Jordan Times
Sunday, September 12, 2004
AMMAN (JT) — On the anniversary of Al Israa Wal Miraj (The Prophet Mohammad's night journey and ascension to heaven), His Majesty King Abdullah received cables from world leaders and senior officials expressing their best wishes for the King and the country.
The King received cables from Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Faisal Fayez, Senate President Zeid Rifai, Speaker of the Lower House Abdul Hadi Majali and senior officials and officers.
According to Islamic sources, the miraculous event of Al Israa Wal Miraj is recorded in both the Holy Koran and Hadith (Prophet's tradition). They speak about a night journey of Prophet Mohammad on the night of Rajab 27 (the seventh month of the Islamic calendar).
The journey consisted of two phases, the sources say. Phase one was a trip from Mecca to Jerusalem, known as Al Israa, while the second phase included the Prophet's ascent from Jerusalem to heaven, which is known as Al Miraj.
Islamic thinkers look at the symbolism of the event as a holy link between Mecca, the Muslim world's spiritual capital and Jerusalem, the third holiest city in the Islamic faith.
Speaking to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ahmad Hilayel talked about this link, highlighting the importance of Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock to Muslims.
“We mark this anniversary ... by remembering the relationship between the Holy Mosque in Mecca and Al Aqsa Mosque,” referring to a verse in the Koran which refers to the pre-dawn flight by the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, before ascending to heaven from a rock, over which the dome was built early in the Umayyad era.
Hilayel also referred to the role of the Hashemite dynasty over the decades in the renovation and the maintenance of Al Aqsa Mosque and the dome.
Custodianship over the Islamic holy sites of Jerusalem has been the traditional responsibility of the Hashemite family since the reign of the first Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah. A series of renovation works at the sites have been ordered and financed by the leadership throughout the history of the Kingdom.