Question:
I have read that it was Caliph Umar(r) in 637AD, who built a roof or a mosque over the cave of Patriarchs. The Crusaders then later converted into a church and was restored back to Muslim control by Saladin.
Do we have any reliable historical references especially from Muslim sources, to prove that Umar (ra) did build a roof or mosque over the cave of Patriarchs, now called Ibrahimi Mosque?
Answer:
I have not been able to find proof of this claim; indeed the sources are remarkably short on historical details regarding the conquest of al-Khalil.
Mahmoud
About Ustadh Mahmoud Shelton
Mahmoud Shelton studied at the University of Edinburgh before taking a degree in Medieval Studies at Stanford University. Shelton is the author of Alchemy in Middle Earth: The Significance of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Balance of George Lucas' Star Wars, and numerous articles. He is also a contributor to The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry and The Sufi Science of Self-Realization.
Contributions by Mahmoud Shelton
* Chivalry of the Night and Day
* Alchemy in Middle Earth
* contributor, The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry
