What is Miraj?
The Miraj or Isra is a Night Journey of
the holy prophet of Hazrat Muhammad (May peace and blessings be upon him). The holy prophet
Hazrat Muhammad
(May peace and blessings be upon him)
took this journey in a small portion of a night before migration to Madina. It was not only a physical journey but also a spiritual journey &
a great scientific Miracle of the holy prophet.
There are three stages
of Miraj journey
First
stage: From
Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa
2nd
stage: From
Masjid al-Aqsa to Sidrat ul Muntaha
3rd
step: From Sidrat ul Muntaha to Maqam-e-Aou Adna
Quran and Miraj
A brief sketch of the journey is in sura Al-Isra
and Sura Al-najam of the Holy Qur'an,
and other details are in the Hadith.
In this journey, the holy prophet travels on the steed Buraq. He leads
other prophets in prayer in Masjid Aqsa. Then he ascends to heaven where he speaks to God,
Visits to almighty Allah.
Allah almighty said in the
holy Quran
Holy (i.e., free of any imperfection, weakness and insufficiency) is
He Who took His (most beloved and intimate) Servant in a small portion of a
night from the Sacred Mosque to the al-Aqsa Mosque, whose surroundings We have
blessed, in order that We might show him (the Perfect Servant) Our signs.
Surely, He is the One who is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
Sura al-Isrā’ 17:1
Allah almighty said in another
place
- By the
bright star (Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) when (he ascended
during the Ascension Night in the twinkling of an eye and) descended.
- He who bestowed on you his companionship (i.e.,
the Messenger, who made you his companions by blessing you with his
companionship,) has never lost his way, nor has he (ever) strayed from the
right path.
- And he
does not speak out of his (own) desire.
- His
speech is nothing but Revelation, which is sent to him.
- (The Lord) of Mighty Powers
(directly) conferred on him (perfect) knowledge,
- He who is
absolute beauty. Then He (the Effulgence of Beauty) decided to unveil
(Himself).
- And he
(Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) was on the uppermost horizon
(of the realm of creation during the Ascension Night i.e., on the apex of
the created cosmos).
- Then He
(the Lord of Honour) drew closer (to His Beloved Muhammad [blessings and
peace be upon him]) and then drew even closer.*
- Imam al-Bukhari cites these
meanings in al-Jami‘ al-Sahih from the venerable Companion Anas. Moreover,
‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbas, Imam al-Hasan al-Basri, Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq,
Muhammad b. Ka‘b al-Qurazi the Successor, al-Dahhak and many other leading
eminent exegetes also hold the same view.
- Then a distance measuring only two bow-lengths was
left (between Allah Unveiled and His Esteemed Beloved), or even less than
that (in extreme nearness).
- So (on
that station of nearness) He (Allah) revealed to His (Beloved) servant
whatever He revealed.
- (His)
heart did not take it contrary to what (his) eyes beheld.
- Do you
argue with him about what he saw?
- And
assuredly, he saw Him (Allah Unveiled) the second time (again and you
argue only about seeing Him once).*
* These meanings are based on the sayings of
eminent luminaries and authorities like Ibn ‘Abbas, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari,
‘Ikrima the Successor, Imam al-Hasan al-Basri the Successor, Muhammad b. Ka‘b
al-Qurazi, Abu al-‘Aliya al-Riyahi the Successor, ‘Ata’ b. Abi Rabah the
Successor, Ka‘b al-Ahbar the Successor, Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, Imam Abu al-Hasan
al-Ash‘ari and several others.
- At the
farthest Lote-Tree—Sidra al-Muntaha,
- Adjacent
to that is the Eternal
- When
theophanies (i.e., effulgent disclosures) of the divine light wrapped up
al-Sidra (the Lote-Tree at the Far End), covering it expansively.*
* This interpretation also comes from Imam
al-Hasan al-Basri and other leading scholars.
- His eye
neither inclined aside nor overstepped the limit; (it gazed in ecstasy at
Whom it was to gaze).
- Surely,
he saw the greatest signs of His Lord (during the Ascension Night).
Sura an-Najm 53:1 to 18
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