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Shrine: Dome of the Rock Dome of the Rock – one of the earliest works of Islamic architecture. Addressed is the shaping of the pluralistic sacrality of the Dome of the Rock through exploration and analyses of its details. Foundation Stone ascends the inquirer onto literary, spiritual and religious j...

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Shrine: Dome of the Rock Dome of the Rock – one of the earliest works of Islamic architecture. Addressed is the shaping of the pluralistic sacrality of the Dome of the Rock through exploration and analyses of its details. Foundation Stone ascends the inquirer onto literary, spiritual and religious journey. From the analyses of the interior elements of the Dome of the Rock into an exterior architectural and scriptural narrative. This experience contains duality of analytical exploration and the reader’s travel from the inner centrality of space into the outer perception of this sacred space.

Title: Shrine: Dome of the Rock Author: Daria Kotova Private release date: December 17, 2017 Public release date: December 22, 2017 Release date: October 11, 2019 Released with minor spelling and grammar revisions insignificant to the contents and meanings of this paper.

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Shrine: Dome of the Rock

Shrine: Dome of the Rock Table of Contents Foundation Stone ………………………………………………………………………………….. 1 i.

Interior ………………………………………………………………………………. 2

ii.

Exterior ……………………………………………………………………………… 4

iii.

Qubbat al-Sakhrah ………………………………………………………………… 4

Contradictions ………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Dome of the Rock – Qubbat al-Sakhrah [1] – one of the earliest works of Islamic architecture. Addressed is the shaping of the pluralistic sacrality of the Dome of the Rock through exploration and analyses of its details. Foundation Stone ascends the inquirer onto literary, spiritual and religious journey. From the analyses of the interior elements of the Dome of the Rock into an exterior architectural and scriptural narrative. This experience contains duality of analytical exploration and the reader’s travel from the inner centrality of space into the outer perception of this sacred space. Sacred space of numerous contradictions. Perceptions are contradictory in themselves: Isaac or Ishmael [2], divinity of Christ or its rejection inscribed in the mosaic, Islamic scholarly divided conclusiveness of the ascendance of the Prophet Muhammad either from the Dome of the Rock or from the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Foundation Stone The Foundation Stone – Shetiya – serves as the bases for the Dome of the Rock containing sacred significance to the Muslims and the Jews alike. In Islam considered the space of the Mi’raj of the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey. Preceded by al-Isra, that is considered primarily spiritual unbounded by space and time journey. Therefore, also unbounded by the distance between Makkah and Jerusalem where Muhammad was taken upon a Buraq – winged horse, led there by Archangel Gabriel to ascend through the seven heavens and appear before God. While some Prophet’s companions agreed for al-Isra – perceived miraculous occurrence – to have taken place physically and spiritually, it is the Mi’raj 1 2

Arabic for Dome of the Rock Ismā'īl in Islam. Prophet (nabi) and an ancestor of Muhammad. [1]

Shrine: Dome of the Rock

that is considered the bodily and spiritual experience according to the mainstream Islamic tradition. Received its special significance due to being special miracle granted to the Prophet. The mi’raj of the believer according to hadith is the canonical prayer (salat), however it is Muhammad who had the privilege of ascent through body and spirit. Considered to have left from the immediate surrounding of the Ka’bah – sanctuary – and arriving at the Farthest Mosque [3] as part of the Night Journey. The Farthest Mosque being of controversy between the mosque built in Jerusalem in the 1st century AD, alternatively the 7th century CE, or the precincts of the Jerusalem Temple [4], because “it was the farthest sacred place visited by the Prophet and the farthest place he prayed during his lifetime [5]”. (The Study Qur’an, pg. 694-695, 17:1 commentary) There Muhammad narrated to have had an encounter with prophets of the past, angels, and God. Simultaneously the Foundation Stone is of sacrality to the Jews. Considered to be the place where Abraham [6] was put to another test – nothing similar to any other preceding in his lifetime or in lifetime of his descendants – to sacrifice his son Isaac [7], narrated as dearest of all in Abraham’s life [8]. Abraham decided to do upon God’s request. As questionable as it could be [9] – to carry out the sacrifice of his son without doubt – which he had to do upon deciding to follow God’s order that contradicted all Abraham knew of God. “Does the Most Hight want for the death of a human? Is that what for the world was created?” (Torah, pg. 101-102, Bereshit 22:1 commentary) The Foundation Stone is the space where Abraham rose his hand against his son for the angel of God to stop him. [10] Encyclopædia Britannica details, “Below the dome a portion of the sacred rock is exposed and protected by a railing. A stairway leads to a natural cave beneath the surface of the rock.” i.

Interior

Interior of the Dome of the Rock decorated with marble, mosaics, metal plaques. Important to remember of the exclusion of any representation of human or animal forms. “Instead Arabic script and vegetal patterns intermixed with images of items such as jewels and crowns.” 3

Translates as al-masjid al-aqsa Destroyed by Romans in 70 CE 5 “… during his lifetime as a prophet.” 6 ʾIbrāhīm in Islam 7 Isḥāq in Islam 8 Does not negate, but Isaac in the Torah narrated – your son, your favored one as exemplified through Bereshit 22:2 in context of Bereshit 17:17-21. 9 Could and often questioned whenever understanding, that even to Abraham was questionable, approached from variety of positions … depending on secular or religious, understanding of functioning of God in the world, and so on. Overall sages’conclusion of later discontinuance of prophets, removed religious legitimization of acts of similar nature at the present time. 10 Bereshit 22:11-12 4

[2]

Shrine: Dome of the Rock

(Encyclopædia Britannica)

Not uncommon motifs in Islam however could also be contemplated for their symbolic meaning. “Mosaics are similar in technique to those found in Byzantine public buildings and churches.” (Encyclopædia Britannica)

The octagonal arcade contains numerous inscriptions of One God – Merciful and Compassionate, His servant Muhammad, and other elements of religious Islamic teachings. Oleg Gabar introduces inclusion of inscriptions from the following ayat in the Qur’an: 64:1 and 57:2, 33:54, 4:171-172, 19:33-36, 3:18-19 (Gabar, pg. 91). Inner inscriptions inclusively mentioned to contain the teaching from Sura 4 Aya 171 that states, “O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion, nor utter anything concerning God save the truth. Verily the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of God, and His Word, which He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and say not “Three.” Refrain! It is better for you. God is only one God; Glory be to Him that He should have a child. Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth, and God suffices as a Guardian.” (The Study Qur’an, pg. 267) This could be considered a clarification of the role of Jesus [11], a respected prophet (nabi), however not to be exaggerated to an extent of divinity and for the people not to divert into idea of Trinity. “The inscription is also an essential vector in the building, in the sense that it establishes a clock-wise movement from the south to the west and ending up in the south again, if one begins with the outer face of the octagon, and a counterclockwise movement if one follows the inscription from the inner face.” (Gabar, pg. 93) Moreover, should be mentioned the visibility and the readability of the inscriptions primarily under the sun light or when some other light is directed on it to illuminate the scripture. “The script is a very handsome angular Kufic known from several other Umayyad official monuments.” (Gabar, pg. 90) In addition, inner of the Dome of the Rock contains mihrab that sets direction towards Ka’bah in Makkah – the direction for Muslim prayer. Jacob Lassner inquires into the overall Prophet Muhammad’s and his companions’ imagination of Jerusalem. Consideration of the attempt to divert from the direction of Makkah seems to be hereby of certain concern since the mihrab reminds of the contrary. Furthermore, the Prophet’s perception according to Lassner provides no reason to consider it of any other significance than of the city that is holy and recognized with consideration for its relation to the Jews [12] and the Christians [13]. While the element of temporary prayer towards Jerusalem should be remembered based on the Qur’anic guidance, “Aside from indications that Muslims originally prayed toward Jerusalem (ulat alqiblatayn), there seems to be no explicit references in Muslim scripture that Muhammad and his 11

Isa in Islam Jews perceived as inaccurately diverting from the prophets. In Islamic understanding the last prophet and the Seal of the Prophets is Muhammad with consideration of including other earlier prophets declined by the Jews. 13 Christians are perceived as diverted by the excessive accentuation of the Christ and divinity understandings, as well as the issue of Trinity. While should be considered overall later monotheistic agreement within Christianity, resolving the tension of Trinity. Christ did not reduce to the role of the prophet who he is respectably perceived as in Islam. 12

[3]

Shrine: Dome of the Rock

companions embraced the ancient city as a locus of veneration.” (Lassner, pg. 27) Initially mihrab in Muslim scripture referred to the court, generally understood as David’s “sanctuary” in Jerusalem. Nonetheless, “Whatever special status might have accrued to the holy city at the outset of Muhammad’s mission was tarnished by reorienting the direction of Muslim prayer from Jerusalem toward Mecca and, more generally, by stressing the importance of Arabia as the crucible in which monotheism was formed for the benefit of humankind.” (Lassner, pg. 28) As the result accentuating the Qur’an’s narration of Abraham – first monotheist – and Ishmael [14] establishing Ka’bah as place of prayer and religious ritual. Rendering direction at Jerusalem as a questionable invention, neither supported in this case nor in other cases whereby in spaces of any Muslim religious expression direction is qibla – towards Ka’bah in Makkah is obligatory. The atmosphere inside the Dome of the Rock is complemented by the windows circling the upper segment of the shrine. Movement of the sunlight provides natural illumination to the scripture. 52 windows in total, corresponding to the 52 weeks in a year. ii.

Exterior

Dome of the Rock was built with overall elaborate architectural considerations, thoroughly examined by Oleg Gabar. Whereby mentioning of the “carefully conceived geometric grid, the architects introduced variations intended to produce two visual effects” (Gabar, pg. 75). Effects include creation of central empty space with a beam of light shining down from above, the continuity of light movement, “changing direction with the hours of the day, but the windows of the drum and the dome itself are invisible from most of the building”. (Gabar, pg. 77) “On the exterior are five groups of short Qur’anic phrases, each declaring God’s unity and Muhammad’s mission as His messenger; each group is introduced by a basmalah and closed by an ornamental mark – a rosette or star in a square; in addition there is the historical passage, without a hasmalah, but likewise closed by an ornament.” (Kessler, pg. 11 / 14 in PDF) “In the 20th century, damaged interior and exterior ornaments were repaired or replaced, and the dome was given a new gold covering.” (Encyclopædia Britannica) Some clues to the earlier details and inscriptions surrounding the exterior of the dome can be found in the Haram Museum. iii.

Qubbat al-Sakhrah

“Since its construction the Dome of the Rock has been modified several times. One significant restoration, ordered by the Ottoman sultan Suleyman I in the 16th century replaced the exterior mosaics with coloured ceramic tiles.” (Encyclopædia Britannica) What was the purpose and the function of this shrine? Interpretations vary from the historical critical to hypnotized architectural, to cultural and religious. A peculiar matter exemplifies perhaps the middle position, the building of mosques as Muslim sites – as exemplified by the

14

Considered the progenitor of northern Arabs and direct ancestor of Muhammad and his kin [4]

Shrine: Dome of the Rock

mosque in Damascus – to “be unique and a wonder of the world.” (Shalev-Hurvitz, pg. 304) The intentions of this nature were certainly accomplished throughout the lands and the Dome of the Rock is another talkative example.

Contradictions The Dome of the Rock – Qubbat al-Sakhrah – sacred space of numerous contractions. Perceptions are contradictory in themselves. Sacrifice of Isaac or was Ishmael whom Abraham brought into sacrifice? The exegesis (tafsir) of Ibn Kathir on verse (aya) 101 in chapter (sura) 37 or a careful reading of sura 37 ayat 101-102, 103-113 in the Qur’an, as well as other Islamic sources conclude with the sacrifice of Ishmael. Divinity of Christ or cautions and its rejection inscribed in the mosaic? Did Prophet Muhammad ascend from the Dome of the Rock or from the Al-Aqsa Mosque?

Works Implemented and Cited The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Dome of the Rock.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Web. 14 December, .

2017

The Study Quran. A New Translation and Commentary. Ed. Seyyed Hossein Nasr. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2015. Torah. The Pentateuch and Haftorahs. Hebrew Text. Russian Translation and Commentary. Soncino ed. Ed. Dr. J.H. Hertz, C.H. Late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. Moscow: Gesharim, 2001. Grabar, Oleg. The Dome of the Rock. Cambridge, London: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 2006. Lassner, Jacob. Medieval Jerusalem: Forging an Islamic City in Spaces Sacred to Christians and Jews. USA: University of Michigan Press. 2017. Goitein, Shelomo Dov. “The Historical Background of the Erection of the Dome of the Rock.” Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 70, no. 2, 1950, pp. 104–108. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/595539.

[5]

Shrine: Dome of the Rock

Shalev-Hurvitz, Vered. Holy Sites Encircled: The Early Byzantine Concentric Churches of Jerusalem. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2015. Kessler, Christel. “'Abd Al-Malik's Inscription in the Dome of the Rock: A Reconsideration.” The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 1, 1970, pp. 2–14. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25203167.

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