Misconceptions about Palestine (15)
Did Abbasids Abandon Jerusalem?
Many
works on the Islamic history of Jerusalem extensively discuss the relationship
between the Abbasids and the Holy City in comparison to that of the Umayyads.
Even the Umayyads—whose material and architectural contributions to Jerusalem
are undeniable—have been accused by certain orientalists of harboring purely
political motives. If such claims are made against the Umayyads, what then of
their Abbasid rivals, who dismantled the Umayyad Caliphate in the East during
the first third of the second century AH?
Claims of Abbasid Indifference Toward Jerusalem
One of
the central pillars of the narrative denying the Islamic connection to
Jerusalem is the claim that the Abbasids showed no interest in the city. This
argument is based on the fact that Jerusalem was located in the Levant (Bilad
al-Sham), a region synonymous with Umayyad rule. Proponents of this view argue
that as the Abbasid center of power shifted to Iraq, Jerusalem was neglected
because it was perceived as a former stronghold of their Umayyad rivals.
Facts Proving Abbasid Interest in Jerusalem
While
pure political logic might align with this allegation, historical evidence
tells a completely different story, refuting the claim in its entirety.
According to historical accounts, shortly after ascending to the Caliphate in
late 136 AH and stabilizing the state following a series of revolts, Abu Ja'far
al-Mansur traveled to the Levant. During his Hajj in 140 AH, he visited the
Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and commissioned the renovation of the Al-Qibli
Mosque, which had suffered significant damage from an earthquake that destroyed
its eastern and western porticos.
Similarly,
al-Mahdi, the third Abbasid Caliph, made a point of visiting the blessed
Al-Aqsa Mosque during his travels to the Levant. This practice became a
hallmark of the Abbasid caliphs from the early stages of their reign. This is
hardly surprising, as the religious significance of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa
Mosque was a primary driver for these official state visits.
Furthermore,
Abbasid restoration efforts for the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque were consistent and
successive, undertaken whenever necessitated by circumstances. Al-Mahdi, for
instance, commissioned a structural modification of the Al-Qibli Mosque,
removing four aisles from both the eastern and western wings to enhance its
seismic resilience.
Under
Caliph al-Ma'mun, the Dome of the Rock underwent extensive renovations, with
evidence still preserved in its intricate mosaics. A fascinating trace of this
period exists in one corner of the original Umayyad mosaics: a worker
apparently replaced the name of the Umayyad founder, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan,
with that of al-Ma'mun, marking the Abbasid contribution to the site’s
preservation.
Even
during the period of the Abbasid caliphs' decline, Jerusalem was never excluded
from restoration and repair works, particularly within the Al-Aqsa Mosque
compound. For instance, the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir and his mother
commissioned renovations for the Dome of the Rock; their names are immortalized
in an inscription that remains extant within the dome to this day.
Jerusalem
was by no means isolated from the forefront of the sciences of Hadith
transmission, compilation, and jurisprudence (Fiqh) that defined that Golden
Age. The city served as a primary intellectual destination for scholars and
narrators alike. Indeed, the scholarly status of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque was
comparable to that of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in
Medina. Consequently, most Hadith scholars, during their renowned 'journeys in
search of knowledge' (Rihla), would visit Jerusalem to receive various
narrations. Many significant works of the Abbasid era were authored within the
precincts of Al-Aqsa, mirroring the tradition in other major scholarly hubs.
Ultimately,
historical facts and archaeological remains stand as a testament against any
claims of Abbasid indifference toward Jerusalem. This era, celebrated as the
Golden Age of knowledge and documentation, complemented the Umayyad legacy of
expansion and grand architecture. Both eras represented a form of 'edification'
for the Holy City—the Umayyads through physical structures, and the Abbasids
through an enduring intellectual and scientific heritage.
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