In The Name Of Allah
Dated, February 7th , 2014
Sirrat
of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Main Points:
1-The Night
Journey And The Ascent To Heaven
One
night as the Prophet (pbuh) lay sleeping in the same spot where ’Abd
al-Muttalib used to sleep, next to the Ka.bah, he was woken by the Archangel
Gabriel. Later the Prophet (pbuh) described what happened: ’I sat up and he
took hold of my arm. I stood beside him and he brought me to the door of the
mosque where there was a white animal for me to ride.’
The word Isra' meant that strange
journey which started from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah and ended at the
Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem.The word Mira'j
meant the ascension,which took place after this journey, into the layers
of the heavens where to that point the knowledge of created beings stops and
whose extent no-one can fathom, then the return to the sacred Mosque in Makkah.
The Quran has referred to both journeys in different Surahs. The Isra' and the
reason for it are mentioned as follows:
The Prophet (pbuh) told of how he
mounted the animal and, with the Archangel Gabriel at his side, was transported
from Mecca to the mosque called al-Aqsa, in far away Jerusalem. There the
Prophet (pbuh) found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus among a group of Prophets. The
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) acted as their leader, or imam, in prayer. Then he was
brought two jugs, one containing wine and the other milk. He chose the milk and
refused the wine. At this, the Archangel Gabriel said, ’You have been rightly
guided to the fitrah, the true nature of man, and so will your people be,
Muhammad. Wine is forbidden to you. The Prophet (pbuh) also related how they
passed through Heaven’s gates and saw countless angels. Among them was Malik,
the Keeper of Hell, who never smiles.
Malik stepped forward and showed the
Prophet (pbuh) a view of Hell and the terrible plight of those who suffer in
that place. Then the Prophet (pbuh) was taken up by the angels, through the
seven Heavens, one by one Along the way he again saw Jesus, Moses, and Abraham,
and the Prophet (pbuh) said that he had never seen a man more like himself than
Abraham. He also saw John, called Yahya in Arabic, Joseph or Yusef, Enoch, that
is Idris, and Aaron. At last he reached the Lote Tree of the Uttermost, the
sidrat al-muntaha where no Prophet had been before.
Here the Prophet (pbuh) received
Revelation of what Muslims believe.The Messenger believeth in that which hath
been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one
believes in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers-We make no
distinction between any of His messengers-and they say: We hear, and we obey.
Grant us Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the homecoming... (Qur’an
2.285), Then he was taken into the Light of the Divine Presence of Allah, and
was instructed that Muslims should pray fifty times a day. The Prophet (pbuh)
recalled: On my way back I passed by Moses and what a good friend to you he
was! He asked me how many prayers had I been ordained to perform. When I told
him fifty, he said, ’Prayer is a serious matter and your people are weak, so go
back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce the number for you and your community.’
I did so and He took away ten. Again I passed by Moses and he said the same
again; and so it went on until only five prayers for the whole day and night
were left.
Moses again gave me the same advice. I
replied that I had been back to my Lord and asked him to reduce the number
until I was ashamed, and I would not do it again. He of you, who performs the
five prayers faithfully, will have the reward of fifty prayers.
On the morning
following these events and the Prophet’s return to
Mecca, he told
Quraysh what had happened. Most of them said, ’By God!
This is
ridiculous! A caravan takes a month to go to Syria and a month to return! Can
you do that long journey in a single night?’ Even many
Muslims were
amazed by this and wanted the Prophet (pbuh) to explain.
Some ran with the
news to Abu Bakr who said, ’By Allah, if Muhammad
(pbuh) himself
has said so, then it is true. Remember, the Prophet tells us that the word of
Allah comes to him directly from heaven to earth at any hour by day or night,
and we believe him.
Isn’t that a
greater miracle than what you are now doubting?’ Then
Abu Bakr went to
the mosque and listened to the Prophet’s detailed description of Jerusalem. He
commented, ’You tell the truth, 0 Prophet of Allah!’ From then on, Abu Bakr was
honored with the title ’al-Siddiq., which means ’he who gives his word to
support the truth’. Others also began to believe the Prophet’s story when he
went on to describe two caravans he had seen on his way back to Mecca. He told the
doubters where he had seen the caravans, what they were carrying and when they would
arrive in Mecca. All that the Prophet (pbuh) had said was born out when the
caravans arrived at the time he said they would, carrying all that he had
described. Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque
to the Far distant place of worship, the Neighborhood which We have blessed,
that We might show him some of Our signs, He, only He is the All-hearing, the
All-seeing.. (Qur’an 17:1)
By the Star when
it setteth, Your comrade is not astray, neither deceived, Nor does he speak of
his (own) desire. This is naught but a revelation revealed, Taught him by one
mighty in power, very strong; he stood poised, being on the uppermost horizon,
Then drew near and came down, two bows’-length away, or nearer, Then revealed
to His servant that which He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw; What,
will youthen dispute with him what he sees? Indeed, he saw him yet another time
By the Lote- Tree
of the utmost Boundary Near which is the Garden of
Abode When there
covered the Lote- Tree that which covered; his eye
turne not aside,
nor yet was overbold. Verily, he saw one of the greatest
signs of his Lord.(Qur’an 53:1-18)
Posts
