Jordan marks Al Israa wal Miraj

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday took to Twitter to extend greetings to the Arab and Islamic nations on the occasion of Al Israa wal Miraj.

The King wished Arabs and Muslims peace and security on the religious occasion.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein also posted greetings on Instagram, where he expressed his best wishes to Jordanians and Arab and Islamic nations. 

On Twitter, Her Majesty Queen Rania congratulated the Islamic and Arab nations on the blessed occasion and prayed to God for love and peace. 

Meanwhile, deputising for His Majesty, Awqaf Minister Wael Arabiyat on Monday attended a ceremony held by the ministry at the Royal Cultural Centre to mark the occasion of Al Israa wal Miraj, or the Night Journey, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The Israa, followed by the Miraj, took place on Rajab 27, the seventh month of the Hijri lunar calendar, in the 10th year of Mohammad’s prophethood, according to Muslim beliefs.

Islamic sources say the prophet was carried from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to the Farthest Mosque (Al Aqsa Mosque) in Jerusalem on a creature called Al Buraq, and in the company of the archangel Gabriel, who took him to heaven.

During the ceremony, Arabiyat highlighted the historic Hashemite efforts to preserve and fortify the holy sites in Jerusalem, noting that Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the leader of the Great Arab Revolt, donated 24,000 golden lire in 1924 to restore Al Aqsa Mosque and wrote in his will that he wanted to be buried within it to highlight his connection to Jerusalem and Palestine. 

Al Aqsa Mosque is also where Founding King Abdullah Bin Al Hussein was assassinated, with King Talal Bin Abdullah subsequently  continuing as custodian of the sanctuaries in Jerusalem, Arabiyat said.

In 1954, His Majesty the late King Hussein Bin Talal ordered the formation of a committee to restore Islamic shrines within Al Haram Al Sharif under Hashemite patronage, based on the historical responsibility of the Hashemites towards the holy sites, according to His Majesty King Abdullah’s website.

On 21 August 1969, a Jewish extremist barged into the holy site and set it on fire, destroying most of its facilities, according to the website, which added that in response, King Hussein Bin Talal ordered the rebuilding of Al Aqsa Mosque as it was before the fire, while the old aluminium panels of the Dome of the Rock were replaced with gilded copper boards. The restoration encompassed other areas in Al Haram Al Sharif and Jerusalem.

The restorations continued during the reign of King Abdullah, which saw renovations of Al Aqsa Mosque’s pulpit (Salaheddin’s minbar),  the southern and eastern walls of Al Aqsa Mosque, the fortification of the walls of the Marwani prayer area, the installation of a fire alarm system at the mosque, the Dome of the Rock and its facilities. 

During the ceremony, poet Haider Mahmoud recited a piece on the occasion of Al Israa wal Miraj in the presence of various senior officials and scholars.