About 25,000 performed Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the highest number since October 7 (Al-Jazeera)

Occupied Jerusalem -

 The preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, said during the Friday sermon in Al-Aqsa Mosque that it is part of the Muslim faith and is not subject to bartering and bargaining, calling on all Muslims to assume their responsibilities towards it.

He added, "Al-Aqsa is part of our faith and worship. We do not waste a speck of dust from its pure soil, and under no circumstances should there be any bargaining or bartering over it." He remembered the martyrs of Palestine, praying for mercy for them, and for the prisoners’ imminent relief.

The Mufti of Palestine addressed the memory of the Isra and Mi’raj incident and Al-Aqsa Mosque’s relationship to it, adding that it is “linked to the faith of the entire nation.”

He said that God "has entrusted this (Palestinian) people to be guardians of Jerusalem and its holy sites and of the land of the Night Journey and Mi'raj," pointing to "the brutal aggression that the sons of this patient and stationed people are exposed to there in Gaza, here in Jerusalem, and in every city, village, camp, and countryside."

He continued that the mosque's Islamic identity was determined from above seven heavens so that it would remain a trust in the hands of Muslims, and he called on them "rulers and ruled, countries, movements and peoples, to rise up to their trust and preserve it, otherwise history will write you down in its black pages."

Al-Khatib called on God to bless the Palestinian people with “determination, strength, steadfastness, patience, and adherence to these holy and blessed lands, regardless of the sacrifices.”

He stressed that "Al-Aqsa is for Muslims alone and no one shares it with them." He added, "God placed us in the advanced vanguard of the Muslim nation and to be the first trench to defend its sanctities and dignity."

For the first time since October 7, 2023.. The Islamic Endowments Department in Al-Aqsa reports that more than 25,000 worshipers were able to perform Friday prayers in the #Blessed_Aqsa_Mosque pic.twitter.com/DlUnLJFbfo

- Al Jazeera Net | Quds (@Aljazeeraquds) February 9, 2024

After the end of the Friday prayer, those present prayed the absent prayer for the souls of the martyrs.

According to data from the Department of Endowments and Religious Affairs, about 25,000 performed Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, an unprecedented number since the start of the aggression on Gaza on October 7, as the occupation tightened its procedures around the mosque and restricted access to it.

On Thursday, thousands of Palestinians participated in commemorating the Isra and Mi’raj inside the mosque, as part of a program developed by the Islamic Endowments Department.

The Isra’ is the transition of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, while the Mi’raj is his ascension, may God bless him and grant him peace, from Jerusalem to the seven heavens, and that was before the Hijra.

Source: Al Jazeera