# The Blessed Land of Al-Sham: Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Al-Aqsa - Past, Present, and Promise
**Published:** 2024-11-20
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/BUQZ0Il3YNw
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/the-blessed-land-of-al-sham-palestine-lebanon-syria-jordan-al-aqsa
**Topics:** History

## Description
What is al-Sham? Almost no other region has as many virtues mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ about it as this region, which comprises Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan. It is a land of Prophets, miracles, the defeat of oppressors, and the gathering on the Day of Judgment. It is the heartland of the...

## Transcript
**[0:00]** As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Audhu billahi min ash-shaytani r-rajim. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen. Wa al-'udwana illa 'ala al-Dhalimeen. Wa al-'aqibatu lil-muttaqeen.

**[0:19]** Allahumma salli wa sallim wa barik 'ala abdika wa rasulika Muhammadin sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim tasleeman kathira. I want to welcome you all back, walhamdulillah, to the second lecture in our series on the virtues of Al-Aqsa.

**[0:34]** We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to liberate it on our hands and to allow us to pray within it while it is free. Allahumma ameen. And inshallah ta'ala tonight we will continue with the overview of Fadha'il Al-Sham, of the virtues of the area known as Al-Sham.

**[0:51]** And there is a hadith from Abu Umamah radiyAllahu ta'ala anhu, who says that we said to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, tell us about the beginning of your affair. Hadithna an awwal amr. What was the beginning of your affair?

**[1:06]** Faqala sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, da'watu abi Ibrahim, the prayer of my father Ibrahim. Wa bisharatu Isa. And I was the glad tidings of my brother Isa. So I am the da'watu abi Ibrahim, I am the prayer, the answer to the dua of my father Ibrahim alayhi salam.

**[1:26]** Wa bisharatu Isa. And I am the glad tidings that was given by my brother Isa alayhi salam. Wa ru'ya ummi, allati ra'at heena wada'atni, wakad kharaja laha noorun, adha'a laha minhu qusoor al-Sham.

**[1:44]** And he says, and I was the glad tidings, or rather I was the light of my mother. That my mother saw when she was giving birth to me, that lit up the palaces of Al-Sham.

**[1:59]** And so I want you to imagine the birth of the beloved sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. What happened to the heavens and the earth. As not just any human being was born into this world.

**[2:15]** But the best human being, the best of Allah's creation, that would ever grace the face of the earth sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And his mother in this lonely place, not surrounded by guards,

**[2:30]** not surrounded by the royals of this earth, but surrounded by the highest of the angels that are witnessing that birth. And in that room, merely a woman, a freed slave girl named Baraka, Umm Ayman radiyAllahu ta'ala anha.

**[2:46]** And as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is exiting her womb, she sees a light from Mecca. And at the end of that light, the palaces of Al-Sham. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala liberate every single part of it. Allahumma ameen.

**[3:04]** Al-Hafidh ibn Kathir rahimahullah says that in that was a sign that the light of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would stick in that area in a way that it would not stick on any other area on the face of the earth.

**[3:19]** Subhanallah, if you think about a light being cast, or you think about sprinkling something on an area, and the land that holds, that the grasp of Al-Sham to the light of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would be greater than the grasp of any other area to the light of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

**[3:39]** And so he was a light sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that lit up Al-Sham. And then Abu Darda radiyAllahu ta'ala anhu narrates a vision of him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Qala sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, bayna ana na'imun idh ra'aytu amuda al-kitabi ihtumila min tahti ra'si.

**[3:58]** He said, one day I was sleeping. And this time it's not the vision of the mother of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it's the vision of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself. He said, and I saw amuda al-kitabi, the pillar of the book, being carried from beneath my head, a transfer from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

**[4:18]** And he said, fadharantu anahu madhubun bihi. And I thought that it was being taken away. Fa atba'tuhu basari, my eyesight followed where the pillar was being taken. I followed it with my gaze.

**[4:33]** Fa umida bihi ila al-Sham. And so it continued until Al-Sham, until it reached Al-Sham. So imagine the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam seeing the physical pillar of the book being taken from him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And his vision following it until it lands in Al-Sham.

**[4:51]** And he said sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, ala wa inna al-eemana heena taqa'u al-fitna bi-Sham. And in one narration he said it three times, that verily faith, when fitna strikes, will remain in Al-Sham.

**[5:06]** Verily faith, when fitna strikes, when tribulation occurs, will remain in Al-Sham. Once again, a book, a light. This time as the ulama say, the fact that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw the pillar of the book

**[5:22]** meant that Sham would always remain a place of the Qur'an. A place of Ahlul Qur'an, the people of the Qur'an. And the people of the Qur'an are the most beloved people to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And in Gaza alone, a small part of Al-Sham,

**[5:38]** there were over 50,000 Huffadh before the genocide. To give you a little bit of perspective into that, that of the greatest tragedies of the first battle after Al-Islam, which was the battle of Ar-Ridda, or the battles of Ar-Ridda, the battles of apostasy from Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab,

**[5:56]** was the amount of companions that memorized the Qur'an that were killed, the amount of Huffadh that were killed by Musaylimah. And in this land, the Qur'an forever remains, embedded in the hearts and the minds of the people.

**[6:11]** Taught and studied and inspiring towards action as the Qur'an is meant to do. So first it was a vision from his mom. Then it was a vision from him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Then it was a vision of the companions.

**[6:26]** As Salman Al-Farisi radiyallahu ta'ala anhu says, that while we were in the trench, in the khandaq, I was digging the trench and I was trying hard to strike through. And then suddenly my axe hit a large stone and I couldn't get through.

**[6:44]** And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took that axe, and he struck that stone. And when he struck that stone he recited, تمت كلمة ربك صدقا وعدلا لا مبدل لكلماته وهو السميع العليم.

**[6:59]** That verily the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His word and He is the all-hearing and the all-knowing. And he said that when he said that sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and when he struck the stone, a light appeared from the stone.

**[7:14]** And then he struck it again sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and another light appeared. And then he struck it a third time alayhi salatu was salam, and another light appeared. And I said to him, And I said to him, May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah.

**[7:33]** What is this light that I saw? And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Did you really see it, O Salman? And he said, Yes. I swear by Him who sent you by the truth. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that verily the first strike,

**[7:56]** Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala raised for me in that light, the palaces of Kisra and that which was around it. Salman al-Farisi radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, fled Persia in search of Iman, in search of faith.

**[8:13]** And the very same palace from the very same place that he fled, which led him in his journey to being next to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in a ditch. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was seeing that palace from that same spot,

**[8:29]** and saying Allah azza wa jal has gifted it to me, and that which is around it. And he said sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that the second time I struck, that I saw the palaces of Kisra, Heraclius, in the Byzantines,

**[8:48]** and everything that is around it, meaning the area of Ash-Sham. And he said the third time I struck it, that I saw the palaces of Habesha and Yemen. And subhanAllah, as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made dua, or as he saw these things, and as he recited the ayah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,

**[9:05]** a word of affirmation, at a time when Islam was going to end, when the Muslim community was going to be genocided, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala showed the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam all of the consequential places in the world, coming to Islam, the light of Islam, reaching it.

**[9:22]** It really puts into perspective, يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ That verily, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says that verily,

**[9:37]** they seek to extinguish the light of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with their mouths. But verily, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has preserved His light, even if the disbelievers hate it. And in that moment, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw

**[9:52]** Al-Sham once again, along with his companions. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked by the companions to make du'a that they would be amongst them, amongst those people that would take the light of Islam to those places. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did so.

**[10:07]** And from that small ditch, all of these men went on to take Islam to Persia, to Yemen, to Syria, to Palestine, to Iraq, to all of these different places by the promise of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,

**[10:24]** fulfilled by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And the ulema mentioned that of the wisdoms of the palaces being shown is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala would give the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the authority as well as the hearts of the people of those places.

**[10:42]** So, Islam would spread in the political sense, in the authoritative sense, but also the hearts of those people would embrace the light of Islam. And they would come to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as believers.

**[10:58]** On top of that, what makes this incident so beautiful is that the main architects of the oppression of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who were trying to suppress the light of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on the outside would become part of the reason

**[11:15]** by which the light of Islam would spread to the places that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw. Who would have thought that Khalid ibn al-Walid radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, stalking the believers from the outside of the trench, looking for a single hole to penetrate,

**[11:30]** would be the one at whose hands the battle of Yarmouk would unfold. And the first victories of the openings of Ash-Sham would take place at his hand, radiyallahu ta'ala anhu. And so, Ash-Sham was a light.

**[11:46]** Ash-Sham was a place that the mother of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw, that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw, that the companions saw, and they knew that the light of Allah would enter into those places. And through that transformation that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prophesied,

**[12:02]** of the hearts and the people, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala solidified Islam in those places. Now before I go any further, when speaking about the virtues of Ash-Sham and its people, I remind you of the hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,

**[12:18]** where he said, أيها الناس, ألا إن ربكم واحد, وإن أباكم واحد, ألا لا فضل لعربي على عجمي, ولا لعجمي على عربي, ولا أحمر على أسود, ولا أسود على أحمر,

**[12:33]** إلا بالتقوى. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, that O people, your Lord is one, and your father is one, and verily there is no virtue of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a non-Arab over an Arab, or of a white man over a black man,

**[12:49]** or a black man over a white man, except by al-taqwa, except by piety. These hadith that we are going to cover today, are not meant to assign to a people

**[13:04]** that which they earn by virtue of their birth. The hadith that we will cover today are not meant to inspire a tribalism that Islam actually came to eliminate. But rather, they are to remind us

**[13:19]** that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has spread His light, and Allah azza wa jal has given opportunities to people to grasp onto that light. And those that act in accordance with that light, realize the virtues of the various places,

**[13:34]** and positions, and rankings that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned, which is why, subhanallah, I was looking at this hadith, and it always is inspiring. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, اللهم بارك لنا في شامنا

**[13:49]** اللهم بارك لنا في يمننا Where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, three times, Oh Allah bless our Sham, Oh Allah bless our Sham, Oh Allah bless our Sham, and bless our Yemen, and bless our Yemen, and bless our Yemen. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was not Shami.

**[14:06]** The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was not Yemeni. But the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called it, Our Sham and Our Yemen. Which means, that if you love Al-Aqsa, it is your Aqsa. If you love Al-Sham because Allah azza wa jal loves it,

**[14:24]** then you are Shami, it is your Sham. If you love Yemen, الإيمان يماني, Faith is Yemeni, then Yemen becomes yours. All of these things are acquired by you, by virtue of being from the Ummah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and your genuine, sincere attachment.

**[14:42]** There could be a Fajr, Fasiq, a wicked person, who lives right next to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, and who excludes themselves, by virtue of their wickedness, from all of the Fadha'il, from all of the virtues of the people of Al-Aqsa. And there could be a person,

**[14:57]** who lives in any part of the world, who will never set foot physically before death, in that land. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grants them, the virtues of attachment to that place. The deen transcends all of these different barriers,

**[15:14]** and subhanAllah, of the wisdoms of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and what is transpiring right now. I have never seen more people embrace Islam, in my entire life, than I have after Gaza. And I think to myself, how beautiful it will be,

**[15:29]** when Al-Aqsa is liberated, bi-idhnillahi ta'ala. And not only will it be the people of Palestine, that return home with their keys, but it will be the people who said, la ilaha illallah, Muhammadun Rasulullah, for the first time, after being exposed to the cause of Palestine,

**[15:44]** now enjoying the fruits of Palestine in this life. It will be people from all over the world, that will be entering into Al-Aqsa, with tears of joy in their eyes, and they will claim it as their own. This is a deen that transcends all of these things.

**[15:59]** This is our Sham. This is our Yemen. So what is our Sham anyway? And how do we actually come to terms with the geographical location of Al-Sham? And so if you were to say to someone today, Al-Sham, you would hear greater Syria.

**[16:16]** And indeed, Al-Sham includes Syria, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala liberate it, Palestine, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala liberate it. It includes Lebanon, and it includes Al-Urdun. So it includes Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan in the broadest sense. Historically speaking, it also seemed to extend to include some of the other areas.

**[16:37]** And so some of the northern part of Al-Iraq, like Mosul, would actually be included in Al-Sham, according to many of the scholars. Tabuk was included as part of Al-Sham, according to many of the scholars. Some of the scholars mentioned some of the regions of Turkey,

**[16:54]** that are included in Al-Sham. And so it's a general region that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is referring to. Al-Sham has multiple meanings, or multiple linguistic roots. Some of the scholars mentioned that it could be referring to Al-Sham

**[17:12]** as in the son of Nuh alayhi salam. So when they say Sam, Al-Sham, that where Nuh alayhi salam, when his ship landed, when the Ark of Noah settled on the mountain, that the people spread into different regions. And so this was the area of Al-Sham.

**[17:27]** That's one interpretation of the word Al-Sham. Some of the scholars mentioned Al-Sham refers to, ar-ra'iha tu-tayyiba, a good smell. The smell of its frequent vegetation, and its fruits, and its olives,

**[17:42]** and its fig, and all of the beautiful vegetation of Al-Sham. That it has a blessed air because of all of what sprouts from the land of Al-Sham. That it gives off a smell. And so it was referred to by its vegetation. And most of the scholars mentioned that Al-Sham refers to simply the left or the north.

**[18:05]** Okay? So if you think of how the Arab actually would function from the Kaaba, you have Al-Sham, Al-Shemal, which is Rihlat al-Saif. Okay? The place where they would go in the summer. And then you have Yemen, Yaman, coming from the right,

**[18:24]** where you would go for your summer trade. Okay? Rihlat al-Sitayi, or sorry, your winter trade. Al-Sitayi al-Saif. Right? So the winter trade would be to Yemen, and the summer trade would be to Al-Sham. And if you ever forget that in Tafsir, you just ask yourself,

**[18:40]** where would you rather be in the summer? Would you rather be in Yemen or would you rather be in Al-Sham? And if it's the winter, where would you rather be in Yemen or Al-Sham? Just think about the climate. It's a good way for you to remember when you're reading, li ila fi Quraysh. And so if you're centering yourself from the Kaaba, from Mecca,

**[18:55]** then you are looking in these directions, and that's a very easy way to remember that. And it's very important because if you think about Al-Sham, you have to think about how it interacts with all of the regions that are around it. So when the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in some narrations, he says, Ahl al-Gharb,

**[19:11]** he's not talking about the Westerners here. He's talking about them, the people of Al-Sham. And Imam Ahmed, rahimahullah, said, when you hear Al-Gharb, then you're talking about Al-Sham. And when you hear Ahl al-Mashriq, who are you talking about? Al-Iraq.

**[19:27]** Okay, so you have to think about how the East and the West and all of these things interact in the Arab imagination at that time. And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to name cities by directions. Okay, just like, by the way, the Arabs used to call Basra, Basra, Al-Hind.

**[19:46]** Because it was in the direction of Al-Hind. So they would name cities by the directions, Tabuk, Al-Sham. Everything was named by the direction that it functioned in. And if you look in a map, then you can always see that. And then of course you have, Misr, Egypt.

**[20:01]** And subhanAllah, Egypt and Palestine always have a history together. Sometimes Misr is Umm al-Dunya, sometimes it's not so Umm al-Dunya. Depends on the time period that it's in. But you'll always find there's a Nabi, there's a Prophet, either fleeing from Palestine to Misr, or from Misr to Palestine.

**[20:19]** There's always an interaction between these two regions. And so you find Ibrahim and Musa, alayhima salam, and they are fleeing from Egypt to Palestine. And you find Yaqub and Yusuf, alayhima salam, fleeing from Palestine to Misr, to Egypt.

**[20:38]** And so there's always some sort of an interaction between those two places. Now I don't want to dwell too much on the point, but there is something deeply profound about this. Beyond simply that we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to inspire Misr to its greatness, to its full potential,

**[20:53]** and to allow it to be a source, bi'idhnillahi ta'ala, of strength for our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Allahumma ameen. But beyond that is that the sunnah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala shows between these two places, in that prosperity never dwells all across.

**[21:10]** The sunnah of Allah is that prosperity visits lands in time periods. So that at one point a place is a place of refuge, the next generation finds it to be a place of disaster. At one point a place is a place of barakah, a place of much blessing.

**[21:26]** At another point it's a place of trial and tribulation. The sunnah of Allah is that his worldly benefits and prosperity travels through his earth. And that is of course a sign that if you are in a land of prosperity, don't get too comfortable because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

**[21:43]** can switch that prosperity to adversity in any moment. And if you are in a land of adversity, how many lands of adversity became places of prosperity in the blink of an eye? So it's the sunnah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that it travels through these different places.

**[21:58]** Al-faqr, wal-ghina, al-amr, wal-khawf. Poverty and wealth and safety and fear and hardship. Now within Al-Sham, you have of course the idea of Al-Bayt Al-Maqdis, you have Jerusalem, you have Al-Quds,

**[22:15]** which is a place where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has referred to as Al-Ard Al-Muqaddasa. Now I want to mention something from a Qur'anic feature. That if you're reading the Qur'an, one of the things that's important to note is that you don't judge the value of something by how often its name is mentioned.

**[22:35]** Okay? So there's a wisdom when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala specifies a name, there's a very specific wisdom. Otherwise, things are meant to have a historical interpretation, but then a timeless application. Al-'ibrah bi-'umum al-lafli la bi-khusus al-sabab.

**[22:52]** Right? So you take the lesson, not to refer to the specific, even linguistic elements, right? But the specific of a reason for revelation, you look at the way that it covers all different things. And so for example, what is greater, Masjid al-Nabawi,

**[23:08]** the Masjid of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, or Masjid al-Aqsa? Alright, now you guys are really tired. Which one do you get more virtue for praying in? The Masjid of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Is the Masjid of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

**[23:24]** mentioned by name in the Qur'an? No, it's not. Masjid Quba' is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Masjid al-Ussisa 'ala al-Taqwa. A Masjid that was established upon piety. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala leaves the mention

**[23:39]** to be general enough to where when you are establishing your Masjid, you ask yourself, is it being established upon Taqwa or not? So that you can take the full value and virtue of it. So when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala specifies something, there is a reason for it. And Allah knows best of the wisdoms

**[23:56]** that the ulema mention, is that so that no one can claim the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his Isra' wal-Mi'raj was from Masjid al-Haram to somewhere else. Ila al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Allah azza wa jalla specified al-Masjid al-Aqsa so that no one could divorce al-Aqsa from al-Islam

**[24:13]** by claiming some sort of archaeological nonsense and making up a narrative that disconnects us from our holy place. And so it is specified so that there is no room for ambiguity that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala took his Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

**[24:28]** from al-Masjid al-Haram ila al-Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah says, allathee baarakna hawlahu. Whose surroundings we have blessed. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions also in Surah al-A'raf, wa awrathna al-qawma allatheena kaanoo yustad'afoona mashariq al-ardi wa maghaaribiha.

**[24:46]** Allah azza wa jalla says that we have caused the people who have been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones. And when Allah says maghaaribiha, after saying it's western ones, He says, allathee baarakna feeha. That which we have blessed from within.

**[25:04]** Allah azza wa jalla mentions about Lut alayhi as-salam, wa najjaynaahu wa Lutan ila al-ardi allathee baarakna feeha lil'alameen. That verily we rescued or we gave refuge to him and to Lut alayhi as-salam, to the land that we have blessed for the worlds.

**[25:20]** baarakna feeha lil'alameen. And the scholars mention that of the function of that is that not only is the land blessed within and without, in it of itself and everything that is around it, but of the function of it is that it serves as a blessing lil'alameen.

**[25:36]** It serves as a blessing to the entire world. Those who are physically in its proximity and those who are not, the best of Ash-Sham, the scholars mention therefore, is al-bayt al-maqdis. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala liberate it.

**[25:52]** And that which is around it. And then, this is where it gets interesting. Then you have some scholars that make the argument of Damascus. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala liberate it as well. Allahumma ameen. And grant the people ease and sakinah and tranquility there.

**[26:08]** And then you have another group of scholars, they said the best of it is the part that's aqrab ila aduwwillah. That's closest to the enemy of Allah. This is a profound explanation that al-Hafidh ibn Rajab rahimahullah gives. That because ardu al-Sham is ardu al-ribat,

**[26:24]** because it's the place, the frontier against the enemy, that the most valuable of it, after al-maqdis, is the part that's closest to the enemy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He says that when Umar ibn Abdul Aziz rahimahullah, took his khilafah, he established himself not in Damascus,

**[26:42]** but he chose to establish himself instead in Qinasrin. Qinasrin is an ancient city, which was at Bab Halab, was at the gate of Aleppo, of Halab. And it was the closest frontier to the Byzantines.

**[26:59]** And Umar ibn Abdul Aziz rahimahullah saw, that the closer you are to the enemy, the most blessed you are in ardu al-Sham. Because it is ardu al-ribat, it is the place of holding down the frontier,

**[27:15]** holding down the fort against the enemy of Allah. It's the land of prophets. And we will talk about that, bi'idhnillahi ta'ala, in the next lesson, as we'll focus only on the prophets. But I just want you to think in Ramadan, or maybe when you open your mus'haf as an exercise,

**[27:30]** as you start to read through Surah al-Isra, Surah al-Kahf, Surah Maryam, that entire thing, the entire surroundings are based around the story of al-Aqsa, the story of the holy land and al-Sham. It's also a place where the scholars mention al-aja'ib,

**[27:49]** al-fisham. Miracles have happened in al-Sham. It's a land of miracles, not just for the prophets. So focus on this insha'Allah ta'ala for a moment. The scholars mention that the dead rose to life in al-Sham.

**[28:07]** And the dead will rise to life in al-Sham. What is this referring to? Think of it this way. The prophets, alayhim salam, mentioned that, Bani Israel, kana fihim al-aja'ib. That miraculous things, many miracles used to happen amongst them.

**[28:24]** And so the stories of prophets raising the dead to life, almost all exclusively are situated amongst the prophets of Bani Israel. The dead that are rising to life. Sometimes 700, 500 or less. But the point is that this is a place where the dead rose to life.

**[28:42]** This is a place where Uzair, alayhi salam, went to sleep for a hundred years. This is a place where Ashab al-Kahf, the cave of the sleepers, which according to the strongest historical analysis, would be that it is today in al-Urdun,

**[29:00]** and what is located in al-Urdun, around the area of al-Muqabilayn, where you have the cave of the seven sleepers. They say seven, the cave of the sleepers. But these were people who went to sleep for a very long time. And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala brought them back to life.

**[29:15]** And so this is a place where the dead rise to life. And what's profound about that, is that every single one of us will go to Ash-Sham, either now or later. Because it is Ard al-Mahshar, it's the place of assembly.

**[29:30]** And so the dead will rise and proceed to Ash-Sham. And I want you to think of the visual, when you think of the light that is coming from Mecca to Ash-Sham. Medina to Ash-Sham. The visual of the day of judgment. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says,

**[29:46]** that I am the first one who will rise from his grave, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Imagine the site in al-Medina, tan shaq al-ard, the earth splits, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam rises from that place. And Abu Bakr and Umar radhiyallahu anhuma rise.

**[30:02]** And Ashab al-Baqi, the thousands of family and companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam rise from al-Medina. And Khadijah radhiyallahu anha rises from Mecca. And they proceed towards Ash-Sham, Ard-Sham.

**[30:18]** SubhanAllah, think about that light once again traveling. All of us will rise from the dead back to life and proceed to Ard-Sham. So it's the place of al-aja'ib. It's the place where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ascended to the heavens.

**[30:34]** And it's the place where Isa alayhi salam will descend from the heavens. Because we know that Isa alayhi salam will descend first to Damascus where the white minaret is, which is the first masjid that was built there. The Umayyad Masjid was the first masjid that was built

**[30:51]** in the Futuhat, in the expeditions into Ash-Sham. He will descend there and then he will proceed towards al-Bayt al-Maqdis, towards Jerusalem. So it's the place where the Prophets rise and the place where the Prophets descend.

**[31:06]** So it's a place where miracles happen. And in that, by the way, is a sign, subhanAllah, that a person should not despair because when miracles are to show themselves on this earth, they will show themselves first in Ash-Sham. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to show us miracles in regards to our brothers and sisters

**[31:23]** in Ash-Sham. Allahumma ameen. Imam Ahmed rahimahullah, he says, and if you combine the ahadith, where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam talks about the places to which a person should flee, then obviously you have al-Haramayn, Makkah and al-Madinah.

**[31:39]** And there is no doubt that the fadha'il of Madinah, the virtues of Madinah are many. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentions staying in al-Madinah. But he said it is Madinah and Ash-Sham as well. And he mentions the multiple narrations in that regard.

**[31:54]** Ya Rasulallah, ayna ta'muruni? O Messenger of Allah, where should I go? Ha huna? Should I stay here in the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? ...pointed towards Ash-Sham. There's a famous hadith from Ibn Hawala radiyAllahu ta'ala anhu. Ibn Hawala says, qala Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sayaseerul amru

**[32:12]** ila an takunu junudan mujannada. He said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that the affair will proceed and then you will end up in groups. qala jundun bis-Sham, wa jundun bil-Yaman, wa jundun bil-Iraq.

**[32:27]** A group in Ash-Sham, a group in Yaman, and a group in Al-Iraq. ...Ibn Hawala said, khirli ya Rasulullah, in adraktu thalik. Tell me, O Messenger of Allah, where should I go?

**[32:43]** If I find myself in that situation. ...qala sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, alayka bis-Sham, fa innaha khiratu Allahi min ardihi. He said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, upon you is Ash-Sham because it is the chosen land of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

**[33:01]** SubhanAllah, we don't have in our vocabulary the idea of a chosen people based upon lineage. You have a chosen land by which those people who choose righteousness become worthy. So you have a chosen land from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

**[33:19]** So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, yajtabi ilayha khiratahu min ibadihi. Allah azza wa jal will drive towards it the best of His ibad. ...qala fa amma in abaytum, and he said, and if you are unable to do so,

**[33:35]** ...qala fa alaykum bi-yamanikum, then upon you is your Yemen, and satisfy yourself even with a little bit of water from its bodies in Al-Yemen. And he said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in conclusion of this, ...fa inna allaha tawakkala li bish-shami wa ahlihi.

**[33:52]** He said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that Allah has guaranteed for me the protection of Ash-Sham and its people. This is such a profound narration because first and foremost, as Imam Ibn Rajab rahimahullah says, that Imam Ahmad rahimahullah said that all of the ahadith point to this idea

**[34:09]** that the beginning of the affair is Mecca, the end of the affair is in Ash-Sham. Like the light of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came from Mecca and ended in Ash-Sham. And so we're all on this continuum to where we should find ourselves trying to focus on Ard Ash-Sham.

**[34:24]** And the end of times in this life will be in Ash-Sham, and the beginning of times in the next life will be in Ash-Sham. And the majority of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will be found in Ash-Sham. The majority of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will be found in Ash-Sham. Even to the point,

**[34:39]** if you just think of the plague of Amwas alone, Ta'un Amwas, and how many of the sahabah died, it's an indication of how many of them went out to Ash-Sham, acting upon the advice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And he said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in another hadith,

**[34:56]** أَلَا إِنَّ عُقْرَ دَارِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الشَّامِ He said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that verily, the heartland of the believers is Ash-Sham. What a way to refer to it. It's the heartland of the mu'mineen, of the believers once again. Not for a person who's born Shami.

**[35:14]** It's the heartland of the believers. And he said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as we mentioned, that faith will always remain in Ash-Sham. And the scholars mentioned a few things here, that there will always be a strong religious commitment

**[35:30]** that guards the borders of the Muslims and the creed of Islam. So some of the scholars mentioned that both the protection of the Muslims through the people of Ash-Sham as well as the creed and the way of Islam.

**[35:47]** Because they are a people of clarity and their scholarship throughout history produced what was necessary to protect Islam from heresy. And indeed, as Ibn Rajab rahimahullah mentioned, that the ghuluw, that extremism in the religion was squashed from the scholars of Ash-Sham,

**[36:03]** just like the enemies of Allah were squashed by the warriors of Ash-Sham. That faith always remains in Ash-Sham. And the protection of al-iman, the protection of faith, always remains in Ash-Sham. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned this gift, ila qiyam as-sa'a until the final hour,

**[36:21]** which means it is not time-bound. Now someone might say, but wait a minute, sometimes the religious commitment of the people weakens. And let me tell you, by the way, what differentiates us from a tribalist in jahiliyyah,

**[36:37]** is that you should hold your people accountable to the virtues that highlight their potential. And so if you are a scholar in Ash-Sham, and if you listen to the scholars in Gaza, and you listen to the khutbas that are being given in the Rabwah, they have the right to talk to their own,

**[36:55]** and to say, let us rise to be the people that are worthy of victory. It's difficult for me in the comfort of my room, in my home, to say if only the people of Palestine were more righteous, mashallah. So easy for you to say outside,

**[37:11]** and to say, well this is all happening to them, because a guy smoked a cigarette on the shore of Gaza. Not my place. But for a person, from within Gaza, from a person within Palestine, for a person in Damascus,

**[37:27]** for a person in Halab, to say, let's strengthen our iman, because nothing good, or nothing but good comes out of the strengthening of our iman. Let us be worthy of what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said of us, that is warranted, and that is part of nasihah,

**[37:43]** that's part of how we strengthen our goodwill. That's part of how we strengthen our position with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So if the religious commitment weakens sometimes as a whole, and indeed there are periods of religiosity, and indeed you have as-salih wal-fasid, even in Gaza, you have a righteous and you have a wicked person.

**[38:00]** Know that what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is saying, that even in that case, there's always a level of religiosity that dwells in Al-Sham. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala preserve it and its people. And he said in another hadith, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, qala tuba li-Sham,

**[38:16]** glad tidings to Al-Sham. faqulna li-ayyi thalika ya Rasool Allah, why O Messenger of Allah? qala li-anna malaikatur Rahman basitatun ajnihataha alayha He said, because the angels of Al-Rahman have their wings spread over Al-Sham.

**[38:33]** I want to share with you all something personal, subhanAllah, that there was a brother from Syria, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give victory to its people, the forgotten people of Syria. And he mentioned to me, he said this hadith caused him doubt.

**[38:50]** He said, you know, how are the angels wings spread over Al-Sham when there's so much atrocity in Al-Sham? How do we reconcile the idea of the wings of the angels being spread over Al-Sham with the atrocities that are taking place in Al-Sham?

**[39:08]** And there are few things to mention here. Number one, can you imagine how many shuhada are rising through the heavens from Al-Sham at this very moment? If there was an activity monitor of the heavens right now,

**[39:25]** where you could see looking at a map, where the light is rising to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, can you think of a place that would have more light than that? You know, subhanAllah, there was a Zionist that was gloating on Twitter or X

**[39:42]** or whatever you call it now a few days ago. And he was showing a map of Gaza before and Gaza after where there are no lights there. And this is our moment of Uhud where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam speaks back, where Umar radiyAllahu anhu speaks back and says, قَتْلَانَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَقَتْلَاكُمْ فِي النَّارِ

**[39:58]** You guys just don't get it. That the light of the heavens from that place is more so than it has ever been before of the righteous souls that are rising to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The angels of Ar-Rahman have their wings spread over Al-Sham. The dua, the ibadah of the people of Al-Sham.

**[40:16]** The prophets that are buried in Al-Sham. But here's something else. Wasn't that when Asiyah alayhi salam was being tortured by Fir'aun, that the angels spread their wings over her bearing witness?

**[40:32]** That didn't mean that the body of Asiyah was not subjected to the torture of Fir'aun. That meant that the soul was sufficed with its full delight. That Allah azza wa jal put into Asiyah the iman, the faith and the perspective

**[40:49]** that was required of her in that moment that would allow her to attain a rank that otherwise would be unattainable. How sad that a person would die or would be killed in that brutal fashion in Al-Sham today and they don't die on iman.

**[41:05]** Can you imagine the state of such a person? They don't die on la ilaha illallah but they die openly questioning Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. May Allah protect the people with their iman first and foremost. And that's why I'm gonna say, may Allah azza wa jal give them thabat with their iman, give them firmness with their iman

**[41:21]** because we want them to have that iman. رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا Right? You're making that dua for them, that Allah pour upon them that faith, that Allah pour upon them that patience. And so I want you to think of all of these people in Al-Sham

**[41:37]** as Asiyahs, where the angels bear witness with their wings. And even they, that beautiful creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, even they are not queued into the full plan of Allah azza wa jal. Because when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created Adam alayhi salam,

**[41:54]** قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ Right? And the answer was, إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ I know that which you don't know. The angels asked, but what about this and what about that? I know that which you don't know. So even the angels in humble submission to Allah azza wa jal

**[42:09]** spread their wings out over the people of Gaza. Spread their wings out over the people of Ash-Sham. But indeed, if there was a visual of the mala'ika, then their wings are spread out over the people of Ash-Sham.

**[42:26]** And the Prophet ﷺ said, and it's not just them where the indicator lights are. قَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ إِذَا فَسَدَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ فَلَا خَيْرَ فِيكُمْ If the people of Ash-Sham are corrupted,

**[42:41]** then there is no good in you anymore. SubhanAllah, as the ulema mentioned, it's as if Ash-Sham is the barometer of the Ummah. That it is the indicator of the state of the Ummah, the people of Ash-Sham. Particularly here in regards to their struggle,

**[42:59]** it's as if they are the barometer of the Ummah. When the Ummah is in weakness, you see it in Ash-Sham. When there is corruption, you can see it. You can always look to Ash-Sham to be the diagnostic check for the state of our Ummah.

**[43:16]** Both in terms of its religiosity, as well as its political state. And so if a single part of it is under occupation, it's a sign of where we are. When it is under oppression, it's a sign of where we are.

**[43:32]** When the Ummah can't move for it, it's a sign of our paralysis. And so both in regards to their deen, their overall religious commitment, as well as the political state. إذا فسد أهل الشام فلا خير فيكم. We also know that the end of empires,

**[43:48]** as Al-Hafidh ibn Rajab rahimahullah says, the end of empires is in Ash-Sham. The end of evil, cruel regimes is in Ash-Sham. The crusaders met their defeat in Ash-Sham. The Mongols met their defeat in Ash-Sham. All of these little dajjals will meet their defeat in Ash-Sham

**[44:05]** until Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives victory through the hand of Isa alayhi as-salam over Al-Masih ad-Dajjal. Right there in Al-Quds. And so it is the place where evil comes to a halt. And so what you are witnessing right now of battle,

**[44:25]** what you are witnessing right now of shamatat al-a'da, of the gloating of your enemies, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will certainly turn it upon them and give victory to the other people. Finally, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentions At-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah, the victorious group.

**[44:43]** He mentions them alayhi as-salatu was-salam particularly around Aknafi Bayt al-Maqdis, the surroundings of Jerusalem. And he says, لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ وَلَا مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ They are not deterred by those who betray them.

**[45:01]** And subhanAllah, there's something here that's very important that I want you to think of Quds as well. Quds is the land of the betrayed. Quds is the land of the betrayed. What do I mean by that? The Prophets fled to Ash-Sham

**[45:18]** after being betrayed by their people, after being let down by their people. Al-Quds is not the land of betrayal. Al-Quds is the land of the betrayed. Where the righteous find themselves depending upon Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alone.

**[45:36]** And in that place where you have a portal between the earth and the heavens, you have a connection that is unfound anywhere else to where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam even mentioned them in their specialty that they are not deterred by those who betray them.

**[45:51]** The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in a hadith in Tabarani, an authentic hadith. قَالَ أَوَّلُ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ نُبُوَّةً وَرَحْمَةً He said, the beginning of this affair of mine is prophethood and mercy. ثُمَّ يَكُونُ خِلَافَةً وَرَحْمَةً And then it will be khilafah and mercy.

**[46:09]** ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُلْكًا وَرَحْمَةً ثُمَّ يَكُونُ إِمَارَةً وَرَحْمَةً And then it will be kingdom and leadership with mercy. قَالَ ثُمَّ يَتَكَادَمُونَ عَلَيْهِ تَكَادُمَ الْحِمَارِ Or al-humr.

**[46:24]** The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, that afterwards, يَتَكَادَمُونَ عَلَيْهِ تَكَادُمَ الْحُمُرِ That afterwards you will find people fighting over it like donkeys in regards to the authority, fighting over it. And he said sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so at that point you stick to your struggle.

**[46:42]** And he said, وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ جِهَادِكُمْ That verily the best of your struggle, الرِّبَاطُ So when he says, وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ جِهَادِكُمْ الرِّبَاطُ He's referring to the idea of defending the borders of Islam. And the scholars mentioned subhanAllah of this is that

**[46:58]** there will be people that will be fighting over the throne and people that are forgetting the core of the matter. And he's saying that the best of people are found in those that are defending Islam at that point, not fighting over leadership. وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ جِهَادِكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَكَادُمُ And he said sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,

**[47:14]** the best of your رِبَاطِ, the best of your holding down the fort is Asqalan. And Asqalan is another name for Gaza. SubhanAllah how specific the Prophet ﷺ was. They used to call it in fact, غَزَّةَ عَسْقَلَان

**[47:29]** I don't want you to think of قِطَاعِ غَزَّةِ Gaza is not a strip. Gaza refers to a much bigger area than what it has been relegated to at this point. And the Prophet ﷺ praised it and said that is where you will find

**[47:44]** the greatest of الرِّبَاطِ. Now in conclusion for tonight, dear brothers and sisters, a land of barakah, as a scholar has mentioned in regards to its deen and its dunya. It is blessed in its area, it is blessed in its vegetation, it is blessed in its land.

**[48:00]** It is blessed in regards to what it guides to from a spiritual perspective. Just as a person sits at home and subhanAllah the heart can take journeys that the body cannot.

**[48:16]** Just as Sufyan al-Thawri said, how many people make tawaf around the Ka'bah with their hearts without their bodies? And how many people make tawaf around the Ka'bah with their bodies but without their hearts? Just as a sincere heart, as Imam Ahmed rahimahullah was asked, what is the distance between here and the throne of Allah?

**[48:36]** And he said a sincere dua from a pure heart. Just as a person can ascend to the throne of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with their heart and with their soul through their sincere prayers. A person can connect themselves to something across geographic barriers.

**[48:54]** By recognizing its virtues and by keeping their focus on it. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to liberate every single part of Ash-Sham. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to be with the oppressed wherever they are. In Ash-Sham and otherwise.

**[49:10]** And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that all of those who love Ash-Sham, whether they are physically part of Ash-Sham or not, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala write them from those who have attained the virtues that are mentioned by the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to forgive us for our shortcomings in regards to Ash-Sham and its people.

**[49:27]** Allahumma ameen. Jazakumullahu khairan. InshaAllah ta'ala we will continue two weeks from now. Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

## Other Episodes in "Al-Aqsa - Past, Present, and Promise"
- [When Will Palestine Be Free? Signs of the Day of Judgment | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/when-will-palestine-be-free-signs-of-day-of-judgment-al-aqsa.md)
- [Zionism 1,000 Years In the Making | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/zionism-one-thousand-year-in-the-making-al-aqsa.md)
- [Salahuddin: The Legend Who Liberated Jerusalem | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/salahuddin-the-legend-who-liberated-jerusalem-al-aqsa.md)
- [Roman Emperor Who Almost Became Muslim & Conquest of Jerusalem | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/roman-emperor-who-almost-became-muslim-and-conquest-of-jerusalem-alaqsa.md)
- [Isra and Miraj: The Greatest Journey Through the Heavens | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/isra-and-miraj-the-greatest-journey-through-the-heavens-al-aqsa.md)
- [Isra wal Miraj, Surah Rum, and the Year of Grief | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/isra-wal-miraj-surah-rum-and-year-of-grief-al-aqsa.md)
- [Syria, the Umayyad Mosque, and the Messiah’s Return | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/syria-umayyad-mosque-messiah-return-al-aqsa.md)
- [The Prophets, the Messiah, and the Promised Land | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/the-prophets-the-messiah-and-the-promised-land-al-aqsa.md)
- [The Switch of the Qiblah: Story of Masjid Qiblatayn | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/switch-of-the-qiblah-story-of-masjid-qiblatayn-al-aqsa.md)
- [Why is Quds (Jerusalem) So Special? | Al-Aqsa: Past, Present, and Promise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/al-aqsa-past-present-and-promise/why-is-quds-jerusalem-so-special-al-aqsa-series.md)