20 August 2018
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ” مَنْ أَهَلَّ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى بِعُمْرَةٍ، أَوْ بِحَجَّةٍ، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
(مسند احمد ;صَحِيحِ ابْنِ حِبَّانَ)
Umm Salamah, Umm al-Mu’minin رضي الله عنها, relates that the Prophet ﷺ said, “If anyone puts on ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah from the Masjid al-Aqsa and then proceeds to the sacred Masjid, his former and latter sins will be forgiven, or he will be guaranteed Paradise”. The narrator ‘Abdullah doubted which of these words he said.
To secure our Deen, our well being, our family in a respective area, we have to populate the Masaajid of the area. It is because we have emptied Masjid al-Aqsa that Palestinians are suffering. We need help from Hujjaaj and Mu`tamirs that populate the Haramain to also populate the third holiest site: Masjidul Aqsa of Jerusalem.
The virtue of wearing the ihram at Masjid Al-Aqsa has also been mentioned in the following Hadith collections: Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Abu Ya’laa, Baihaqi and Darul Qutni. Moreover, there are narrations of those Sahabah (RA) who went there to wear their ihram. A narration from Baihaqi reports that, during the caliphate of Umar (RA), Sayyidina Muadh (RA) and Ka’ab (RA) led a group of Muslims to Masjid Al-Aqsa where they wore their ihram and from there proceeded for Umrah. On another occasion, a man came to see Umar (RA) in order to seek his permission to visit Masjid Al Aqsa. Umar (RA) replied: Go and get ready for the journey. When you are ready, come and see me. When he was ready, Umar (RA) told him: Go ahead and from there perform an umrah. (Ibn Abi Shaibah).
عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ ، قَالَ : أَتَى رَجُلٌ عُمَرَ ، فَقَالَ : إنِّي أُرِيدُ بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ ، فَقَالَ : اذْهَبْ فَتَجَهَّزْ فَإِذَا تَجَهَّزْت فَآذِنِّي ، فَلَمَّا تَجَهَّزَ أَتَاهُ ، قَالَ : اجْعَلْهَا عُمْرَةً.
ابن ابي شيبة
It has been reported in Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaibah that Sayyidina Ibn Umar (RA) did wear his ihram in Masjid Al Aqsa. Narrators of Hadith, Wakee and Umme Hakeem, did both wear their ihraam at Masjid Al-Aqsa before proceeding for Umrah from there. (Abu Dawood, Ibn Hibbaan)
It is therefore recommended to visit Bait ul Muqaddas from time to time.
However, nowadays, organizers of such trips plan such a visit only after Umrah/Hajj. It is noteworthy that it is more virtuous, for those who have the means to perform Umrah and visit Palestine, to proceed to al-Aqsa BEFORE Umrah/Hajj.
The visitor will thus perform 2 rakaats in Masjid-al Aqsa, then don the ihram at al-Aqsa and from there proceed to Makkah for Umrah/Hajj. In this way, one will acquire the virtue of forgiveness and at the same time will be imitating the actions of the Sahabah (RA).
And if all those who have means would act in this way, Masjid Al Aqsa would have become a better-frequented place by the Muslim world. In that respect, Muslims would have had a greater influence over that Masjid, which, at present finds itself under the sway of others.
(Adapted from a post by Mufti Ayoob Mackoojee)
