Islam and Peace
The Policy of Peace in Islam How to attain normalcy in Jerusalem
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domination of the idolatrous Quraysh. In spite of
that, the Prophet and his companions came to
Mecca from Medina to spend three days there to
perform Umrah (the minor pilgrimage) and the
circumambulation of the Ka’bah. This was possible
solely because the Prophet did not mix worship
with politics. If the Prophet had thought that Umra
could be performed only when Mecca came under
Muslim political rule, he would never have entered
Mecca for worship along with his companions.
In the light of this sunnah of the Prophet, the
solution to the present problem of Jerusalem lies in
separating the issue of worship from that of
political supremacy. Muslims belonging to
Palestine, or any other country, should be able to go
freely to Jerusalem in order to pray to God in the
Aqsa Mosque. Worship should be totally
disassociated from political issues.
To sum it up, the only practical solution to the
problem of Jerusalem, in present circumstances, is
to apply the above principle of Al-fasl bayn al-
qaziyatayn to this matter, that is, to keep the two
aspects of a controversial issue separate from one
