Abstract
This article tries to show that the Qur’ānic al-Masjid al-Aqṣā (Q 17:1) stands for the earthly Jerusalem and not for a heavenly sanctuary as held by many modern scholars. The Jerusalem for which it stands is a Christian holy city, a “New Jerusalem” that replaced the one that had been destroyed because of the sinful Jews. Muḥammad’s Qur’ānic night journey to that place is a vision like the one experienced already by Ezekiel. The earliest tafsīr sources are unanimous that the Qur’ānic al-Masjid al-Aqṣā stands for Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis). Only in some Shī‘ī sources do we find the claim that al-Masjid al-Aqṣā is in heaven which means that the Prophet never came to Jerusalem. This claim reflects the Shī‘ī anti-Umayyad attitude, and was designed to deprive Jerusalem of its special sacred status as a pilgrimage destination. The claim was inspired by traditions describing a night journey of Muammad from Mecca straight to heaven. These latter traditions originally belonged to the cycle of the stories about Muammad’s first revelation, and had nothing to do with his night journey to Jerusalem.
Highlights
This article tries to show that the Qur’×nic al-Masjid al-Aqó× (Q 17:1) stands for the earthly Jerusalem and not for a heavenly sanctuary as held by many modern scholars
The theme of the night journey and ascension of the Prophet Muçammad has been extensively studied by modern scholars from a variety of angles, 2 but it seems that the earliest stages of the literary history of the theme still await a thorough reexamination
The ascension has its own literary history which starts perhaps with the opening passages of Sùra 53. It has eventually found its way into various versions of the night journey, in which Muçammad arrives in Bayt al-Maqdis from Mecca, but instead of returning to Mecca along the circular course, he ascends from Jerusalem, and meets the prophets in the seven heavens
Summary
The theme of the night journey (isr×’) and ascension (mi‘r×j) of the Prophet Muçammad has been extensively studied by modern scholars from a variety of angles, 2 but it seems that the earliest stages of the literary history of the theme still await a thorough reexamination This history begins in the Qur’×n, in the famous isr×’ verse (Q 17:1) which mentions a night journey of the Qur’×nic prophet to al-Masjid al-Aqó×. Al-Masjid al-Aqó× is located in a region which God blessed (b×rakn× çawlahu) Such a description is reserved in the Qur’×n for localities in the holy land. 15 In conclusion, nothing in the Qur’×nic isr×’ verse seems decisively heavenly and much of it seems rather to lead to the conclusion that the verse deals with a night journey to a terrestrial masjid situated in the holy land Whenever the Qur’×n refers to this land as a destination of an exodus or other kinds of travel, it always describes it as a region which has been blessed by God (b×rakn× çawlah× or fêh×). There is nothing to indicate that the blessed region which is the destination of the journey in our verse should not be located within the boundaries of the same land. In conclusion, nothing in the Qur’×nic isr×’ verse seems decisively heavenly and much of it seems rather to lead to the conclusion that the verse deals with a night journey to a terrestrial masjid situated in the holy land
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