Are Muslims allowed in Al-Aqsa Mosque? Why did Muslims pray to Al-Aqsa?

Yes, Muslims are allowed to pray in the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In fact, the mosque is one of the three mosques in which the reward of prayer is multiplied. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.

The mosque is located on the Temple Mount, which is also known as Haram al-Sharif. The compound contains several other important religious sites, including the Dome of the Rock, which is believed to be the spot where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Muslims regard the site as one of the first Qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims before it was changed to Mecca. It is also believed that Prophet Muhammad led prayers at this site during his miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque was originally built by Caliph Umar in 638 CE, just a few years after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem. The name “Al-Aqsa” means “the farthest mosque” and comes from a story in the Quran called “The Night Journey”.

In the story, Prophet Muhammad travels from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he ascends to heaven and meets with other prophets before returning to Mecca .

The present-day mosque was originally built by the fifth Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik or his successor al-Walid I (or both) as a congregational mosque on the same axis as the Dome of the Rock, a commemorative Islamic monument.