Saudi Arabian lawyer, Osama Yamani, claimed last November [2020], that “Jerusalem is not Al-Aqsa.” Yamani is referring to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where the iconic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque stand. Muslims believe Mohammed was transported there from the great mosque in Mecca in a night vision. However, Jerusalem is never mentioned in the account, only the title Al-Aqsa, which means “farthest mosque.” Yamani argues the Saudi town Al-Ju’ranah fits the account better.
Tension has always existed between Islam [1] and Judaism over this important plot of land. For the Jewish people, this site is number one when it comes to significance, and for Islam [1], it’s the third most Holy site to them. However, this month, certain Saudis conducted a Twitter campaign downplaying the importance of Jerusalem to Islam [1] and one Saudi even expressed hope that the third Jewish temple would soon be built there. These are words I never thought I’d hear in my lifetime.
https://www.foi.org/news/jerusalem-is-not-al-aqsa/ [2]
[TBC: Dave Hunt in a May 2001 radio broadcast noted: "In fact, the Qur’an does not tell you [Al-Aqsa] was Jerusalem. I said Jerusalem was not mentioned in the Qur’an. Surah 17:1 speaks of the Al Aqsa, ‘the far place of worship.’ ”Well, it couldn’t have been Jerusalem because Jerusalem was never a place of worship for Muslims. This was a belief that came later. So, nobody even knows where Al Aqsa was. It’s a far place of worship to which Mohammad journeyed on his magic horse and launched from there without witnesses into heaven, supposedly. But we are praying for the real peace [of Jerusalem] and the passion of our hearts is for people to be saved.”]
Links:
[1] https://www.thebereancall.org/taxonomy/term/50/islam
[2] https://www.foi.org/news/jerusalem-is-not-al-aqsa/