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About Palestine

The need to understand Palestine & Bayt al -Maqdis

Palestine and Bayt al-Maqdis holds a significant place in the hearts of Muslims worldwide. That's why it's crucial to understand the historical and religious value of the Holy Land. Upon completing this reading, you may discover insights into the historical context of current events in Gaza, stimulating your understanding and hopefully motivating you to take subsequent actions.

Brief history of Palestine

Why it become the sacred land for 3 religious?

     Islam

  • It is the first Qiblah for Muslims and the place where the Isra and Mi'raj (the Night Journey) occurred.  The Isra took place when the Prophet SAW was in a state of sadness, having lost his wife and uncle, his message rejected, and being boycotted by the merchants. 

  • The relevant Quranic verses were revealed in Mecca and mainly revolve around matters of faith and most of the events happened in  Bayt al - Maqdis.​

  • This land became a Waqf (endowment) for the Muslim community after being liberated by Umar al-Khattab. Thus, it is become a duty and responsibility for ummah to defend and protect the Holy Land.


      Christianity

  • It holds the site sacred as the place of the "Last Supper" and where Jesus was crucified. It is also believed that Jesus will return to this land.

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      Judaism

  • Jews believe that this land was promised to them by God, as stated in their scriptures.

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     Time line

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  • The Jews are known as the Children of Israel, descending from the lineage of Prophet Jacob. The Prophet had 12 children from his four wives, and one of his 11 sons was Prophet Joseph.

  • Prophet Joseph migrated to Egypt with the Children of Israel, became a ruler of Egypt, and they lived there for generations until the time of Prophet Moses and Aaron.

  • Prophet Moses was directed to rescue the Children of Israel from Pharaoh, part the sea, and gather them at Mount Sinai.

  • Allah SWT commanded them to enter the Holy Land, Palestine. At that time, the land was already inhabited by strong and powerful people. However, the Children of Israel disobeyed. They refused to enter the battle, mocked and belittled Prophet Moses, and did not want to fight. This angered Allah, and He condemned them to wander for 40 years without having a nation or land of their own on Earth.

  • Until the era of the Prophet Joshua, who became their leader, he tried to reconcile them and lead them back into the land of Palestine. 

  • However, they continued to cause trouble. Prophet Joshua divided the land into 12 parts, corresponding to the 12 sons of Prophet Jacob. 

  • Still, they were not satisfied, leading to disputes. Eventually, the land of Palestine was divided into two regions; in the northern part, it became Israel, and in the southern part, it became Judea.

  • Israel's capital was Samaria, and Judea's capital was Jerusalem.

  • Their lives remained in conflict, and the Assyrian kingdom wanted to conquer the Israel. 

  • However, the Babylonian kingdom, led by Nebuchadnezzar, attacked and conquered both the regions of Israel and Judea.

  • Babylon destroyed all the complexes in the area, including the Temple of Solomon. 

  • The Babylonians brought the Israelites back to their country, where they became slaves, faced persecution, and lived there until the Babylonian kingdom was defeated by the Persian Empire.

  • When the Persian Empire triumphed, King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, and the Israelites reentered the land of Palestine. 

  • They began rebuilding the Temple of Solomon, which was completed in 516 BC during the reign of Darius the Great.

  • However, the Jewish people continued to engage in various wrongdoings and failed to uphold righteousness. Subsequently, the Roman Empire came to power.

  • Under Roman rule, the Romans destroyed the Temple of Solomon. 

  • It is important to note that this event is not directly related to Islam. 

  • During this time, the Jews were also expelled by the Roman Empire, leading to their diaspora across the world.

  • Due to being expelled twice, first by Babylon and then by the Roman Empire, Jewish people harbored resentment toward the Romans. 

  • During their diaspora across the world, they not only caused issues but also contributed to the emergence of anti-Semitic sentiments.

  • In 1860, Theodor Herzl, an Austrian from Austria-Hungary, was born. At the age of 36, he wrote the book 'The Jewish State,' in which he proposed the need for Jewish people to unite and establish their own nation.

  • At that time, everyone considered Theodor's idea as unrealistic because anti-Semitism was rampant, and Jewish people were widely disliked. 

  • Despite facing opposition, Theodor did not give up and set a goal that a Jewish state would be established within 50 years. 

  • Eventually, he met with people who supported his idea, including Lord Rothschild, who agreed to provide financial support to Theodor.

  • The Zionist Congress 1897 in Basel reached the conclusion that they should establish a Jewish state by acquiring land in Palestine. At that time, Palestine was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Abdul Hamid. Sultan Abdul Hamid refused to meet with them and would not surrender the land of Palestine to them. In that era, the Ottoman Empire was facing decline due to internal conflicts and accumulated debts.

  • The Jewish community did not give up and returned in 1901, offering 150 million pounds sterling. They promised to establish an Ottoman university and provide a warship if Sultan Abdul Hamid agreed to hand over some areas of Palestinian land to them. Sultan Abdul Hamid responded firmly, stating that he would not allow the continuation of such a project. 


 

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