Click here (biblewalks.com) to view some beautiful pictures of the Dome of the Rock, the late 7th Century CE Muslim shrine commemorating Muhammad's Night Journey in Surah 17 from the 'Sacred Mosque' (in Mecca) to the 'Distant Mosque' (interpreted as Jerusalem)...
This site of the former Jewish Temple had been desecrated by Byzantine Christians during preceding centuries. Why do you suppose the Muslims would have sought to claim it as their own, upon their arrival in Jerusalem?
5 comments:
Islam and the Quran, as believed by Muslim's, is the apical interpretation of the Abrahamic religions. Therefore any Christian or Jewish shrine is really just a Muslim shrine in need of reclamation and guidance.
John
The pictures are beautiful. I agree with what John said.
Lisa
I believe the Muslims would claim this because in a land of huge earthquakes bedrock is invaluable and since they believe that Muhammad gave the true translation of Gods word for man then the would have the ultimate claim on this site. It has stood longe than any other religious site has on the same ground.
Bob
On a practical level: This temple and area holds a lot of public respect and is a mark of power. Muslims would have wanted to claim it as their own because they wanted to show their dominance, and have a piece of most holy site as interpreted by the Jews.
On a spiritual level: The Quran very clearly connects Judaism and Christianity to Islam. The stories and characters are often one and the same. Islam sees itself as a revival of Judaism and Christianity, and wanting to renovate a desecrated temple as a visual representation of the glory of this new revelation (from Mohammad and the Quran) would be like wanting to replace an old junker with a brand new car--same function, but the new one is unbroken, and better equipped for the current times.
Nice comments, folks. I'm fascinated by how (in many cultures) sacred space is transmissible or 'translatable' between religious traditions. The owners and architectures change... but the sacred conduits remain.
pdk
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