as mentioned in “Surah al-Baqarah.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims then prayed facing the Kaaba, which became their direction of prayer. It was also the direction of prayer of Abraham and other prophets.

Anyone who today adopts the Rock as his direction of prayer and prays facing it is an unbeliever and apostate. He is to be called upon to repent and, unless he does so, put to death. This is despite its having once been the direction of prayer, for that was abrogated. What, then, of someone who makes it a place to circumambulate as the Kaaba is circumambulated? Allah has never prescribed circumambulation around anything other than the Kaaba.

The same applies to someone who intends to drive sheep or cattle there to slaughter them, believing that offering the Eid sacrifice there is better; to shave his head there on Eid; or to travel there to perform the ‘Arafah observance on the afternoon of the Day of ‘Arafah. These practices—imitating the pilgrimage rites in Jerusalem through standing, circumambulation, sacrifice, and shaving the head—are religious innovations and deviations. Anyone who does any of these things believing it to be a means of drawing closer to Allah is to be called upon to repent and, unless he does so, put to death. This is just as if he prayed facing the Rock, believing that facing it in prayer was a means of drawing closer to Allah, like facing the Kaaba.

For this reason, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb built the Muslims’ prayer hall at the front of al-Aqsā Mosque. The name “al-Aqsā Mosque” refers to the entire mosque built by Solomon, peace be upon him. Some people have come to use the name al-Aqsā for the prayer hall that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, built at its front. Prayer in this hall, which ‘Umar built for the Muslims, is better than prayer elsewhere in the mosque. For when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb