The Reasons for the Differences in Interpretations of Some Orientalists and Commentators on the Hadiths about Bayt al-Maqdis and al-Masjid al-Aqsa

Abstract

Bayt al-Maqdis and al-Masjid al-Aqsā are among the most sacred places that are considered sacred by the divine religions. So much so that it is emphasised in the Qur'an that al-Aqsā and its surroundings have been blessed, and Bayt al-Maqdis and its environs are described as the Holy Land “al-Ard al-Muqaddasah”. In addition to the Qur'an, the virtue of these places has also been declared in the ahadith. Al-Masjid al-Aqsā is mentioned as the second masjid built on earth after the Kaʻbah, it is the place where the prophets lived, prayers and other worships performed in al-Masjid al-Aqsā are rewarded more than those performed in other masjids except al-Masjid al-Harām and al-Masjid al-Nabawī. In addition, al-Masjid al-Aqsā is one of the three masjids that can be travelled to for the purpose of worship, and the liberation and reconstruction of these two places are encouraged. However, there are deep differences of approach between Muslim commentators and orientalists in interpreting the narrations on the issue of al-Aqsā and Bayt al-Maqdis. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine and evaluate how commentators and orientalists evaluate a hadīth on the same subject, on what evidence and justifications both groups base their views, and what are the main reasons for the differences in their approaches. As a method, the subject and the relevant ahadith will be taken as the basis, rather than a particular orientalist or commentator, and the interpretations of the commentators and the different approaches and evaluations of the orientalists in their own works will be identified and compared with each other, focusing on the differences between their views and their reasons.