The Aqsa Mosque was the destination of Al-Isra’ ( the miraculous Night journey of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca to Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem). It is located in the holy land and is surrounded by a blessed land.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third best mosque following al-Haram Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in al-Madinah. Al-Aqsa in Arabic means “the farthest”. It was called Al-Aqsa because it is far from Al-Haram Mosque. It used to take a caravan one month to go from Mecca to Jerusalem and another month to go back. Al-Aqsa was originally built by the first human being and the first Prophet, Adam, 40 years after he built the Ka’bah. It was rebuilt and renovated many times. Prophet Solomon rebuilt the Mosque after it was destroyed by the flood at the time of Prophet Noah.

Nowadays, The Aqsa Mosque is a very big area that houses many buildings and structures. The two main buildings you see there are Al- Masjid Al- Qibliyy  with its dark grayish dome and that of the Dome of the Rock with its golden dome. Many many smaller domes are also present. One of them is called “The Dome of the Lovers of the Prophet” ( قبةعشاق النبي), where Sufis used to gather under and make dhikr, just its name makes our hearts melt!