Can you pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque? How much is prayer at Al-Aqsa worth?

Yes, Muslims can pray in the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In fact, the mosque is one of the three mosques in which the reward of prayer is multiplied. A prayer in Makkah (Ka’bah) is worth 1000,000 times (reward), a prayer in my Masjid (Madinah) is worth 1,000 times, and a prayer in Al-Aqsa Sanctuary is worth 500 times more reward than anywhere else”

The mosque is located in the Old City of Jerusalem and has been a site of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians for many years. It has been closed to non-Muslim visitors for extended periods due to security concerns.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a mosque located in the Old City of Jerusalem and is considered the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The mosque was originally built by Caliph Umar in 638 CE, just a few years after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.

The English term “Al-Aqsa Mosque” is the translation of both “al-Masjid al-Aqṣā” and “Jāmiʿ al-Aqṣā,” which have distinct meanings in Arabic. “Al-Masjid al-Aqṣā” refers to the entire compound known as the Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif, encompassing the mosque itself. “Jāmiʿ al-Aqṣā,” on the other hand, specifically refers to the silver-domed congregational mosque building within the compound.

The history of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a testament to the endurance of faith and architectural innovation. The mosque’s foundations date back to the Second Jewish Temple, expanded by King Herod the Great in 20 BCE.

The site was initially occupied by the Royal Stoa during the late Second Temple period, which was destroyed along with the Temple in 70 CE by the Romans.

It was destroyed during the 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake. The mosque was rebuilt by the Fatimid caliph al-Zahir (r. 1021–1036), who reduced it to seven aisles but adorned its interior with an elaborate central archway covered in vegetal mosaics; the current structure preserves the 11th-century outline.