Quranic Circles of Palestinian Women at Dome of the Rock (+Video)
Palestinian women from different areas and regions, from the West Bank to Gaza, come to this mosque to pray and to take part in these Quranic circle or other religious meetings.
The Dome of Rock has an octagonal structure and a golden dome and is considered one of the oldest Islamic sites. Its golden dome has become a symbol for all of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The mosque bears a special religious significance for Muslims as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started his Ascension (Mi’raj) to the Heavens from a rock in this mosque.
Now, Palestinian people gather in this mosque as a sign of unity despite having different dialects; people who have faced decades of oppression by the occupying Israeli regime but still are determined to defend their sanctities.
Halimah is one of the women who come to the Mosque from West Bank’s Jericho every day. She tries to perform two-rakat prayers in each of the two musallas but says prefers to expend more time in the Dome of Rock because of its memorizing beauty.
Samirah, another woman coming from Acre, says she is always eager to come to the Dome of the Rock as it is the place of the Prophet’s Ascension. She says she has established a strong bond with the mosque and it is hard for her to not go there for some days.
Rahifa, coming from Jerusalem al-Quds, says women usually recite one or two juzes of the Holy Quran in Quranic circles of the mosque every day. “This is a part of paradise,” she believes, noting that meeting and exchanging views with other Palestinian women are inspiring.
When the Quranic circles come to end, women usually take a walk in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and some of them even stay there till the time for Isah prayer.
The following video shows the Quranic circle of Palestinian women in the Dome of the Rock mosque.
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound sits just above the Western Wall plaza and houses both the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds, where Al Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community, Israel annexed the entire city, claiming it as the self-proclaimed Jewish state’s “eternal and undivided” capital.
For Muslims, Al Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina. Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Most Commented 