بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Yaqoob (as) was the son of Ishaq (as) and therefore the grandson of Ibrahim (as). Like his grandfather and father, Yaqoob (as) eventually settled and lived in Al Sham, in an area called Canaan. Yaqoob (as) had many children, the most famous of which was Yusuf (as), who would also become a prophet of Allah.
Friday, 23 April 2010
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Ibrahim (Abraham)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
"And We rescued him and Lut (and brought them) to the land which We have blessed for (all) peoples". (Surah Al Anbiya 21: 71)
This ayah in Surah Anbiya refers to Ibrahim (as) making Hijrah to Al Sham. Ibrahim (as) was born in Ur, in modern day Iraq. However, he left his hometown along with his wife Sarah (as) and nephew Lut (as) after his people refused to accept his many calls to Islam.
After settling in Palestine, Ibrahim (as) and his wife travelled for a time in Egypt, where they were involved in an incident with a tryant leader who tried to seduce Sarah (as) because of her beauty. However, due to the dua of Sarah (as) for protection from the tyrant, he was confounded in his aim. Due to the punishments of Allah on him (because of the dua of Sarah) the tyrant was not only willing for Sarah (as) to leave Egypt safely with her husband, but he also gave her gifts including a maid, called Hajar, to encourage her departure. Ibrahim (as) later married Hajar (as), making her his second wife.
The family of Ibrahim (as) then settled in Palestine. After the birth of his eldest son Ismael (as), Ibrahim (as) made several visits to Makkah where his son was growing up. On the most famous of these occasions, he built Al Ka'bah with the help of his son, due to the command of Allah.
Despite his visits to Makkah, Ibrahim (as) remained in Palestine. Later his second son, Ishaq (as), also lived with his father in Palestine. Thus the noble land of Palestine was where Ibrahim (as) gave dawah, traded and eventually grew old and died. The graves of both Ibrahim (as) and Ishaq (as) are located in the city of Khalil, now known as Hebron. This is very near Al Quds (Jerusalem).
Ibrahim (as) is one of Allah's greatest prophets. Allah referred to him as 'Khalil' in the Quran, translating to 'intimate friend'. As all of the prophets after Ibrahim (as) are from his descendants, he is known amongst muslims as Abul Anbiya, Father of the Prophets. What a beloved place for such a beloved prophet to live and die!
"And We rescued him and Lut (and brought them) to the land which We have blessed for (all) peoples". (Surah Al Anbiya 21: 71)
This ayah in Surah Anbiya refers to Ibrahim (as) making Hijrah to Al Sham. Ibrahim (as) was born in Ur, in modern day Iraq. However, he left his hometown along with his wife Sarah (as) and nephew Lut (as) after his people refused to accept his many calls to Islam.
After settling in Palestine, Ibrahim (as) and his wife travelled for a time in Egypt, where they were involved in an incident with a tryant leader who tried to seduce Sarah (as) because of her beauty. However, due to the dua of Sarah (as) for protection from the tyrant, he was confounded in his aim. Due to the punishments of Allah on him (because of the dua of Sarah) the tyrant was not only willing for Sarah (as) to leave Egypt safely with her husband, but he also gave her gifts including a maid, called Hajar, to encourage her departure. Ibrahim (as) later married Hajar (as), making her his second wife.
The family of Ibrahim (as) then settled in Palestine. After the birth of his eldest son Ismael (as), Ibrahim (as) made several visits to Makkah where his son was growing up. On the most famous of these occasions, he built Al Ka'bah with the help of his son, due to the command of Allah.
Despite his visits to Makkah, Ibrahim (as) remained in Palestine. Later his second son, Ishaq (as), also lived with his father in Palestine. Thus the noble land of Palestine was where Ibrahim (as) gave dawah, traded and eventually grew old and died. The graves of both Ibrahim (as) and Ishaq (as) are located in the city of Khalil, now known as Hebron. This is very near Al Quds (Jerusalem).
Ibrahim (as) is one of Allah's greatest prophets. Allah referred to him as 'Khalil' in the Quran, translating to 'intimate friend'. As all of the prophets after Ibrahim (as) are from his descendants, he is known amongst muslims as Abul Anbiya, Father of the Prophets. What a beloved place for such a beloved prophet to live and die!
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Next post soon inshaAllah!
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Unfortunately I haven't posted in a while due to being busy on other things. But Allah willing I intend to have the next post out soon. =)
Unfortunately I haven't posted in a while due to being busy on other things. But Allah willing I intend to have the next post out soon. =)
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Al Quds: A Double History
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Now that I've covered some of the major references in the Quran and Sunnah which highlight the importance and blessings of Al Quds, I'm going to start moving onto the history of Al Quds (Jerusalem). I'm going to do this in two ways, inshaAllah.
First, I'll trace the history of Al Quds through people, namely some of the Prophets of Allah who lived in/travelled to Al Quds. So this will essentially be a series of posts tracing the history of prophethood in Al Quds.
Second, I'll trace the history of Al Quds through events, such as the history of Banu Isra'il (the Children of Israel), Al Isra' and Al Mi'raj and events connected to the End of Time (eschatological events)
Allah willing, this is where we're heading.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Lessons From Ahadith 2
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Here are five ahadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him) specifically about the virtues of Al Quds.
Example 1
Abu Umamah (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "Prophethood descended upon me from/in three places: Makkah, Madinah and Al Sham. Once it is brought out from any of them, it shall never return to it". (Sunan Abu Dawud)
Another version states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said:
"The Quran was revealed in three places: Makkah, Madinah and Al Sham". (Al Tabarani)
The great islamic scholar Ibn Kathir comments that in this hadith Al Sham is referring to Bayt Al Maqdis. It's clear from this hadith that Allah Almighty blessed Al Aqsa and therefore Al Quds (Jerusalem), as He chose it as only one of three places in the world where He sent His revelation to His final Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Example 2
Abu Dharr (ra) reported that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him), "O Prophet of Allah, which Masjid was built first on earth?". The Prophet replied, "The Sacred Masjid of Makkah". Abu Dharr again asked, "Which was next?". The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said "The Masjid Al Aqsa". "How long was the period between them?" Abu Dharr asked. The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said "Forty years. Apart from these, offer your prayers anywhere when it is time to pray, although excellence is in praying in these Masajids". (Sahih al Bukhari)
To clarify RasulAllah (peace and blessings on him) was not referring to any contemporary buildings in this hadith, but to the original establishment of Makkah and Al Aqsa as places of worship on this earth (more about this in later posts, inshaAllah). The fact that Al Aqsa was the second masjid (house of Allah) on earth speaks volumes about the status of Al Quds (Jerusalem).
Example 3
Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “Do not travel to visit any mosques except three: al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah], this Masjid of mine [in Madeenah] and al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]” (Bukhari and Muslim).
This hadith leaves room for no doubt. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) made it clear that an extended, special journey to visit any masjid is not allowed except for the three most blessed, which include Al Aqsa in Al Quds.
Examples 4 and 5
Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) relates, I asked the Prophet (saw), "Apostle of Allah, tell us the legal injunction about (visiting) Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)." The Apostle of Allah (saw) said, "Go and pray there. If you cannot visit it and pray there, then send some oil to be used in the lamps". (Al Bukhari)
Maymunah Bint Sa'd (ra) relates that she asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him), "O Prophet, inform us about Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)". He said, "Visit it for prayer". She further asked, "If one of us cannot visit it, what should we do?" He said, "If you cannot go for prayer then send some oil to be used for its lamps, will be as if he has prayed in it". (Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Sunan Abu Dawud and Al Tabarani)
The last two ahadith reveal something amazing. The blessings of Al Aqsa in Al Quds are so great, that RasulAllah (peace and blessings be on him) taught us that even if one cannot pray in Al Aqsa, they should still try to associate themselves with the masjid. In the hadith above he (peace and blessings be on him) explained that being involved in the maintenance of the masjid (sending oil for its lamps) is equal in reward to praying in the masjid, so blessed is it. The responsibilites of maintaining the masjid are not absolved for Muslims today, but how many of us are aware of this?
Here are five ahadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him) specifically about the virtues of Al Quds.
Example 1
Abu Umamah (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "Prophethood descended upon me from/in three places: Makkah, Madinah and Al Sham. Once it is brought out from any of them, it shall never return to it". (Sunan Abu Dawud)
Another version states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said:
"The Quran was revealed in three places: Makkah, Madinah and Al Sham". (Al Tabarani)
The great islamic scholar Ibn Kathir comments that in this hadith Al Sham is referring to Bayt Al Maqdis. It's clear from this hadith that Allah Almighty blessed Al Aqsa and therefore Al Quds (Jerusalem), as He chose it as only one of three places in the world where He sent His revelation to His final Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Example 2
Abu Dharr (ra) reported that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him), "O Prophet of Allah, which Masjid was built first on earth?". The Prophet replied, "The Sacred Masjid of Makkah". Abu Dharr again asked, "Which was next?". The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said "The Masjid Al Aqsa". "How long was the period between them?" Abu Dharr asked. The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said "Forty years. Apart from these, offer your prayers anywhere when it is time to pray, although excellence is in praying in these Masajids". (Sahih al Bukhari)
To clarify RasulAllah (peace and blessings on him) was not referring to any contemporary buildings in this hadith, but to the original establishment of Makkah and Al Aqsa as places of worship on this earth (more about this in later posts, inshaAllah). The fact that Al Aqsa was the second masjid (house of Allah) on earth speaks volumes about the status of Al Quds (Jerusalem).
Example 3
Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “Do not travel to visit any mosques except three: al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah], this Masjid of mine [in Madeenah] and al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]” (Bukhari and Muslim).
This hadith leaves room for no doubt. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) made it clear that an extended, special journey to visit any masjid is not allowed except for the three most blessed, which include Al Aqsa in Al Quds.
Examples 4 and 5
Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) relates, I asked the Prophet (saw), "Apostle of Allah, tell us the legal injunction about (visiting) Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)." The Apostle of Allah (saw) said, "Go and pray there. If you cannot visit it and pray there, then send some oil to be used in the lamps". (Al Bukhari)
Maymunah Bint Sa'd (ra) relates that she asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him), "O Prophet, inform us about Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)". He said, "Visit it for prayer". She further asked, "If one of us cannot visit it, what should we do?" He said, "If you cannot go for prayer then send some oil to be used for its lamps, will be as if he has prayed in it". (Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Sunan Abu Dawud and Al Tabarani)
The last two ahadith reveal something amazing. The blessings of Al Aqsa in Al Quds are so great, that RasulAllah (peace and blessings be on him) taught us that even if one cannot pray in Al Aqsa, they should still try to associate themselves with the masjid. In the hadith above he (peace and blessings be on him) explained that being involved in the maintenance of the masjid (sending oil for its lamps) is equal in reward to praying in the masjid, so blessed is it. The responsibilites of maintaining the masjid are not absolved for Muslims today, but how many of us are aware of this?
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Lessons from Ahadith
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
InshaAllah I'm going to include two types of ahadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him) in the next couple of posts. In this post I'm going to include the first type, which are about the area of Al Sham. As Palestine (and therefore Al Quds) was part of the area known as Al Sham in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Al Quds was included in the areas the Prophet was talking about. This makes these ahadith relevant for us. For those who don't know, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) reference to Al Sham included present-day Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan from the Euphrates to Sinai.
The second type of ahadith I'll include in the next post, inshaAllah. They are specifically about the virtues of the Al Aqsa Sanctuary in Al Quds.
Six Ahadith about Al Sham:
1. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) is reported to have said, "Allah has blessed what lies between Al Arish (in Egypt) and the Euphrates and has made Palestine particularly holy". (Kanz al Ummal)
2. Zayd ibn Thabit (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "How blessed is Al Sham!" The Companions around asked: "Why is that?" The Messenger (peace and blessings be on him) replied, "I see the angels of Allah spread their wings over Al Sham". Ibn Abbas (ra) added, "and the Prophets lived in it. There is not a single inch in Al Quds (Jerusalem) where a Prophet has not prayed or an angel not stood". (Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad)
3. Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen". The people said, "And also on our Najd". He said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen". The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! And also on our Najd". I think the third time the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "There (in Najd) is the place of earthquakes and afflictions and from there comes out the side of the head of Satan". (Sahih al Bukhari)
4. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) prayed for the blessing of the people of Al Sham. Anas ibn Malik (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) looked towards Iraq, Al Sham and Yemen then said, "O Allah! Bring their hearts over to Your obedience and relieve them of their burdens". (Tirmidhi)
5. Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) advised 'Abdullah ibn Hawalah (ra) to join the army in Al Sham, over any other. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) noticing Ibn Hawalah's indifference said, "Do you know what Allah says about Al Sham? Allah said 'Al Sham you are the quintessence of My lands (safwati min biladi) and I shall inhabit you with the chosen ones among My servants". (Al Tabarani)
6. Shurayh ibn 'Ubayd said that the people of Al Sham were mentioned in front of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) while he was in Iraq and someone said to him, "Curse them, Commander of the Believers". He replied, "No. I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) say, 'The Substitutes (al Abdal) are in Al Sham- forty men- every time one of them dies, Allah replaces another in his place. By means of them Allah brings down the rain, gives us victory over our enemies and averts punishment from the people of Al Sham' ". (Imam Ahmad)
InshaAllah I'm going to include two types of ahadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him) in the next couple of posts. In this post I'm going to include the first type, which are about the area of Al Sham. As Palestine (and therefore Al Quds) was part of the area known as Al Sham in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Al Quds was included in the areas the Prophet was talking about. This makes these ahadith relevant for us. For those who don't know, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) reference to Al Sham included present-day Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan from the Euphrates to Sinai.
The second type of ahadith I'll include in the next post, inshaAllah. They are specifically about the virtues of the Al Aqsa Sanctuary in Al Quds.
Six Ahadith about Al Sham:
1. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) is reported to have said, "Allah has blessed what lies between Al Arish (in Egypt) and the Euphrates and has made Palestine particularly holy". (Kanz al Ummal)
2. Zayd ibn Thabit (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "How blessed is Al Sham!" The Companions around asked: "Why is that?" The Messenger (peace and blessings be on him) replied, "I see the angels of Allah spread their wings over Al Sham". Ibn Abbas (ra) added, "and the Prophets lived in it. There is not a single inch in Al Quds (Jerusalem) where a Prophet has not prayed or an angel not stood". (Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad)
3. Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen". The people said, "And also on our Najd". He said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen". The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! And also on our Najd". I think the third time the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, "There (in Najd) is the place of earthquakes and afflictions and from there comes out the side of the head of Satan". (Sahih al Bukhari)
4. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) prayed for the blessing of the people of Al Sham. Anas ibn Malik (ra) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) looked towards Iraq, Al Sham and Yemen then said, "O Allah! Bring their hearts over to Your obedience and relieve them of their burdens". (Tirmidhi)
5. Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) advised 'Abdullah ibn Hawalah (ra) to join the army in Al Sham, over any other. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) noticing Ibn Hawalah's indifference said, "Do you know what Allah says about Al Sham? Allah said 'Al Sham you are the quintessence of My lands (safwati min biladi) and I shall inhabit you with the chosen ones among My servants". (Al Tabarani)
6. Shurayh ibn 'Ubayd said that the people of Al Sham were mentioned in front of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) while he was in Iraq and someone said to him, "Curse them, Commander of the Believers". He replied, "No. I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) say, 'The Substitutes (al Abdal) are in Al Sham- forty men- every time one of them dies, Allah replaces another in his place. By means of them Allah brings down the rain, gives us victory over our enemies and averts punishment from the people of Al Sham' ". (Imam Ahmad)
Final Quranic example
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
I want to share one more example from Quran which shows that Al Quds is a land made sacred by Allah.
"We placed other prominent towns between them, the towns that We had blessed and had set well-measured stages between them. Move back and forth between them, night and day, in perfect security". (Surah Saba' 34: 18)
This ayah in Surah Saba' refers to the people of Saba' (in Yemen). They used to travel via Arabia to get to Syria and Egypt to trade. The part of the ayah mentioning towns that We had blessed refers to Al Quds and other cities of al-Sham.
It's clear from the ayaat that I've quoted in the last few posts that the land of Palestine, and Al Quds in particular, is uniquely blessed by Allah. Although we sometimes think of Al Quds as being a blessed land because of the events and people (especially Prophets) associated with it, these ayaat show that even without any events or people associated with it Al Quds would still be blessed. This is because Allah in His Wisdom chose this land for His blessings. As Muslims this is enough of a reason for us to love Al Quds. The events and prophets later associated with Al Quds should only increase that love even more.
In the next post I'll be putting up some ahadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) which also emphasise the importance of Al Quds, inshaAllah.
I want to share one more example from Quran which shows that Al Quds is a land made sacred by Allah.
"We placed other prominent towns between them, the towns that We had blessed and had set well-measured stages between them. Move back and forth between them, night and day, in perfect security". (Surah Saba' 34: 18)
This ayah in Surah Saba' refers to the people of Saba' (in Yemen). They used to travel via Arabia to get to Syria and Egypt to trade. The part of the ayah mentioning towns that We had blessed refers to Al Quds and other cities of al-Sham.
It's clear from the ayaat that I've quoted in the last few posts that the land of Palestine, and Al Quds in particular, is uniquely blessed by Allah. Although we sometimes think of Al Quds as being a blessed land because of the events and people (especially Prophets) associated with it, these ayaat show that even without any events or people associated with it Al Quds would still be blessed. This is because Allah in His Wisdom chose this land for His blessings. As Muslims this is enough of a reason for us to love Al Quds. The events and prophets later associated with Al Quds should only increase that love even more.
In the next post I'll be putting up some ahadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) which also emphasise the importance of Al Quds, inshaAllah.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Blessed Land: Example Four
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
"And We subdued the strongly raging wind to Solomon which blew at his bidding towards the land We blessed. We know everything". (Surah Al-Anbiya 21: 81)
Sulayman (as) ruled over Palestine with Al Quds as his capital. Allah refers to the whole area which Sulayman (as) travelled in as the land which We had blessed. Therefore this ayah is yet another clear indication that Al Quds is a land blessed by Allah.
"And We subdued the strongly raging wind to Solomon which blew at his bidding towards the land We blessed. We know everything". (Surah Al-Anbiya 21: 81)
Sulayman (as) ruled over Palestine with Al Quds as his capital. Allah refers to the whole area which Sulayman (as) travelled in as the land which We had blessed. Therefore this ayah is yet another clear indication that Al Quds is a land blessed by Allah.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Blessed Land: Example Three
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
"And We made those who had been persecuted inherit the eastern and western lands which We had blessed. Thus your Lord's gracious promise was fulfilled to the Children of Israel, for they had endured with patience; and We destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people had wrought, and all that they had built". (Surah Al-A'raf 7: 137)
This ayah from Surah Al-A'raf tells us that the blessings Allah showered on Al Quds extend to Palestine in general, as Allah refers to blessing the land both east and west of Al Quds.
The ayah also refers to how Allah rewards those who believe and are patient and steadfast. The persecution mentioned in the ayah is the suffering of Banu Isra'il at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh, who also ruled over Palestine. But as he was a tyrant and a disbeliever in Allah, Allah took away this blessed land from him and made the true believers, Banu Isra'il at this time in history, inherit it. Allah also refers to how he destroyed the great buildings of Pharaoh and his people, showing that victory is for the believers.
"And We made those who had been persecuted inherit the eastern and western lands which We had blessed. Thus your Lord's gracious promise was fulfilled to the Children of Israel, for they had endured with patience; and We destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people had wrought, and all that they had built". (Surah Al-A'raf 7: 137)
This ayah from Surah Al-A'raf tells us that the blessings Allah showered on Al Quds extend to Palestine in general, as Allah refers to blessing the land both east and west of Al Quds.
The ayah also refers to how Allah rewards those who believe and are patient and steadfast. The persecution mentioned in the ayah is the suffering of Banu Isra'il at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh, who also ruled over Palestine. But as he was a tyrant and a disbeliever in Allah, Allah took away this blessed land from him and made the true believers, Banu Isra'il at this time in history, inherit it. Allah also refers to how he destroyed the great buildings of Pharaoh and his people, showing that victory is for the believers.
Holy Land NOT Promised Land
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
I'm now going to start presenting other ayaat (verses) of Quran in which Allah Almighty has said that He has made Al Quds a blessed land. The word 'blessed' is going to come up again and again in the verses, but what does it mean?
Barakah in arabic means blessings and when we say Allah has blessed Al Quds, we mean that Allah has showered spiritual and physical blessings on that place so all of mankind can benefit. As a result the people who live in Al Quds are also blessed, as long as they obey the comands of Allah i.e. live Islam.
Example Two (first was the ayah in the last post):
After Musa (as), by the Mercy of Allah, led Banu Isra'il (the Children of Israel) away from the oppression of Pharaoh in Egypt he told his followers to enter the Holy Land. This land is described in Quran as Palestine in general and Al Quds (Jerusalem) more specifically. The Quran reveals what Musa (as) instructed Banu Isra'il:
"My people! Enter the holy land which Allah has ordained for you; and do not turn back for then you will turn about losers". (Surah Al- Ma'idah 5: 21)
There’s a very significant word in the ayah above. Musa (as) referred to Al Quds as the holy land and not the promised land. So unlike the Jewish tradition, which considers Al Quds to be the promised land for Jews alone, Muslims accept Allah's decree that the blessings of Al Quds are not limited to any one group. In fact in Quran Allah says that the blessings of Al Quds are for " 'al Alameen"- which means for all creatures for all time. This makes it clear that whoever is true to Allah and His commands they are the rightful inheritors of Al Quds, in whichever time they live. No group has the right to Al Quds through claiming it is singularly promised to them. Instead, the obedient slaves of Allah are the ones who have the right to live in this blessed land. As the ones who believe in Allah's last messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and His last scripture Al Quran, today these slaves of Allah are the Muslims.
The next post will share the next example, inshaAllah
I'm now going to start presenting other ayaat (verses) of Quran in which Allah Almighty has said that He has made Al Quds a blessed land. The word 'blessed' is going to come up again and again in the verses, but what does it mean?
Barakah in arabic means blessings and when we say Allah has blessed Al Quds, we mean that Allah has showered spiritual and physical blessings on that place so all of mankind can benefit. As a result the people who live in Al Quds are also blessed, as long as they obey the comands of Allah i.e. live Islam.
Example Two (first was the ayah in the last post):
After Musa (as), by the Mercy of Allah, led Banu Isra'il (the Children of Israel) away from the oppression of Pharaoh in Egypt he told his followers to enter the Holy Land. This land is described in Quran as Palestine in general and Al Quds (Jerusalem) more specifically. The Quran reveals what Musa (as) instructed Banu Isra'il:
"My people! Enter the holy land which Allah has ordained for you; and do not turn back for then you will turn about losers". (Surah Al- Ma'idah 5: 21)
There’s a very significant word in the ayah above. Musa (as) referred to Al Quds as the holy land and not the promised land. So unlike the Jewish tradition, which considers Al Quds to be the promised land for Jews alone, Muslims accept Allah's decree that the blessings of Al Quds are not limited to any one group. In fact in Quran Allah says that the blessings of Al Quds are for " 'al Alameen"- which means for all creatures for all time. This makes it clear that whoever is true to Allah and His commands they are the rightful inheritors of Al Quds, in whichever time they live. No group has the right to Al Quds through claiming it is singularly promised to them. Instead, the obedient slaves of Allah are the ones who have the right to live in this blessed land. As the ones who believe in Allah's last messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and His last scripture Al Quran, today these slaves of Allah are the Muslims.
The next post will share the next example, inshaAllah
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