Jerusalem is considered the third holiest city in Islam, after Medina and Mecca. There are three primary reasons for this: It is strongly associated with Prophets of Islam – in particular, David, Solomon, and Jesus; it was the first qibla (direction of prayer) in Islam, before the Kaaba in Mecca;

And prophet Muhammad is believed to have been taken by the flying steed Buraq to visit Jerusalem, where he prayed, and then to visit heaven, in a single night in the year 620. Many Muslims celebrate the anniversary of this event, the Isra and Miraj, on Rajab 27 with dhikr, gatherings and feasting.

According to sound hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) Jerusalem was the site of the second mosque built on earth, forty years after Mecca, and is one of only three cities to which pilgrimage is permissible, along with Mecca and Medina. Its conquest is described as one of the signs of the approach of the Hour (that is, the Day of Judgement). Some hadith, whose authenticity is not considered as certain, also specify Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) as the place where all mankind will be gathered on the Day of Judgement.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Arabic Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa meaning the farthest mosque, is part of the complex of religious buildings in Jerusalem known as Al-Haram al-Sharif and the third holy site (the Noble Sanctuary). It is located in the Old City of Jerusalem and considered to be the largest mosque in Jerusalem, it can accommodate about 5,000 people worshipping in and around it. The mosque was originally built between 709 – 715 AD by Caliph Waleed Bin Abdul Malik