The Temple Mount refers to the elevated plaza above the Western Wall in Jerusalem what has been a focal point of inter-religious tension for decades.

The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as Har Habayit, is traditionally said to be the site where Abraham demonstrated his devotion to God by taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed. The mount is also the site of both ancient Jewish temples. The first, built by King Solomon, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The second was built in the sixth century BCE and stood for nearly 600 years before it was destroyed and the Jewish people exiled in 70 CE by the Roman Empire. Jews continue to mourn the destruction on the fast day of Tisha B’Av. According to Jewish tradition, a third temple will be built on the site during the messianic age.

The Temple Mount is known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and, according to Islamic tradition, is the site of Muhammad’s ascent to heaven in the seventh century. Today, the mount is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam (after Mecca and Medina), and the gold-topped Dome of the Rock, one of the most recognized symbols of Jerusalem.

Glory to ((Allah)) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). (Quran 17:1)

Masjid is a place of prayer: here it refers to the Ka'bah at Makkah. It had not yet been cleared of its idols and rededicated exclusively to the One True God. It was symbolical of the new Message which was being given to mankind. The Farthest Mosque must refer to the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem on the hill of Moriah, at or near which stands the Dome of the Rock, called also the Mosque of Hadhrat 'Umar. This and the Mosque known as the Farthest Mosque (Masjid-ul-Aqsa) were completed by the Amir 'Abd Allah Malik in A.H. 68.

Farthest, because it was the place of worship farthest west which was known to the Arabs in the time of the holy Prophet: it was a sacred place to both Jews and Christians, but the Christians then had the upper hand, as it was included in the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, which maintained a Patriarch at Jerusalem. The chief dates in connection with the Temple are: - it was finished by Solomon about B.C. 1004; - destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar about 586 B.C.; - rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C.; - turned into a heathen idol-temple by one of Alexander's successors, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C.; - restored by Herod, B.C. 17 to A.D. 29; - and completely razed to the ground by the Emperor Titus in A.D. 70. These ups and downs are among the greater Signs in religious history.

From now I call King Solomon as Prophet Suleiman.

Prophet Suleiman (upon him be peace) ruled for 30 years, and his public work was largely carried out by the Jinns. This was a punishment for their sin of making people believe that they were allpowerful, knew the unseen, and could foresee the future. As a prophet, Suleiman (upon him be peace) had the duty to remove such false beliefs from them.

Like his life, his death too was unusual, and Allah devised it as a means to teach the people that the domain of the world of the unseen including the future is known to Allah alone. Thus, even the death of Suleiman (upon him be peace) served an important purpose.

Suleiman (upon him be peace) was sitting holding his staff, overseeing the Jinns at work. He died sitting in this position. For a long time, no one was aware of his death, for he was seen sitting erect. (The explanations of the story of Suleiman (upon him be peace) were adapted from the exegesis of the Quran by the Islamic scholar, Ibn Kathir).

The Jinns continued with their toil, thinking that the king was watching over them. Days passed, and the king’s death became known only when his supporting stick, eaten by termites gave way and the body fell to the ground.

And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire. (Quran 34:12)

21:81-82 és 38:36-38, valamint 27:38-39. A szelek sebesen fújnak. Egy reggeli, vagy esti fuvallat olyan messzire repítene, ami szárazföldön egy egész hónapot venne igénybe.

21:81-82 and 38:36-38. See also 27:38-39. The winds are swift and can cover in a short morning's or evening's flight the distance which it takes a whole month to cover on foot or by bullock cart. In the Old Testament, II. Chronicles, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4, are described the various costly materials with which Solomon's Temple was built, and it was furnished with vessels, candle-sticks, lamps, censers, etc. "Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out" (II. Chronicles, 4:18). "Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about" (II. Chronicles, 4:2). The receptacle or "sea" or Font was made of molten brass; presumably it contained flowing water for washing with.

They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basons as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye, sons of David, with thanks! but few of My servants are grateful!" (Quran 34:13)

Mihrab "(Plural Maharib), translated "arch", may be applied to any fine, elevated, spacious architectural structure. As the reference here is to the Temple of Solomon, the word "arches" is I think most appropriate. "Arches" would be structural Ornaments in the Temple. Images would be like the images of oxen and Cherubim mentioned in II. Chronicles, 4:3 and 3:14; the Basons (II. Chronicles 4:22) were perhaps huge dishes round which many men could sit together and eat, according to ancient Eastern custom, while the cooking Cauldrons or Pots (II. Chronicles, 4:16), were fixed in one place, being so large in capacity that they could not be moved about.

The building of the Temple was a great event in Israelite history. They are asked to be thankful without which all that glory and power would be out of place.

Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task). (Quran 34:14)

This allegory illustrates three points: 1. however great and glorious human power and grandeur may be, it is only for a time, and it may fade away even before people know of its decline; 2. the most remarkable events may be brought to light, not by a flourish of trumpets, but by a humble individual, unknown and unseen, who works imperceptibly and undermines even so strong a thing as staff, on which a great man may lean; 3. work done by men merely on the basis of brute Strength or fear, as in the case of the Jinns, will not endure. This is brought up in strong contrast against the Power and Majesty of Allah, which will endure, which cannot be sapped, and which can only be fully appreciated by a training of the will and heart. In the same way, in David's story above, his mighty strength as a warrior (see 2:251) and his skill in making armour are only to be valued when used, as it was used, in the service of Allah, in righteous works (34:11).

The Jinns looked upon their work as a Penalty, and so it became to them. The people who worked at the Temple of Solomon as the People of David worked and gloried in their work as a thanksgiving to Allah, and their work became sanctified.

What did I want to make you perceive? The existence of a prophet whom both Judaism and Islam consider to be servants of the One God. Suleiman, or Solomon, had power that no man on earth had. Neither before nor after, there was no one who controlled the supernatural powers by the grace of Allah. He subordinated this power for the service of God and the people. He controlled the winds, reigned over the Jinns, the ghosts of the invisible world, and draw them all into one channel. In the service of God. The conviction of people in the existence of One God and the subordinated power of Jinns resulted the first Temple. So, I hope I was able to show that the first temple is not only a human achievement, but the product of the service of the spiritual world. This is confirmed not only by one, but also by several Scriptures, including the Quran. And Mohammed (peace be upon him) arrives here after a nightly mystical journey and ascends to heaven, where he receives the ordinance on how his followers must practice Islam. This is where the Islamic Order is practically dated from. When added to the fact that the Jews are waiting for the Messiah here, you can see that there are thousands of spiritual bonds on every side. The issue, whether to which people or religion the Temple Mount belongs to cannot be solved in rational space. By this I mean the everyday problemsolving ability of the people. So, I'm aiming at political, military or other aspects. The case of Temple Mount is an issue in the world what exists in the irrational space, so man will not solve it. Perhaps with the Scriptures quoted, this could be illustrated.

But I could continue with the issue of Second Temple and the Jewish Diaspora. That is it for now.

@Mihálffy Balázs

This building, located at the rear end of the Aqsa platform is believed to be the place where the Prophet Suleiman (upon him be peace) passed away while leaning on his staff. It presently functions as a girl’s school.