The Miraculous Night.....

“Glory to ((Allah)) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, 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).”

Surah Al-Isra’ 17:1

If you had asked me many years ago, what is ‘isra’ mikraj, I would have given you a blank face. Reason being, I really did not have a clue what it is and neither did I bother to find out. I was, in fact, an ignorant fool.

So how did I found out about isra’ mikraj? The Wise Owl of course! One day he had asked me, “sister do know what happened on isra’ mikraj?” I gave him my most innocent look and shook my head. Honestly…. I didn’t know. So, this is what the Wise Owl imparted to me.

The night of isra’ mikraj is the night where our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW had, miraculously travelled from Masjidil Haram in Makkah to Masjidil Aqsa in Jerusalem, on an animal called ‘buraq’. Buraq has been described as a white animal, smaller than a mule but larger than a donkey, with wings attached to its thigh. It travels at a speed of lightning. Just the other day my hubby commented, that the animal character ‘hippogriff’ in the Harry Potter movie, is similar in description to the buraq.  Hhhmmm…could it be that J.K. Rowling was trying portray the buraq? Food for thought. Anyway, back to my story…..

So why is the night of Isra’ Mikraj special anyway? Well, that night has been described as a miraculous night because our Prophet Muhammad SAW had ascended to heaven from Masjidil Aqsa. That night is also called ‘night of ascension’. This event is reported to have taken place one year before the Prophet SAW’s migration to Madinah, on 27th Rajab.

Prophet SAW was accompanied that night, by the Angel Gabriel. It is also reported that prior to the journey, Prophet Muhammad SAW’s chest was cut open and his heart was washed clean with zam zam water, to cleanse away any impurities.

“The Prophet said, "While I was at the House in a state midway between sleep and wakefulness, (an angel recognized me) as the man lying between two men. A golden tray full of wisdom and belief was brought to me and my body was cut open from the throat to the lower part of the abdomen and then my abdomen was washed with Zam-zam water and (my heart was) filled with wisdom and belief.”

Sahih Bukhari

One of the books that I read stated that the rock that Prophet SAW stepped on before ascending to heaven, wanted to follow the Prophet SAW up but it was instructed to stay on earth. That rock known as the ‘floating rock’, is situated inside Masjidil Aqsa. Truth or myth? I honestly don’t know but I can understand why the rock wanted to follow. I would too if I was there!

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW was taken up from the first to the seventh heaven until he finally was given the privilege to meet his Maker. It was then that the 5 daily prayers was made compulsory upon us. Did you know that we were commanded to perform 50 prayers a day but Prophet Moses AS asked Prophet Muhammad SAW to beg Allah Al Mighty to reduce it until finally it was reduced to 5. As it is, we struggle to perform our daily 5, so imagine if it was 50!

It was also then, that the tahiyyat, that we recite in our salah, originated. Tahiyyat is recited in the 2^nd and last rakaat of salah. Tahiyyat means greeting and it is actually the conversation that took place between Prophet Muhammad SAW and God Al Mighty during the night of isra’ mi’raj.

“attakhiyatu mubarokatuhu shalawatu toyyibatu ila assalamu alaika ayyuhan nabiyu wa rahmatullahi wa baratuhu assalamu alaena wa ala ibadi sholihin asyhadu ala ila ha ilallah wa asyhadu anna muhammadar rasoolullah allah huma shola ala muhammad wa ala ali muhammad kama sholaita ala ibraheem wa ala ali ibraheem wa barik ala muhammad wa ali ali muhammad kama barokta ala ibraheem wa ala ali ibraheem fil alamina inaka khamidum majjid.”

            “The Prophet (pbuh) said to God Almighty,

“All kinds of greetings, prayers and goodness belong to Allah.”Its meaning is “I present all of the greetings and glorification of the beings with their states and tongues, all of the natural blessedness and glorification of all blessed things like seeds and semen, all of the worshipping of conscious beings like human beings, all of the worshipping and glorification of all prophets and saints to you as a gift; they all belong to you.”

Upon this greeting, God Almighty said to His Prophet (pbuh), “Peace, the mercy of Allah and His blessings be on you, O Prophet!” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Peace be on us and on the righteous servants of Allah.” Jibril witnessed this talk at Sidra al-Muntaha when Allah ordered him to be a witness by saying, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”

Hadith

It was also that night, when Prophet SAW was given the last two verses of surah Al-Baqarah.

“Prophet (pbuh) were given three things in Ascension: He was given five daily prayers, the last part of the chapter of al-Baqara (Amanarrasulu) and the promise that the sins ofthe people from the ummah of Muhammad would be forgiven except those who died associating partners with Allah.”

Sahih Muslim

“285.The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith.Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His apostles."We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His apostles." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."

286 . On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear.It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear.Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness.Have mercy on us.Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith."

            Surah Al Baqarah 2:285-286

There were many events that were unfolded that night.  Prophet Muhammad SAW was shown heaven and also hell. He witnessed many other scenes that had happened and will happen.

To me, the night of isra’ mikraj is very special as it explains to me everything I want to know about the origin of salah. Now, I know that our salah came directly from God Al Mighty and the physical acts as well as all the recitations in it, was taught by Allah SWT to Prophet Muhammad SAW that night. As Muslims, we must know our history especially the origin of salah. The purpose of salah is for us to remember our Maker and also to thank Him. I find that when we understand the purpose and reasoning behind each act of worship, then it will make us appreciate it better. Now, whenever I recite the tahiyyat during salah, I would immediately imagine the conversation that took place between Prophet Muhammad SAW and God Al Mighty and salah has become more meaningful to me.

But hey, don’t simply take my word about the events that took that took place during night of ascension. Do your own reading and research as I may not be the best narrator of events. What I can do however, to help kick start your research, is to share with you the hadith regarding isra’ mikraj…..

“Narrated Abbas bin Malik: Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying, "While I was lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, 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 further said, "He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray 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 Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet 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 greeting 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 greeting 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 greeting 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 greeting 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 greeting. 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?' 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 utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary.' 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 for the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.'

Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (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 fifty 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 fifty prayers a day.' Moses said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten 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 ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten 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 reduction to lessen your follower's 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 lessened the burden of My Worshipers." - Sahih Al-Bukhari 5.227