Masjid al-Aqsā — the Farthest Mosque — is the third holiest site in Islam, the first Qiblah of the Muslim Ummah, and the blessed land upon which the Prophet ﷺ led all the Prophets in prayer on the night of Al-Isrāʾ. Allah ﷻ described its surroundings as blessed in the Qurʾān itself. Here is a selection of forty authentic Ḥadīth highlighting its sanctity.
The Qurʾānic Foundation
“Glory be to the One Who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed.”
Sūrah al-Isrāʾ (17:1)
“And We rescued him and Lūt to the land which We had blessed for all peoples.”
Sūrah al-Anbiyāʾ (21:71)
Selected Ḥadīth
1. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not set out on a journey except to three mosques: the Sacred Mosque, this mosque of mine, and al-Masjid al-Aqsā.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1189)
2. “A prayer in Masjid al-Aqsā is worth 500 prayers elsewhere.” (al-Ṭabarānī)
3. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The first house of worship established for mankind was the Kaʾbah in Makkah, and then the Masjid al-Aqsā, forty years apart.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 3366)
4. Sayyidunā Sulaymān , upon completing the construction of Masjid al-Aqsā, supplicated to Allah ﷻ for three things — among them that anyone who comes solely to pray in it will leave as free of sins as the day their mother bore them. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Two of these have been granted, and I hope the third has too.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 1408)
5. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Blessed is al-Shām.” The Companions asked why, and he said: “Because the angels of the Most Merciful spread their wings over it.” (al-Tirmidhī)
6. On the night of Al-Isrāʾ, Jibrīl said to the Prophet ﷺ: “Descend and pray here.” He descended and prayed. Jibrīl said: “Do you know where you prayed? You prayed in Bayt Laḥm, the birthplace of ʿIsā.” (Abū Dāwūd, no. 1917)
7. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There will always be a group from my Ummah steadfast upon truth, aided and not harmed by those who oppose them, until the command of Allah comes. They will be in al-Shām.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
8. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, the Ḥajar al-Aswad and al-Maqām are two jewels from the jewels of Paradise. Had Allah not concealed their light, they would illuminate everything between the East and the West.” (al-Tirmidhī)
9. Maymunah, the freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ, asked him about Masjid al-Aqsā. He said: “Go and pray in it, for a prayer there is worth a thousand prayers elsewhere.” She asked: What if I cannot reach it? He said: “Then send some oil to light its lamps, for whoever does so is like one who has prayed in it.” (Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah)
10. The Prophet ﷺ said regarding the End Times: “The Muslims will make their camp at al-Ghūṭah, near a city called Damascus, one of the finest cities of al-Shām.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
This article presents a selection of the most important Ḥadīth. A comprehensive reference of 40 Ḥadīth with full chains and commentary is available upon request from the Iftā service at Al-Qadriyyah.
May Allah ﷻ liberate Masjid al-Aqsā, bless its people, and grant us the honour of praying within its walls. Āmīn, yā Rabb al-ʾfālamīn.
