The problem with a large number of Orientalists and their followers influenced by the Torah regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque is that they consider Judaism and today's Hebrew to be the origin of everything related to Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This notion is incorrect from the perspective of language and dialect, and even from a historical standpoint.

It is not logical to claim that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is originally the Temple (or the "Holy Temple" as some call it) mentioned in Jewish religious texts, because the concept of "Al-Aqsa Mosque" or "Al-Quds" as presented in Islamic texts and understanding is much older and more established than the concept of "Temple" as presented in Jewish texts and understanding. The Jewish understanding is based on the claim that the concept itself is linked to a specific building with a founding and construction history associated with King Solomon, son of King David – whom the Jews do not recognize as prophets – and from there originates the narrative that is promoted and adopted by the proponents of this perspective.

However, this understanding in itself is problematic and not based on scientific grounds. If we can prove that Al-Aqsa Mosque (which, according to Islamic understanding, refers to the area defined by the historical oval-shaped wall) existed before Solomon, peace be upon him, then the narrative from which this viewpoint derives collapses entirely. This is exactly what the followers of this school of thought avoid, which is why you find them trying to overlook studies that may contradict their approach and demonstrate its errors and flaws, and they do not even address them through critique, analysis, or rebuttal.

One of the most important examples of this is what the academic Haitham Al-Ratrot published in 2005 and then in 2008, which is an in-depth study about the relationship between the original architectural planning of the Kaaba and the unchanged form of Al-Aqsa Mosque throughout history, according to the ancient historical walls that bear witness to this.

When Abdullah ibn al-Zubair reconstructed the Kaaba in the year 63 AH on its ancient original foundations that date back at least to the time of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the dimensions and measurements of the Kaaba were recorded. Al-Azraqi, who passed away in the year 222 AH, documented these in his book "News of Mecca." Al- Ratrot then studied the original architectural plan of the Kaaba based on this ancient source and discovered that the strange and unique quadrilateral shape of the Kaaba is very similar to the architectural layout of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which also has a strange and unique quadrilateral shape, albeit with a vast difference in dimensions between the Kaaba, the longest sides of which do not exceed 26 meters, and Al-Aqsa Mosque, where the longest sides reach up to 492 meters! Thus, it becomes clear that the architectural planning of both mosques must originate from a single source, which confirms that the Kaaba—whose lineage is agreed upon by Islamic and Jewish narratives as being attributed to Ibrahim at least, if not Adam (peace be upon them both)—was the original that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built upon. It is established in biblical narratives that King Solomon did not reach the Arabian Peninsula, nor did he see the Kaaba in his lifetime, let alone use it as an architectural reference for constructing the boundaries of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In addition, the proponents of the biblical religious narrative cannot consider that Mecca or the Kaaba was a reference for Solomon, because the Torah views that the primary religious and ethnic reference is for Isaac and his children, not for Ishmael and his children. Especially since the Jewish vision of the temple relies on the idea that the first temple was nothing more than a small building on the Temple Mount, and there were no walls or designation of a sacred spot because, according to this understanding, it was not sacred prior to the time of David and Solomon.

This matter means one thing: either Al-Aqsa Mosque is the original; therefore, the idea of the temple is a later addition to the place, not the other way around as the followers of the biblical narrative claim, or the temple is the original, but its reference is the Kaaba. This latter claim contradicts all the beliefs that the followers of that school try to promote and affirm, considering that Islam derived from Judaism, not the other way around!

The problem, in fact, lies in the religious biblical text and the belief that the temple is the original structure in this area, and that it was the first thing built there. Consequently, there is an attempt to make Al-Aqsa Mosque subordinate to the Jewish perspective and a product of it. The truth is that this approach has no logical or scientific basis; it always relies on selectivity, as we have previously mentioned and explained. This selectivity is what makes this methodology untenable, lacking a scientific basis that can be respected or taken seriously.

Read also: Jerusalem between Torah and Quran