The 178th name of the Prophet, on whom be
peace, is Sahib-al-Mi’raj (he who was granted ascent to
Heaven). Oh Allah, Thy Benediction be upon the owner of this name. The word
‘Mi’raj’ signifies an instrument that facilitates ascent, such as a flight of
stairs. Our Holy Muhammad
{s} ascended to the heavens
on a stairway of precious gems beginning at al-Quds (‘the holy’, i.e. Jerusalem)
during his lifetime and in his pure physical form. Among all the prophets and
messengers, it was a privilege reserved for the Holy Muhammad
{s}
alone to be granted such an experience. Therefore the appellation Sahib-al-Mi’raj
was appended to his name.
Now we shall set forth in full the account of the Mi’raj
that the Holy Muhammad
{s} was honored to
experience.
When the Prophet Muhammad {s}
had reached his fortieth year, he was sent with mercy for the whole world as a
prophet and messenger of God to all people. He began to preach his message and
invite people to faith. It was in the twelfth year of his calling, on the
twenty-sixth day of the month of Rajab that the Muhammad
{s} went to the Baytullah (the Kaba) and sat by himself in front of
one of the pillars. There he engaged in remembrance and meditation of the Lord
Almighty.
Just then, Abu Jahl came in to meet with his helpers and
henchmen. He saw Muhammad {s} sitting there all on
his own, engaged in the worship of his Lord. Seeing him thus, he thought to
himself, “I will play him a prank,” and going up close to him, he bent down and
asked him, “Oh Muhammad {s}, are you a Prophet?”
Muhammad {s}
answered him directly, saying, “Yes, I am a Prophet.” Abu Jahl went on to say,
“How can you be a prophet whilst you sit here all alone? Where is your
following, where are your helpers? Had there been any necessity for a new
prophet, the call to prophethood certainly would have come to me. Look at my
following, look at the number of my retainers!” And, striking an arrogant pose,
he turned around and left. After Abu Jahl had gone, another one of his party
came by with his group of followers.
He, too, approached the Holy Muhammad
{s}
sitting there on his own, with the intention of doing something hurtful to
Muhammad {s}.
He spoke as Abu Jahl had spoken, then he turned and left. In this way, no less
than seven of the notables of Quraysh came by with their accomplices and they
all spoke the same words as Abu Jahl, as if they had previously devised a plan.
As a result, the Holy Muhammad
{s} became very dejected and his spirits fell. He thought to
himself, “It is now twelve years that I am calling them to Islam and to the
belief in the Unity of Allah Almighty. However, far from accepting the Truth,
they don’t even understand the concept of the Messenger. A Prophet has no need
of a following of servants and retainers. All that is needful to a prophet is
Divine Revelation and the order to make known His Divine Command.” Thus the Holy
Muhammad {s} grew sad.
That night was the twenty-seventh night of the month of
Rajab, a Monday night. He proceeded to the house of Umm Hani who was the
daughter of Abu Talib, the sister of Ali. She lived in her father’s house, which
was situated between Safa and Marwa. The Muhammad
{s} arrived at her house, and finding him downcast and dispirited,
she asked him for the reason of this. The Muhammad
{s} explained to her what had happened and why he felt as he did.
Now, Umm Hani was an intelligent and resourceful woman. She comforted the Holy
Muhammad {s}
and said, “These men undoubtedly know that as a Prophet of Allah bringing the
message of Truth you are not in need of servants and accomplices. But as they
are a stubborn, envious and ill-tempered lot, they spoke these words with the
sole purpose of insulting you and wounding your spirit.” These words served to
comfort the Muhammad
{s} somewhat, but he still
remained distraught. It is reported that soon after praying the night prayer
(Salat-al-‘Isha), he fell asleep in Umm Hani’s house in a saddened state of
mind.
Then the Lord of all Created Beings who had created
Rasulullah {S}
before anything else, destining him to be a Messenger of many miracles and gifts
of mercy to all the people in the world and endowing him with perfection and the
ability to awaken love in the hearts of men; the Lord Almighty whose Glory
reaches from end to boundless end, other than whom there is no God, in His
aspect of Majesty and Might, addressed Himself to the angel Jibra’il
u, saying, “My Beloved whom I
have chosen from amongst all My Creation, the Best of them all, lies sleeping in
the house of Umm Hani, aggrieved by the hurtful words of the unbelievers.
Let
your piety and obedience be an invitation to My Beloved.
-
Go, adorn your dazzling
wings with the gems of Paradise and enjoy the dignity of being at his service.
-
Go and tell Mikha’il to leave off the weighing out of provisions this night,
-
tell Israfil to abandon his trumpet for one hour, and tell
-
Azra’il for this one
night to refrain from taking any souls.
-
Tell the angels of the lights and
luminaries to festoon the heavens with lamps;
-
tell Ridwan to embellish the
gardens of Paradise, and admonish the angels to keep the gate to the pits of
Hell firmly fastened and the demons of Hell not to move from their places.
-
“Tell the Huris to bedeck themselves and to set about
scattering precious gems, preparing all the Paradise mansions.
-
Say to the
Throne-bearing angels: ‘Wrap the sphere of the skies in its blessed robes and
equip yourselves each with seventy thousand angels.’
-
You, Jibra’il, repair to
Paradise and there select a Buraq steed, then descend to the face of the earth.
-
All the punishment in the graves shall be lifted for the duration of this night.
Go to My Beloved who fell asleep of sad and dejected mind in Umm Hani’s house,
and be his companion. Awaken him gently and explain to him that this night he is
to be shown his great destiny and the
-
station of nearness (qurb) that
excels all other stations of elevation and honor. Invite him to come along with
you.”
Jibra’il u
then went to the Paradise gardens where he beheld forty thousand Buraqs as they
were grazing. Each one had the name of Muhammad {s} written across its
forehead. Among them was one Buraq, which seemed sad and dejected; its head was
bowed and tears were streaming from its eyes. Jibra’il
u approached that Buraq without
hesitation and asked him the reason for its distress. The Buraq then said, “As I
was prancing about in Paradise Gardens, a voice suddenly came to my ear, which
said, ‘Oh Muhammad {s}!’ No sooner had I heard
this name spoken than I became enamored of the bearer of this name. For forty
thousand years now I have been burning with the fire of separation and the hope
of attaining union. Ever since I am weeping, in the sway of intense longing.”
Jibra’il u
had pity on the state of this Buraq and said to him, “Your beloved Muhammad {s}
has this very night been invited to ascend to the Heavens. He needs to be
transported from the Masjid-al-Haram (Mecca) to the Masjid-al-Aqsa (Jerusalem)
by a Buraq steed. It is you I will select, so come now and attain fulfillment.”
Then he saddled the Buraq with a saddle of light and placed a bit in his mouth
of green chrysolite. Next he went to the chamber, where the spiritual king of
this world and the world to come, the Messenger to both mankind and Jinn, lay
sleeping.
Now, the compilers of Hadith have narrated in six
collections of Hadith the story of the Prophet’s Mi’raj as it was told to
them by no less than twenty of the venerable companions who heard it as the King
of Prophet's
{s} told it to them
himself. This then was his narrative:
“I had fallen asleep in Umm Hani’s house, my eyes
were closed, but my heart was wakeful. Suddenly, I heard the voice of Jibra’il
u in my ear, and rising from my
slumber, I sat up, finding myself face to face with the angel Jibra’il
u. He spoke to me, saying, ‘The
Lord Almighty sends you His greetings of peace and invites you to come with me.
I will carry you along, for the Lord wishes to shower upon you the diversity of
His munificence. Of those that have gone before you, none has ever attained to
such munificence, nor will any who are to come after you ever attain to it.’’
“I rose and wished to perform my ablutions. Water
was ordered to be brought from the heavenly stream of Kawthar. Before I had even
uncovered my hands and feet, preparing to take ablution, Ridwan had already
brought two jugs full of water from the stream of Kawthar in pitchers of red
ruby. He also brought a bowl of green emerald that had four corners to it. In
each corner there was a gem that shone like the sun and lit up the night sky. I
washed with this blessed water, and they clad me in a wrap of pure light and set
upon my head a quilted turban of light.
-
“The story of this turban is this: eight thousand
years before the creation of Adam,
-
the angel Ridwan wound this turban in my
name. Since that time up until now, forty thousand angels stand about this
turban reciting praises and glorifying the Lord.
-
After every single one of their
glorifications, they recite blessings (Salat-wa-Salam) upon me.
-
That turban has forty thousand folds, and in every
one of these folds there are four lines of writing.
In the first line is written:
Muhammad {s} is
the Messenger of Allah.
In the second line is written:
Muhammad {s} is
the Prophet of Allah.
In the third line is written:
Muhammad {s} is
the Beloved of Allah.
In the fourth line is written:
Muhammad {s} is
the Friend of Allah.
“After this, Jibra’il
u covered my back with a cape of
light and fastened around my waist a belt of red rubies. He placed in my hand a
whip made of green emeralds, which was embellished with four hundred pearls,
each of which shone like the morning star. He clad my feet in a pair of slippers
crafted from green emerald. Thereafter he took me by the hand and led me to the
Haram.”
In another narration, the Muhammad
{s}
continues his account as follows:
“I made my ablution with the waters of the Zamzam
well. Then I circled the Holy House seven times and prayed two Rak’ats at the
Maqam Ibrahim.
-
I came to the place called the Khatm and there sat down for a bit
to rest.
-
While I was sitting there, Jibra’il
u split my chest asunder and
brought two large basins filled with knowledge and wisdom, respectively.
-
Mikha’il brought three basins full of Zamzam water wherein they washed my
entrails and my bosom.
-
Then he opened up my heart and took from it the small
black clump of clotted blood, while saying, ‘This bit of clotted blood is the
reason why men feel fear when they behold an awesome sight.
-
I have taken it from
you, for tonight you will behold the Heavens and the Lote Tree, the Divine
Throne and Divine Court and the many strange and wonderful things they contain,
and many great angelic creatures.
-
Therefore I have cleansed you of this clot, so that
you might gaze at whomever you will and speak what needs to be said without fear
or constraint.’ He then took from the basin the knowledge and wisdom contained
in it and placed it within my heart.
-
He tucked it in and closed my chest again, so that
there remained no trace or scar.
“Jibra’il
u then took me by the hand and led me to a place outside of Mecca. I saw
there the other great archangels, Mikha’il, Israfil and Azra’il, each surrounded
by seventy thousand angels of their company. When they beheld me, they all stood
to respectful attention and I gave them my greetings of peace. In answer to my
greetings, they proclaimed the boundless graces of the Lord.
“Presently, Jibra’il
u said to me, ‘Oh Prophet of
Allah ,
I have brought you this Buraq from the Gardens of Paradise. Mount it now, for
the Lord on High awaits your coming.’ I turned and saw the Buraq, which was as
bright as the sun and as swift as a flash of lightning. As soon as he lifted his
foot to take a step he had already reached as far as the eye could see. In
addition, this Buraq had two wings by his side, which he used whenever he wished
to fly through the air.”
The wise and learned have this to say about the Buraq:
his body is smaller than that of a mule, but larger than that of a donkey. He
speaks pure, intelligible Arabic. The Lord has created each of his limbs from a
different set of precious materials. His hooves are made of corals; his feet are
of gold. His chest is of red ruby stone, while his back is made pearls. The
wings at his side are of ruby red. His tail resembles the tail of a camel.
According to a different narration, his tail resembles that of a peacock and is
of extreme comeliness. His mane was that of a horse while his feet resembled
those of a camel. He was saddled with a saddle from Paradise, and his stirrups
were of red ruby, beset with jewels.
Our Holy Prophet’s narration continues as
follows: 5
“The angel Jibra’il
u held the stirrups for me,
saying, ‘Mount!’ As I made ready to mount him, the Buraq stirred restively.
Jibra’il u addressed him, ‘Oh
Buraq, are you not ashamed of yourself? How dare you dare behave with such
insolence? By the Grace of Allah Almighty whose Glory is vast and whose bounties
are all-encompassing, beside whom there is no other Lord, never will you see a
rider of greater merit and excellence!’ At the angel’s words, the Buraq blushed
with shame and began to tremble all over. Large drops of sweat trickled from his
brow and he said, ‘Oh Jibra’il u,
I have a request to make, and it was from this urgency that I behaved thus, not
because I am reluctant to fulfill my duty. Now you have put me to shame.’”
The Holy Muhammad
{s} then turned to the Buraq and asked him what his request was
and how it might be fulfilled. “Oh my Muhammad
{s},” replied the Buraq, “I have been stricken with love for you
since before time began. For untold eons, I was immersed in yearning, submerged
in an agony of love. Now, by the Grace of Allah, I have been granted the boon of
beholding your light and perceived your blessed scent. My love now has blossomed
forth and increased thousand fold. On the Day of Gathering, when you rise from
your blessed resting-place, you will be brought to the place of gathering on a
Buraq steed. The request of my love is this: that you will mount no other steed
than me on that tremendous day, thereby completing my happiness and filling my
heart with the light of joy.” The Holy Muhammad
{s} answered and said, “I
granted the Buraq his request and promised that I would mount no other than him
on that day.”
After hearing from the Buraq that he would be brought to
the Site of Judgment on back of a Buraq, the Muhammad
{s}, the Glory of all
Creation, the Quintessence of all Being grew thoughtful as he pondered the fate
and state of his nation on that day. The Lord Almighty who is aware of every
hidden thing then made the angel Jibra’il
u ask Muhammad {s}
the reason for his sudden sadness. The Holy Muhammad
{s} replied:
“I have been informed by the Buraq of the honor
that will be shown to me on that mighty day in that I will be fetched and
mounted on a Buraq. It occurs to me to reflect on the state of my nation on that
day: they are but weak, far from perfect, sinful mortals; how, on the Day of
Judgment, will they go on foot to the place of assembly which is at a distance
of fifty thousand years bearing the weight of all their sins? How will they
manage to cross the bridge of Sirat, which is a stretch of three thousand years’
wayfaring?
“I was then informed by Divine inspiration that
Divine Grace would reach every single one on that day. Just as the Lord would
send a Buraq to fetch me from my grave, so every single soul belonging to my
nation would be sent a Buraq to bring him to the Site of Judgment. They would
cross the Bridge of Sirat in a flash and they would traverse a road of fifty
thousand years as if in a single moment. ‘This is a Favor and Grant of Kindness
to your nation, oh Muhammad {s},’ I was told,
‘therefore, let your mind be easy on this account.’
There is a verse in the Holy Quran relating to these
events:
On that day that We shall muster the God-fearing to the
All-Merciful with pomp.
(Mary, 85)
The Holy Muhammad
{s} then continued in his
narrative:
“Learning of the promise of the Lord’s Favor and
Kindness, I mounted upon the Buraq filled with joy. Jibra’il
u and a following of seventy
thousand angels were at my right stirrup, Mikha’il
u with seventy thousand angels
was at my left stirrup, and every one of these angels held in his hand a
candelabrum of light. Behind me went Israfil
u with seventy thousand angels
and on his shoulder he bore the saddlecloth of the Buraq. I begged his pardon
for its great size and that he was made to carry it, since it nearly covered him
entirely, but he answered me, ‘Oh Rasulullah
{S}, how many thousands of
years have I been praying for the favor of being permitted to bear this weight
of your Buraq’s covering! At last the All-Gracious Lord has heard my pleas and
granted me this favor!’ ‘Why did you pray for this?’ I asked him. Israfil
u answered, ‘For how many
thousands of years did I worship the Divine Throne!’
“At last there came a voice addressing me, saying,
‘What is it that you long for? Your prayer has been accepted.’ I replied, ‘Oh my
Lord, when his time on earth has come, I pray that I might be granted one hour
in the service of the intercessor for his sinful nation,
-
whose name the King on
the Day of Judgment has deigned to write on the base of the Divine Throne
beside His own Blessed Name.’
-
To this the Almighty Lord replied, ‘I grant you
your prayer.
-
There will come one night during his lifetime in
which I will grant him the experience of My Nearness.
-
I will bring him from his lowly station on earth up
to the highest Heaven.
-
I will open for him the gates of My treasure houses
with the Key of Witnessing.
-
I will lead him from Mecca to the Bayt-al-Maqdis
(Jerusalem), and until he arrives there, you will have the honor of carrying the
saddle cloth of his mount.’”
The Holy Muhammad
{s} then continued:
“That night, the Buraq’s feet did not touch the
ground. All the way from Mecca to Jerusalem were spread the fine, flowered silks
from Paradise, on which the Buraq trod. On my way, suddenly one Ifrit (demon)
appeared before me and leaned towards me, with flames leaping from his mouth.
Jibra’il u then said to me, ‘Oh
Rasulullah {S},
let me teach you a few words to say, which will extinguish the fire of this
Ifrit and undo his existence.’ ‘Do teach me, please!’ I replied and he taught me
these words:
A’udhu bi-wajhi-llahil-karim wa bi-kalimati-llahi-t-tammat-allati
la yujawizuhunna barrun wa la fajir, min sharri ma yanzilu min-as-sama’i wa ma
ya’ruju fiha wa min sharri ma yakhruju minha wa min fitan-il-layli wa-n-nahari
wa min tawariq-il-layli wa-n-nahari illa tariqan yatruku bi-khayrin, ya Rahman!
(I seek refuge in the gracious nature of my Lord
Allah, and in the perfection of the Divine Word which neither the righteous nor
the transgressor is able to breach, from the evil which descends from the sky
and that which rises up to it; and from the evil which comes forth from the sky;
and from the tribulations of the night and the day, and from all the calamities
of night and day, except for those that result in benefit, oh Lord of Mercy!)
“When this Du’a was recited, the fire of this Ifrit
died down and the creature ceased to exist. A voice then came from my right
side, saying, ‘Oh
Muhammad {s},
stay for a moment and linger; for there is something I wish to ask you...’ This
voice called me three times, but I paid it no heed and went on. Then I heard a
voice calling me from my left side, and it said, ‘Oh
Muhammad {s},
wait awhile, I need to ask you something.’ But again I listened not to it and
passed on.
-
Then I beheld a woman, magnificently bedecked in costly robes and
lavishly bejeweled.
-
When I passed close by her, I saw that she was a very old
woman.
-
Thrice she spoke to me, saying, ‘Stop!’ but I heeded not her call and
passed on.
-
“Ahead of me I saw an old man, bent over his staff and trembling in
every limb. He, too, requested me thrice to stop and stay with him. ‘Look at me
and pity my condition,’ he said, ‘let me enjoy your beauty, for I have something
I want to ask you.’
-
But I passed him by, not heeding his pleas.
-
After a while, I
beheld a fresh youth of surpassing beauty whose face shone with light, ‘Stay, oh
Muhammad {s},’
he addressed me, ‘for I have things to ask of you.’
“At his words, the Buraq halted, and I gave him
Salams. After responding to my greetings, he said, ‘Good tidings to you! All
good is in you alone and in your nation.’ To this I rejoined, ‘Alhamdulillah!’
and Jibra’il u echoed my words.
I then asked him who these people were whom I had just seen. He answered,
-
‘The
voice coming from the right was the voice of the unbelievers. Had you stopped
there, your nation would have been overpowered by them, and reduced to contempt
after your time.
-
The voice coming from your left was that of the Christians; had
you paused to stop there, your nation would have been overpowered by the
Christian peoples after your time and subjugated by them.
-
The woman you saw was
this world, the dunya. She appears finely decked out and attractive to
those who wish to possess her. Her decorations and fine robes are meant to fool
and deceive mankind.
-
‘The fact that she appears to be an old woman
indicates that the Last Day has drawn nigh.
-
Had you been swayed by her appeal, your whole
nation would have become obsessed with the goods of this world and would have
worshipped them.
-
The old man you saw was the accursed devil, Shaytan
himself. He knows how kind and merciful you are by nature, so he tried to
ensnare you by appearing pitiful to you.
-
It was nothing but a guile to stay you.
-
Had you been fooled by his words, your nation would
never have been saved from his wiles, up to the very last drop of their blood,
he would have gained the upper hand over very many of them.
-
As for the young lad you saw, he is the religion of
Islam.
-
It was there that you stopped; therefore, after
your time, your entire nation will be safe from the machinations of the enemy
and the religion of Islam will endure.
‘You had been concerned with a number of questions
regarding your nation, such as,
-
‘What will happen when they go out at night into
the desert and run into a company of malevolent Jinn?
-
What will be their state
after I am gone?’
-
Allah Almighty who knows all that is hidden and what is
manifest then made that Ifrit appear to you and taught you the means of
salvation.
-
After your time, there will be no religion that will overcome this
religion of Islam.
-
The nation of
Muhammad {s}
will live according to the Divine Law of the Shari’a. Thus, in the final end,
they will be saved from the wiles of Shaytan and reach to safety.
-
Islam will
remain on earth until the Day of Judgment. All that you have seen are signs from
Allah who wishes to awaken you and relieve you of your fears and doubts.’ And
thus, Jibra’il u explained to me
these visions.
“After some time we reached a place where date
palms were plentiful. Jibra’il u
told me to dismount there and to pray, so I did. When I had finished praying,
Jibra’il asked me whether I knew this place where I had prayed and he told me
that it was called Tayyiba (which is one of the names for Madinah al-Munawwara).
And he told me that before long I would migrate to this place. Next we came to a
place, which was all white. Again Jibra’il
u told me to dismount and to
pray there. Then he asked me if I knew the place, and when I did not he
explained that this was the tree beneath which Musa had prayed when he came to
the land of Madian.
“When Musa was fleeing from Pharaoh, he came to
this land. Outside the city of Madian he saw some shepherds watering their
flocks, and he saw two girls who were standing at a distance from the well,
waiting for their turn. Musa felt sorry for the girls and went up to them to
inquire why they waited. Learning their story, he said to himself, ‘Herein lies
great reward,’ and disregarding his own fatigue, he went and watered their sheep
for them. Then he withdrew to a tree and prayed beneath it. This very tree is
the tree you have now prayed beneath, oh
Muhammad {s}.’
“Afterwards we came to yet another place, and
Jibra’il u said, ‘Dismount, and
pray here!’ When I had done so and again did not know where it was that I had
just prayed, he told me, ‘This is
Tur-i-Sina, Mount Sinai, where the Almighty Lord revealed Himself to His Prophet
Musa and spoke to him, in answer to his supplication.’
“We continued apace and in time reached a grand
mansion where again the angel bade me pray, explaining that this was the village
where the Prophet ‘Isa was born. When I had done praying, I beheld a group of
people who were planting a field. No sooner had they planted a seed than it
yielded seven hundredfold. I asked the angel who these people were, and he told
me, ‘These are the people who expend of their wealth in the way of Allah.’
“Then again, I beheld another group of persons,
whose heads were being smashed with stones by the angels, but they grew back
instantly, only to be crushed again. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked the angel
Jibra’il u. He said, ‘They are
those of your nation who abandoned the practice of prayer, and those who
performed it negligently in that when rising from the position of Ruk’u or Sajda,
they did not bother to straighten up completely, but fused the various postures
and phases of the ritual prayer in heedless haste.’
“I then saw a certain group of people who were
altogether hungry and naked. Around them grew weeds of fire and the angels were
driving them to eat those fiery weeds just as animals are driven to pasture. I
asked who they were and the angel said, ‘They are those belonging to your nation
who did not give the Zakat they were obliged to pay, and who had no compassion
with the poor and destitute, the homeless widows and orphans.’
“Then I saw another people: to one side there was a
spread of the choicest foods anyone could dream of, to the other there was some
dreadfully smelling, rotten meat. These people never looked or turned to the
delicious foods, but ate only of the carrion meat. ‘Who are they?’ I asked.
‘They are men and women of your nation who engaged in all manner of unlawful
sexual activities, while lawful spouses were available to them.’
“After these, I saw a group of men piling up wooden
logs. They were trying to lift them up, but they failed at every attempt. Their
strength was simply insufficient, yet they kept up their futile efforts. ‘And
who are they?’ I asked. Jibra’il u
told me, ‘They are people of your nation who were engrossed in the affairs of
this world (dunya). Whereas they had more than they could possibly use up, they
were forever dissatisfied and tried to amass more and more. They are in love
with the world and what it has to offer and they are constantly seeking to
increase their share.’
“Then I saw a great stone, which had a little hole
in it. Out of the hole came a snake and began to grow. Then it turned around and
tried to go back through the little hole, but, having grown so large, it could
not fit through it, and began to circle round and round the stone in confusion.
I asked the Angel what this was, and Jibra’il
u told me, ‘This stone
symbolizes the body of your nation, and the small hole within it signifies their
mouths. As for the snake, it signifies all the lies, and bad, forbidden things,
gossip and slander that issues from their mouths. Once these things have emerged
from their mouths, it is impossible to swallow them again, and they will be
punished for these things in this life and the life hereafter. They will hear
worse than this and will be called to account. So exhort your nation to mind
their words, and beware of speaking evil and hurtful things, so that they might
find salvation.’
“Then I saw a person drawing water from a well.
With great effort he drew the bucket up to the rim of the well, but he found no
water in it, an empty bucket was all he got for his trouble. I asked about him
and Jibra’il u told me, ‘This is
the condition of those who performed good works without a pure intention. Their
aim was not Allah alone but the acclaim of men. Hence, though they put
themselves through great trouble in their worldly lives, they reap no reward for
it in the afterlife, but expose themselves only to greater troubles.’
“I saw another people bearing great loads upon
their backs. Although they could hardly carry the weight, they said to their
companions, ‘Load me up with more!’ ‘Who are they?’ I asked the angel Jibra’il
u who answered me, ‘These are
the people who defrauded goods left in their safekeeping. Despite being weighed
down with such great weight, they seek to increase their wealth by unrighteous
methods.’
“Then I saw another group of people whose tongues
and lips were distended and hung down loosely. Angels with shears of fire came
and cut off these flapping appendages. But whenever they cut them, they would
immediately grow back as they were before, and the angels would resume their
cutting. ‘Who are these?’ I asked Jibra’il
u and he replied, ‘These are
such persons as denounced their own people to their rulers and tyrants, the
sycophants and toadies who upheld all their commanders’ lies rather than trying
to save their people from the injustice committed by their rulers.’
“Then I saw a people whose flesh was being cut by
the angels and fed to them. ‘Eat!’ the angels ordered them. When they couldn’t
do this from the disgust they felt, the angels whipped them and ordered them
again, ‘Eat!’ until they did so. ’Who are these?’ I asked, and Jibra’il told me,
‘These are people who spread calumnies about their fellowmen.’
“Next I beheld a people whose faces were black and
whose eyes were blue. Their lower lips reached down to their feet, while their
upper lip was affixed to their forehead. Blood and pus dripped from their
mouths. In one hand they held a carafe full of fire, in the other hand a glass
of fire. The blood and pus oozing from their mouths drips into the bottle and
begins to boil. The angels order them to drink this, and force them to do so.
But every time they try to fill their glasses and drink from them, the liquid
boils so strongly and its stench is so disgusting that they cannot stand it and
begin to bray like donkeys. The angels then beat them and make them drink it by
force. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked Jibra’il. ‘These are the wine-drinkers,’
he replied.’
“Then I saw another group of people whose tongues
stuck out from the backs of their necks and whose faces had become like the
faces of pigs. From above and from below they were being whipped and beaten.
‘Who are these people?’ I asked, and Jibra’il
u told me, ‘These are people who
bore false witness and gave false testimony, and in so doing wronged the
servants of Allah.’
“Another group appeared whose stomachs were so
bloated that they hung pendulously down and whose hands and feet were bound and
fettered. They could not rise to their feet because of the weight of their
stomachs, and fell rolling upon the ground. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked
Jibra’il. ‘These are people from your nation your practiced usury and
misappropriated other people’s property.’
“Next I passed some women whose faces were
blackened and who were given robes of fire to wear. Angels were beating them
with maces of fire so that they howled like dogs. I asked Jibra’il who they were
and he said, ‘These are the women who committed adultery and who caused their
husbands pain and torment.’” “Next I came upon a group that was being
slaughtered by angels with knives of fire. They came back to life, only to have
their throats cut anew. ‘Who are they?’ I asked Jibra’il. ‘Those are people
belonging to your nation who killed a soul without justification.’
“Then I came by a group of people who were
suspended in mid-air while fire issued from their ears and noses and mouths.
Each one of them was attended by two terrible, vengeful angels, and each angel
held in his hand a fiery stick of seventy knots. With these they were beating
them continuously, without stopping, while they recited this very significant
Tasbih:
Qadir, Muqtadir, Subhanallah.
Allah Almighty is the Mighty Avenger over His foes;
Allah Almighty is the Most Powerful, Praised be He.
“I asked Jibra’il about these people and he told
me, ‘These are the people who outwardly confessed their faith, while in their
hearts there was nothing but hypocrisy and disbelief.’
“Then I saw another group of people who were
imprisoned in a valley of fire. They were being burnt to death, but they
instantly came back to life, only to be burnt alive once more. Their punishment
seemed very severe to me. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked the angel. ‘These are
people who failed to honor and obey their parents and who were rebellious and
opposed them.’
“Next I came upon a people upon whose chests were
placed bowls of fire, while the angels were beating them with big sticks. ‘Who
are these?’ I asked, and Jibra’il u
said, ‘These are the musicians who played the lute and sang songs to the
people.’
“Then I heard a terrible noise and asked what it
was. Jibra’il told me, ‘A stone has fallen into the pit of Jahannam
from its rim. It has been falling for three thousand years, and now
it has hit the bottom. That was the noise you heard.’
About this stone there is the following narration:
If a stone the size of a man’s head is rolled down from the earthly skies, it
will fall down to earth in twenty-four hours, even though it falls a distance of
five hundred years. Consider this distance and then consider how far a stone of
that size must fall if it falls for three thousand years! That is the depth of
the pit of Hellfire; therefore, take refuge in Allah from its raging fires.
The Muhammad
{s} continues:
“I then came to another valley from which issued
the most noxious smells and dreadful sounds. ‘What are these smells?’ I asked,
and Jibra’il answered me, ‘That is the stench of Hell. Listen to what it has to
say!’ I listened and this is what I heard: ‘Oh my Lord, send to me those
servants whom you promised to me. My chains, my spikes, my fetters, my Zakkum
trees and boiling waters and cauldrons of pus are ready for them, and other
punishments as well. My snakes and scorpions have become many, and my depths
unfathomable. Send me the servants You have promised to me, that I may begin to
punish them..’ This was the reply that the Lord Almighty gave in answer to this
request of Jahannam:
‘Oh Jahannam,
I leave up to you these works! I will leave to you all those who attribute
partners to My Holy Name, who disbelieve in Me and My Prophets, all those who
are wicked and. villainous, be they male or female, and who disbelieve in the
Day of Resurrection – all those I shall throw into your fires!’ Jahannam
was pleased with the Lord’s promise and said, ‘I am satisfied, oh my
Lord!’
“After this we reached a valley in which blew a
gentle breeze and sweet smells wafted all around. A pleasant and melodious air
struck the ear. I asked, ‘What is this most pleasing sound, where does it come
from and what are these voices saying? What is this gentle wind and from where
do these sweet smells come?’ Jibra’il then explained to me, ‘This is the smell
and the breeze of Paradise. Just listen to what it says, and you will
understand.’
“The breeze from Paradise spoke as follows, ‘Oh my
Lord, send to me Thy servants whom Thou hast promised to me. All the delights I
have in store for them are ready: the pavilions, fine and heavy brocades and
silks, carpets and wraps, the pearls, jewels, silver and gold; the amber and
musk; the spreads and jugs and vessels; all the varied foods of Paradise, the
rivers of milk, honey, wine and water; the Huris, Ghilman and Wildan and all the
unspeakable delights of Paradise are stocked in abundance and overflowing
plenty. Send Thou Thy promised servants to me so that I might present them with
these untold pleasures and shower them with gifts of goodness.’
“The Lord replied to this lovely supplication of
the Jannah: ‘Oh Paradise, I shall send to you what you desire. I shall send you
the men and women who believed in Me and worshipped Me alone, who recognized and
honored My Messengers, engaged in beneficial actions and associated no partners
to My Divinity. Whoever is in fear of Me and My Punishment, him I shall free and
make safe from it. Whoever turns to Me in his need and invokes Me in extremis,
to his need I shall hearken and his intent I shall see through.
Whoever grants Me a loan, I shall repay him
manifold.
Whoever leaves all his cares up to Me, who entrusts all his affairs to Me, I
shall take over for him all his labor. For I alone am Allah; there is no god
beside Me. I fulfill all My vows; not do I turn back from My promises. All the
believers have come to success. The Glory of the Creator outshines that of all
His Creation.’
“To these words of Grace, Paradise replied, ‘I am
well satisfied, oh my Lord!’
Now the Holy Muhammad
{s} saw a great many
wondrous sights on the way to the Masjid-al-Aqsa, but these are the best known
of them all, and we shall content ourselves with this much.
The Holy Muhammad
{s} continues his
narrative:
“After this, we came to the Bayt-al-Maqdis. There I
saw the angels descending down to earth. They came to meet me and give me the
glad tidings of abundant blessings and boons that the Lord of Holiness and Grace
was to send to me. They greeted me with these words: ‘Salams to you, who are the
first, Salams to you, who are the last, Salams to you, who are the assembler of
men.’ With this address they honored me greatly, still I asked Jibra’il, ‘What
kind of greeting is this - the First, the Last, the Assembler of Men is the Lord
of the Worlds, Allah Almighty?’ Jibra’il
u then told me, ‘Oh Rasulullah,
on the Day of Judgment your tomb will be the first to open up, and then that of
your nation. Therefore, they addressed you as the Gatherer. On that day, you
will be the first to make intercession and yours will be the first intercession
to be accepted. Therefore, they addressed you as the First. Of all the prophets
in this world, you are the last to be sent, therefore they addressed you as the
Last.’
“I then passed by them and came to the gates of the
Masjid-al-Aqsa. I dismounted from the Buraq and Jibra’il tied him to a ring
there. This was the ring to which the prophets and messengers always tied their
mounts. The prophets and messengers came to greet me there and gave me much
honor.”
Now there are two accounts of the meeting of the prophets
and messengers with our Holy Muhammad
{s}. One of them maintains
that the Lord Almighty called the prophets back to life just for the sake of
receiving the Holy Prophet Muhammad {s} with due formality;
this implies that He resurrected them in their physical forms. The other, more
commonly accepted version is this: that He Almighty called only their
unblemished spirits to this meeting with the Prophet Muhammad {s}.
Let us continue with the Prophet Muhammad’s
r
narrative:
“They appeared to me as exceedingly great,
honorable and enlightened personalities. I ask Jibra’il who they were and he
told me, ‘They are your fathers and brothers, the prophets and messengers. Give
them your Salams and salute them.’ I greeted them accordingly and entered the
Masjid-al-Aqsa together with them. The Iqama was called and I thought to myself,
‘I wonder who will be the Imam of this gathering?’ While I was yet pondering
this point, Jibra’il took me by the hand and said, ‘Go ahead up front, you are
to be Imam, for you are the most excellent and the most highly esteemed.’ So I
stepped out in front of them all and led all the prophets and messengers in a
prayer of two Rak’ats.’”
The scholars have proffered various views concerning
this prayer, which was prayed here. If it were categorized as ‘nafila’
(supererogatory), this is contradicted by the fact that it was prayed in
congregation, for it is not permissible for nafil prayers to be prayed in
congregation. It also could not have been the ‘Isha prayer, for this consists of
four Rak’ats, while only two Rak’ats were here prayed. The most authoritative
opinion on this is the following: the prayer, which Rasulullah led in the
Masjid-al-Aqsa, is of the same kind as that which he led and prayed in each
level of the heavens to which he ascended. And the one he prayed in the
Bayt-al-Ma’mur and at the Sidratul Muntaha, in which he led the entire
assembly of angels, and it partakes of its characteristics. It was performed
upon the command of the Lord of the Worlds, Allah Almighty.
To continue in the words of the Holy Muhammad
{s}:
“After completing the prayer, I turned my back to
the Mihrab and my face to the assembly of prophets, on all of whom be peace, and
I spoke to them. Every single prophet engaged in praise of the special gifts the
Highest Lord had graced him with, and I also joined in the praise of Allah who
equipped me with such outstanding gifts.
“Ibrahim praised the Lord and said, ‘Praise and
glory to the Highest of the High who made me His intimate friend and gave me
great possessions.’
“Musa praised Him Almighty and said, ‘Praise and
glory be to Allah Almighty, the Highest of the High who spoke to me without
intermediary, who caused Pharaoh and his henchmen to drown in the waters at my
hand and who saved the Children of Israil. He made my nation a people guided to
the Truth, judging by the Truth and striving for the good pleasure of Allah
Almighty.’
“Next the Prophet Da’ud came forth and praised the
Lord, saying, ‘Praise and Glory to the Divine Lord who made me king over such a
great realm and who revealed to me the scripture of the Zabur. Who made iron to
be as soft as beeswax in my hand, and who placed the birds and the mountains
under my command, so that they all joined me in the praises of the Lord, who
gave me knowledge of the law and the gift of sweet speech.’
“After him, his son Sulayman stepped forth and
glorified the Lord thus: ‘Praise and Glory be to the Lord, the Mighty, the
Enduring, who gave me power over the winds, and made the Jinn and the demons
subservient to me, so that they did whatever I wished. He taught me the
languages of the birds and the beasts and gave me greater excellence than many
of His servants. He gave me such an incomparably vast kingdom, which no other
mortal can ever hope to attain.’
“Then ‘Isa stepped forth and glorified his Lord,
saying, ‘Praise and Glory be to the Almighty Creator who, as He created Adam
from clay, brought me into existence without the contribution of an earthly
father. He created me solely through His Creative Word, ‘Be!’ He taught me the
wisdom of the Torah and the Injil and the knowledge of the law. He granted
healing to the sick, seeing to the blind through my supplication, and by means
of me, He brought the dead back to life. He made me and my mother safe from the
wiles of the accursed devil and he lifted me up into the heavens in my living,
physical body.’
“After they had spoken, I said to them, ‘You have
now all voiced your glorification of the Lord; it is now my turn to glorify
Him,’ and I began by saying, ‘Praise and Glory be to the Lord, the Forgiving,
the Merciful the Abundant, Munificent, the Lord of Might and Honor who has sent
me as a Mercy for the Worlds and as a Messenger of Joy to all humankind and as a
Warner. He has sent a book to me that makes clear all things, and He has given
my nation excellence over every previous nation. He has made my nation to be a
people of the middle way. He split open my bosom and removed from it all sin. He
has made my reputation to be blameless and He has given me victory over all
created beings and made me the last and final of all prophets.’
“After I had completed my glorification, Ibrahim
got up and said, ‘You have been made more meritorious than all the other
Prophets with regard to your being victorious and being the last and final of
the Prophets.’”
Some authorities relate the meeting of the Prophets as
follows:
When Rasulullah
{S} came to the
Bayt-al-Maqdis, all the Prophets and Messengers rushed up to greet him. They
saluted and praised him in many ways and sprinkled upon him showers of light.
They marched out ahead of the Buraq as far the Masjid-al-Aqsa. There, the Holy
Muhammad {s}
dismounted from the Buraq, Jibra’il tied the halter of the Buraq and everybody
halted. Then they addressed the Holy Prophet
Z and said, “Oh Habibullah
Z, it is for you to enter the Masjid ahead of us,” and the Prophet
Muhammad {s}
answered, “You were sent before me as Prophets, you therefore have the right of
precedence over me. Therefore, proceed into the sanctuary ahead of me.” Then the
Almighty Lord Himself addressed the assembly, “Oh My Beloved, you have attained
a special station in this world by appearing with your message of Truth after
all those present had gone before; but you are the one who has precedence over
everything else that was in the hidden world before the Creation, for all was
created from your light. Therefore, it is your right to proceed ahead of them
all; enter now!”
At this command, the Holy Muhammad
{s}
together with the angel Jibra’il u
entered and all the Prophets and Messengers followed them. Then Jibra’il called
the Iqama, and the Prophet Muhammad {s} led the entire assembly
of Prophets, Messengers and angels of the Muqarrabin in a prayer of two Rak’ats.
The Holy Muhammad
{s} resumes the narrative:
“After we had prayed, I received an inspiration in
my heart of hearts that it was now time to make supplication for my nation. I
therefore raised my hands towards the heavens and began to plead for my weak and
inadequate nation. I prayed for their salvation and safety, for grace and
forgiveness, and for their release from Hell. All the assembled Prophets and
Messenger and angels concluded my supplication by saying, ‘Amin!’
“At that very moment, I heard within me a voice
which called to me, saying, ‘Oh My Beloved, you are seated in the
Masjid-al-Aqsa, it is the night of your Mi’raj. You who are praying here are the
Beloved of Allah and a much-honored Prophet; those answering to your
supplication are all Prophets and Messengers and angels of the Muqarrabin, and
He to whom you direct you supplication, He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful,
the Most Bounteous of the Bountiful. He is Allah who leads all to the Light of
His Guidance, the Sublime Lord of all Might and Glory. Beyond doubt, He will
grant acceptance to your prayer, He will forgive the sins of your nation and
grant them freedom from punishment. By My Might and Glory, I proclaim that I
shall grant them of My Mercy. I shall clothe them with the honor of beholding
the Sight of My Divine Beauty.’”
Oh Allah, grant us that our last breath might be one of
faith, oh Lord of Mercy and Compassion! And grant us to behold Thy Divine
Presence, for the sake and honor of Thy Prophet Muhammad {s},
Amin, ya Hannan, ya Mannan! (Oh Most Compassionate, Bounteous Lord!)
The Holy Muhammad
{s} continues:
“After this, Jibra’il came out, holding in his hand
three cups. One of these contained milk, one wine and the third water. He told
me to choose one of these and to drink it. I chose the one that held milk and
drank from it, but there was a little left over in the cup. When I handed the
cup back to Jibra’il, he said to me, ‘You have chosen the natural disposition of
Islam.’ Then I heard a voice from the unseen, which spoke to me, saying, ‘Oh
Muhammad {s},
had you finished all the milk in the cup, not one of your nation would have had
to go to Hell.’
“I then turned to Jibra’il and asked him to give
the cup back to me so that I might empty it entirely. But Jibra’il said to me,
‘All that has been written must come to pass; what has been decreed from before
the beginning of time, must take place, oh Rasulullah
{S}.’”
The scholars make this comment: There are seventeen
benefits in the fact that the Holy Muhammad
{s} did not proceed
directly to the heavens from the Kaba at Mecca in the night of his Mi’raj, but
rather stopped at the Bayt-al-Maqdis and ascended from there.
If we were here to expound on all the seventeen
benefits, it would take us a very long time; therefore, we shall content
ourselves with the mention of only two points.
The first is this: Had our Holy Muhammad
{s} ascended to the heavens directly from Mecca on his Mi’raj and
later told his people about it, it would have been very difficult for him to
convince those among them whose minds were stubbornly set in opposition to him.
However, the Holy Muhammad
{s} reported that he first
went to the Bayt-al-Maqdis (the Temple site in Jerusalem) and that from there he
ascended to the heavens. Even then, some of the most stubborn denied that this
could have happened, and they challenged him, saying, “If it is true that you
have been where you say you have, then tell us about the shape and structure of
the Bayt-al-Maqdis. We have visited there before and so we know what it looks
like, but we know that you have not been there before. If your description
accords with what we know, then we will believe in what you tell us. We will
then believe that in this night you have been to al-Quds, in full waking
consciousness.”
The Holy Muhammad
{s} then gave them the
appropriate answers and described to them the shape and form of the buildings
there, and thus he silenced them. In this way, the reality of the Mi’raj was
proven.
But let me dwell on this subject a little longer: The
day after the Mi’raj had taken place, the Muhammad
{s} told his people about
it, but they called it lies, saying, “If you really went to the Masjid-al-Aqsa
last night, then you must be able to describe it to us.” Faced with this demand
for proof, the Holy Muhammad
{s} experienced some
confusion. He had been entirely engaged in holy converse with the assembled
Prophets and Messengers that he had not so much as glanced at the building of
the holy mosque there. But Jibra’il appeared to him just that moment and said,
“The Lord Almighty sends His Salams upon you. He commands me to bring before you
the Masjid-al-Aqsa for you to look at, so that you may give them the answers
they desire.” With that he revealed to the Muhammad
{s} the Masjid-al-Aqsa in its complete shape. Beholding the mosque
in front of him, the Holy Muhammad
{s}
was very glad and confidently told them to ask what they would of him. He
answered them, giving precise names and descriptions of the building.
For instance, when they asked him how many columns the
mosque had, the Muhammad
{s} described to them each
single pillar in detail, singling out whether it was made of marbled stone or of
real marble. For each detail he gave exact descriptions. He even told them the
distance between every single pillar. At last they said, “There is no doubt that
he actually went there and saw what he says he saw there. Although we have been
there countless times, we could never have given such a close description of all
this.” With this acknowledgment, they themselves silenced their own arguments
and the reality of the Mi’raj was thus demonstrated.
Secondly, the site of the Bayt-al-Maqdis shall one day
be the place of gathering. On the Day of Judgment all of Creation shall be
assembled there. It was for this reason that the Lord Almighty brought His
Beloved Muhammad {s} whom He has honored
above all the other Prophets and all other men to this place in his pure
physical body. He imprinted his foot upon that place while he dwelt in the
world, so that on the Day of Judgment when all creatures are resurrected and
gathered in that place, the terror of it should be lessened and safety be found
from its dread for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad {s} who stepped in this
place once before, during his life in this world. Thus it will be made easy for
his nation to endure in that place and they will be protected from its
awesomeness.
The Place of Gathering consists of fifty stations, and
they will remain one thousand years in every station. Thus, that day will be as
long as fifty thousand years. For the Holy Prophet’s
r sake, the Lord Almighty
makes the sojourn there easy for his nation and they will be protected from all
the terror and fright of that tremendous day. Peace and Blessings from Almighty
Allah be upon His Beloved and Chosen Prophet, Muhammad {s},
the Imam of the God-fearing, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Amin!
To return to the narrative of the Holy Muhammad
{s}:
“After this, Jibra’il took me by the hand and led
me outside. No sooner had we stepped out than I beheld a flight of steps one end
of which was placed upon the flat ground while the other end reached up and up
and disappeared from view into the skies. One of its poles was made of red ruby
while the other was of green emerald. The treads were of gold, silver and
pearls, and each tread was made of a different precious stone. There were five
hundred steps in all and each was embellished and embossed in a different and
marvelous way. Never had I seen a thing of greater beauty.
“This stepladder was the angels’ stairway, which
they used to descend from Heaven down to the earth and to ascend up to the
heavens again. The angel of death, Azra’il, uses this ladder when he comes to
take home the souls of men. The spirits of men also climb up on that ladder when
they leave this world. When a believer comes close to his death, the Lord shows
him this stairway and he sees Azra’il descending upon it. He loses himself in
the contemplation of that stairway and thus does not feel the agony of the
throes of death. It is therefore that the eyes of the dead and dying are often
found wide open and staring, gazing fixedly at the beauty of that staircase,
which the souls must ascend. While he is yet gazing, his soul departs from him,
and after the soul has gone, he can no longer close his eyes.”
Oh Lord, we pray that the pangs of death be made light
and easy for us and that we might draw our last breath with our faith intact,
Amin!
The Holy Muhammad
{s} continued:
“The angel Jibra’il took me upon his wing. To the
right and to the left the angels surrounded me and thus we ascended on that
stairway straight towards the heavens.”
There is the following account concerning this:
The Holy Muhammad
{s} stepped on a stone as
he was attempting to affect his ascent. Under the pressure of the Holy Prophet's {s}
blessed foot, this stone softened and became as soft as wax. Up to this very
day, the imprint of the Prophet’s
r foot can be seen upon
this stone. When the Holy Muhammad
{s} wished to raise his foot from the stone, by leave of the
Almighty, this stone raised him aloft instead. At the same time, the steps of
the heavenly ladder bent down and became one with the stone. The Holy Muhammad
{s} then raised his foot off the stone and placing it upon the
step of the stairs, said to it, “Stay, oh stone!” The step upon which the Holy
Muhammad {s}
trod then rose up and lifted the Muhammad
{s} up. The next step then
bent down and came to meet his foot, then it rose and carried him up with it.
The next higher step then bent itself down to receive his foot, and raised it
aloft when he him placed it upon it. In this manner the steps continued to bend
and rise until they had carried the Prophet Muhammad {s} all the way up to the
heavens.
The stairs to the pavilions and palaces of the lofty
gardens of Paradise behave in a manner similar to that of these steps. When this
stone heard the Prophet’s
r command telling it to
stay, it obeyed that very instant and remained suspended in mid air, and even so
it remains to this very day. From it many useful lessons may be drawn:
While it is only a stone, its unquestioning submission
and obedience to the Prophet’s
r command continues into
our own time. Therefore, is it befitting of this noble nation to disobey and
oppose the Holy Muhammad
{s}, having received the
order from the Almighty to follow and obey his instructions, and having been
cautioned and warned against all opposition to him? This is a point we must
think about and take most seriously. To follow the Holy Prophet's {s}
enlightened commands and to emulate the actions of his right guidance, to obey
him in perfect submission will save us from disgrace and punishment in this
world and the world to come. We must always strive to reach for the happiness
and bliss of both worlds. May Allah Almighty grant us His Divine Aid and Support
and help us achieve Supreme Success, Amin.
There is another tradition that tells us the story as
follows:
From this
stone, the Muhammad
{s}
mounted the Buraq and the Buraq carried him up into the heavens.
Yet another report has the Holy Muhammad
{s}
relate as follows:
“At the foot of those stairs, I beheld a great
angel. Had this angel spread out both its hands, all the seven layers of the
earths and the seven layers of the heavens would have disappeared in them. This
angel greeted me and showed me courtesy. Then he spoke to me and said, ‘Oh
Rasulullah {S},
I was created twenty-five thousand years before Adam. Since that time I have
been waiting to receive you here, all the while reciting Salawat and blessings
upon you in loving expectation of your advent. The Almighty be praised, for
tonight I have attained my goal.’
“After I left that angel behind, I came to a sea,
which had a depth of two hundred years’ wayfaring.
-
This sea remained suspended through the power of
Allah Almighty and not one drop of its waters fell out from it.
-
Whatever creatures there exist on land and in the
waters, they all were present in that sea. It was also exceedingly stormy and
full of waves.”
-
It is said that the trembling of the air, which one sees
when gazing into the sun is from the waves of that sea.
The Muhammad
{s} continues:
“After this we reached the home of the winds. The
wind is bound tightly with seventy thousand strong chains and seventy thousand
angels hold on to it firmly and keep it under control.
“After this, we reached the earthly skies, which
Allah Almighty has created from green emerald.”
According to a different narration, the Muhammad
{s}
is to have said:
“It is created from water and steam.”
-
The Muhammad
{s} called this Heaven
‘Rafi’a’, or according to another version, ‘Raqi’a’.
-
The keeper of this Heaven was Isma’il, for he is among
the Prophets of the angels.
The Muhammad
{s} then proceeds to tell
us of his journey through the heavens.
About his journey to the First Heaven, the Master of All
Humankind and Jinn
r narrated:
“We then reached the first Heaven, Jibra’il
u knocked upon its gate, crying,
‘Open up!’ The name of this gate is‚ ‘Bab al-Hifz’, the Gate of Protection, and
it is made of red ruby stone, whereas its lock is made of pearls. From within
the guardian of this gate, Isma’il, called out in a voice such as I have never
heard before, ‘Who is this demanding entry?’
“Jibra’il thereupon answered, ‘It is I, Jibra’il.’
‘And who is that with you?’ demanded the keeper of the gate. ‘That is Muhammad {s},’
replied Jibra’il. The keeper of the gate then asked, ‘Has he been given
prophethood?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Jibra’il, ‘he has been given prophethood.’ ‘Has he
been cited and invited to come here?’ Isma’il demanded to know. ‘Yes, he has
been invited to come,’ Jibra’il replied. Then Isma’il said, ‘Welcome, welcome to
you! What a delightful visitor!’ With these words he opened the gate.”
In another narration a differing version is related:
“Rasulullah
{S} rose up to the heavens
using the rock in the Masjid-al- Aqsa as a stepping-stone to mount the Buraq.
The distance from the earth to the Heaven is five hundred years’ wayfaring. Each
Heaven has a depth of five hundred years’ traveling, and between two heavens
there is a space of another five hundred years’ travel.
The Holy Muhammad
{s} resumes his narrative:
“When I entered this heavenly realm, I encountered
Isma’il in his impressive aspect, seated upon a throne of light. One hundred
thousand angels surrounded him, standing in front, in back, to his right and to
his left. Each of these angels had another hundred thousand soldiers at his
command.”
Isma’il and all those with him engaged in this Tasbih:
Subhanal-malik-il-a’la.
Subhanal-‘aliyy-il-azhim.
Subhana man laysa ka-mithlihi shay’in.
(Praise be to the Highest King; Glory to the High,
the Mighty; Glory to Him who is unlike any other.)
I then saluted him and he returned my greetings and
honored me. After this I beheld another group of angels, who stood in pious
reverence in Qiyam, (the standing position of ritual prayer). They all were
engaged in this Tasbih:
Subbuhun quddus Rabbuna wa Rabb-al-mala’ikati wa-r-ruh
(Praised be He with exalted praise, He who is
holier than holy, our Lord and the Lord of the angels.)”
I enquired of Jibra’il about these angels’ form of
worship, and he answered, ‘Since the day they were created they have been
worshipping thus and so they will remain until the Day of Resurrection. Ask the
Lord to grant this worship to your nation, too.’ So I made supplication and the
Lord granted this kind of worship to my nation. That is how the Qiyam came to be
included in our prayer.
Apart from these, I beheld a number of angels
created from wind and water. The angel appointed as their head and overseer was
called Ra’ad (which means thunder). He is responsible for the clouds and the
rains.
The Tasbih they were engaged in was this:
Subhana dhil-mulk wal-malakuti
(Praise be to Him in whose Hand lies the entire
creation and its dominion.)
“From this angel’s voice issued the sounds of
thunder and lightning. In the heavenly sphere there remained not one empty
space, angels were cramped even into the smallest corner, prostrating themselves
and praising the Lord with manifold praises.
“Then I saw another angel who bore the shape of a
man. Below his waist he was made of fire, while above the waist he was made of
snow. The fire clung to the snow and although there was nothing separating these
two elements, neither did the snow extinguish the fire, nor did the fire melt
the snow. But tears were streaming down this angel’s face, and as he wept, he
recited this glorification (Tasbih):
Ya man allafa bayna-th-thalji wa-n-nar, allif bayna qulubi
‘ibadikal-mu’minin.
(Oh Thou who hast joined the snow and the fire,
unite Thou also the hearts of Thy believing servants.)
“I turned to Jibra’il and asked, ‘Who is this angel
and wherefore does he weep?’ Jibra’il u
explained, ‘He is an angel, Habib by name. He weeps for the sins of thy nation
and prays for mercy and forgiveness on them.’
“Then I saw Adam in the form in which he appeared
in the world. He was draped in wraps of light and seated upon a throne of light.
The Lord Almighty presented to him the souls of the departed, and whenever he
perceived the soul of a believer, he rejoiced and said, ‘A pure soul emerges
from a pure body.’ After this, he asked for forgiveness and pleaded for mercy
upon that soul. Then the angels came and carried that soul up to a high and
lofty place, as it is written in the Holy Quran:
No indeed; the book of the pious is in Illiyun; and what shall
teach thee what is Illiyun? A book inscribed, witnessed by those brought nigh.
(The Stinters, 18-21)
“Whenever the souls of departed unbelievers and
hypocrites are presented to him, he is vexed and curses them, ‘An impure soul
emerges from an impure body.’ The angels then take that spirit and place it in a
place called Sijjin, as it is written in the Holy Quran:
No indeed; the Book of the libertines is in Sijjin; and what
shall teach thee what is Sijjin?
A book inscribed. (The
Stinters, 7-9)
“I then asked Jibra’il who was this person and he
told me,’ This is your first forefather Adam, go towards him and extend to him
your greetings.’ So I went to him and saluted him, and he replied to my salute,
honoring me by saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh my righteous son, oh righteous
Prophet! Praise be to the Lord who has given me such a son as you.’”
“In this way he received me well, and I replied to
his complimentary speech with these words: ‘Praise be to the Lord who has given
to me such a father as thou art one.’ Then again, Adam spoke, glorified the Lord
and said, ‘Glory to the Almighty who has blessed you with such great wonders;
who has brought you forth from my loins; may Allah always increase the blessings
He showers upon you and make you steadfast and permanently grounded in them.’ In
reply to this supplication and well wishing, I said, ‘Praise be to Allah, the
Lord of Might and Bounty! He who created you from clay through His Divine Powers
and who had you carried up to the heavens on the shoulders of angels. Who has
made you the Qibla and commanded all the angels to bow down before you and who
has made Paradise accessible for your sake.’
“To that Adam answered me as follows, ‘For all the
bounteous gifts granted to me that you have mentioned, you are still more
blessed than I. For all the miracles and gifts that I was granted were only
given to me for the sake of your light upon my forehead, I was favored with all
these honors only for the sake of that radiant light.’
“He spoke many more things to me, and ended his
speech by saying, ‘From my time on until the time of your prophethood, only one
in a thousand of my children were graced with entering Paradise, while nine
hundred and ninety-nine were sent to Hell. When your time of prophethood came,
only one in one thousand of your nation was sent to Hell and nine hundred and
ninety-nine were admitted into Paradise. The Almighty placed your blessed name
beside His very own Holy Name even before you appeared in this world and
proclaimed your great worth to all of creation.’
Adam recited this Tasbih:
Subhanal-jalil-il-ajalli,
Subhanal-wasi’al-ghaniyyi,
Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi,
Subhana-llahil-azhim. Istaghfirullah.
(Glory to the Mightiest of the Mighty, Glory to the
All-Embracing, All-Abundant; Praised be Allah and glorified be He! Praised be
Allah, the All-Glorious I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty.)
“Then I saw a door to the right of Adam from which
issued the sweetest of scents. Just to look in the direction of that door filled
the heart with gladness and serenity. To his left there was another door; to
look at it sufficed to make a man weep and the heart to become heavy. I asked
Jibra’il about these doors, and he said, ‘The door to the right opens upon
Paradise. The souls of the blessed enter through that door, and whoever glances
to the right, sees them and is gladdened. The door to the left leads to Hell,
and the souls of the sinners must go through that door. Who looks to the left
sees them on their way to Hell and is saddened by the sight.’
“Next I saw an angel who had the form of a
cockerel. He was very large and his head touched up to the Divine Throne, while
his feet were below the seven layers of the earth. He had two wings; when he
spread these, they reached from the farthest east to the utmost west.
-
The
station of this angel is the Sidratul Muntaha, which shall be described in
detail later on, inshaAllah.
-
The angel’s body is created of white pearl, while
the comb on its head is of red ruby.”
-
To rear a pure, white, unspeckled rooster in one’s home
is of great usefulness and has very special advantages.
-
This is because of its resemblance to this angel, the
Cockerel of the Divine Throne.
-
It benefits not just the owner of the white rooster, but
it also protects the neighbors and the environment from many disasters and bad
things.
The Holy Muhammad
{s} is reported to have
said about this:
-
“The white rooster is my sincere friend, and he is
also the friend of my friend, the angel Jibra’il
u.
-
He is also the enemy of my enemy, Shaytan. The
white rooster protects the house in which he is raised and its owner and entire
household, as well as nine neighboring houses and their inhabitants.”
-
There is only this condition attached to it: the rooster
must be of a flawless white, without a speck.
-
He is of even greater value if his
crest is forked, as the Holy Muhammad
{s} says:
-
“The fork-crested white rooster is my dear and
beloved friend.
-
He protects four houses to the right, four to the left, four in
front and four in back, altogether sixteen houses and their inhabitants from
disaster and calamity.” (Related by Abu ash-Shaykh from Anas.)
There is another Hadith related by Bayhaqi from ‘Umar
who claims that the Holy Muhammad
{s} said:
-
“This rooster makes known to Allah’s servants the
times for prayer.
-
Whoever raises a white rooster in his house will be
protected from three things: from the evil of Shaytan, the evil of the sorcerer,
and the evil of the soothsayer.”
-
However, he who raises a white rooster must on no
account slaughter him, as those who know about these matters inform us in the
Fath-al-Qadir will have us know: “Sorrow will not depart from the side of
him who slaughters a white rooster.”
Imam Tha’libi cites from the book entitled Hayat
al-Haywan (The Life of the Animals) by Imam Dumayri:
“The Holy Muhammad
{s}
makes clear to us these pearls of spiritual wisdom when he says,
‘There are three things that Allah Almighty loves and is pleased with: the voice
of him who recites the Holy Quran; the sound of the rooster’s call; the voice of
him who prays for forgiveness in the time before the dawn.’”
To continue with the Holy Prophet's {s}
narrative:
“This angel who has the form of a rooster descends
to the earthly skies when it is night, and this is his Tasbih:
Subhanal-malikil-quddus,
Subhanal-kabiril-muta’al,
La ilaha ill’Allah-al-hayy-al-qayyum.
(Glory to the All-Holy King,
Glory to the Great and Exalted God,
There is no God but Allah, the Ever-Living,
Eternally Abiding.)
-
“I then asked Jibra’il, ‘What is this?’ and
Jibra’il answered me,
-
‘This is the reason he is called, ‘the Rooster of the
Divine Throne’, for when it is night on earth, he descends to the worldly skies.
-
After one third of the night has passed, he flaps his wings and says, ‘Oh you
who would be worshippers, arise and pray!’
-
All of creation hears this call, all
except mankind and Jinn. Therefore, when the roosters on earth hear the angels
call, they too flap their wings and voice their call, saying,
-
‘Oh you heedless
ones! Arise and engage in remembrance of your Lord!’ When half of the night has
passed, this angel again flaps its wings and calls,
-
‘Let those who would perform
the supererogatory night prayer (Tahajjud); rise and pray!’
-
“When the roosters on earth hear this call, they
too sound their call to pass on to men the message of the angel.
-
When two thirds of the night have passed and only
one third of it remains, the angel speaks up again and calls out,
-
‘Where are they who would ask for forgiveness for
their sins, whose sole hope and desire is the Lord of the Worlds?
-
Let them rise and pray for forgiveness and
present their invocations!’
-
Again, the roosters on earth hear this call and
pass it on to the people on the earth.
-
When at last dawn begins to break, this angel flaps
its wings once more and calls, ‘Now let the heedless ones rise, though they be
laden heavily with their sins.’
-
After this, he again ascends to his station in the
Heavens. Again, the roosters on earth hear his words and inform mankind of the
angel’s call.
-
This same sequence is repeated every night, up till
the Day of Judgment.’
“And Jibra’il continued, ‘When the Day of Judgment
is about to occur, this angel will want to call out his call as usual after the
first third of the night has passed. But he is stopped by a call from on High,
‘Oh My angel, do not awaken My servants!’ In this way he is prevented from
calling, and he and all the angels of the heavens with him realize that the Day
of Resurrection is upon them. All at once they begin to weep.”
That night will be the length of three days and three
nights, and in that night neither the cocks will crow, nor will the dogs bark.
Mankind will lie in a deep sleep of forgetfulness for three full days and
nights. Only those who were accustomed to rise and pray the prayer of the night
(Tahajjud) will awaken and rise to pray their Tahajjud as usual. But they will
wonder and say, “Yet there is no sign of morning breaking, have we risen too
early?” Then they will lie down to sleep a bit longer, and when again they
awaken, still it will not be day. Then they will understand that it is the
longest night before the Last Day, and that indeed it has finally begun.
They will then set about trying to wake up their
companions, who were not used to rising for the night prayer, but whatever they
do, they will not succeed in waking them, it is impossible. Then they betake
themselves to the mosques, gathering there and repenting of their sins, praying
for forgiveness. There they will remain for those whole three days and nights,
weeping copious and incessant tears, imploring the Lord for mercy.
To continue with our Prophet's {s}
narrative:
“I then came to a sea, which was whiter than milk
and as viscous as the semen of men. Within it, I beheld things so exceedingly
strange and unknown so as to defy all description. Their numbers were
unaccountably great and beyond reckoning. I asked Jibra’il, ‘What sort of sea is
this?’ and he answered me,
-
‘This is the Sea of Life. On the Day of
Resurrection, after every created thing has died its death, the Almighty will
want to raise them all from their graves in order to mete out reward or
punishment.
“He will then issue His Command and a rain will
fall upon the earth from the waters of this sea. The rain waters will rise to a
depth of forty yards upon the level earth and the ground will be drenched to its
deeps. All the flesh and bones that have rotted in the earth will then be
restored; all the skins and strands of hair and nerves will come together and
appear once more. As soon as this water comes in touch with the earth, whatever
is contained in it will instantly return to its former state. What has long been
scattered will be assembled again, and all this will come to pass on account of
the action of the waters of the Sea of Life.’
“After this, Jibra’il called the Adhan and Iqama,
and I led all the angels and inhabitants in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then I rose
to the second level of the heavens.”
Regarding his journey to the Second Heaven, the Best of
all Creation narrated:
“The Lord Almighty, praised be His Name, has
created this Heaven from red coral and called it Qaydum.
-
The name of its
gatekeeper is Mikha’il. This Heaven appeared to me to be especially full of
light and splendor, so much so that I was blinded and had to squint. The door of
this Heaven is of pearls and its lock is of light. Jibra’il knocked upon this
door and requested entry. The keeper of the gate, Mikha’il, called from inside,
‘Who is it requesting the opening of this gate?’ ‘I am Jibra’il,’ replied
Jibra’il, and again the angel asked, ‘And who is this with you?’ This is
Muhammad {s},’
answered Jibra’il. Again the gatekeeper asked, ‘Has he been given prophethood?’
‘Yes.’ Replied Jibra’il. ‘Has he come here upon invitation and request?’ asked
Mikha’il. ‘Yes,’ said Jibra’il, ‘invitation and request have gone before.’ Then
the gatekeeper said, ‘Welcome to you, oh welcome guest! How agreeable a
visitor!’ With that, he opened the gate.
“I entered and beheld the guardian angel of this
Heaven, Mikha’il. There were two hundred thousand angels at his service, each
one of whom had another two hundred thousand helpers to assist him. I greeted
him and he returned my greetings with reverence. He gave me the joyous news of
the many honors and blessings the Almighty was to bestow on me.
“They were engaged in this Tasbih:
Subhana-llahi kullama sabbaha-llaha musabbihun,
wal-hamdu lillahi kullama hamid-allaha hamidun
wa la ilaha illAllahu kullama hallala-llaha muhallilun
wallahu akbaru kullama kabbara-llaha mukabbirun.
(Glory be to Allah whenever the glorifier glorifies
Him;
And praised be He whenever the praiser praises Him;
There is no God but He each time this Tahlil
is recited;
And Allah is Greatest each time this Takbir is
affirmed.)
“I passed on and came upon another group of angels
who stood in rows and were bowing in Ruk’u in perfect reverence and devotion.
They remained always in this position and recited this Tasbih:
Subhanal-warithul-wasi’u-lladhi yudrikul-absar;
Subhana-lladhi la tudrikuhul-absar;
Subhanal-azhimul-‘alim.
(Praised be He, the Heir Universal who sees, the
All-Discerning;
Praised be He whom our eyes cannot perceive;
Praised be the Majestic, the All-Knowing.)
“I asked Jibra’il, ‘Since when have they been in
this position of Ruk’u?’ and he said, ‘Since the day they were created they have
always been bowing in Ruk’u, and thus they will remain until the Day of
Resurrection, bowed in Ruk’u, reciting their Tasbih. Pray to your Lord that He
granted to your nation this form of worship in their prayer.’ I therefore prayed
to Allah for this, and the Almighty granted it to my nation.
“After we passed on, I perceived two young men and
I asked Jibra’il who they were. Jibra’il explained to me, ‘These young men are
the Prophets Yahya and ‘Isa. They are related to each other, being cousins.’ I
saluted them and they received my Salams with reverence and greeted me, saying,
‘Welcome to you, oh righteous Prophet, our righteous brother!’ Then they gave me
tidings of the many Gifts of Grace the Highest and Holiest Lord had in store for
me.
“The Tasbih of ‘Isa was this:
Subhanal-hannanil-mannan;
Subhanal-abadiyyul-abad;
Subhanal-mubdi-al-mu’id.
(Praised be to the All-Compassionate, the
All-bounteous;
Praised be the Eternal, Never-Ending;
Praised be He who creates from nothing, then causes
to die
and returns to its previous state.)
“After we had passed them, I saw a very great angel
who had seventy thousand heads, and on every head there were seventy thousand
faces. Every face had seventy thousand mouths and in every mouth there were
seventy thousand tongues. Each tongue spoke a different language, which bore no
resemblance to the next.
“Each tongue glorified the Lord as follows:
Subhanal-khaliqil-azhim;
Subhanal-azhimil-‘alim;
Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdihi;
Subhanallahil-azhim wa bi-hamdihi,
Istaghfirullah.
(Praise be to the Creator, the Glorious;
Praise be to the All-Powerful, All-Knowing;
Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;
Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be
He,
I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)
“Who is this?” I asked Jibra’il
u, who told me, ‘This is the
angel who is charged with the distribution of provisions, and his name is
Qasim.
He distributes to every single one his daily provision, no one receives more or
less than his apportioned lot.’”
According to one narration, he is to have said, “If a
person finds himself in straightened circumstances and in the morning prayer
(Fajr) recites one-hundred times the last line of the Tasbih of this angel
between the Sunna and the Fard Rak’ats, then Allah will supply him plentifully
and make his provision bounteous.” This is the line of this Tasbih:
Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi,
Subhana-llahil-azhim wa bi-hamdihi
wa istaghfirullah.
(Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;
Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be
He,
I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)
To continue with our Prophet's {s}
narration:
“After passing by this angel, I beheld an even
greater, even more wondrous angel who was seated upon a throne of light. He was
silent and of morose aspect. The throne he was seated upon had four corners and
each corner was supported by seven hundred thousand pillars of gold and of
silver. Around him were grouped such multitudes of angels, only the Omnipotent
Owner of Might and Bounty, Allah Almighty alone knows their number. To his right
angels were ranged row upon row, seventy thousand in all, dazzling in their
light. All of them were clad in green and they gave off a lovely scent. Their
words, too, were sweet, and their beauty was so great that it was impossible to
gaze at them.
“To the left were another seventy thousand angels,
ranged row upon row. Their aspect was of terrible and sinister portent, their
faces were black as night and their speech was rude. Their clothing was ugly and
the smells they emitted were noxious. When they began reciting their Tasbih,
tongues of fire erupted from their mouths. They held before them fiery clubs and
blades, and their eyes were so cruel, no one could stand to look at them for
long.
“The angel seated upon the throne was covered with
eyes from head to foot, which sparkled as Mars and Venus in the sky. He also had
shimmering wings and in his hand he held sheet of paper, while before him there
was a tablet. He gazed incessantly at that tablet and not once lifted his gaze
from it. There was also before him a tree, and only Allah can know the number of
its leaves. Upon each leaf was written the name of a certain person. Then there
stood before him a type of vessel. At times he reached in it with his right hand
and drew something out of it, handing it to the luminous and gentle angels to
his right. At times he reached for something with his left hand and gave it to
the pitch-black angels standing by his left side. As I looked at those dark
angels, fear fell upon my heart and I began to tremble. I was seized by a
weakness and prostration, and I asked Jibra’il, ‘Who is this?’ Jibra’il replied,
‘This is the Angel of Death, his name is Azra’il. There is no one who can bear
to look at him. It is he who ends all delights, and cuts off from all
community.’ He then went up to him and said, ‘Oh Azra’il, this visitor here is
the Prophet of the Last Times
r, he is the Beloved of
Allah, the Lord of Mercy. Speak thou to him!’
“Upon these words, Azra’il lifted his head and he
smiled. Jibra’il approached him and saluted him. I also went up to him and
proferred my Salams. He received my greetings and showed me great honor. Then he
spoke, ‘Welcome to you, oh Muhammad {s}! Allah has created no
creature more honored than you, and to no nation has He given greater honor than
to your nation. I am gentler and more compassionate towards your nation than to
any nation that went before them.’ In response to these words, I said to
Azra’il, ‘You have gladdened my heart, oh Azra’il, and cleared my mind of fear.
Yet there remains one matter on my mind, for I have seen your state to be one of
gloom and grief and I wonder wherefore.’
“Azra’il explained to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah {S},
since the time the Lord Almighty has appointed me to my post, I have been living
in fear of not being able to discharge my duty and of not being able to fulfill
my responsibility. That is why I appear gloomy and depressed.’ Then I asked him
about the vessel he had before him, and he said, ‘That is the entire world;
everything from east to west, from one end of the world to the other is
contained in this dish. I dispose of it at will.’
“Again I asked him, ‘What is this tablet you are
looking at?’ and he said to me, ‘This is the Lauh al-Mahfuzh, the Preserved
Tablet, on which is inscribed the doom of those who are to die within the year.
The angels write them down and hand the list to me. That is the Tablet.’ ‘And
what is this page?’ I as |
