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Al-Masjid al-Aqsa
المسجد الأقصى
Al-Masjid al‑Aqsa is the blessed mosque in Jerusalem mentioned in the Qur’an’s night‑journey verse and identified by the Prophet ﷺ as the second of the three sacred mosques.
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Qur’anic reference
The Qur’an says that Allah took His servant by night from al‑Masjid al‑Haram to al‑Masjid al‑Aqsa, whose surroundings He has blessed, to show him of His signs.1 Tafsir al‑Mukhtasar explains that the destination of this night journey was the mosque of Jerusalem whose surroundings are blessed with fruit, crops and dwellings of the prophets.2
Prophetic tradition on the three sacred mosques
The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Do not set out on a journey except for three mosques – al‑Masjid al‑Haram, this mosque of mine, and al‑Masjid al‑Aqsa.’3 Similar reports in Sunan Ibn Majah and Sahih Muslim repeat that the three mosques are al‑Masjid al‑Haram, al‑Masjid al‑Aqsa, and the Prophet’s own mosque.4,5
Chronology of the sacred mosques
When asked which mosque was built first, the Prophet ﷺ answered that al‑Masjid al‑Haram was the first.6
CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sources, not fatwas.