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⚠️ Jummah Returns to Masjid al-Aqsa But At What Cost?
Friday 10 April 2026
After Masjid al-Aqsa was closed for 40 days by decision of the occupation, after the people were deprived of it for five consecutive Jummahs, after they were prevented from praying there throughout the last ten nights of Ramadan and even on Eid al-Fitr, despite thousands striving to reach its gates and facing assault and arrest, it was eventually opened and the people returned.
The number of worshippers who travelled to Masjid al-Aqsa on this day had not been seen since last Ramadan. The Jerusalem Waqf estimated around 100,000 worshippers.
But notice the reality of this Jummah. The Israeli occupation continues to strip away whatever little remains of the role of the Jordanian Waqf within Masjid al-Aqsa, placing its police as a de facto authority over one of the most sacred places in Islam.
Heavily armed Israeli patrols were imposed across the entire Masjid. In the area outside the Dome of the Rock, in front of the Qibli Musalla, in the eastern areas, and in nearly every direction, intelligence units and armed border police moved freely, before the khutbah, during it, and even throughout the Jummah salah.
In 1967, following the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, salah returned to Masjid al-Aqsa on the understanding that all occupation forces would withdraw before the Adhan was called. That reality has been eroded slowly over time. These patrols first appeared on 13 March 2024 for the first time since the occupation began. Today, after the prolonged closure, they have expanded further, violating even the sanctity of the khutbah and the salah of Jummah itself.
Women in the area of the Dome of the Rock were forced to move repeatedly during the Khutbah by Israeli police.
The constant presence of Israeli patrol units inside Masjid al-Aqsa acts as surveillance over the khateeb, ensuring that Gaza is not mentioned, that du‘a is not made for the oppressed, and that the aggression of the occupation is not spoken about from the minbar.
So yes, Masjid al-Aqsa has been opened, but it remains under ongoing attempts of Judaization, open in form, but controlled in reality. Its Islamic administration has been reduced to fragments, and what we are witnessing is the reshaping of authority over Masjid al-Aqsa.
Do not be deceived by the word “opening.”
The true opening of Masjid al-Aqsa is when it is returned fully to its people, free, honoured, and under no authority but that which preserves its sanctity.
Until then, your responsibility remains to hold firm to your du‘a. Strengthen your connection. Keep the cause of Masjid al-Aqsa alive in your homes, your conversations, and your communities. Make it a priority in your heart, and honour it with your presence whenever you are able.
#HandsOffAlAqsa
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