Why is Jerusalem holy to Muslims?

Jerusalem is holy to Muslims because it is home to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the third holiest mosque in Islam. It was the first direction of prayer, the city of many prophets, and the place the Prophet ﷺ was taken to on the Night Journey before ascending to the heavens.

The Night Journey to al-Aqsa

The Quran opens a whole chapter with the miraculous journey of the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night:

سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed..." Quran 17:1

Muslims believe the Prophet ﷺ led the earlier prophets in prayer there and then rose through the heavens, where the five daily prayers were given. See What is Isra and Mi'raj?

The first qibla

Before Muslims faced the Kaaba in Mecca, they prayed toward Jerusalem. Al-Bara ibn Azib reported that the Prophet ﷺ prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months after moving to Medina, until the direction was changed (Sahih al-Bukhari 40). That early link still gives the city a special place in Muslim hearts. See Why do Muslims pray facing Mecca?

One of three special mosques

The Prophet ﷺ said that people should not set out on a journey specifically for worship except to three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, his own mosque in Medina, and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (Sahih al-Bukhari 1189). When Abu Dharr asked which mosque was built first, the Prophet ﷺ said the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, then al-Aqsa, forty years later (Sahih al-Bukhari 3366).

"Al-Aqsa" refers to the whole compound on the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif), including the Dome of the Rock with its golden dome and the grey-domed Qibli mosque.

The land of the prophets

Islam honours the same line of prophets that Jews and Christians know: Abraham, David, Solomon, Zechariah, John and Jesus, peace be upon them, all connected to this land. For Muslims, loving Jerusalem is part of believing in all of them, not something taken from another faith. See Do Muslims believe in Abraham?

A city shared by three faiths

Jerusalem is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, which is why it stirs such strong feelings. Islam teaches that holy places should be treated with dignity and that worshippers of other faiths deserve respect and fair treatment. You can love al-Aqsa deeply while still speaking kindly and honestly with Jewish and Christian friends about what the city means to them.

Key points

Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem is the third holiest mosque in Islam.
The Night Journey (Isra) went from Mecca to al-Aqsa (Quran 17:1).
Jerusalem was the first qibla for about 16–17 months.
Many prophets Muslims believe in lived and taught there.

Tip: If you can't visit, you can still learn about al-Aqsa through books, documentaries and the story of the Night Journey, and remember Jerusalem in your dua.