As We Commemorate the Isra’, We Never Forget Jerusalem
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
208 |
| Khutbah Date: |
08/27/06 |
[b]سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى[/b][b]الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ[/b][i]Glory to Allah Who took His servant on a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, the precincts of which isblessd; in order that We might show him some of Our Signs. Allah Hears and Witnesses everything. [/i][b][Qur’an 17:1] [/b][b]The Night Journey (al-Israa') wal-Mi'raaj [/b]At the most difficult and trying time of the holy Prophet's life, after the death of his protective uncle (Abu Talib) and his most beloved wife, supporter and confidant (Khadijah), Allah took His beloved servant on a Journey by night [Q17:1], a journey that reached far beyond the parameters of human travel, beyond the perception that a human mind could ever imagine. Even the arch-angel Jibreel, who accompanied the Prophet on the journey, reached a point beyond which he could not traverse. Prophet Muhammad ascended unto the highest manifestation of the Divine Presence till the summation at sidrat-ul-muntaha. Only Prophet Muhammad, the most beloved of Allah, the greatest of His creation, the finest specimen of the artwork of the Ultimate Artist could go to this Uppermost Limit, the limit of being before the Absolute. Among the gifts that the holy Prophet descended with from that highest sphere is Salaah, the gift of prayer (anywhere in the world); a means of expiation for the self, purification for the soul, a mode for moral rejuvenation and spiritual elevation. No wonder the Prophet said; "Salaah is the Miraj of the believer". Encouraging the believers to imitate the Prophet in prayer and motivating the believer to elevate himself to the utmost of his ability, the great Islamic poet Shams Tabrezi said;[i]"To follow Prophet Muhammad is, that he went on the Miraj, you go behind him". [/i][b]The Significance of Jerusalem to Muslims [/b]Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world, the birth place of many civilizations and a city central to the three "Abrahamic faiths", Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To Muslims, the sacredness of Jerusalem lies in the religious reality, it being an integral part of our sacred history and thus considered an important manifestation of our sacred geography. The significance of Jerusalem is further evidenced through reference to it and its precincts in the holy Qur'an [21:71; 17:1] and numerous sayings of the holy Prophet (pbuh). This is the area of the world where Prophet Dawood (David), Sulayman (Solomon) and 'Isa (Jesus) were born, grew up and carried out their missions; the place to which Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham) and Lut (Lot) migrated; where Yahya (John) preached and where Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph) and Musa (Moses) are buried. May Allah be pleased with all of them. Jerusalem was spiritually linked with Makkah when Masjid-ul-Aqsa became the destination of the Israa' (Night Journey [Q 17:1] of the Prophet Muhammad). The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have exhorted Believers to [i]"undertake journeys to visit three mosques, Masjid ul Haraam (in Makkah), Masjid ul-Nabawi (in Madinah) and Masjid ul Aqsa (in Jerusalem)". [Saheeh Muslim] The Prophet also intimated that prayer in Masjid ul Aqsa is 500 times greater in value than prayer in any ordinary mosque. On the basis of such hadith, Muslims have always considered it a religious and meritorious deed to visit Jerusalem. Historically and religiously Jerusalem is, has always been, and will forever be significant to the Muslims. Let all be reminded that Muslims refer to Jerusalem as BAYT UL MUQADDAS (The Sacred Place), a fact we should never forget.
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