The Prophetic Legacy
The prophetic inheritance: Jerusalem is the city of the Prophets of Banu Isra’il — Dawud, Sulayman, the Psalms, the Temple, Zakariyya, Yahya (John the Baptist), and ‘Isa (Jesus). The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) led the prayer of all the Prophets at al-Masjid al-Aqsa during the Isra’ — uniting the entire prophetic lineage in a single prayer behind the final Prophet.
The Masjid al-Aqsa: The Quran’s blessed surroundings (barakna hawlahu — 17:1) encompass the entire region of Jerusalem — not just the mosque building but the prophetic history embedded in the city’s land.
Bayt al-Maqdis (the House of Holiness): Jerusalem’s classical Arabic name Bayt al-Maqdis — the House of Holiness, or the Holy House — reflects the same root as al-Quds. The sanctification of the site preceded Islam and was confirmed by the Prophet’s nocturnal journey.
See also: Al Aqsa Mosque, Isra Wal Miraj, Masjid Al Haram, Masjid Al Nabawi
Islamic Conquest and Umayyad Jerusalem
‘Umar’s entry (16 AH / 637 CE): Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab personally came to Jerusalem to receive its surrender from the Patriarch Sophronius. The famous covenant (‘Ahd ‘Umar) guaranteed the safety of Christian and Jewish inhabitants and their places of worship. ‘Umar’s personal refusal to pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — to prevent it from being appropriated as a mosque later — became an example of Islamic tolerance.
The Dome of the Rock (72 AH / 691 CE): Built by Umayyad Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik — the oldest surviving major Islamic monument. Its purpose: to mark the rock from which the Prophet ascended (mi’raj) during the Isra’ journey. The inscription inside is one of the earliest extended Arabic texts and contains theological statements about Islam’s relationship to Christianity and Judaism.
See also: Umayyad Caliphate, Sayyidna Ibrahim, Nubuwwa
Fatimid Jerusalem (970-1099 CE)
The Fatimid Caliphate controlled Palestine and Jerusalem from 970 CE until the First Crusade’s conquest in 1099 CE:
Fatimid administration: Jerusalem was administered as a significant regional center — its Christians and Jews enjoyed protection under Fatimid policy (with the exception of the brief period of al-Hakim’s rule). The Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the demolition of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1009 CE — an action reversed by his successor al-Zahir through a treaty with the Byzantine Emperor (who funded the church’s restoration).
The Fatimid-Byzantine relationship: Jerusalem was a site of complex Fatimid-Byzantine interaction — the Byzantines cared deeply about Christian holy sites, and the Fatimids leveraged their control over access to Jerusalem in diplomatic negotiations.
The Crusader conquest (1099 CE): The First Crusade’s capture of Jerusalem ended Fatimid control. The three-day massacre that followed killed thousands of the city’s Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. Jerusalem remained under Crusader rule until Saladin’s reconquest in 1187 CE.
See also: Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Cairo, Al Hakim Biamrillah
See also: Al Aqsa Mosque, Isra Wal Miraj, Masjid Al Haram, Masjid Al Nabawi, Umayyad Caliphate, Sayyidna Ibrahim, Nubuwwa, Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Cairo, Al Hakim Biamrillah