THE AL AQSA MOSQUE: AN ISLAMIC CLARIFICATION
It is often reported that the "Al Aqsa" (arabic: "the farthest") mosque in Jerusalem is the "third holiest shrine" in Islam, due to its mention in the Quran and prophetic tradition. There's a bit of historical confusion here, which also gives fodder to islamophobic arguments about the Quran having a questionable origin, since the present mosque at the Jewish holy site was built AFTER Muhammad's death and not completed until 705 CE. Technically the "Al Aqsa" mosque - the third holiest Islamic site - is the actual site of the Jewish Temple II. The Quran itself mentions the mystical trip Muhammad took to the "farthest mosque", a reference to the temple site, in 621, which had no structure there since 70 CE. (In Islam, a mosque does not have to have a specific structure, and is technically any place a Muslim regularly prays/prostrates). One night, Muhammad was transported there by a mystical horse-like creature. There, he p