And should you reflect on its arches and its roof, the deftness of the one who raised them is plain to see.
And when you contemplate the grace of its dome, the very intellect is bewildered by the ribs that support it.
The wind cuts through its openings (1) in swirling gusts, yet the structure stands firm against the storms.
Its floor has been carpeted with marble, so the eye may roam freely over its expanses.
Within it, the gatherings of learning are elegant; hearts are uplifted in their assemblies.
Every gate is provided with a place for ablution, so people feel secure from anyone who might bar their entry.
All make use of its conveniences, and none are turned away from its benefits.
The waters never cease to flow through the channels hewn for them.
Likewise, its marketplace is ever bustling; crowds throng its streets,
finding whatever fruits they desire and whatever merchandise they seek.
It is as though it were a hastened Paradise on earth, were it not for the sudden visitation of calamities.
May it endure—safe despite the spite of foes—and may Allah shield it from crushing blows.

Section: Concerning the relics found therein and the reports transmitted about its virtue by a number of eminent masters

It is related from Qatadah regarding the words of the Exalted:
“By the fig, and the olive, and Mount Sinai, and this secure city” (Quran 95:1–3).
He said: “The fig refers to the mosque of Damascus; the olive to the mosque of Jerusalem; Mount Sinai is the place where Allah spoke to Moses; and ‘this secure city’ is Mecca.” 2

ʿUthman ibn Abi ʿAtikah transmitted from the scholars that they likewise said about His words, “By the fig”: “It is the mosque of Damascus.” This was narrated by Ibn ʿAsakir.

Safwan ibn Salih, from ʿAbd al-Khaliq ibn Zayd ibn Waqid, from his father, from ʿAtiyyah ibn Qays al-Kilabi, said: Kaʿb al-Ahbar declared, “A mosque will be built in Damascus that will remain for forty years after the world is ruined.” 3

Al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated from ʿUthman ibn Abi ʿAtikah, from ʿAli ibn Yazid 4, from al-Qasim Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman, who said: “Allah, Exalted is He, revealed to Mount Qasioun: ‘Grant your shade and your blessing to Mount Bayt al-Maqdis,’ and it did…”