Sound The Trumpet : Muslim Scholar Calls for Jewish Place of Worship on Temple Mount (Excerpts)

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“Muslim Scholar Calls for Jewish Place of Worship on Temple Mount (Excerpts)”
by INN
December 22nd, 2014

A Jordanian Muslim preacher has called for Jews to be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, and even for a special "house of prayer" to be set up for them there.

"I have given a lot of thought into what I am about to say, because I know that it is the most important issue of our times, and that whoever talks about it is likely to face severe criticism, and will be accused of generating controversy and maybe even strife," Al-Ajlouni begins, wary of the Islamist backlash his statements would likely trigger.

He began by noting that prior to the conquest of Jerusalem by Islamic leader Omar Ibn al-Khattab, the Temple Mount was already being used as a place of prayer by Jews - although he claims they were Jewish converts to Christianity. (At the time of the Islamic conquest the Byzantines had constructed a church on the former site of the Jewish Temples, and Jews were banned from visiting. But Jewish converts to Christianity may have been allowed, thus accounting for his version of events. Jews did traditionally worship there even after the destruction of the Temples in 70 CE - as recorded by medieval Jewish scholars including the Rambam and Radak.)

Having established its historic and religious importance to Jews - and the fact that al-Khattab allowed them to continue worshipping there himself - he states that today as well "There should be a special place of worship for the Jews among the Israelites under Hashemite and Palestinian sovereignty, and in agreement with the Israeli regime."

He emphasizes, however, that the site should remain "under Hashemite [Jordanian] sovereignty and control."

"This by no means entails the harming of the Al Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock," he added, clarifying that under his vision "part of the courtyard, where there are trees, will be allocated for the prayer of the Israelites."

He further called on Jordanian and Palestinian Islamic scholars to issue a fatwa (religious ruling) to "clarify their religious position regarding the building of a place of worship dedicated for the Israelite Jews."

Although many Jews will view the notion of maintaining their holiest site under Muslim rule as problematic, Al-Ajlouni's very acknowledgement that the Temple Mount was used as a place of worship by Jews is significant in itself.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13