Ebrahim Moosa – Radio Islam | 20 July 2016

The last third of this Ramadan witnessed an ominous development at Masjid al Aqsa: Break-ins by messianic Zionist settlers, common throughout the year, were commenced for the first time ever during the spiritually charged last 10 days.

The Palestinian defenders of the Masjid did not take to this escalation lightly and were activated to defend the Masjid with their bodies and voices, as well as whatever makeshift projectiles they could assemble. A series of running battles in the Masjid with soldiers of the Israeli Occupation ensued, until Israel – sensing the volatility of the situation – opted to cease settler visits to the Masjid for the remainder of Ramadan.

Striking images of the Israeli assault on the Masjid – the chaos and pandemonium, and the Qibli Musallah besieged – were beamed across the Muslim World, once again highlighting to the Ummah the grave dangers facing the first qiblah.

But this series of violent encounters was not the only ominous development emanating from al Quds this Ramadan.

Late in June 2016, the Israeli Magistrate’s Court in Occupied Jerusalem indicted a young Muslim man for chanting “Allahu Akbar” or “Allah is the Greatest” at Masjid al Aqsa.

Shouting “Allahu Akbar” at the Masjid is illegal and constitutes a disturbance of the peace, the judge ruled, according to the Hebrew news site nrg .

“Past experience in Israel has taught us that the commonly used chant for something other than prayer often accompanies riots and sometimes leads to physical violence and terrorism,” the judge said.

The ruling emanated from a five-year-old case involving Saher Ghazzawi, a Palestinian who was detained by Israeli police after he chanted “Allahu Akbar” in opposition to an incursion of a group of Jews at the holy site.

Lawyer Ramzi Kteilat who pleaded for the 37-year-old Ghazawi, from Nazareth, told the Palestinian Information Center that the Israeli court had criminalized the Muslim chant “Allahu Akbar” as an act of incitement. He slammed the verdict which outlawed Muslim chants in the presence of Israeli settlers, but added that other court hearings were expected to be held over the shocking rule issued against Ghazawi.

“The verdict sparks incitement more than Ghazawi does,” Kteilat further stated, raising concerns over the serious repercussions of the verdict. He dubbed the court rule a politicized decision and one that has no legal basis.

Commenting on the verdict, Ghazawi said it rather fuels tension at al-Aqsa and triggers rioting. “Saying ‘Allahu Akbar’ is a ritual that brings us closer to Allah. Nobody has the right to infringe our freedom of worship, particularly in Muslims’ the al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Ghazawi.

Ghazawi’s case dates back to September 21, 2011, when Israeli settlers broke into Masjid al Aqsa while Muslim worshipers kept chanting Allahu Akbar in protest at the move. Ghazawi was arrested on the same day and was subjected to psycho-physical violence by the Israeli forces. The Israeli occupation authorities locked him up for 24 hours before the Magistrate’s court slapped on him a ban from al-Aqsa.

In his ruling, the Israeli judge pronounced that chanting “Allahu Akbar during prayer, at a site of prayer and in the spot in the prayer [book] where it is called for does not constitute a breach of the peace, but a fundamental right. However, when those calls are used as a form of demonstration or protest, or as a way of creating a riot or unrest, they do not constitute prayers and are therefore a clear disturbance of the peace.” This, he said, is particularly true of the politically charged and sensitive ‘Temple Mount’[Masjid al Aqsa], which, he claimed, was at the “center of controversy and conflict between peoples and religions”. Any attempt to inflame the atmosphere there, he said, could be considered a provocation.

Drawing strength from Allah

Finding themselves lacking in physical means to thwart the almost daily Zionist incursions into Masjid al Aqsa, Palestinians who frequent the Masjid say Allahu Akbar is the spiritual weapon they resort to, to repel plans to erase Muslim identity and divide the Masjid.

As soon as the Mourabitoun and Mourabitat – male and female Palestinian defenders of Al Aqsa –see Israeli settlers or their guards walking around the mosque, they instantaneously start chanting “Allahu Akbar.”

They do this at great personal risk, doing their best to hide their faces and other distinguishing features, as Israeli forces photograph and videotape them, and as soon as any are identified they will be banned from entering the Masjid.

Men were at the forefront of this resistance previously, but the harsh treatment they faced has led to women playing a much more prominent role of late. Some men were arrested, others beaten up. Scores havealso been banned by Israel – for varying periods, for their peaceful resistance to the settler break-ins at the Masjid. Of those that are still allowed, the Takbir has become a popular means of defence.

“The entry of settlers into al-Aqsa is inciteful; this is what causes problems,” says Zeina Amro, a teacher and guide at Masjid al Aqsa, who has now been banned from the Masjid for her chanting of the Takbir. “If you come in [flanked by security forces], you are coming to fight. You are coming for battle. All we do is call out ‘Allahu Akbar‘,” she said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Latife Abdellatif, a female Palestinian resident of Jerusalem also banned from coming to al Aqsa, is outraged that the Israeli army prevents them from saying “Allahu Akbar” on mosque grounds.

“These words mean ‘God is Great’. Why is saying them punishable? What’s next? They have already forbidden men under 50 to attend the mosque. They banned women from coming here,” Latife said.

Abdallah, a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem, who is banned by the age restriction from visiting Al-Aqsa, explains: “When we say “Allahu Akbar” we remind ourselves of the presence of the Almighty in our lives to encourage each other when we are in distress or scared, and when we need to be reminded of what really matters. These words are not meant to threaten the others. But somehow they do feel threatened by them.”

Profound Echoes

According to historians, the words of the Takbir were the first to echo across al Quds when Sayyidina Umar ibn Al Khattab liberated it for Islam in 638CE.

“After a long journey of 42 nights – a long journey – as soon as he took the first glimpse of Jerusalem, he cheered Allahu Akbar,” says acclaimed researcher Dr. Saud Abu Mahfoudh.

Historians suggest the location where this profound call was made, is now called Jabal Mukabbir(The Mountain of Takbir) in the great Khalif’s honour.

This pioneering chant, Dr Abu Mahfoudh says, was coupled with awe-inducing sight of the 35 000 Muslim soldiers, who were laying siege to the city, all joining the Khalif in Takbir.

Al Quds subsequently also witnessed another mighty chant of the Takbir, this time by Sayyidina Bilaal RA – the muezzin of the Messenger SAW – as part of the historic Athaan he called out at Masjid al Aqsa. This heralded the first time he had done so since the demise of the Messenger of Allah, SAW. Due to his extreme reverence and love for the Prophet of Allah, Sayyidina Bilaal RA had declined all previous requests to raise the call to prayer prior to arriving at al Quds.

Comments Dr Abu Mahfoudh,“Umar RA entered Jerusalem not with weapons, fighter bombers of guns, but with Takbeer: Allahu Akbar! This is a weapon. We begin our Salaah with Allahu Akbar, we move between Rak’aat with Allahu Akbar, we throw the stones in Mina with Allahu Akbar, we begin our Tawaaf around the Ka’bah with Allahu Akbar, we begin our Sa’ee with Allahu Akbar, we climb mountains with Allahu Akbar, we fight, with Allahu Akbar, we make peace, with Allahu Akbar – Allahu Akbar is the secret word of the dignity of every Muslim”.