The Koran doesn't mention the word Jerusalem once. No where. The life of Prophet Muhammad is incredibly well documented, as far as ancient religious leaders go, and there is no record of him ever having traveled outside the Arabian peninsula. (Dreams, interpretations, insinuations, wishful thinking and political powerball non-withstanding.)

If you want to blasphemize your sacred texts for political purposes - go ahead. But even a non-Muslim knows that Mecca and Medina are the cities with authentic, unquestionable historical connections to Islam - Jerusalem is the ancient holy epicenter of the the Jews (it's the Jewish 'mecca' if you will) - and there has been no urgent Arab interest or significant spiritual connection to Jerusalem until Israel reclaimed it from Jordan in 1967. This is evidenced by the fact that Arabs haven't built anything meaningful there in the past 1,000 years, Arab leaders rarely visited it when in Jordanian hands, etc.

"The fartherst mosque" has been conveniently interpreted to mean the holy areas in Jerusalem that Arabs have political interest conquering and barring non-Muslims from visiting.

Hi Brett, please read my post: “My response to a Zionist”, some of your points are addressed. What I will say here though is that it is quite obvious that you are delusional about the history of Arabs living in Jerusalem and of the connection between Islam and the Holy Land. The undisputed facts are that Arabs have been living there for centuries until they were dragged out of their homes kicking and screaming and dumped in refugee camps so Jews could live in them instead.

Is this justice, is this fair, is this righteousness, and is this moral behaviour?

It's disturbing that many Muslims don't seem to respect human life -
any barbaric atrocity is OK as long as it's for religion - and they
don't respect lives of even of their own people (like bombing mosque-
goers in Iraq, almost every week).

It's equally disturbing that politics and aggression are more scared
than their own religion's integrity - and they deliberately mis-
interpret the Koran and invent non-reality & non-historically-accurate
tales about their prophet to further
their political and territorial agendas.

In the West, we call that "corruption." What's the Arabic word for it?

Do the Jews, Zionists and Christians respect human life....? History paints a very different picture

Let's not get sidetracked - and please address with the erroneous,
blasphemous claim that Muhammad somehow visited a "mosque" in "Jerusalem" - in person
- in a dream - in a fantasy - whenever.

The Al-Aqusa mosque built on top of the destroyed Jewish Temple Mount
was not built in Muhammad's lifetime. Koranic scholars place the year
of his "night journey" around 621 A.D. The Al-Aqsa mosque was
finished in the year 705. The concept of Mosques in Jerusalem didn't even exist during
his lifetime.

Are Muslims reasonable, rational people? Is there any historical
truth to their religion or holy books - or is it just a sheer, brazen
fantasy? I would hope so - but when I see them blasphemy for political
purposes and power plays - it really makes me wonder.

Please do not confuse the Dome of the Rock with Masjid Al Aqsa, indeed the Dome of the Rock was built after the death of our beloved Prophet Muhammad but the complex of al aqsa has been there for thousands of years. The Dome of the Rock is within the Al Aqsa complex but is NOT Masjid Al Aqsa.

The Rock of the Dome of the Rock is the rock Prophet Muhammad stood when he was taken up to the heavens to meet with Almighty God, His visit to Jerusalem was real, it was a miracle and it happened, i could provide many hadith to support this fact but i feel i would be wasting my time with you.

Zionists and other similar disbelievers have been trying to dispute this for years (without success) and so whatever I write, your heart will still be closed to it.

You simply wish to prove that Muslims have to right there which is just fantasy. The Jews were not in Israel (save a few here and there) for over 2000 years, instead they were scattered around the world as a punishment for their deeds, something they admit themselves.

The people who have been there for at least a thousand years are the Arabs, even if they have had been there for only 500 years what right do you or anyone has to drag women and children out of their homes that their families have occupied for generations, and dump them in the street?

These are the actions of insane people, and those that support them are also insane

Friends, is there any proof in Quran in clear words that Mi'raj did happen. For Isra' the jouney is mentioned in clear words in Surah Isra', ayat 1. I am trying to study better not to say that I am discounting any sahih hadiths.

Fir Mi'raj, the closest I found was in Surah An Najm, in the begining of Surah where Allah swt says that Rasulullah saw saw Jibrail a.s. in his real look near Sidaratul Muntaha which is located close to Jannatul Maawa.

Both words Sidaratul Muntaha & Jannatul Maawa has few meanings in Arabic. Some say is the place in heaven before going to Jannah and same says it could be just a place in the world no up there in the heaven.

By the way, why the grave yards in Makkah & Madinah are also called Jannatul? Some advice, light and guidance will be appreciated. Thanks.

Wassalam,
Abu Shariz, Kuala Lumpur