The Preservation of Jerusalem: A legacy of the Caliph Umar (ra)

Masood Ashraf, USA

The history of Jerusalem is marked by the rise and fall of empires, conquests, and religious transitions. Among these, the entry of Hazrat Umar^ra ibn al-Khattab into the city in 637 CE stands out as an event of great historical and moral significance. In contrast to the common misconception that Muslim conquerors destroyed existing religious sites, Hazrat Umar^ra demonstrated remarkable tolerance and respect for sacred places. Rather than demolishing any temple or church, he personally led efforts to clear the neglected Temple Mount, which had been covered in debris, and established a modest place of worship that later evolved into the al-Aqsa Mosque. His actions reflected the Islamic values of religious coexistence, justice, and respect for different faiths.¹

Unlike many rulers who entered conquered cities with grand processions, the Caliph Umar’s^ra arrival in Jerusalem was a demonstration of humility and justice.² When the Christian Patriarch Sophronius agreed to surrender the city, he requested that Umar^ra himself receive the keys. Hazrat Umar^ra set out from Medina on a simple journey, accompanied by only one servant and a single camel. In a remarkable display of fairness, the Caliph and his servant took turns riding the camel – when one rode, the other walked.

By coincidence, when they approached Jerusalem, it was the servant’s turn to ride while Umar walked. His commanders suggested that he switch places to appear more dignified, but Umar refused, stating that justice was more important than appearances.³ Dressed in simple clothing, without any royal grandeur and robes, Hazrat Umar^ra entered the city as a servant of God rather than a ruler seeking glory. His humility left a lasting impression on both the Muslim and Christian inhabitants of Jerusalem.⁴

Before the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem had suffered from political and religious turmoil. The Byzantines, who ruled the city, had expelled the Jewish population and restricted their religious practices.⁵ The Temple Mount, which held significance for Jews and later for Muslims, had been left in a state of neglect, covered with refuse and debris.⁶ Christian rulers had focused their attention on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, largely ignoring the condition of the ancient temple site. When Umar^ra arrived, he did not seek to impose destruction but rather to restore the sanctity of the city’s sacred places.⁷

Upon reaching the city, Hazrat Umar^ra was taken on a tour of its sacred sites by Patriarch Sophronius.⁸ When he visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, he was invited to pray inside, but he declined, fearing that future Muslim rulers might use his actions as justification to convert the church into a mosque.⁹ Instead, he prayed outside the church, a site that later became the location of the Mosque of Umar.

His next focus was the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif. Historical accounts describe how the Caliph found the site in a state of neglect, covered in trash and debris.¹⁰ Rather than allowing this sacred site to remain in such a condition, he personally participated in cleaning it, along with his companions. His actions were not destructive but restorative – he sought to purify the site and restore its sanctity as a place of worship.¹¹

After clearing the area, Hazrat Umar^ra ordered the construction of a simple wooden mosque at the southern end of the mount.¹² This mosque was not an extravagant structure but a humble place of worship that laid the foundation for what would later become the al-Aqsa Mosque. Notably, his actions did not involve the destruction of any existing religious buildings.¹³ Unlike other conquerors who often repurposed or demolished sacred sites of their predecessors, the Caliph set an example of coexistence and respect.

Hazrat Umar’s^ra actions in Jerusalem reflected the Prophet Muhammad’s^sa approach to interfaith relations. A famous example occurred when a Christian delegation from Najran visited Medina and was welcomed by the Prophet into his mosque.¹⁴ When it was time for the Christians to pray, the Prophet allowed them to perform their prayers inside Masjid al-Nabawi, rather than forcing them to go elsewhere.¹⁵ This act of hospitality and religious tolerance was a precedent that Umar followed when he preserved Christian and Jewish places of worship in Jerusalem. Rather than demolishing the sacred sites of others, he restored them as places of prayer for all monotheists.

One of the most significant documents from this period is the Covenant of Umar, an agreement that ensured the protection of Jerusalem’s Christian population and their religious sites.¹⁶ In this covenant, the Caliph guaranteed that churches would not be taken over or destroyed, and that Christians would be free to practice their faith without coercion. This contrasts sharply with the forced conversions and religious conflicts that characterised many other historical conquests.¹⁷

Additionally, Hazrat Umar^ra allowed the Jewish population to return to Jerusalem, reversing the Byzantine policy that had banned them from residing in the city.¹⁸ His policies fostered an atmosphere where Muslims, Christians, and Jews could worship freely, making Jerusalem a city of shared religious heritage.

Hazrat Umar’s^ra approach to Jerusalem left a lasting legacy. The al-Aqsa Mosque, which was later expanded by subsequent Muslim rulers, remains one of the holiest sites in Islam.¹⁹ However, the significance of his actions goes beyond architecture – his respect for religious diversity and justice became a model for Islamic governance.²⁰

The story of Caliph Umar^ra in Jerusalem is one of preservation, not destruction. His actions reflect Islamic principles of justice, respect, and religious coexistence.²¹ By clearing the Temple Mount of debris and establishing a mosque, he honoured the sanctity of the location without erasing its history. His leadership stands as a powerful counterexample to misconceptions about Islamic history. Instead, his legacy remains a testament to peaceful governance and interfaith harmony.

References:

1. Al-Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, Vol. 12, trans. Yohanan Friedmann (Albany: SUNY Press, 1992), p. 134.

2. Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, trans. Franz Rosenthal (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1958), p. 75.

3. Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1998), 2:189.

4. Goitein, Studies in Islamic History and Institutions (Leiden: Brill, 1966), p. 203.

5. Gil, A History of Palestine, 634-1099 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), p. 112.

6. Peters, Jerusalem: The Holy City (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985), p. 92.

7. Armstrong, Islam: A Short History (New York: Modern Library, 2000), p. 87.

8. Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, trans. A. Guillaume (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1955), p. 270.

9. Ibn Sa’d, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, trans. S. Moinul Haq (New Delhi: Kitab Bhavan, 2009), 2:35.

10. Denys Pringle, The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: Volume 1 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), p. 20.

11. K.A.C. Creswell, Early Muslim Architecture: Umayyads, Early Abbasids, and Tulunids (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969), p. 53.

12. Oleg Grabar, The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996), p. 47.

13. F.E. Peters, Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003), p. 61.

14. Muhammad Hamidullah, The Life and Work of the Prophet of Islam (Islamabad: Islamic Research Institute, 1998), p. 183.

15. Tariq Ramadan, In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), p. 98.

16. Bernard Lewis, The Jews of Islam (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984), p. 28.

17. Hugh Kennedy, The Great Arab Conquests (Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, 2007), p. 161.

18. Moshe Gil, Jews in Islamic Countries in the Middle Ages (Leiden: Brill, 2004), p. 67.

19. Amikam Elad, Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship (Leiden: Brill, 1999), p. 133.

20. Majid Khadduri, War and Peace in the Law of Islam (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1955), p. 198.

21. Karen Armstrong, Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (New York: Harper One, 2006), p. 144.