Jerusalem's Importance in Early Islam
Ambiguous is a word that leaps to mind when thinking about Jerusalem in the Qur˒ān. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem (literally) appears 669 times; the Christian New Testament mentions Jerusalem (literally) 154 times; the Qur˒ān (literally) mentions Jerusalem at no time.
In reading Hadith, one can always find something to justify anything. These same six collections of Hadiths prohibit or glorify martyrdom in the form of a suicide bomber; and speak of heaven's physical reward of 70, or 71, or 72, black-haired and beautiful, or fat and gangly virgins.
The first Hadiths were not collected until some 200 years after Muḥammad's death. The process of isnad does not change the fact that many Hadiths that were inconsistent with others were simply dropped from tradition. Even after the purging of inconsistencies, Goldziher's research demonstrated that many Hadiths remained outright forgeries.[54]
Many Hadiths were created for the 'good' of the community. Of course when Arabian Muslims opposed to the Damascus-based Caliphate created their own Hadiths, the Umayyad rulers naturally created their own. When the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad succeeded the Damascus Umayyads, the process gathered even more steam—they had to demonstrate their legitimacy.
Jerusalem's Importance in Early Islam
Chronologically, Muḥammad’s Night Journey and Ascension are the earliest events in Islam pertaining to Jerusalem. Sura 17:1 of the Qur˒ān tells the story:
"Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque to the Further Mosque the precincts of which We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. He is the All-hearing, All-seeing."[10] ("Subḥana al-ladhi asra bi˓bdihi laīlan mina al-masjidi al-ḥarami ila al-masjidi alaqṣā, al-adhi baraknā ḥawlaū linuriyaū min 'ayatinā inaū huwa al-samī˓u al-baṣīru")
Yusif Ali: Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). Pickhal: Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer. Shakir: Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
