Assalamualaykum Friend,

We hope you are doing well in both eeman and health.

With the recent events in mind, many Muslims might be wondering what makes Masjid al-Aqsa so special that people are ready to die to protect our right to it.

Jerusalem was the birthplace of many prophets whom Allah (swt) sent to the Children of Israel. Who are these people? Israel is another name for Prophet Yaqub (as), and the Children of Israel are actually descendants of Yaqub’s twelve sons, and thus the descendants of Prophets Ishaq and Ibrahim (as).

You can imagine the significance of a place where prophets among the progeny of Ibrahim (as) were born, lived, ruled and died. This is the place where Maryam (as) was born.

She spent much of her life in Masjid al-Aqsa looking after it. Angel Jibreel came to her in the same Masjid, and gave her glad tidings of her virgin birth. Prophet Isa’s (as) soul was blown into her in the same place.