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Encyclopedia of Religion entry for
Jerusalem
Arabic al-Baitu ‘l-Muqaddas In the Qur’an Jerusalem is never mentioned by name, and in the Traditions and other Muslim works, it si always called al-Baitu ‘l-Muqaddas, "the Holy House," as referring to the Temple of Jerusalem, or Iliya. The allusion to it in the Qur’an, are as follows:- Surah ii. 55 (where God, after giving the manna and quails, is represented as saying to the children of Israel): "Enter the city and eat therefrom as plentifully as ye wish." Al-Baizawi the commentator says this city was the Baitu ‘l-Maqdis (Jerusalem), or Ariha (Jericho). Surah ii. 261: "Like his who passed by a city when it was desolate, and as he walked over its roofs, said, How will God revive this after its destruction?" Commentators way Elias or al-Khizr visited the city of Jeruslaem after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Surah xxx. opens with a reference to the Persians conquering Syria and taking Jerusalem. In Surah xvii. 1, Muhammad is represented as having taken his flight from Makkah to Jerusalem. "Celebrated be the praises of Him who by night took his servant from the Masjidu ‘l-Haram (the Sacred Mosque), the precinct of which we have blessed." And in Surah l., 40, one of the signs of the approach of the last day will be: "The crier (to prayer) shall cry from the near place" (i.e. a place from which all men shall hear). Husain says this "near place" is the Temple at Jerusalem. A curious account of Jerusalem and its temple, the Masjids ‘l-Aqsa, or DistantMosque (so called because it is a distant object of pilgrimage), has been written by Jalalu ‘d-din as-Suyuti, one of the commentators on the Qur’an, known as the Jalalan. It was written in the year A.H. 848, A.D. 1444, and the special object of the book appears to be to exalt the merits of Jerusalem as a place of prayer and pilgrimage. [For an account of the Temple, see MASJIDU ‘L-AQSA.] He says Jerusalem is specially honored as being the scene of the repentance of David and Solomon. The place where God sent His angel to Solomon, announced glad tidings to Zacharias and John, showed David a plan of the Temple, and put all the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air in subjection to him. It was at Jerusalem that the prophets sacrificed; that Jesus was born and spoke in the cradle; and it was at Jerusalem that Jesus ascended to heaven; and it will be there that He will again descend. Gog and Magog shall subdue every place on the earth but Jerusalem, and it will be there that God Almighty will destroy them. It is in the holy land of Jerusalem that Adam and Abraham, and Isaac and Mary are buried. And in the last days there will be a general flight to Jerusalem, and the Ark and the Shechinah will be again restored to the Temple. There will al mankind be gathered at the Resurrection for judgement, and God will enter, surrounded by His angels, into the Holy Temple, when He comes to judge the earth. (See Reynold ‘s Translation, p. 16.) The peculiar reference paid to the Sacred Rock (as-Sakhrah) seems to be one of the many instances of afterthought and addition to Islam since the time of Muhammad. Mu ‘awiyah seems to have encouraged it in order to direct the affections and fanaticism of his subjects into a new channel, and to withdraw their exclusive attention from Makkah and al-Madinah, where the rival family of ‘Ali resided. In the same book there is a desultory account of the taking of Jerusalem by the Khalifah ‘Umar. After the conclusion of the battle of Yarmuk (Hieromax), the whole army of the Muslims marched into the territory of Palestine and Jordan. Then they closely besieged the city. The conquest was attended with difficulty until the arrival of the Khalifah ‘Umar with four thousand horses. He came upon the holy place on the eastern side, and then encircled the city. They fought for a long time, until at last the inhabitants sent a party to the wall with a flag of truce, asking for a parley. The Patriarch (Sophronius) then demanded the safe conduct of a messenger to ‘Umar. The envoy came without hindrance and requested ‘Umar to make peace and accept tribute. Jalaludin gives a copy of the treaty which the Muslims compelled the people of Jerusalem to sign. It reads as follows:- "In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate! This is the writing from the Christians of the Holy City to ‘Umar ibn al- Khattab, the Commander of the Faithful. When you came down upon as, we asked of you a capitulation for ourselves and our possessions, and our children, and the people of our religion; and we have stipulated with you, that we shall not be polluted by interruption in our places of worship, or whatever chapels, or churches, or cells, or monasteries of monks, may be therein who may have the impress of Muslims (by long residence), and that we will not prohibit the Muslims from entering them, by night or by day; and that we will open the gates wide to passengers and to travelers; and if any Muslim passing by shall take up his lodging with us three nights, we shall give him food, and not entertain in our churches a spy, nor conceal him unknown to the Muslims; and not teach our children the Qur’an; and not publically exhibit the Associating or Christian religion, and not beg any one to embrace it and not hinder anyone of our relations from entering the Muslim religion, if he will, and that we should honor the Muslims and make much of them, and place them in our assemblies, if anyone of them will, and give them the chief seats, and not imitate them in our dress, neither in girdles, nor in the turban, nor the slipper, nor the parting of the hair, and never write in their language, nor call ourselves by their surnames; and that we should never ride upon great saddles, nor suspend our swords by belts, and never accept arms (the bow, sword, and club), nor carry them with us; and that we should never engrave upon our signet rings in the Arabic language; and that we should not sell vine, and that we should shave the front of our heads, and tie up our dress, wherever we may be, and not wear wide girdles at our waist; and that we should never publically exhibit the cross upon our churches, nor expose our crosses, nor ever inscribe them in the path of the Muslims, nor in their market places, and never strike our bells the (quick) stroke, nor raise our voices over the dead, nor publically expose the lights, or anything else, in the roads and markets of the Muslims, and never receive any slave who has drawn upon himself familiarity with Muslims, and never look upon them in their houses." We learn moreover, from the same authority, as follows: - "When ‘Umar ratified the treaty, he added thereto,- ‘And that we will not strike anyone of the Muslims. We stipulate this with you for ourselves and the people of our religion; and we accept these terms of capitulation: and if we subsequently violate a point of that which we have stipulated, upon our lives be it, and let there be no faith with us and may it be allowed you to do to us whatever is lawful against rebellious and revolting subjects. ‘" (Hist. of Jerusalem, by Jalau ‘d-din, Reynold ‘s Translation.) There were withing the city 12,000 Greeks and 50,000 natives, and the Khalifah ‘Umar insisted that all the Greeks depart within three days, and that the natives should pay tribute. Five dinars were imposed upon the rich, four upon the middle classes, and three upon the lower classes; very old and very young persons paid nothing. When ‘Umar entered the Holy City, his first object was to find the Sacred Rock (as-Sakhrah), the site of the Masjidu ‘l-Aqsa, to which Muhammad said he was carried on Buraq on the night of Mi ‘raj [MIRAJ.], and he therefore requested the Patriarch to direct him to the spot. They first went to the Church of the Resurrection and the Patriarch said, "This is the Mosque of David." But ‘Umar said, "Thou hast spoken falsely , for the Apostle of God (Muhammad) described the place to me, and it was not like this. They then went to the church on Zion, and the Patriarch said, "This is the Mosque of David." But ‘Umar said, "Thou hast spoken falsely." And in this manner the Patriarch took ‘Umar to every church in the city. At last they came to a gate, which is now called Babu ‘l-Muhammad or the gate of Muhammad, and clearing away the filth on the steps, they came to a narrow passage and the Khalifah, creeping on his knees, came to the central sewer. Here, standing up ‘Umar looked at the rock (as-Sakhrah), and then exclaimed, "By Him in whose hand is my life, this is the palce which the Apostle of God (upon whom be peace and blessing) described to us." ‘Umar then ordered a mosque to be built thereon. And ‘Abdu ‘l-Malik ibn Marwan built the mosque of the Baitu ‘l-Muquddas (now known as the Mosque of ‘Umar). He spent upon it the produce of seven years ‘ tax upon Egypt. He began it in A.H. 69 and finished it in A.H. 72. Some authority quoted by Jalul ‘d-din says the Holy City did not cease to be in the hands of the Muslims from its surrender to ‘Umar until the year A.H. 491, when it was taken by the Franks, who killed therein a vast number of Muslims in the space of seven days. In the Masjidu ‘l-Aqsa alone, they killed 70,000, and they took from as-Sakhrah the vessels of gold and silver and the wealth which was preserved in the strong boxes. "But." he adds, "salahu ‘d-din (Saladin) was raised up for the complete deliverance of the Holy City; for he was the most renowned of Lions, and the very brightness of Fire." (For a further account of the taking of the city by Saladin, see Reynold ‘s translation of Jalalu ‘d-din ‘s History of the Temple of Jerusalem, p. 1999.)
, "the Holy House," or Baitu ‘l-Maqdis 
, "the House of the Sanctuary"; Aurashalim 
; Iliya 
, i.e. Aelia Capitolina.
A.D.
33. The crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ at Jerusalem.
43. St. Paul ‘s first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion to Christianity.
69. Taken by Titus.
136. The Emperor Hadrian bestows on the city the name of Aelia Capitolina
A.D.
(This name is used by Jalalu ‘d-din in his book, A.D. 1444.)
386. Jerusalem under Christian rule, the Martyrion and the Church of the Resurrection built.
614. The city invested and taken by the Persians under Chosroes II. (See Qur’an Surah xxx.)
621. The era of the flight of Muhammad.
628. The Emperor Heraclius enters Jerusalem in triumph.
687. The Patriarch Sophronius surrenders the Holy City to the Khalifah ‘Umar. Liberty of worship secured to the Christians in churches which already existed, but they are prohibited the erection of new churches. A mosque built on the reputed site of Jacob ‘s vision, now known as the mosque of ‘Umar. Said to be on the site of the temple called by Muslims Masjidu ‘l-Aqsa, the Remote Mosque, or as-Sakhrah, the rock.
800. Ambassadors sent by the Emperor Charlemagne to distribute alms in the Holy City. The Khalifah Harun ar Rashid sends back as a present to the Emperor the keys of Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre.
820. Held for a time by the rebel chief Tamum Abu Harab.
969. Falls into the hands of the Fatimate Khalifah Mu ‘izz. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre burnt.
1035. The pilgrimage of Robert of Normandy.
1054. The pilgrimage of Lietbert of Cambray.
1065. The pilgrimage of the German bishops.
1077. Jerusalem pillaged by the army of Malik Shah.
1084. The Turkoman chief Urtek becomes ruler of the Holy City. The Christians suffer.
1098. The city retaken by the Fatimate Khalifah.
1099. 40,000 Crusaders appear before its walls. The city taken by the Crusaders. 10,000 Muslims slain. Godfrey of Bouillin made King. (For eighty years the city remained in the hands of the Christians.)
1187. Retaken by Saladin (Salahu ‘d-din), the Muslim general.
1219. Ceded to the Christians by virtue of a treaty with the Emperor Frederick II.
1289. Taken by the Muslims.
1243. Again ceded to the Christians.
1244. The Christians defeated at Gaza, and Jerusalem occupied by the Muslims.
1277. Nominally annexed to the kingdom of Sicily.
1517. Becomes part of the Empire of the Ottoman Sultan Selim I.
1542. Sultan Sulaiman I. builds the present walls.
1832. Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha of Egypt takes the city.
1840. Restored to the Sultan of Turkey [AS-SAKHRAH, MASJIDU ‘L-AQSA.]
citations: Dictionary of Islam, Hughes
article created 2006-04-12 , last updated 2006-04-12
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