From an Islamic point of view, is there any
fundamental reason which prohibits Muslims from recognizing
Jerusalem both as an Islamic Holy Place and as the capital of
the State of Israel?
I realize that a negative answer to the above
question is taken for granted by popular opinion. My
approach, however, is not based on popular opinion or the
current political situation, but on a theological analysis of
authentic Islamic sources.
The most common argument against Muslim acknowledgment of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem is that,
since al-Quds [Jerusalem] (1) is a Holy Place for Muslims, Muslims cannot accept that it is ruled by
non-Muslims,
because such acceptance amounts to a betrayal of Islam.
Before expressing our point of view on this
question, we must reflect upon the reason for which Jerusalem
and Masjid al-Aqsa [the Al Aksa mosque] hold such a sacred
position in Islamic faith.
As is well known, the inclusion of Jerusalem
among Islamic holy places derives from al-Mi'raj, the
Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven. The Ascension
began at the Rock, usually identified by Muslim scholars as
the Foundation Stone of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem
referred to in Jewish sources.
Recalling this link requires us to admit that
there is no connection between al-Miraj [the Ascension] and Muslim sovereign rights over Jerusalem since, in the time
that al-Miraj took place, the City was not under Islamic, but
under Byzantine administration. Moreover, the Qur'an expressly
recognizes that Jerusalem plays for Jews the same role that
Mecca does for Muslims.
We read:
"...They would not follow thy
direction of prayer (qiblah), nor art thou to follow
their direction of prayer; nor indeed will they follow
each other's direction of prayer..." (2)
All Qur'anic commentators explain that
"thy qiblah" [direction of prayer for Muslims] is
clearly the Ka'bah of Mecca, while "their qiblah"
[direction of prayer for Jews] refers to the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem.
To quote only one of the most important Muslim commentators, we read in Qadn Baydawn's Commentary:
"Verily, in their prayers Jews
orientate themselves toward the Rock (sakhrah), while
Christians orientate themselves eastwards..." (3)
In complete opposition to what
"Islamic" fundamentalists continuously claim, the
Book of Islam [the Qur'an] - as we have just now seen -
recognizes Jerusalem as the Jewish direction of prayer.
Some Muslim commentators also quote the Book
of Daniel (4) as a proof for this.
After reviewing the relevant Qur'anic passages
concerning this matter, I conclude that, as no one denies Muslims complete sovereignty over Mecca, from an Islamic
point of view - despite opposing, groundless claims - there
is no reason for Muslims to deny the State of Israel - which
is a JEWISH state - complete sovereignty over Jerusalem.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shaeikh Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi Rome, Italy
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Notes
Arabic name of Jerusalem, from the
root q-d-s, meaning "holiness." It is an
abridged form of Bayt al-maqdis, "the sanctified
House" or "the House of the
Sanctuary", an exact equivalent of the Hebrew
Beth ha-mikdash. The name originally referred only to
the Temple Mount, and was afterward extended to the
City as a whole. This extension of meaning became
common among Arabs from the tenth century C.E.
onwards. Earlier Islamic sources use the name Iliyia,
an adaptation to Arabic pronunciation of the Roman
name Aelia.
Qur'an 2:145.
M. Shaykh Zadeh Hashiyyah 'ali Tafsir
al-Qadn al-Baydawn (Istanbul 1979), Vol. 1, p. 456.
Daniel 6:10