What Is the Temple Mount in Islam?

In Islam the Temple Mount is Al-Aqsa Mosque, also called Al-Haram Al-Sharif, a sacred compound in Jerusalem. Qur’an 17:1 says God took his servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to al-Masjid al-Aqsa. The Bible says Solomon built the house of the Lord there, and Jesus taught in the temple that stood in his day.

The Hashemite page quoted here describes mosques on that ground. It does not describe a standing temple of Solomon. 1 Kings 6:11 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionAnd it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.1 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionOpen source is the biblical building. Matthew 24:2Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionAnd Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionOpen source is Jesus saying not one stone would be left on another.

Key Points

• Qur’an 17:1, in Saheeh International, says God took his servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings he had blessed. (1)
• The Hashemite page says Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif is the whole sacred compound of 144 dunums, including the Qibli Mosque and the Mosque of the Dome of the Rock. (2)
• The same site’s history page says that after 1967 Israel nominally recognized the site’s significance for Muslims and Jordan’s custodianship, and that Israeli authorities have controlled entry at the gates. (3)
• That history page also says King Abdullah II and Mahmoud Abbas signed an agreement on the holy places in Jerusalem on 31 March 2013. (3)
• 1 Kings 6:11 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionAnd it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.1 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionOpen source says Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in the fourth year of his reign. (4) Qur’an 27:16, 34:12, and 38:30 speak of Solomon as a king taught the speech of birds, given the wind and the jinn, and as an excellent servant. (1)
• Matthew 24:2Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionAnd Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionOpen source says not one stone of the temple buildings would be left on another. (5)

What Is the Mosque on the Temple Mount?

The Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock defines the site as one compound, not a single prayer hall. On that page:

Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif is a sacred area in Jerusalem of immense religious importance to all Muslims and includes all of its 144 dunums (144,000 m2) (“the Sacred Compound”). The area includes the Qibli Mosque of Al Aqsa, the Mosque of the Dome of the Rock, all of the buildings, walls, courtyards, and environs above and beneath the ground.

that page

(2) The Qibli Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are buildings inside that compound. The page’s name for the whole ground is Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif. The same page then makes political claims about 1967. This article quotes the definition of the compound. It does not adopt those political sentences as its own.

The Night Journey

Qur’an 17:1 is the verse Muslims connect with that sanctuary. Saheeh International:

Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

Qur’an 17:1 · Saheeh International

(1) The verse names two mosques and a night journey. It does not narrate a later building on the site, and it does not give a year for the Dome of the Rock. The history page fetched for this article does not give that year either. Who Was Muhammad? is the life the Qur’an and the sira tell.

Who Is King Solomon in the Qur’an?

The Qur’an names Solomon as David’s heir, a king who was taught the speech of birds, who received the wind and a spring of copper, and for whom some of the jinn worked. Qur’an 27:16Qur’an 27:16 · Saheeh InternationalAnd Solomon inherited David. He said, "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty."Qur’an 27:16 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, Qur’an 34:12Qur’an 34:12 · Saheeh InternationalAnd to Solomon [We subjected] the wind - its morning [journey was that of] a month - and its afternoon [journey was that of] a month, and We made flow for him a spring of [liquid] copper. And among the jinn were those who worked for him by the permission of his Lord. And whoever deviated among them from Our command - We will make him taste of the punishment of the Blaze.Qur’an 34:12 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, and Qur’an 38:30Qur’an 38:30 · Saheeh InternationalAnd to David We gave Solomon. An excellent servant, indeed he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allāh].Qur’an 38:30 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source are those lines, in Saheeh International. (1) Qur’an 38:30 calls him an excellent servant, repeatedly turning back to God.

1 Kings 6:11 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionAnd it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.1 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionOpen source is a different sentence. It says Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the month Zif. (4) The biblical temple is that house. The Qur’an verses just cited do not say he built it, and they do not deny a building the Bible describes. They tell a king whom God taught and to whom God subjected the wind.

What Does the Temple Mount Represent?

For Muslims, the Hashemite page says the compound is of immense religious importance, and Qur’an 17:1 calls the destination a mosque whose surroundings God blessed. (2) (1) For Jews and Christians, the same ground is the place of the house of the Lord. Solomon built it. Jesus taught in the temple of his own generation and said its stones would be thrown down. (4) (5) The two accounts name one hill and do not tell the same story about what stands on it.

Is There a Temple in Jerusalem Today?

The Hashemite pages describe the Qibli Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, courtyards, and walls. (2) They do not describe a standing temple of Solomon. Matthew 24:2Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionAnd Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionOpen source says of the buildings Jesus’ disciples were looking at that not one stone would be left on another. (5) A mosque on the ground is not that temple rebuilt.

Do Muslims Still Control the Temple Mount?

The Hashemite history page gives its own account of control after 1967. On that page:

Immediately after the 1967 War, Israel nominally recognised the historical status and religious significance for Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif for Muslims, as well as the custodianship of Jordan (i.e. the responsibility for administration and religious arrangements) in respect of the site. Despite this nominal recognition, however, the Israeli authorities have controlled entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif’s gates ever since.

that page

(3) The same page says King Abdullah II and Mahmoud Abbas signed an Agreement on the Holy Places in Jerusalem on 31 March 2013, recalling the unique religious importance of the site to all Muslims. That is the page’s account of administration and of entry at the gates. This article does not add a claim the page does not make.

What Is the Latest News on the Temple Mount?

This page is not a news report. The history it quotes stops at the Hashemite account of 1967 and at the agreement of 31 March 2013. (3) A later headline is a different document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does Islam Speak of This Hill?

Qur’an 17:1 names al-Masjid al-Aqsa as the end of the night journey. (1) The Hashemite page treats the whole compound, including the Dome of the Rock, as that sanctuary. (2)

What Do Christians Say Was There?

1 Kings 6:11 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionAnd it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.1 Kings 6:1 · King James VersionOpen source says Solomon began the house of the Lord. Matthew 24:2Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionAnd Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.Matthew 24:2 · King James VersionOpen source says Jesus spoke of that temple’s stones being thrown down. Christians confess that Jesus is God, and that he stood in that temple as the Son. Is Jesus God? is that confession. Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels is what the Qur’an says about him.

Keep Reading

• Who Was Muhammad?
• Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels
• Who Is Allah?
• What Is the Difference Between Islam and Christianity?
• Is Jesus God?
• What Is Bible Prophecy?