AL-ISRA WAL-ME’RAJ

 

AL-ISRA WAL-ME’RAJ

(The Night - Journey - and the Ascension)

Ali Mustafa

“Glory to "Him (Allah) Who did take His Servant for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque (the Ka’ba at Mecca) to the Farthest Mosque (Masjidul Aqsa at Jerusalem), whose precincts We did bless, — in order that We might show- him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).”

Ever since, the Ascension of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), there have been controversies among the scholars as to the nature of the phenomenon of the spiritual experience of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) of meeting with his Lord and Creator on the night of Asra. The Fact that the Holy Qur’an has mentioned the night journey and the event of the ascension of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) is, however, sufficient to prove that these events have taken place and are historically true.

That the night journey of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was a fact is not disputed, but whether it was bodily or otherwise is hotly discussed. Non-believers in the Almighty Power of Allah—be they Muslims or non-Muslims — are deadly against the possibility of the Almighty carrying the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) from the Sacred Ka’ba to the Masjidul Aqsa in one night in the physical body. They contend that it is impossible, forgetting that here it is the action of Allah they are speaking of, and hold that it must have been a dream or a spiritual experience only. However, accepting it was a dream, what greatness is then therein? Anybody can dream anything and then relate it afterwards; no one will question the validity of the dream even if it be a lie. The experience can only have any mentionable importance when it is extraordinary, for anyone can have any dream, but not anyone can have a spiritual experience involving the total personality. Commentators have put down the principle—which they learned from the Holy Prophet (ﷺ)—that the Qur'an explains itself. Let us, then, ask the Qur’an about the meaning of Asra. In this connection we find that in the Holy Qur’an whenever the word “Asra” is used it means travelling by night; e.g., we read in Sura Hijr (15), verse 66: “So go forth with thy family ( O Moses) in the latter part of the night,” and again in Sura Taha (20) we read in verse 78: “And We directed Moses by revelation: Take away My servants by night...,” again we read in Sura Dukhan (44), verse 24: Allah said, “Take My servants away by night.” All these verses very clearly show to the intelligent reader that the journey by night is a physical one as denoted by Asra. So, when Allah commanded Moses: “Asri bi Ahlika”, He meant: “Take them away (bodily-physically, of course)”.

From authentic Traditions we find the confirmation of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) of the phenomenon of the physical night-journey. The Prophet (ﷺ) made it clear when he said that he was asleep and was awakened by the Angel Gabriel. If it was a dream, he would have stated so. He further stated that the Angel took him to the place of Zam-Zam and, taking out his heart, he washed it in a golden bowl of wisdom and faith. This phenomenon suggests a very important point: the heart being the seat of intelligence and feeling (emotions) is thus the gear of the dimensions—(degrees of freedom of the human personality)—; the washing of the heart of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was thus-—-not only symbolistic of the fact, but—an important part in the preparation of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) for the meeting with his Lord.

Further we know from the Traditions that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) used to see the Angel even when with his companions; the seeing of the Angel on this night thus, doesn't have to suggest a spiritual experience minus the physical body.

Further, it should be noted that the Almighty chose to start the verse with the Words: “Subhan Allah”—.Glory be to Him, Who. The word Subhan shows that He is free from all impurities and imperfections and when it is used it shows or rather stresses the fact that He (Allah) is free from all impurities and imperfections, i.e., He has power over all things, so do not doubt his infinite Might and Power.

After the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has been transported to the Holy Mosque at Jerusalem and led the congregational prayers with all the previous Prophets, the Ascent towards and through the heavens starts. Before we go on with the Me’raj, let us see the importance of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) leading all the Prophets in congregation. There is a symbolism here also not to be lost sight of and that is: the Prophets of Allah Almighty are the leaders and teachers of mankind and the highest in creation. This is so because the highest knowledge is given to them, and knowledge is a means of excellence as shown in the story of Adam. When the Prophets are the highest in creation and he (the Holy Prophet (ﷺ)) is the leader of them all, it clearly shows that he is the highest in the creation of Allah Almighty. The choosing of the cup of milk by the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and the remark of the Angel that he had chosen “Pure Nature” otherwise his people might have (or would have) gone astray, are worthy of consideration. It shows that Islam is the Deen-ul-Fitra, i.e.,” the Natural Way of Life, and it also shows the superior wisdom of the Prophet.

Then the Upward journey through the heavens, or Me’raj. The traditions have it that the Prophet (ﷺ) was taken by the Arch-Angel Gabriel on the vehicle named “burraq” through the seven heavens. At the gate of each heaven, the Gate-keeper (Angel) inquired who it was and whether the Prophet (ﷺ) had permission. This in itself shows that there is definite law and order in Allah's creation. In the first heaven, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was greeted by Prophet Adam as “Righteous Son, Righteous Prophet.” On the Right and Left sides of Adam, he saw the souls of the righteous and of the wicked people. Hazrat Adam was grieved at the sight of the wicked and pleased at the sight of the righteous ones. In the Second heaven, he was greeted by Prophet Jesus and Prophet Yahya as “Righteous Brother, Righteous Prophet.” Prophet Jesus, it is reported, has a higher status than the Second  heaven, but he was there to give company to his brother, Yahya. In the Third heaven, he was greeted likewise by Prophet Yusuf, in the Fourth by Prophet Idris, in the Fifth by Prophet Haroon, in the Sixth by Prophet Moses and in the Seventh by Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) as “Righteous Son, Righteous Prophet,” just as Hazrat Adam greeted him. At the Sidratul Muntaha, i.e., the Lote-Tree, beyond which none can pass, the Angel Gabriel had to stay behind and the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded towards the Arsh—alone--on another steed named Rafraf. This name has been mentioned in the last ruku' of Sura Rahman (55). It means Cushion. This also shows that the ‘burraq’, degree of freedom and that of the Angel Gabriel end here at the Lote-Tree. Another point worth noticing here is that man was given knowledge of all things, not so the Angels. The knowledge of what is beyond the Sidratul Muntaha should also have been given to Adam, for he was given knowledge of all things; but the witness of the entire creation was completed at the event of the Me’raj. The Almighty has made the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) a witness to all He taught. He says in Sura Ahzab (33):

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a (1) Witness, (2) a Bearer of glad tidings, and (3) a Warner.” (Verse: 45).

It is pointed out in this verse that Allah Almighty first of all made the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) witness all that he was taught, so that he thereafter became a true Bearer of glad tidings, and a true Warner of a coming doom. The Prophet (ﷺ) was therefore given superior knowledge to the entire creation as he was a Blessing to the entire creation. He could be a blessing to all of them only by being superior to all of them, for his needs must have something more than them before he could benefit them.

We need not go into the details of what the Traditions say about the entire Me’raj, for it is repeated so often that it has become known to all. We, therefore, take the important points which raise doubts and those points from which we are capable of deriving some benefit through reflection. The Me’raj was never meant for disputations and controversies; rather it was meant as a test for the believers.

When viewed in the light of modem science with the advancement made in the field of knowledge, it becomes even easier to understand the phenomena of miracles of the Prophets (ﷺ). Miracles are not, as many people, especially those of the earlier ages, assert, a breach of the laws of nature. The Holy Qur’an states very clearly and emphatically that there is no change in the Khalq of Allah. Miracles are thus, in accordance with the natural law, the only difference being that such laws are brought into operation which are not yet known or discovered by human reason. When it was not yet discovered, for instance, that the sun is a moving heavenly body, scientists thought they had a point against the validity of the Holy Qur’an and thus against Islam. But later they found out that it does move and they had to accept the fact. Similarly, the case with the theory of parity, and at present they are experimenting with the theory of the possibility of life on other planets and interstellar or intergalactic communication between living beings of different planes; this all and more is mentioned by the Almighty in His Holy Book. This shows that there is a lot in the realm of knowledge which is yet to be discovered by man. Knowledge being an attribute of Allah Himself is also infinite and the amount of human knowledge in comparison to this Attribute of Allah is insignificant.

We know the present knowledge of Modern science about the behaviour of electro-magnetic fields, we know of the travelling of the protons and electrons and neutrons from one orbit to another. We are living in a three-dimensional continuum and now modern science has come to recognize the fourth dimension of time as well. It is also known that if we close up a room from all sides, i.e. all the three dimensions, one who is capable of using the fourth dimension, i.e., that of time, can go in and come out of that room or space. The fifth dimension is even more remarkable than the fourth. And electron jumping from the fourth dimension to the fifth dimension cannot exist in the four-dimensional space in between; the strange thing, however, which baffles scientists is the fact of a regular journey of a whole jumble of such particles across the forbidden four-dimensional space.

The point in view is that the burraq is to be conceived of as an electro-magnetic-like space-carrier. The speed of the burraq must be beyond the imagination of the human mind. The word burraq is derived from barq meaning lightning. It should thus be as fast as lightning. The subjective noun of the word barq is bariq, but when made burraq, which is on the scale of fu’aal, its meaning becomes intensified, because it is on the scale (in the Arabic grammar) which denotes intensity of the action of the subjective noun. From this it follows that the burraq is infinitely faster than lightning. This had to be so for the degree of freedom at which the whole experience took place was provided by the Almighty Himself, and the Prophet's degree of freedom was increased, as l showed in the beginning. This is made clearer and more apparent when the prophet states the fact that his bed was still warm when he came back from the journey and the chain of his door was still shaking. It appears, in other words, as though time had stood still, or was there an inversion in time? From modern science we know that if an object travels faster than the speed of light it does not age. If a father were to make a space journey at the age of 40 at that high velocity and he had a son of 20, he would find his son an aged and grey old man at his return, while he would be much younger than his own son. This is because when the dimensions change, conditions also change. Further to appreciate the burraq, we may consider the popular ‘flying saucers’, which is reported to be as swift as lightning. It can move slow as well as fast at super speed.

The account in the Traditions about the burraq is that of a white animal, bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. Most of the orthodox Muslims keep to this concept and believe that burraq to be just as it is described in the Traditions. We see pictures of the burraq in many homes of Indian Muslims as their imagination could conceive of Muslims with a scientific bent of mind and modem scholars are skeptical about this shape of the burraq and they have reasons, too. This picture of the burraq is reminiscent of the ‘Pegasus’ (i.e. flying horse) of Greek mythology and we find a similar being in Hindu mythology also. The thought therefore accursed to them that possibly Traditionists have borrowed the idea from these ancient historical sources. But it is risky to make such a statement, because the Traditionists were pious and painstaking scholars, and there are several courses of narration which make the validity and truth of these Traditions strong.

Another important point worth noting is the time of the Me’raj. The tenth year of the Prophet’s mission was the most trying year. It is even known as the year of sorrow,—there were persecutions from the unbelievers, his wife, who was a great source of strength and solace, passed away, his protecting uncle passed away, etc. During this time then he was given this favour from the Al-mighty. Among others, it served to test the faith of his companions and in this regard Abu Bakr was the greatest. He accepted the news of the Me’raj of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) at once without question. The idolaters thought they had a point wherewith to make Abu Bakr realize the absurdity of his belief. He, however, surprised them and made them realize the absurdity of their disbelief. It was the time just before the Hijra and after the Hijra the first Islamic State was to be established. Staunch men of faith were needed to head the administration of the Islamic State.

Further, we must not forget that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was the introducer of the Scientific Era. The Me’raj was a marker of this fact. It was the highest spiritual physical experience attainable by man. The Me’raj marked the limit. It showed thus that man is to travel in space and his attainments of having reached the Moon or planet Mars or Venus are absolutely insignificant in respect of the possibilities open to him, if only he learns to control his nafs and learns to use the new powers and forces revealed to him through time in a peaceful and useful manner. Though most people are skeptical about the theory of flying saucers, yet it provides us an incentive and idea of the possibility of the attainment of higher speeds and the building of better vehicles for inter-stellar, inter-galactic, and, if Allah permits, supra-galactic space travel. The possibility of this has been made clear in Surah Rahman (55) verse 33:

“O ye assembly of Jinns and men! If it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass!”

Taking into consideration that the heavens include the galaxies then the Almighty has already opened the possibility of travelling not just through, but beyond the zones (or realms) of heaven and earth. It also shows the extent of knowledge the human mind is capable of. Now it is for us to find out how to get that authority (knowledge of the laws of nature) and then how to use that authority.

In the story of Adam this symbolism was given when Allah taught the names of al-l things to Adam. The superiority of Adam over the Angels was proven and established; the Devil challenged Adam, although Adam was superior to him. This shows that the achievement of spiritual supremacy is a "gift from Allah which can be acquired by man if he can overcome the temptations of the Devil who whispers into the Nafs-al-Ammara. Since the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) had controlled his Nafs-al-Ammara, the road to perfection was open. All the spiritual practices of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) of fasting and abstinence, prayers, etc. are of no small importance if we are to advance in our spiritual journey. Muhammad (ﷺ) has been sent as a Mercy to the entire human community and the entire creation and he has been made an excellent example to all who believe in Allah and the last Day.

Conclusion

At last, there are a few points yet to be explained. Those believing in only a dream Me’raj take the following verse of the Holy Qur’an as a proof of their argument i.e., Suva Asra (17) verse 60:

“We granted the Vision which We showed thee but as a trial for men.” We may put it briefly and state the fact that in the Arabic Language the word “Ru’ya" does not only mean dream; it is very well used for meaning physical vision as well.

It is important to note in this connection that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) received Divine revelation during the Me’raj. A condition for the revelation to be valid is that the Prophet, who receives the revelation must be fully awake and aware. If he dreams it, it is no revelation, but inspiration (Ilham) and if the revelation comes while he sleeps, he awakens. This is so, so that there should remain no doubt for those who are willing to believe as to the validity of the revelation.

The Ascension of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is a multidimensional symbolism. It points to the fact that we should all the time aspire for the highest. It also teaches us that we can never attain greatness or eminence if the moral aspect of our personality is left uncultivated. It also teaches us that as true Muslims we should be integrated in all our actions, i.e., we should aspire not only for spiritual greatness, nor only for material advancement – as is the trend with present day scientists.

Ours is an ever-rising upward journey of unified progress in all fields (simultaneously). Let us reconsider the Me’raj of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) again and again and let it be an incentive for our lives forever-ascending to loftier heights of Moral Excellence, Material Attainment and Spiritual Eminence.