What will we do if al-Aqsa is taken?

As uncomfortable as it sounds, and so soon after we celebrated the reopening of al-Aqsa, someone has to ask this question. May Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) forbid such an event from occurring, but has the closure of our third-holiest site been a testing of the waters before something far worse?

It was closed for 40 days. Is that a coincidence? Because 40 days was the number of days Mūsa’s appointment (ʿalayhi al-Salām) with Allah lasted in Mount Sinai — during which Bani Isrā’īl were tested.

So ask yourself honestly: were these 40 days also a test for us? And if so, how did we do, while the Zionists watched, measured, and calculated the reaction of this Ummah and its learned individuals? Is what we are witnessing today all preparation for something far more dangerous?

Violations of al-Aqsa under Zionist occupation

For the longest duration in recent history — since the days of the Crusades — Masjid al-Aqsa was shut, blocked, restricted from the Ummah.

Since late February 2026, Muslims were barred from worshipping freely. Access even around the perimeter of the masjid was controlled, with young and old Palestinians all forcibly turned away.

Let’s be clear: al-Aqsa — the third-holiest site in Islam, the first Qiblah, is being systematically violated. We’ve seen repeated raids and other desecrations of the Masjid, deliberate provocations, killings and shootings, settler incursions, and now even rituals being carried out within the precinct.

And this is not random. This is escalating, year by year, with the participants emboldened by extreme Zionist politicians, so they are backed openly by state power. Figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir are entering the compound repeatedly. They are not hiding it or denying it. Rather, they enjoy normalising it.

Zionist settler plans to destroy al-Aqsa

What should concern us even more is not just the occupation. It is the intention, because for decades, extreme Zionist groups have openly declared their goal: to remove and replace al-Aqsa. And yet, are we choosing to ignore it?

Groups like Temple Mount Faithful and Returning to the Mountain don’t hide their agenda. Like Ben-Gvir, they openly advocate, support, and incite the storming of al-Aqsa. They call for animal sacrifices and the so-called “Judaisation” of the site.

Ultimately, this is all leading toward one outcome: the destruction of Masjid al-Aqsa and the building of what they call the “Third Temple”.

And in recent years we’ve seen increasing focus on something very specific: the import of “red heifers” from the United States into Israel (because within these movements, there is a belief that the ashes of a red heifer are required for ritual purification before this so-called temple can be established). [1]

Now pause and think about that, because this leads to a question, a painful and uncomfortable one that we would rather avoid, even as events unfold right before our eyes. Will they succeed in replacing Masjid al-Aqsa with a synagogue? What will prevent them? The reality is this: for decades, this has not been a secret. And today, even after the reopening of al-Aqsa, that declaration is step by step being moved closer to reality.

Worse than the Crusades

When the Crusaders occupied Jerusalem in 1099, they massacred thousands of Muslims who sought refuge in al-Aqsa. Reports speak of blood running ankle-deep. They dishonoured the sanctuary. They even turned al-Aqsa into a horse stable.

But even then, they did not seek to destroy al-Aqsa. They recognised its significance, its history, its structure.

Today we are facing something different. The Zionists want to go further. Occupation and violations are one thing, its entire removal is completely on another level. And why? Because there is no real resistance to this idea, no serious deterrence, no unified response. There is silence where there should be outrage. There is division where there should be unity.

And where are the leaders of calibre? Where are the likes of Imād al-Dīn Zengi, Nur al-Dīn Zengi, Salāh al-Dīn al-Ayyubi? May Allah be pleased with them all. These were men who lived for al-Aqsa, dreamt of its liberation, and worked and sacrificed for it, day and night.

For 88 long and painful years from 1099 to 1187, they prepared, united, and worked for liberation until Allah granted victory. They didn’t wait or simply issue empty statements like we often see today.

So the question is, where is that vision, motivation, activism, that drive within us today… if we truly love al-Aqsa?

Some Arab rulers are complicit in al-Aqsa violations

While al-Aqsa is being violated openly, there are some arguably impotent Arab puppet leaders and other Muslim rulers who are silent or issue empty words without any real action.

Does it not pain the so-called “custodians” of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawī to allow such desecration of al-Aqsa, the 3^rd precinct? What of those who claim lineage to the great legacy of the Ottoman caliphate who refused to sell Palestine? Did you even hear a whisper emerge from these people?

These Arab and self-described Muslim rulers are fully complicit in the occupation, desecration, and violation of al-Aqsa, as they enable and embolden Zionist rulers by normalising with the regime, accepting their occupation, and turning a blind eye to their constant violations.

I would argue that, behind the scenes, they fully endorse these violations of al-Aqsa’s sanctity through their normalisation, trade, and political relations with the Zionists.

Deafening silence of the scholars

As for the inheritors of the Prophets, have you not studied the history of al-Aqsa? Was it not the great scholars of the past who were central to its liberation?

So where are the scholars today, the true inheritors of that honourable legacy? Because what we are witnessing now is a deafening silence from the mimbar — the very place that once shaped, guided, and mobilised the Ummah now stands quiet.

Where are the khutbahs addressing this directly? Where is the urgency? Have we forgotten that scholars once stood at the forefront? Figures like Abdul Qadīr Gilani, Īsa al-Hakkari, Najm al-Dīn Ayyub, and Imād al-Dīn al-Isfahāni. They supported, guided, and stood alongside Salāh al-Dīn al-Ayyubi, providing moral, political, and strategic strength, mobilising the Ummah. They stood firm in times of crisis.

So we have to ask: where are those voices today? Do they not see the danger facing al-Aqsa? Do they not feel the urgency of this moment?

Wider Ummah cannot be silent either

Despite all of the above, the greatest danger to al-Aqsa is the Ummah’s silence and inaction. We cannot afford to remain silent or passive. So what must we do?

Break the silence

Speak about al-Aqsa — consistently, publicly, and unapologetically.

Raise awareness

Make this a permanent issue — not something we remember only in crises such as closures and Zionist raids.

Apply real pressure

Challenge Muslim leaders, scholars, and khatībs in a respectful manner. Hold people of power and influence accountable. Reject so-called normalisation with the Zionist occupiers.

Work toward political unity under the caliphate

I am not interested in division or sectarianism. Political unity of the Ummah must become a serious objective — not just a slogan. We need to work towards a Caliphate that brings this Ummah together, because without real political unity there is no real protection.

Conclusion

al-Aqsa is not optional. It is part of our dīn.

It is not any land — it is the trust of the Prophets. Mūsa (ʿalayhi al-Salām) longed for it; generation after generation sacrificed for it. And today, it is being tested through us.

So will we leave its defence to the honourable Palestinians alone? Or will we seek a share of the honour in its eventual liberation? Because let me say this, liberated it will be. That is the promise of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla).

The only question is do you want to be a part of it? If yes, rise up, speak the truth, demand accountability, and work toward the unity this Ummah needs to protect it.

Source: Islam21c

Notes

[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/9/what-do-texan-red-heifers-have-to-do-with-al-aqsa-and-a-jewish-temple