Why does Jerusalem matter to Muslims?

Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims. For Muslims it is the first of the two qiblas, and tradition holds that the Night Journey began from it.

Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims, and it contains holy places for each of them. For Muslims it is the first of the two qiblas, meaning it was the direction of prayer before it was changed to Mecca, as the entry Jerusalem sets out. In Islamic tradition, the Night Journey began from it and is linked to the al-Aqsa Mosque. The entry presents this as a narration within the tradition. Interest in Jerusalem is linked to Mecca and Medina, the two holy cities, as the entries Mecca and Medina set out.

Detailed legal and theological matters are added in the related entries.