out of awe, shar'an wa qadaran, from Allah and also from the believers, in that we do not allow them to enter except by permission from us. That they do not enter into the houses of Allah except by permission and except by the rules that we set for them. Allah says about them that for them in the dunya is disgrace and humiliation, لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ, and for them in the akhirah is a very severe and great punishment, وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ.

Where Is the Help of Allah?

I ask Allah to forgive us of our shortcoming towards Masjid al-Aqsa. Many of us ask: if this is the punishment that Allah says about the people who prevent the houses of Allah from being used to worship Him, then where is the help of Allah?

I remind us all of the statement of Sayyiduna 'Ali, radiallahu 'anhu, where he says:

Allah never abandons the truth. But He leaves it — to test the jealousy and the honour of the people over the truth. And if they do not honour that truth and they do not protect that truth, He will honour and protect that truth Himself.

I ask Allah to forgive us of our shortcoming towards Masjid al-Aqsa and its people, ya Rabb al-'alameen.

Why Is Al-Aqsa So Special?

My dear brothers and sisters, very often I hear — unfortunately — sometimes people will say: why is this priority always given to Masjid al-Aqsa when there are masajid in India, masajid in China also being closed? Why so much importance to Masjid al-Aqsa?

Because Masjid al-Aqsa is not just a masjid that is being closed due to occupation. Masjid al-Aqsa is from those three special masajid. Masjid al-Aqsa is mentioned in the Quran. Masjid al-Aqsa is not a Palestinian issue — it is an issue of the Ummah of Muhammad, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam.

Allah swears by that special land in the Quran:

He swears by the fig and the olive — and the scholars of tafsir mention it's not just about the benefits of the fig and the olive that you eat; it is talking about the fig and olive of that special land — the land of Bayt al-Maqdis, the land of Masjid al-Aqsa, the land of Jerusalem. And then He says right after, وَطُورِ سِينِينَ — Mount Sinai, where Musa, 'alayhi al-salam, spoke to Allah — and وَهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ — this safe land, Makkah al-Mukarramah, where Rasulullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, was sent. He is swearing by places, and He is swearing by the land of Masjid al-Aqsa. Allah swears by this place in the Quran. He calls it blessed in the Quran: الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ.

The Second Masjid Built on Earth

There is a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari where the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, was asked:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3366; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 520)

Abu Dharr, radiallahu 'anhu, asked the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam: which masjid was built on the earth first? The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: al-Masjid al-Haram — Makkah al-Mukarramah. Then the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, was asked: then which masjid, O Messenger of Allah? He said: al-Masjid al-Aqsa. He was asked: how much time was between them? The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: forty years.

And subhanAllah, there was a research done by a scholar in the year 2005 — Dr. Haytham — where he looked literally at the original building of the Ka'bah and the original structure of Masjid al-Aqsa and compared them from an engineering standpoint, and they were literally identical in the way they were shaped: a slightly tilted rectangular shape. Literally, the Ka'bah and Masjid al-Aqsa were built by the same person — the angels, or Adam, 'alayhi al-salam, 'ala ikhtilaf bayna al-'ulama'. They were built by the same people — by Adam, 'alayhi al-salam — and between them only forty years. This hadith is in Bukhari, and the research proves it as well.

So not only do we have wahy to prove our standing in that place, but we also have the proof of the land itself — that the people of Palestine are the original people of that land. I ask Allah to remove its occupiers, ya Rabb al-'alameen.

The Land of Isra' and Mi'raj

Masjid al-Aqsa — Allah made it the land of al-Isra' of our beloved Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. He went there in the night journey and he went there to ascend to the heavens. And in that land, he led all of the prophets in prayer. Can you imagine? Not Makkah, not Medina — but Allah chose the land of many civilisations and many prophets, Masjid al-Aqsa, to be the place where all of the prophets gathered. That special, blessed masjid.

The First Qibla of the Muslims

Masjid al-Aqsa is that special place that Allah made the first qibla for the Muslims. Can you imagine that for the majority of the life of Rasulullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, he prayed towards Masjid al-Aqsa? For 13 years in Makkah, he prayed towards Masjid al-Aqsa. For 16 months in Medina, he prayed towards Masjid al-Aqsa. Only for the rest of that time did he pray towards the Ka'bah. But for the majority of his lifetime — sallu 'ala Rasulullah — he prayed towards Masjid al-Aqsa, the first qibla.

And the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, when he was leading Salat al-Dhuhr in Masjid Banu Salamah, he was given the command to now shift towards the Ka'bah, and he shifted — all with the congregation — which is now known as Masjid al-Qiblatayn, still in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, the Masjid of Two Qiblas.

The Land of Resurrection and Gathering

Masjid al-Aqsa is that special land that Rasulullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, referred to as Ard al-Manshar wa al-Mahshar — it is the land of resurrection and the land of gathering, where people will be resurrected and where people will be gathered.

It is the land of Ibrahim, 'alayhi al-salam, and Ishaq, 'alayhi al-salam, and Ya'qub, 'alayhi al-salam, and Yusuf, 'alayhi al-salam, and Lut, 'alayhi al-salam, and Dawud, 'alayhi al-salam, and Sulaiman, 'alayhi al-salam, and many of the unspoken prophets of Banu Isra'il, 'alayhim al-salam. All of the prophets of Banu Isra'il — you can imagine all of them being sent to that sacred and blessed land of Sham and to Masjid al-Aqsa.

The Land of the Four Revealed Books

Masjid al-Aqsa is our legacy. It is the legacy of the four books that were revealed — the Tawrah, the Injil, the Zabur, and the Quran — all were recited and revealed there. All four books were recited there and taught there, until of course the three were corrupted and the Quran remained pure and protected by Allah.

One of the Three Masajid of Special Travel

Masjid al-Aqsa is that land where the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1189; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1397)

That none should make a long journey for the sake of getting closer to Allah except to three masajid: al-Masjid al-Haram, al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and masjidi hadha — this masjid of mine, referring to the masjid of Rasulullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, Masjid al-Nabawi. Going there is a means of getting closer to Allah. When you pray Salah there, Rasulullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said it is equal to 500 times the prayer — multiplied by 500 — just below al-Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Nabawi.

The Three Du'as of Sulaiman 'Alayhi al-Salam

And there is a hadith where Rasulullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, tells us that Sulaiman, 'alayhi al-salam, prayed for three things at Masjid al-Aqsa. This is reported in the Sunan. He prayed that Allah would grant him a judgment that aligns with the judgment of Allah. And the du'a that we know from the Quran:

That no one will have a kingdom similar to the kingdom of Sulaiman, 'alayhi al-salam. And you know what's amazing? There are many archaeological findings of the ancient civilisations and the kingdoms of the past. Just go to all of the different museums — especially, of course, the British Museum, where they took everything from the world, mashallah. When you look at all of the different ancient civilisations and what remains of the artefacts — but there is nothing, nothing that remains from the kingdom of Sulaiman, 'alayhi al-salam.

And you know what the orientalists say about this? That means he was a fake story. But subhanAllah, for us as Muslims, it actually proves the Quran — because he literally said: ya Allah, don't allow anyone a share of my kingdom. رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَّا يَنبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِي — this is actually the answer of the answered du'a of Sulaiman, 'alayhi al-salam, where his kingdom — even the traces of his kingdom — no longer remain. And this is from the du'a mustajab of Sulaiman, 'alayhi al-salam.

The third du'a he made is that anyone who comes with the intention of prayer in Masjid al-Aqsa and prays there — that they leave with all of their sins forgiven, as the day their mother gave birth to them. And the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: the first two were given to him, and I am hopeful that the third is as well.

So you can imagine: when a person goes there and prays, their reward is multiplied by 500, and perhaps Allah will even make it a reason to forgive them. I ask Allah to allow us to visit Masjid al-Aqsa.

The Angels' Wings Are Spread Over Its People

Zayd ibn Thabit, radiallahu 'anhu, reports that once they were writing the Qur'an al-Karim — all the scribes of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam — and the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, mentioned about the people of that land, and they said: ya Rasulullah, why? The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: because the angels of Allah have their wings spread over them.

I ask Allah to accept from them their shuhada', Rabb al-'alameen.

Nafa'ani Allahu wa iyyakum bima sami'na min al-Qur'ani wa al-sunnah. Aqoolu ma tasma'oon, astaghfirullah li wa lakum wa li sa'iril muslimeen, fastaghfiruuh, innahu huwa al-Ghafoor al-Raheem.

Second Khutbah

Alhamdulillahi Rabb al-'alameen, wassalatu wassalamu 'ala sayyidina wa nabiyyina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'een. Rabb ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri wahlul 'uqdatan min lisani yafqahu qawli.

Our Responsibilities Towards Masjid al-Aqsa

My dear brothers and sisters, for nearly 90 years the Crusaders occupied Masjid al-Aqsa and occupied Jerusalem. But the Muslims never forgot the qadiyyah of al-Aqsa. The Muslims of that time did not forget their responsibility towards Masjid al-Aqsa and Jerusalem.

What's worse than the occupation is for us to forget Masjid al-Aqsa. What's worse than the occupiers is for us to forget our identity as Muslims. Masjid al-Aqsa is not a side issue. Masjid al-Aqsa is not a Palestinian issue — it's a Muslim issue. It's an issue of every Muslim that says La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah. It's an issue of every single Muslim that believes in the Quran. It's an issue of every single Muslim that believes in the Quran and the sunnah of our beloved Messenger Muhammad, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam.

1. Educate Our Children and Keep the Issue Alive

We must make the issue of Masjid al-Aqsa our own personal responsibility. And we must educate our children — because we don't know which generation that will come will have its Salahuddin al-Ayyubi. We must make our children love Masjid al-Aqsa. We must have portraits of it perhaps in our homes. We must make our children learn the anashid related to Masjid al-Aqsa. We must make them learn its virtues and make them know that they are also responsible for it. Don't let the responsibility of al-Aqsa die in this generation. It must live until we are able to do what Salahuddin al-Ayyubi did and again protect it and free it from its occupiers.

2. Make Du'a for Masjid al-Aqsa

Number two, my dear brothers and sisters: we must make du'a for Masjid al-Aqsa. How can that masjid — the third masjid after al-Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Nabawi — be occupied, and we do nothing about it? We don't speak about it, we don't advocate for it, we don't communicate about it, we don't teach each other about it. It is our responsibility. It is the responsibility of every khatib on the minbar. It is the responsibility of every man in his household, every mother with her children, every teacher with his or her students.

3. Don't Just Speak — Act

And number three: don't just speak, but act. Do whatever is in your means. Allah says — and you know the promise of Allah is true:

Allah promises successorship for people who do two things: amanu — they believe. We do that, alhamdulillah. And wa 'amilu al-salihaat — if you want successorship, iman alone is not enough; righteous deeds must also be there. Allah wants us also to take the asbab. So whatever it may be — community building, advocacy, teaching one another, education — we must do whatever is in our means to help the cause of Masjid al-Aqsa. And until that land is free, we should not have any rest. Until that land is free, we should be working towards freeing Masjid al-Aqsa.

I ask Allah to allow us to pray there before we pass away.

I ask Allah that He allows us to enter into Masjid al-Aqsa without the permission of anyone except Muslims, ya Rabb al-'alameen.

Ibadallah, inna Allaha ya'muru bil-'adli wal-ihsani wa ita'i dhil-qurba wa yanha 'anil fahsha'i wal-munkari wal-baghi, ya'idhukum la'allakum tadhakkarun. Udhkuru Allaha yadhkurkum, washkuruhu 'ala ni'amihi yazidkum, wattaquhu yaj'al lakum min amrikum makhraja. Aqim al-salah.