Mapping Islamicjerusalem a rediscovery of geographical boundaries

350 Pages·2007·11.472 MB·English

by  Khalid A. El-Awaisi

MAPPING
ISLAMICJERUSALEM

MAPPING

ISLAMICJERUSALEM

A rediscovery of geographical boundaries

KHALID A. EL-AWIAISI

Al-Maktoum Institute Academic Press
Published for the first time in 2007 by Al-Maktoum Institute Academic Press
124 Blackness Road, Dundee DD1 5PE
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.almipress.com

Copyright © Khalid El-Awaisi
Cover Design: Alya Rashid Burhaima, [email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in any form, without written
permission from the publisher, unless by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages.

Monograph on Islamicjerusalem Studies 6

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-904436-08-9
To my father
Who planted the love of Islamicjerusalem in my heart

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all praise and thanks be to God, the most merciful, the most
kind, who has given me a mind to reason with, eyes to read with, ears to
hear with, and hands to write with. Without any of these I would not
have been able to complete this work. And truly, if one would set out to
count the bounties of God, we will never encompass them; thus all the
praise and thanks be to God.
Secondly, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation
to very special people who have supported me throughout this work, and
without their help it would have not been possible:
• His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, whose
achievements and support for the establishment of the new filed of
Inquiry Islamicjerusalem Studies, is surely outstanding.
• Every member of my family, especially my beloved mother and father, who
have with their love and passion supported and encouraged me in
this work.
• Professor Malory Nye and Dr Alhagi Manta Drammeh, for their
invaluable assistance, guidance, encouragement and help.
• Dr Haitham al-Ratrout, who has helped me immensely especially in
preparing the maps for this monograph.
• All colleagues, friends and students for their kind help and support. To
list them would fill many pages.
• My beloved wife for her neverending love, support and patience
especially while I was working on this monograph.
• And finally to my children, who have happily distracted me from my
work with their lovely giggles, and always give me so much hope
and encouragement.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................i
CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................iii
MAPS ..................................................................................................................................vii
FIGURES..............................................................................................................................ix
TABLES.................................................................................................................................x
NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION....................................................................................xi
FORWARD.........................................................................................................................xiii

INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................1
BACKGROUND......................................................................................................................1
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND................................................................................................2
FRAMEWORK FOR MAKKAH AND MADINAH....................................................................5
THE PROBLEM......................................................................................................................6
THE AIM................................................................................................................................7
WHY?.....................................................................................................................................8
SOURCES AND METHODOLOGIES.......................................................................................8
LITERATURE REVIEW...........................................................................................................9

PART ONE: RELIGIOUS TERMINOLOGIES TO ISLAMICJERUSALEM
AND ITS SURROUNDINGS: THEIR EXTENT AND BOUNDARIES..........11
CHAPTER ONE: THE EXTENT OF THE LAND OF BARAKAH.............13
BARAKAH IN THE QUR’AN................................................................................................14
Barakah bestowed on a being............................................................................................15
Barakah bestowed on an object..........................................................................................16
Barakah bestowed on a text or statement...........................................................................17
Barakah bestowed in a "point in time"..............................................................................19
Barakah bestowed on a place.............................................................................................20
THE LAND OF BARAKAH...................................................................................................23
THE LOCATION AND EXTENT OF THE LAND OF BARAKAH.........................................25
Extent of al-Sham............................................................................................................26
Barakah Around.............................................................................................................32
The travelling of Solomon..................................................................................................35
The migration of Abraham...............................................................................................38
The Israelites’ Inheritance..................................................................................................41
The Ancient Journey.........................................................................................................43
Discussion........................................................................................................................45
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................49
iv
CHAPTER TWO: THE EXTENT OF THE HOLY LAND...........................51
MUQADAS IN THE QUR’AN................................................................................................51
Al-Qudūs.........................................................................................................................52
Rūh al-Qudus..................................................................................................................52
Nuqadisu lak...................................................................................................................52
Al-Wādī al-Muqadas......................................................................................................53
Al-Ard al-Muqadasah.....................................................................................................55
THE LOCATION OF AL-ARḌ AL-MUQADASAH................................................................56
THE EXEGESIS OF THE VERSE...........................................................................................61
Al-Tur and the area around it..........................................................................................62
Al-Sham..........................................................................................................................63
Damascus, Palestine and parts of Jordan...........................................................................63
Jericho...............................................................................................................................63
The land of Bayt al-Maqdis..............................................................................................64
Both Aelia and Bayt al-Maqdis........................................................................................64
THE EXTENT OF THE HOLY LAND...................................................................................65
ACCOUNTS ON THE EXTENT.............................................................................................68
Al-Bakrī (d.487AH/ 1094CE)....................................................................................68
Al-Tīfāshī (d.651AH/ 1251CE)..................................................................................69
Al-Himyarī (d. 727AH/ 1327CE)...............................................................................70
Al-Qalaqashandī (d.821AH/ 1418CE)........................................................................70
Al-Hanbalī (d. 927AH/ 1521CE)...............................................................................72
Al-Tumurtāshī (d. ~1127AH/ 1715CE).....................................................................74
Ibn ‘Āshūr (d. 1393AH/ 1973CE)..............................................................................74
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................74

PART TWO: THE USAGE OF THE NAMES OF ISLAMICJERUSALEM.....79
CHAPTER THREE: THE NAMES OF ISLAMICJERUSALEM: FROM THE
PRE-MUSLIM PERIOD UNTIL 23AH...........................................................81
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................81
THE PRE-MUSLIM PERIOD IN ARABIA.............................................................................85
PROPHETIC PERIOD...........................................................................................................87
First connection.................................................................................................................88
Al-Isrā’ (the Night Journey).............................................................................................92
More verses after al-Isrā’...................................................................................................95
Change of Qiblah after the Hijra to Madinah...................................................................96
The building of al-Aqsa Mosque.......................................................................................96
Visit only three mosques...................................................................................................98
Abū Sufyān in Aelia........................................................................................................99
After the Take-over of Makkah.......................................................................................99
Tamīm al-Dārī...............................................................................................................100
Al-Ard al-Muqadasah...................................................................................................100
Hadīth in Tabuk (fath Bayt al-Maqdis).........................................................................101
Prophet Joshua marching to Bayt al-Maqdis....................................................................102
Prophet John in Bayt al-Maqdis......................................................................................103
The Land of Raising and Gathering...............................................................................103
Starting off on Pilgrimage from Bayt al-Maqdis...............................................................104
People steadfast...............................................................................................................104
Bayt al-Maqdis flourishing..............................................................................................105