<P> While Jerusalem is not mentioned by name in the Quran, it is recognized as a sacred site based on several references that have been linked to Jerusalem by later Islamic traditions such as the hadith . Some academics attribute the holiness of Jerusalem to the rise and expansion of a certain type of literary genre, known as al - Fadhail or history of cities . The Fadhail of Jerusalem inspired Muslims, especially during the Umayyad period, to embellish the sanctity of the city beyond its status in the holy texts . Others point to the political motives of the Umayyad dynasty which led to the sanctification of Jerusalem in Islam . </P> <P> Later medieval scripts, as well as modern - day political tracts, tend to classify al - Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam . For example, Sahih al - Bukhari quotes Abu Darda as saying: "the Prophet of God Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 10,000 prayers; and a prayer in al - Aqsa Mosque is worth 1,000 prayers", more than in any other mosque . In addition, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, refers to the al - Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam (and calls for Arab sovereignty over it). </P>

What are the three most holy places in islam