Al-Aqsa Mosque and NOT the Noble Sanctuary Nor the Third Haram
This is because Al-Aqsa Mosque is not a sanctuary. In Islam, there are only two sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina. No other place has the designation of “sanctuary”, which carries special juristic injunctions ordained by Allah, such as the prohibition of killing wild game. However, denying Al-Aqsa Mosque the status of a “sanctuary”, we are not belittling its significance. It has many virtues established in the Quran and Sunnah, foremost among which is the Barakah (blessing). Allah said: “Glory be to Him (Allah) who did take His Servant (Mohammad) for a journey by night from Al Masjid Al Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Mecca) to Al Masjid Al-Aqsa (Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem) whose precincts We did bless”. It is also the first of the two Qiblahs (the direction of prayer), the second mosque on earth after Kaabah, and the third holiest mosque to which Muslims are encouraged to travel. In fact, the use of the inaccurate name, Haram, coupled with the use of another inaccurate reference to the southern congregational prayer hall of Al-Aqsa Mosque (Al-Qibly Prayer Hall) as “Al-Aqsa”, may further Jewish claims for other parts of this holy compound. Occupation authorities in Jerusalem are currently trying to limit Muslim rights to that building, claiming that other buildings and courts are not parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Buraq Wall and NOT the Wailing Wall
Al-Buraq Wall is the part of the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque where Prophet Mohammed -peace be upon him- tied his winged steed, Al-Buraq, during his night journey to Al-Aqsa. It is located near the Magharba Gate of Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, Jews and some Christians, while falsely claiming that it is part of their so called “Temple”, have made a ritual of standing in front of it, and wailing over the power they say was lost to Muslims. Despite the lack of a shred of proof to support these claims, they have turned it into a Jewish shrine since occupation in 1967, and have been conducting so-called archeological excavations beneath it as well as other walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque, in preparation for laying hands over the whole Mosque.

Al-Qibly Prayer hall is just PART of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Many Muslims are used to associating the name “Al-Aqsa Mosque” to the building with the grey dome, located in the southern part of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. However, the correct name for that building is Al-Qibly Prayer hall, as it is located nearer to the Qiblah. In fact, this is a most significant part, but not the whole, of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which spans 144,000 square meters. In addition to this building, Al-Aqsa compound includes several other buildings and monuments, such as the Dome of the Rock located at its centre, as well as open courts; all that are surrounded by the wall located in the South East corner of the walled city of Jerusalem.

Marwani Prayer hall and NOT Solomon’s Stables
Jews, as well as Crusaders who used it as a stable for horses, name the vast area that lies just below the paved courtyard in the southeast part of Al-Aqsa Mosque “Solomon’s stables”. They try to lead people into believing that the structure is part of the so-called “temple” they attribute to Solomon -peace be upon him, allegedly supporting their false claims. (The fact is that Solomon -peace be upon him- was one of the prophets of Islam). In reality, archeologists have established that this part of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which had long been known as the Eastern Basement, was built by the Umayyads, as they were restoring Al-Aqsa Mosque, leveling its sloppy terrain, and constructing some of its main buildings such as Al-Qibly Prayer hall. In recent years, Muslims managed to open that basement for prayers, and it came to be known as the Marwani Prayer hall.

Ribat Al-Kurd and NOT the Little Wailing Wall
The wall of Ribat Al-Kurd is another part of the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, just as the famous Buraq wall. It is located at the Iron Gate of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the “ribat” itself was used as a school to house military volunteers, called the murabitun. Following 1967’s occupation of East Jerusalem, Zionists occupied the whole area of Ribat Al-Kurd, and called it “the Little Wailing Wall”, as part of their claims for Al-Aqsa Mosque. Later they turned it into a religious school and a synagogue, while Jewish organizations had been encouraging visits to this site especially during Jewish holidays, in order to establish their claims to it, just as they did with the Buraq wall. In 1971, Ribat Al-Kurd partially collapsed, due to the excavations carried by occupation authorities underneath it. Following the collapse, the old city of Jerusalem and its walls were declared a UNISCO world heritage site, but occupation authorities still endanger this and other parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Dome of the Rock and NOT the Holy of Holies
The term “Holy of Holies” is used by Jews and some Christians to refer to the most sacred part of their claimed “Jerusalem Temple”, which they assume is located under the Dome of the Rock (which lies at the center of Al-Aqsa Mosque). In fact, the Rock, itself, was the Qiblah of the prophets of the Children of Israel -peace be upon them-, and was also the first Qiblah of Prophet Mohammad -peace be upon him- for nearly 14 years. Moreover, it is presumed that this last prophet ascended into heaven from it. However, it is just another part of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque; being the top part of the Moriah Mount (where Al-Aqsa Mosque lies) and its significance shouldn’t be exaggerated.

For more info, please check:

OurAqsa website at http://www.ouraqsa.com

“Jewish Terms .. Beware of them!”, Issa Al-Qaddoumi, Beit Al-Maqdes Documentary Studies Center  

"The Wall of Al-Bura'q", Jehad Al-Ayesh, Beit Al-Maqdes Documentary Studies Center.