By Muhammad Wajid Akhtar

There can be only one choice for the world’s most contested area of land, and that is masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. It is no exaggeration to say that for thousands of years, people have been dying for control over it.

For Muslims, it holds a very important place in our heart. It is the 3rd most holy site in Islam. It is the location that the Prophet (PBUH) was transported to during the journey of Israa and Miraaj. It was the scene for the most extraordinary gathering in the history of mankind – when all Prophet that ever lived were gathered together for a congregational prayer behind Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

And yet, here are some things you may not already know about masjid Al Aqsa:

8. It isn’t just one mosque

Yes – there are multiple mosques on the site that we know as masjid Al Aqsa. We think of masjid Al-Aqsa as the building at the southernmost corner of the Mosque. In actual fact, that is the Qibly mosque – so called because it is the closest to the Qibla. The whole mount is masjid Al Aqsa and is sometimes referred to the Haram Al-Sharif to prevent confusion. But there are other mosques present on the site which are usually connected to historical incidents e.g. the Buraq masjid, the Marwani masjid and more.

The Dome of the Rock – what is likely to be the first dome ever built in the history of Islam – was built by the Umayyad Caliph AbdulMalik ibn Marwan.

7. It is a burial ground

There is no record of how many Prophets and Sahaabas of the Prophet (PBUH)  are buried there. but there are certainly many. For instance, Prophet Sulaiman (PBUH) is possibly buried there since we know that a prophet is always buried where he died, and he (PBUH) died whilst supervising the construction of the previous building in some traditions.

MORE