Al-Isra And Al-Mi‘Raj (The Night Journey)

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AL-ISRA AND Al-MI‘RAJ

Summary of Events

(The Miraculous Night Journey from Makkah to the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, and the Ascent through the Spheres of Heavens)

The story of ‘the Night Journey’ as we see in the Noble Qur’ân is epitomised in the first verse of the Sûrah Isra’(Chapter 17 — The Journey by Night)

"Glorified be Allah Who enabled His slave, (Muhammad), for a journey by night from Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah) to Masjid al-Aqsa(in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We blessed, in order that We might show him(Muhammad) of our Ayat(proofs, evidences,signs etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer ,the All-Seer." This journey is also confirmed in the sahih(authentic) hadith. As such, there is scholarly consensus (ijma) that Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) journeyed in body and soul on the night of al-Isra' from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and to the heavens beyond.

As for its exact date, it is still controversial and no common consent has been reached. However, the majority of jurists is in favour of a date between 16-12 months prior to migration to Madinah. The following is a epitome of the details of that miraculous event narrated on the authority of Ibn Al-Qayyim.

The Messenger of Allâh (Peace and blessings be upon him) was carried in body from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to the Distant Mosque in Jerusalem on a horse called Al-Buraq in the company of Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam), the archangel. There he alighted, tethered the horse to a ring in the gate of the Mosque and led the Prophets in prayer. After that Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) took him to the heavens on the same horse. When they reached the first heaven Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) asked the guardian angel to open the door of heaven. It was opened and he saw Adam(Peace be upon him), the progenitor of mankind. The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) saluted him and he welcomed him and expressed his faith in Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s Prophethood. He saw the souls of martyrs on his right and those of the wretched on his left.

Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) then ascended with the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) to the second heaven, asked for opening the gate and there he saw and saluted John, son of Zachariya (Yahya bin Zakariya(Peace be upon him)) and Jesus-Isa(Peace be upon him), son of Mary. They returned the salutation, welcomed him and expressed their faith in his Prophethood. Then they reached the third heaven where they saw Joseph (Yusuf(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. The latter welcomed the Prophet(Peace be upon him) and expressed faith in his Prophethood. The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), in the company of Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam), then reached the fourth heaven where he met the Prophet (Idris(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. Prophet Enoch(Peace be upon him) returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Then he was carried to the fifth heaven where he met the Prophet Aaron (Harun(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. In the sixth heaven he met Moses (Musa(Peace be upon him)) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) on leaving, saw that Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) began to weep. He asked about the reason. Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) answered that he was weeping because he witnessed a man sent after him as a Messenger (Muhammad) who was able to lead more of his people to the Paradise than he himself did. Then Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) reached the seventh heaven and met Abraham (Ibrahim) (Peace be upon him) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Then he was carried to Sidrat-al-Muntaha (the remotest lote tree) and was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma‘mûr [(the much frequented house) which is like the Ka‘bah (Sacred House) encompassed daily by seventy thousand angels, so that the angels who once encompassed it would not have their turn again till the Resurrection]. He was then presented to the Divine Presence and experienced the thrill of witnessing the Divine Glory and Manifestation at the closest possible propinquity. There the Lord revealed unto His servant that which He revealed, and ordained fifty daily prayers for him. On his return, he spoke to Moses(Peace be upon him) that his followers had been enjoined to pray fifty times a day. Moses(Peace be upon him) addressing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Your followers cannot perform so many prayers. Go back to your Lord and ask for a remission in number.” The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) turned to Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) as if holding counsel with him. Gabriel(Jibraeel-alaiyhis salaam) nodded, “Yes, if you desire,” and ascended with him to the Presence of Allâh. The All-Mighty Allâh, Glory is to Him, made a reduction of ten prayers. He then descended and reported that to Moses(Peace be upon him), who again urged him to request for a further reduction. Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) once more begged his Lord to reduce the number still further. He went again and again in the Presence of Allâh at the suggestion of Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) for reduction in the number of prayers till these were reduced to five only. Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him) again asked him to implore for more reduction, but he said: “I feel ashamed now of repeatedly asking my Lord for reduction. I accept and resign to His Will.” When Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) went farther, a Caller was heard saying: “I have imposed My Ordinance and alleviated the burden of My servants.”

 

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Some significant suggestive incidents featured in the ‘Night Journey’ of the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), of which could be mentioned

1.The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s breast was cleft by Gabriel-Jibraeel(Peace be upon him), his heart extracted and washed with the water of Zamzam —a sacred spring in Makkah.

2.In the same context, there were brought to him two gold vessels. There was milk in one, while the other was full of wine. He was asked to choose either of them, so he selected the vessel containing milk and drank it. He (the angel) said: “You have been guided on Al-Fitrah or you have attained Al-Fitrah. Had you selected wine, your nation would have been misled.” [it is a symbolic way of saying that good and evil in the form of milk and wine were brought before the Prophet and he instinctively made a choice for the good. It is very difficult to render the Arabic term ‘Fitrah’ into English. It denotes the original constitution or disposition, with which a child comes into this world, as contrasted with qualities or inclinations acquired during life; besides it refers to the spiritual inclination inherent in man in his unspoilt state].

3.He had the opportunity to see Malik, the guardian of Hell, with a cheerless frowning face. Therein, he saw the Hell dwellers, of whom were those who unjustly eat up the property of the orphans. They have flews similar to those of camels, swallowing red-hot stones and then issuing out of their backs. There were also the people who take usury with bellies too big to be able to move around; they are trodden by the people of Pharaoh when these are admitted into Hell. In the same abode, he saw the adulterers offered tasty fatty meat and rotten smelly one but they make option for the latter. The licentious women were also there hanging from their chests.

4.In Paradise, the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) saw some of the bounties Allah prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul Ayn(Damsels of Paradise). They are in Paradise and will be married to those men Allah willed them to marry.

5.In short the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) was shown the different punishments meted out to the inmates of Jahannam(hell) and he was priveledged to be shown the luxuries and pleasures of Jannah(heaven).

6.The ‘Night Journey’ raised a good deal of stir among the people and the sceptical audience plied Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) with all sorts of questions. He told them that he saw the camels of Makkan merchants to and fro. He also guided them to some of their animals that went astray. He informed them that he had drunk some of their water while they were fast asleep and left the container covered.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) Returns to Makkah


After all these matters took place with the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), he returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him)'s journey took about one-third of the night, i.e., his journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens and what is above them, and then back to Makkah. The next day the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) told the people what happened to him the previous night. The blasphemers belied the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) and mocked him, saying, "We need a month to get there and back, and you are claiming to have done all this in one night?" They said to Abu Bakr, "Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night." Abu Bakr(R.A.) told them, "If he said that, then he is truthful. I believe him concerning the news of the heavens--that an angel descends to him from the heavens. How could I not believe he went to Jerusalem and came back in a short period of time--when these are on earth?" At that, the Companion, Abu Bakr(R.A.), was called "as-Siddiq"--because of how strongly he believed all what the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) said.

The blasphemous people questioned the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him): "If you are truthful, then describe to us Masjid Al-Aqsa and its surroundings." They asked this because they knew Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) had never been there before the previous night. Allah enabled the Messenger to see Masjid al-Aqsa, and he described the masjid and its surroundings in exact detail. Moreover, the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "On my way back, I saw some of your shepherds grazing their animals in a particular location. They were searching for a camel they had lost." The Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) continued by giving the description of the camel. When these shepherds came back, they told their people what happened to them--precisely as the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him) had already told them.

The disbelievers, however, found it a suitable opportunity to jeer at the Muslims and their creed. They pestered the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) with questions as to the description of the Mosque at Jerusalem, where he had never gone before and, to the astonishment of many, the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him)’s replies furnished the most accurate information about that city. He supplied them with all the news about their caravans and the routes of their camels. However, all this increased in them nothing but flight from the Truth, and they accepted nothing but disbelief.

For the true devout Muslims, there is no difficulty in believing the miraculous Night Journey. The All-Mighty Allâh, Who is Powerful enough to have created the heavens and the earth by an act of His Will, is surely Powerful enough to take His Messenger(Peace and blessings be upon him) beyond the heavens and show him those signs of His at firsthand which are inaccessible to man otherwise. The disbelievers on their part went to see Abu Bakr(R.A.) on account of this event, and he readily said: “Yes, I do verify it.” It was on this occasion that he earned the title of As-Siddiq (the verifier of the truth).

The most eloquent and most concise justification of this ‘Journey’ is expressed in Allâh’s Words: “... in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, signs, etc.)” [17:1].

The Divine rules as regards the Prophets goes as follows: “Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.” [6:75]

To Moses-Musa(Peace be upon him), his Lord said: “That We may show you (some) of Our Greater Signs.” [20:23]

In order that: “He be of those who have Faith with certainty.”

There are the simple facts that emanate from this blessed Journey, and flow along into the flowery garden of the Prophetic biography of the Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) that leave lessons manifest for mankind.

Main Source: Raheequl Makhtoom
Courtesy: www.everymuslim.net