Masjid al-Aqsa

al-Quds — The Holy City

Bayt al-Maqdis (بَيتُ المَقدِس — the House of Holiness) is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, the city built around the sacred precinct known as the Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). Within this precinct stand two of Islam’s most sacred structures:

Masjid al-Aqsa (المَسجِدُ الأَقصَى — the Farthest Mosque) — the silver-domed mosque that serves as the congregational prayer space
Qubbat al-Sakhra (قُبَّةُ الصَّخرَة — the Dome of the Rock) — the magnificent golden-domed shrine built over the sacred rock from which the Prophet (SAW) ascended to the heavens

The two are often confused. When the Quran and hadith say “al-Masjid al-Aqsa,” they refer to the entire Haram compound — the Noble Sanctuary — of which both structures are part.

The Quranic Foundation

The Masjid al-Aqsa is mentioned in the Quran directly:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ “Glory be to the One who took His servant on a night journey from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa — whose surroundings We have blessed.” (Quran 17:1)

This verse records the Isra’ — the Prophet’s (SAW) Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem — which preceded his ascent through the heavens (Mi’raj). The phrase “whose surroundings We have blessed” acknowledges that Bayt al-Maqdis is a place of divine blessing, sanctified by the footsteps of countless Prophets.

The First Qibla

For the first approximately 17 months of the Prophet’s (SAW) time in Madinah, the Muslim community prayed facing Jerusalem (al-Quds) — toward Masjid al-Aqsa. This was the first Qibla of Islam.

In the 2nd year of Hijra, the Qibla was changed to the Ka’ba in Mecca by divine command:

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ “We see you turning your face toward the sky, so We will surely direct you to a Qibla that pleases you. Turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram.” (Quran 2:144)

The story of the two Qiblas — the Masjid al-Aqsa and the Masjid al-Haram — is woven into Islamic prayer from its very origin. Al-Quds is thus the spiritual birthplace of Islamic prayer before the Ka’ba became its eternal orientation.

The Night Journey and the Miraj

On the night of the Isra’ wal-Miraj (27 Rajab), the Prophet (SAW) was carried by the Buraq from Masjid al-Haram in Mecca to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. There, he led all the previous Prophets in prayer — a profoundly symbolic act: Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and all the messengers prayed behind Muhammad (SAW), confirming that he is the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of all messengers.

From the sacred rock (al-Sakhra) within the Haram — the rock over which the Dome of the Rock now stands — the Prophet (SAW) ascended through the seven heavens, received the divine command of the five daily prayers, and was taken to the presence of Allah.

The Quran records this ascent in Surah al-Najm:

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ ۝ فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ “Then he drew near and descended, until he was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer.” (Quran 53:8-9)

In Ismaili ta’wil, the Miraj of the Prophet holds deep esoteric significance: it is the archetype of the believer’s spiritual ascent toward Allah through the chain of the Imams and the Dai — “al-salatu mi’raj al-mu’min” — prayer is the believer’s own mi’raj.

History of the Sanctuary

The Prophets of Allah

The Haram al-Sharif has been a place of divine worship since antiquity:

Prophets Ibrahim (AS), Ishaq (AS), and Ya’qub (AS) are associated with the land of Canaan, which includes al-Quds
Prophet Sulayman (AS) built the First Temple on this site — the site venerated as the sanctuary of Allah’s presence
Prophet Daud (AS) (David) established his capital in Jerusalem
Prophet Isa (AS) (Jesus) preached in the sanctuary and the city around it

The Islamic tradition affirms that al-Masjid al-Aqsa was built by Sulayman (AS) on the site first established by Ibrahim (AS) and is 40 years younger than the Ka’ba.

Early Islamic Period

After the Hijra, when Jerusalem was conquered by the second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in 637 CE (15 AH), Umar visited the Haram al-Sharif and found it being used as a dump. He cleaned it personally and built a simple mosque at the southern end of the precinct.

The Dome of the Rock was constructed by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 72 AH / 691 CE — making it one of the oldest surviving Islamic buildings in the world, and arguably the most beautiful. The congregation mosque (al-Masjid al-Aqsa proper) was built and expanded by his son al-Walid I in 715 CE.

The Fatimid Period

The Fatimid Caliphate controlled Palestine and Jerusalem for significant periods — from approximately 970 CE to 1099 CE. Under Imam al-Muizz (AS), Imam al-Aziz (AS), and subsequent Fatimid Imam-Caliphs, the Haram al-Sharif was maintained, renovated, and beautified.

Imam al-Zahir li-Izaz Din Allah (AS) made significant renovations to Masjid al-Aqsa after earthquake damage in 1033 CE / 425 AH, including the rebuilding of the central nave. The mosque standing today retains much of the Fatimid-era structure.

The Crusaders and Saladin

In 1099 CE (492 AH), the First Crusade captured Jerusalem after a horrific siege. The Crusaders used the Masjid al-Aqsa as the headquarters of the Knights Templar and the Dome of the Rock as a church. This occupation lasted until Saladin (Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi) reconquered Jerusalem in 1187 CE / 583 AH — one of the pivotal moments of medieval history.

Upon his reconquest, Saladin had the Qibla wall restored, had the interior thoroughly cleansed, and restored the mosque to Islamic use. He himself led the first Friday prayer in the restored al-Aqsa after its liberation.

The Third Holiest Site in Islam

The Prophet (SAW) said:

لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِد: المَسجِدِ الحَرَامِ، وَمَسجِدِي هَذَا، وَالمَسجِدِ الأَقصَى “Do not undertake a journey except to three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram, my mosque [al-Nabawi], and al-Masjid al-Aqsa.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Prayer in al-Masjid al-Aqsa carries a reward multiplied 500 times (some narrations say 1,000 times) compared to prayer elsewhere — exceeded only by the rewards at the Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi.

Significance for the Bohra Community

For Dawoodi Bohra mumineen, al-Quds and Masjid al-Aqsa hold several layers of meaning:

The Miraj connection: The Night Journey is deeply studied in Bohra religious education. The Isra’ to al-Aqsa and the ascent from al-Sakhra are central to the understanding of spiritual elevation that runs through Ismaili ta’wil.

Fatimid heritage: The Fatimid Imams — whose successors the Duat Mutlaqeen are — governed Jerusalem and the Haram for over a century. The Bohra connection to al-Aqsa is thus not abstract but historical.

The sanctity of the Prophets: The tradition of the Ahl al-Bayt affirms deep reverence for all the Prophets — and al-Quds is the city of the Prophets par excellence. Visiting Bayt al-Maqdis and praying at al-Aqsa is considered a deeply meritorious act.

The Bohra community has historically included visits to al-Quds when circumstances allowed — though access has varied across different political eras.

Masjid al-Aqsa — The Farthest Mosque, First Qibla, Site of the Miraj