Kashf al-Zalām ‘an Maqām al-Nabī ‘alayhi al-Ṣalāt wa-al-Salām
(كشف الظلام عن مقام النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام)

Kashf al-Zalām ‘an Maqām al-Nabī ‘alayhi al-Ṣalāt wa-al-Salām is a concise yet historically significant treatise by the Palestinian-Egyptian Shafi‘i scholar and muhaddith, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Muhammad Sharaf al-Din al-Khalili al-Azhari (d. 1147 AH / 1734 CE). The work centers on the identification and historical verification of the site traditionally associated with the place where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ led the other Prophets in prayer during al-Isra’ wa al-Mi‘raj.

The Discovery of the Maqam

In 1112 AH / 1700 CE, Muhammad Pasha initiated an excavation within the compound of al-Masjid al-Aqsa for an important practical purpose: to dig or reopen an ancient subterranean water well (bi’r) to provide water for worshippers and visitors.

During the excavation, the workmen unexpectedly uncovered a concealed site that was identified by the people of Jerusalem as the historic Maqam al-Nabi—the place associated with the Prophet ﷺ leading the Prophets in prayer during the Night Journey. Upon recognizing the significance of the discovery, Muhammad Pasha publicly announced the finding to the people and scholars of al-Quds.

According to the editor, Dr. Khalid ibn Riyad al-‘Isavi al-Maqdisi, this location had been well known during the first five centuries of Islam. It was subsequently concealed during the Crusader invasion in the sixth century and remained hidden until its accidental rediscovery during the excavation in the twelfth century AH.

Structure of the Treatise

The account of the excavation itself occupies only about a page. Shaykh al-Khalili uses this remarkable event as the starting point for a broader scholarly investigation, dividing the treatise into two principal chapters:

Chapter One: Establishing the Maqam (Ithbat al-Maqam)

This chapter examines historical reports, textual evidence, and transmitted traditions (athar) concerning the location where the Prophet ﷺ stood during the Night Journey. The author evaluates the available evidence and argues for the identification of the site uncovered during the excavation with the historically recognized Maqam al-Nabi.

Chapter Two: The Virtues and Maintenance of al-Masjid al-Aqsa

The second chapter discusses the religious status, sanctity, and virtues (fada’il) of al-Masjid al-Aqsa. It also addresses the religious merits and legal considerations associated with maintaining, restoring, funding, and providing essential services for the mosque and its visitors, including the provision of water.

Historical Significance

Kashf al-Zalām offers a fascinating glimpse into the religious and physical history of the al-Masjid al-Aqsa compound during the Ottoman period. It illustrates the scholarly efforts of Jerusalem’s jurists to investigate and document historically significant sacred sites, while also highlighting the importance of maintaining the infrastructure and services of the blessed mosque.

This edition is especially significant because the treatise has been published from the only known surviving manuscript copy, preserved in Istanbul. It thus makes an otherwise rare and previously inaccessible work available to researchers and readers interested in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the history of Jerusalem, Islamic sacred geography, and the scholarly heritage of the Ottoman-era Muslim world.