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Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Prophets Night Journey











 







Al-Isra' w'al Mi'raj
The Night Ascension


Holy is He Who carried His bondman by night from the sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) to the Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa) around which We have put blessings that We might show him Our grand signs. No doubt, He is the Hearing, the Seeing. (al-Qur'an : Surah al-Isra' 17:1).

INTRODUCTION

Mi'raj - A reward for being patient
When did this miraculous event take place ?
As mentioned in the Qur'an al-kareem
As related from hadith

Al-Israa : Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa


Al-Mi'raj : Ascension to the Heavens


The Second Heaven

The Third Heaven

The Fourth Heaven

The Fifth Heaven

The Sixth Heaven

The Seventh Heaven
After the Ascension



Conclusion




''.. Then he approached and came closer and was at a distance of two bows length or (even) closer..''

Introduction




Countless Praise and Glorification be to
Almighty Allah, the Creator of the Universe.
Boundless Blessings and Peace be upon
His Most Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam
The Crown of the Universe


Almighty Allah sent about 124,000 Prophets alayhim as-'salam for the guidance of mankind. He gifted all of them some miracles. These miracles were sound evidences on their Prophethood. Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam is the Essence of the Universe. Truly, he was bestowed with all miracles of the past Prophets alayhim as-'salam. Furthermore, he was presented unique miracles in abundance. The Mi'raj is one of those unique Miracles.

It is only Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam who saw Almighty Allah with his own physical eyes whilst awake.  Allahu Akhbar!

Belief in the Unseen represents a major and essential part of Islam. When we review the key principles of Islam such as belief in Allah, the Hereafter, Paradise and Hell, angels and jinn, past prophets and books, we find that all these issues are ghayb (unseen) and need unshakable conviction in the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's truthfulness.

The Night Journey and Ascension (Al-Isra' wa Al-Mi'raj) posed a crucial test for early Muslims to assess their belief in the Unseen. This journey brought to light the unshakeable, firmly rooted faith of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu and the weak faith of some other people who rejected Islam totally once they heard the story.


The Mi'raj is not only one miracle it is a compound of miracles. Here is the story of Mi'raj mentioned by Allah Almighty's Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.


Reward



Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj : A Reward for Patience
The Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) suffered very much in his efforts to guide his people to their happiness in this world and in the hereafter. He met their opposition and resistance when he was calling to Islam in secrecy and later on when he proclaimed it in public. He still could not perform a proper prayer around the Sacred House while there were 360 idols around it and while any polytheist could come and circumambulate the Sacred House, bow and prostrate himself to his idol without having any trouble or interference.

At the time when men and women used to circumambulate the Sacred House naked, Abu Bakr was beaten when he recited verses from the Qur'an around it. 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah even slapped his face with his shoes. At that time, Sumayah bint Khiyat and her husband Yasir were beaten to death, while Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Dhar, Khubab, Fatimah bint Al-Khattab, and Zunayrah were beaten unconscious. An economic and social boycott was imposed on the Muslims, prohibiting anyone to sell them food or drink, to marry from them, or to visit them, to the point that they had to eat tree leaves. At the same time, the Quraysh presented to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offers such as these:

1.    A very generous bribe that would make him the richest man in the whole peninsula
2.    Authority and kingdom so that he would be the first to be obeyed by his people
3.    Medical treatment of his disease if he was ill or psychologically disturbed
4.    An agreement that he would pray to their gods one day and in return they would pray to his God the other day, which would be against his faith
5.  A request that he set places for meeting with the slaves away from the meeting places of the rich, in a compromise based on racial discrimination, which would be against his moral values.

All this would be offered him if he left altogether what he was calling for, or if he left out whatever did not please his people, especially those who had authority and wealth.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) refused but to hold onto the truth and to continue his path. He was exposed to their mockery, insults, and beating despite his esteem and honor among his people. Consequently, he left to another place where he might find refuge and where his call to Islam might be accepted. He went to At-Ta'if, whose people were even more harmful to him than his own people. They neither treated him with the hospitality so famous of the Arabs, nor did they treat him properly as a messenger who had the right to inform them of the word of Allah while they had the right to accept or reject it. They refused to listen and they refused him the right to present his idea in a peaceful way. They set the children and the wicked adults to throw him out like a fugitive who owns nothing but his faith in his God and his determination to continue his call to Islam without giving up any part of it.
Going back to Makkah, his original town, the homeland of his family and his kin and the residence of his wife and children, he was not allowed to enter. He had to take refuge with Al-Mut'am ibn 'Adi. Muhammad turned his face to the sky. He humbly, piously supplicated to God with the best supplication:
O Allah! to You I complain of my weakness, little resource, and lowliness before man. O Most Merciful! You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom would You confide me? To one afar who will misuse me or to an enemy to whom You have given dominance over me? If You are not angry with me I do not care. Your favor of well-being on me is sufficient for me. I take refuge in the light of Your countenance by which the darkness is illuminated, and the things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest Your anger descend upon me or Your wrath not light upon me but come down on me. It is for You to be satisfied until You are well pleased. There is no power and no might except in You.

So Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala rewarded him as follows:
1.  A slave called 'Addas responded to his call to Islam. It is known that to lead one person to the way of Allah is better than having all the treasures of this world.
2.  Allah sent to him a number of jinn who listened to his preaching and returned to their people to warn them.
3.  Six people from Yathrib responded to him and formed a group of pioneers for the call to Islam in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, thereby establishing the foundation for Islam in this land. These six were As'ad ibn Zurarah, 'Awf ibn Al-Harith, Rafi' ibn Malik, Qutbah ibn 'Aamir, 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, and Jabir ibn 'Abdullah. This happened at a time when all the tribes refused him, including Banu Kalb, Banu Hanifah, Banu 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'ah, Fizarah,
4.  A number of the highly esteemed members of their tribes accepted his call. Among them were the poet Suwaid ibn As-Samit, Iyas ibn Mu'adh, Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari, At-Tufayl ibn 'Amr Ad-Dawsy, the head of the tribe of Daws. 
5.  The Night Journey (Israa') to Jerusalem and the Ascension (Mi'raj) to the Exalted Assembly.
[Then he approached and came closer, and was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or even nearer.] (An-Najm 53: 8-9)



Dr. Salah Sultan



When ?




When did the Mi'raj take place?


The widely help viewpoint by the majority of scholars is that the mi'raj night ascension took place on the 27th of Rajab al-Murajjib, the 7th month of the Islamic Calendar, one year before the migration to Madinah t-ul-Munawwarah.


More details to follow.



Mi'raj & al-Qur'an





The Mi'raj an-Nabi & the Qur'an al-kareem


Almighty Allah Himself [Exalted is He] mentioned this greatness of His Most Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam three times in the Glorious Qur'an.



1]. Glorified and Exalted is He who took His chosen worshipper Muhammad Mustufa [Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam], for a journey by night from al-Masjid al-Haram (at Makkah) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (In Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him of our Aayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.) Verily, He is the All-Hearer, All-See'r. (Surat al-Israa 17: 1)

2]. By the lovely shining star (Muhammad, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) when he descended from the Ascension your companion neither went astray nor mislead.
And he speaks not of his own desire.
That is not but revelation that is revealed to him.
He was taught by One possessing mighty powers.
Possessor of strength. Then that splendid sight proceeded. And he was on the highest horizon.
Then that splendid sight drew nearer, then came close as well.
So there was a distance of two hands (between the splendid sight and the Prophet but rather less than that.
Now He revealed to His chosen Worshipper whatever he revealed.
The heart lied no in, what he saw.
Do you then dispute with him concerning what he has seen.
An Indeed he saw that splendid sight twice.
Near the farthest Lote -Tree.
Near which is Garden of Eternity.
When that was covering the Lote-Tree, which was covering
The Eye Deviated not nor crossed the limit.
Certainly, he saw a very big sign of his Lord. (Surah an-Najm, 53: 1-18)



3]. And when We said to you, all are under the control of your Lord. And We made not the vision which We had showed you but as a test for the people and also the tree upon which there is curse in Quran. And We frighten them; then nothing increases them but a great contumacy. (Surah al-Israa 17: 60)




Hadith



Hadith of the Night Journey and Ascension
Al-Isra' wa Mi'raj



It is narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Malik Radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

I was brought al-burraq who is an animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, who would place its hoof at a distance equal to the range of vision. I mounted it and came to Bait-al Maqdis (Jerusalem). I then tethered it to the ring used by the Prophets. I entered the area of the Mosque and prayed two rak'at in it. I then came out and Gabriel alayhis salaam brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, and Gabriel said, 'You have chosen al-fitra, the natural way'.

He then ascended with me into the lower heavens and requested that they be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Adam. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.

Then we ascended to the second heaven and Gabriel alayhis salaam requested that it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and when I entered Jesus and John welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.

Gabriel alayhis salaamthen ascended with me to the third heaven and requested that it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Joseph, who was given a great portion of beauty. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.

Gabriel then ascended with me to the fourth heaven and requested that it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Enoch. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.

Gabriel alayhis salaamthen ascended with me to the fifth heaven and requested that it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Aaron. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.

Gabriel alayhis salaam then ascended with me to the sixth heaven and requested that it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Moses. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.

Gabriel alayhis salaam then ascended with me to the seventh heaven and requested that it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Abraham who was leaning against the bayt al-ma'mur into which enter seventy thousand angels each day never to return.

Then I was brought to the sidrat al-muntaha, the Lote Tree of the Furthest Limit, whose leaves were like the ears of an elephant and whose fruits at first appeared insignificant. But when Allah spread His command over them they transformed to the point where no one in creation could describe their beauty. Then Allah revealed what He revealed to me. He then made obligatory for me fifty prayers every night and day.

I began my descent until I reached Moses who asked me: 'What has your Lord made obligatory for your community?' I said to him, 'Fifty prayers.' He then said, 'Return to your Lord and ask Him to reduce them, your community will not be able to bear that. I know the people of Israel from long experience and I have tested them.' I then returned to my Lord and said, 'O Lord, make things lighter for my people'. He then reduced it by five prayers for me. I then returned to Moses and he said to me, 'Your community will not be able to stand that. So return and ask Him to make things lighter.' I kept going between my Lord and Moses until Allah said, 'O Muhammad, there are five prayers every night and day. Each prayer is equal to ten prayers making them equal to fifty prayers. Whoever intends a good deed and does not do it, there will be written for him a single good deed. If he does it then there will be written for him ten good deeds. Whoever intends an evil deed and does not do it then there is nothing written against him. If he does it then there is written for him one evil deed.'

I then descended until I reached Moses and informed him of what had occurred. He then said to me, 'Return to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace then said, 'I have returned to my Lord until I felt ashamed before Him."

from the hadith collection of Sahih Muslim




Haram shareef



Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam himself mentioned:


"I was near the House (The Sacred Ka'bah) in a state between sleep and wakefulness when I heard someone saying ";


'' He is the third amongst the two persons (Sayyadina Hamza Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu and Sayyadina Ja'far as-Sadiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, his uncles were the other two persons).''




Heart filled with Zam-Zam





Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the One Who exists without a place. To Him belong the endowments and proper commendations. May Allah raise the rank of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and his kind Al and Companions and protect his nation from what he fears for them. May the Lord of Heavens and Earth grant us the sincere intentions and guide us to the acceptable deeds.
Thereafter, Allah sent the Prophets as a mercy to the slaves and supported them with miracles to indicate the truthfulness of their message. Of all the prophets, our Prophet, Muhammad Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, was blessed with the most miracles. Al-Isra' and al-Mi'raj are among the many miracles of Prophet Muhammad.

The miracle of al-Isra' is confirmed in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Isra', Ayah 1, Allah said:






 ... which means: [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, which is surrounded a blessed land.] This journey is also confirmed in the sahih hadith. As such, there is scholarly consensus (ijma') Prophet Muhammad journeyed in body and soul the night of al-Isra' from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. Moreover, these scholars indicated the person who denies al-Isra' is a blasphemer for belying the explicit text of the Qur'an al karim.

Before the Prophet took this night journey, the ceiling of the house in which he was staying was opened, and Jibrail alayhis-salaam descended. He cut open the chest (from the throat to the lower part of his abdomen) of the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and washed that open area with Zam-zam water. Then he emptied something from a container into the chest of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam to increase his wisdom as well as the strength of his belief. This was done to prepare the Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam for that which he had yet to see in the upper world from among the wonders of the creation of Allah.
''My heart was extracted, washed with the water of Zam Zam, and then restored in its original position. Thereafter it was filled with faith and wisdom.''

 After washing the heart, Jibrail alayhis-salaam said, ''The heart was very perfect. There were two eyes which see and two ears which hear.'' An expert of the Qur'an al-karim, Allama Shaykh Ismail al-Haqqi [d.1724] alayhir rahman reported;
Neither any tool was used to split the heart nor was there any bleeding.


[It is recorded in several books of traditions that Jibrai'l alayhis-salaam first opened the breast of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam from above till down to the naval and that Mika'il alayhis-salaam washed the veins, the throat, and the interior of his blessed breast with water from the well Zamzam in order to divest him from every quality unsuitable for a Nabi. They brought a golden dish filled with religion and wisdom, emptied it into the heart, and put it back into its place. Then Jibra'il alayhis-salaam caught hold of his noble hand and led him out.]




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al-Burraq



When Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala ordered Jibraeel alayhis salaam to carry with him the burraq for Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam to ride, he went to the paradise of burraqs and there he found forty million burraqs. Every burraq had a crown on its forehead inscribed with the words: "There is no god only Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Under it was written: "Believe in Me, in My angels, in My books, and in My Rasools (Prophets)." Jibraeel alayhis salaam saw among them a burraq who secluded himself and who sat alone crying. Jibraeel alayhis salaam came to him and asked him why he was in such a state. The burraq answered: "I heard the name of Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam forty thousand years ago, and my yearning for him has prevented me from eating and drinking." Jibraeel alayhis salaam chose that burraq and he took him.

The burraq had the body of a horse but the face of a human being, with big black eyes and soft ears. His colour was that of a peacock whose plumage was set with red rubies and corals, on which sat a white head of musk on a neck of amber. His ears and shoulders were of pure white pearls attached with golden chains, each chain decorated with glittering jewels. His saddle was made of silk lined with silver and gold threads. His back was covered with green emerald and his halter was pure peridot.

The speed of the burraq is according to his sight. His legs reach wherever his eyes can see. Jibraeel alayhis salaam said: "Rasool Allah, this night is your night, and your turn has come to shine in the sky of creation. You are the sun of ancient and recent knowledge, you are the moonlight of the beauties of the worlds, the happiness of creation and the adornment of the lands of human beings and angels. You are the cup of love from the river of milk and honey. The river of Kawther in paradise overflows in anticipation of seeing you. You, the joy of all creation, the pride of paradise, the tables are ready and the palaces of heaven are waiting for your coming!"

"Jibraeel," said Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, "did you come with a message of mercy or wrath?"
"I came with a message from your Rabb (Lord) to give you a secret."
"What does the Rabb (Lord) of Generosity want to do with me?"
"He wants to shower you with His mercy and all human beings that accept you."
"Give me a moment to prepare myself."
"I brought you water of paradise and a turban with a message inscribed: 'Muhammad the servant of Allah; Muhammad the Prophet of Allah; Muhammad the beloved of Allah; Muhammad the friend of Allah.'"
"Jibraeel, tell me more about that turban."

"Allah created a turban from his light and he entrusted it to Ridhwan alayhis-salaam, the angel-custodian of paradise, and the praising of Ridhwan's host of angels belonged to the owner of that turban before heaven and earth were created. Tonight, when the order came for your visit, Ridhwan took the turban from paradise, and all forty thousand angels said with him: 'Our Rabb (Lord), you have ordered us from time immemorial to praise the owner of that turban. Honour us tonight with his sight and permit us to walk before him.' And Allah granted them what they asked. Then Allah ordered me, Jibraeel alayhis-salaam, to hand Mikaeel alayhis-salaam the precious jar of the pure water of Salsabil, and Mikaeel alayhis-salaam to give to Azraeel alayhis-salaam, and Azraeel to give it to Israfeel alayhis-salaam, then Israfeel to Ridhwan, then Ridhwan alayhis-salaam sent that water another time to the highest paradise: Jannat al-Firdaws, where all the beautiful maiden-angels washed their faces with that water and shone even more brightly. Then they sent back that water to me, and I am giving it to you."

And Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was showered with the water from paradise. As soon as it touched his noble body he became covered with a garment of subtle angelic light, and Jibraeel alayhis salaam gave him the burraq to ride.
But the burraq stopped and asked Jibraeel:

"Is that Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam who is invited to our Rabb (Lord)?"
Jibraeel said: "Yes."
The burraq asked: "Is he the owner of the blessed pond in paradise?"
Jibraeel alayhis salaam said: "Yes."
The burraq said: "Is he the leader of the people of paradise?"
Jibraeel said: "Yes."
The burraq said: "Is he the intercessor on Judgment-Day?"
Jibraeel alayhis salaam said: "Yes."
At that time the burraq began to melt like ice and snow melt in the light of the sun.
He knelt down and said to the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam:

"Pride of creation, ride on me; but I have one request to ask of you: Do not forget me on the day of intercession."





Taybah




The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam and Jibrail alayhis-salaam arrived to a land with palm trees. Jibrail alayhis-salaam told the Prophet to dismount and pray, so the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam dismounted the burraq and prayed two rak'ahs.
Jibrail alayhis-salaam asked him, "Do you know where you prayed?"
 ... and the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam answered, "Allah knows best."
Jibrail alayhis-salaam told him, "This is Yathrib; this is Taybah. " (These are two names for the city of al-Madinah.)

Before the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam emigrated to al-Madinah, it was called Taybah and Yathrib.

It earned the name al-Madinah after the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam emigrated to it.




Madyan




Whilst the burraq was flying, it was placing his hoof at a distance equal to the range of vision. Jibra'il alayhis 'salam requested the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam to pray:

'' Come down and Pray here ''

Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam came down and prayed. Then he climbed over the burraq again. Jibra'il alayhis 'salam asked the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam;

'' Did you know upon which place you prayed ''?

Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam answered;

'' No ''  Jibra'il alayhis 'salam replied:
'' You prayed at Madyan, (a city on the shore of the Red Sea bordering Tabuk near the valley of Shu'ayb) at the tree of Musa (where Musa alayhis-salaam rested from fatigue and hunger during his flight from Fir'awn)''
ASALATU WA'SALAMU ALAYKA YA RASULLALLAH Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam



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Mount Sinai



The burraq continued with the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and Jibrail alayhis salaam until they reached another place. Again Jibrail alayhis salaam told the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam to get down and pray.
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam dismounted there and prayed two rakats. Jibrail alayhis salaam informed the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam of the name of that place; it was Tur Sina*.
*[Mount Sinai where Almighty Allah spoke to Hadrat Musa alayhis-salaam.]



Bayt al-Lahm






Once again the burraq took off with the Beloved Prophet and Jibrail alayhis-salaam. Once again it stopped when it reached a land where the palaces of Syria became visible to them, and the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam dismounted and prayed two rakahs. This was in Bayt al-Lahm, (Bethlehem, then part of Syria) where Prophet 'Isa (Jesus) bin Maryam alayhis-salaam was born.




Iblees



As the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was travelling mounted on the Burraq he saw iblees (a devil) from the jinn who was trying to get near him holding a firebrand (flame of fire). Everywhere the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam turned he would see him. Jibrail alayhis-salaam said to him: "Shall I teach you words which, if you say them, his firebrand will go out and he will fall dead?" The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said yes. Jibrail alayhis-salaam said:

Say: a'udhu bi wajhillahi al-karim
wa bi kalimatillahi al-tammat
al-lati la yujawizuhunna barrun wa la fajir
min sharri ma yanzilu min al-sama'
wa min sharri ma ya 'ruju fiha
wa min sharri ma dhara'a fi al-ard
wa min sharri ma yakhruju minha
wa min fitani al-layli wa al-nahar
wa min tawariq al-layli wa al-nahar
illa tariqin yatruqu bi khayrin ya rahman
 
I seek refuge in the Face of Allah the Munificent
and in Allah's perfect words
which neither the righteous nor the disobedient overstep
from the evil of what descends from the heaven
and the evil of what ascends to it
and the evil of what is created in the earth
and the trials of the night and the day
and the visitors of the night and the day
except the visitor that comes with goodness,
O Beneficent One!


At this the devil perished and the flame was extinguished.



Fi Sabillallah




Amongst the many miracles the Beloved Prophet of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam saw in this journey; there were such people who daily grew and harvested crop, which as soon as they would cut it, new crops would take their place. They sowed in a day and reaped in a day. Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked Jibrail alayhis 'salaam ;
'' What is this ''?  He replied;
'' These are al-mujahidun (fighters) in the way of Almighty Allah. Their good deeds are increased seven hundred times (in reward), and whatever they spend returns multiplied."



Pharoah



The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam then noticed a fragrant wind and said: "O Jibrail, what is this sweet scent?" He replied: "This is the scent of the lady who combed the hair of Fir'awn's (Pharoah) daughter and that of her children. As she combed the hair of Fir'awn's daughter the comb fell and she said:
bismillah ta'isa fir'awn -- (In the name of Allah, may Fir'awn perish!)

Whereupon Fir'awn's daughter said: Do you have a Lord other than my father?
She said yes.
Fir'awn's daughter said: Shall I tell my father?
She said yes.
She told him and he summoned her and said: Do you have a Lord other than me?
She replied: Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.


This woman had two sons and a husband. Fir'awn summoned them and he began to entice the woman and her husband to renege on their religion, but they refused. He said: Then I shall kill you. She said: Be so good as to bury us all together in a single grave if you kill us. He replied: Granted, and it is your right to ask us. He then ordered that a huge cow made of copper be filled with boiling liquid (oil and water) and that the hairdresser and her children be thrown into it. The children were taken and thrown in one after the other. The second and youngest was still an infant at the breast. When they took him he said: Mother! fall and do not delay for verily you are on the truth. Then she was thrown in with her children."

He (Ibn Abbas) said: "Four spoke from the cradle as they were still infants: this child, Yusuf's alayhis-salaam witness (cf. 12:26), Jurayj's companion, and 'Isa ibn Maryam."


Prescribed Salat



Then the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam saw people whose heads were being crushed with very large boulders and stones, but then each and every time they would return to their original state. This process continued at pace without reccess. The beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "O Jibrail, who are these people?" Jibrail alayhis-salaam replied: "These are the people whose heads were too heavy to get up and pray their compulsory prayers."




Sadaqa




Then he saw a people who wore small patched material (loincloths) on the fronts and on their backs. They were roaming the way camels and sheep roam about. They were eating thistles and zaqqum -- the fruit of a tree that grows in hell and whose fruit resembles the head of devils (37:62-63) -- and white-hot coals and stones of Gehenna.


Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "Who are these, O Jibrail?"
Jibrail alayhis salaam replied:


"These are the ones who did not meet the obligation of paying sadaqa from what they possessed, whereas Allah never kept anything from them. Basically they do not pay zakah of their wealth."



Adultery




Then the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam saw people who had in front of them excellent meats disposed in pots and also putrid, foul meat, and they would eat from the foul meat and not touch the good meat.


The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam asked : "What is this, O Jibrail?"


Jibrail alayhis-salaam replied: "These are the men from your Community who had an excellent, lawful wife at home and who would go and see a foul woman and spend the night with her; and the women who would leave her excellent, lawful husband to go and see a foul man and spend the night with him. Those who leave out that which is permissible halal, and consume that which is forbidden haraam.


Just Advisers



In the same way, the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam saw such a people whose tongues and lips were being cut with iron scissors. As before once cut they would reform, i.e return to their original state.


Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam asked Jibrail alayhis-salaam, who these people were ?

Jibrail alayhis-salaam replied : ''These are those advisers who do not act upon their own instructions.''




Lurk not



Then they came to a plank in the middle of the road which not even a piece of cloth nor less than that could cross except it would be pierced. The beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "What is this, O Jibrail?"

Jibrail alayhis salam replied: "This is what happens to those of your Community who sit in the middle of the road and cut it" and he recited:

wa la taq'adu bi kulli siratin tu'iduna wa tasudduna 'an sabilillah man amana bihi wa tabtaghunaha 'iwajan

 Lurk not on every road to threaten wayfarers and to turn away from Allah's path him who believes in Him, and to seek to make it crooked (7:86).

Devourer of Interest



Then the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw a man swimming in a river of blood. As he was doing this he was being struck in his mouth with rocks and stones which he subsequently swallowed. Allah ta'ala's Most Beloved Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked,


''O Jibra'il! Why is this ?''


Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied,
''This is an example of the Devourer of interest, this is what happens to those who eat usury."




Trust



After passing the devourer of interest they came across a man who had gathered a heap of wood. Although unable to carry the pieces of wood he was still increasing them. The Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked,
''Who is this man?''

Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied,

''This is a man from your followers who had the trust of the people. He is not able to pay them back but still insists on carrying on in this manner.''


Fitnah



Then the beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw such people whose tongues and lips were being cut with an iron pair of scissors;  each time they were sliced they would return to their original state to be sliced again without respite. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked;
''Who are these people?''
Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied;

''These are preachers of fitnah [mischief] from your community who advise people what they themselves do not do''.



Backbiting




Afterward they passed by people with nails of brass, who were scratching their faces and chests. The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked;

'' O Jibra'il! Who are these people? ''
 Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied;
'' These are those people who used to backbite and insult others, they ate the flesh of people and tarnished their reputations."




Hollow repentance


Then they came across a small hole. A very big ox emerged from within it. The ox intended to return to the same hole but could not. The beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked,
''O Jibra'il! What is this?''
Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied,

''This is a man from your community who speaks big words; he repents over them and intends to return but cannot. An example of the bad word--once spoken, it cannot be returned.


Paradise



(al-Shami added:)

He then came to a valley in which he breathed a sweet, cool breeze fragrant with musk and he heard a voice.


He said: "What is this, O Jibrail?"


He replied: "This is the voice of Paradise saying: O my Lord, bring me what You have promised me for too abundant are my rooms, my gold-laced garments, my silk, my brocades, my carpets, my pearls, my coral, my silver, my gold, my goblets, my bowls, my pitchers, my couches, my honey, my water, my milk, my wine!


And He says: You will have every single Muslim and Muslima, every Mu'min and Mu'mina, and everyone who has believed in Me and My Messengers and did excellent deeds without associating a partner to Me nor taking helpers without Me.


Anyone who fears Me will be safe,
and whoever asks Me I shall give him,
and whoever lends Me something I shall repay him,
and whoever relies on Me I shall suffice him.

I am Allah besides Whom there is no god. I never fail in My promise. Successful indeed are the believers! Blessed is Allah, therefore, the best of Creators! And Paradise answered: I accept."



Jahanam


Then the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam came across a valley. Here he heard an awful sound and smelled a stench-carrying wind.The Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked;


''O Jibra'il! What is this?''


Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied; ''This is the voice of the Hell-Fire''.


It was saying, ''O my Lord! Gave me what did you promise with me,
Certainly, my chins, my iron necks, my fire, my boiling water, my ugly trees and my punishment are increased. My depth is increased. My flames became strong. So bring to me what You promised me.


Almighty Allah replied,

''Every idolater man and woman, every unbeliever man and woman, every wicked man and woman and every proud man and woman who do not believe in the Day of calculation (Reckoning) are for you.''



Dajjaal




The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Dajjaal [anti-christ] whilst in a fully awaken state.


It was said, ''Yaa Rasulullah! How did you see him?


Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam replied,
He was very large similar to an elephant, extremely white and blind from one eye as it was shining like a star. His hair resembled the branches of a tree, and his form similar to Abd 'al-Uzza bin Qat'aan (who died in Jahiliyya).




Pillars of Islam



Soon after the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw a pillar, shining like a pearl, which was being held by the angels.


Nabi-e-karim Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked;  ''What are you holding?''
The Angels replied, ''We are holding the pillar of Islam. We have been ordered to place it in Syria.'' (End of al-Shami's addition.)
[The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam called Syria the purest of Allah's lands, the place where Religion, belief and safety are found in the time of dissension, and the home of the saints for whose sake Allah sends sustenance to the people and victory to Muslims over their enemies:

1. Ibn 'Asakir in Tahdhib tarikh Dimashq al-kabir relates from Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam compared the world to a little rain water on a mountain plateau of which the safw had already been drunk and from which only the kadar or dregs remained. al-Huwjiri and al-Qushayri mention it in their chapters on tasawwuf, respectively in 'Kashf al-mahjub' and 'al-Risala al-qushayriyya'. Ibn al-Athir defines safw and safwa in his dictionary al-Nihaya as "the best of any matter, its quintessence, and purest part." The quintessence spoken of by the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam is Syria, because he called Syria "the quintessence of Allah's lands" (safwat Allah min biladih). Tabarani related it from 'Irbad ibn Sariya and Haythami authenticated the chain of transmission in his book 'Majma' al-zawa'id', chapter entitled 'Bab fada'il al-sham'.
2. Abu al-Darda' narrated that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said:
As I was sleeping I saw the Column of the Book being carried away from under my head. I feared lest it would be taken away, so I followed it with my eyes and saw that it was being planted in Syria. Verily, belief in the time of dissensions will be in Syria.
al-Haythami said that Ahmad narrated it with a chain whose narrators are all the men of the sahih -- sound narrations -- and that al-Bazzar narrated it with a chain whose narrators are the men of sound hadith except for Muhammad ibn 'Amir al-Antaki, and he is thiqa -- trustworthy.
In the version Tabarani narrated from Ibn 'Amr in al-Mu'jam al kabir and al-Mu'jam al-awsat the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam repeats three times: "When the dissensions take place, belief will be in Syria." One manuscript bears: "Safety will be in Syria." al-Haythami said the men in its chain are those of sound hadith except for Ibn Lahi'a, and he is fair (hasan).
3. al-Tabarani relates from 'Abd Allah ibn Hawala that the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said:
"I saw on the night that I was enraptured a white column resembling a pearl, which the angels were carrying. I said to them: What are you carrying? They replied: The Column of the Book. We have been ordered to place it in Syria. Later, in my sleep, I saw that the Column of the Book was snatched away from under my headrest (wisadati). I began to fear lest Allah the Almighty had abandoned the people of the earth. My eyes followed where it went. It was a brilliant light in front of me. Then I saw it was placed in Syria." 'Abd Allah ibn Hawala said: "O Messenger of Allah, choose for me (where I should go)." The Prophet said: alayka bi al-sham -- "You must go to Syria."/

al-Hafiz al-Haythami said in Majma' al-zawa'id: "The narrators in its chain of transmission are all those of sound hadith, except Salih ibn Rustum, and he is thiqa -- trustworthy."
4. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal radi Allahu anhu relates in his Musnad (1:112):
The people of Syria were mentioned in front of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu while he was in Iraq, and they said to him: Curse them, O Commander of the Believers. He replied: No, I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "The Substitutes (al-abdal) are in Syria and they are forty men, every time one of them dies, Allah substitutes another in his place. By means of them Allah brings down the rain, gives (Muslims) victory over their enemies, and averts punishment from the people of Syria."
al-Haythami said in Majma' al-zawa'id: "The men in its chains are all those of sound hadith except for Sharih ibn 'Ubayd, and he is trustworthy (thiqa)." There are more hadiths on the abdal which we cite elsewhere in the present work.]



Caller : Jews


Whilst the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was going, suddenly someone called him from his right side,
''O Muhammad ! Look at me, I will ask you.''

The Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did not answer him. But he asked,

''O Jibra'il! Who is this?''

Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied,

''This is the caller from the Jews. If you had answered him, your followers would have become Jews after you.


Caller : Christians





The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam continued travelling and he heard someone calling him from his left:


"O Muhammad, look at me, I want to ask you something!"


But the Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did not respond. Then he said: "Who was this, O Jibrail?"


He replied: "This is the herald of the Christians. If you had answered him your Community would have followed Christianity."



A beautiful lady




Afterwards, the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam came across a lady. She was extremely attractive decked with every female ornament Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had created. Her arms were exposed. She requested, ''O Muhammad ! Look at me, I will ask you.''


The Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did not attend her. Then he asked, ''O Jibra'il ! Who was she?''


Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied,
''She was this world. If you had turned to her, your followers would have preferred this world to the hereafter.''



Devil


Whilst the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was on his way, suddenly he came across an old man who was calling him to his side of the way,  ''O' Muhammad ! Come towards me''

Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam requested, ''Keep on going, O' Muhammad ''

The Beloved of Allah ta'ala Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked,  ''O Jibra'il! Who is this?''

Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied,  ''This was an enemy of Almighty Allah. He intended to divert you to himself.''



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This Dunya


Next, the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw an old lady on one side of the way who was saying,


''O Muhammad ! Look towards me''


The Beloved of Allah ta'ala Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did not turn to her but instead asked,


''O Jibra'il! Who is this lady?''


Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam replied, ''This is an example of the life of this world, where so much life has passed. It has as much left to live as the remaining lifetime of this old woman."''



Ibrahim, Musa & Isa



(al-Shami added:)

As the Most Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam went on he was met by some people who said onto him:


"Peace be upon you, O' First One! ''
''Peace upon you, O' Last One! ''
''Peace be upon you, O' Gatherer!"

Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam said to him: "Return their greeting," and he did.  Then he saw them another time and they said the same thing. Then he saw them a third time and again they greeted him.


The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam asked, "Who are they, O' Jibrail?"

Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam replied: "Ibrahim, Musa, and 'Isa." They are the Prophets of Allah the Almighty.



Grave of Musa




The Most Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam then passed by Hadrat Musa alayhis-salaam as he was praying in his grave at a place of red sandhills. He was tall, with long hair and brown complexion, similar to one of the shanu'a -- the (Yemeni) men of pure lineage and manly virtue. He was saying with a loud voice: "You have honoured him and preferred him!" Then Allahs Beloved Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam greeted him and he returned his greeting.
Musa alayhis-salaam said: "Who is this with you, O' Jibrail?" Jibrail alayhis-salaam replied: "This is Ahmad." Musa alayhis-salaam said: "Welcome to the Arabian Prophet who acted perfectly with his Community!" and he made an invocation for blessing on his behalf. He further added: "Ask ease for you Community."
They continued travelling and the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "O' Jibrail, who was this?"
Jibrail alayhis-salaam replied: "This is Musa ibn 'Imran." The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam asked: "Who was he reprimanding?" Jibrail alayhis-salaam said: "He is reprimanding his Lord." The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "He reprimands his Lord and raises his voice against his Lord?!" Jibrail alayhis-salaam said: "Allah the Exalted knows Musa's bluntness."



Sayyadina Ibrahim



They passed by a large tree whose fruit seemed like a thornless berry (of the kind that gives shade to men and cattle). Under the tree was an elderly man who was resting with his children. There were lamps and a great light could be seen. The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said:


"Who is this, O Jibrail?" He replied: "Your father Ibrahim."
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam greeted him and Ibrahim 'alayhis salaam returned his greeting and said: "Who is this with you, O Jibrail?" He replied: "This is your son Ahmad." He said:

Welcome to the unlettered Arabian Prophet who has conveyed the message of his Lord and acted with perfect sincerity with his Community!
'O my son, you are going to meet your Lord tonight, and your Community is the last and the weakest of all Communities -- therefore, if you are able to have your need fulfilled concerning your Community, or most of it, be sure to do it!

Then he invoked for goodness on his behalf.


Hell-Fire





They continued travelling until they reached the valley that is in the city -- that is: the Hallowed House (Jerusalem) -- when lo and behold! the Gehenna (hell-fire) was exposed to them like a carpet unfolded. They (the noble Companions) said:

"O Messenger of Allah, how was it?"
Allahs Beloved Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam He replied: "Like cinders."



Nabi led the Salaat


They continued travelling until they reached Bayt al-Muqaddas in Palestine. They entered it by its Southern gate. Allahs Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam dismounted the Burraq and tied it at the gate of the mosque, using the ring by which the Prophets [Allah give them peace] tied it before him. One narration states that Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam came to the Rock and placed his fingers in it, piercing it, then he tied the Burraq using the spot he had hollowed out.
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam entered the mosque from a gate through which the sun and the moon could be seen when they set. He prayed two cycles of prayer and did not tarry long before a large crowd of people had gathered. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam recognised all the Prophets, some standing in prayer, some bowing, some prostrating. Then a caller called out to the prayer and the final azaan (call to prayer) was made. They rose and stood in lines, waiting for the one who would lead them. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam took the hand of Allahs Final Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam and brought him forward. He led them in two cycles of prayer.
[Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi alayhir rahman said:
This took place before his ascension according to the highest probability. Najm al-Din al-Ghiti said: "The narrations agree to the fact that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam prayed among the other Prophets in Jerusalem before his ascension." This is one of the two possibilities mentioned by Qadi 'Iyad Radi Allahu anhu. Hafiz Ibn Hajar Radi Allahu anhu said: "This is apparently the case. The second possibility is that he prayed among them after he came down from the heaven, and they came down also." Ibn Kathir Radi Allahu anhu also declared the former scenario as the sound one. Some said: "What is the objection to the possibility that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam prayed among them twice, since some of the hadiths mention that he led them in prayer after his ascent?"]

The following is related from Hadrat Ka'b Radi Allahu anhu:

Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam raised the call to prayer. The angels descended from the heaven. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gathered all the Messengers and Prophets. Then the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam prayed as the leader of the angels and Messengers.

When he left Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked him: "O Muhammad, do you know who prayed behind you?"
He said no. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam said: "Every single Prophet whom Allah has ever sent."



Sermons




(Al-Shami adds:) Abu Hurayra Radi Allahu anhu's narration related by al-Hakim who declared it sound, and by al-Bayhaqi, states: Then the Prophet met the spirits of the Prophets. They glorified their Lord, after which Ibrahim 'alayhis salaam said:
Praise to Allah Who has made taken me as His intimate friend, Who has given me an immense kingdom, Who has made me a prayerful Community and one by whom prayer is led, Who has rescued me from the fire and made it cool and safe for me!
Then Musa 'alayhis salaam glorified his Lord and said:
Praise be to Allah Who has spoken to me directly, Who has brought to pass the destruction of Fir'awn and the salvation of the Children of Israel at my hands, and Who has made from among my Community a people who guide others through truth and establish justice upon it!
Then Dawud 'alayhis salaam glorified his Lord and said:
Praise be to Allah Who has brought me an immense kingdom, Who has softened iron for my hands, and subjected to me the mountains and the birds which laud Him, and has given me wisdom and unmistakable judgment in my speech!
Then Sulayman 'alayhis salaam glorified his Lord and said:
Praise be to Allah Who has subjected the winds to my command as well as the devils, so that they did as I wished and constructed for me elevated sanctuaries, images, large bowls the size of ponds, and vessels fixed in their spot (due to their size), Who has taught me the language of birds and has brought me a part of every good thing, Who has subjected to me the armies of the devils and the birds and has preferred me over many of His believing servants, Who has brought me an immense kingdom which no one after me may possess, and Who has made my kingdom a goodly one wherein there is no reckoning nor punishment!
Then 'Isa ibn Maryam 'alayhis salaam glorified his Lord and said:
Praise be to Allah Who has made me His word, Who has fashioned me after Adam's likeness whom He created out of earth then said to him: Be, and he was, Who has taught me the Book and the Wisdom and the Torah and the Evangel, Who has caused me to heal the blind and the leper and to raise the dead by Allah's permission, Who has raised me and cleansed me and granted me and my mother protection against the cursed devil, so that the devil had no path by which to harm us! (End of al-Shami's addition).



Final Sermon



Every Prophet [Allah bless them and give them peace] then glorified his Lord in the best of language, and the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: ''All of you have glorified their Lord and I am going to glorify my Lord also'':


al-hamdu lillah al-ladhi arsalani rahmatan li al-'alamin
wa kaffatan li al-nasi bashiran wa nadhira
wa anzala 'alayya al-qur’ana fihi tibyanun li kulli shay’
wa ja'ala ummati khayra ummatin ukhrijat li al-nas
wa ja'ala ummati wasatan
wa ja'ala ummati hum al-awwaluna wa al-akhirun
wa sharaha li sadri wa wada 'a anni wazri
wa rafa'a li dhikri
wa ja'alani fatihan khatiman!

Praise belongs to Allah Who has sent me, a mercy to the worlds
Sent to all without exception, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner,
Who has caused to descend upon me the Qur'an in which there is a perfect exposition of all things,
Who has made my Community the best Community ever brought out for the benefit of mankind,
Who has made my Community a mean and a middle,
Who has made my Community in truth the first and the last of all Communities,
Who has expanded my breast and has relieved me of my burden,
Who has exalted my name,
And has made me the Opener and the Sealer!

Upon hearing this Ibrahim 'alayhis-salaam then remarked 'this is why Muhammad is better than you.'


[The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam then discussed Judgement Day.]



Day of Judgement


[Continued from the Final Sermon of Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam ]



Then they brought up the matter of the Hour and referred it to Ibrahim 'alayhis salaam, but he said: "I have no knowledge of it." They turned to Musa 'alayhis salaam but he said: "I have no knowledge of it." They turned to Isa 'alayhis salaam and he said:
As for the time when it shall befall, no one knows it except Allah. As for what my Lord has assured me (concerning what precedes it), then: the Dajjal or Antichrist will come forth and I will face him with two rods. At my sight he shall melt like lead: Allah shall cause his destruction as soon as he sees me. It will be so that the very stones will say: O' Muslim, behind me hides a disbeliever, therefore come and kill him! And Allah shall cause them all to die.
People will then return to their countries and nations. At that time Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog) shall come out. They will come from every direction. They will trample all nations underfoot. Whatever they come upon they will destroy. They will drink up every body of water.
At last the people will come to me complaining about them. At that time I will invoke Allah against them so that He will destroy them and cause their death until the whole earth will reek of their stench. Allah will send down rain which shall carry their bodies away and hurl them into the sea.
I have been assured by my Lord that once all this takes place then the Hour will be as the pregnant mother at the last stages of her pregnancy. Her family does not know when she shall suddenly give birth by night or by day. (End of al-Shami's addition)



Milk


The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam then felt the greatest thirst that he had ever felt, whereupon Jibrail alayhis-salaam brought him a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. He chose the latter. Jibrail 'alayhis-salaam said:
"You have chosen fitra – natural disposition – and if you had drunken the wine, your Community would have strayed from the right way and none but a few of them would have followed you."
[The Most Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said, "Every child is born with a natural disposition (kullu mawludin yuladu 'ala al-fitra); then his parents convert him to Judaism, or Christianity, or Zoroastrianism. It is the same with the animal which delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it missing anything?" Bukhari shareef narrates it. Muslim shareef omits the mention of the animal. Tirmidhi' shareef's narration (hasan sahih) also omits it, but adds: "O Messenger of Allah, what if the child dies before that?" He replied: "Allah knows best what they would have done."
The hadith master al-Zabidi Rahmatullahi 'alayh said in his commentary on Imam Ghazali' Radi Allahu anhu's Ihya entitled Ithaf al-sadat al-muttaqin bi sharh ihya' 'ulum al-din (The gift of the godwary masters: commentary on Ghazali's "Giving life to the sciences of the Religion"): "Born with a natural disposition: the definite case indicates that it is commonly known, and it consists in Allah's disposition with which He endows all people, that is, the innate character with which He creates them and which predisposes them to accept Religion and to differentiate between the wrong and the right."]

Another narration states: There were three vessels and the third contained water. Jibrail alayhis-salaam said: "If you had drunk the water your Community would have perished by drowning."

And a further narration also states: That one of the vessels presented to him contained honey instead of water, and that he then saw the wide-eyed maidens of Paradise to the left of the Rock. He greeted them and they returned his greeting. Then he asked them something and they replied with an answer that cools the eyes.


Ladder



Then the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was brought the ladder by which the spirits of the children of Adam alayhis-salaam ascend. Creation never saw a more beautiful object; it had alternate stairs of silver and gold and came down from the Highest and Amplest Garden of Paradise, Jannat al-firdaws. It was incrusted with pearls and surrounded with angels on its right and left.
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam began his ascent with Jibrail alayhis-salaam until they reached one of the gates of the nearest heaven called Bab al-hafazha. There an angel stood guard, named Isma'il, who was the custodian of the nearest heaven. He inhabits the wind. He never ascends to the heaven nor descends to earth except on the day that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam left his life on earth. In front of him stood seventy thousand angels, each angel commanding an army of seventy thousand more.

Continue to the First Heaven


First Heaven


The Beloved Prophet of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam began his ascent with Jibrail 'alayhis-salaam until they reached one of the gates of the nearest heaven called Bab al-hafazha. There an angel stood guard, named Isma'il, who was the custodian of the nearest heaven. He inhabits the wind. He never ascends to the heaven nor descends to earth except on the day that the Beloved Prophet left the temporary world, blessings and peace upon him. In front of him stood seventy thousand angels, each angel commanding an army of seventy thousand more.
Jibrail 'alayhis-salaam asked for the gate to be opened. Someone said:
- "Who is this?"
- "Jibrail."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes."
- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"



Hadrat Adam




The gate was opened. When they came in they saw Adam, peace be upon him, the father of humanity, as he was on the day Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala created him in his complete form. The spirits of the Prophets and of his believing offspring were being shown to him, whereupon he would say: "A goodly spirit and a goodly soul, put her in the Highest! ('illiyyin)." Then the spirits of his unbelieving offspring would be shown to him and he would say: "A foul spirit and a foul soul, put her in the lowest layer of Hell! (sijjin)."

The Beloved Prophet of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw to Adam alayhis-salaam's right great dark masses and a gate exuding a fragrant smell, and to his left great dark masses and a gate exuding a foul, malodorant smell. Whenever Adam alayhis-salaam looked to his right he would smile and be happy, and whenever he looked to his left he would be sad and weep. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam greeted him and Adam alayhis-salaam returned his greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous Prophet!"

The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "What is this, O Jibrail?" He replied: "This is your father Adam and the dark throngs are the souls of his children. Those on the right are the people of Paradise and those on the left are the people of the Fire. Whenever he looks to his right he smiles and is glad, and whenever he looks to his left he is sad and weeps. The door to his right is the gate of Paradise. Whenever he sees those of his offspring enter it he smiles happily. The door to his left is the gate of Gehenna. Whenever he sees those of his offspring enter it he weeps sadly.



Adultery





(al-Shami added:) Then the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam continued for a little while. He saw a tablespread on which there were pieces of (good) meat which no one approached, and another tablespread on which were pieces of rotten meat which stank, surrounded by people who were eating it. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked: "O Jibra'il, who are these?" He replied: "These are those of your Community who abandon what is lawful and go to what is unlawful."


(One version says:) The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw a great deal of people gathered around a tablespread on which was set grilled meat of the best kind one had ever seen. Near the table there was some carrion decaying. The people were coming to the carrion to eat from it, and they were leaving the grilled meat untouched. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked: "Who are they, O Jibra'il?" He replied: "The adulterers (al-zunat): they make lawful what Allah has made unlawful, and they abandon what Allah has made lawful for them."


Interest




Then the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam went on for a little while. He saw groups of people who had bellies as large as houses, and there were snakes in them which could be seen through their skins. Every time one of those people stood up he would fall again and he would say: "O Allah, don't make the Hour of Judgment rise yet!" Then they meet the people of Fir'awn on the road and the latter trample them underfoot. (The Prophet said:) "I heard them clamouring to Allah." He asked: "O Jibrail, who are these?" He replied: "They are those of your Community who eat up usury (interest). They cannot stand up except in the manner of those whom the Shaytan touches with possession."



Orphans





Then the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam went on for a little while. He saw groups of people whose lips resembled the lips of camels. Their mouths were being pried open and they would be stoned.


One version says:


A rock from Gehenna was placed in their mouths and then it would come out again from their posteriors. (The Prophet said:) "I heard them clamoring to Allah." He asked: "O Jibra'il, who are these?" He replied: "They are those of your Community who eat up the property of orphans and commit injustice. They are eating nothing but a fire for their bellies, and they shall be roasted in it."



Women






Then the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam went on for a little while. He saw women suspended by their breasts and others hanging upside down, (and the Prophet said:) "I heard them clamouring to Allah." He asked: "Who are these, O Jibrail?" He replied: "These are the women who commit fornication and then kill their children."



Gheebah



Then the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam went on for a little while. He saw groups of people whose sides were being cut off for meat and they were being devoured. They were being told: "Eat, just as you used to eat the flesh of your brother." The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "O Jibra'il, who are these?" He replied: "They are the slanderers of your Community who would bring shame to others." (End of al-Shami's addition.)

Then the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam continued for a little while, and he found the consumers of usury and of the property of orphans, and the fornicators and adulterers, and others, in various loathsome states as those that have been described, and worse.


2nd Heaven




Then they ascended to the second heaven. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked for the gate to be opened. He was asked:
- "Who is this?"
- "Jibra'il."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes, he has indeed been sent for."
- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"





Isa and Yahya



The gate was opened. When they came in they saw the sons of the two sisters: 'Isa ibn Maryam and Yahya ibn Zakariyya [Peace & blessings upon them]. They resembled each other in clothing and hair. Each had with him a large company of their people. 'Isa was curly-haired, of medium build, leaning towards fair complexion, with hair let down as if he were coming out of the bath. He resembles 'Urwa ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi.

[One of the dignitaries of the town of Ta'if. Ibn Hajar in his Isaba relates that he alone responded to the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam's invitation to that city by following him and declaring his acceptance of Islam. Then he asked for permission to return to his people and speak to them. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "I fear lest they harm you." He said: "They would not even wake me up if they saw me sleeping." Then he returned. When he began to invite them to Islam, they rejected him. One morning as he stood outside his house making adhan, a man shot him with an arrow. As he lay dying he was asked: "What do you think about your death now?" He replied: "It is a gift given me out of Allah's generosity." When news of this reached the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam he said: "He is like the man of Ya Sin when he came to his people," a reference to 36:20-27.

Ibn Hajar also mentions that it is from 'Urwa that Abu Nu'aym narrated (with a weak chain) that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam took the women's pledge of allegiance at Hudaybiyya by touching the water of a pail in which they had dipped their hands.]

The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam greeted them and they returned his greeting. Then they said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!" Then they invoked for goodness on his behalf.

After this the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam and Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam ascended to the third heaven.



3rd Heaven



After this the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam ascended to the third heaven. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked for the gate to be opened. Someone asked :

- "Who is this?"
- "Jibra'il."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes, he has indeed been sent for."

- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"
The gate was opened.


Yousuf




The gate was opened. When they came in they saw Yusuf alayhis salaam, and with him stood a large company of his people. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam greeted him and he returned his greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!" Then he invoked for goodness on his behalf.

Yusuf alayhis salaam had been granted the gift of beauty. One narration says: He was the most handsome creation that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had ever created and he surpassed people in beauty the way the full moon surpasses all other stars. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked: "Who is this, O' Jibra'il?" He replied: "Your brother Yusuf."



4th Heaven



After this the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam ascended to the third heaven. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked for the gate to be opened. Someone asked :

- "Who is this?"
- "Jibra'il."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes, he has indeed been sent for."

- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"
The gate was opened.



Idriss




The gate was opened. When they came in they saw Idris 'alayhis-salaam. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had exalted him to a lofty place. The Beloved Prophet of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam greeted him and he returned his greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!" Then he invoked for goodness on his behalf.




5th Heaven



After this the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam ascended to the third heaven. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked for the gate to be opened. Someone asked :

- "Who is this?"
- "Jibra'il."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes, he has indeed been sent for."

- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"
The gate was opened.



Haroon




The gate was opened. When they came in they saw Haroon 'alayhis salaam. Half of his beard was white and the other half was black. It almost reached his navel due to its length. Surrounding him were a company of the children of Israel listening to him as he was telling them a story. The Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam greeted him and he returned his greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!" Then he invoked for goodness on his behalf. The Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked: "Who is this, O Jibra'il?" He replied: "This is the man who is beloved among his people, Haroon ibn 'Imran."



6th Heaven





After this the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam ascended to the third heaven. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked for the gate to be opened. Someone asked :

- "Who is this?"
- "Jibra'il."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes, he has indeed been sent for."

- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"
The gate was opened.





Musa




The gate was opened. The Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam passed by Prophets who had with them less than ten followers in all, while others had a large company, and others had not even one follower.

Then he saw a huge dark mass (sawad 'azhim) that was covering the firmament. He said: "What is this throng?" He was told: "This is Musa and his people. Now raise your head and look." He raised his head and saw another huge dark mass that was covering the firmament from every direction he looked. He was told: "These are your Community, and besides these there are seventy thousand of them that will enter Paradise without giving account."

As they went in the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Musa ibn 'Imran 'alayhis salaam (again), a tall man with brown complexion, similar to one of the shanu'a -- the (Yemeni) men of pure lineage and manly virtue -- with abundant hair. If he had two shirts on him, still his hair would exceed them. The Prophet greeted him and he returned his greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!" Then he invoked for goodness on his behalf and said: "The people claim that among the sons of Adam I am more honoured by Allah than this one, but it is he who is more honoured by Allah than me!"

When the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam reached him Musa 'alayhis salaam wept. He was asked: "What is it that makes you weep?" He replied: "I weep because a child that was sent after me will enter more people in Paradise from his Community than will enter from mine. The children of Israel claim that among the children of Adam 'alayhis salaam I am the one most honoured by Allah, but here is one man among the children of Adam who has come after me in the world while I am in the next world (and is more honored). If he were only by himself I would not mind, but he has his Community with him!"

[This is the proof of the famous saying of the master Abu Yazid al-Bistami Radi Allahu anhu : "We have crossed an ocean on the shore of which the Prophets stood befuddled." That is: We -- the Last Community -- have been granted, in the person of the Seal of Prophets, levels of knowledge, election, and divine favour which previous Prophets have longed to receive. This does not contradict the tenet of Ahl al-Sunnah expressed by Imam al-Tahawi Radi Allahu anhu in his 'Aqida whereby "A single Prophet is higher in rank than all awliya' put together."]



7th Heaven



After this the Most Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam and Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam ascended to the third heaven. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam asked for the gate to be opened. Someone asked :

- "Who is this?"
- "Jibra'il."
- "Who is with you?
- "Muhammad."
- "Has he been sent for?"
- "Yes, he has indeed been sent for."

- "Welcome to him, from his family! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him long life, a brother (of ours) and a deputy (of Allah), and what excellent brother and deputy! What an excellent visit is this!"
The gate was opened.



Ibraham



The gate was opened. Allah's Most Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam' saw Ibrahim 'alayhis-salaam the Friend sitting at the gate of Paradise on a throne of gold, the back of which was leaning against the Inhabited House (al-Bayt al-ma'mur). With him were a company of his people. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam' greeted him and he returned his greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous Prophet!"

[Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi 'alayhir rahman said: "ma'mur means inhabited with the remembrance of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and the great number of angels."]

Seeds of Paradise




Then Ibrahim 'alayhis-salaam said: "Order your Community to increase their seedlings of Paradise for its soil is excellent and its land is plentiful." The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam' said: "What are the seedlings of Paradise?" He replied: la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah al-'ali al-'azhim "There is no change nor might except with Allah the High, the Almighty."
Another version says:

Convey my greetings to your Community and tell them that Paradise has excellent soil and sweet water, and that its seedlings are:

subhan allah: Glory to Allah
wa al-hamdu lillah: and Praise to Allah
wa la ilaha illallah: and there is no god but Allah
wallahu akbar: and Allah is greatest.

Faces




With Ibrahim 'alayhis salaam were sitting a company of people with pristine faces similar to the whiteness of a blank page, and next to them were people with something in their faces. The latter stood and entered a river in which they bathed. Then they came out having purified some of their hue. Then they entered another river and bathed and came out having purified some more. Then they entered a third river and bathed and purified themselves and their hue became like that of their companions. They came back and sat next to them.

The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "O Jibra'il, who are those with white faces and those who had something in their hues, and what are these rivers in which they entered and bathed?" He replied: "The ones with white faces are a people who never tarnished their belief with injustice or disobedience; those with something in their hues are a people who would mix good deeds with bad ones, then they repented and Allah relented towards them. As for these rivers, then the first is Allah's mercy (rahmatullah), the second his favour (ni'matullah), and the third and their Lord gave them a pure beverage to drink (wa saqahum rabbuhum sharaban tahuran) (76:21)."

Then the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was told: "This is your place and the place of your Community." He saw that his Community were divided into two halves: one half were wearing clothes that seemed as white as a blank page, the other were wearing clothes that seemed the color of ashes or dust. He entered the Inhabited House and those who were wearing the white clothes entered with him. Those that wore ash-colored clothes were no longer able to see him, and yet they were in the best of states. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam prayed in the Inhabited House together with those of the believers that were with him.



Milk and Wine


Every day seventy thousand angels enter the Inhabited House, who shall never return to it until the Day of Resurrection. This House is exactly superposed to the Ka'bah. If one stone fell from it it would fall on top of the Ka'bah. The angels who have entered it never see it again.

One version states the presentation of vessels in front of Allah's Most Beloved, the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's choice of the vessel of milk, and Jibra'il 'alayhis-salam's approval took place at this point. It was said:

''you did right. Allah will rightly guide mankind through you and your nation on the natural course.''

(al-Shami adds:) al-Tabarani cites this hadith with a sound chain: "The night I was enraptured I passed by the heavenly host, and lo and behold! Jibra'il was like the worn-out saddle-cloth on the camel's back from fear of his Lord." One of al-Bazzar's narrations states: "like a saddle-blanket that clings to the ground."

[Shaykh Muhammad ibn Alawi 'alayhir rahman said: "Of the same meaning is the hadith: kun hilsan min ahlasi baytik Be one of the saddle blankets of your house, that is: keep to it in times of dissension.]



Lote Tree





The Lote-Tree of the Farthest Limit  [Sidra t'al Muntaha]

Then the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was raised up to the Lote-Tree of the Farthest Limit. There ends whatever ascends from the earth before it is seized, and whatever descends from above before it is seized.

[al-Dardir said: "This is the eighth ascension, meaning that it is the ascension to what is higher than the Lote-tree by means of the eighth step, so that the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam reached the top height of its branches in the eighth firmament which is called al-Kursi -- the Chair, or Footstool -- which is made of a white pearl. This is found in al-Qalyubi, and it is the apparent sense of the account. However, it is contradicted by what is mentioned later: "Then he came to the Kawthar," because the Kawthar, like the remainder of the rivers, flows from the base of the Tree, not from its top, and the account goes on to say after this: "Then he was raised up to the Lote-tree of the Farthest Limit." It follows that the raising up to the Lote-tree took place more than once, but undoubtedly this is dubious for whoever ponders it. I saw in al-Ajhuri's account here: "Then he came to the Lote-tree of the farthest boundary, there ends etc." and this is correct as it does not signify being raised up. This makes it clear that he came to the Tree and saw at its base the rivers -- which are soon to be mentioned -- and he travelled towards the Kawthar. What the narrator said later: "Then he was raised to the Lote-tree of the Farthest Limit etc." indicates that the eighth ascension took place at that later point and that the present stage is only an exposition of his coming to the base of the Tree which is in the seventh heaven. Another narration states that it is in the sixth heaven. What harmonizes the two is that its base is in the sixth heaven while its branches and trunk are in the seventh."]

It is a tree from the base of which issue rivers whose water is never brackish (it does not change in taste, or color, or smell, and the sweat of those who drink it in Paradise has the fragrance of musk); and rivers of milk whose taste does not change after it is drunk; and rivers of wine which brings only pleasure to those who drink it; and rivers of purified honey. Someone on his mount could travel under its shade for seventy years and still not come out of it. The lotus fruit that grows on it resembles the jars of Hijar (near Madina). Its leaves are shaped like the ears of the she-elephant, and each leaf could wrap up this Community entirely. One version says: One of its leaves could wrap up all creatures.

On top of each leaf there was an angel who covered it with colors which cannot be described. Whenever he covered it by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala's order it would change. One version says: It would turn into sapphire and chrysolite the beauty of which it is impossible for anyone to praise according to what its merit. On it were moths of gold.



The Rivers



From the base of the tree issued four (more) rivers: two hidden rivers and two visible ones. The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked: "What are these, O' Jibra'il? He replied: "As for the hidden ones, they are two rivers of Paradise. The visible ones are the Nile and the Euphrates."

[Ibn Kathir 'alayhir rahman said: What is meant by this, and Allah knows best, is that these two rivers (the Nile and the Euphrates) resemble the rivers of Paradise in their purity and sweetness and fluidity and such of their qualities, as the Most Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said in the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayra Radi Allahu anhu: al-'ajwa min al-janna "Date pastry is from paradise," that is: it resembles the fruit of Paradise, not that it itself originates in Paradise. For if that were the meaning then the senses would testify to the contrary. Therefore the meaning which imposes itself is other than that. Similarly the source of origin of these rivers is on earth.]

(al-Shami added:) One version says: At the base of the tree ran a source called Salsabil. From it issued two rivers: one is the Kawthar. (The Prophet said:) "I saw it flowing impetuously, roaring, at the speed of arrows. Near it were pavilions of pearl (lu'lu'), sapphire (yaqut), and chrysolite (zabarjad) on top of which nested green birds more delicate than any you have ever seen. On its banks were vessels of gold and silver. It ran over pebbles made of sapphire and emerald (zumurrud). Its water was whiter than milk."

The Best of Creation Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam took one of the vessels and scooped some water and drank. It was sweeter than honey and more fragrant than musk. Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam said to him: "This is the river which Allah has given you as a special gift, and the other river is the River of Mercy." The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam bathed in it and his past and future sins were forgiven. (End of al-Shami's addition.)

One version says: At the Lote-tree of the Farthest Limit the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam (in his angelic form). He had six hundred wings. Every single wing could cover the entire firmament. From his wings embellishments were strewn in all directions, such as rare pearls and sapphires of a kind Allah alone knows. Then the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was taken to the Kawthar and entered Paradise. Lo and behold! It contains what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor human mind ever imagined. On its gate he saw written:

al-sadaqatu bi 'ashrin amthaliha
wa al-qardu bi thamaniyati 'ashara
Charity is repaid tenfold,
and the loan eighteenfold.

The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "O Jibra'il, how can the loan be more meritorious than charity?" He replied: "Because one asking for charity may still have some need left, while the borrower does not borrow except his need is fulfilled."
The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam continued to travel until he reached rivers of milk whose taste does not change, and rivers of wine which bring only pleasure to those who drink it, and rivers of honey purified, and overhanging those rivers were domes of hollowed pearl whose circumference is like the Aquarius star.

Another narration says:
Above the rivers were pommels resembling the hides of the humped camels. Its birds were like the Bactrian camel. Upon hearing this Abu Bakr Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu said: "O Messenger of Allah, they are certainly delicate!" The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam replied: "And daintier to eat yet, and certainly I hope that you shall eat from them."

[This is an indication of the rank of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in Paradise, as the Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's hope, like his petition, is granted. Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi alayhir rahman said: "From all this it can be known that Paradise and the Fire exist already, that the Lote-tree of the Farthest Boundary is outside Paradise, ]

The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam then saw the Kawthar and on its banks were domes of hollowed pearl. The soil of its banks was overfragrant musk. Then the Fire was shown to him. In it he saw Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala's wrath and His punishment and sanction. Were rocks and iron to be thrown into it the Fire would consume them completely. In it were a people who were eating carrion. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "Who are these, O Jibra'il?" He replied: "Those who ate the flesh of people."


Malik




Then the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam of Allah saw Malik, the custodian of the Fire. He was a grim figure whose face expressed anger. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam greeted him first. Then the gates of the Fire were closed as he stood outside, and he was raised up beyond the Lote-tree of the Farthest Limit, and a cloud concealed him from everything else, and Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam stayed back.
[Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi alayhir rahman said: The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's greeting of Malik before Malik greeted him first agrees with the subsequent wording of more than one narrator whereby the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "I greeted him and he returned my greeting and welcomed me, but he did not smile at me" etc. and this is found in some of the narrations. However, the correct narration, as the compiler and others have said, is that it is Malik who greeted the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam first in order to dispel the harshness of his sight since his face showed severity and anger. It is possible to harmonize the two versions with the fact that the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Malik more than once, so that Malik was first to greet the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam the first time, as we said, while the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was first to greet Malik second time, in order to dispel estrangement and to inspire familiarity. Know also that the Most Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's sight of Malik was not in the same form that those who are being punished see him.]


Closest Station




Then the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam went to the veil just below the All Merciful. An angel came out of the veil and Allah's Beloved Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam asked:
''Jibra'il! Who is this ? ''

He replied,
'' By the one who sent you with the truth, I have the closest station of all creatures to Allah Almighty, but I have not seen this angel from the time I was created until this very minute. ''

The angel said,
''Allah is Greater! Allah is Greater!''

A voice came from behind the veil,
''My slave has spoken the truth. I am Greater! I am Greater! ''

The angel said,
'' I testify that there is no God but Allah! ''

A voice came from behind the veil,
My slave has spoken the truth. Here is not God but Me.

Then the rest of the adhaan is spoken, with no response to the words.,

'' Come to the Prayer, Come to Success ''

Then the angel took my hand and advanced me so that I was Imam of the inhabitants including Hadrat Adam 'alayhis-salaam. Thereafter he ascended with me till I was taken to such a height where I heard the scraping of pens.



Pens




The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was taken up to a point where he heard the screeching of the Pens (writing the divine Decree). He saw a man who had disappeared into the light of the Throne. He said: "Who is this? Is this an angel?" It was said to him, no. He said: "Is it a Prophet?" Again the answer was no. He said: "Who is it then?" The answer was: "This is a man whose tongue was moist with Allah's remembrance in the world, and his heart was attached to the mosques, and he never incurred the curse of his father and mother."


Clouds




The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam advanced further to a point where there were illuminated and colourful clouds showing the names and attributes of Almighty Allah. The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam passed through them and absorbed their dignity perfectly.



Throne



Imam Abd'al-Wahhab al-Sha'raani 'alayhir rahman reported :


Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam accompanied the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam till Sidrat al Muntaha and stopped there. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam advanced further and was presented a green throne which was known as the the rafraf (kursi'y). The rafraf was accompanied by an angel. The beloved of Allah sat down and moved further on with the rafraf, until he heard a voice calling him.



Rafraf is the name of the throne upon which the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was carried to the presence of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala during the night of his ascension, but in general parlance the word has also the meaning of dome, tent, throne, etc.



Deedar




Then the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam saw his Lord, the Glorious, the Exalted, and he fell prostrate, and at that time his Lord spoke to him and said: "O Muhammad!" He replied: "At your service, O Lord!" Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala said: "Ask! (sal)." The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam  said:
You have taken to Yourself Ibrahim 'alayhis salaam as a friend, and You have given him an immense kingdom. You have spoken to Musa alayhis salaam directly, and have given Dawud alayhis salaam an immense kingdom and softened iron and subjected the mountains to him. You have given Sulayman alayhis salaam an immense kingdom, and subjected the jinn and men and devils to him, as well as the winds, and You have given him a kingdom the like no one may have after him. You have taught 'Isa alayhis salaam the Torah and the Evangel, and made him heal those born blind and the lepers, and raise up the dead with Your permission, and You have protected him and his mother from the cursed devil so that the devil had no path by which to harm them!



What was said ...



Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala said: "And I have taken you to Myself as My beloved." The narrator said: It is written in the Torah: habibullah "Allah's Beloved." Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala continued:

And I have sent you for all people without exception,
a bearer of glad tidings and a warner;
and I have expanded your breast for you
and relieved you of your burden
and exalted your name;
and I am not mentioned except you are mentioned with Me;
and I have made your Community the best Community ever brought out for the benefit of mankind;
and I have made your Community a mean and a middle;
and I have made your Community in truth the first
and the last of all Communities;
and I have made public address (al-khutba) impermissible for your Community unless they first witness that you are My servant and Messenger;
and I have placed certain people in your Community with Evangels for hearts (i.e. repositories of Allah's Book);
and I have made you the first Prophet created and the last one sent and the first one heard in My court;
and I have given you Seven of the Oft-Repeated which I gave to no other Prophet before you (i.e. Surat al-Fatiha);
and I have given you the last verses of Surat al-Baqara which constitute a treasure from under My Throne which I gave to no other Prophet before you;
and I have given you the Kawthar; and I have given you eight arrows (i.e. shares in good fortune): Islam, Emigration (hijra), Jihad, Charity (sadaqa), Fasting Ramadan, Ordering Good, and Forbidding Evil;
and the day I created the heavens and the earth I made obligatory upon you and upon your Community fifty prayers: therefore establish them, you and your Community."
(al-Shami added:) Abu Hurayra radi Allahu anhu said: Allah's Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said:

My Lord has preferred me over everyone else (faddalani rabbi):
He has sent me as a mercy to the worlds and to all people without exception,
a bearer of glad tidings and a warner;
He has thrown terror into the hearts of my enemies at a distance of a month's travel;
He has made spoils of war lawful for me while they were not lawful for anyone before me;
the entire earth has been made a ritually pure place of prostration for me;
I was given the words that open, those that close, and those that are comprehensive in meaning (i.e. I was given the apex of eloquence);
My Community was shown to me and there is none of the followers and the followed but he is known to me;
I saw that they would come to a people that wear hair-covered sandals;
I saw that they would come to a people of large faces and small eyes as if they had been pierced with a needle;
nothing of what they would face in the future has been kept hidden from me;
and I have been ordered to perform fifty prayers daily.

And he has been given three particular merits: He is the Master of Messengers (sayyid al-mursalin), the Leader of the Godwary (imam al-muttaqin), and the Chief of those with signs of light on their faces and limbs (qa'id al-ghurr al-muhajjalin). (End of al-Shami's addition.)


Presents



The Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was given 3 gifts :
One narration says:
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was given :


  • The five daily prayers
  • The last verses of Surat al-Baqara,
  • He was given the pardon for the major wrong actions of everyone of his Community who did not associate anything with Allah Almighty.
Then the cloud that cloaked him was dispelled and Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam took him by the hand and hurried away with him until he reached Ibrahim 'alayhis-salaam, who did not say anything.



Salaat




Then the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam reached Musa 'alayhis-salaam who asked: "What did you do, O' Muhammad? What obligations did your Lord impose on you and your Community?" He replied: "He imposed fifty prayers every day and night on me and my Community." Musa said: "Return to your Lord and ask Him to lighten your burden and that of your Community for in truth your Community will not be able to carry it. Verily I myself have experienced people's natures before you. I tested the Children of Israel and took the greatest pains to hold them to something easier than this, but they were too weak to carry it and they abandoned it. Your Community are even weaker in their bodies and constitutions, in their hearts, in their sight, and in their hearing."
The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam turned to Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam to consult him. The latter indicated to him that yes, if you wish, then return. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam hurried back until he reached the Tree and the cloud cloaked him and he fell prostrate. Then he said: "Lord, make lighter the burden of my Community for verily they are the weakest of all Communities." He replied: I have removed five prayers from their obligation."

Then the cloud was dispelled and Allah ta'alas' Habeeb Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam returned to Musa 'alayhis-salaam and told him: "He has removed five prayers from my obligation." He replied: "Go back to your Lord and ask him to make it less, for in truth your Community will not be able to carry that." The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did not cease to go back and forth between Musa 'alayhis-salaam and his Lord, while Allah each time reduced it by five prayers, until Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala said: "O Muhammad!" The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "At Your service, O Lord!" He said: "Let them be five prayers every day and night, and let every prayer count as ten. That makes fifty prayers. This word of Mine shall not be changed nor shall My Book be abrogated. Let whoever is about to perform a good deed, even if he does not ultimately do it, receive the reward of doing it, while if he does it, he shall receive it tenfold. Let whoever is about to commit a bad deed, and he does not ultimately do it, let not anything be written against him, while if he does it, let one misdeed be written against him."

Then the cloud was dispelled and the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam returned to Musa 'alayhis-salaam and told him: "He has removed five prayers from my obligation." He replied: "Go back to your Lord and ask him to make it less, for in truth your Community will not be able to carry that." The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said: "I have gone back again to my Lord until I feel shy from Him. Rather, I accept and submit." At this a herald called out: "I have decreed My obligation and have reduced the burden of My servants." Musa 'alayhis-salaam then said to the Most Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam: "Go down in the name of Allah."



The descent



The Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did not pass a throng of angels except they said to him: "You must practice cupping ('alayka bi al-hijama)," and in another version: "Order cupping to your Community."
[Cupping: The process of drawing blood from the body by scarification (scratches or superficial incisions in the skin) and the application of a cupping glass (in which a partial vacuum is created, as by heat) without scarification, as for relieving internal congestion. Webster's.]

As the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was descending he asked Jibra'il 'alayhis salaam: "Why did I not see any of the people of heaven except they welcomed me and smiled at me except one: I greeted him and he greeted me back and welcomed me, but he did not smile at me?" He replied: "That was Malik the custodian of the Fire. He never smiled once since the day he was created. If he had ever smiled for anyone, it would have been you."

When the Most Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam reached the nearest heaven he looked below it and he saw a dense cloud of smoke filled with din. He asked: "What is this, O Jibra'il?" He replied: "These are the devils that swarm over the eyes of human beings so that they will not think about the dominions of the heavens and the earth, or else they would have seen wonders."

Then he mounted the Burraq again (which he had tied in Jerusalem) and departed. He passed by a caravan of the Quraysh in such-and-such a place (the narrator forgot the name) and saw a camel upon which were tied two containers, a black one and a white one. When he came face to face with the caravan there was a stampede in which the caravan turned around and that camel was thrown down to the ground and its freight broke.

Then the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam passed by another caravan who had lost one of their camels which the tribe of So-and-so had rounded up. The Most Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam greeted them and one of them said: "This is the voice of Muhammad!" after which the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam returned to his Companions in Makkah shortly before morning.



Morning




After that the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam again returned to the house of Umm Haani. According to the statement of Muhammad bin Ishaaq, four hours of the night had elapsed from the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam's departure till his return. When morning came he remained alone and, knowing that people would belie him, sat despondently.




Abu Jahl




The enemy of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, Abu Jahl was passing by and he approached and sat down next to the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam, saying in the way of mockery: "Has anything happened?" The Most Noble Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam replied: "Yes." Abu Jahl said: "And what is that?" The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam replied: "I was enraptured last night." Abu Jahl said: "To where?" The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam replied: "To the Hallowed House." Abu Jahl said: "Then you woke up here among us?" He replied: "Yes."
Abu Jahl decided not to belie the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam for fear the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam would deny having said this to him if he went and told the people of Makkah, so he said: "What do you think if I called your people here? Will you tell them what you just told me?" The Beloved Propeht Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said yes. Abu Jahl cried out: "O assembly of the Children of Ka'b ibn Lu'ay, come hither!" People left their gatherings and came until they all sat next around the two of them. Abu Jahl said: "Tell your people what you just told me." Allah's Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam said: "I was enraptured last night." They said: "To where?" The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam replied: "To the Hallowed House." They said: "Then you woke up here among us?" He replied: "Yes." There was no one left except he clapped his hands, or held his head in amazement, or clamored and considered it an enormity.

Al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi (he died a disbeliever) said: "All of your affair before today was bearable, until what you said today. I bear witness that you are a liar (ana ashhadu annaka kadhibun). We strike the flanks of the she-camels for one month to reach the Hallowed House, then for another month to come back, and you claim that you went there in one night! By al-Lat, by al-'Uzza! I do not believe you."



Siddiq-e-Akbar




Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu said: "O Mut'im, what an evil thing you said to the son of your brother when you faced him thus and declared him a liar! As for me I bear witness that he spoke the truth (ana ashhadu annahu sadiqun)."

The people said: "O Muhammad, describe the Hallowed House for us. How is it built, what does it look like, how near is it to the mountain." There were some among them who had travelled there. He Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam began to describe it for them: "Its structure is like this, its appearance like this, its proximity to the mountain is such-and-such," and he did not stop describing it to them until he began to have doubt about the description. He was seized with an anxiety he had not felt before, whereupon he was immediately brought to the mosque itself (in Jerusalem) and saw it in front of him. He was placed outside the gate of 'Aqil or 'Iqal. The people said: "How many gates does the mosque have?" He had not counted them before. He looked at the gates and began to count them one by one and to inform them. All the while Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu was saying: "You have spoken the truth. You have spoken the truth. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah (sadaqta sadaqta ashhadu annaka rasulullah)."

The people said: "As for the description, then, by Allah, he is correct." They turned to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu  and said: "But do you believe what he said, that he went last night to the Hallowed House and came back before morning?" He replied: "Yes, and I do believe him regarding what is farther than that. I believe the news of heaven he brings, whether in the space of a morning or in that of an evening journey (na'am inni la usaddiquhu fima huwa ab'adu min dhalika usaddiqu bi khabari al-sama'i fi ghudwatin aw rawhatin)." Because of this Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu was named al-Siddiq: the Most Truthful, the One Who Never Lies.



Caravans



Then they said: "O' Muhammad, tell us about our caravans." He replied: "I saw the caravan of the tribe of So-and-so as I was coming back. They had lost one of their camels and were searching for it everywhere. I reached their mounts and there was no one with them. I found a water bottle and I drank from it."

[Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi 'alayhir rahman said: Doubt has been raised about this report on the basis of the question how could he allow himself to drink the water without permission from its owner? The answer is that he acted according to the custom of the Arabs whereby they never refuse milk to whomever passes by and takes it, a fortiori water, and they used to instruct the herdsmen not to prevent wayfarers from taking milk from the herd (i.e. without asking the owner), and this applies even more to water. Furthermore, the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam comes before the Believers' own selves and properties, and this applies even more to the unbelievers.]

(The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam continued:) "Then I reached the caravan of the tribe of So-and-so in such-and-such a place. I saw a red camel carrying one black container and one white one. When I came face to face with the caravan there was a stampede and that camel fell and its freight broke. Then I reached the caravan (not previously mentioned) of the tribe of So-and-so in al-Tan'im. It was headed by a grayish camel on which was a black hair-cloth and two blackish containers and here are the (three) caravans about to reach you from the mountain pass." They said: "When will they arrive?" He replied: "On the fourth day of the week." On that day the Quraysh came out, expecting the caravans. The day passed and they did not arrive. The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam made an invocation and the day was extended one more hour during which the sun stood still, and the caravans came.

They went to meet the riders and asked them: "Did you lose a camel?" They said yes. They asked the second caravan: "Did one red camel of yours shatter her freight?" They said yes. They asked (the first caravan): "Did anyone lose a water bottle?" One man said: "I did, by Allah, I had prepared it but none of us drank it nor was it spilled on the ground!" At this they accused the Beloved of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam of sorcery and they said: "al-Walid spoke the truth." And Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala revealed the verse:

wa ma ja'alna al-ru'ya al-lati araynaka illa fitnatan li al-nas
We appointed not the vision which we showed you but as a test for mankind. (17:60)

[Ibn Hisham narrates: When the fair was due, a number of the Quraysh came to al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, who was a man of some standing, and he addressed them in those words: "The time of the fair has come round again and representatives of the Arabs will come to you and they will have heard about this fellow of yours, so agree upon one opinion without dispute so that none will give the lie to the other." They replied: "You give us your opinion about him." He said: "No, you speak and I will listen." They said: "He is a kahin (seer or giver of oracles)." He said: "By Allah, he is not that, for he has not the unintelligent murmuring and rhymed speech of the kahin." "Then he is possessed," they said. "No, he is not that," he said, "we have seen possessed ones, and here is no choking, spasmodic movements and whispering." "Then he is a poet," they said. "No, he is no poet, for we know poetry in all its forms and meters." "Then he is a sorcerer." "No, we have seen sorcerers and their sorcery, and here is no blowing and no knots." "Then what are we to say, O' Abu 'Abd al-Shams?" they asked. He replied: "By Allah, his speech is sweet, his root is a palm-tree whose branches are fruitful, and everything you have said would be known to be false. The nearest thing to the truth is your saying that he is a sorcerer, who has brought a message by which he separates a man from his father, or from his brother, or from his wife, or from his family."

At this point they left him, and began to sit on the paths which men take when they come to the fair. They warned everyone who passed them about the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam's doings. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala revealed concerning al-Walid:

Leave Me to deal with him whom I created lonely,
and then bestowed upon him ample means,
and sons abiding in his presence
and made life smooth for him.
Yet he desires that I should give more.
Nay, for lo! He has been stubborn to Our revelations.
On him I shall impose a fearful doom.
For lo! He did consider; then he planned --
Self-destroyed is he, how he planned!
Again, self-destroyed is he, how he planned! --
Then looked he,
Then frowned he and showed displeasure.
Then turned he away in pride
and said: This is naught else than magic from of old;
This is naught else than speech of mortal man.
Him shall I fling unto the burning. (74:11-26)]



The account is finished with praise to Allah and by His grace.
May Allah send blessings and utmost, abundant greetings upon our Master Muhammad and his Family and Companions,
and praise belongs to Allah the Lord of the worlds!




Conclusion




The most important lesson that we are to learn from al-Isra' and al-Mi'raj is concerning ritual Prayer (salah). It is known that Prayer was ordained on that great night. It is because of the great importance of Prayer that Allah Almighty ordained it in heaven. He Almighty sent His Messenger to mankind (peace and blessings be upon him) and caused him to go on a night journey and ascend to heaven and the Lote Tree to inform him (peace and blessings be upon him) of the ordinance of Prayer.

Mind that all other ordinances were decreed on the earth. This indicates how important Prayer is in Islam. It symbolizes ascension to heaven; it is the Muslim's spiritual ascension to heaven. Thus, Prayer is the gift that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought with him from that journey to all Muslims so that they can worship Allah Almighty through it.

Prayer had to do with al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Mosque was the first qiblah in Islam. If it is true that al-Israa' took place in the tenth year of the Prophet's mission, this would mean that the Muslims' qiblah in Prayer was towards Al-Aqsa Mosque for three years before the Hijrah to Madinah and 16 months after it.

Then Almighty Allah decreed that the qiblah be changed towards the Sacred Mosque. Allah Almighty says:

(So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces when ye pray) toward it.) (Al-Baqarah 2: 143)

When the qiblah was changed, the Jews raised doubts about that. Allah Almighty says:

(The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed?) (Al-Baqarah 2: 142)

The Jews spread rumours that the Muslims' Prayer [to the first qiblah] was invalid and so would not be rewarded. Allah Almighty refuted their claims as He, most High, says:

(And We appointed the qiblah which ye formerly observed only that We might know him who followeth the Messenger from him who turneth on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided. But it was not Allah's purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is full of pity, Merciful toward mankind.) (Al-Baqarah 2: 143) According to this verse, "your faith" refers to Prayer, as Prayer is a symbol of one's faith.

To sum up, Prayer is the spiritual means through which Muslims can ascend to their Lord. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ascended to heaven (once), we, brothers and sisters, could spiritually ascend to there as much as we can through Prayer.

Allah Almighty says in a qudsi (divine) hadith: "I have divided the Prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks. When the servant says, 'Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe,' Allah the Most High says, 'My servant has praised Me.' And when he (the servant) says, 'The Most Compassionate, the Merciful,' Allah the Most High says, 'My servant has lauded Me.' And when he (the servant) says, 'Master of the Day of judgment,' He Almighty remarks, 'My servant has glorified Me.' And when he (the worshiper) says, 'Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help,' He Almighty says, 'This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.' Then, when he (the worshiper) says, 'Guide us to the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou hast been Gracious not of those who have incurred Thy displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray,' He (Allah Almighty) says, 'This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.'"


No doubt that this event is unique and very important and we all need to be reminded about it whenever its date arrives. Not only that, but we also need to keep in touch with our important historical events in order to derive fruitful lessons from them while moving forward.

Mind, Body or Soul ?

The overwhelming majority of muslims, jurists, scholars of Hadith, and Muslim philosophers agreed that it was in both body and soul for many reasons.
First, according to Almighty Allah's words:

(Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from theInviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place of Worship.) (Al-Israa' 17: 1), He Almighty has referred to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as " His servant." The word "servant" does not refer to one's soul only; it refers to the servant as a whole, body and soul.
This is similar to the word "slave" in Allah's words: (Hast thou seen him who dissuadeth a slave when he prayeth?) (Al-'Alaq 96: 9) and (And when the slave of Allah stood up in prayer to Him, they crowded on him, almost stifling.) (Al-Jinn 72: 19) The word ''slave'' in both these verses refers to the person in question as a whole, body and soul.
Second, had the Prophet's journey of Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj been in soul only, it would not have been regarded as a miracle. It would have been then an ordinary dream. While sleeping, many people visit remote places and see extraordinary things without moving an inch from the places they are already in, and there is nothing extraordinary about that to other people.
Had the Prophet's journey of Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj been a dream, Allah Almighty would not have mentioned it in the Qur'an in terms that express its being a miracle and extraordinary incident.
Third, Allah Almighty says about the journey of Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj: (We appointed the vision which We showed thee as an ordeal for mankind.) (Al-Israa' 17: 60). ''Ordeal'' here refers to its being a trial. Contemplating this, the journey would not be a trial unless it was in both body and soul. Had it been in soul only, there would not have been a trial or something extraordinary regarding it.
Besides, when the unbelievers knew about the journey of Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj, they wondered how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) could make it on one night, when they would make a similar journey in a month. [Why should they disbelieve it, if it were a mere dream?]
Fourth, it was Allah Almighty Who made His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) have that journey, and, certainly, nothing is impossible for Allah Almighty to do; He Almighty is able to do all things. Hence, there is nothing that calls us to doubt the occurrence of the journey in both body and soul.
Those who say that the journey was in soul only cite as evidence for their view the Qur'anic verse: (We appointed the vision which We showed thee as an ordeal for mankind.) (Al-Israa' 17: 60).
They believe that the vision (ru’ya) here refers to a dream, not to an actual seeing.
But this opinion is not wholly tenable, for ru'ya, lexically speaking, refers also to seeing with the eyes. Besides, according to Al-Bukhari, Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, commenting on the verse in question, ''The sights which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was shown on the Night Journey when he was taken to Jerusalem were actual sights, (not dreams).''
Those who are of the opinion that the journey was in soul only also cite as evidence for their view the Mother of the Believers 'A'ishah's hadith: "The Prophet's sanctified body was not missing on the Night Journey.'
But this point is also refuted for the following reasons.
1. The hadith reported to have been said by `A'ishah is not an authentic one; there are missing and unknown reporters in its chain of narration.

2. 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was not yet married to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time of the journey. She might even not have been born then, if we take into account the controversy regarding the date of Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj.

3. Her saying: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see his Almighty Allah with his eye" indicates that she believed that the journey was in both body and soul. Had she thought that it was in soul only, she would not have said that.

4. Since the hadith ''The Prophet's sanctified body was not missing'' is not authentic, there is no need to attempt to explain it to mean that the journey was in both body and soul, for some say that the hadith indicates that his soul was not separated from his body.



Anyway, what we are required to believe with regard to Al-Israa' and Al-Mi'raj is that it did take place, as Allah Almighty tells us in the Glorious Qur'an.

Mi'raj-e-Mustafa



786


Glorified be He who carried His servant in the span of a night from the Haram Sharif to the Al-Aqsa Mosque whose surroundings we have blessed…(17:1)
Then the splendid vision drew nearer and came still nearer till there was a distance of two bow lengths or even less so Allah revealed to His beloved servant what He wanted to reveal (53:8-10)



'' Mi'raj-e-Mustafa ''by
Allama Ata Al-Mustafa Jameel
[Speech given on 28th Rajab 1420; 6th November 1999 at the Leicester Central Mosque, UK]



After praising Allah the Almighty and sending Peace and Blessings on the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) he says:
Verily we have sent our Prophets with clear evidences … (57:25)

The commentators of Qur'an say that all Prophets sent by Allah the Almighty were for the salvation and guidance of mankind. We believe in all of them. ''I believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Prophets''. The commentators say that whenever a Prophet came to this world to fulfil their role, when they said for the first time to their respective Ummah (Community) that ''I am Allah's Prophet'' there would be some certain responses to this claim which is called the proclamation of Prophethood. The Prophet declares to his people that he is no ordinary man amongst them but that he is, in actual fact sent from Allah as a Prophet, as a messenger. There is no doubt that when a Prophet uttered these words proclaiming Prophethood, there was a unique and strange response to it. We can say that there were four different responses to this claim. Or in other words we can say that every Prophet had four types of people in his Ummah which reacted differently to his claim. There is one unique example whereby a Prophet only a few hours old declared his Prophethood. That Prophet was Jesus son of Maryam (Alayhis Salaam). There were unique and unprecedented circumstances to this proclamation as allegations were made at Maryam by Jews that she was led astray (Ma'azallah). She has brought forth this child with no husband. So Jesus Christ spoke in her defence to protect and uphold her honour, chastity and purity. This was a unique case in exceptional circumstances.

'' I am indeed a servant of Allah. He has given me a book and He has made me a Prophet''…(19:30)

Let us look at the first category of people who responded to the Prophet's claim. Prophets had such people in their respective Ummah that when they said for the first time ''I am Allah's Prophet'', no sooner did the words leave the Prophets mouth did they believe in him. There was no argument, nor any demand to see any proof such as miracles. When the Prophet said, ''I am Allah's Prophet'' there is that fortunate category of people who immediately read the Kalima. This category of people in the Qur'an has been labelled as Siddiqeen -


'Those who testify Prophethood'. And who so obeys Allah and His Rasool, will then be in the company of those who Allah has conferred His favours from among the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous and pious- and what an excellent company they are indeed. (4:69)

From the approximate 124,000 Prophets sent there as many truthful testifiers. Our noble Prophet's Siddiq was given the title of 'Siddiq-e-Akbar'- the Greatest Siddiq, the king of Siddiq's. Akbar after all means the greatest. The Sufi's ask why the title Akbar was given? The response to this has been that the other Siddiq's testified to the other Prophets, but Siddiq-e-Akbar testified to the greatest of all the Prophets. When the final Prophet declared his Prophethood, Sayidina Abu Bakr (Radi Allah Anhu) was away in Syria conducting his business. When he returned, the enemy of Islam Abu Jahl asked Abu Bakr whether he had heard the big news? You may have noticed that in some communities you have some people who spread the news and gossip around! ''Have you not heard that Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has declared Prophethood''? Abu Bakr heard this and went straight to the Prophet. ''O Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), I have heard some news about you''. The Prophet smiled and said, ''you have heard correctly''. '' If this is the case, then please read me your Kalima so that I can be your first believer and servant”. Abu Bakr Siddiq was the first person to read the Kalima and enter the fold of Islam. The first child to do so was Maula Ali, and the first slave was Zayd bin Haris, and from the women Khadija tul Khubbra (May Allah be pleased with them all).

Moving slightly away from the main talk, I would like to comment on Sayida Khadija (Radi Allah Anha). She was the Prophet's first wife. The mental and logical proof of our Prophet is that as his wife, Khadija accepted what he said straightaway. For a wife to testify a husband’s words and actions is a very big thing indeed. Otherwise, women are not quick to acknowledge their husband’s actions. There is a reason to this and is not simply a laughing and joking matter. The reason for this is that the wife knows about her husband’s qualities- good and bad. The wife knows these things. When Rasoolallah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) returned from Cave Hira to his home he was sweating and shivering due to the impact of revelation. Khadija saw this and asked her beloved husband what the matter was? The Prophet immediately asked for his shawl so he could wrap himself. Khadija again enquired from her beloved what the matter was? “Today something strange happened. I was in the cave (Hira) when Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) came to me”. Listen to the response to the mother of the believers. “Ya Muhammad! If Jibraeel were not going to come to you than to which person would he have appeared in front of? You are truthful, honest and decent. What good quality is there which is not with you? Make me read your Kalima for I accept your faith”. This is the mental and logical proof of his Prophethood. So the first category is Siddiqeen- the testifiers of Prophethood.

The second category is those people who neither accepted what was said nor did they reject what was claimed. When a Prophet said, “I am Allah’s Prophet” they remained silent. They didn't read the Kalima nor did they reject. The reason why they don’t accept him is because a very strange and bold claim had been made. But they don't reject either because they knew by seeing that person grow up in front of them, that he had never uttered a bad word or lied, or cheated anyone. They recognised that the claimant had lived an open life with nothing to hide. They studied what the Prophet said and did and would eventually accept his word.

The third category of people in relation to the declaration of Prophethood are those who didn’t accept the character of the Prophet, or his teachings, his words or actions. They rejected the theory and practice that was presented to them. To overcome these people power was needed. Allah in the Qur'an says that to overcome this category of people, miracles had been granted to Prophets. Miracles is such a power and phenomenon that the most biggest and bravest of rejecters, after seeing a miracle would hang their heads in shame and accept the reality and enter Islam. Allah has granted every Prophet miracles so that they can overcome these types of people. Allah knew that His Prophets would encounter such people who can only be won over by strength. That is why miracles were granted.

The fourth and final category is that category of people who even seeing the miracles of the Prophet to try and win them over still refuse to believe and accept the truth that has been sent to them. They would say to the Prophet, among other things, that he was a magician and a sorcerer (Ma'azallah).

The Qur'an says that Allah has sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering.


Theirs will be an awful doom (2:7)


The purpose of a miracle then is to win over the hearts and minds of those doubters so that even they have to admit the truth and accept it. Allah says in the final revelation:

Verily we have sent our Prophets with clear evidences…(57:25)

The difference is however that Allah sent the previous Prophets with miracles, but He sent our Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as a miracle! Don’t think that Jameel Sahib has said an inspiring comment for the sake of it. There is Qur'anic proof of what I have just said.


O mankind! There assuredly has come to you a clear proof (Burhan) from your Lord and we have sent down to you a light manifest that guides you to the straight path. (4:174)

All commentators agree that Burhan means miracle. Again I move slightly away from the main talk. Daleel is an Arabic word and so is Burhan. Daleel is a proof to an argument. If I say something to prove a point this is a Daleel. But as you know that sometimes if you offer a proof, there is a possibility that someone may come along and offer stronger evidence against your claim. A Daleel can be refuted. But the experts of Arabic language say that Burhan is such a word that means that the proof that is presented is irrefutable. The strongest, irrefutable proof is called Burhan it is called Muhammad Rasoolallah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Previous Prophets brought evidences and proofs, but our Prophet came as an irrefutable proof. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (May Allah be pleased with him) the Mujaddid (reviver) of Islam of the Indian subcontinent, who undid Akbar’s plans to reform Islam, in his masterpiece Maktubaat says “ The reason why I believe in and worship Allah is not because He is Lord and creator of all the worlds. I don’t believe in Allah because He is creator of the heavens and the earth. I believe in Allah because He is the Lord of Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)” Burhan is such a proof that cannot be broken or refuted. The people of knowledge say that a miracle cannot be comprehended by the human mind. If it comes within the grasp of the mind then it cannot be a miracle but turns out to be a farce and a joke. Don’t you see these magicians who smash a watch, put it into a bag and then pull pigeons out and so on. Someone can learn magic and do the same tricks. These things can be learnt if someone is taught and practices it. But a miracle is such a thing that no one else can do. Prophets can only perform miracles. They cannot be copied. If it is copied and imitated then that becomes a joke and farce like jugglers and magicians. Allah says that Prophets have not been sent with tricks but with miracles. People say to me “Maulvi sahib, tell us some scientific, some realistic things and don’t talk about this”. I say to these people that the scientific and real issue is that miracles cannot be comprehended by the human mind. This is a scientific fact. Mawlana Jalaludin Rumi [Allah be pleased with him] says in this respect that there is a scale that weighs jewellery and fine things. The scale is very small and beautiful and is kept in a glass cabinet because it is so fragile. Maulana Rumi says that if some man comes along wishing to weigh his vehicle, then the weight cannot be taken. The weight can take measurements but not of that size. By measuring something very large would destroy the small measuring device. Rumi says that the human brain, which is a precious and unique gift, can only measure and weigh up to a certain level. This brain is like a computer that has achieved many things. Man has extracted oil from the ground, made missiles, sent man to the moon; it sends satellites to stars and other planets. But the brain is like a jeweller's scale. But to understand and comprehend miracles you need the eye of Siddiq-e-Akbar!

The Commentators of Qur'an have said another beautiful thing. They say that the miracles Prophets performed reflected the ideals and values of the specific time period. So if an Ummah specified in say for example science, then Allah would give his Prophet a miracle that reflected and bettered the science of that time. This fact cannot be denied and must be accepted. The commentators say that every Prophet in respect of beauty, wisdom, knowledge, foresight and every other quality were superior than all his community put together. No person could claim to be better in any respect than the Prophet. Allah has made His every Prophet superior to the nation or community he was sent to. I want to talk about miracles in the light of Miraj, because some people have doubted the Miraj questioning its legitimacy. The reason why I want to tell you these things is so that you don’t fall into the trap of those people who say that these things are unscientific and made up by Islamic scholars (Ma'azallah). Living in this country, I don’t want to see you fall in this trap. We need to have faith in every aspect of our Prophet just as Siddiq-e-Akbar did. The commentators as I was saying tell us that every miracle of the Prophet made them superior and victorious over their Ummah. I would like to offer you some example in the light of the Quran to back up what I have just said.


The Ummah of Sayidina Dawud (Alayhis Salaam) (David as the Jews and Christians know him) was according to the commentators of Qur'an specialists in industry. The other speciality was music and singing. Special gatherings were arranged whereby the whole night would be spent with people competing with each other in singing and music. Allah therefore decided to send His Prophet with such qualities that would make him shine and be better and victorious over the community he was being sent too. Allah did not wish to see His Prophet to be defeated but triumph over his people. Allah blessed Sayyadina Dawud (Alayhis Salaam) with such a sweet and melodious voice that was by far the best voice that Ummah had heard. They say that birds used to stop in mid-air and listen to him speak. In respect of industry, Allah gave Dawud the miracle that when he held any metal, no matter how hard it was, it became soft and malleable that it would turn into the shape he wanted it to become. History proves this. Allah made His Prophet powerful and victorious over that Ummah. Whatever qualities or specialities the Ummah had, the Prophet sent matched and bettered them in every respect. Sayyadina Salih (Alayhis Salaam) was sent to the nations of Aad and Samoud. These tribes made houses out of stone. The other feature was that they were great artists. They drew such paintings and drawings that looked as if they were real. Every year, a fair was held in which they would bring their works together and decide which was best. Allah decided in his wisdom to grant His Prophet such miracles and qualities that would make the greatest artists of the time fall at his feet. The Qur'an mentions an occasion when such a fair was held. The people gathered with their works and began commenting on them. Sayyadina Salih (Alayhis Salaam) heard the various comments of the people gathered and drew their attention. He then by invoking Allah's name struck a rock with his stick. The rock split open from which a live camel appeared -'The Camel of Allah''. The people made still images of animals and beasts, but the Prophet produced a living animal out of stone. This is the power of a Prophet over his Ummah. The miracles of Musa (Alayhis Salaam) are many. One of them was his encounter with the magicians. The commentators say that there were schools and academies where magic was being taught. The Pharaoh challenged Musa (Alayhis Salaam) with his magicians. But Allah sent his Prophet to a nation of magicians with just one stick! A stick that would defeat all magicians. Allah granted Musa (Alayhis Salaam) victory when his stick turned into a snake and ate all the magicians’ snakes. The Pharaoh was watching all this happen. The magicians saw the reality and truth and did not care for the Pharaoh or his army and saw with their enlightened hearts that he was truthful and that the Pharaoh was accursed. They turned around and said to Pharaoh that they would not accept him as their God but the Lord of Musa (Alayhis Salaam). The Qur'an says that all the magicians accepted Musa by reading his Kalima. The Pharaoh then threatened them with execution. They responded by saying that even if you cut us into tiny pieces like mincemeat we would still not leave the word of Musa (Alayhis Salaam). This is the power of Allah's Prophets.

The last example I will offer is that of our Prophet’s predecessor Sayidina Isa ibn Maryam (Alayhis Salaam). The specialities and qualities of Jesus people were Algebra, Geometry, Mathematics, Palmistry, Astrology and the like. This was a period of great discovery, knowledge and wisdom. Allah informed Jesus that He would be sending him to a community of palmists and astrologers and doctors. So Allah gave him such miracles that made him superior and powerful over his Ummah. Allah says in the Qur'an what Jesus said to his people And he shall be a Messenger towards the Children of Israel saying this,


“I have brought to you a sign from your Lord; that I make a form out of clay like a bird for you then again breath in it and it becomes a bird at once by the command of Allah; and I heal the born blind and the leper and I make the dead alive by the command of Allah and I declare to you what you eat and what you have stored in your houses…(3:49)


I will tell you with absolute certainty what you have just eat and done. “Ask me,” said Jesus about it and I will tell you. This is the challenge Jesus set out to his community. I will cure the blind (from birth) and those suffering from leprosy. I will give them no medicine, all I will do is just touch them with my blessed hands and they will be cured. Allah will give them sight and remove their leprosy. This is from the Quran all that I have just said. Please pay attention to the actual words of the Qur'an. ''Inni'' means ''I''. I will give a cure. Leave the translation of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan alayhir rahman aside; lets look at the translation of 'Maulana' Maududi. The translation is that which I have just given. It's a question of grammar. Read any translation you want the response is the same. Isa says, '' I will cure the blind and the leper''. There are those who question intercession asking why a third party has to intervene. Do they not look at the verses of the Qur'an! This is a gathering of knowledgeable people. You know better than I do that previous diseases have not yet been cured that new diseases are being created and spread. No absolute cure for leprosy has been found. But two thousand years ago Jesus said come and I will cure you from leprosy. Cure for illnesses can be gained from doctors. But Isa (Alayhis Salaam) performed such miracles that all the doctors in the world could not do. In the Qur'an another miracle of Isa (Alayhis Salaam) is mentioned:

…I bring the dead back to life by the command of Allah…(3:49)

Not just one dead person but many dead persons back alive. The Bible states that this miracle occurred four times. What I have said until now has been setting the context for what I really want to say to you. What we have learnt up to now is that Allah sent Prophets to mankind who showed that they were better in every respect. The end result was the same, the Prophet always turned out to be the best in all fields. The essence of the talk so far has been that Allah has given miracles to each and every Prophet to win over those people who initially rejected his proclamation of Prophethood. Every Prophet, as we have shown, is superior and more powerful than his Ummah. Thus far we have talked about previous Prophets. Now we come to talk about Our Prophet! The Prophet in whose honour this gathering has been initiated. The previous Prophets were sent to nations. Some were sent to Madyan, Jerusalem, Palestine and the like some to cities towns and villages. But our Prophet came as a Rahmah for all the worlds and as the Prophet for all nations! It has been fourteen hundred years since our Prophet has left this mortal world. The past belongs to him, the present belongs to him and the future belongs to him. The Prophet is always powerful and superior over his Ummah. It is the Sunnah of Allah, the Fitra (nature) of Allah. He never allows His Prophet to be undone or be ashamed or be defeated. The Prophet always comes out on top.


All the inventions we see today have been termed as part of the ‘miracles of science’ and all this has occurred after the Prophet’s arrival. Before the Prophet there were no loudspeakers, tape recorders or televisions. All these inventions came in this Ummah, not in previous ones. So logic says that if Allah sends His Prophets as superior and powerful over his nation, so why wouldn’t He send His Beloved Prophet as Ghalib? By this we mean powerful, superior, dominant. It’s a matter of common sense. Otherwise you say that the Prophet is defeated and less powerful than his followers are? Listen! And I will tell you the superiority and power of the Prophet. Scientists can make all the discoveries and inventions they like, and Allah knows best what else mankind will achieve. Allah has bestowed man with intellect and they have used it to great effect. But it is my belief that whatever mankind does; Allah has bestowed His Beloved with so many miracles, that he will remain superior and powerful in every age. Here are some examples to support my argument. The mobile phone is a phenomenon that has now become common. You are driving in your car, and your are asking directions, or you are phoning home to let them know what time you will be arriving. At work and at home, the mobile is a constant companion. The mobile phone runs on a power source, it runs on batteries/cells. It is after generations of progress and development that we have reached the age of mobile phones and instant telecommunications. I ask you then, that on which power and batteries were the stones in Abu Jahl’s hand operating when it spoke the Kalima fourteen hundred years ago in Makkah? Mobiles emit sound, but Abu Jahl had pebbles. Abu Jahl always kept them with him so that he could get an opportunity to throw them at him. It was his dirty and vile habit, a sign of his Kufr. One day, holding the pebbles in his fist, Abu Jahl called his nephew over. ''Ya Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! Are you Allah’s Prophet?'' He replied, ''Yes, by Allah's mercy I am his final Prophet''. Imam Jalaludin Rumi Allah be pleased with him narrates this story. Abu Jahl says, ''If you a Prophet, then tell me what is in my hand? Leave talk of the universe and so forth to one-side, tell me what is in my hand?'' The Prophet smiled. It is interesting to note that even Abu Jahl had the faith that the Prophet would tell him what is in his hand. That is the faith of one of the biggest Kafir's ever. And yet there are some people today who read the Kalima but yet deny the Prophet of having such knowledge. We infer from this that Abu Jahl was better than such people! People today claiming to be Muslims lack the faith that even Abu Jahl had. The noble Prophet smiled and said, “O uncle, shall I tell you what is in my hand, or shall the thing in your hand tell you who I am?'' Abu Jahl agreed, and the Prophet ordered the object kept in Abu Jahl's hand to tell him who he was. Rumi says that by the order of the Prophet the pebbles in Abu Jahl’s hand began to say, ''There is no God, but Allah, Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is His Rasool''! I ask you then that after generation after generation of discoveries, progress and development what has mankind achieved? If the mobile phone drops on the floor it breaks. Will it speak or work? If the batteries fail, will the phone allow you to talk? If you switch the thing off, will it be of any use? I ask you then, with which power were the stones speaking? This proves that the Beloved Prophet of Allah is superior.



Here is a narration from Mishkat Sharif.


Maula Ali (Radi Allah Anhu) states that once after Zuhr prayer, the Prophet said '' O Ali! Shall we go for a walk?'' Maula Ali responded as they set off for a walk. They left Masjid al-Nabwi with the Prophet walking in front of Ali. They made their way through the streets of Madinah until they were outside the city. It was a small city at the time. Do you know that the present Masjid al-Nabwi extension is the same size as Madinah was back in the time of the Prophet? When the date trees and the mountains became visible. The hadith says ''that the grain of sands, the mountains, rocks, boulders, date trees, everything began to say ''Peace upon you Ya Rasool-Allah!'' Go and bring teams of scientists if you want and make a particle of sand speak? Give trees the ability to speak? Maula Ali says he heard with his own ear's everything in sight offering Salaam upon the Best of Creations, (Sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)


Here is another Hadith this time from Sahih Bukhari.


The Companions say that the Prophet was with his troops as they passed Uhud Mountain. They say that they heard the Prophet say “peace be upon you too”. The companions were bewildered because they could not see to whom the Prophet was responding too. They asked '' Ya Rasool-Allah! To whom are you sending Salaams?'' The Prophet said that the ''The mountain (i.e. Uhud) loves me. The mountain sent Salaam upon me, I replied. I am telling you that the mountain loves me''. Hubb is Arabic word which means to pull or to attract. When the heart is pulled towards something or attracted to it, this is the meaning of love. To love is the work of the heart. The Sufi's and Awliya say that the gate to the heart is the eye. The thief of the heart enters the door by the eye. Our Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has said to keep our heads down so that there is less chance of our hearts being stolen (to bad things). If you want to protect your faith then you need to guard your eyes. One who doesn’t love is said to be hardhearted. May I be sacrificed Ya Rasool-Allah! You make stones love you! Let me say this, that our Rasool is that being that has given stones a heart and instilled love inside them! He is a Prophet that gives hearts and love to stones. ''The mountain loves me''. What a Beloved he is if he can make stones love him. And why wouldn’t they because the Prophet’s face is so beautiful, radiant and bright.


The next part of the Hadith is a glad tiding to the true believers.


The Prophet says that the mountain loves me. The Prophet then says, '' I love the mountain''. There is a two-way traffic in the love and affection. This is such a Prophet that stones and mountains love him and he loves them. O Muslims! You are the best of creations. You are the Ummati of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), you are his servant and ardent lover, and if you love him he will love you back. Those who send Durood and Salaam upon the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and remember him constantly, he will remember you too. O scientists! The path, on which you have just set foot on, the Noble Prophet, has already passed it. O' inventors of telecommunications such as televisions, mobile phone, computers, my Prophet has passed and bettered your achievements along time ago. This is the age of surgery. I have seen with my own eye's people practising the traditional medicines. You will be amazed to hear, I swear on the Minbar (pulpit) I stand on, that this doctor I saw put his hand on a man's pulse, felt it, and said '' think about whose household you belong to, give up drinking alcohol''. The man said to me, ''I swear to Allah, Jameel Sahib, my wife doesn’t know I drink''. This was such a complete physician that by feeling the pulse he could tell the problem and its cure. Surgery is a common phenomenon now in Europe. Plastic surgery is the latest craze. Heart operations are a daily occurrence. Indeed it is foreseeable in the future that 'Body Shops' will open in the future where you can get body spare parts like hearts, livers, kidneys etc. Blood banks have been established. Surgery has transformed the lives on many people for better and worse. But I say to you, bring all the surgeons in the world together in one place, but what achievements and accomplishments our Prophet has achieved no person can achieve.

Listen to a Hadith from Bukhari Sharif.


In the battle of Uhud, the Muslims were facing a critical time, when for a moment there was a danger that the Muslims might suffer defeat. The Beloved Prophet lost one of his blessed teeth at this time. They were being attacked with a shower of arrows coming in their direction. May I be sacrificed for these noble companions! There was a companion named Saad. He was so good at archery that nobody in Arabia could match him. He stood in front of the Prophet during battle. The Prophet was behind him supplying him arrows. The beloved Prophet would give him an arrow and say, ''Shoot! May my parents be sacrificed upon you!'' Qitada was another fortunate and blessed companion who stood in the front line with the Prophet. During the heat of battle a stray enemy arrow fell and hit his eye. Blood spurted out as he fell to the ground. With the arrow lodged in his eye, Qitada went about finding the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet saw the state of Qitada and told him to go to the back. Qitada said “Ya Rasoolallah! I haven’t come here just to be sent to the back. I am injured that is why I have come to you''. Allah knows best in which mood and state of mind Qitada uttered these words. The Prophet asked Qitada what the matter was? The injured companion said '' Ya Rasoolallah, I am a young man, my eye is injured my sight has gone, Ya Rasoolallah my eye has gone, I have come to get a new eye”. I ask you; you live in such a progressive age, that if a soldier in battle today got hit in the eye, and he went to his General that he wanted a new eye, what would the General do? He would say, put him into an ambulance to hospital; test his blood and his urine. Test after test after test the soldier would die. Let me tell you then about surgery of fourteen hundred years ago, which was not an age of surgery. We learn from Qitada's words and actions that it was his belief as well that when it comes to giving the Prophet does not disappoint and that he delivers. Whoever has Aqida goes and asks. The one without Aqida doesn’t ask. The Prophet said, '' Do you want an eye? If you want Qitada I can give you an eye,or you can have Paradise?'' Qitada replied '' Ya-Rasoolallah! I have gained paradise from the moment I set eyes on you, I already have paradise, I need an eye!'' Can someone really contemplate, in the heat of battle someone receiving an eye? The Prophet called Qitada over and Qitada moved forward. “Come closer,'' said the Prophet. Qitada went closer. ''Come closer,'' said the Noble Prophet. Again Qitada moved forward. Qitada came so close to the Prophet that his face was inches away from the face of the Prophet. The Prophet with his blessed hands pulled the arrow out of Qitada's eye. The arrow had Qitada's eyeball attached to the end of it. The Prophet then with his hands cleaned the blood off his face and eye. In today's day and age, the sugar and glucose levels of the patient have to be checked before anything is done. And we hear that after the operation, the patient still complains of pain. The surgeons then discover that they have left the scissors inside the patient! Some times they forget a towel in there. All this in a time of science and progress! Sadqa Ya Rasool-Allah! The commentators of Hadith say that the Prophet took his eyeball and placed it back in Qitada’s eye socket. The Prophet did so by placing his blessed saliva on it. The result of the Prophet's surgery was that the injured eye went back to normal as if it was never injured. Indeed the injured eye looked and felt better than the other one. The words of the Hadith state that the Prophet made Qitada's eye. Of the two eyes, the wounded eye was now brighter and beautiful than before. I say then, bring the world's surgeons together and ask them to make an eye like that. Nobody can even contemplate such a happening. No surgical instruments no anaesthetic, no donated eye, no glucose, nothing. All these modern necessities on one side, and my Mustafa's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) blessed saliva on the other! The Prophet is powerful isn't he?

Here is a Hadith from Mishkat Sharif.


Man has invented the robot. What the robot is made out of and what energy it runs I don’t know in great detail, but the bottom line is that it runs on energy. The companions say that in one battle, Abu Zar Ghaffari (Radi Allah Anhu) was sent by Rasooallah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as his spy to collect information about the enemy. The Prophet of Allah wanted to send an important message to Abu Zar. He would ask his companion's whether or not Abu Zar had returned from the frontline? The companions would tell him that he had not yet returned. After about 10-15 minutes, the Prophet would again ask whether his spy had returned yet? Again the companions told the Prophet that Abu Zar had not returned. The Prophet got up and started to look at the direction from which Abu Zar would appear. The companions say that a figure appeared on the horizon. They say that they looked at the figure and said that the figure could not be Abu Zar. They judged by his physique and decided that it could not have been him. The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) also saw the figure on the horizon and asked his companions whether or not that was Abu Zahr? The companions having looked at the figure on the horizon told the Prophet that it could not be Abu Zar. The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) then said ''whoever you are, become Abu Zar!'' when the figure came in front of them the companions were astounded to see that the figure was no other than Abu Zar. Tell me can a manmade robot compete with this. Allah knows best who that figure was on the horizon was. But when the Prophet said, ''become Abu Zar'' that is exactly what happened. The Prophet is powerful he is superior! He is Ghalib. The most advanced achievement of mankind to date has been to send man to the moon. This is what they claim. News is a thing that maybe fifty percent right or fifty- percent wrong. We don’t deny their claims because we live in a scientific and progressive age. Okay so we accept that they did go to the moon. But what did they bring back from the moon? They went with great expectations saying that they may dig out platinum or gold from the moon’s surface. They came back with boulders and pieces of rock! There was nothing, not even oxygen. This has been mankind's Miraj (upwardly journey) so far that they have reached the moon. They plan now to go to Mars. Maybe they will discover water there. I was astounded to read that they planned to send oxygen tanks to the moon so that they can generate land and living space on the moon, which they will sell on. When I read this, I said ''Ya Allah! Please save the moon from misguided Pakistani's if this is the case!'' They would make the moon disappear! Anyhow, whatever they plan, Allah has given man intellect. Man after all is Allah's vice-regent (Khalifa) on earth. Listen to the words of Allama Iqbal:


''The Kafir’s identity is that he is lost in the universe''
Sometimes he wants to go to the moon, then to Mars.
He sends rockets here and there.
''The Momin’s identity is that the universe is lost in him!''

Go and read the books of Hadrat Sayyad Ali bin Usman Hujweri [Data Ganj Baksh] and Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani [Ghawth al A'zam] (Radi Allah Anhum) and you will discover that this statement is absolutely true. The moon is a quarter of a million miles away from earth and the speed of light is approximately 186000 miles per second. If you wish you can calculate the speed per minute and per hour. But now listen to this narration. Sayidina Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) appeared in front of the Prophet. Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) is an Angel made of Allah's light. One day, Rasoolallah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) asked Jibraeel what his speed was? Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) said that I have no speedometer that can measure my speed. The Prophet then asked for some indication. Sidra tul Muntahaa is above the seven heavens. This is the home of Jibraeel. Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) says “Ya Rasool-Allah I was in Sidra tul Muntahaa, when Allah called me for duty. Allah told me to go to earth to Canaan to a disused well where some brothers were about to throw their younger brother Yusuf into the well. Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam) was falling into the well seventy feet deep when I was ordered to go and save Allah's handsome Prophet. Ya Rasoolallah! Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam) had not reached the bottom of the well when I reached and saved him by spreading my wings underneath him. That is the speed of Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam)! The speed of light then is 186,000 miles per second. This is the light of the sun, the star, and the reflection off the moon and so forth. I ask you then, what will be the speed of the light (noor) of Allah! Allah says in the Qur'an


…There has come to you from Allah a light and a manifest book (5:15)

By light we mean the Prophet of Allah peace and blessings of Allah upon him and by manifest book is al-Quran al-Hakim. The scientists of today tell us another remarkable thing. They say that since the universe was created, there are some galaxies that are so far away that are not visible with telescopes. Travelling at the speed of light (c.186,000 miles per second) since the beginning of time the light from those stars have not yet reached earth. They are so many billions and trillions of light years away that they cannot be seen. Listen then to the power of our Rasool and his superiority. The Beloved of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) travelled on the night of Miraj to the heavens and beyond, spent thousands of years there and came back in such a short space of time, that when he returned the water from his ablution was still running and his bed was still warm! What can you say? This miracle of Miraj can't be comprehended in the human mind. To understand this you need the eye and vision of Siddiq-e-Akbar! Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) accompanied the Prophet on his Miraj. But when they reached Sidra, Jibraeel had to turn down the Prophet's request to go any further. Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) told the Prophet that Sidra tul Muntahaa was his limit. The Prophet of Allah said to Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) that where your light and speed ends, my journey starts! There is a beautiful account related to this story. When Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) was about to be thrown in to Nimrod's fire, Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) came to him and asked him if he needed anything? Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) thanked him but told him that because this was a test of his Prophethood from Allah he didn't require his help. On the night of Miraj, the Prophet lifted this request off his shoulders and asked him what he could do for him when he goes to Allah? In other words he asked him whether he had any request to Allah which he could get approved? Tell me who would refuse such an appeal from the Prophet! Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) told the Prophet that it was his wish that on the Day of Judgement when the believers have to cross the bridge over Hell which is thinner than hair and sharper than a blade, that he could spread his wings on the bridge so that the believers could pass safely through to paradise. Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (May Allah be pleased with him) captures this moment brilliantly when he says:

''Ya Rasool-Allah! Help me cross the bridge, so that the bridge doesn’t know I have passed,
And when Jibraeel (Alayhis Salaam) spreads his wings, let me cross so that the wings don't know I have passed!''


The scientists say another thing. When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon his heartbeat became abnormal. A quarter of a million miles on earth, sensitive equipment listened to his heartbeat and noticed the abnormality. Allah knows best if this is true or not. We don’t deny the possibility because this is the age of science and progress. The heartbeat of Armstrong was heard a quarter of a million miles away. Now I ask you one question, in relation to everything that has been said up to now. And that is that the Prophet is powerful and superior to his Ummah. How many examples from the Qur'an and Hadith I have presented to you. You are an Ummati and believer of the Prophet and everything that he has told us. You carry mobile phones and talk to friends and family thousands of miles away. You talk to them, they hear you and they respond. That is the case isn't it? As a follower of his you hear and talk from great distances. So tell me then, the Prophet you believe in, can he not hear your Durood and Salaams from the Green Dome in Madinah? Or are you saying that by doing tabligh, and praying lots of Nawafil and doing ''Allah, Allah…'' that the Ummati has surpassed their Prophet? For these so called Muslims their Prophet doesn't see nor listen, but they can hear and see thousands of miles away and respond. ASTAGFIRULLAH!!!


Let us pray that Allah keeps us safe from such misguided and misinformed people –AMEEN.
May Allah protect our faith.


Listen to the superiority and power of the Prophet of Allah. The case of Armstrong we cited was 250,000 miles. But Jannatul Firdous is some way far and beyond Sidra tul Muntahaa. And Sidra is above and beyond the seven heavens. And the sun, stars, planets, galaxies are below the seven heavens. Allah knows best where everything is. We cannot even begin to contemplate how big and how far these things are. Words cannot describe the sheer size of the universe. Jannat is above all these things. Allah ordered His Beloved Prophet on the night of Mir'aj to see the palaces and mansions and gardens of his believers! The Prophet is Bashir and Nazir. Bashir is one who gives good news and a Nazir is one who warns people. Allah in His wisdom told His Prophet to stay in Jannat in the night of Miraj, and see the punishment of Hell for himself so that he could go back and tell his followers so that they would believe and act accordingly. The Prophet says that he saw the palaces of his close companions such as Abu Bakr Umar, Usman and Ali (Radi Allah Anhum) The companions made mansions in Paradise, but Pakistani's make them in Islamabad! What benefit is there in making homes that will soon turn to dust and come to nothing? The real mansions and gardens are those that the companions made in Jannat by loving and serving the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). The Prophet says that the houri (heavenly maidens) came out to great him. The Prophet was walking through Jannat when he says that he noticed that Sayidina Bilal (Radi Allah Anhu) was walking through the streets of Makkah. The Prophet of Allah says that he heard the sound of Bilal's footsteps while he was in paradise. These are the words of the Prophet not mine. Man has reached as far as the moon. And Allah knows best how many other galaxies and solar systems there are. Man can go wherever he likes, Allah has blessed you with a mind and intellect, but remember one thing, that wherever you go you will see the footmarks of Rasoolallah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) before you! The solar system, galaxies and so forth are just stepping-stones. The Miraj proves this without doubt. The sun, stars and moon were asking for Sadqa from the Prophet on the night of Miraj. The Prophet's going and coming on the night of Miraj is unique and unmatchable. So the Prophet says he heard Bilal's footsteps in Makkah from Jannatul Firdous. Ask yourselves then, that if he can hear Bilal's footsteps from heaven, can he not hear your Durood and Salaams from just a few thousand miles away in Madinah? The crux of my talk then is that every Prophet sent by Allah is powerful and superior, he is Ghalib. And because our Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the final and best of all the Prophets, let it be known that whatever progress and discoveries mankind does, Allah has granted him (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) such miracles and qualities that surpass any achievement. This is because it is Allah's principle that His Prophet is always superior and dominant. The miracle of Miraj is such an important thing for us. Why? Because we Muslims have stopped studying, meaning that westerners have overtaken us in this field. Do you know that the universities of Spain such as Cordoba and Granada were the destination of British scholars who came there to learn? They use to go to Baghdad to study sciences. This was our past, our heritage. But because we have stopped studying, the westerners have used Islamic knowledge to build the modern world we live in today. Shame!


May Allah bless us with those days again when Muslims did something constructive.May Allah less us with knowledge again-AMEEN.


But despite the fact that we have fallen behind and are relatively uneducated compared to others, at least we can say that our Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam is superior and powerful! We may well be weak and uneducated but we can still say that he is the best of all creations. The moon you may have reached, but our Nabi Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam passed it by some distance on the night on Isra and Mir'aj. This is the superiority of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. We thank Allah Almighty that He has created us and made us His follower.


May Allah help us to maintain our relationship with the Prophet [Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam] and between ourselves by being his ardent followers-

AMEEN.





Translated by Shahid Hussain
Sih5@yahoo.co.uk



Some answers





THE QUERY: A question was presented regarding the Me'raj of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam and the answer was given as found below by Allama Mahmood Jaan alayhir rahman [Khalifa-e-A'la Hadrat Barelwi].

THE ANSWER: This question is in five parts:

1. From where to where did the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam go during the Me'raj?

2. Did he Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam journey with body or only spiritually?

3. What is the answer to the issues in the case of physical Me'raj as mentioned by Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah and Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa radi Allahu anhuma?

4. Did the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam see Almighty Allah with the eyes of his head on the night of Me'raj or did he see through the heart only?

5. What is the rule regarding those who reject the Me'raj?

The answer to numbers one, two and five are as follows, through the Grace of Allah: The Me'raj of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam is a reality and a belief of the Ahl as-Sunnat Wa Jama'at [the greatest majority] mass of muslims. It is proven from the Noble Qur'an, the Sunnah [tradition of the Prophet] and from Ijma [scholarly consensus]. The journey from Makkah, to Masjid-e-Aqsa and from there to Syria is proven from authentic verses and one who rejects this is a Kaafir. The journey from Musjid-e-Aqsa and then towards the heavens is proven from famous Hadith and is also proven from the statements of the pious predecessors. One who rejects this, is misled and corrupt. The journey from the skies into Jannat and towards the Arsh and even beyond this, in other words the journey to La Maqaa, his journey in visiting Heaven and Hell etc. are proven from Hadith Shareef and to go against this is to transgress the law and one who does so is a Faasiq [sinner, evil]. The reality is that the Me'raj took place whilst the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was physically awake, thus it was with the body and soul. There is however much difference of opinion on the exact dates that the Me'raj took place. Most Ulama [scholars] say that it took place in Rabi ul Awwal during the 12th year after announcing Prophethood. Some say that it took place on the 27th Ramadan and others say that it happened in the fifth or sixth year after announcement of Nabuwat. However the most famous narration is the one which says that it took place on the 27th of Rajab, and the People of Madinah have acted according to this narration.' Shaykh Muhaqqiq has stated as follows in Ash'atul Lam'aat, 'The people of Madinah spend this night of Rajab with great splendour and make many preparations on this night. This is the date which is correct and most authentic.' There are numerous other narrations relating to this, but this humble servant will stop here and adorn the answer with the evidence that is clear and hope for all to receive guidance.

It is in Sharhe Maqaasid vol 2 page 192 as follows:
'Verily, it has been proven from the Qur'an, Hadith and Ijma-e-Ummat that the Me'raj is a reality and it took place in a conscious state. He Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam traveled from Makkah to Musjid-e-Aqsa physically and this is proven from Qur'an and famous Hadith and from the Ijma of the Taabi'een and the great A'ima. Then, it is proven from there into the skies (whilst awake) and this is proven from famous Hadith Shareef. One who rejects this is a bid'ati and one who rejects up to Musjid-e-Aqsa is a Kaafir. And from there, he journeyed into the skies, then to Jannat, to the Arsh, the ends of the universe. There is difference of opinions in this case as it is proven from one narrator, but one who rejects this is a Faasiq.

It is in Sharah Aqaaid pg 104 as follows:
'he Me'raj took place whilst the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was in a awakened stated with body and soul. He traveled into the skies and from there, to whatever heights Allah willed for him to journey to, and this is true, in other words it is proven with sufficient evidence from famous Ahadith and one who rejects this is a misled.'

It is stated also in the same book as follows:
'And the statement of the author of Aqaaid-e-Nisfahia points to wards the journey into the skies. It also points towards the fact that he travelled whilst awake in physical form and it also points to the difference of opinion of the predecessors and that is that some have said that it was up to Jannat whilst some say it was up to the Arsh, whilst others have mentioned that it was even past the Arsh, whilst some have said that it was until the corners of the universe. It must be noted the fact that he Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam travelled from Musjid-e-Haram up to the Musjid-e-Aqsa in a short space of night is evident from the most authentic source and that is the Noble Qur'an and the journey from the earth into the skies is proven from famous Hadith and the journey from there to Jannat and beyond the Arsh is evident from other Ahadith.'

It is in Sharah Fiqh Akbar of Maulana Ali Qaari on page 135 as follows:
'The Hadith-e-Me'raj concerning the physical journey into the skies and even beyond that until where Allah willed is Haq (The Truth). It is proven through numerous traditions in the Hadith Shareef and any one who rejects this evidence and does not bring Imaan on this reality, is misled and an open transgressor.�

It is in Khulaasa that when someone rejects the Me'raj, it needs to be established whether he rejected it from Musjid-e-Haraam to Musjid-e-Aqsa. If he did this, then he is a Kaafir. And if he rejected the Me'raj from Musjid-e-Aqsa, to the skies, then he is not a Kaafir, but a corrupt and misled person and this is because Isra is from 'Haram to Haram', and this is proven from verses of the Qur'an and is definite and the journey from Musjid-e-Aqsa to the skies is proven from tradition (Sunnah)'

It is in the end of Qasida Imali as follows:
'And the issue of Me'raj is proven to be true and authentic since there are very exalted Ahadith narrated relating to it.' Maulana Ali Qaari states in the annotation of this as follows:

The narrations on this issue are so famous that it close to reach the level of mutawatir (continuous narrations).' After saying this, he writes, 'The Isra which is from Musjid-e-Haraam to Musjid-e-Aqsa is evident from Qur'an and Hadith and one who rejects it is a Kaafir. The Ulama have researched the issue of one who rejects the Me'raj into the skies and have agreed that he is not a Kaafir, but he is a bid'ati. The reality is this, that the Me'raj took place whilst he Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was awake (and not whilst he was resting) and it took place with both body and soul.

It is in Takmeelul Imaan pg 45 as follows:
'And his Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam Me'raj took place whilst he was awake and was with body and soul, and this was even whilst he went into the skies and up to where Allah willed for him to go, and all of this is Haq.'

It is in Ash'atul Lam'aat pg 550 as follows:
'Isra is proven from Musjid-e-Haraam to Musjid-e-Aqsa and into the skies. This is proven from verses of the Qur'an and one who rejects it is a Kaafir. The Me'raj is a reality and there is enough evidence to prove this. One who rejects this (going into the skies) is a corrupt and mislead person as this is proven from numerous Ahadith-e-Mubaaraka. It is in the Hadith that he Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam traveled into the skies and beyond the skies, up to where Allah willed.

Alhumdulillah, three questions have been answered here all together and there was no need for a very detailed answer.

As for the issue where Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah radi Allahu anhu has referred to the Me'raj as a pleasant dream, and the issue where Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anha mentioned that the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was beside her on the night of Me'raj and he did not go anywhere from her on that night. This thus, makes it seem like the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was only spiritual and not physical. Now, there are numerous explanations to these statements (of Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah and Sayyida Aisha).

First Explanation: These two narrations are not as strong as the numerous Ahadith-e-Mubaaraka that are proven through a very lengthy chain of narrators and from the senior Sahaba-e-Kiraam, as it has been mentioned by Allama Sa'adudeen Taftaazani alaihir Rahman in Sharah Maqaasid. He states on page 193 of volume 2 of his illustrious work as follows,

'Those who object try to use the statements of Sayyida Aisha, in which she says that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was physically besides her for the entire night and the statement of Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah radi Allahu anhu where he says that the Me'raj was a pleasant Dream. Those who say this, need to know that in comparison there are numerous narrations which prove it (physical Me'raj) that are very strong chains of transmission which are from the Senior Sahaba-e-Kiraam and from numerous Ahadith and also which is proven during all the blessed eras.'

Second Explanation: It is very evident that the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam experienced Me'raj on numerous occasions. A few of these where spiritual whilst only one was physical.

It is in Mawahibul Laduniyah that Imam Nawawi has stated in his Fatwa that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam had Me'raj twice, once in a dream and the other physical. Suhaili has clarified the correctness of his stance from his Shaykh Qaadi Abu Bakr bin Arabi.

It is also in Ash'atul Lam'aat vol 4 page 550 as follows:
'In other words it is proven that the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam had Me'raj only once physically and numerous times in a dream and that which took place in the dream, was the inception and introduction of that which took place physically.' It is thus proven that the Physical Me'raj was only once.

Now, that we have understood the above mentioned explanations, it is thus clear that the Me'raj that Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah and Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anhuma are referring to is the spiritual Me'raj which was in a dream. Now this is clear and can not be contested as this is the best of all explanations and answers to these issues as there is no refuting of any Hadith in it as well, just as it is evident in the Hashia Khayali which is the footnotes of Sharah Aqaaid, on page 406: ' And it is best that they should be given this answer, that verily the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam went for Me'raj twice, once with the body and soul and once only with the soul. The narration of Sayyida Aisha is related to the second type of Me'raj, in other words the one with only the soul.'

It is in the same as follow: This is the best answer as none can turn away from it, which is clearly mentioned in the Hadith Shareef.

It is on page 32 of Sharah Fiqh Akbar as follows:
'It can be said that the Me'raj occurred on numerous occasions. It is for this reason that there is difference of opinion relating to the details of the Me'raj. One statement is that it was up to Jannat and the other is that it was up to the Arsh and third is that it was even beyond the Arsh and this will not mean that because there are numerous narrations, then the issue of Namaaz being Fard will be Fard on every such occasion, as the Imam of the Wahabis; Ibn Qayyim tried to wrongly imply.

It is in Sharah Qasida Al Imaali page 24 as follows:
'This is correct, that the Me'raj took place in an awakened state. It was with both body and soul and not only with the soul, since the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam had Me'raj on numerous occasions and there are numerous differences of opinion on how many times this took place.

I (Allama Mahmood Jaan) must say that if we accept that the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam did not have a physical Me'raj just based on the narrations of Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah and Sayyida Aisha and if it is said that Allah took the soul of the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam to the heights were He willed and let his soul travel to great spiritual heights, then it must be noted that if this was the case (which is not), then why all the fuss and why was there objection by (the unbelievers) to the Me'raj (in other words if it were only a dream, then none would have made any objections and there would have been no issue about this),� The Soul is a very exalted and blessed power and it is not impossible for the soul to see paradise, Musjid-e-Aqsa etc in a dream. There is no intellectual explanation needed for this as well. The great leaders and Philosophers too have accepted this can happen.

Also if it is accepted (that it was a dream), then it wont be uniquely attributed to the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam whereas the Me'raj is something that is specially attributed to the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam. Event he great Ambiya alaihimus salaam have no part in this great attribute of physical Me'raj which was bestowed upon the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam. The actuality of a spiritual Me'raj is given to every Prophet of Allah and lots of Awliyah as well are able to reach great spiritual heights through the grace of Allah, and great spiritual experiences are also possible for all Momins. It is mentioned in Ash'atul Lam'aat as follows: 'If the Me'raj was only a dream, then there would have been no need for all the opposition to it and the Mushrikeen would have never made an issue of it. The Physical Me'raj is Unique for the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam and with the exception of him, no other Prophet has been blessed with this. This shows his greatness and excellence. Those who oppose this without valid reason are caught in the web of their lack of understanding and thus can not understand the truth.' In such instances, one needs his Imaan to be strong and needs to have faith in the Knowledge and Power of Allah. In reality, all the great matters of Nabuwat and Wahi (revelation) can not be engulfed by the ordinary human mind and is thus distant from understanding. If any person says that he is not prepared to accept this or believe it until it does not make sense to his intellectual capacity, then such a person is deprived and of the gems of faith.�

It is on page 30 of Tazkiratul Mauta wal Quboor by Allama Qaazi Thana'ullah :
'In a dream, the souls of the true believers travel towards the Arsh [throne]. When we say this, we refer to those who are strongest in faith, in other words the Ambiya [Prophets] and the Awliyah [Saints]. The Shaitaan [devil] can not enter the dreams of the Ambia-e-Kiraam alaihimus Salaatu was salaam. It is for this reason that the dreams of the Ambiya are part of Wahi [revelation]. As for the souls of the Awliyah, then they are raised into the heights of the skies, Most of their dreams are exalted and true ones and the souls of the ordinary Muslims can not just travel into the skies. It is for this reason that most dreams of the ordinary people are not correct. The dreams of the Awliyah that occur when the soul is journey beyond the skies, sometimes are not as correct as the shaitaan tries to interfere. Hadrat Ali radi Allahu ta'ala anhu has reported that the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam has stated, 'When men or women sleep, then there souls climb towards the Arsh and the dreams that they see whilst the souls are there and in the skies, are true and when the soul is returning then shaitaan [devil] intercepts the soul and whispers lies into it whilst the soul is beneath the skies and these dreams are generally incorrect.' Imam Baihaqi Radi Allahu anhu has reported on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah in Amr bin A'as radi Allahu anhu that the souls of the Momins [believers] go towards the skies and once close to the Arsh, they are commanded to make sajdah [prostrate], those who are pure near the Arsh and those that are not pure make Sajdah far from the Arsh. Ibn Mubaarak Radi Allahu anhu has narrated from Hadrat Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu that the souls of the Muslims travel to the heights of the Arsh in their dreams and those souls that are pure are commanded to make Sajdah there and those who are in the state of Janaabat [impure], their souls are not granted permission for Sajdah.'

Now once again, it is evident from all that has been mentioned that the narrations of Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah and Sayyida Aisha refer to the 'Spiritual Me'raj and not to the actual Physical Me'raj.' The Physical Me'raj can thus not be refuted as there is no room for refutation, as this would lead to much objections and huge situations which can never be resolved. Both the statements of Hadrat Ameer Muawiyah and Sayyida Aisha are correct and Haq reality/truth] as they refer to the spiritual Me'raj and in the said context it is totally correct, and neither of them rejects the physical Me'raj.

It must be also noted that Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anha mentioning that the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam did not leave her side during Me'raj can never be referring to the Physical Me'raj as at that time Sayyida Aisha' was not even born (and thus not yet in the home of the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam. It is in Sharah Fiqh Akbar as follows:
'And the proper explanation to this is that the Me'raj occurred in Makkah Muazzamah during the early days after announcement of Nabuwat [Prophethood] and Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anha was not even born at this time.'

Another reply is as follows. It must however be noted that there are numerous different views on these issues and much reference to the Sahaba-e-Kiraam [noble companions of the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam]. I thus will try to be brief by quoting a few references and then a few Tafseers [commentaries] etc. so that our point may be well understood. It is in Ash'atul Lam'aat as follows:

'From all that which has occurred, it can be understood that there is difference of opinion amongst the Sahaba-e-Kiraam about whether the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Allah with the eyes of his head.
Hadrat Aisha radi Allahu anha says differently and Hadrat Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu proves it and both are supported by a group of Sahaba-e-Kiraam. After them the Tabi'een, then the Tab'be Taabi'een have also remained in difference in certain issues relating to the divine vision. Some have remained silent and have not said anything. It is the most famous and most accepted fact amongst the learned scholars that the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam did see his creator with the eyes of the head. It is recorded in Mualimut Tanzeel (pg 148):
Some Ulama have said that the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Allah ta'ala with the eyes of the heart and now with the eyes of the head, and it must be noted that this opinion is contrary to the Hadith and the true Mazhab is this, that he Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam saw his Creator with the eyes of his head.' It has been thus clarified that the Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam saw Almighty Allah with the eyes of his head and this the correct belief and the acceptable belief.

I prefer that it is important to narrate here the Hadith-e-Me'raj from Bukhari and Muslim and I would like to do that with reference to the explanation in Ash'atul Lam'aat. I will also use brackets to explain the Hadith and clarify important issues relating (to the Me'raj). It has been narrated from Hadrat Qatadah radi Allahu anhu who in turn narrates from Hadrat Anas bin Maalik radi Allahu anhu who narrates from Hadrat Maalik bin Sa'sa'a radi Allahu anhu that verily the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam explained to the Sahaba-e-Kiraam about that night when' in which he was raised into the skies. He Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam said, 'I was in the Hateem (and sometimes the narrator says 'I was in the Hujra) that I was resting on my side then came to me one person (Hadrat Jibra'il). He then split open my chest and removed my heart and then a tray was brought near me which was filled with Imaan. My heart was then washed (with it) and it was filled with Great Imaan and Wisdom and it was then returned (in other words the hearts was put back in its place).'It has been narrated in one narration as follows, 'Then my stomach was rinsed with 'Aab-e-Zam Zam' and Imaan and wisdom was instilled and then a means of transport was brought to me that was shorter than a mule and taller than a donkey. It was white and it was called the Burraq. It used to keep his foot at the distance of sight. I was made to sit on it and then I was taken by Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam until we reached the first sky (which is the lowest sky). Hadrat Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam requested for the Door of the sky to be opened. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. The door of the sky was then opened.' When, I reached the first sky, I saw that Adam 'alayhis-salaam was there. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said this is your Forefather Adam 'alayhis-salaam. Send salaam to him. I did so and replied to my salaam and said, Welcome to the pious son and the Pious Prophet. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam then took me further and we went to the second sky. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. It was said, Was he invited? Jibra'il said, yes. The Answer was, what a wonderful invitation it is and the door was opened. When I entered the second sky, I saw Hadrat Yahya and Hadrat Isa 'alayhis-salaam (In other words both these Prophets were standing there). Both of these Prophets are maternal cousins. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, This is Yahya 'alayhis-salaam and Isa 'alayhis-salaam, Please send salaam to them. I did so and they both responded to my salaam. Both Hadrat Yahya alayhis salaam and Isa 'alayhis-salaam said, Welcome Pious Brother, Welcome Pious Nabi. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam then took me to the third sky. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. It was said, Was he invited? Jibra'il said, Yes. The Answer was, What a wonderful invitation it is and the door was opened. When I reached the third sky, I saw Hadrat Yusuf 'alayhis-salaam (standing there). Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, It is Yusuf 'alayhis-salaam, Please say salaam to him. I made salaam to him and he replied. Yusuf 'alayhis-salaam said, Welcome O' Pious Brother, O' Pious Nabi. Then, Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam took me into the fourth sky. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. It was said, Was he invited? Jibra'il said, Yes. The Answer was, What a wonderful invitation it is and the door was opened. Here, I saw Hadrat Idrees  'alayhis-salaam (standing). Jibra'il  'alayhis-salaam said. It is Idrees 'alayhis-salaam please say salaam to him. I conveyed Salaam to him and he replied and said, Welcome O' Pious Brother, O Pious Nabi. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam then took me towards the fifth sky. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. It was said, Was he invited? Jibra'il said, Yes. The Answer was, What a wonderful invitation it is and the door was opened. When I reached the fifth sky, I saw Hadrat Haroon 'alayhis-salaam. Hadrat Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said that I should make salaam to him so I did and he replied to my salaam and said, Welcome o pious brother, O' Pious Nabi. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam then took me towards the sixth sky. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. It was said, Was he invited? Jibra'il said, Yes. The Answer was, What a wonderful invitation it is and the door was opened. When I reached the sixth sky, I saw Hadrat Moosa 'alayhis-salaam (standing there).' Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam told me that it was Hadrat Moosa 'alayhis-salaam and that I should make salaam to him, so I did and he replied to my salaam. He said, Welcome O' Pious Brother, O' Pious Nabi.' As I was leaving (and got up to go) Hadrat Moosa 'alayhis-salaam began to weep.� It was asked why he was crying and what had caused him to cry and he said, I am crying for this reason, that a young person was sent to the people after me and most of his Ummah will enter paradise compared to those of my Ummah. Hadrat Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam then ascended with me towards the seventh sky. It was said, (In other words the Gatekeeper of the sky said) who is this? He said; it is I, Jibra'il. It was asked, who is with you? Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, it is Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. It was said, Was he invited? Jibra'il said, Yes. The Answer was, What a wonderful invitation it is and the door was opened. When I reached the seventh sky, I saw Hadrat Ibraheem 'alayhis-salaam (standing there). Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, This is your father (Forefather) Ibraheem 'alayhis-salaam. Please convey salaam to him. I conveyed salaam to him. He replied to my salaam and said, Welcome of Son of The Pious, O' Pious Nabi. I was then raised towards Sidratul Muntaha. I saw its fruit as huge as the clay pots of Hijr (a Place near Madinah where huge pots were made), its leaves were as huge as the ears of elephants. Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said that this was Sidratul Muntaha.' I saw four streams there. Two hidden and two apparent. I asked Jibra'il about the hidden and apparent rivers and he said that hidden ones are of Jannat [heaven] and the evident ones river Nile and River Euphrates. I was then shown the 'Baitul Ma'moor' which was made clear to me. I was then given a vessel of wine, milk and honey (so that I may choose what I wish). I took the vessel of milk (and drank it). Jibra'il 'alayhis-salaam said, Milk is in your nature (in other words it's a sign of Islam). You and your Ummah will remain steadfast on it. Then, fifty Namaaz [salaah, ritual prayer] was made Fard upon me. I then returned with this Namaaz and I met on the way with Hadrat Moosa 'alayhis-salaam. He asked what I was commanded and I said, fifty Namaaz a day. Moosa 'alayhis-salaam said, By Allah! Verily your Ummah will not have the strength to read fifty Namaaz per day. Allah tested those before them and the Bani Israeel too have been tested. They will not be able fulfill this and will leave out their Namaaz. Go back into the Court of Allah and request a reduction. For the sake of my Ummah, I returned into the court of Allah and requested reduction and ten was reduced. I then returned and met Moosa 'alayhis-salaam and he said as he had said before. I went back into the court of my Creator and requested reduction and ten more were reduced. On the way back I met Hadrat Moosa 'alayhis-salaam again and he said the same again and I went back and ten more were reduced. On my way I met Moosa 'alayhis-salaam again and he said the same and I went back and ten more were reduced. On my return I met him again and he said the same and I went back and five were reduced until only five were left. Again I met Hadrat Moosa 'alayhis-salaam and he told me how his nation was tested and could not fulfill their duties. He said that my Ummah was too weak and will not be able to fulfill this, but I was ashamed and too modest now to go back into the court of Allah and ask for a further reduction, so I accepted five for my Ummah. I then heard a voice which said, I have commanded five and have made light the weight of the servants. (In other words five Namaaz were made Fard and we receive the sawaab [reward] of fifty Namaaz). '

(It must be noted that this is a simplified explanation of the narration and there are numerous other narrations on the same issue of Me'raj. Each one has some difference in it). In another Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim, which is narrated by Hadrat Anas radi Allahu anhu, the journey of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam is also explained in it.

In another Narration of Muslim Shareef it is mentioned that the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam went on a Burraq and tied it at the entrance of Masjid-e-Aqsa where the Prophets used to tie there travel animals and that he entered the Masjid and prayed two rakaats salaah [two cycles of prayer].

It is in Ash'atul Lam'aat that he led the prayer in Musjid-e-Aqsa and the congregation was made up of the Prophets. In the same Muslim Shareef there is also a narration about� going to Sidratul Muntaha and receiving revelation from Allah where it is said 'Fa Awha ila Abdihi Ma Awha' And He Revealed to (His chosen servant) what he revealed.' In explaining this in Ash'atul Lam'aat, it has been mentioned that None understands this like Allah and His Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam and the best thing is to accept the issue of the Wahi (revelation) and not dwell in trying to understand the realities of it.' The secret of this revelation was so great that the heart of no other person can bear to withstand it. This was a unique power that was blessed upon the heart of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam that only his heart could withstand it.

It is as follows on page 142 of Tafseer Roohul Bayaan:

'Allama Baqaali rahmatullahi alayh has mentioned that Almighty Allah has kept hidden the secrets of this special revelation from Arsh up to the rest of the creation by saying 'What he revealed� Allah did not explain anything about what He revealed that night upon His beloved Nabi Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam. This is the secret between the One who loves, and the Beloved and it is them alone that know it and none other does. I think that if even one portion of this revelation was made apparent to the people, then they would die if their hearts receive what the Heart of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam received as they will never withstand it. Almighty Allah bestowed a very unique power to the heart of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam so that it may be able to withstand this majestic revelation and if this power were not bestowed then even one portion of it could not be carried. If even one word of that divine revelation were to be made apparent, then all bodies and souls will perish. In other words everything would destruct and the mind and intelligence would not have the capacity to ever understand and withstand it. Peace and Salutation upon the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam.

It is mentioned in Mualimut Tanzeel about the verse 'Thumma Dana Fata dal'la Fa Kaana Kaaba Qawsain Aw Adna' The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was asked to come closer to his Creator, Allah Almighty and he went even closer, so close that closer than two bows length and even closer. We have been informed concerning the Me'raj from Shuraik bin Abdullah who in turn narrated from Hadrat Anas radi Allahu anhu that Almighty Allah was so close to the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam that it was two bows length and even closer.

It is on page 142 of Roohul Bayaan as follows:

It is in one narration that the Most Beloved to Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam says, 'On the night of Me'raj I came so close to my Creator that it felt like a distance of two bows length or even less than that.' Just as Allah 'That which was revealed' and hid the actual revelation, in the same way Allah speaks of the closeness and keeps a secret the reality of how close. This only Allah and His Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam know.

IN CONCLUSION it must be said that the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam saw amazing and divine things outside this universe that none other has seen and he attained millions, but actually countless blessings and bounties on this journey.' His heart was filled with numerous gems and excellences. In other words from head to toe he is Noor and he returned once again to earth after attaining certain blessings, just as Hadrat Abdullah ibn Mas'ood radi Allahu anhu has mentioned three things in the Hadith Shareef: 'The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam was blessed with three things on the night of Me'raj. Firstly the five daily Salaah, Secondly the end verses of Surah Baqarah in other words from Amaanar Rasool until the end of the Surah and the major sins of that person will be forgiven who did not associate partners with Allah.' These few have been mentioned because they are related to the Ummat, otherwise, there are countless blessings that have been bestowed upon him just as it has been explained as follows on page 561 of Ash'atul Lam'aat.' It is also on page 560 of Ash'atul Lam'aat as follows:

'None has gone further than Sidratul Muntaha like our Nabi Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam, where there is no space or place, beyond Sidratul Muntaha, Arsh and the Kursi. Allah took his beloved Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam to the heights of skies up to where He willed.







Interpretations of the Sunnah Part 3
By Khalifa-e-Aala Hadrat, Allama Maulana Mahmood Jaan Peshawari alayhir rahman
Translated by a humble servant of ALLAH : Muhammad Afthab Cassim Razvi Noori [South Africa]



Rajab



On the month of Rajab




It has been mentioned by Abu Nu'aym in his Hilya from Anas Ibn Malik Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu said, that the Prophet of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam used to make the following du'a, when the month of Rajab came in:


Allahuma Barik lana fi Rajaba wa Sha'bana wa ballighna Ramadan - O Allah bless us in Rajab and Sha'ban and let us reach Ramadan.


It has been mentioned by Abu'l-Fath ibn Abi 'l-Fawaris in his 'Amali and Imam as-Suyuti alayhir rahman has also mentioned in his Jami' as-Saghir from Imam Hasan al-Basri Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu that the Prophet of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said:

Rajab is the month of Allah. Sha'ban is my month. Ramadan  is the month of my Ummah (community).

From the above hadith, it shows that it is preferable to make du'a, to live through the coming months, in order to perform good actions in them, because a believer increases his goodness with age. The best of people is the one who lives long and performs good actions.


The pious predecessors used to prefer dying after performing good actions, like the fast of Ramadan or returning from Hajj. And it was said by them, 'whoever dies in this way, is forgiven.'  There is no doubt that the month of Rajab is the key to the opening of the months of goodness and blessing.


Abu Bakr Warraq alayhir rahman said:

Rajab is a month of cultivation, Shaban is month of irrigating the fields, and the month of Ramadan  is a month of reaping and harvesting.

The summary is, that the month of Rajab is a sacred month and the first, virtuous and noble of them all. So it is appropriate to celebrate it entirely and to give attention to it by performing good acts, and refraining oneself from sins and offensive things, because it is the month of Allah.  It has been mentioned that Allah said:

Fasting is for me and I will recompense one for it.

Fasting in the month of Rajab prevents one from sins, let alone preventing one from killing and having enmity towards others  (for which this month was made sacred), like it was practiced by the people of the era of ignorance (jahiliyya).



(Imam Abd 'al-Ghani al-Nablusi, Fada'il al-Shu'hur wa'l-Ayyam (Virtues of Months and Days) pg 27, 32)




Hadith on Fasting in Rajab



Imam al-Nawawi Radi Allahu anhu said:

(1) the principle concerning fasting is that it is praiseworthy in itself, and
(2) in the Sunan of Abu Dawud the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam has made the fasting of the sacred months praiseworthy, and Rajab is one of them."

A Hadith On Fasting in Rajab
1. 'Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari Allah be pleased with him said: "I asked Sa'eed ibn Jubayr about fasting in Rajab, and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: "I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying: "The Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam used to observe fast so continuously that we thought he would not break it, and did not observe it so continuously that we thought he would not observe fast." Muslim and Abu Dawud relate it in Kitab al-sawm, respectively in the chapter on fasting at times other than Ramadan, and in the chapter of fasting during Rajab.

Imam Nawawi says: "It would appear that the meaning inferred by Sa'eed ibn Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas's report is that fasting in Rajab is is neither forbidden nor considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling concerning it is the same as the rest of the months. Neither prohibition not praiseworthiness has been established for the month of Rajab in itself, however, the principle concerning fasting is that it is praiseworthy in itself, and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud(*) the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam has made the fasting of the sacred months praiseworthy, and Rajab is one of them. And Allah knows best." Sharh Sahih Muslim Kitab 13 Bab 34 #179.

(*) Kitab al-siyam, Chapter: "Fasting During the Sacred Months". Also in Ibn Majah and Ahmad, hadith of the man who repeats: "I can bear more," and to whom the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam finally says: "Fast during the sacred months."

It is established that Ibn 'Umar fasted during the sacred months: Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaq 4:293, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 1:125.

2. Abdullah, the freed slave of Asma' the daughter of Abu Bakr, the maternal uncle of the son of 'Ata', reported: "Asma' sent me to Abdullah ibn 'Umar saying: "The news has reached me that you prohibit the use of three things: the striped robe, saddle cloth made of red silk, and fasting the whole month of Rajab." Abdullah said to me: "So far as what you say about fasting in the month of Rajab, how about one who observes continuous fasting? And so far as what you say about the striped garment, I heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab say that he had heard from Allah's Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam: "He who wears a silk garment, has no share for him (in the Hereafter)." And I am afraid that stripes were part of it. And so far as the red saddle cloth is concerned, here is Abdullah's saddle cloth [=his] and it is red. I went back to Asma' and informed her, so she said: "Here is the cloak (jubba) of Allah's Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam," and she brought out to me that cloak made of Persian cloth with a hem of (silk) brocade, and its sleeves bordered with (silk) brocade, and said: "This was Allah's Messenger's Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam cloak with 'A'isha until she died, then I got possession of it. The Apostle of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam used to wear that, and we washed it for the sick so that they could seek cure thereby."" Muslim relates in the first chapter of Kitab al-libas.

Imam Nawawi says:

"'Umar's reply concerning fasting in Rajab is a denial on his part of what Asma' had heard with regard to his forbidding it, and it is an affirmation that he fasted Rajab in its entirety as well as fasting permanently, i.e. except the days of 'Id and tashreeq. This is his madhhab and the madhhab of his father 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, 'A'isha, Abu Talha, and others of the Salaf as well as Shafi'i and other scholars. Their position is that perpetual fasting is not disliked (makruh)."

[Another opinion is reported from Ibn 'Umar through a hadith from Ahmad reported in "al-Mughni" 3:167 whereby he disliked that people fast the whole of Rajab but said: "Fast some of it and break fast in some of it."]


* * * * *
Imam an-Nawawi adds: "In this hadith is a proof that it is recommended to seek blessings through the relics of the righteous and their clothes (wa fi hadha al-hadith dalil 'ala istihbab al-tabarruk bi aathaar al-salihin wa thiyabihim)." Sharh sahih Muslim Kitab 37 Bab 2 #10.

3. Imam Bayhaqi relates in Shu'ab al-iman (#3802):
Abu Abdallah al-Hafiz and Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Hamid al-Muqri said:
from Abu al-'Abbas al-Asamm,
from Ibrahim ibn Sulayman al-Barlisi,
from Abdallah ibn Yusuf,
from 'Amer ibn Shibl,
who said: "I heard Abu Qilaba say:
"There is a palace in Paradise for those who fast the month of Rajab."

Imam Bayhaqi adds: "Even if it is mawquf at Abu Qilaba (i.e. not traced back to the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam) who is one of the Successors, such as he does not say such a saying except if it were related to him by someone who had heard it from him to whom revelation comes (i.e. the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam), and success is from Allah.""

Blessings and Peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions
GF Haddad ©




  

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