The
city of Jerusalem holds profound significance to the spiritual imagination of
billions of people around the world. For the city and its precincts are
intimately connected to the sacred memory of a long chain of Divine servants
and events mentioned in the Holy Scriptures of three great religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 
For the
Jewish people, Jerusalem is the heart of the Promised Land blessed and gifted
to their pious ancestors by the Lord Almighty. The grand prophecy in the Qur'an reads: "And
after him We said to the children of Israel, ‘Dwell ye in the land; and when the
time of the promise of the latter days comes, We shall bring you
together out of various peoples.’ [17:105]
For the Christians, the city is sacred for being the venue of all the major events in the life and preaching of Jesus Christ (as). For the Muslims, the city holds spiritual significance for a variety of reasons, including one of the most important events in the spiritual life of the Holy Prophet (sa), ie., the Isra’ Mi’raj- the Night Journey and Ascent to the Heavens: when Allah (swt) caused the Prophet (sa), in the space of a single night, to journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and from there to heaven and back again. The Qur’an states: “Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our signs: He alone is the All Hearing, the All Seeing”. (17:02)
For the Christians, the city is sacred for being the venue of all the major events in the life and preaching of Jesus Christ (as). For the Muslims, the city holds spiritual significance for a variety of reasons, including one of the most important events in the spiritual life of the Holy Prophet (sa), ie., the Isra’ Mi’raj- the Night Journey and Ascent to the Heavens: when Allah (swt) caused the Prophet (sa), in the space of a single night, to journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and from there to heaven and back again. The Qur’an states: “Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our signs: He alone is the All Hearing, the All Seeing”. (17:02)
It was
during the Holy Prophet’s journey from the site of the ancient Jewish Temple in
Jerusalem through the seven heavens that he encountered many Judeo-Christian
prophets and finally came before the Exalted Presence: “until he was two bow-lengths away or even closer” (53:10). This
mystical vision of the Holy Prophet (sa) clearly pointed to the deep
connections of Islam to the Jewish and Christian prophetic heritage and
Jerusalem came to be the first Quibla,
direction of prayer for the Muslim community for many years- contributing to
its sacred status in Islam. Through Divine revelation (2: 144-45), later of
course, the Sacred Mosque in Makkah became the permanent direction of prayer
for the Muslims.