Dome of the Rock: Was It a Violation of The Jewish Holy Site?
The Building of the Dome of the Rock
In 692 CE, the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik built an Islamic shrine on Judaism’s holiest site. For the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple, a religious monument stood on that very same spot. Only this time, it carried the identity of another group, who were not Jews. The outrage in the Jewish communities must have been enormous, as anyone would expect. Losing your holiest site to foreign invaders would most definitely cause outrage, protests, condemnations, or any form of objection. However, the only reaction that we see in Jewish history was a deafening silence. Despite what Zionists say today, the historical Jewish stance on the Dome of the Rock doesn’t match up.
Why Jews Didn’t Oppose the Dome of the Rock?
Historical records from both Jewish and non-Jewish sources from the 7th century until modern Zionism do not contain any evidence of Jewish objection to the Dome of the Rock. Or any accusation of Muslims violating the Jewish holy site.
I want you to imagine the outrage if Muslims built a mosque in St. Peter’s Square, or if Christians erected a Cathedral in Mecca. If the Temple Mount held that same intensity of holiness for the 7th-century Jews, why was there no objection?
I’ve spoken to Jews online about the absence of any historical objection to the Dome of the Rock. My question struck them hard, as if they had never thought about it before. Asking ChatGPT the same question was also a dead end, except for the AI’s annoying attempt to enforce the mainstream narrative without providing actual examples from history. So I decided to do my own research, which led me to some plausible theories:
- The site’s importance may have been tied only to the past events.
- Some Jewish traditions view its relevance as conditional on the arrival of the Messiah in the future.
- Jewish law, for centuries, prohibited Jews from entering the Temple Mount for fear of impurity, which possibly weakened the emotional connection to the site.
- Under Muslim rule, Jews were treated better than they had been under the Byzantines. They were allowed to live in Jerusalem and practice their faith freely. So to many Jews, Muslim rule felt more like relief than occupation.
Global Reaction to the Building of the Dome of the Rock
The silence wasn't only from the Jewish communities, but the international reaction was also absent. Aside from a few Byzantine religious figures blaming their losses on divine punishment, no one accused the Muslims of violating the holiness of the Temple Mount. Historians, travelers, and non-Muslim communities living nearby made no mention of the Dome of the Rock in a negative light. It appears that the construction of the Dome of the Rock meant nothing for the non-Muslims of the time.
What Does the Phrase “Next Year in Jerusalem” Really Imply?
Jews have been repeating “next year in Jerusalem” in their prayer for centuries. This phrase is probably the Zionists’ strongest argument against the Dome of the Rock. However, the quote first appeared in 10th-century literature. Not only was it three hundred years too late, but this Eastern Ashkenazic rite also completely omits the Dome of the Rock and the Islamic rule. Perhaps because some prayers are just spiritual longing rather than political ambition?
Modern-Day Jewish Division
The modern Zionist rhetoric has gained momentum, pushing for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple right on top of the Dome of the Rock. But not all Jews are on board, with some waiting for the Messiah and others fearing political fallout.
This division within the Jewish community adds even more doubt to the claim that the Dome violated the Jewish site. If Jewish ancestors didn’t object, and many Jews today still don’t support rebuilding the temple, how strong is the claim really?
Muslim Respect for Other Faiths
When Umar Ibn al-Khattab entered Jerusalem in 637 CE, he was invited by Patriarch Sophronius to pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Umar declined, fearing that future Muslims might use his prayer as a reason to convert the Church into a mosque.
That act of restraint shows that Muslims weren’t out to replace or erase holy sites. Islamic tolerance would’ve had equal respect for Jewish holy sites.
How Muslims View the Holy Land
Photo by freebiespic on Pixabay
Unlike the Jews, Muslims have been consistent about the Dome of the Rock from the beginning. Muslims see Islam as a continuation of the past. The prophets of Judaism and Christianity were all part of the same divine message. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) are all messengers of the same God.
When Muslims built the Dome of the Rock, it wasn’t to erase what came before but to restore it. The rebuilding of the temple actually happened, and the awaited Massiah (pbuh) had already arrived.
Interestingly, some early Christian sources, such as The Marriage of the Virgin, even suggest the Dome was modeled after the ancient Temple of Solomon. While that’s debated today, it still gives weight to the idea that Muslims were preserving, not desecrating.
The Bottom Line
Jewish silence on the Islamic Shrine throughout its entire history is not the only Zionist dilemma. The Jewish disagreement on the rebuilding of the Temple and the 7th-century Islamic tolerance create even more holes in the Zionist argument. From an Islamic perspective, the Dome of the Rock is not an imposition, but a continuation of a historical legacy of previous prophets.
