Visit one of the Sacred Sites of Jerusalem

                                                                      Jerusalem old city

The wise religious master, saint and spiritual teacher Ibn Ata'illah, may God be merciful to his soul, says the following in one of his Aphorisms (al-Hikam), " Don't let any act of praise make you happy since it's from you. Instead, be awed because it comes through God and to the person who is worshipping." I learnt from my religious teachers, that blessings from God come gifts of love that He gives to you in order to help you grow in His affection and be drawn closer. The moment I stood at the gate into al-Aqsa was a time in which I was able to feel the enormity of this particular parcel , and it only heightened my feelings of thankfulness and an incredibly heartfelt Alhamdulillah.'

Anyone who comes to Makka in the beginning will not forget their first glimpse of the Ka'aba. Whatever number of times you return There will always be significance to that moment as well as the many firsts you have following that moment. From the very first prayer, and the first moment you cry in the name of God and the Lord, all the way to the first time you step into Madina and look up at the beloved Prophet's green dome, and then sit at the feet of Jesus Christ, the Messenger from God and give him your sincere salam. The pureness of the beginning moments is an spiritual moment of the highest quality and is often the time that spiritual bliss can result in an obligation to God and conflict. The first glance at Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock and the Masjid al-Qibli, and the first time we prayed and walked within the Haram al-Sharif of Jerusalem was a pure experience of the first few moments. It was extremely inspiring for the soul, and removed us from the current political climate that surrounds this Sacred Sanctuary today.

We went to our way into the Masjid al-Qibli and offered two raka's (prayers when entering the mosque). The interior beauty of the mosque was inspirational. The rich history of this holy place was beautiful and each wall and pillar was alive, as if they could tell an entire story. The most prominent of these was two pillars: the minbar(pulpit) and mihrab (niche for indicating the direction to Makka.) The mihrab is still an inscription that was placed there by Salahuddin Al-Ayubi may God be merciful to his life, following his capture of Jerusalem in 1187. On its left is an reproduction of the minbar that he constructed and erected in the mosque. It was kept in place for more than 800 years until 1969, when the aforementioned Australian Christian broke into the mosque and set it on fire in order to help the Jews rebuild their temples and therefore speed up the arrival to the Messiah. The entire credit goes to the King Abdullah from Jordan for the replacement. We were able to take a quick walk around the hall for prayer and one guard led us down to the prayer room under the Qibli. We didn't realize the depth of this experience. the past.

The basement prayer room was an experience that was surreal and the walls had an unique, glowing appearance. You could easily spend a long time just looking at them, and pondering the rich history that this beautiful mosque has seen. Our guide led us to the very edge (towards the Qibla) in the hall of prayer, where we went down more steps, to find the library as well as the prayer area, which was that was surrounded by massive, heavy stones that were obviously centuries old. When we looked them up close, and were informed that they were the first building blocks of the mosque. We were guided to the entry point of the library, which is the maktaba the khataniya. This library was established by Salahuddin Al-Ayubi that remains in use ever since. The library's entrance itself is the Masjid al Qibli, also known to be Bab al-Nabi, which is the name given to the entrance that the Prophet has opened, let his peace. It is huge and majestic and widely believed as the entrance through that it was that the Holy Prophet entered the mosque, when he arrived at al-Aqsa during his Night Journey. The door is believed also to have been the entrance through that Caliph Umar ibn al -Khattab and Salahuddin al Ayubi entered.

I was overjoyed at the idea of standing in the same place where the Prophet had walked through - but not at night, but the same night not less than that, when God bestowed on him the highest of honors and gave the most honorable position in the form of "two bows or closer"(surah al-Najm). On the way to being united with his beloved and his heart did not hide the God's dazzling beauty He walked through the doorway, and upon his behalf the most benevolent prayers and blessings. I immediately prayed in the closest place I could find , and carried in my heart the hope that I had prayed at the spot where there was a place where he could have been praying, stood or simply walked by. I could have gone to Jerusalem right now without regrets.

We then walked back to The Dome of the Rock to worship there prior to when that the Asr prayer was to begin. The Dome covers all the images of Jerusalem that we've ever seen. Many consider it to be symbolic of Jerusalem. Its stunning beauty to me is not due to the intricateness of its intricate design however, it is its significance in that from it that God's adored Prophet was able to ascend to heaven. The Prophet is said to have been ascending from the right side of shakhra(rock). The Ottomans constructed an enclosing dome on the outside of within the Dome of the Rock and called it Gubba al Mi'raj which means the dome of the ascension. they believed that this was the place the location where the ascension took place. When we were entering in the Dome I was filled by memories concerning The Night Journey- not only the story that we read in the works from Sirah however, but also the real encounter. What a blessing was this place that God picked it out of all the earthly places that his loved ones could climb? What would it be like to be there to witness, be a part of the moment? It definitely felt like we were there and were part of the moment because the Dome is ablaze its energy at that point even today, more than 1400 years later.

When you enter the Dome of the Rock the first thing that you notice is the architectural design. To claim it's stunning is not fair! Each and every inch inside the Dome is adorned with intricate designs and a variety of color that enhances the experience for the visitor. The interior structure of this mosque is distinctive since it is built around the rock that is enormous. Even though the rock was closed off as a result of the construction work but we were in a position to observe portions of it. The Prophet, may his peace be peace, stated that the rock was one of Paradise. God gives honour to who and whatever He chooses and it is because of this declaration of honour that individuals and things can be considered honorable. If it wasn't because of this it would have been an unworthy rock.

Before our visit, I was advised to seek out the area of prayer under the rock because they believe that Muhammad the prophet, on his peace, prayed there. I also learned that it was the place where Imam al-Ghazali, upon him be mercy from God was seated and wrote some in the works of his Ihya Ulum Al-Din. If you go around it from the western entrance you will find an entrance to the stairs that goes down below it, which is located opposite the mihrab that is used today by the Imam for leading prayers. There is a small area that resembles the cave in which people can gather and offer prayers. We walked down the stairs, we prayed to the right and then sat down to absorb the baraka of the area.

I've never felt as connected to our history as I did this time and you never feel far away from being in the vicinity of Prophet inside the Dome. The experience of sitting here contemplating, reflecting contemplating, thinking contemplating, reflecting and longing I was able to see the extent of the harm being done to our heritage and tradition through both Sacred Sanctuaries in Makka in the Makka area and Madina. A teacher of mine explained to I that the splendour and beauty of al-Aqsa is easily accessible to everyone who believes because it was preserved with just a few minor changes in the past. Makka and Madina however were radically altered and commercialised, with a lot of their history wiped away and, as a result, instant access to their lights has become more difficult. I felt a great feeling of sadness at this, and it continues to afflict me that a large portion of our culture has disappeared within the Hijaz. What remains for the next generation to feel, touch the smell of and remember an era that's alive and whose glow can never be lost? The request for an Asr prayer was announced, and we gathered to offer the first obligatory prayer in the al-Aqsa mosque.

In the days that followed our visit to Jerusalem we spent time to research the details of exactly what is the Haram al-Sharif looks like following that of the Masjid al-Qibli and Dome of the Rock. We were delighted and a bit overwhelmed by the wealth of history that in this Sacred Sanctuary holds. You can't pass by an unmarked stone, wall, a dome the pillar or tree, unless there is a story of historical significance connected to it. A lot these structures (more than its remains) and other objects that are scattered throughout Haram Haram were either built through the Ottomans or were reconstructed and archived by them could God bless them for their dedication to preserve this rich history. While we walked around in the Haram and I observed the magnitude that was the Ottoman contribution to the Haram, I could not resist thinking about how their good work endures and feeds the future generations. A hundred years after their demise and even more since their contribution in the Haram al-Sharif A British Muslim and his family visited al-Aqsa and feeding their hearts and minds through a connection to an ancient history that lives on. If they hadn't been worried with the plight of the Sanctuary and let it fall into disarray Sanctuary to decay and not taken the time to record the significance of its numerous buildings and objects What would the children of Jerusalem and Muslims all over the world, comprehend the significance of al-Aqsa and also have an intrinsic relationship to the site?

One of the main sites of the Haram al-Sharif we visited was the Musalla al-Buraq. It is situated west of the entry point into the Masjid al-Qibli, next to the Maghrabi gate ( Bab al-Maghariba) and is open only in the morning. We climbed a set of stairs , and then walked into a tiny prayer space. The area was where Jesus, the Messenger of God and his family, may he rest in peace was welcomed into to the Haram al-Sharif, and tied the buraq (the animal on which the messenger traveled). He offered two rakats of prayer before proceeding to the main mosque, which is located at the southernmost point of the Sanctuary. There is also the Wailing Wall, a holy spot for Jews is situated at the opposite end in the Musalla. The experience of praying within the Musalla was unique because of its connection in the life of the Prophet. It brought the heart to happiness, desire for being with him, and sadness that we did not get to spend the days he spent with his friends. Let God be with us in the next life.

In the north-eastern region in the Haram al-Sharif is a gate called Bab Al-Dhahabi which is also known as the Golden Gate. It was shut on the orders of Salahuddin Al-Ayubi following the liberation of Jerusalem and is still closed to the present day. This Gate is the only place near Haram al-Sharif that is in the vicinity of Haram al-Sharif that has some significance for the three Abrahamic religions. For Muslims it's an entrance into al-Aqsa; Christians believe that Jesus was through it on his journey to Jerusalem as well as Jews believe that Jesus the Messiah will pass through it when he returns. The gate's roof is comprised of the two domes. One dome is the place in which Imam al-Ghazali was able to study, sit and continue his quest for knowledge It is also recognized by the native Jerusalemites who visit al-Aqsa. They even refer to it as ' Qubbat al-Ghazali' (Ghazali's dome). We were honored to visit the place--a place which was an ode to the wisdom and majesty of the famous Imam. The exterior of the Golden Gate extends into al-Aqsa's cemetery, Bab al-Rahma is a stunning site that is full of the graves of those who were companions to the Prophet, saints, scholars and martyrs. Two of the companions who are that are buried in the cemetery were Shaddad ibn Aws and 'Ibadat the b. Saamit. May God be happy for both. Shaddad ibn Aws came from Madina and often visited Jerusalem and spend time there. He was one of the people who narrated the Prophetic hadith. It was reported that "Shaddad is among the people that were blessed by wisdom and tolerance." He died in Jerusalem in the year 85 AH at 75 years old. Ibadat was b. Saamit was also from Madina and was present at numerous battles during the time of Prophet Muhammad and was also present together with Amr the b. al-Aas, the Prophet of Egypt. He was named as the Qadi for the Levant (Shaam) and was the first Qadi of Islam for Jerusalem. He died in the year 34 AH in the year 72. Visits to both companions affirmed that Prophetic presence that is a part of al-Aqsa and fills the air of Haram al-Sharif. Let God be satisfied to the companions and followers of Prophet Muhammad and allow us to see them in the next life.

In all over Haram al-Sharif we found a numerous open, elevated structures that are encased with a dome-topped roof , and built on four pilasters. Each one and many of them, has distinct names and a prayer niche. Some have seating areas. They were also places where wisdom was passed on and people came together to remember God. One of these sites is located near the northernmost point in the Haram al-Sharif and is quite different from the other. It is known as Qubbat al-'Ushaq which meansthe Dome of the Lover. In this place, people would gather and read poems about the affection from God and his Messenger, and celebrate their blessings. This was yet another instance of how the premodern Muslim cities and Jerusalem specifically were a sanctuary for spirituality and knowledge.

In the city of old that is surrounded by Haram al-Sharif, in the old city that surrounds Haram al-Sharif there was a period when there were 43 Zawiyas or centers of spirituality, where recall of God was held and where the books of Islamic spirituality were read. The famous sixth century (12th century AD) scholar, sage, as well as spiritual teacher, Abu Madyan, established an zawiya in the ancient city after his participation at the time of the liberation of Jerusalem and stayed in the city for a long duration. In our walks through the old city, we discovered a number of other Zawiyas that not in use anymore such as ones like the Naqshbandi, Indian, and Sudanese Zawiyas. Delegations from different parts of the Muslim world would frequently come to Jerusalem and establish themselves here. they would either establish zawiyas or be given the buildings from the ruling family. This was the case with the sole remaining and functional zawiya in Jerusalem's ancient city it was that of the Afghani zawiya. It was first established in the year 1043 AH (1603 AD) as an offer to the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem at the time to the Qadiri order of spirituality. It was in existence for nearly 300 years before was later transferred to the Shadhili order and under the auspices of which it is still in existence in the present. Shaykh Abdul-Karim al-Afghani, the Shaykh who is the head of The zawiya, Shaykh Abdul-Karim al-Afghani is a resident of Jerusalem and spends the majority all of the time at al-Aqsa. In the zawiya they gather for ceremonies of commemoration (dhikr) and read spiritual books. I was blessed to have the privilege of spending a small portion of our time with the Shaykh and am grateful to God for the chance. He was a calm person with excellent character and humility, whose spiritual condition was clearly visible. Being able to spend a few hours with him was as if you were in al-Aqsa hundreds of years ago. One is able to forget the political issues in his Sanctuary and the challenges facing it while in the presence that of Shaykh. His final advice to me was to be aware about God wherever I am since He does see me, and His favors and blessings are not confined. May God safeguard Jerusalem as well as its people, and safeguard it as a Noble Sanctuary.