Praise is to God the Creator of the world He Who exists without beginning, without end, without place, without how and does not depend on time, absolutely nothing is like Allah and He is the One Who hears and Who sees, whatever you may imagining God is different, and that the elevation in degree and the preservation of his community from what he fears for it be granted to our master Mouḥammad Al-'Amîn, the Honest, the one who called for the religion of truth, Islam the religion of all the Prophets from the first 'Adam to the last Muḥammad.
Commemoration of Isra' and Mi`raj, Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet Mouḥammad
Muslims have got into the habit, each year, of commemorating the miracle of Isrâ' and Mi`râj the Nocturnal Journey and the Ascension of the Prophet Muḥammad ṣalla lLâhou `alayhi wa sallam which takes place during the 27th night of Rajab fifth year before the hegira. During that night, God granted His Prophet an eminent miracle.
This year, 27 Rajab 1444 AH corresponds to Saturday February 18, 2023. The night of 27 Rajab 1444 AH, the date of the commemoration of the miracle of Al-'Iṣra' wa l-Mi`raj (the Night Journey and the Ascension ) therefore corresponds to the night of Friday 17 to Saturday 18 February 2023.
Allah honored His Prophet with the great miracle of ascent through the seven heavens so that he could see the amazing things of the heavenly world.
Allah is the Creator of the heavens, the earth, the Throne and all creatures, therefore He has no need of them, so He does not inhabit the heavens or the earth, He exists without place and without how and does not depend on time, absolutely nothing resembles Allah and nothing has any resemblance to Him. See: God exists without where and without how :
Imam `Aliyy, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Allāh is from all eternity without place and He is now as He is from all eternity” and he said: "Certainly, Allāh created the Throne by manifestation of His power and He did not take it as a location for Himself,” [reported by Abôu Manṣôur Al-Baghdâdiyy].
So the one who attributes the place or the direction to God is not Muslim and he must return to Islam by pronouncing the two testimonies having abandoned the bad belief.
When the Messenger arrived at the high place and the great degree at the Ascension, Allāh revealed to him what means: “By what do you want Me to honor you? »
He answered which means: “That You attribute me to You by being Your slave”.
Allāh ta`ālā – free from imperfection – revealed:
“He is free from imperfection Who made His slave travel by night, from the Al-ḥarâm Mosque to the Al-'Aqṣâ Mosque, the surroundings of which We blessed, to show him some of Our signs. Indeed, Allāh is He Who hears and Who sees” [sôurat al-‘Isrâ’].
That is to say, the Prophet `alayhi ṣ-ṣalâtou wa s-salâm is attributed to his Lord by the character of being His slave. And this represents a height of honor for the Messenger because the slaves are numerous. Why was he specified by being His slave? Because he has this eminent honor. Allāh ta`ālā honored the prophet Muḥammad by what he surpassed all the prophets.
Thus among the miracles granted to the prophet Mouḥammad ṣalla lLâhou `alayhi wa sallam, he had the miracle of the Nocturnal Journey, Al-'Isrâ', and of the Ascension, Al-Mi`râj, by which Allāh ta`ālā raised His Prophet in honor.
Thus the miracle of the Nocturnal Journey is confirmed by the very text of the Qur'ân and the sure ḥadīth. It is therefore a duty to believe that Allāh ta`ālā made His Prophet travel at night from honored Mecca to the Al-‘Aqṣâ Mosque, that Allāh ta`ālā protects this place from all evil.
The people of truth, whether they are part of the Salaf, the Khalaf, whether they are mouḥaddith - specialists in the science of ḥadīth -, or specialists in exegesis, learned specialists in jurisprudence, all were unanimous that the Nocturnal Journey, Al-'Isrâ' took place through the body and the soul in the waking state and this is the truth. This is the saying of Ibnou `Abbâs, of Jābir, of 'Anas, of `Umar, of Ḥoudhayfah and others among the companions. This is also the opinion of Imam Aḥmad and others among the Imams.
There is no discrepancy that the Night Journey did indeed take place for the Prophet since there was a text on this subject from the Qur'ân. This is why the scholars have said that he who denies the Nocturnal Journey of the Prophet will have denied the Qur'ân and he who denies the Qur'ân becomes a non-believer.
The chest of the Prophet was opened, before he accomplished this night Journey; The prophet Mouḥammad was in Mecca. He slept between his uncle Ḥamzah and his cousin Ja`far in the house of his cousin 'Oummou Hâni' [the sister of Imâm `Aliyy ibnou Abī Ṭâlib]. Jibrîl came to him and took him to the al-ḥarâm Mosque. The chest of the Prophet Muḥammad was opened without him feeling pain, then washed with Zamzam water and then filled with wisdom and faith to prepare him for the grandiose event that followed.
Jibrîl came to him with a white animal, it was Al-Bourâq who had flinched so much he was happy that the Messenger of Allah took place on his back.
Al-Bourâq rushed forward with the Messenger of Allah on his back, his hoof resting at the limit of his gaze range. He arrived at Yathrib where the Prophet went down and performed a prayer at the request of Jibrîl (Yathrib was the name of the city of Medina the Enlightened). And he arrived in Madyan (the city where the Prophet Shu`ayb `alayhi s-salâm was born) and the Prophet went down and performed a prayer.
Then to Mount Sinai where the Prophet came down and performed a prayer. Indeed, in this place our master Môuçâ `alayhi s-salâm heard the word of Allāh (without it being a voice or sounds reaching the ear, because the word of Allāh does not resemble the word of creatures , Allāh speaks without organ or letter, His speech is not an Arabic language nor any other language, it has no beginning or end, it is an attribute worthy of God which does not resemble the speech of creatures ).
Then in Baytou Laḥm, Bethlehem, where Al-Maçîḥ, Jesus, the son of Maryam, was born. He performed a prayer there.
Here, it is essential to show that what the Messenger of Allah accomplished in Baytou Laḥm is only a tabarrouk, a search for blessings; because this place had an honor, it is a blessed place because of the birth of `Içâ `alayhi s-salâm. We therefore, if we go to the tomb of the prophets or saints and we invoke Allāh ta`ālā to give us barakah, blessings, we will have performed an act in accordance with the act of the Messenger when he performed a prayer in Bethlehem.
Then the Prophet arrived in Jerusalem and performed prayer there as an imam. The Last of the prophets, the Master of the prophets stood as an imam with all the prophets and messengers behind him, may Allah honor them and elevate them further in degree. For Allāh ta`ālā has gathered them all for His Prophet Muḥammad out of honor and glorification towards him, may Allāh honor him and elevate him further in degree and may He protect the community of Muḥammad from what Muḥammad fears for it.
Note: The al-'Aqṣā Mosque was built by Adam `alayhi s-salâm the first prophet and messenger, he is Muslim like all the prophets who all taught one true religion, namely Islam. Indeed, the prophets are all Muslims and they have different laws and different languages. Subsequently, the al-'Aqṣā mosque was rebuilt over the years.
The amazing things the Prophet saw during his Night Journey ?
- The prophet experiences the world in the image of an old woman:
Among the surprising things that the Prophet saw during his night journey, he saw the world in the image of an old woman. Indeed, this world, whatever its embellishment, is coming to an end. The Messenger of Allah described it by comparing it to the sun which approaches its setting. That is to say, the period that has passed is much more important than what remains.
- The prophet saw ‘iblis standing far away on the road:
He also saw something at the side of the path that called to him. It was ‘iblis. Previously 'Iblîs had been a believing jinn at the very beginning, but he became an unbeliever because he opposed Allah. Allah ta`ālā says:
“We said to the angels prostrate yourself for 'Adam, they prostrated except 'iblis who was among the jinn. He disobeyed the order of His Lord,” [surat Al-Kahf ‘Ayah 50]. On the other hand Allah says:
"except 'iblîs who refused and showed pride and who was among the non-believers", [sôurat Al-Baqarah 'âyah 34].
So he becomes a non-believer who says that 'iblîs is not a disbeliever, because denying the Qur'ân is disbelief, may God protect us from that.
The Messenger of Allah also smelled a good odor emanating from the grave of the dressing table of Pharaoh's daughter. She was a righteous believer. It was related from her story that while she was combing the hair of Pharaoh's daughter, the comb slipped from her hands. She then said: “Bismi l-Lâh - that is to say I take it by the name of Allāh -”. It was then that Pharaoh's daughter asked him: “So do you have a Lord, a god other than my father? » The hairdresser replied: “Yes. My Lord, Who is also the Lord of your father, is Allah.” The girl informed her father who asked the woman to abandon her religion, but she refused. He heated some water and threw his children one by one in front of her into the pot of boiling water. Her baby, who was not yet weaned, addressed her before being thrown there and said: “O my mother, be patient, certainly the punishment of the beyond is more intense than the punishment of the lower world. world. Don’t give up your position, you are on the truth.” It was then that she addressed Pharaoh: “I have something to ask you: that you gather the bones and bury them.” He replied: “It is granted to you.” And he threw it in too. She thus died a martyr, she and her children.
- Among the amazing things that the Messenger `alayhi ṣ-ṣalâtou wa s-salâm saw during the night journey, he saw people whose tongues and lips were pinched with pincers of fire. Jibrîl said to him: “These are the ones who give speeches to sow evil and discord” namely those who give speeches to spread evil and dissension, that is to say those who call people to misguidance, corruption, deception and betrayal.
- He saw a bull come out of a narrow passage, then try to return without succeeding. Jibrîl told him: “He is the one who speaks bad words involving harm and discord, then who wants to go back on his word but cannot.”
- Then, he saw people grazing like animals and wearing small pieces of cloth on their modesty area. Jibrîl said to him: “These are the ones who do not pay Zakah.”
- And he also saw people whose heads were crushed and then returned to their initial state. Jibrîl said to him: “These are those whose heads become heavy because they do not perform prayer.”
- He saw a group of people fighting over rotten meat and abandoning good, lawful meat. Jibrîl said to him: “These are people of your community who abandon what is lawful and do what is forbidden and vile; they are the fornicators.”
- He saw people drinking pus that flowed from fornicators. Jibrîl told him: “These are those who drink alcohol, khamr forbidden in the lower world.”
- He saw people scratching their faces and chests with copper nails. Jibrîl told him: “These are the ones who slandered people.”
The Miracle of Mi`rāj Ascension ?
Then the Mi`rāj was raised. This is a ladder of which every other step is made of gold and the other is made of silver metal. The Prophet was then raised to heaven.
The Messenger of Allāh ṣalla l-Lâhou `alayhi wa sallam said in his ḥadīth concerning the Night Journey (al-'Isrâ') and the Ascension (al-Mi`râj) which means: "then he made us ascend to heaven. Jibrîl asked to open the door. Someone then asked, “Who are you?” » Jibrîl replied: “Jibrîl”. They asked him: “Who is with you?” Jibrîl replied: “Muḥammad”. He was asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” Jibrîl replied: “Yes, this time has come” [The angels did not ask “did the prophet Muḥammad receive the revelation?” » for the angels knew that he has already received the revelation, but they asked “has the time of his ascension come?” »] . Then we were opened and I saw 'Ādam who welcomed me and made invocations of good in my favor.
Then he took us up to the second heaven. Jibrîl `alayhi s-salâm asked for us to open the door. He was then asked: “Who are you?” » He replied: “Jibrîl. » Then they said to him: Who is with you? He replied: Mouḥammad. Then he was asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” » He replied: “Yes, this time has come.” Then we were opened and I saw the two cousins, `Içâ the son of Maryam and Yaḥyā the son of Zakariyyā, may Allāh honor them more. They welcomed me and made invocations of good in my favor.
Then he took me up to the third heaven. Jibrîl asked to open the door. We then asked: “Who are you?” » He replied: “Jibrîl”. He was then asked: “Who is with you?” » He replied: “Muḥammad” He was then asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” He replied: “Yes, that time has come. » Then we were opened and I saw Yôuçouf to whom half of the beauty was given. He welcomed me and made invocations of good in my favor.
Then he took us up to the fourth heaven. Jibrîl `alayhi s-salâm asked for us to open the door. He was asked: “Who is this?” » He replied: “Jibrîl”. They asked him: “Who is with you?” » He replied: “Muḥammad”. He was asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” » He replied: “Yes, this time has come. Then we were opened and I saw 'Idrîs who welcomed me and made invocations of good in my favor. Allāh `azza wa jall says: (wa rafa`nâhou makânan `aliyyâ) which means: “And We have raised him to a high place”.
Then he took us up to the fifth heaven. Jibrîl asked to open the door. He was asked: “Who is this?” » He replied: “Jibrîl” They asked him: Who is with you? » He replied: “Muḥammad”. He was then asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” » He replied: “Yes, this time has come. » Then we were opened and I saw Hârôun who welcomed me and made invocations of good in my favor.
Then he took us up to the sixth heaven. Jibrîl `alayhi s-salâm asked for us to open the door. He was asked: “Who is this?” » He replied: “Jibrîl” They then asked him: “Who is with you?” » He replied: “Muḥammad” He was asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” » He replied: "Yes, this time has come." Then we were opened and I saw before me Môuçâ who gave me a warm welcome and made invocations of good in my favor.
Then he took us to seventh heaven. Jibrîl asked to open the door. He was then asked: “Who is this?” » He replied: “Jibrîl” They asked him: Who is with you? » He replied: “Muḥammad” He was then asked: “Has the time of his ascension come?” » He replied: “Yes, this time has come.” Then we opened and I saw 'Ibrâhîm leaning against Al-Baytou l-Ma`môur. It is a house into which seventy thousand angels enter every day without ever returning.
Then, he took me to sidratou l-Mountahâ. It is a tree whose leaves are like elephant ears and the fruits are like large jars. He said which means: “When it was strewn with golden butterflies by the command of Allah, it changed and none of the creatures of Allah can describe it because it is so beautiful.
Allah has revealed to me what He has revealed to me. Thus, He made fifty prayers a day and night obligatory for my community. I went back down to Môuçâ who then asked me: “What has your Lord made obligatory for your community? » I replied: “fifty prayers”. He then said to me: “Go back to the place where your Lord revealed this to you and ask Him for relief because your community will not be able to bear this. I have known the trial of the sons of 'Isrâ'îl and I have experienced them. He said which means: “I then returned to the place where my Lord had revealed this to me and I asked: O Lord, alleviate this for my community. » He then relieved me of five prayers. I returned to Môuçâ and I told him: “He relieved me of five” Môuçâ then said to me: “Your community will not be able to support this. Return to the place where your Lord revealed this to you and ask Him for relief. » The Prophet said which means: “I thus made the round trip between the place where my Lord tabâraka wa ta`ālā had revealed this to me and the place where Môuçâ `alayhi s-salâm was located until that He said: “O Muḥammad, it will be five prayers per day and night. For each prayer, the reward will be that of ten; these are fifty prayers. Anyone who planned to do a good deed and did not do it will have a good deed registered in their favor. If he has done it, ten [good deeds] will be recorded for him. Anyone who planned to do a bad deed but did not commit it will not have any bad deed recorded. If he commits it, one bad deed will be recorded for him.”
The Prophet said which means: “I went down until I reached Môuça and I informed him about it, he then said to me: “Go back to the place where your Lord revealed this to you and ask Him relief. » The Messenger of Allah said which means: “I then replied: I have returned so much to the place of the revelation of my Lord that I will not do it again”.
Important note:
It is appropriate here to remember that Allāh ta`ālā is the Creator of the seven heavens and the Creator of all places and that Allāh ta`ālā exists before the creation of places, without any of these places. It is therefore not permissible to believe that Allāh ta`ālā would occupy any place, nor that He would occupy all places, nor that He would be by Himself in the sky, nor that He would be seated on the Throne (al-`arch), neither that He would be diffuse in space, nor that He would be near us or far from us by distance. Allāh ta`ālā is exempt from all this and whoever believes otherwise does not have the belief of Islam.
In his book “Ḥâchiyyatou ṣ-Ṣâwî `alâ tafsîr al-Jalâlayn”, Chaykh Aṣ-Ṣâwî said about the ḥadīth on al-Isrâ wa l-Mi`râj:
“His word (that is to say the word of the Prophet) “قال فرجعت الى ربي” (qâla faraja`tou ilâ Rabbî) means: the place where I received the revelation from my Lord. And it is not meant that Allah is in this place and that he (the Prophet) would have returned to Him. Certainly, believing in this is disbelief." about 200 years old. His work “Ḥâchiyyatou ṣ-Ṣâwî” is a commentary on tafsîr al-Jalâlayn].
Imam `Aliyy, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“Allāh is from all eternity without place and He is now as He is from all eternity” that is to say without place, [reported by Abôu Manṣôur Al-Baghdâdiyy].
It is not permissible to believe that Allah is in any direction. Imam Abôu Ja`far Aṭ-Ṭaḥâwiyy said in his treatise of belief called Al-`Aqîdatou ṭ-Ṭaḥâwiyyah: “And He is not concerned with the six directions as are all creatures”. The six directions are: up, down, right, left, front and back. As for the belief of some misguided people that the Messenger arrived in a place where Allāh ta`ālā would be found, this is pure misguidedness because Allāh ta`ālā exists without a place. There is no consideration to be given to what is written in certain dubious books, widely distributed, which some among the common people pass among themselves and which contain what contradicts the fact that Allāh ta`ālā is exempt of the place. It is a duty to warn against these books! Among these books, there is the one entitled "Kitâbou l-Mi`râj" - the book of the Ascension - falsely attributed to Imam Ibnou `Abbâs. It is a duty to warn against this book as well as any similar book.
The purpose of the Ascension is to further honor the Messenger ṣalla l-Lâhou `alayhi wa sallam by giving him knowledge of surprising things about the celestial world, as well as to magnify his degree.
The Messenger ṣalla l-Lâhou `alayhi wa sallam saw Allah through his heart and not through his eyes.
The surprising things that the Prophet saw during the Ascension (al-Mi`râj)
Among the surprising things that the Messenger ṣalla l-Lâhu `alayhi wa sallam saw during the Ascension (al-Mi`râj) are:
- The angel Jibrīl
The prophet saw the angel Jibrīl in his true form and this near the Jujube Tree of the extreme. The angel Jibril has six hundred wings. Allah ta`ālā says:
“And he saw it a second time, near the Jujubier of the extreme.”
1 - Mâlik, the angel in charge of Hell.
He did not smile at the sight of the Messenger of Allah who then questioned Jibrîl to find out why he had not seen him smile at him like the others. Jibrîl replied: “Mâlik has never smiled since Allah ta`ālā created him, and if he were to smile at anyone, he would smile at you.”
2 - Al-Baytou l-Ma`môur.
He saw in the seventh heaven, Al-Baytou l-Ma`môur. It is an honored house which is for the inhabitants of the sky as the Ka`bah is for those of the Earth. Every day, seventy thousand angels enter, pray there and then leave, never to return again.
3 - Sidratou l-Mountahâ.
It is an immense tree, whose beauty is such that no creature of Allah could describe it. It is dotted with gold butterflies. Its root is in the sixth heaven and it reaches the seventh heaven. The Messenger of Allah saw him in the seventh heaven.
4 - Paradise.
It is above the seven heavens; it is the abode of peace, bliss and joy. Allah has prepared it for the believers. It contains rivers of pure honey, milk and khamr which is not like the alcoholic drinks of this world which make one lose one's reason; and there is another kind of eternal felicity in paradise. In paradise happiness is perceptible: the Muslim experiences it through body and soul. In heaven there are degrees, some are higher than others. The highest degree of paradise is that of the prophets. The people of heaven will not feel sadness or sorrow, they will not get sick, they will not grow old or die. They will remain in paradise forever and will never leave. They will be in eternal, endless bliss.
The Messenger of Allāh ṣalla l-Lâhou `alayhi wa sallam saw the Hôurou l-`în -houris- in Paradise. Our master Jibrîl asked him to address them with a word of greeting. They told him: “We are women of good character, very beautiful, wives of honored people.”
He also saw the eternal servants (al-wildânou l-moukhalladôun) who are creatures of Allah, neither men, nor angels, nor jinn. Allāh ta`ālā created them without mother or father, like scattered pearls, to serve the people of Paradise. Every believer will have in Paradise at least ten thousand of these servants with in the hand of each of them a golden tray and in the other a silver tray.
5 - The Throne (al-`arch).
Then the Messenger of Allāh ṣalla l-Lâhou `alayhi wa sallam saw the Throne (al-`arch) which is the greatest body that Allāh has created.
Around the Throne are angels whose number only Allah knows, it has four pillars similar to the pillars of a bed and it is carried by four of the largest angels; on the Day of Judgment there will be eight of them.
Imam `Aliyy, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“Certainly, Allāh created the Throne by manifestation of His power and He did not take it as a location for Himself,” [reported by Abôu Manṣôur Al-Baghdâdiyy].
Thus, he is a non-believer who believes that Allāh ta`ālā would be seated on the Throne. For Allāh `azza wa jall, absolutely nothing resembles Allāh, and He exists, subḥânahu wa ta`ālā, without a place.
The Prophet ṣalla l-Lâhu `alayhi wa sallam also saw other things during the ascension.
What happened after the return of the Messenger of Ascension (al-Mi`râj)
Some scholars have said: His journey from Mecca to Al-'Aqṣā Mosque and his ascent until his return to Mecca, took about a third of a night. He informed 'Ummou Hâni' of this, then he informed the non-believers of his Nocturnal Journey. The latter did not believe him and made fun of him.
People from Quraysh went to Abu Bakr and said to him: “What can you do for your friend? He claims to have gone to Baytou l-Maqdis - Jerusalem - and returned to Mecca in the same night.
Abu Bakr then replied: “Did he say that? » They told him: “Yes”. Then he said to them, “I testify that if he has said this, it is true.” They said to him: “Do you believe him when he says that he went to Ash Sham in the same night and returned to Mecca before morning?” He replied: “Yes, I believe it for that which surpasses that; I believe him about the revelation.”
Abôu Salamah reported that following this event, Abôu Bakr was called Abôu Bakr Aṣ-Ṣiddīq may Allāh be pleased with him.
The non-believers asked the Messenger of Allah to describe the Al-'Aqṣā Mosque to them because they knew that he had never been there [previously] with the people of his country. Abu Jahl gathered his group for him and the Messenger told them what he had seen. Some of them from among those who had traveled to the land of Ach-Châm [region of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan], and who had seen the mosque, then said: "As for the description, by Allah, he speaks the truth.”
May God reward him who said:
O Prophet, you who, beyond the Jujube Tree of the extreme, were elevated
This miracle was granted exclusively to you
O you who made the Al-'Aqṣā Mosque
The description As if you were the architect and the one who had done the construction.
The purpose of Ascension was not to go to a place where Allah would be found, because Allah is free from imperfection. This eminent miracle shows the merit and honor of the Prophet Muḥammad ṣalla l-Lâhou `alayhi wa sallam. God is free from imperfection. He is the One Who creates all things. He is all-powerful. He is the one who created the throne, the heavens, the earth, time and place. So he absolutely doesn't need it.
We ask Allāh ta`ālā that this eminent memory returns to us in goodness, security, peace and serenity.
