The historian Nasser Rabbat notes that Raja's social connection to Palestine, his attributed expertise about the holy sites of Jerusalem and his important role in developing the early Muslim tradition about Jerusalem's sanctity combined with his senior position in the Umayyad court and knowledge of the Qur'an may have afforded Raja a greater role in the Dome of the Rock's foundation, beyond its financing. Accordingly, Rabbat speculates Raja may have advised Abd al-Malik to choose the site of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount and formulated the Qur'anic inscriptions which decorate the structure's interior and exterior.