The Palestinian issue is the fundamental pillar of today’s struggle between Truth and Falsehood.
Zionists and the Evangelists they follow are doing everything they can to occupy all of the Palestinian lands.
While today’s false mentality strives to establish a corrupt order not only in Palestine but also throughout the world, it is of great importance for us conscientious people to know the Palestinian cause better.
The series of articles titled “Palestine, the Common Cause of Every Muslim” also serves the purpose of better understanding the Palestinian issue.
Located on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of the lands of Damascus and west of the Asian continent, the Palestinian lands are neighbors to Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the south and southwest…
The Palestinian lands, which look like a long piece of land, are approximately 430 km long from north to south…
Palestine, which has a central and strategic importance; It also has the feature of being a bridge between the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe…
THE OLDEST NAME OF THE REGION IS THE LAND OF CANAAN
While the nations that settled in the geography of Palestine gave this region various names, the area in question is called Palestine today.
The first known name of the lands of Palestine in history is “Land of Canaan”.
The first traces of this naming emerged at the gates of “Amarna Hill”, while the Canaanites, who formed the name of the Land of Canaan, are known as the oldest race that came from the Arab geography and settled in the region approximately four thousand five hundred years ago.
WHY PALESTINE?
The reason for the name of the region called Palestine today is also based on ancient nations.
Accordingly, the name Palestine, derived from the tribes that settled in the region in the pre-Christian era, means the land of the Palestinians.
The information that the Palestinians migrated from Crete or the coasts of Southern Anatolia to the lands of Palestine in the 12th century BC is included in history books.
WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CITIES IN PALESTINE?
Palestine, which has a surface area of approximately 27 thousand square kilometers, experiences a Mediterranean climate in its coastal plains and western elevations.
In regions such as the Negev Desert, Arabah and Jordan valleys of Palestine, a dry and semi-desert climate is dominant.
If we were to list the most important cities of the Palestinian territories, the vast majority of which are under occupation today, the names Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa, Bethlehem, Al-Khalil, Gaza and Jericho stand out.
THE CITY OF OUR STRUGGLE, JERUSALEM
Jerusalem, which is said to have been founded by the Jebusites five thousand years ago, has been the capital of the Palestinian territories since the day it was first established. Jerusalem, which was conquered by Omar (A.S) in the 15th year of the Hijri era, contains important places belonging to Christianity as well as Islam.
Jerusalem, the capital of holiness and taking its name from this holiness, also has the quality of being the first step of the miraculous ascension...
Jerusalem, which was a place where thousands of prophets prayed behind our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) during his miraculous journey, was a place where prophets gathered, is an exceptional city where our first qibla, second mosque and third harem are located...
PROPHET DAVID LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE MASJID AL-AQSA
David (a.s.), who became the leader of the Israelites after Talut, took Quds, which bears the footsteps of many prophets, especially Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon, and made it the capital.
While David laid the foundation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, his son Solomon, who became the ruler after him, completed the unfinished construction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Quds came under the rule of the Roman Empire in 63 BC. The Roman Emperor Constantine became a Christian in 310, made Christianity the state religion with the Milan Edict in 313, and had the Church of the Apocalypse built in Jerusalem in 335.
JERUSALEM REACHES A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT POSITION WITH ISRA AND MI'RAJ
Quds becomes much more important with the Isra and Mi'raj of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Abu Bakr (a.s.) first assigns Amr b. As and then Khalid b. Velid to conquer Palestine.
While Muslims besieged Jerusalem during the time of Omar (a.s.), the city was conquered peacefully.
After receiving the keys to the city, Omar gives the people a written assurance that they will practice their religion in security and peace.
The Umayyads, who later took over Quds , also attach great importance to this place.
Caliph Abdul Malik b. Mervan had a dome built on the large rock (sahara) on which our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) stepped during his ascension to heaven in 691. That is why it is called the Dome of the Rock.
THE CITY IS DESTROYED BY THE CRUSADES
In the Crusades that Europe started in 1099, the Crusaders massacred 60 thousand Muslims in the Al-Aqsa Mosque alone.
At the end of these expeditions, the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem was established and Jerusalem became the capital of this kingdom.
While the Crusaders converted all the buildings in the Al-Aqsa Mosque into churches and chapels, they also turned the Dome of Miraç into a baptismal chamber and the Dome of the Rock into a church.
They placed a bell on the Dome of the Rock and offered the Al-Aqsa Mosque to the use of the Knights Templar.
SULTAN SELIM MAKES THE CITY'S NAME QUDS AL-SHARIF
Selahaddin Ayyubi, who took Quds from the Crusaders in the Battle of Hattin in 1187, erased the traces of the Crusaders from the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Muslim places, gave great importance to the reconstruction and renewal of the city.
Jerusalem, which later came under the rule of the Fatimids and Mamluks, came under Ottoman rule in 1516 with the Battle of Marj Dabiq. After conquering the city, Yavuz Sultan Selim stayed in Jerusalem for two days and changed the name of the city to Quds al-Sharif.
OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES IN PALESTINE
Located on the Mediterranean coast and hosting the most important ports of Palestine, Haifa is a large industrial area. Also hosting an oil refinery, Haifa is currently under Israeli occupation.
Located between Haifa and the Gaza Strip, Jaffa is called the “Bride of the Sea”. The city, whose construction dates back to the Canaanite period, is known to be over five thousand years old. On the other hand, Jaffa also stands out with its orange groves, textile and soap industry.
Bethlehem, which is on the agenda of the city of Jerusalem, also has a very important position in terms of religion.
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, also hosts the “Church of the Nativity”, which is considered sacred by Christians.
Bethlehem is also known for its precious stone, mother-of-pearl and embroidery industry.
Al-Khalil, located south of Bethlehem, is also a very important city in terms of religion…
Al-Khalil, a historical city that hosts the Ibrahimi Mosque, is one of the cities currently under Israeli occupation…
THE CITY SYNONYMOUS WITH RESISTANCE: GAZA
The city of Gaza, which is identified with resistance today, is located in the south of Palestine.
Gaza, one of the most important cities in Palestine for thousands of years, has been on the trade route since ancient times and has been an important trade center.
It is also called "Gazzatu Hashim" because it contains the tomb of Hashim bin Abdi Menaf.
Jericho, located north of the Dead Sea, is also among the most important cities in Palestine. Jericho, one of the most ancient cities in the world with a history of more than ten thousand years, also contains many historical artifacts.