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The Temples of Jerusalem in Islam

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy-18Sep2000) Martin Kramer - The First and Second Temples in Jerusalem are both attested by precisely the same Islamic sources which render the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock holy to Islam. The Qur'an refers to the existence of both temples in verse 17:7. Muslim tradition is especially adamant about the existence of the First Temple, built by Solomon, who appears in the Qur'an as a prophet and a paragon of wisdom. Verse 34:13 is an account of how Solomon summoned jinn (spirits) to build the Temple. Accounts of the Temple are offered by many of the early Muslim historians and geographers (including Ibn Qutayba, Ibn al-Faqih, Mas'udi, Muhallabi, and Biruni). For Muslims to question or even deny the existence of the Temples, in disregard of the Qur'an and Muslim tradition, is to cast doubt upon the very sources which underpin their own claim. The writer was the founding president of Shalem College in Jerusalem.
2016-10-20 00:00:00
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