THE PROPHET’S ACENT TO HEAVEN
In the 12th year of the
call in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal (some say the 27th of Ramadan
or the 27th of Rajab) was the date of the holy Prophet’s
ascent to heaven, popularly known as Miraj came to pass. The popular
version as witnessed/stated in the traditions/hadith is that the holy prophet (pbuh)
was lying one night within the enclosure of the holy Ka’ba in Mecca when
suddenly the archangel Gabriel came with a steed called ‘Buraq’ running
like lightning, had the prophet mounted thereon and went to mosque of Jerusalem
(i.e. Al-Aqsa). The holy Qur’an
says regarding this occurrence, “GLORY BE TO HIM WHO TOOK HIS SERVANT FROM THE
SACRED MOSQUE TO THE FURTHEST MOSQUE (JERUSALEM) OF WHICH WE HAD BLESSED ITS
PRENCINTS SO THAT WE MAY SHOW HIM SOME OF OUR SIGNS.” (17:1) From this
verse coupled with tradition/hadith the prophet’s (pbuh) night journey
from the holy Ka’ba to the mosque of Jerusalem has been firmly
established. Thereafter, the steed was kept outside and the prophet entered the
masjid and prayed two ra’ka.
Then he went to the
first heaven with Gabriel. In this way he crossed the seven heavens after
meeting all the great Prophet’s (pbuta) who welcomed him with great
honor. In the 7th heaven, he
was taken by Gabriel up to the Lote-tree which is the furthest limit of
men and angels. They can not go beyond
that, nor their knowledge exceeds that limit. The holy prophet alone went a
little further and spoke with Allah (awj) behind a veil and received
revelations and secret knowledge which no mortal had attained before. The Qur’an refers to this meeting of his with
Allah: “…WHILE HE WAS IN THE HIGHEST PART OF THE HORIZON THEN HE APPROACHED AND
CAME CLOSER DREW NEAR AND NEARER, THEN HE WAS THE MEASURE OF TWO BOWS AND
CLOSER STILL. HE REVEALED TO HIS SERVANT WHAT HE REVEALED. THE PROPHET’S MIND
AND HEART IN NO WAY FALSIFIED WHAT HE SAW. WILL YE THEN DISPUTE WITH HIM ABOUT
THAT WHICH FOR INDEED HE SAW HIM (GABRIEL) AT A SECOND DESCENT. NEAR THE LOTE
TREE BEYOND WHICH NO ONE MAY PASS. NEAR IT IS THE GARDEN OF ABODE. BEHOLD THE
LOTE-TREE WAS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY UNSPEAKABLE!) HIS SIGHT NEVER SWERVED NOR DID
IT GO WRONG FOR TRULY HE DID SEE THE SIGNS OF HIS LORD THE GREATEST! (51:7-18)
Thereafter the prophet (pbuh) returned in the same night after attaining
the highest spiritual perfection.
This night journey of
the prophet baffled the imagination of the people and hence the enemies of the
prophet and did not believe in his ascent. Some of the Quraish asked him
to describe the mosque of Jerusalem (Quds) and he was
successful. The companions of the prophet believed the prophet in the narrative
of his ascent, but some of them differed with regard to its actual nature,
whether it was spiritual, physical or whether it was in a dream. Hazrats
Ayesha and Muwayiah (rah) held that it was purely spiritual,
in other words, his soul was taken to see the signs of Allah, they were
supported by the great saint Hasan al-Basri. The greater body of the
companions and their successors hold the doctrine of physical ascent in other
words the prophet went to heaven with the body. They gave stress on the word
….There is another group that says it was only an experience in a dream.
These differences
arose only because the knowledge and experience of man cannot comprehend an
incomprehensible thing. Whenever such inconceivable things such as predestination,
paradise and hell ect. have been described differences found
congenial room. The best thing is to leave to Allah what is beyond
comprehension and believe in the words of the holy prophet (pbuh) and
let not any controversy misguide us…”
COMMENTARY
The subject of this
khutbah is also known as the “Night journey” to the Muslim ummah while
the narratives concerning it have been rigorously authenticated in the major
works/collections of the hadith literature (Bukhari &Muslim). Among
its highlights is the “meet and greet” of prophet Muhammad with the
previous prophet’s and messengers (pbuta), as an indication of his
connection to them in several areas. First is their believing, preaching and
maintaining the primary belief of Tawheed (monotheism).
Second, is family
lineage from the great patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim), despite the Bible
focusing on Hagar being a slave/bondwoman making her son Ishmael
by Abraham not one to inherit due to the implied inferiority to Sarah
and her son, Issac (pbuta), because of social status.
Sister Maryam
Jameelah writes in part, “…St.Paul’s epistles in the new testament
condemn Ismail and his descendants even more vehemently than the Old
Testament. “…Tell me ye that desire to be under the law; do ye not hear the
law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one of the bondwoman, the
other by the freewoman. But he (Ismail) who was born of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh but he of the freewoman was by promise…now we
(Christian) brethren, as Issac was, are the children of promise. But him
that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit,
even so it is now.
Nevertheless, what
sayith the scripture, cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the
bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So, therefore we
(Christians) are not children of the bondwoman but of the free”. (Galatians,
4:21-31) 2
In the Islamic tradition, Ishmael/Isma’il
is accorded the full status and respect of a prophet similar to the prophet’s
of Israel (pbuta)…“AND ISMA’IL AND ELISHA. AND JONAS AND LOT…“THESE WERE
THE MEN TO WHOM WE GAVE THE BOOK, THE AUTHORITY, AND PROPHETHOOD…” (6:86,89) One Muslim scholar writes, “Of all
people, prophets (peace be upon them all) had the most exalted and mature
souls. They were immune from such things as being wrong, erring, unawareness,
perfidy, bigotry, obstinacy, following the nafs (passions/desires),
grudge and hatred. Prophets communicated and explained the things intimated Allah
ta’ala. The teachings of Islam, commands and prohibitions communicated by
them, are all true. Not one of them is wrong or corrupt.” 3 “NO PROPHET CAN BE
FALSE TO HIS TRUST..” (Al-Imran, 3:161) The trust is their office of
prophethood which includes all the virtues and character perfections mentioned.
This ayat and others effectively refutes/rejects the biblical narratives
that charge the great prophets of Israel and others with all manner of sins and
heinous crimes. “…The Bible speaks of deceit and lies attributed Abraham,
cheating and treachery to Isaac and Jacob, adultery to David,
incest to Lot, idol worship to Aaron, apostacy to Solomon
and inhuman brutalities to Moses and Joshua, and at the same time
calls them men after God’s own heart …” Thus, “..all those calumnies which the
Bible heaps on the holy character of the Prophets… the Qur’an clears
them”, In clear contrast to these contaminated Biblical accounts stand the pure
and sublime theism and the practical code of morals contained in the Qur’an…” 4
The logic of denigrating the prophets in
the Biblical accounts makes it easy to understand several principal beliefs of
Christianity; First is Saul/Paul exalting Prophet Jesus into the son of
God, that includes God incarnate (i.e. taking a human form), being a
hold over from the Greco-Roman mythology of Mithra/Mithras and others. Second is the universal savior for all
humanity although he (pbuh) stated he was for the“…lost sheep of
Israel” (Matt.15:24), that is confirmed in Al-Qur’an (3:48-51),
along with this last sacred scripture stating prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) mission was for all mankind (21:107).
3) In addition to Paul ‘abrogating’ the law of Moses (pbuh) (Gal.
3:13) and 4) claiming to be inspired by Jesus (pbuh). (Acts.
22: 6-15).
Returning to the
prophet`s heavenly ascent, most historical and authenticated religious reports
(ahadith) state the prophet Suliaman/Solomon (pbuh)
building masjid Al-aqsa a.k.a. the temple of Solomon in
Jerusalem which is referred to as the furthest mosque in the above ayat. This
designation is another indication of the connection between the Judeo/Christian
and Muslim traditions starting with the Islamic belief in all the
prophets and messengers (pbuta).
It has been reported
that after this miraculous event when the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) spoke
of it to the people they scoffed as the shaykh stated, “Some of the Quraish
asked him to describe the mosque of Jerusalem (Quds) and
he was successful. One scholar explains
this in contemporary norms, “in order to rout and disgrace Rasulullah (pbuh)
(they attempted to test him…At that moment hadrat Jabrail brought Masjid-i
Aqsa. [like watching television], in front of my eyes, I saw, counted, and
answered their questions at once.” 5
(pbuh)—Peace be upon him.
(pbuta)—Peace be upon them all.
NOTES
1
Reliance of the Traveller trans. by Nuh Hamim Keller pg. 994
2 Islam versus Ahl al-Kitab past and present. Pg. 32
3 Belief and Islam. (Waqf Ikhlas publications). Pg.95
4 lessons from stories
of the Qur’an by Ali Musa Raza Mujahir: Introduction
5 Endless Bliss,
Third Fascicle. (Waqf Ikhlas publications). Pg.279
