Lebanese Shi'ite Islamic scholar Mohammad Ali Al-Husseini said in a September 22, 2024 interview on Mazeej on YouTube that all Shi'ite religious scholars agree that there is no religious value to Jerusalem or specifically to the Dome of the Rock. He said that no Islamic religious text or tradition exists that ascribes any religious significance to Jerusalem, and any significance that was given to it was due to political circumstances.
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"The City Of Jerusalem Is A Cultural, Multi-Religious, And Historical City... All Shi'ite Religious Scholars Say There Is No Religious Value To Jerusalem"
Interviewer: "What does Palestine mean for Hizbullah?"
Mohammad Ali Al-Husseini: "I am talking about the Shi'ites and Jerusalem, and specifically about the Dome of the Rock. The city of Jerusalem is a cultural, multi-religious, and historical city. I am talking about Jerusalem per se..."
Interviewer: "In the Shi'ite heritage..."
Al-Husseini: "No, I am talking about the Shi'ite faith. All the Shi'ite religious scholars and sources of authority, with no exception, say that there is no religious value to Jerusalem, and that..."
Interviewer: "Is it a Christian city?"
Al-Husseini: "No, Jerusalem... I'm talking about the Dome of the Rock. There is no hadith or quote from the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad about its virtue or status. Moreover, it has no special status in Islam.
"There Is No Shi'ite Significance To Jerusalem, And Specifically To The Dome Of The Rock"
"This was a political issue between Ibn Zubayr and Ibn Marwan... Ibn Zubayr took over Mecca and the hajj pilgrimage, so Ibn Marwan..."
Interviewer: "Wanted something in return."
Al-Husseini: "Right. So he instated the hajj and the circling of the Dome of the Rock. In any case, this has been exploited politically. So there is no mention and no special status is given in the Shi'ite books... I asked for a fatwa about this from the sources of authority. There is no Shi'ite religious significance to Jerusalem, and specifically to the Dome of the Rock."
