Jerusalem

Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam, central to the Night Journey (Isra and Miraj) of Prophet Muhammad, and a symbol of Islamic heritage and Palestinian identity for over 1,300 years.

Mohammed Amin al-Husseini (born c. 1895-97, died 1974) was appointed grand mufti of Jerusalem and president of the Supreme Muslim Council in 1921. This article treats his institutional career, in particular the council's restoration of the Dome of the Rock.

The Ayyubid Dynasty (1171-1260 CE) was founded by Saladin and ruled Egypt, Syria, and Yemen. The Ayyubids recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders, promoted Sunni Islam, and created a sophisticated state combining military power with cultural patronage.

The decisive battle of July 4, 1187 CE, where Saladin's forces crushed the Crusader armies near Hattin in Palestine. This pivotal victory led to the recapture of Jerusalem and marked the beginning of the end of Crusader dominance in the Holy Land.

The conquest of Jerusalem in 638 CE by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab marked the peaceful Islamic liberation of the holy city, establishing principles of religious tolerance and protection that would characterize Islamic rule in Jerusalem for centuries.

The unprecedented territorial expansion of the Islamic empire under Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644 CE), which transformed Islam from an Arabian state into a world power spanning three continents through the conquest of the Sassanian Empire and much of the Byzantine Empire.

The miraculous night journey of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension through the heavens, one of the most significant spiritual events in Islamic history. This divine experience established the five daily prayers.

Prophet Dawud (David), both prophet and king, was the slayer of Jalut (Goliath), the recipient of the Zabur (Psalms), and the ruler whose just governance and extraordinary devotion made him the Quranic model of the righteous sovereign.

Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon), son of Dawud, was granted a kingdom unmatched in human history — commanding jinn, winds, and animals while ruling with legendary wisdom. His encounter with the Queen of Sheba and his hidden death reveal the depths of divine sovereignty.

Known as Zakariya in Arabic, Zechariah was a righteous prophet and priest who served in the Temple of Jerusalem, guardian of Mary, and father of John the Baptist, blessed with a miraculous son in his old age.

Salah al-Din (Saladin, 1137-1193 CE) was the Kurdish Muslim commander who founded the Ayyubid dynasty and united Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia. He recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187 CE after his victory at the Battle of Hattin, becoming renowned for his military genius and chivalry.

The Crusades were a series of religious wars launched from Western Europe between 1095 and 1291 CE to capture Jerusalem and the Holy Land. They reshaped medieval Christian-Muslim relations, produced two centuries of intermittent conflict and exchange, and left a lasting legacy.

Comprehensive history of the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam's most iconic monuments and the oldest surviving Islamic building, built in Jerusalem in 691 CE

The second Rashidun Caliph (634-644 CE), known as 'Al-Faruq' (The Criterion). Under his leadership, the Islamic empire expanded dramatically, conquering the Sassanian Empire and much of the Byzantine Empire, while establishing sophisticated administrative and legal systems.

The historic and humble entry of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab into Jerusalem in 638 CE, demonstrating Islamic values of humility, justice, and religious tolerance through his personal conduct and the establishment of the Umariyya Covenant protecting Christian rights.

Yasser Arafat (1929-2004) co-founded Fatah in the late 1950s, chaired the Palestine Liberation Organization from 1969 until his death, and was president of the Palestinian Authority from 1996. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for the 1993 agreement with Israel.