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Ibn al-Jawzi

Tarikh Bayt al-Maqdis

Author died
597 AH
Editions
Maktabat al-Thaqāfah al-Dīniyyah

Tarikh Bayt al-Maqdis (The History of Jerusalem), also known as Fada'il Bayt al-Maqdis and Fada'il al-Quds, is a religious and historical treatise by the Hanbali polymath Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH / 1201 CE) detailing the virtues, sacred history, landmarks, and religious merits of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Title and Manuscripts

Sources record variations in the work's title. Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi in Mir'at al-Zaman, Ibn al-'Imad in Shadharat al-Dhahab, and Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli in al-A'lam cite it as Fada'il al-Quds, which is also the title inscribed on the manuscript preserved at Princeton University. In contrast, Nasir al-Din Ibn al-Furat records the work in his chronicle as Fada'il Bayt al-Maqdis, matching the title found on manuscript copies at the Chester Beatty Library and the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya).

Purpose and Structure

Ibn al-Jawzi states in his introduction that he composed the book in response to a request from certain residents of Jerusalem who asked him to compile a work on the city's virtues, arranging the material into topical chapters in search of divine reward. The treatise is divided into twenty-seven chapters:

  1. The virtue of the Holy Land.
  2. The virtue and mention of the mountain upon which Jerusalem is situated.
  3. The establishment and origins of Jerusalem.
  4. The ancient wonders that once existed within it.
  5. The religious merit of Jerusalem.
  6. The merit of visiting Jerusalem.
  7. The reward for performing prayer in it.
  8. The multiplication of good and evil deeds committed therein.
  9. The merit of residing in Jerusalem.
  10. Jerusalem as one of the three sanctuaries to which journeys are undertaken.
  11. The graves of the prophets, the mihrab of David, and the spring of Silwan.
  12. Historical destruction and plunder suffered by the city.
  13. Moses's expedition toward the Holy Land.
  14. Joshua's conquest of Jerusalem.
  15. The Prophet Muhammad's prayer facing Jerusalem as the initial qibla.
  16. The Prophet's Night Journey (Isra') to Jerusalem and what he witnessed.
  17. The conquest of Jerusalem by Umar ibn al-Khattab and his prayer within it.
  18. Later historical events and tribulations that befell the city.
  19. Notable figures and scholars who stayed and resided in Jerusalem.
  20. Angels, ascetics, and devout worshippers associated with the sanctuary.
  21. The eschatological gathering of humanity (al-hashr) taking place from Jerusalem.
  22. The virtues of the Sacred Rock.
  23. The merit of praying beside the Sacred Rock.
  24. The rock upon which Solomon stood after completing the construction.
  25. The ascension to heaven (Mi'raj) from the site.
  26. The reward for assuming pilgrim sanctity (ihram) for Hajj or Umrah from Jerusalem.
  27. The eschatological visitation of the Ka'ba to the Rock on the Day of Resurrection.

Editions

The work was edited under the title Fada'il al-Quds by Jibra'il Sulayman Jabbur and published by Dar al-Afaq al-Jadida in Beirut (first edition in 1979; second edition in 1980).

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