Bayyina Foundation's Hamid Chaudry writes about his recent experience after visiting the Holy Lands...I recently had the great fortune of visiting the blessed land of Palestine. The memories of the journey will stay with all of us who travelled. Our group... twenty strong, embarked on a visit to the three holiest sites in Islam... the Masjids in Makkah, Madinah and Al-Quds, or Jerusalem, to use its international name. Many of us will be familiar with accounts of Hajj and Umrah; hence this narrative focuses on our travels to Al-Quds.
"Set out deliberately on a journey to three Masjids: the Sacred Masjid (Makkah), this Masjid of mine (Madina), and al-Aqsa Masjid (Al-Quds)." [Bukhari, Muslim]
Zionist Welcome - We flew into Amman and after sampling Jordanian hospitality of hummus, falafel, salads and a multitude of dips, got a good night’s rest before making our way to the border crossing into ‘Israel’. We had been pre warned about the likelihood of border delays, so we were delighted to pass through two security checks with lightweight interrogation. We eagerly approached the ‘Foreign Passport’ desk to collect our visas and proceed unhindered.
‘Take a seat, sir.’
A few cups of tea, ample fruit, and eight hours later, we were eventually given the all clear to continue our journey. On reflection, we probably did well to get through. Twenty British Pakistanis, largely of the well bearded kind, in today’s politically charged climate, must have had drones on standby. No doubt there were calls to employers, scanning of databases, discussions with UK authorities as well as the individual interrogation during the day to verify our stated plans. So when you make your trip to the holy land, ensure your group is well briefed and presents a consistent case to the authorities – they just need the smallest of excuses to refuse entry.
But neither do I doubt that the bulk of the eight hours were merely to deter us from visiting again…or even encouraging others to do the same. In truth, it had just the opposite effect you will have observed. Perhaps that was our jihad... as well as praying in congregation at the checkpoint in front of our bewildered hosts.
‘Hatred appears on their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is much worse.’ [Surah Al-Imran 3-118]
The Old City – We entered the old city of Al-Quds via Damascus Gate, the most splendid of seven gates in use. One is instantly taken back in time, walking through a maze of stone-paved narrow alleys, twisting and weaving below imposing structures. This heritage sets the holy land apart from the lands of Makkah & Medinah, where sadly historical heritage has fallen prey to high rise modernity. One can sense the ageless history connecting the land with an array of Prophets, peace be on them all. The old city is split into traditional ‘quarters’ for Muslims, Jews and Christians. So if you’re surrounded by men in long black coats and furry hats supporting curly locks….you probably want to look inconspicuous and move along.
Al-Aqsa – the holy precincts are surrounded by walls on all sides, again accessible via gates which are patrolled round the clock by Israeli security forces. To clear up a couple of misconceptions, Al-Aqsa Masjid has a grey coloured dome – the gold coloured dome belongs to the Dome of the Rock or Qubbat al-Sakhra. Secondly, Al-Aqsa refers to the whole compound within the walls, comprising 150k sq ft. Not just the Masjid.
‘Exalted is He who took His servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show Him of our signs.. Indeed Allah is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing.’ [Surah Al-Isra, 17-1]
Be sure to tour the whole site, including the original Masjid underneath the current one. This is a labyrinth of halls leading on to each other, and houses many places of interest - the mihrab where Prophet Muhammad (saw) led all the Prophets in prayer, Hazrat Maryam’s place of seclusion where Allah swt provided for her fruits out of season, to name just two. Be sure to pray as much as possible at Al-Aqsa – the reward is multiplied 500 times, according to hadith in Bukhari, and even more in other traditions.
Abu Darda is quoted as saying that the Prophet (saw) said, ‘The reward for a prayer in the sacred Masjid is worth 100,000 prayers, in my Masjid (in Madina) is 1,000 prayers, and a prayer in Al-Aqsa Masjid is 500 prayers more than in any other Masjid.’ [Bukhari]
Al-Quds – steeped in history, there are many places worth visiting. We visited the resting places of Hazrat Maryam (ra), Hazrat Daud (as), as well as Masjid Umar, which he ordered to be built on conquering the city, pledging the right of the Christians to continue worshipping in their churches, under the protection of Muslims. At the foot of the Mount of Olives, one can see the remains of the palace of Bilqis (Sheba), which the jinn ‘teleported’ from Yemen, as well as the site where Prophet Suleman (ra) ordered the jinn to work on the holy temple. The vast size of masonry and pillars used certainly look beyond the feat of men thousands of years prior. The significance of the sites to the three monotheistic faiths is clear, and Muslims, Jews and Christians rub shoulders to pay respects. Whilst Christians sometimes looked bewildered to see bearded Muslims attending ‘Christian’ sites, the Jewish response can be hostile, so be sure to be alert at all times, and take a good guide who is familiar with the area.
Family of Prophet Abraham (as) – do travel out of the Old City, not only to visit historical sites, but also to experience the ‘reality on the ground’. Al-Khalil – Hebron – is a must. Recall the Ibrahim Masjid was the site where Baruch Goldstein martyred 29 worshippers during fajr salat, injuring over one hundred before being beaten to death. The Masjid houses seven tombs, amongst them Prophet Ibrahim (as), Prophet Isaac (as) and Prophet Yacoub (as), together with their wives (as).
"For Allah did take Abraham (as) as a friend." [Surah Al-Nisa 4:125]
Also visited was the crumbling tomb of Prophet Lut (as), don’t forget the tombs are over four thousand years old. In proximity is all that remains of Prophet Lut’s people – the Dead Sea. A common fad these days is the use of Dead Sea ‘beauty’ products. Ummm... given what the remains of the Dead Sea contain, I hate to imagine what else the beauty products might be doing... So better stick to Nivea...for Men, or L’oreal... because you’re worth it.
The Palestinian Struggle – we had few encounters with the Palestinians, and I would prefer to spend more time meeting them given opportunity. However we were left in no doubt that their daily lives are a constant struggle against Israeli aggression.
The day of our arrival saw conflict in the sanctuary itself, with worshippers banned from accessing the site as a group of right wing Israelis decided to ‘tour’ the site uninvited – protected by Israeli forces.
Our travel guide was alert to potential dangers. As we travelled through Binyamin, a group of school children had blocked the road with boulders. Our ‘twenty strong’ group was outdone by a group of kids as we had turn to turn back…or was it true mujahid against pampered pussy cats? One of our group, wanting to take the opportunity to meet the young warriors, stepped out of our minibus to shake their hands. Our tour guide, eyes filled with fear, screamed to him to get back in as he rapidly reversed to exit the area. We discovered that the kids routinely block the road to disrupt Israeli soldiers who pass through their village, and were expecting an Israeli convoy. Our guide feared we could be spotted by Israeli forces from one of the many watchtowers that span the Palestinian territories. Consequently, they could have opened fire on us without any warning, for consorting with Palestinians in the territories. Hence his fear and eagerness to get away!
Abu Umamah Al Bahili reported the Prophet (saw) said, ‘A group of my Ummah will remain firm upon the truth, dominating their enemies. They will not be harmed by their opponents until Allah’s decree arrives upon them.’ They asked, ‘Oh Prophet of Allah, where will they be?’ He replied, ‘In Bait Al-Maqdis and its surrounding areas.’ [Musnad Ahmad]
Visit Al-Aqsa - The ‘security wall’, built by the Israelis throughout the Palestinian territories heartlessly splits neighbours and neighbourhoods. It denies the Palestinians freedom to move and work on a daily basis, as they are subject to security checks at points along the four hundred mile wall whenever they wish to cross it. The wall is now graffiti strewn in protest at the forced apartheid. Palestinians we met who live on the wrong side of the wall reminded us how fortunate we were in being able to visit Al-Aqsa when living thousands of miles away. This is part of the Zionist agenda to restrict access for Muslims living in Palestine, somehow hoping to provide legitimacy to subsequent Jewish occupation of the site. They are unable to visit or pray at the Masjid, although they are citizens living literally minutes away. Given most Islamic countries do not formally recognise Israel, Muslims living in these countries are unable to travel to Palestine. If for this reason alone, those of us who are able to visit by virtue of having EU passports, should do so, to demonstrate this is revered site for Muslims worldwide today, and for all time, insha’Allah.
In this way, we may be able to assist our brothers and sisters in Palestine in maintaining Islamic heritage of the blessed lands. In the words of one of our hosts, they are not in need of our money primarily – though we should support them financially as we are able. What they need most is for Muslims to visit the holy lands to preserve the Islamic identity, and to demonstrate to the Israelis that Muslims love this land, and have not forsaken their brethren. Muslims are not deterred by Israeli border checkpoints keeping us waiting for hours to enter the country. Or even on leaving, as two of our group were held for another three hours for displaying solidarity with the Palestinians by wearing bracelets with colours of Palestinian flag. If anything, it makes our desire to return even stronger. Just maybe this is our small jihad.
"But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners." [Surah al-Anfal 8 : 30]
Shaban 1434, June 2013
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