“There was no Synagogue in Al Quds (Jerusalem), when Umar ibn al-Khattab took over the city of Jerusalem peacefully from the Roman Patriarch in 7th Century”: MUFTI IKRIMA SABRI. 

Post of 8th May 2022

Today, on 8th May 2022 Al Jazeera TV has broadcasted the interview of Ikrima Sabri, Former Grand Mufti of Al Quds (Jerusalem) by Harry Fawcett.

Ikrima Sabri said that Yahud call the Masjid Aqsa is the Temple Mount and they claim Al Aqsa is theirs which must be contested as Al Aqsa is for Muslims. It is part of their doctrine and faith. Al Aqsa is the same as Grand Mosque of Mecca and Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

Sabri said “Al Aqsa is earth’s gate to heaven and heaven’s gate to earth”. This believe makes Muslims adhere to Al Aqsa and explains their interest in it.

The city of Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina are linked through the miracle of Isra and the Miraaj. Our Prophet Mohammad ﷺ did miraculous journey from Mecca to Quds and then ascended to the highest heaven by Burraq. Al Quds was the centrepiece of the journey. He ascended to the skies from al Quds.

Jerusalem was associated with Ruler Umar Ibn al-Khattab known as the commander of the faithful. In 637 AD, Umar Khattab got the city of Jerusalem peacefully from the Roman Patriarch. He got the city and it’s keys peacefully and issued the “Pact of Umar”. The treaty that grants protection and safety to the people of Jerusalem and protection of all religious properties including Churches.

Ikrima Sabri said from political point of view, we received the city Jerusalem from the Romans, not from the Yahud (Jews). Therefore we did not fight the Jews. On the contrary, the Romans were in dispute with the Jews and the Romans asked Umar Khattab to write in the treaty “they did not want Jews to live with them in the city”. Sabri said Muslims have nothing to do with what happened with the Jews in Jerusalem.

The Churches were preserved in the days of Umar Khattab and if, had there been Synagogues, Khattab would have protected them too. Even when Salahuddin ibn Ayyub came to Quds we did not kill the Crusaders but instead asked them to leave Palestine and those from Europe returned to Europe and the original Christians remained in the city.

Al Aqsa is under Hashemite guardianship, which means Jordan guards the Holy city. The Jordanian Ministry of Endowments is responsible for Holy places and Islamic affairs which means that Jordanian guards the Holy sites.

The Aqsa is for all Muslims of two billions and non-Muslims may visit it as tourists at certain hours, that is what it was before 1967 and there was no problem. But when the extremists Jewish groups started to intervene tensions began.

About six years before King Abdullah of Jordan, John Kerry of US and PM Netanyahu in America talked about maintaining status quo of 1967 but once Netanyahu returned from America there were clashes, incursions and more problems started.

Now, it is responsibility of the occupying authority to bring peace and serenity. Before millions of Muslims were praying with no problems, with no settlers, no military, and no stones.

In the end, Sabri said ‘no one should encroach Al Aqsa, let Al Aqsa alone. Al Aqsa is for Muslims only and we will not recognise any rights of the Jews on Al Aqsa. IT IS CALLED Al AQSA MASJID NOT TEMPLE MOUNT”.