//Conclusion of parts 1, 2, 3
The Quranic evidence weighs the evidence in favour of SJD meaning "to submit/honour/pay respect", "masjid" meaning "time of SJD", "al masjid al haram" meaning "the inviolable time of SJD" (i.e. the term referring to the time-period/event of the inviolable months). This understanding provides a logical, coherent and practical answer throughout, and helps answer some of the most difficult questions in Quran exegesis (e.g. 17:1-8, 17:60, 48:27, 2:142-150).//
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Salamun Alaykum,
I know that this thread has been long ago, but I hope still valid to discuss about this interesting subject.
So let me express my understanding about "al masjidi al harami".
All words of "al masjid" in Al Quran means the land instead of "place of sujud".
All words of “al harami” in Al Quran means treaty or covenant.
To understand about the words of “al masjidi al harami”, we should know that all messengers was came from descendant of Noah, which is also descendant of Adam, and the people to whom the messengers were sent to is the descendant of the people of ark.
God saved Noah and the people of Ark to THE BLESSED LAND, and from them consecutively God sent messengers and annihilated the wicked people.
Among the messengers after Noah, God choose Moses (20:39-41) and his people who night travel with him, and later was called as “israel” (2:47, 2:122), for taking THE COVENANT from them for the purpose that had been decreed, after God had annihilated previous generations.
28:43 We gave Moses the Book, after We had annihilated the earlier generations as "eye opener" for the people, as guidance and mercy that they may take heed.
That is why God made Moses for Himself (20:41), and Moses is the most messenger mentioned in Al Quran. He is the only messenger who God speak directly (7:144).
God delivered His commandment to “israel” that He wanted to send down a light thru “gentile prophet”. Those who follow the light that was sent down with him will be the successful ones (7:156-157).
So, before “the gentile prophet” came with the light (Al Quran), God has prepared the best scenario for the world by involving multi generations.
“Israel” is the representation of the man kind for God took the covenant before sending down Al Quran, and God gave them Torah thru Moses. After them, “bani israel” who spiritual descendant of “israel”, inherit Torah and bound with the covenant that taken by “israel”, and God send to them messengers and scriptures in order for them familiar with God Revelations, just like they recognize their own children (2:146).
God blessed “bani Israel” more than anyone in the world as they will be the witness for the coming of “the gentile prophet”.
Therefore, 17:1 is talking about Moses and not Muhammad.
People of Moses who night travel with him from “al masjidi al harami” to “al masjidi al aqsha”, means that they travel from “the blessed land” (ex the land of people of ark and Noah) to the far land, for taken the covenant.
At the time of Muhammad, the blessed land had became many towns, and the inhabitant of the towns were ordered to be the part of “al masjidi al harami”, as they were bound with the covenant (2:149-150).
Unfortunately, at the time of Muhammad, many of “bani Israel” broke their covenant and they denied Muhammad and Al Quran, even they were divided into Jewish and Christian, except a few of them (3:113).
Therefore, the meaning of “al masjidi al harami” is the blessed land who the inhabitant was bound with the covenant at the time of Muhammad.
“bani Israel” is the descendant of the people of Ark (17:3), so for me, “al masjidi al harami” in Al Quran is just a code for the blessed land (ex people of the ark and Noah), in order for us to know that the land where Muhammad lived was the same land with other messengers.
Kind Regards,
