THE NOBLE
PROPHET'S (ﷺ) NIGHT JOURNEY
(Courtesy: MWL Journal)
"In the
11th year after the conferment of the Prophethood on him, the Noble Apostle of Allah
(ﷺ)
underwent the unique experience of what is called in the Seerah as Israa and
Mi'raj. He was transported in a night from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah
AI-Mukarramah to the Bait Al Maqdis in Jerusalem and then taken through the
seven heavens and ultimately to the Sublime Throne, by Archangel Gabriel. The
following Hadith, among many others on the subject, is being given here to
relate that unusual incident in some detail":
Narrated Anas
Ibn Malik from Malik Ibn Sa'saa that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) described to
them his Night Journey saying: "While I was lying in AI-Hateem suddenly
someone came to me and cut my body open from here to here." I asked Al-Jarud.
"Who was by my side?" "What does he mean?" He said,
"it means from his throat to his pubic area," or said. "From the
top of the chest." The Prophet (ﷺ) further said,
"He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray full of Belief was brought to
me and my heart was washed and was filled (with Belief) and then returned to
its original place. Then a white animal, which was smaller than a mule and
bigger than a donkey, was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud asked,
"Was it the Buraq, O Abu Haniza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the
affirmative).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
"The animal's step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within
the reach of the animal's sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with
me till we reached the nearest heaven.
When he asked
for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it? Gabriel answered,
'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad'. It was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his
is!'
The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam
there. Gabriel said (to me). This is your father, Adam, pay him your
greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You
are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me
till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It
was asked. 'Who is it? Gabriel answered. 'Gabriel. It was asked, 'Who is
accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad’ It was asked, 'Has he been
called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said ‘He is
welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’
The gate was
opened. When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and
Isa (i.e. Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), These
are John and Jesus, pay them your greetings.' So I greeted them and both of
them returned my greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother
and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked
for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied,
'Gabriel.' It was asked, Who is accompanying you?" Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad'. It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his
is!’
The gate was
opened, and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said
(to me) This is Joseph, pay him your greetings. So I greeted him and he returned
the greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious
Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its
gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It
was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad. It
was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it
was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'
The gate was
opened, and when I went over the fourth
heaven, there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to me). This is Idris, pay him your
greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said,
'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet. Then Gabriel ascended
with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked,
'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel. It was asked, 'Who is accompanying
you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel
replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an
excellent visit his is!'
So when I went
over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron). Gabriel said, (to me),
"This is Aaron, pay him your greetings. I greeted him and he returned the
greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed. O pious brother and pious
Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its
gate to be opened. It was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied.
'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel
replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in
the affirmative. It was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his
is!'
When I went
(over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me), This is
Moses, pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings
to me and said, ‘You are welcomed. O pious brother and pious Prophet.’
When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What makes you weep?1
Moses said, 'I weep because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a young
man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.
Then Gabriel
ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It
was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is
accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been
called.' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed.
What an excellent visit his is!'
So when I went
(over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me). This is
your father, pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he returned the
greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.’
Then I was made
to ascend to Sidrat ul Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the farthest limit).
Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Madinah) and
its leaves were as big as the ears of elephant. Gabriel said This is the Lote
Tree of the farthest limit. Behold! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and
two were visible.' I asked, 'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He
replied. 'As tor the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the
visible rivers are the Nile and Euphrates.' Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'moor (i.e. the Sacred
House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and another full of milk
and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel
remarked This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are
following.'
Then the
prayers were enjoined on me: They were 50 prayers a day. When I returned, I
passed by Moses who asked (me). 'What have you been ordered to do?’ I replied,
'I have been ordered to offer 50 prayers a day.' Moses said, ‘Your followers
cannot bear 50 prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you,
and have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord
and ask for reducing your followers’ burden. So I went back, and Allah reduced
10 prayers for me.
Then again I
came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I
went back to Allah and He reduced 10 more prayers. When I came back to Moses he
said the same, I went back to Allah and he ordered me to observe 10 prayers a
day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice, so I went back to
Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came
back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I have been
ordered to observe five prayers a day. He said, 'Your followers cannot bear five
prayers a day, and, no doubt, I have got an experience of the people before
you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back to your Lord
and ask for reducing your followers' burden. I said I have requested so much
of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to
Allah's Order. When I left, I heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and
have reduced the burden of My worshippers,"' Sahih AI-Bukhari
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