بســـــــــــــم اللــــــــــه الرحمــــــــــن الرحيـــــــــــــــــــــم
Isra
and Mi’raj
is observed on the 27th day of the month of Rajab, the 7th
month of Islamic calendar. This incident marks the night that Allah (s.w.t)
took Prophet Muhammed on a journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to the Seven Heavens. The night journey of the prophet to Jerusalem
and his subsequent ascension to heaven are two stages of an incident. The first
stage of journey at to Jerusalem is called the Night Journey (isra) and second journey to heavens is called
the Ascension (mi'raj).
On the night of al Isra and Mi’raj,
Prophet Mohammad was shown heaven and hell . He talked with many prophets in
heaven. He also received instructions on the five prayers. Muhammed (saws)
returned to Makkah before the end of the night. . His journey is remembered and
commemorated on 27th Rajab.
ISRA (Night Journey)
Before the prophet took his night journey,
while he was lying on the ground in the Hijr (of the sacred mosque of Makkah), Jibril
(A.S) descended. He cut open the chest of Prophet Muhammed and removed his
heart and washed it in the water of well of zam- zam before placing it back. He
filled it with faith and wisdom to strengthen his belief. Then He took Prophet
(s.a.w.s) out of the mosque to where the Buraq (a heavenly steed) was standing. Buraq is
a heavenly steed bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. According
to scholars the name of the steed seems to be derived from ‘Barq’ which means “Lightning”,
which refers to the beast’s speed. Buraq could place its hooves at the farthest
place it can see. The Prophet, mounted on Al-Buraq, with Jibril at his side
sped and northwards beyond Yathrib and Khaybar until they reached
Jerusalem. Then they met many prophets including Ibrahim Isa and Musa.When Muhammed
(s.aw.s) prayed on the grounds of Al Aqsa mosque, the prophets gathered behind
him in the prayer. Then two vessels were brought before him and offered him, of
one was milk, and the other of wine. The prophet took the vessel of milk and
drank it, and left the vessel of wine, and Jibril (A.S) said; “You
Muhammed, have been rightly guided to the nature of man, and so will your
people be. Wine is forbidden to you”. The prophet was then taken to up
to the Heavens.
MI’RAJ (Ascension)
From the site of Al Aqsa, Muhammed (s.aw.s) mounted on Al
Buraq again. Led by Jibril (A.S), they ascended to the heavens. At the entry of
each of the seven heavens through which he passed, Jibril (A.S) was asked for
his own name and that of his companion; Prophet Muhammed (s.aw.s).they met Adam
in the 1st heaven, Yahya and Isa in the 2nd, Yusuf in the
third, Idris in the fourth, Harun in the fifth, Musa in the sixth and Ibrahim
in the seventh heaven. They prayed for Muhammed (s.aw.s)’s well being.
During the night journey, the prophet passed by people who
were sowing and harvesting and every time they completed their harvest the crop
grew up again. Jibril (A.S):”These are the fighters in the way of Allah.” Then
he passed by people whose head were broken into pieces by rocks, and once their
head is broken, it becomes whole again. Jibril said:”These are they whose heads
were neglectful for prayers”. Then he passed by the people who were naked
except for their private parts which were covered in rags. Jibril said:”These
are they who did not pay Zakah. Then they passed by people who were eating raw,
rotten meat, and were throwing cooked wholesome meat. Jibril said:”These are
the adulterators”. Then the Prophet saw men with lips like camels and in their
hands were fire-like balls, which when they eat would come out of their
posteriors. The Prophet encountered various forms of suffering, which the
wrong-doers have to endure as a result of their evil they have done in this
world.
After the Prophet’s ascension to the 7th heaven,
he was shown the Bait Al Ma’moor where 70,000 angels perform
prayers daily. It is the heavenly house for worship which is the spiritual
prototype of al-Ka’bah. They never return when they leave. A new batch comes
the next time. And this goes on till the last day. Then he was shown the Sidrat
ul Muntaha, The Lote tree of the uppermost end. Prophet (s.aw.s) said:”Then
I was taken to Sidrat ul Muntaha whose leaves were like elephant ears and its
fruit like big earthenware vessels. And when it was covered by command of Allah
(S.W.T), it underwent such a change that none amongst the creation has the
power to praise its beauty”.
Thereafter Allah made fifty prayers day and night
obligatory. When Prophet went down to Musa(A.S),he asked prophet to return to
Allah and ask for reduction of number of prayers as he had been put to test the
children of Israel and found them too weak. On Musa’s advice Prophet (s.aw.s)
went 9 times to Allah for reduction and each time Allah granted it. But When
Musa says five prayers still a lot, prophet refused to go again for reduction.
He felt ashamed for asking for further reduction.
This shows us that the burden of Muslims is much lighter
than that imposed on our ancestors, and it is within the ability of an
individual.
Four Things
Granted To the Prophet In Al-Mi’raj
1.
Five
Obligatory prayers
2.
The
concluding ayat of surah al Baqarah
3.
Remission of
serious sins for the faithful who associate nothing with Allah
4.
The one who
intends to do a good deed and does not do it will have a good deed recorded for
him, and if he does it, it will be recorded for him as ten whereas he who
intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, will not be recorded for him,
and if he does it, only one evil deed will be recorded for him.
The Prophet Returns to Makkah
When he returned to Makkah it was still night. Some scholars
say, it took one-third of the night for the whole journey; from Makkah to
Jerusalem and from there to the seven heavens and back to Makkah. In the next
morning after the night journey Prophet (s.aw.s) told the people of Makkah of
his experiences. The Pagan Quraysh Mocked at the prophet claiming that it takes
months to get there and back. But when they said this to Abu Bakr, he said:”If
the prophet has said like that, it is true”. Abu Bakr was then called As-siddique
because he strongly believed in what the prophet said.
The pagan Quraysh asked the prophet to describe Jerusalem as
they knew he had never visited there. But the prophet had forgotten what he had
seen on his night journey. So Allah enabled him to see Masjid ul Aqsa. And he
described Masjid ul Aqsa and its surroundings in exact details. The pagans
accepted the description was exact. But they were stubborn that they rejected Islam.
‘Only those whom Allah willed to be guided, will be guided.
The person whom Allah did not will to be guided, will not believe’
11 A
welldone ... goodwork😃
ReplyDeleteGood effort
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTHANKS on behalf of ameerianz.......
Delete