A Ruler, A Church and A Masjid ...

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Assalamu’alaikum wbt ...

AlhamduLillah syukur … for moments to spare and memories to share …

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Let me continue with the narrative of our ziarah …

We met a Palestinian sister who asked me about our ziarah. And she asked, “Have you visited Masjid Umar Al-Khattab r.a.”  It was not in our itinerary and when next we met our Palestinian Brother Guide, I brought up the matter with him. And he said yes he would include the visit to the Masjid. I was not exactly sure of its significance till we went through the maze of cobblestone streets of this Holy City, separated spiritually into four quarters ... the Muslim Quarter that includes the Haram Al-Sharif (Masjid Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock), the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian (Orthodox Christian) Quarter.

We entered the Christian Quarter. You could tell by the many shops along the maze that were selling Christians related gifts. And finally reached a Christian church, the Church of Holy Sepulcher (which the Christians consider to be their Holiest Church).  
 Masjid Umar r.a. was in this Christian Quarter.

Our Brother Guide then narrated the history of Khalifah Umar r.a., entering  Baitul Maqdis (Jerusalem)  to receive the key to the city from the Christian leader of the Church. At one point Khalifah Umar r.a. wanted to do his solat, and the Church Leader invited him into the Church to perform his solat. He wisely declined stating that he feared that others would convert the Church to Masjid once he returned to Madinah al-Munawwarah … Khalifah Umar r.a. instead did his solat at a location outside the Church, upon which a Masjid was subsequently erected and named after him. It was a simple Masjid in the Christian quarter of East Jerussalem, only opened during solat times.

Such was the wisdom and vision of a just ruler ...

which is totally in contrast to the current scenario in the Occupied Holy Land ...

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A Bahasa Malaysia rendition of this beautiful but not widely narrated event is available here …

 http://www.tarbawi.my/2013/01/kisah-khalifah-adil-umar-al-khattab.html

And an English version here …

http://www.alim.org/library/biography/khalifa/content/KUM/18/69

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How Baitul Maqdis came under Muslim care was narrated here … in a battle that was won by faith, sacrifice, intelligence and unity … the Battle of Yarmouk ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yarmouk

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Andah, my sister had snapped a photograph of the entrance to the Masjid i think ... she was, more or less, our official photographer ...  but has yet to sort out her collections :)

but here's a google image of the Masjid ...

 image source and more details here ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque_of_Omar_%28Jerusalem%29

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"Apabila Abu Ubaidah melihat kaki Khalifah Umar sudah berceloreng dengan debu-debu tanah dan luka kerana perjalanan yang jauh, Abu Ubaidah dengan niat yang baik memberi cadangan kepada Umar untuk mengapitnya sehingga ke pintu Kota al Quds.

“Wahai Amiral Mukminin, jika kamu memerintah agar kami memapah dan memandu perjalananmu nescaya kami akan lakukan. Mereka (penduduk al Quds) tentu melihat kemegahan kamu sebagai Khalifah”
Tiba-tiba Umar al Khattab merenung Abu Ubaidah, salah seorang panglima Islam yang menewaskan tentera-tentera Rom Byzantine itu dengan wajah yang sangat murka atas apa yang diucapnya. Lalu terbitlah kata-kata Umar yang mahsyur kepada Abu Ubaidah, "Demi Allah. Jika bukan engkau yang mengucapkannya wahai Abu Ubaidah nescaya aku menghukummu sebagai pengajaran buat umat ini! Sesungguhnya kita semua ini adalah hina lalu kita dimuliakan Allah dengan Islam, sekiranya kita mencari kemuliaan selain Islam sudah tentu kita akan dihina oleh Allah"."
(Sumber: Khalifah Umar Al-Khattab r.a.)

Translation

When Abu Ubaidah saw the feet of Khalifah Umar, covered with dirt and bloodstained due to the long arduous journey, Abu Ubaidah offered Umar to escort him to the gate of al Quds.

"Oh Amirul Mukminin (Ruler of the Believers), should you command us to support, hold and lead you, we will do so. The people of Al Quds will surely then see your grandeur as Khalifah."

Umar looked at Abu Ubaidah, who was one of the commanders that had defeated the Rome Byzantine army, with anger at the words just uttered by the commander. Thus were uttered these famous words of Umar to Abu Ubaidah, "By Allah. If it was not you who had uttered these words oh Abu Ubaidah, certainly I would punish you as a lesson to this ummah! Verily we were
insignificant and of no value, but then Allah SWT raised our station through Islam. If you are looking for grandeur and praise through anything but Islam, surely we will be placed at the lowest level of insignificance by Allah SWT."


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and compare this

In 1898, part of the wall to the Old City was breached (knocked down) and ancient area out side the wall was leveled to make way for the grand arrival and entrance of Kaiser Wilhelm II of German and his entourage on horses and chariots ... Not content that is, to enter the gate by foot ... as the Khalifah Umar did ...

Allahua'lam. Allah SWT is Most Knowing.