Masjid al-Aqsa: 50 MCQs

1 Masjid al-Aqsa is located in which city?
(a) Makkah (b) Jerusalem
(c) Madinah (d) None of these

2 Jerusalem is also known in Arabic as:
(a) Al-Quds (b) Taif
(c) Najran (d) None of these

3 Masjid al-Aqsa is situated within which historic area?
(a) Old City of Jerusalem (b) Old City of Damascus
(c) Old City of Cairo (d) None of these

4 Which compound is commonly associated with the wider sacred precinct of Masjid al-Aqsa?
(a) Haram al-Sharif (b) Masjid Quba
(c) Mount Arafat (d) None of these

5 What is the meaning of Al-Aqsa?
(a) The Nearest (b) The Furthest
(c) The Highest (d) None of these

6 Which prophet is associated with the event of Isra and Mi’raj?
(a) Ibrahim (AS) (b) Musa (AS)
(c) Muhammad ﷺ (d) None of these

7 From which mosque did the Night Journey begin?
(a) Masjid al-Haram (b) Masjid an-Nabawi
(c) Masjid Quba (d) None of these

8 To which mosque did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ travel during Isra?
(a) Masjid al-Aqsa (b) Masjid Quba
(c) Masjid al-Kufa (d) None of these

9 Which angel accompanied Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during the journey of Isra and Mi’raj?
(a) Jibril (AS) (b) Mikail (AS)
(c) Israfil (AS) (d) None of these

10 Which Surah of the Qur’an mentions the Night Journey?
(a) Al-Isra (b) Al-Fil
(c) Al-Kawthar (d) None of these

11 Which verse begins with the reference to the journey of Allah’s servant by night?
(a) 2:255 (b) 17:1
(c) 112:1 (d) None of these

12 Which mosque was the first Qiblah of Muslims?
(a) Masjid al-Haram (b) Masjid an-Nabawi
(c) Masjid al-Aqsa (d) None of these

13 For approximately how long did Muslims face Jerusalem in prayer before the Qiblah was changed?
(a) About 16 or 17 months (b) About five years
(c) About ten years (d) None of these

14 Which city contains the Dome of the Rock?
(a) Makkah (b) Jerusalem
(c) Madinah (d) None of these

15 The Dome of the Rock is located within which sacred compound?
(a) Haram al-Sharif (b) Masjid Quba
(c) Masjid al-Haram (d) None of these

16 Which ruler commissioned the construction of the Dome of the Rock?
(a) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) (b) Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
(c) Salahuddin Ayyubi (d) None of these

17 In which century was the Dome of the Rock completed?
(a) Seventh century CE (b) Ninth century CE
(c) Eleventh century CE (d) None of these

18 Which Umayyad caliph commissioned the construction of the early congregational mosque structure at al-Aqsa?
(a) Muawiyah I (b) Al-Walid I
(c) Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (d) None of these

19 Which caliph entered Jerusalem peacefully in 637 or 638 CE?
(a) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) (b) Uthman ibn Affan (RA)
(c) Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) (d) None of these

20 Which Byzantine city surrendered Jerusalem to the Muslim forces during the caliphate of Umar (RA)?
(a) Constantinople (b) Jerusalem
(c) Alexandria (d) None of these

21 Which Muslim commander was associated with the conquest of Jerusalem in the early Islamic period?
(a) Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (RA) (b) Tariq ibn Ziyad
(c) Muhammad bin Qasim (d) None of these

22 Which Crusader force captured Jerusalem in 1099 CE?
(a) First Crusade (b) Third Crusade
(c) Fourth Crusade (d) None of these

23 Who recaptured Jerusalem for Muslim rule in 1187 CE?
(a) Nur al-Din Zangi (b) Salahuddin Ayyubi
(c) Baybars (d) None of these

24 Which battle in 1187 preceded Salahuddin’s recapture of Jerusalem?
(a) Battle of Hattin (b) Battle of Badr
(c) Battle of Ain Jalut (d) None of these

25 In which year did Salahuddin recapture Jerusalem?
(a) 1099 CE (b) 1187 CE
(c) 1291 CE (d) None of these

26 Which dynasty ruled Jerusalem during the construction of the Dome of the Rock?
(a) Abbasid (b) Umayyad
(c) Ottoman (d) None of these

27 Which empire controlled Jerusalem for several centuries before the British Mandate?
(a) Ottoman Empire (b) Mongol Empire
(c) Mughal Empire (d) None of these

28 In which year did the Ottoman conquest of Jerusalem take place?
(a) 1453 CE (b) 1517 CE
(c) 1683 CE (d) None of these

29 Which ruler led the Ottoman conquest of Jerusalem in 1517?
(a) Suleiman the Magnificent (b) Selim I
(c) Mehmed II (d) None of these

30 Which Ottoman ruler undertook major restoration and development works in Jerusalem during the sixteenth century?
(a) Suleiman the Magnificent (b) Selim II
(c) Osman II (d) None of these

31 Which three mosques are named in the Hadith concerning special journeys for worship?
(a) Masjid al-Haram, Masjid an-Nabawi and Masjid al-Aqsa
(b) Masjid Quba, Masjid al-Qiblatayn and Masjid al-Haram
(c) Masjid al-Kufa, Masjid al-Azhar and Masjid an-Nabawi (d) None of these

32 Which of the three mosques mentioned in the Hadith is located in Jerusalem?
(a) Masjid an-Nabawi (b) Masjid al-Aqsa
(c) Masjid al-Haram (d) None of these

33 Which prophet is traditionally associated with the construction or rebuilding of the sacred sanctuary in Jerusalem?
(a) Sulayman (AS) (b) Yunus (AS)
(c) Hud (AS) (d) None of these

34 Which prophet is associated with the first construction of the sanctuary in Jerusalem in Islamic tradition?
(a) Ibrahim (AS) (b) Adam (AS)
(c) Isa (AS) (d) None of these

35 Which structure is commonly known as the Dome of the Rock?
(a) Qubbat al-Sakhrah (b) Qubbat al-Nabi
(c) Qubbat al-Khadra (d) None of these

36 Which architectural feature distinguishes the Dome of the Rock?
(a) A prominent golden dome (b) A green dome
(c) A black dome (d) None of these

37 Which building is the principal congregational mosque in the al-Aqsa compound?
(a) Al-Qibli Mosque (b) Dome of the Rock
(c) Church of the Holy Sepulchre (d) None of these

38 Which term is commonly used for the entire elevated sacred compound in Jerusalem?
(a) Haram al-Sharif (b) Jannat al-Baqi
(c) Haram of Madinah (d) None of these

39 Which historical event brought Jerusalem under British military control in 1917?
(a) World War I campaign in Palestine (b) World War II campaign in Palestine
(c) Crimean War (d) None of these

40 In which year did the British Mandate for Palestine formally begin?
(a) 1917 (b) 1922
(c) 1948 (d) None of these

41 Which international organization adopted the 1947 partition plan for Palestine?
(a) League of Nations (b) United Nations
(c) Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (d) None of these

42 Which year marks the beginning of Israeli control over East Jerusalem following the Six-Day War?
(a) 1948 (b) 1956
(c) 1967 (d) None of these

43 Which war resulted in Israel capturing East Jerusalem?
(a) Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (b) Six-Day War
(c) Yom Kippur War (d) None of these

44 Which organization is widely known as the United Nations cultural agency and has adopted resolutions concerning the Old City of Jerusalem?
(a) UNESCO (b) UNICEF
(c) WHO (d) None of these

45 Which Islamic month is associated with the Night Journey and Ascension in traditional Muslim commemorations?
(a) Ramadan (b) Rajab
(c) Muharram (d) None of these

46 Which term refers specifically to the Night Journey from Makkah to Jerusalem?
(a) Isra (b) Mi’raj
(c) Hijrah (d) None of these

47 Which term refers to the Ascension of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the heavens?
(a) Isra (b) Mi’raj
(c) Hijrah (d) None of these

48 Which prophet did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lead in prayer at Masjid al-Aqsa according to traditional accounts of Isra?
(a) The prophets gathered there (b) Only Ibrahim (AS)
(c) Only Musa (AS) (d) None of these

49 Which city is regarded as sacred in Islam, Christianity and Judaism?
(a) Jerusalem (b) Riyadh
(c) Baghdad (d) None of these

50 What is the central religious significance of Masjid al-Aqsa in Islam?
(a) It is associated with Isra and was the first Qiblah
(b) It is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
(c) It is the site of the Battle of Badr (d) None of these

Answer Key

1 (b) Jerusalem
2 (a) Al-Quds
3 (a) Old City of Jerusalem
4 (a) Haram al-Sharif
5 (b) The Furthest
6 (c) Muhammad ﷺ
7 (a) Masjid al-Haram
8 (a) Masjid al-Aqsa
9 (a) Jibril (AS)
10 (a) Al-Isra
11 (b) 17:1
12 (c) Masjid al-Aqsa
13 (a) About 16 or 17 months
14 (b) Jerusalem
15 (a) Haram al-Sharif
16 (b) Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
17 (a) Seventh century CE
18 (b) Al-Walid I
19 (a) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA)
20 (b) Jerusalem
21 (a) Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (RA)
22 (a) First Crusade
23 (b) Salahuddin Ayyubi
24 (a) Battle of Hattin
25 (b) 1187 CE
26 (b) Umayyad
27 (a) Ottoman Empire
28 (b) 1517 CE
29 (b) Selim I
30 (a) Suleiman the Magnificent
31 (a) Masjid al-Haram, Masjid an-Nabawi and Masjid al-Aqsa
32 (b) Masjid al-Aqsa
33 (a) Sulayman (AS)
34 (b) Adam (AS)
35 (a) Qubbat al-Sakhrah
36 (a) A prominent golden dome
37 (a) Al-Qibli Mosque
38 (a) Haram al-Sharif
39 (a) World War I campaign in Palestine
40 (b) 1922
41 (b) United Nations
42 (c) 1967
43 (b) Six-Day War
44 (a) UNESCO
45 (b) Rajab
46 (a) Isra
47 (b) Mi’raj
48 (a) The prophets gathered there
49 (a) Jerusalem
50 (a) It is associated with Isra and was the first Qiblah