Arabic → English transcript

The main point today: Does Jerusalem have any religious significance for the Shia?

In Iran, there has been a distortion of facts, a distortion of facts,

religious and historical facts. In Shia thought, and in Shia jurisprudence

and Shia doctrine,

we have something called Al- Aqsa Mosque,

the one to which the Prophet was carried

may God’s prayers be upon him and his family on the Night of Isra and Mi’raj,

he was carried from the Sacred Mosque to Al- Aqsa Mosque. Imam al- Sadiq,

peace be upon him, is asked: Where is Al- Aqsa Mosque? Is it the one in Palestine?

He said: No, it is

in the fourth heaven. For the Shia, there is no Al-

Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. That one in Palestine is not called Al- Aqsa Mosque.

So when they named it now, what is that name? Isn’t it“ Al- Aqsa Flood”? Isn’t it“

prayer in Al- Aqsa”? Isn’t it“ liberating Al- Aqsa”? We, as Shia, the

eminent scholar, the investigator, the mujtahid— may

God have mercy on him and sanctify his soul—

Sayyid Ja’far Murtada,

the author of the book“ The Tragedy of al- Zahra,”

Sayyid Ja’far Murtada said— he is a Shia

researcher trusted by all the religious authorities, even trusted by Khamenei, pay

attention, meaning Khamenei trusts what he says. What did he say in his book?

He said,“ Al- Aqsa Mosque is in the fourth heaven.”

And he rejected the narration attributed to

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, they said to him,“ Is prayer in Bayt al- Maqdis better

than prayer in al- Masjid al- Haram, or is it at the same level?”

Imam Ali said to them:

“ The Mosque of Kufa is better than it.” The Mosque of Kufa,

the one that exists now in Iraq, is better than Bayt al- Maqdis. Better than Bayt

al- Maqdis. So the war today

to reclaim… Iran,

the Iranian regime wanted to call Bayt al- Maqdis‘ Al- Aqsa Mosque,’

and give us all these flashy slogans,‘ And we will pray in Al- Aqsa.’