Answered by our Shaykh, the ‘Allāmah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu ‘Abdirrahmān Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajūri – may Allāh preserve him – on the 25th, Dhūl-Hijjah, 1441H
Question:
Is the hadith concerning Salāh in Bayt ul-Maqdis authentic?
Answer:
It is authentic, it has come from the hadith that the Prophet said ﷺ:
إن نبي الله سليمان لما بنى بيت المقدس
What is apparent is that he renewed (its structure) because the people of knowledge say it’s construction was ancient –
أنَّ سُلَيْمانَ بنَ داودَ صلَّى اللَّه عليهِ وعلى آلِهِ وسلَّمَ لمَّا بنى بيتَ المقدسِ سألَ اللَّهَ عزَّ وجلَّ خلالًا ثَلاثًا سألَ اللَّهَ عزَّ وجلَّ حُكْمًا يصادفُ حُكْمَهُ فأوتيَهُ ، وسألَ اللَّهَ عزَّ وجلَّ مُلكًا لا ينبغي لأحدٍ من بعدِهِ فأوتيَهُ ، وسألَ اللَّهَ عزَّ وجلَّ حينَ فرغَ من بناءِ المسجدِ أن لا يأتيَهُ أحدٌ لا ينهزُهُ إلَّا الصَّلاةُ فيهِ أن يُخْرِجَهُ من خَطيئتِهِ كيومِ ولدتهُ أمُّهُ
“When Sulaimān bin Dāwūd ﷺ finished building Bayt Al-Maqdis, he asked Allah for three things: Judgement that was in harmony with His judgement, and he was given that. And he asked Allah for a dominion that no one after him would have, and he was given that. And when he finished building the Masjid he asked Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, that no one should come to it, intending only to pray there, but he would emerge free of sin as the day his mother bore him.” [Sahih ul-Musnad by Imām Al-Wādi’ē]
This is a great virtue, this wording from it is the shāhid of the hadith and in it is the virtue.
And from it is the statement of the Prophet ﷺ:
لا تُشَدُّ الرِّحالُ إلَّا إلى ثلاثةِ مَساجِدَ: مَسجِدي هذا، والمَسجِدِ الحَرامِ، والمَسجِدِ الأقْصى
“Do not set out on a journey (for religious devotion) but for the three masājids – for this Masjid of mine (Masjid An-Nabawi) the Sacred Mosque (Masjid Al-Harām), and the Masjid Al-Aqsā (Bayt al-Maqdis).” [Reported by Bukhāri and Muslim]
And there is no doubt that setting out to travel are to Masjid Al-Aqsā, Masjid Al-Harām and Masjid An-Nabawi, for the act of worship of praying in them, this points towards the virtue of Salāh in it, and an amount has come concerning the reward for praying in Masjid Al-Aqsā by 500,000 Salāh.
Whether or not the amount of reward is authentic or not the origin of praying in Masjid Al-Aqsā is a great reward from expiations of sins due to the duā of the Prophet of Allāh Sulaymān ﷺ and (he asked) that he be given a dominion that none else after him would be given and he was given it and the one who comes to pray in it leaves with no sins, so Allāh accepted his duā ﷺ, but this does not mean that Salāh in it is more virtuous than in Masjid Al-Harām because the Sahābah took an oath to pray in Masjid Al-Aqsā so the Prophet ﷺ said pray here, if Salāh in Masjid Al-Aqsā was more virtuous he would of ordered him to go to it as long as it was within his capability but when Salāh in Masjid Al-Harām was more virtuous he ordered him to do that which was better to pray in a Masjid Al-Harām which is more virtuous, this points towards the virtue of Salāh in Masjid Al-Aqsā.
Translated by: Abū ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi
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Original Fawta Audio: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/7608