Islam in the Land of Israel
Where: Muslim Quarter Jerusalem & Ramla.
Duration: 1 days
What to bring: High-topped shoes, modest clothing, hat, water, head covering for women
Language: The tour is originally in English.
During my tours of Sinai, Jordan, or the Negev region of Israel, I was always fascinated by the image of a solitary believer, in the heart of the wilderness, a believer who spreads out his prayer mat alone, kneels and prays in the direction of Mecca with great humility. The absolute and pure faith of the Muslim in the Almighty is very human. Muslim tradition tells of Muhammad, who in 621 rode a miraculous animal named Al-Buraq from Mecca to Jerusalem (the Koran does not say "Jerusalem" but rather "the farthest mosque", we will explain orally). And from the farthest mosque he ascended to heaven and there he met Allah and received the commandment of prayer. The holy place of Muslims in the Land of Israel is the Al-Aqsa mosque (the farthest mosque), which is located at the edge of the Temple Mount. It was built in 691, and this mosque has been destroyed six times by earthquakes.
Activities
Jerusalem is not mentioned at all in the Koran, the holy book of Muslims, yet it is attributed to the word "Ula al-Kabaltein," which means the first direction of prayer.
The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem took place in 638 CE. The conqueror was Umar Ibn al-Khattab. The conquests continued throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and in a constant process all the regions were converted to Islam. Minorities in the region, including Christians and Jews, were persecuted. The early Arab period ended with the Christian conquest in 1099.
Islam has made a mark in the Land of Israel, especially in architecture and design. During our tour of the Islamic world, we will visit the Great Mosque in Ramle, we will hear the principles of Islam, we will visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Muslim Quarter in the Old City. In addition, we will visit the Museum of Islam. We will talk about concepts from the Muslim world, the split in the Muslim world between Shi'a and Sunni, the religious structure of the Muslim world, the process of Islamization, and the place of Islam in our time.
The legend of Umar's entry into Jerusalem from a Muslim source: He was accompanied by a man named Kaab al-Akhbar: a Jewish scholar who converted to Islam and was the caliph's advisor. "Umar went to Jerusalem and conquered it, then entered it with Kaab, and asked him: 'Abu Ishaq, will you know the place of the rock?'" He replied: "Measure this many cubits from the wall near Wadi Jahnam, where the landfill is, dig and find it. He dug and the rock appeared before them. Umar asked Kaab: "Where do you think we should build a house of prayer?" He replied: "Build it north of the rock ..." Umar said: Your suggestion is from a Jewish source. The best part of the mosque faces Mecca, and he built the prayer house at the front of the mosque. "
According to the story, Umar ordered the cleaning of the Temple Mount from sewage and filth that had been piled up
Umar's Assurance: What is it?
