I read somewhere that Masjid Al-Aqsa is not a Haram and that only the Mosques in Makkah and Madeenah are so. Is this true?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Confirming that an area is considered as a Haram (i.e. sacred) depends on the evidence from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet . There is an evidence from the Qur'aan that the mosque in Makkah is a Haram. Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {Certainly has Allah showed to His Messenger the vision [i.e. dream] in truth. You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haram}[48:27]. Allaah further says (interpretation of meaning): {Have they not seen that We made [Makkah] a safe sanctuary, while people are being taken away all around them?}[29:67]. [Sanctuary is the translation for the word Haram in the Qur'aan]. There is a narration of the Prophet confirming that Madeenah is also a Haram, as he said: "Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) made Makkah as a Haram, and supplicated for it, then Madeenah was made a Haram and I supplicated for it." [Al-Bukhari] The Prophet also said: ''O Allaah! I am considering Madeenah as a Haram as Ibraaheem made Makkah as a Haram." The meaning of Makkah and Madeenah being a Haram is that there should be no blood shed in them, and no scaring away of birds, and no trees should be cut.

As regards Al-Aqsa mosque, it is a blessed mosque, as Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e. Prophet Muhammad by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa whose surroundings We have blessed}[17:1]. Al-Aqsa is blessed for many reasons. Many Prophets have prayed in it, it is the first Qiblah, and many Prophets were also buried in its surroundings. The greatest blessing about this mosque is that the Prophet was taken to it and led the prayer with all the Prophets praying behind him. The reward in Al-Aqsa mosque is multiplied 500 times in comparison to other mosques except the reward of praying in Makkah and Madeenah which is greater. The Prophet said: "The prayer in Al-Haram mosque (i.e. Makkah) is 100,000 times (the reward of prayer in other mosques), and the prayer in my mosque (i.e. Madeenah) is multiplied 1000 times, and the prayer in Al-Aqsa mosque is 500 times." [Al-Bazzaar and At-Tabraani, narrated by Abu Al-Darda] Al-Aqsa mosque is also one of the three mosques which are permissible to set out for a journey for the purpose of residing in for worship. But as for it being sacred with the conditions of not scaring away of birds, and cutting trees, this does not apply to it.

Allaah knows best.