Introduction

The study of a city like Al-Qods, which is a city of special importance to monotheists (Muslims, Christians, and Jews) and non-monotheists alike, poses particular difficulties and obstacles to the scholar. The complexity of the views and accounts is overwhelming, for each of these often corresponds to a different viewpoint ; hence the tens of thousands of studies published throughout the ages and in many languages.

Moreover, many are the passages in the Revealed Books (the Holy Quran, the Bible, and the Torah) about Al-Qods and its importance. Likewise, references to Al-Qods occur in travel literature by both Muslims and non-Muslims, in the memoirs of Christian pilgrims, in geography accounts, and so forth.

However, the major sources that a scholar writing about Al-Qods may refer to can be categorized as follows :

1. The Holy Quran,
2. The Holy Book (the old and the new testaments)
3. Archeological findings, to which we will refer in due time,
4. Travellers' and pilgrims' chronicles ;

The travel chronicles include those written by non-Muslims as well as those by Muslims. Among the great Muslim travellers who visited Al-Qods and wrote about it, one may mention :

* Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad bin Ibrahim, better known by the name of Ibn Battuta (799 A.H./1377 A.D.) ;

* Nâssir Khosrû, the Persian traveller who visited Al-Qods in 438 A.H./1047 A.D. while on a tour in the Islamic world and the holy places of Islam. Among his works is a description of both the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, along with an emphasis on the importance of these to Muslims ;

* Ibn Al-Jawzi Abul-Faraj Abdurrahman (d. 597 A.H./1200 A.D.), author of Muthîr Al-Gharâm ilâ Sâkin ash-Shâm ;

* Abul-Maâli Al-Mushriq bin Al-Marjî, who wrote a book on the beneficial effects of Al-Qods ;

* Al-Wâssiti (500 A.H./1106 A.D.), author of a book on the beneficial effects of living in Ash-Shâm (present-day Syria) ;

* Abu-Sa'd Abdulkarîm, author of a book on various cities of Islam, including Al-Qods ;

* Al-Idrissi (d. 1160 A.D.), who was invited by King Roger II of Sicily and was commissioned by him to write a book on Al-Qods, which work he completed in 1154 A.D. and wherein he described the Mosque of Al-Aqsa as it was in the twelfth century A.D. ;

* Ibn 'Assâkir (d. 600 A.H./1203 A.D.), son of the author of the famous Mu'jam As-siar (Dictionary of Biographies) and author of

Al-Mustaqsâ fî Fadâil Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (An Exhaustive Study of the Benefits of the Mosque of Al-Aqsa) ;

* Ali Al-Harwî (d. 611 A.H./1215 A.D.), who visited Palestine between 1170 and 1174 A.D. while it was under Frank occupation. He wrote a booklet on the city of Al-Qods ;

* Ibn Jubair (d. 614 A.H./1217 A.D.), a great traveller who left various pieces of writing on Al-Qods, which he had visited ;

* Abu-Saîd Abdullah bin 'Assâkir (b. 606 A.H.), author of a book on the good aspects of the Holy city by the title of Fadaail Bait Al-Maqdis ;

* Burhânuddin Ibrahim bin Al-Farkâh (d. 729 A.H./1329 A.D.), author of Ba'âitu An-nufûs ilâ Ziyârat Al-Qods Al-Mahrûs (Spiritual Motives for a Journey to the Protected City of Al-Qods) ;

* Ibn Surûr Al-Maqdissî (d. 765 A.H./1364 A.D.), author of Muthîr Al-Gharâm bi Fadâ'il Al-Qods wa Ash-Shaam (The Source of Passion for the Benefits of Al-Qods and Ash-Shaam), in which he treats the climate of Al-Qods, its boundaries, and its various positive aspects ; and

* Muhiyddîn Abdurrahmân Ahmad Al-Hanbalî Al-'Amrî (d. 928 A.H./1522 A.D.), author of a book by the title of Al-Unsu Al-Jalîl bi Târîkh Al-Qods wa Al-Khalîl (Delights of the History Al-Qods and Al-Khalil). Likewise, upon their visits to Al-Qods, Christian pilgrims both from the West, and from the East, and Jews have, on their side, recorded extensively their impressions of this holy city. Their works were full of admiration and positive at times and critical and negative at others. One may list the following by way of example :

* The Christian pilgrim Burchard, who reached the East in 630 A.H./1232 A.D. He lived in Al-Qods for some time and subsequently published a book by the title of Description of the Holy Land, which describes the location of Al-Qods, its geography, as well as its many sites;

1. Imâm Rashâd, The City of Al-Qods in the Medieval Period, pp. 37-38 (in Arabic).

* De Rothelin, who visited Al-Qods in 660 A.H./ 1261 A.D. and wrote a book on the city, its architecture, its gates, its markets, its houses, and its convents, in particular as well as on the daily life of its inhabitants.

* John Haundville, who arrived in Al-Qods in 722 A.H./1322 A.D. In his book, The Marvellous Adventures of Sir John Haundville, he describes Al-Qods, its holy sites, as well as the habits and customs of its inhabitants ;

* Fra Niccolo, who visited the East, including Al-Qods, between 1346 and 1350 A.D. He visited several Palestinian cities. In his book, Voyage Beyond the Seas, he gives a detailed description of Al-Qods, including its markets, its waterworks, and its orchards and fruits. (1)

V. BIOGRAPHIES

In addition to the works of Christian pilgrims and Muslim travellers, one should point out some of the most outstanding biographies by dignitaries of Al-Qods. A few examples :

* Fawâtul Wafiyât (Traces of Dead Persons), by Muhammad Al-Halabî bin Shâkir Al-Kittî (764 A.H./1363 A.D.). This author gives many details on Al-Qods schools, sanctuaries, scholars, and notables. He also describes the city's monuments and gives an account of the restoring of the Mosque of Al-Aqsa ;

* Ad-Durar Al-Kâmina fî A'Yân Al-Mi'ah Al-Thâmina (The Best Works by Dignitaries of the Eighth Century <A.H.>), by Shihâbuddîn bin Hajar Al-'Asqalân (853 A.H./1449 A.D.). This book contains information that could be found in no other work ;

* Addaw'ul-Lâmi' li Ahl Al-Qarn Attâsi'
(The Shining Light of Ninth-Century <A.H.> People), by Abul-Khaîr Muhammad bin Abdurrahmân As-Sakhâwî (902 A.H./1497 A.D.) ; and

* Nuzum Al-'Oqbân fî A'Yân-il Al-A'Yân, by Jalâluddîn Abu-Bakr As-Sayûti (911 A.H./1505 A.D.). This work gives the biography of many scholars from Al-Qods and sets out their philosophy about beings and things.

2. Abdurrahmân 'Afîf (1984), Al-Qods, pp. 230-31 (Proceedings of the Third International Colloquium on the History of Ash-Shâm (Amman, 1984).

3. Abdurrahmân 'Afîf, Ibid., pp. 230-31

4. Marmarji (1984), Arab Palestine, (Beirut), pp. 242-301.

VI. WORKS ON ISLAMIC HISTORY

Works on Islamic History are many. In addition to those already mentioned, one may point out the history treatises by At-Tabarî, Ibn Al-Athîr, Ibn Al-'Ibrî, and Al-Maqdissî. All these works deal with Al-Qods among other subjects pertaining to the Isalmic world. (2)

VII. GEOGRAPHY BOOKS

Travel literature may be included in this category of geography books, which are very large in number. Some of the best-known Muslim scholars in the area of geographic literature are : Ibn Haouqal Al-Maqdissi, Al-Istakhari, Ibn 'Abd-Rabbih, Ibn Al-Faqîh, and Al-Hamadânî. (3)

One should also point out that Father Marmarjî has assembled in his book, Arab Palestine, the accounts by travellers, geographers, and historians bearing on Al-Qods and particularly on the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, its architecture, its multiple galleries, its extensions, as well as the historical monuments adjacent to it. The following are some of the authors that he quotes in his book :

Al-Ya'qubî (260 A.H./874 A.D.), Ibn Al-Faqîh (290 A.H./903 A.D.), Ibn 'Abd-Rabbih (300 A.H./913 A.D.), Ibn Al-Batrîq (328 A.H./930 A.D.), Al-Maqdissî (375 A.H./985 A.D.), Nâssir Khosrû (438 A.H./1047 A.D.), Al-Bakrî (487 A.H./1094 A.D.), Al-Idrîssi (548 A.H./1154 A.D.), Yâqût (623 A.H./1225 A.D.), Ibn Al-Athîr (630 A.H./1232 A.D.), Abu Al-Fidâ' (721 A.H./1321 A.D.), Al-'Omarî (728 A.H./1347 A.D.), and Mujîruddîn Al-Hanbalî (901 A.H./1496 A.D.). (4)

Additionally, there are many recent works on Al-Qods, the most important of which come as follows : <written in Arabic>

* 'Aref Al-'Aref,
* 'Aref Al-'Aref,
* 'Aref Al-'Aref,
* Mustapha Ad-Dabbâgh,
* Iss-hâq Mustapha Al-Husseinî,

A detailed Study of the History of Al-Qods ;
A History of Al-Qods ;
A History of Al-Aqsa Mosque ;
Our Land Palestine : Beit Al-Maqdiss ;
Al-Qods : An Arab City ;

5. See the bibliographic list, in Arabic and English, prepared by Omar Hamastarî on Al-Qods, available in the Libraries of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Amman : 1981). See also the bibliography by Rashâd Al-Imam, published in the review Shu'ûn Arabiyâ (Arab Affairs), in its special issue on Al-Qods, 1985.

6. This inventory, prepared before 1967, was made possible thanks to the support which the British Institute of Archeology in Al-Qods provided before 1967. After 1967, this Institute transferred part of its activities to Amman, where it was renamed "The British Institute of History and Archeology".

Many studies have been published in the proceedings of the Third International Colloquium on the History of Ash-Shâm which dealt particularly with Palestine. Volume One of these proceedings is entirely devoted to the city of Al-Qods. Also, both the Palestine Encyclopedia and Volume One of the proceedings of the International Conference on the Ancient Monuments of Palestine contain many research papers on the city of Al-Qods. (5)

In addition to the above references, one should point out the large number of more recent documents, the most important of which being on excavations in the holy city and on the damaging of the cultural heritage of Al-Qods by Israeli occupation forces. Some of these documents on Al-Qods deal with such topics as its economic development, its extension, as well as the attempts to judaicize the city and to set up Israeli settlements in it. It should be mentioned that researchers from the British Institute of Archeology have elaborated lists of historical monuments of Al-Qods and that Michael Burgoyne, the renowned historian, has established an inventory of Mameluke constructions in Islamic Al-Qods. (6) Most of these documents are referred to in the citations and in the bibliography.

In spite of the considerable amount of research carried out on the city of Al-Qods, this city still needs further in-depth study which will keep it alive for its inhabitants and for Arabs and Muslims in general.

The Scientific Institutes of Al-Qods ; * Kâmil Al-'Aslî,
Vestiges of Our Past in Al-Qods ;* Kâmil Al-'Aslî,
Our Ancestors in the Cemeteries of Al-Qods ;* Kâmil Al-'Aslî,
Schools in Al-Qods under the Mameluke and Ayyubid Dynasties and their Role in Intellectual Life ; * Abdul-Jalîl Mahdî,
Al-Qods in the Middle Ages ;* Rashâd Al-Imam,
The Treasures of Al-Qods.* Râ'if Najm,