A call from Jerusalem...

Years ago, we were chatting with an elder Palestinian in the courtyard of Masjid al-Aqsa. Since he had visited Türkiye before, he first spoke of his memories of Istanbul and other cities. It was clear from the joy and excitement with which he formed every sentence that he loved us and our country very much. Then the topic turned to tours organized from Türkiye to Jerusalem. On this matter, he put his finger on a detail that I hadn't noticed before: "You greatly value performing Friday prayer at Masjid al-Aqsa, and you are right to do so. But on other days, these places are empty. Why don't you arrange your visits to Jerusalem to also include Mondays and other days? I understand you want to make use of your weekend holiday. However, the main purpose of your coming here should be to fill the city's streets and the rows of al-Aqsa. Moreover, when you come on days other than Saturday and Sunday, everything from flight tickets to hotels is more economical. Please take this into consideration…"

To be honest, until I spoke with this Palestinian elder, I wasn't aware of this aspect of the matter. Performing Friday prayer at Masjid al-Aqsa—yes, that was a beautiful and meaningful motivation. Especially if one had already visited Mecca and Medina, adding Jerusalem to the list and having prayed Friday in the "Three Mosques" seemed important to our people. I found this perfectly natural. But our Jerusalemite elder spoke of an urgent need in the city: Jerusalem needed people and congregation, every single day of the week. The streets, the roads, the mosques and the facilities belonging to Muslims (from hotels to restaurants, markets to shops) must not remain empty and unclaimed. That conversation helped illuminate a very current and vital point concerning Jerusalem and Palestine in my mind.

"Whether it is permissible to visit Jerusalem while under Jewish occupation" is a matter sometimes debated in Islamic circles. Since I first set foot in Jerusalem in 2008, the answer to this question in my mind has been very clear: we must visit Jerusalem. Look, I am not talking about any preference or option; this is an obligation. Not leaving Masjid al-Aqsa and the people of Jerusalem alone and sorrowful is a duty that can never be overlooked today. Everyone who has the means must set out on the road to Jerusalem.

The strongest proof in Islamic history that visiting Jerusalem under current circumstances is not religiously objectionable is the famous visit made by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions to the Kaaba before the conquest of Mecca. For this visit, known as the 'umrah of qada' (make-up pilgrimage) after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, permission for three days—that is, a visa in today's terms—was obtained from the Quraysh polytheists who were the city's rulers at the time, and when the time was up, the Muslims left the city. This shows that the fact that an Islamic city is under someone else's control is not an obstacle to visiting it with their permission. Moreover, here we are talking not about just any person, but about the Prophet and his companions. And it is an indisputable truth that Mecca is more virtuous than Jerusalem.

Regarding the necessity of visiting Jerusalem, there are two further contemporary proofs, and they are as strong and convincing as the historical proof I mentioned above:

From the border crossings onward, every time you interact with the occupiers, especially when they realize you have come from Türkiye, you see that they behave extremely aggressively towards you. Anyone travelling to Palestine has certainly experienced this. So, our visit to Jerusalem disturbs the Zionist occupiers. Whatever disturbs the Zionists is automatically good.

My other proof is the sincere and desperate pleas of the people of Jerusalem, like the one conveyed in the conversation above: "Please come more often. Come not only to perform Friday prayer, but every day of the week. Do not leave us alone, do not leave Jerusalem empty, do not leave al-Aqsa sorrowful!" Honestly, while the Muslims who are bearing the full weight of the occupation there are calling us to Jerusalem, debating from the outside "Is it permissible to go or not?" seems absurd.

Praise be to God, the gates of Masjid al-Aqsa have reopened. Now is the time to show up in Jerusalem to stand guard and declare a Jerusalem mobilization. Yes, it will be hard and challenging. Yes, the occupiers may do everything to keep us from entering through the gate of al-Aqsa. No matter what, Jerusalem has opened its arms and is waiting for us.