Al-Masjid al-Aqsa — The Farthest Mosque and the First Qibla

Quranic Foundation

“Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (17:1)

This single verse — the foundation of the Isra’ narrative — contains three theological assertions:

1. Allah is the one who caused this journey (subhana alladhi asra — “Exalted is He who took”)
2. Al-Aqsa’s surroundings are blessed (barakna hawlahu) — making the entire region sacred, not just the mosque itself
3. The purpose was divine signs (min ayatina) — the journey was revelatory, not merely a miracle of locomotion

See also: Isra Wal Miraj, Al Buraq, Masjid Al Haram, Masjid Al Nabawi

The First Qibla

For the first 16-17 months after the Hijra to Medina, the Muslim community prayed facing Jerusalem. This was the qibla of the Prophets before Muhammad — the direction of the Abrahamic sanctuary.

The change of qibla: The change to the Ka’ba in Mecca came in 2 AH / 624 CE (Quran 2:142-150) — described in a verse that begins: “The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from their qibla which they were [facing]?’” The change emphasized the distinctiveness of Islam from the previous communities and the centrality of Ibrahim’s sanctuary.

The connection to Ibrahim: Al-Aqsa’s sanctity derives from the same Abrahamic lineage as the Ka’ba — the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) is connected to both sacred precincts. The prophetic chain (Adam → Ibrahim → the Prophets → Muhammad) is geographically mapped to Jerusalem (center of the chain of Israelite prophets) and Mecca (Ibrahim’s sanctuary, the final Prophet’s birthplace).

See also: Sayyidna Ibrahim, Five Pillars Of Islam, Understanding Namaz

Historical Significance

The Umayyad building program: The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra) was built by the Umayyad Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan in 72 AH / 691-692 CE — the earliest surviving major Islamic monument. The Al-Aqsa Mosque (the actual prayer hall, distinct from the Dome of the Rock) was also constructed and rebuilt by the Umayyads.

Fatimid Jerusalem: The Fatimid Caliphate controlled Jerusalem from 970 CE until the Crusader conquest in 1099 CE. During this period, al-Aqsa served as the administrative and religious center of Fatimid Palestine. The Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah demolished the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (1009 CE) during his reign — an act of controversy that the later Fatimid Caliph al-Zahir reversed through treaty with the Byzantine Emperor.

The Crusades: Jerusalem was captured by the First Crusade in 1099 CE and held until Saladin’s reconquest in 1187 CE. The Crusader transformation of al-Aqsa into a palace and the Dome of the Rock into a church, then Saladin’s restoration, shaped the mosque’s complex history.

See also: Fatimid Caliphate, Hajj Journey, Ziyara

See also: Isra Wal Miraj, Al Buraq, Masjid Al Haram, Masjid Al Nabawi, Sayyidna Ibrahim, Five Pillars Of Islam, Understanding Namaz, Fatimid Caliphate, Hajj Journey, Ziyara