Three major world religions consider the city of Jerusalem to be a sacred place. Name them and the reasons why they consider Jerusalem to be so holy?

lanfranco

They are, of course, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to put them in their temporal date order, and explaining why the city is so spiritually and historically important to all three faiths would take much more space than we have here. Multi-volume studies have been published on the subject. Here's a start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem Jul 17 05, 7:20 PM

barker111

I love Google but I hate Wikipedia. Jerusalem is considered to be a holy and a blessed place for Muslims. It was the first Kiblah (direction) to pray before god ordered Muslims to pray toward the Holy Shrine of Mecca. It is said that the prayers in Jerusalem specially in Al Aqsa Mosque are equal to 500 prayers. During the era of Prophet Mohammad, many people went to Jerusalem because of its sacred meaning and connection to the hearts of Muslims; fiqh scholars, caliphas, prophet Mohammad's companions and friends and many others. Jerusalem is very precious to every Muslim because they believe that Jerusalem and the surrounding areas is a holy land not to be given to anyone because its part of the Islamic faith. The observation that, "Jerusalem is holy to three religions," tends to mislead, since Jerusalem is holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians in fundamentally different ways. Jerusalem contains sites holy to Muslims and Christians, and is one of many locations of religious significance to them. To Jews, however, it is the city itself which is uniquely holy; only Jews have a religious prescription to live there, to make pilgrimages there and to pray in its direction. Jul 17 05, 8:42 PM

lanfranco

Sorry you hate wikipedia so much, barker, I certainly didn't intend to offend you. Jul 17 05, 9:14 PM

Arpeggionist

The site of the Al Aqsa Mosque was said to be the most remote place Muhammad had visited, and the place where his spirit rose on its way to paradise, which is what makes that site holy to Islam. This is not unlike the Rock of Ascention (which is located a mere 600 yards away), where Jesus was said to have risen to heaven, which is what makes that site holy to Christianity. What makes the site so important to Judaism is its connection with history. Many sites on the Temple mount have relation to the three Patriarchs of Judaism (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), as well as to King Solomon's Temple. In the City of David there are many other sites which have been proven to have a direct connection to many other kings of Judah. It was Solomon who first set up the practice of praying toward Jerusalem and specifically to the Temple there, as he attached a holiness to the place which the people had believed in for some centuries before him. Jul 17 05, 11:42 PM

barker111

Its OK lanfranco, you are not the only one who uses Wikipedia, sometimes I use it myself. Jul 18 05, 8:04 AM

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