We sometimes come across a claim that arises from wrong information in some atheist forums and discussion groups. According to this claim; the Al-Aqsa Mosque mentioned in the 1^st verse of Isra Surah in Quran has been built after the revelation of Quran. So they claim that Quran was written after the death of Prophet Mohammed.

What is the reality?.. Let us check it.

If we analyze the meaning of the mentioned verse:

Subhânellezî esrâ bi abdihî leylen minel mescidil harâmi ilel mescidil aksallezî bâreknâ havlehu li nuriyehu min âyâtinâ, innehu huves semîul basîr(basîru).

1. subhâne : he is complete without any missing
   2. ellezî : he
   3. esrâ bi : walk at night
   4. abdi-hî : his slave
   5. leylen : at night
   6. min el mescidi el harâmi : From the Grand Mosque
   7. ilâ el mescidi el aksa : To Al-Aqsa Mosque/ to the farhest place of prostration
   8. ellezî : he
   9. bâreknâ : we made fortunate and fruitful
   10. havle-hu : its surrounding
   11. li nuriye-hu : to show him
   12. min âyâti-nâ : from our verses
   13. inne-hu : for sure he
   14. huve es semîu el basîru : he is the one that sees and hears the best
   Meaning of 1st verse in Isra Surah:

Interpretation of Edip Yüksel

In order to show some of his verses he takes his slave from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to the farthest mosque (place of prostration) at night. He is the one who sees and hears the best.
Interpretation of Mustafa Sağ

Allah who owns all of the power, in order to show his verses which cannot be perceived by the mind, took his slave Mohammed one night from his house beside the Holy Mosque Kabe to the Al-Aqsa Mosque/the farthest place of prostration which he made its surrounding fortunate. Allah sees and hears everything.

There are also interpretations written under the effect of sources out of Quran taking the meaning of the word Al-Aqsa Mosque mentioned in Quran as a mosque or region instead of ‘’the farthest place of prostration’’.

These interpretations take the word in the verse as a name and disregard its meaning. This is a very wrong method. The word “aqsa” in Arabic means far. Just as the word “edna” in the 3^rd verse of Rum Surah means “near”, this verse also mentions about the place. This word also should be taken into consideration with its meaning not its name.

Since a verse calls the area near another verse cannot call it far, so the verse does not mention about the place where Al-Aqsa Mosque is found, which is Jerusalem.

These interpretations are also wrong in principle. There cannot be a near mosque in a far place.

So the place mentioned in the 1^st verse of Isra Surah is not Al-Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem).

The Prophet which had Isra, night walk, was not taken to Jerusalem but was taken to the farthest place of prostration and he witnessed some marvelous revelations there. The 17^th and 18^th verses of Necm Surah mention about this fact.

Necm surah 17 and 18

The eye did not deviate, did not pass the limit.
Saw the marvelous revelations of Allah.

So there is no any contradiction or mistake in Quran just as some people claim…

Short historical information;

We saw the meaning of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Quran. Then what is the history of the Al-Aqsa Mosque found in Jerusalem today? Why did they build a mosque here and name it after the term mentioned in Quran?

The answer of this question will help us understand the logic of the atheist claims. In the Hijri 90. Years (Gregorian 709-714), the Emevi Abdulmelik bin Mervan announced his caliphate as an alternative to the Calipha Abdullah Bin Zubeyr in Medina. In order to prevent his people from going to pilgrimage and getting effected from this unified person, he built a glorious mosque in Jerusalem that includes the suspending stone too. He ordered his people not to visit Mecca and Medina for pilgrimage and to visit the Kubbet-us Sahra which is located in the area defined as Al-Aqsa Mosque and was announced by him as an alternative to Kabe.

So the construction of a mosque called Al-Aqsa is as a result of a concept that contradicts with Quran. So it is very wrong to try to find contradiction in Quran based on a mosque that was built after the death of the Prophet…

The Al-Aqsa that is mentioned in Quran can be taken into consideration as a mosque that used to be in that area instead of the mosque that is found today. This alternative cannot be disregarded too. Because there are archeological findings showing that there was a mosque near the Wailing Wall.
But with both of the meanings, it is obvious that there is no contradiction or mistake in Quran..

Allah knows the right…