The importance of Al-Aqsa and Palestine by Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Khutbah: The Importance of Al-Aqsa and Palestine

By Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Opening — Khutbat al-Hajah

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَفِيُّهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلِيلُهُ، أَرْسَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا، فَبَلَّغَ الرِّسَالَةَ وَأَدَّى الْأَمَانَةَ وَنَصَحَ الْأُمَّةَ وَتَرَكَنَا عَلَى الْمَحَجَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ لَيْلُهَا كَنَهَارِهَا لَا يَزِيغُ عَنْهَا إِلَّا هَالِكٌ، فَصَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى بِهَدْيِهِ وَاسْتَنَّ بِسُنَّتِهِ وَدَعَا بِدَعْوَتِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ — I advise myself and all of you with the taqwa of Allah and ihsan, for indeed Allah is with those who have taqwa and those who are doers of good.

My brothers and sisters, I start with praising Allah and sending blessings and salutations upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad ﷺ.

Blessed Times and Blessed Places

My brothers, Allah — the One who has created us — has blessed certain times and certain places. It is truly important that we absorb this concept of what is blessed. When Allah prefers a time over another, or a place over another, we as believers should really deem those places more worthy of our time and our attention than anywhere else.

We know Allah blessed the Prophets, so we love them more than anyone else. We know Allah blessed the time of Ramadan, so we see that month differently than any other month — may Allah accept our worship and our fast. We know that Allah has blessed the day of Friday, so we treat it differently than any other day, because we know Allah blessed it.

The Three Most Blessed Places on Earth

There are three places on this earth that Allah blessed more so than anywhere else — three places. That is Masjid al-Haram, the first place that was built on this earth for the worship of the Almighty — where the Ka'bah is right now.

Many people think that it was Ibrahim who built the Ka'bah initially, and that is not the case. When Allah speaks about Ibrahim and Ismail building the Ka'bah, Allah says:

When Ibrahim and Ismail raised — or laid — the foundations of the Ka'bah, it was already blessed, it was already a Haram, but they just rebuilt it. So who built it first? Scholars say it was Adam ﷺ and the angels that built it first, because he was the first person on this earth, and the first place of worship established was there.

It has a greater significance than anywhere else, and our hearts are connected to it. None of us sees an image of the Ka'bah except you long for it. All of us wish we can go there, and those of us that did go wish they could go back. There's no other feeling like the feeling of the first time you walk into the Haram and you see the Ka'bah. This is the place we face when we are praying. We love it because Allah loves it.

The second place of worship that was built on this earth was al-Masjid al-Aqsa — the farther mosque — as Allah mentions in the Qur'an, al-Masjid al-Aqsa that is in Jerusalem. Between those two was 40 years.

The Prophet ﷺ, when he was asked in a hadith that is authentic, narrated by Abu Dharr, was asked: what was the first place that was built? The Prophet ﷺ said: it was Masjid al-Haram, the Ka'bah. And what was the second one? It was al-Masjid al-Aqsa.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3366; Sahih Muslim, Book 5, Hadith 1067)

And between them was a period of 40 years. This is why the more authentic report is that it wasn't built by Ibrahim ﷺ — it might have been rebuilt — but initially it was Adam ﷺ as well, and some say it was his son Sheeth. In any case, these two places were where Allah's worship was established by believers.

These Lands Belong to the Believers, Not to Any Nationality

I want you to understand something else as well, my brothers and sisters. Ethnicities, nationalities, borders — these things don't really matter when it comes to Allah Almighty. To Allah, the world is:

Those who recognize Allah and His rights and follow Allah's law, and those who don't — it doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. And it is those people that will inherit the earth. Allah said: those people that are deserving of walking this earth are those that walk it and live on it the way Allah wants them to. And at the forefront of those are the messengers of Allah.

So it is important — and one thing that you might notice — is that our love for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, of course we love him more than anyone else, but sometimes we forget that all the messengers are our prophets. They are ours as Muslims. Prophet Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq — and these blessed lands are our lands, not because of ethnicity or nationality, but because they are places where we are meant to worship Allah.

The Sanctity of the Holy Land

Now I want you to imagine — we've all been seeing what has been happening in al-Masjid al-Aqsa and in this blessed and holy land, whom Allah in the Qur'an calls holy:

Enter into the holy, sacred land. Do you know what makes it sacred? It is a place meant for the worship of Allah. The place where Zakariya stood and asked Allah — his story, to which a whole surah is dedicated. The place where Maryam ﷺ was making du'a to Allah. The place where prophets walked. There is not an inch of Quds except a prophet of Allah walked there. Not an inch of that place except a prophet of Allah walked. These are our prophets.

Now I want you to imagine — do we really love it? Think about it. Worry about it? Long for it the same way we do the Ka'bah or the Masjid of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Because we should. That same belonging that you feel — the Ka'bah is in Saudi Arabia, yet none of us thinks it belongs to Saudi Arabia. It doesn't even cross your mind. Yes, they manage it and they are the caretakers of it, but do you feel that they own that place more than you? It is the land of the Muslims — whether you are from Africa or Asia, whether you became Muslim yesterday, no matter your ethnicity. These are the lands where Allah is supposed to be worshipped and Tawheed is upheld, no matter where you're from.

So we need to understand that these matters and these issues are Aqidah, belief, Iman. They are not based on nationality and borders — borders that we created.

Understanding Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa

Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is something we need to educate ourselves about more. Alhamdulillah, most of us know that the prayer at Masjid al-Haram is equal to a hundred thousand elsewhere — Allahu Akbar. Most of us know the fadl and the virtue of the Prophet's mosque ﷺ, and many of us have visited. We should have the same longing, the same respect, and the same love for al-Masjid al-Aqsa as well.

A few things I want to clarify. Number one: the common image that you see when you Google "Al-Aqsa mosque" is the one with the golden dome — isn't that correct? That is known as the Dome of the Rock. It was built by Marwan al-Hakam, one of the khulafa of the Umayyad Empire. This is not Masjid al-Aqsa — it is the common image that you see, but it's not Masjid al-Aqsa.

Al-Masjid al-Aqsa — this sacred area — is the whole ground. So you have the mosque that was built by Umar ibn al-Khattab ﷺ, and then you have the Qubbat al-Sakhra — the Dome of the Rock — that was built far later. It's almost like a monument; it was built on a rock. It is said that this is the place from which Rasulullah ﷺ ascended to the heavens — and Allah knows best. But the whole area is blessed, the whole area is blessed.

The Isra and Mi'raj — The Night Journey

Allah — when our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was going through difficulty, when he was facing the tyrants of Mecca (just as today many people are facing tyrants) — when the Prophet ﷺ was facing tyrants and he couldn't worship in peace and Muslims were being oppressed and abused, Allah told our messenger: if the people on earth reject you, you will never be rejected in the heavens.

This is why, historically, the Isra and Mi'raj — the night journey — happened at a very difficult time for the Prophet ﷺ. So Allah gave him this blessed journey. But where did Allah take him first? To show everyone that the legacy of Muhammad ﷺ is connected to the legacy of Prophet Isa and Musa and Suleiman and Dawood and Ibrahim and Adam and all of the great messengers — He went to this beloved land, al-ardul muqaddasa. Allah took him there first, and then he prayed.

What's beautiful is the narration mentions that Rasulullah ﷺ prayed two raka'at at first without noticing that Allah had gathered all of the messengers for him in this blessed land. It is there where the messengers were gathered for Rasulullah ﷺ — the very land where today his followers are being oppressed, abused, and exiled.

It is nothing new, my brothers. It is the sunnah that believers face tyrants. Musa, who was from the Banu Isra'il, faced against Fir'aun. Ibrahim, who is the father of all — known as Abul Anbiya — faced against Nimrod, a tyrant. Rasulullah Muhammad ﷺ faced against Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab. It is nothing new that believers are oppressed. But the question you have to ask yourself is: why does this happen?

Number one, my brothers and sisters — in this world, the oppressed are often the most beloved to Allah. And in the next world, it is the oppressed and those that face injustice that will have the highest ranks. So the one who should worry is the oppressor. The one who should worry is the oppressor.

When the Prophet ﷺ said:

Fear the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and Allah. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1496; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 29)

The Virtue of Praying in Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa

My brothers, this is the fadl and the virtue of Masjid al-Aqsa. The Prophet ﷺ was asked: a prayer in that mosque — in that area, whether that be al-Masjid al-Qibli, or the Dome of the Rock, or that whole area — and a prayer there is equal to 500 prayers elsewhere, as the Prophet ﷺ said, again showing its fadl.

Imagine if someone prays there for a year — it is as if he was praying for 500 years. Imagine our Palestinian brothers and sisters that pray there, and how much virtue they have. May Allah bless them. And although sometimes they might face difficulties at the hands of these unjust people, Allah has blessed them to be in a land where prophets walked, and has given them the virtue of growing up in a place — although they are in so much difficulty — that we would all long for.

May Allah bless them, and just as they are now walking and living in the land of the Prophets, may Allah make them join the Prophets in Jannah. Ameen, Ya Rabbal Alameen.

Al-Aqsa: Our First Qiblah

Ikhwani fi Allah — it is the first Qiblah. Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ faced it. Those among you — or those people — that think we have no heritage or no relation with this mosque in Quds: it was our first Qiblah. Those who think that it's not for the Muslims: it was our first Qiblah. The Prophet ﷺ was facing it for 14 years, praying towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa. The Prophet ﷺ told us about its virtue. Allah took him there for the Isra. He led all the Prophets there. The night journey. The prayer that we pray five times a day — that was legislated in the seven heavens — that journey started from Masjid al-Aqsa.

How can anyone dare to say that this doesn't belong to the believers? And when I say believers, I'm not talking about nationality. Allah said in the Qur'an: this land — the inheritors will be My righteous servants. Allah gave this land to the Banu Isra'il, and then it was taken away so many times — by the Babylonians, by others. And you know what the law of Allah is? If you uphold Allah's laws, if you worship Allah alone, Allah will give you this land and the earth. And the moment you fall off, others will come. This is what you see in the world — people go and come, people go and come. But the followers of the Prophets — those are the ones that will remain. The followers of the Prophets. May Allah make us among those.

Allah didn't only bless Masjid al-Aqsa — Allah mentions that not just this mosque is blessed, but the land surrounding it is blessed as well.

So Ikhwan fi Allah, may Allah alleviate the difficulties of those that live in this blessed land. May Allah make them the followers of the Prophets who also faced difficulties. May Allah show those tyrants that are abusing them the same way Allah dealt with the tyrants of old.

Our Duty Towards Palestine — History and Justice

My brothers and sisters, the issue of al-Masjid al-Aqsa and our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and the plight and the difficulties that they are going through, is something that we have to educate ourselves about. First and foremost, we as believers are told to be just by Allah. And Wallahi, if you read the history — and I encourage you all, please read the history of this land — read the history from the time before our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, until when Umar entered it and took it, until afterwards until today. Read the history. And Wallahi, you will learn something.

What I have learned just briefly looking into it is this: when Muslims held the keys to Jerusalem and this blessed land, everyone else prospered. When the Romans — the Byzantines — held it for 500 years, and then later on when they converted to Christianity, they kicked out the Jews, they didn't allow them in, they destroyed the synagogues, they desecrated the Holy Land, and they exiled them.

When Umar al-Khattab took the city — and by the way, when Umar took the city, no blood was shed. It was surrounded peacefully. One of the first things that he did was he allowed the Jews to come back, because if they had lived there, they could stay — and he allowed them to worship in peace. He didn't do what the Romans did. Why? Because Umar was just. We as believers don't kill indiscriminately. We as people that uphold the laws of Allah don't steal lands from others, no matter what faith they are.

When Umar al-Khattab took Jerusalem and went to the Holy Land and went to Masjid al-Aqsa — this blessed area — he saw that it had been desecrated and turned into a dump. And he himself started cleaning it out. He started cleaning it out. And this was when they cleansed it that they built the Masjid. This Masjid, when it was built — this is the mosque you will see with the black dome — that is al-Masjid. It is on the grounds of Masjid al-Aqsa, because Masjid al-Aqsa is far bigger.

When Umar tried to pray, one of the companions of the Prophet who was previously a Yahudi said: pray in front of the rock — this rock held in high regard by the Jewish people, and it is also said that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ rose from here, but Allah knows best. But Umar al-Khattab, sensing that there was a special appreciation being given to this rock — and he didn't want that — said: this land is blessed, the Haram Sharif is blessed, the Prophet's Masjid is blessed — I'm going to pray in front of it, but all of this area is blessed. Why are you making this one place specific? Later on, this beautiful monument — the Dome of the Rock — was built on top of it.

This history is important for you to know.

The Ongoing Plight of Our Palestinian Brothers and Sisters

Number two, my brothers and sisters — the history of the displacement, the exile, the abuse, and the injustice that is being done to our brothers and sisters in Palestine — where their homes are being taken away from them — this has been happening for many years. And I ask all of you: don't let this issue be something that we only speak about whenever it's on the BBC headlines, and the moment they stop speaking about it, we again forget about the plight and the difficulties that our brothers and sisters in Gaza and in Palestine are going through.

What Can We Do?

So the question — and this khutbah shouldn't be this long, and I do apologize — the question that we all should ask ourselves is: what can we do? What should we do?

Number one: Understand that this issue, for us, isn't based on borders or nationality.

Number two: We love the Ka'bah — the Ka'bah is held in a higher regard than Masjid al-Aqsa, and both are held in high regard. And the Prophet ﷺ said that for the Ka'bah to be destroyed is an easier matter than the loss of the life of one Muslim — so what do you think about what we see on TV?

Number three: Although the issue is about Masjid al-Aqsa, the issue is about this holy land, the issue is about this belonging to believers — it is even more so about the unnecessary death, the indiscriminate killing, and the injustice that we are seeing. And we should stand for those that are oppressed, no matter what religion they are from. Remember that, my brothers and sisters.

Keep them in your du'as. Often people say: we've been making du'a — what else can we do? But remember, just as du'a without action is not what we're supposed to do, there should not only be action without du'a. Du'a is the weapon of the believer. Make du'a for your brothers and sisters.

Du'a for Our Brothers and Sisters

Finally, my brothers and sisters — also remember that you can help in many different ways, including helping financially, including helping them in any way that you can. And at the very least, educate yourselves and your children about the issue of this place, about the issue of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and about the injustice that has been done for the past almost a hundred years.

I ask Allah to forgive all of our sins. I ask Allah to relieve us from all difficulties. I ask Allah to help our brothers and sisters in Palestine. I ask Allah to help our brothers and sisters everywhere in the world that are going through difficulties — those that are being oppressed by tyrants, whether it's in Syria, or Kashmir, or any other place in this world. I ask Allah again to forgive our sins, for many of the things that happen to us are from our own shortcomings. Make tawbah to Allah, my brothers and sisters.