The Story of Al-Isra' and Al-Miraj

The Story of Al-Isra' and Al-Miraj

Towards the end of a calm night, one year before the Hijrah, the roof of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) house split open and angel Jibreel (Gabriel) descended into the Prophets (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) room. He went over to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), opened his shirt and cut open his chest.







He then removed his heart and washed its inside with Zam Zam water. After he had completed washing it, he then brought a gold dish filled with Eemaan (faith) and Hikmah (wisdom), emptied it into the Prophets (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) chest and then closed it all up.[1]







Jibreel then nudged the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) until he awoke. When the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) got up, Jibreel took a hold of his hand and lead him outside of his house to the gate of Kabah.


There the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) found a strange unearthly animal. It was smaller than a mule but larger than a donkey, white in color and having a wing on either of its hind legs. He was informed that its name was “Buraaq”, a name taken from the Arabic word Barq which means a flash of lightning.

Jibreel helped the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) mount it and they set off to the north. Each stride of the Buraaq took it to the horizon, and, in no time they reached Jerusalem. There the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) dismounted and tied the animal to the same ring on the door of al-Masjid al-Aqsaa used by the prophets.



The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) entered the Masjid and prayed two Rakahs. When he finished he noticed a group of other prophets also making Salaah there. He saw among them Prophet Moosaa, Prophet Eesaa and Prophet Ibraaheem  (peace be upon them all)

Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) was then told to lead them all in Salaah. When the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) finished this Salaah, someone said to him, “This is Maalik, the guardian of the Hellfire, so give him Salaams.” When he turned around to greet him, the angel gave him Salaams before he had time to do so.[2] Jibreel then brought two vessels and presented them to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). One was filled with wine and the other filled with milk. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) chose the vessel filled with milk and drank from it.

Jibreel then said, “You have been guided to the Fitrah.”[3]

 

After that Gabriel took him to the heavens

 

                                  The Miraj'

When they reached the first heaven Gabriel asked the guardian angel to open the door of heaven. It was opened and he saw Adam, the progenitor of mankind. The Prophet [pbuh] saluted him and the other welcomed him and expressed his faith in Muhammad’s Prophethood.

He saw the souls of martyrs on his right and those of the wretched on his left.

Gabriel then ascended with the Prophet to the second heaven, asked for opening the gate and there he saw and saluted John, son of Zachariya (Yahya bin Zakariya) and Jesus, son of Mary. They returned the salutation, welcomed him and expressed their faith in his Prophethood.

Then they reached the third heaven where they saw Joseph (Yusuf) and saluted him. The latter welcomed the Prophet and expressed faith in his Prophethood

The Prophet, in the company of Gabriel, then reached the fourth heaven where he met the Prophet Enoch (Idris) and saluted him. Prophet Enoch returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

Then he was carried to the fifth heaven where he met the Prophet Aaron (Harun) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

In the sixth heaven he met Moses (Musa) and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Muhammad [pbuh] on leaving, saw that Moses began to weep. He asked about the reason. Moses answered that he was weeping because he witnessed a man sent after him as a Messenger (Muhammad) who was able to lead more of his people to the Paradise than he himself did.

Then Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] reached the seventh heaven and met Abraham (Ibrahim)[AWS] and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

Then he was carried to Sidrat-al-Muntaha (the remotest lote tree) and was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma‘mûr [4][(the much frequented house)] which is like the Ka‘bah (Sacred House) encompassed daily by seventy thousand angels, so that the angels who once encompassed it would not have their turn again till the Resurrection].

He was then presented to the Divine Presence and experienced the thrill of witnessing the Divine Glory and Manifestation at the closest possible propinquity.

 

There the Lord revealed unto His servant that which He revealed, and ordained fifty daily prayers for him. On his return, he spoke to Moses that his followers had been enjoined to pray fifty times a day. Moses addressing the Prophet [pbuh] said: "Your followers cannot perform so many prayers. Go back to your Lord and ask for a remission in number." The Prophet [pbuh] turned to Gabriel as if holding counsel with him. Gabriel nodded, "Yes, if you desire," and ascended with him to the Presence of Allâh. The All-Mighty Allâh, Glory is to Him, made a reduction of ten prayers. He then descended and reported that to Moses, who again urged him to request for a further reduction. Muhammad [pbuh] once more begged his Lord to reduce the number still further. He went again and again in the Presence of Allâh at the suggestion of Moses for reduction in the number of prayers till these were reduced to five only. Moses again asked him to implore for more reduction, but he said:

“I have asked my Lord till I am ashamed to face Him. I am now satisfied and I submit.”[5]

When Muhammad [pbuh] went farther, a Caller was heard saying: 

"I have imposed My Ordinance and alleviated the burden of My servants."

The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) was then taken into Paradise and he reported that he saw in it domes of pearls and that its soil was made of musk.[6] He was also taken to Hell and Allaah showed him scenes from the future. He saw in the Hellfire people receiving terrible punishments for various sins.


The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) then took the Miraaj and descended with Jibreel to al-Masjid al-Aqsaa. From there he mounted the Buraaq and returned to his home in Makkah where he found his bed still warm.

 

                                        The Return


The following morning, the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) went to the Quraysh tribal meeting place, and when Abu Jahl came up to him, he informed him of his journey.




Abu Jahl then called all the people to hear the Prophet’s (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) story, and when he related it to them, they stared at him in amazement and disbelief.



Some Muslim converts whose Eemaan was weak left Islaam and returned to Kufr, because of the incredible tale which the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) had told.Some of the people ran to Abu Bakr r.a and told him that his companion, Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), claimed that he went to Jerusalem, made Salaah there, and returned to Makkah in one night. Abu Bakr told them that they were lying about the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), because the story was too strange, but they told him that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) was at the Kabah telling it to the people.





When they told him that, they were sure that he would also leave Islaam, because it was obvious to them that Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) must be lying. But Abu Bakr told them “By Allaah, if he actually said that, he has told the truth. There really is nothing to be amazed about, for he has told me that information comes to him from Allaah, from the sky to the earth, in an instant during the night or day and I believe him. And that is even more strange.”





Because of that statement of Abu Bakr, the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) gave him the title of “as-Siddeeq (the truthful).”



The people then demanded from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) proof of what he said. They knew that he had never traveled to Jerusalem, so some of them demanded that he describe it. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) became worried, as he had forgotton most of its details. He had only been there at night and had not paid much attention to its details.





But, Allaah blessed him with a vision in which he saw Jerusalem as if he were there. So he was able to describe even its smallest details for them.[1] 1.





For the others, he told them that on his way to Jerusalem he passed by a stray camel belonging to one of the clans which had camped in a valley. It had escaped from a group of them and he led them to it. He also told them that on his return he passed by the same clans caravan and found them all sleeping. They had a drinking vessel with some water in it which they had covered, so he uncovered it, drank its contents and put the cover back on the same way it was.





He then informed them that the caravan was on its way to Makkah and he further described its lead camel. So the people rushed out to meet the caravan and found it as he had described it. They then asked the clan about the stray camel and the drinking vessel, and they replied, “By Allaah! He told the truth, we had camped in the valley which he mentioned and one of our camels had run off. We heard a mans voice calling us to it until we caught it.”



They also mentioned that they had left water in their jug and were surprised to find that it was all gone the next morning.

[1] Reported by Anas Ibn Maalik and Abu Dharr and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English), vol 9, pp 449-450, no, 605) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.) vol.1, pp. 103-4, no.313
[2] Reported by Abu Hurayrah and collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.) vol.1, p.110, no. 328).
[3] Reported by Abu Hurayrah and collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.) vol.1, p.108, no. 322).
[4] It is a house of worship in the heavens used by the angels after which the Ka’bah was designed.

[5] Reported by Anas ibn Maalik and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English), vol.9, pp 449-54, no. 608).
[6] Reported by Ibn Hazm and Anas and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English), vol. 9, pp.449-54, no 608) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol. 1, pp. 103-4, no. 313).
[7] Reported by Jaabir and collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol.1, p. 104, no. 326).

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