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The Night Journey and the Ascension (part 1 of 6): The Night Journey
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Description: The setting of the start of the journey, and some details about the Prophet Muhammad’s early life, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.
By Aisha Stacey (© 2008 IslamReligion.com)
Published on 02 Jun 2008 - Last modified on 04 Oct 2009
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Prologue
_001.jpg) The journey of the Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad, may
the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, by night from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to the farthest mosque in Jerusalem was a miracle granted to Him by God. It is the
first part of a night of wonder and amazement, culminating in Prophet
Muhammad’s ascension through the heavens and into the presence of God.
“Glorified be He Who took His slave on a journey by night from
Al-Masjid-al-Haram
to the Masjid-al-Aqsa,
the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him of
Our signs.
Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” (Quran 17:1)
It was a physical journey and all the events about to be
described took place in one night.
This series of articles will use the word masjid
instead of its English translation, mosque. The reason for this is that the word
masjid implies much more than the recognisable building where Muslims pray.
The word masjid comes from the root “sa-ja-da” meaning to prostrate,
therefore a masjid is any place of prostration. The Prophet Muhammad told
us “this earth was made a Masjid for me.”
This gift from God was given only to the nation of Muhammad.
A Muslim can pray in any place that is not impure (with
a few exceptions). There are buildings specifically for prayer, but any place
a Muslim prays is a masjid, in the literal sense – a place of prostration. The
act of prostration is the most honourable part of the prayer. When a Muslim’s forehead
touches the ground, he or she is very close to God. Prayer establishes the
connection between the believer and his Lord, and it was on this
miraculous night that the five daily prayers were instated.
In the story to follow you will learn some more about
this man called Muhammad and come to understand a little about why Muslims love
him. You will also discover why Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem is one of
the three Holy Masjids in Islam. God refers to Jerusalem in the Quran as “the
neighbourhood we have blessed”. The Dome of the Rock, part of the precinct
of Masjid al-Aqsa, is the most recognizable symbol of Jerusalem and holds a
special place in the hearts of every Muslim. On this journey we are about to
undertake you will learn why. So let us travel back through time, to 7th
century Arabia, to the city of Mecca and accompany Prophet Muhammad on his
night journey and ascension.
The Journey Commences
Approximately ten years after Prophet Muhammad received
the first revelations of the Quran, he suffered two grave losses. One was the
death of his uncle Abu Talib, the man who had supported and loved him from the
time he was a young orphan, and then only two months later, Muhammad’s beloved
wife, Khadijah, died. This year became known as the Year of Sorrow.
In the years leading up to these sad events, the new
Muslims, especially Prophet Muhammad, were persecuted, ridiculed and abused. The
strength and loyalty of his uncle combined with the love and compassion shown
to him by Khadijah helped him to remain strong and continue spreading the
message in the face of grave adversity. However, he now felt alone and
extremely overwhelmed by his sadness.
When one has truly surrendered to God, the pains and
sorrows of this life form part of a test of faith, and these tests are always
followed by relief. In chapter 94 of the Quran, called Solace, God
assures Prophet Muhammad that with every hardship comes relief, and He repeats it
a second time with emphasis - with every hardship comes relief. After this
extremely difficult year, Prophet Muhammad felt his relief in the form of a
major blessing, the Night Journey and Ascension.
“So verily, with hardship, there is relief. Verily, with hardship,
there is relief.” (Quran 94:4-6)
Even though it was dangerous and he risked attack by the
Pagans of Mecca, Prophet Muhammad often spent the night in prayer at the Holy
Masjid in Mecca. On this particular night, he was lying close to the Ka’ba
(the black cube in the middle of the Masjid) in a state between wakefulness and
sleep. An angel came and cut open his chest from the throat to the below the
stomach. The angel removed Prophet Muhammad’s heart and placed it in a golden
bowl filled with faith, the heart was purified, filled and returned to its
place.
This was not the first time that an angel had come down
and extracted Muhammad’s heart. As a small child, Muhammad lived in the
deserts of Arabia with a foster family according to custom, for the desert
environment was known to be much healthier and more suitable for proper
cultivation than the cities. When he was four or five years old and playing in
this wilderness with his young friends, the Angel Gabriel appeared, removed
Muhammad’s heart and extracted from it a portion, referring to it as “a part of
Satan”. The Angel Gabriel washed the heart with the water of zamzam (the
well of Mecca which sprung to quench the thirst of Ishmael) and returned it to
its place. The other children ran away screaming, thinking Muhammad was being
murdered, but by the time they returned with help, he was alone, scared and
white, but with only a small mark from the ordeal.
Prophet Muhammad’s mission was to guide all of humanity
to the worship of the One True God, thus every aspect of his life formed part
of God’s plan to prepare him for this great responsibility. As a child, the
part of Satan was removed from his heart, and as an adult, about to
undertake the building of the Muslim nation, his heart was purified and filled
with pure faith. The next part of this miraculous night then commenced.
Prophet Muhammad was presented with a white animal he
described as being smaller than a horse but larger than a donkey, it was known
as al-Buraq. This animal, he said, could take a stride as far as it
could see. With one leap, al Buraq could cover an incredibly vast distance. The Angel Gabriel
told Prophet Muhammad to mount the animal, and together they travelled more
than 1200 km. to the furthest masjid – Masjid al-Aqsa.
Prophet Muhammad was on the back of al-Buraq while the animal’s
stride reached towards the horizon, and the stars glittered in the night sky
over the deserts of Arabia and beyond. He must have felt the wind on his face
and been aware of his newly filled heart thumping in his chest. Imagine what
signs and wonders of God Prophet Muhammad must have seen on that miraculous
journey by night!
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The Night Journey and the Ascension (part 2 of 6): Masjid Al-Aqsa
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Description: Prophet Muhammad reaches the Masjid al-Aqsa and meets some of the previous Prophets of God.
By Aisha Stacey (© 2008 IslamReligion.com)
Published on 02 Jun 2008 - Last modified on 13 Jul 2008
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_-_Masjid_Al_Aqsa_001.jpg) This was a difficult time in the life of Prophet Muhammad,
and this journey was a great compliment to him. The deliverance of the message
was entering a new phase, and the establishment of the Muslim nation was about
to begin. Prophet Muhammad was feeling overwhelmed and alone. The vast
majority of Meccans had refused to heed his call or accept his message. Both
his beloved uncle and cherished wife had died, and this gift of God offered him
support and opened his eyes to the signs and wonders of the universe. After
travelling the enormous distance to Jerusalem on the back of al-Buraq, Prophet
Muhammad reached the area known as Masjid al-Aqsa. He dismounted and tethered al-Buraq
to a ring in the gate.
Another Miracle Occurs
Prophet Muhammad walked into the Masjid – the place of
prostration - to be met by a group of the previous Prophets; he then had the
great honour of leading them in prayer. God rewarded His Messenger and caused
him to understand that the Prophets before him also went through difficult
times preaching to their people. They stood behind Prophet Muhammad and
acknowledged him as their leader. This was another indication of his importance
and excellence as well as the nature of his message.
Before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, all the Prophets delivered
their message of submission to One God to their own people; Muhammad, however,
had come for all of mankind. God refers to him as a mercy. God says in Quran:
“He listens to what is best for you; he believes in God; has
faith in the believers; and is a mercy to those of you who believe.” (Quran
9:61)
The message was international, and this communication distributed
worldwide was Islam. The Prophets of God stood behind the newest and final
Messenger of God and supported him when his need was greatest. Prophet
Muhammad mentions in his sayings that all of the Prophets are brothers. This congregation
standing behind Prophet Muhammad was a sign of real and everlasting brotherhood.
The Significance of Al-Aqsa
The fact that this momentous occasion took place in Jerusalem is also of significance. This is the land of the Prophets of God; this is the land of Abraham, Isaac, Moses and Jesus. God was forging a link between his Holy House in Mecca and Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. God was also linking the so-called cradle of
religion, the Holy Land around Jerusalem, with the land of Arabia, the birthplace of the religion designed by the Creator, for all of humanity - Islam.
God established Al-Aqsa as one of the three Holy Masjids
in Islam. The Holy Masjid in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad’s Masjid, yet to be
established in Medina, and this Masjid in this blessed neighbourhood of Jerusalem. It is only to these three Masjids to which Muslims can travel for the purpose
of worship.
One prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa is worth 250 prayers elsewhere, excluding the
Prophet’s Masjid where one prayer is the equivalent of 1,000 prayers and the Holy
Masjid in Mecca where one prayer contains the reward of 100,000 prayers. God emphasized the
significance and sacredness of Masjid Al-Aqsa, and for this reason it plays an
important role in a Muslim’s life. Therefore it is guarded and protected
zealously.
Al-Aqsa was the first qiblah (the direction in
which a Muslim turns to pray) in Islam, but this direction was later changed to
Holy Masjid in Mecca. Establishing the exact date for this change is
difficult, but from the evidence, we can discover approximately when this
occurred because the mission of Prophet Muhammad is divided into two distinct
periods. The Meccan period, defined by calling the people to the religion of
Islam, and the Medinan period, defined by the establishment of the Muslim
state. Prophet Muhammad and the majority of his followers migrated to the city
of Medina in the 14th year of Prophethood.
The Night Journey and Ascension took place late in the Meccan
period, while the qiblah changed to Mecca around 15 months after the
Prophet’s migration to Medina. From this, we can infer that the Muslims faced Al-Aqsa
when praying for approximately three years before God changed the direction to Mecca. This by no means diminished the significance of Jerusalem or Masjid Al-Aqsa, it
merely represented another step in the establishment of the message for all of
humanity. The Holy Masjid in Mecca was fixed as the central point in Islam.
The Journey and Miracle Continues
While still in the sacred precincts of Masjid Al-Aqsa,
the Angel Gabriel presented Prophet Muhammad with two cups. One was filled
with milk, the other with wine, and both offered to the Prophet. Prophet
Muhammad chose and drank the milk. Angel Gabriel then said to him “Thanks be to
God, who guided you to the fitrah; if you had taken the wine,
your followers would have gone astray”.
It is difficult to translate the Arabic word fitrah into English; it
denotes the natural and pure state in which one is born, an innate feeling that
guides one to do the “right” thing. Prophet Muhammad instinctively chose right
over wrong, good over evil, and the Straight Path rather than the crooked path
to Hell.
It was from the Holy city of Jerusalem, in the sacred
precincts of Masjid Al-Aqsa
that Prophet Muhammad commenced the next stage of his miraculous Night Journey.
Prophet Muhammad ascended to the lowest heaven from a rock. This rock can be
found inside the Dome of the Rock, the most famous symbol of Jerusalem. It
should not be confused with the actual Masjid building, which is on the other
side of the Al-Aqsa compound. The entire precinct is the masjid, but many
separate buildings exist there. It is important to remember that although the
Dome of the Rock is inside the Masjid compound, it is not Masjid Al-Aqsa and it
is not the place of prostration where Prophet Muhammad led the previous
Prophets in prayer. From the rock, now covered by the familiar golden dome,
Prophet Muhammad ascended to the lowest heaven in the company of Angel Gabriel.
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The Night Journey and the Ascension (part 3 of 6): The Ascension
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Description: The Prophet Muhammad’s journey through the heavens.
By Aisha Stacey (© 2008 IslamReligion.com)
Published on 09 Jun 2008 - Last modified on 13 Jul 2008
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_-_The_Ascension_001.jpg) The Night Journey and the Ascension was a great blessing
bestowed upon Muhammad, the Prophet of God. It was a journey beginning at the Holy
Masjid in Mecca, then moving overland to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and finally
continuing up through the seven heavens into the presence of God, the Almighty.
As we travel up through the seven heavens with Prophet Muhammad, it is
important to remember that the places he visits are not part of Paradise.
In the English language, we generally use the word heaven
to mean the spiritual plane of eternal happiness, the reward for a righteous
life and the opposite of hell, the place of eternal punishment. However, this
was not always the case; the word heaven comes from the Old English word heofon, used to denote the
sky, which is the area above the earth where the celestial bodies are. Eventually,
heaven lost its original meaning and came to imply Paradise. In Arabic, however,
there have always been two separate words used, sama and jennah.
The word sama is used for the skies above us, and they are part of the
temporary world which will be destroyed on the Day of Judgement. The word jennah,
however, denotes Paradise, the land of eternal bliss, the permanent home of the
righteous believers, and the opposite of Hell.
“Then He completed and finished from their creation as seven
heavens in two Days and He made in each heaven its affair. And We adorned the
nearest heaven with light sources to be an adornment, as well as to guard. Such
is the Decree of Him the All-Mighty, the All-Knower.” (Quran 41:12)
“Their Lord gives them glad tidings of a Mercy from Him, and
that He is pleased, and of Gardens (jennah) for them wherein are
everlasting delights. They will dwell therein forever. Verily, with God is a
great reward.” (Quran 9:21-22)
The Wonders of God
Prophet Muhammad ascended into the heavens from the rock
now housed in the familiar golden dome that has become the symbol for Jerusalem. This is a journey that no other human had ever made or has made since. It
demonstrates God’s ability to bring the seemingly impossible into being. Here,
the concepts of time and space as we know them do not apply, and it is beyond our
human capabilities to understand the true omnipotence of God. In his sayings
and traditions, Prophet Muhammad described the size of the heavens; the first
heaven, as compared to the second, is similar to a small ring in the desert, and
he continued this narrative until he described the sixth heaven as being the size
of a ring in the desert compared to the seventh heaven. The magnitude of this
is unimaginable. Our earth, and what we call the universe, is contained within
the first heaven. Even with the scientific knowledge of the 21st
century, we have no idea how big this is, how far the universe extends, or what
wonders it contains.
Prophet Muhammad travelled with the Angel Gabriel up
into the heights of the heavens. Together they came to the gate of the first
heaven, where Angel Gabriel sought permission to enter. The gatekeepers asked,
“Who is it?” to which Gabriel replied, “It is I, Gabriel”. The gatekeepers
then asked who was accompanying him; when they were told it was Muhammad, they
asked if he had been given his mission to guide all of mankind to the worship
of One God. Angel Gabriel answered in the affirmative, so the angels welcomed Prophet
Muhammad, called his arrival a pleasure, and opened the gate.
Greeting the Prophets
Prophet Muhammad tells us that he saw his father Adam,
the father of all of mankind. He greeted him with the greeting of all Muslims,
- Assalamu alaikum (may peace be upon you). Adam returned the greeting
and expressed his faith in Muhammad’s prophethood. He called him his pure son,
the pure prophet. Imagine the pleasure that this meeting must have given to
both men. After thousands of years, Adam was able to see his son Muhammad, the
greatest of his descendents. Muhammad was able to look into the eyes of the
father of mankind. The wonders however were only just beginning. Angel Gabriel
and Prophet Muhammad then ascended to the second heaven.
At the gate, Angel Gabriel again sought permission to
enter. When the gatekeepers learned Prophet Muhammad had been given his
mission and was trying to enter, they welcomed him and opened the gate. There
Prophet Muhammad saw the two cousins, Prophet John (known in Christian
traditions as the Baptist) and the Messenger of God, Prophet Jesus; Prophet
Muhammad exchanged greetings with them.
Prophet Muhammad and Angel Gabriel ascended once more to
the gates of the third heaven. At each gate, the same exchange took place.
When the gatekeepers had established that it was Angel Gabriel in the company
of Prophet Muhammad, who had indeed been given his mission, they gave
permission to enter. Here, in the third heaven, Prophet Muhammad met Joseph
and described him as an embodiment of half of all beauty.
As Prophet Muhammad met the Prophets in each heaven, he
exchanged greetings with them, and this was always Assalamu alaikum, the
greeting of peace used by all those in submission to the One True God. In the
fourth heaven, Prophet Muhammad met Prophet Idris, whom God described in Quran (19:57)
as being elevated to a very high level. In the fifth heaven, he met Prophet Aaron,
the brother of Moses. At each meeting, the Prophets expressed their faith in
Muhammad’s prophethood. In the sixth heaven, Prophet Muhammad met Moses.
Whenever Prophet Moses is mentioned in the Quran or in
the narrations of Prophet Muhammad, we know that something important is about
to be described. After the two Prophets had exchanged greetings and Prophet
Moses had expressed his faith in Muhammad’s prophethood, Moses started to weep.
When he was asked why, he replied: “A young man has come after me, and more of
his followers will enter paradise then my followers”.
Until the advent of Islam, Prophet Moses had had the
largest following of any Prophet. Moses cried, and from this, we can
understand that there was a type of rivalry between the Prophets; but it was
not a competition filled with jealousy or envy. Rather, it was filled with
compassion. As we move further into the journey, we will see the love and
compassion Prophet Moses had for Muhammad and his followers. Prophet Muhammad
and Angel Gabriel then ascended into the seventh heaven.
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The Night Journey and the Ascension (part 4 of 6): The Seventh Heaven
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Description: Prophet Muhammad meets Prophet Abraham, and witnesses the realm wherein the angels are most densely arrayed in worship
By Aisha Stacey (© 2008 IslamReligion.com)
Published on 09 Jun 2008 - Last modified on 13 Jul 2008
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The Angel Gabriel and Prophet Muhammad continued their
miraculous ascension through the heavens. This journey was far beyond the
wildest imagining of any human being. It began in the deserts of Arabia and spanned the reaches of the known universe and beyond. At the gate of the seventh
heaven, they exchanged the same questions and answers as in the previous
heavens, and the angels declared their pleasure at meeting Prophet Muhammad. Permission
to enter was given and the Prophet of God, accompanied by Gabriel, the angel
trusted with the revelations of God, moved into the final heaven.
The seventh heaven is an expression used by Christians
to denote extreme happiness or bliss, as in “I am in the seventh heaven”. In Islam,
the seventh heaven is where Prophet Mohammad met Prophet Abraham; and indeed,
he (Muhammad) must have been extremely happy and in a state of bliss, having
been honoured with this journey of wonders. Both Prophets exchanged greetings
by saying Assalamu alaikum (may peace be upon you) and, as every other
prophet had done, Prophet Abraham expressed his belief and faith in Prophet
Muhammad’s mission.
Through his son, Ishmael, Abraham is the father of the
Arabs and the ancestor of Prophet Muhammad; he is an ancestor of the people who
became the Children of Israel (followers of Prophet Moses) through his son
Isaac. In Jewish traditions, Abraham is called the father of the Jews. However,
Islam rejects this idea, for the Quran clearly states that he was neither a Jew
nor a Christian, but a believer in pure monotheism (belief in One God).
“Why do you dispute about Abraham, while the Torah and the
Gospel were not revealed until after him? Have you then no sense? Abraham was
neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa.” (Quran 3:65
& 67)
Muslims are required to believe in all of the Prophets
of God; Abraham, however, holds a special place as one of the important
messengers of God and has the unique honour of being called, in both Islamic
and Christian
traditions, the beloved servant of God. Together, Abraham and his son Ishmael
built the Kaaba (the black cubical building in the middle of the Holy Masjid in
Mecca).
“And remember when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the
foundations of the House, saying, Our Lord! Accept this from us. Verily! You
are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” (Quran 2:127)
Muslims turn their faces towards the Kaba many times
every day whilst performing their prayers, and in every prayer, they ask God to
bless Abraham and his family.
The World of Angels
While in the seventh heaven, Prophet Muhammad was shown
the building known as the much-frequented house, or al Bayt al-Mamoor in
Arabic. It is fitting that Prophet Abraham was here with this house, as it is
the heavenly equivalent of the Kaaba in Mecca. Each year at the time of
pilgrimage (Hajj), more than 2 million Muslims from all over the world flock to
Mecca to follow in the footsteps of Prophet Abraham and perform certain rites
including circling the Kaaba. Every day 70,000 angels visit this much-frequented
house in the seventh heaven to worship God. Prophet Muhammad informed us that,
once the angels have visited Bayt al-Mamoor, they never return. God
swears by this house in the Quran.
“And by the Bayt al-Mamoor.” (Quran 52:4)
Seventy thousand angels every day! What are the
implications of this? Think about it and wonder for how many thousands or even
millions of years has this been happening? How many of these beings, created
by God from light, are there? This was another wonder that Prophet Muhammad
was privileged to see and made able to describe to us. In his traditions, he
also informs us that the heavens above us are moaning, every space as big as
the width of four fingers is occupied by an angel worshipping God.
The Uppermost Boundary
Prophet Muhammad then moved through the seventh heaven
to the uppermost boundary, to Sidrat al-Muntaha, a lote tree.
“Near Sidrat al-Muntaha (lote-tree of the utmost
boundary. Near it is the Paradise of Abode.” (Quran 53:14-15)
He described its fruits like jugs and its leaves as big
as elephant ears. Four rivers originated from the lote tree’s roots. When he
asked about them, Prophet Muhammad was told that two of the rivers originated
in Paradise. Nothing has reached us about the names or significance of these
two rivers from the narrative of the ascension. However, he was told that the
other two rivers were replicas of the Nile and the Euphrates, two rivers that are
especially blessed in this world of mankind.
Sidrat al-Muntaha is called the uttermost boundary
because everything that comes up from the earth or the heavens stops there, and
everything that comes down stops there,
and because the knowledge of the angels stops at that point. No one
has gone beyond it except Prophet Muhammad.
Beyond this point, we leave the heavens and move into the realm of the
hereafter, the realm that contains Paradise and the Throne of God. As Prophet
Muhammad continues his miraculous journey, he moves into this realm and stands
in the presence of God Almighty.
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The Night Journey and the Ascension (part 5 of 6): In the Presence of God
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Description: In the presence of His Lord, Muhammad receives the commandment of establishing the five daily prayers.
By Aisha Stacey (© 2008 IslamReligion.com)
Published on 16 Jun 2008 - Last modified on 16 Jun 2008
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 Beyond the lote tree, the upmost boundary is a place
where, apart from one exception, no human has ever been. The night journey and
ascension through the heavens culminated in Prophet Muhammad moving past the
upmost boundary and standing in the presence of Almighty God. Beyond the lote
tree is the realm of the hereafter, Paradise, and the throne of God and God
himself.
The word miraculous does not go far enough in describing
what a wonder this must have been for Prophet Muhammad. It is beyond
description and beyond imagining. However, the Prophet Muhammad did not see God
with his eyes, as God tells us in the Quran
“No vision can grasp Him.” (Quran 6:103)
One of the companions asked Prophet Muhammad directly if
he saw God, to which he answered,
“He is veiled by light, how could I see him.” (Saheeh
Muslim)
The fact remains however, that Muhammad Prophet of God,
stood in the presence of God.
The Importance of Prayer
God spoke to Prophet Muhammad and we have no details of
the exchange except that God enjoined the daily prayers upon Prophet Muhammad
and his followers. From this, we immediately understand the importance of
prayer. It is the only command which God ordained in the heavens; all other
decrees originated on earth. Prayer is a gift from God to those who truly believe
in His Oneness. God bestowed this gift upon Prophet Muhammad who in turn gave
it to the followers of Islam. It is a gift full of great blessings and
bounties. It establishes and maintains our connection to God. God has no need
of our prayers but we, as helpless human beings, are in great need of feeling
connected to Him. In fact, the Arabic word for the five daily prayers is salah,
which come from the root word meaning “connection”.
“Guard strictly five obligatory prayers especially the middle
prayer . And stand before God with obedience.” (Quran 2:238)
God enjoined 50 prayers on Prophet Muhammad and his
followers. As Prophet Muhammad was descending he passed by Prophet Moses who requested
to know what had been enjoined. When Prophet Muhammad explained that he had
been ordered to prayer 50 times per day, Moses felt astonished and immediately
said, “Go back to your Lord and ask for a reduction”. When God prescribed 50
prayers, Prophet Muhammad accepted it, Moses, having had been a great prophet
himself, knew what from his followers what people could and could not handle in
regards to religious obligations. He was sure that the followers of Muhammad
would not be able to perform that many prayers. Prophet Muhammad had knowledge.
but Prophet Moses at this time had more experience.
Prophet Muhammad accepted the advice of his older
brother/prophet, went back into the presence of God, and asked for a reduction.
God reduced them by ten to forty prayers. Prophet Muhammad descended again;
Prophet Moses asked him what happened. When he heard that the reduction was only
ten, Prophet Moses sent him back to ask again for a further reduction.
This exchange continued until the number of obligatory
prayers became five. Prophet Moses suggested a further reduction saying, “O
Muhammad, I know people, your nation will not be able to handle it, go back and
ask for the burden on your people to be relieved.” Prophet Muhammad answered
“No.” He felt ashamed to ask for another reduction and said he was satisfied with
five daily prayers. A voice rang out, saying, “The prayers have been reduced
to five but they will be rewarded as though they were fifty.” God makes it
clear to us that even praying these five prayers can be difficult for some
people, but that those who establish the connection and trust that they will
one day meet their Lord will find it easy.
“And seek help in patience and the prayer: and truly it is
extremely heavy and hard except for the true believers in God. Those who obey God
with full submission, fear much from His Punishment, and believe in His Promise
(Paradise, etc.) and in His Warnings (Hell, etc.). (They are those) who are
certain that they are going to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are
going to return.” (Quran 2:45–46)
Mercy, Love and Compassion
This miraculous night concluded with this sign of the
mercy of God. Imagine how hard it would be to pray 50 times a day. Although
we learned during this journey that Moses cried when he realised Prophet Muhammad
would have more followers then he on the Day of Judgement, we also learn how eager
Prophet Moses was to give advice to Prophet Muhammad, and how keen he was to
make the practice of Islam easy upon the believers. The competition between
the Prophets was one of love and compassion, and from this we should learn how
to treat each other. Although God tells us to compete with one another in
doing deeds of righteousness, we should encourage and enable one another to do
this easily.
“...so strive as in a race in good deeds. The return of you
(all) is to God; then He will inform you about that in which you used to
differ.” (Quran 5:48)
Prophet Muhammad then descended back to the Holy Mosque in
Mecca. The companions of the Prophet were now about to face the biggest test
to their faith so far. Muhammad, the Prophet of God, was about to reveal that
he had returned from an overnight journey to the farthest Masjid in Jerusalem, a journey that normally took more than one month. He was also about to say he
had travelled where no man had gone before, through the heavens and into the
presence of God. This was a miraculous journey by night, but would his
companions believe him and how would his enemies react?
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The Night Journey and the Ascension (part 6 of 6): The Return
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Description: This great miracle and honour becomes a chance for the disbelievers to attack Islam as well as a test of faith for the Muslims.
By Aisha Stacey (© 2008 IslamReligion.com)
Published on 16 Jun 2008 - Last modified on 04 Oct 2009
Viewed: 4875 (daily average: 9) - Rating: 4.3 out of 5 - Rated by: 7
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Category: Articles
> Evidence Islam is Truth
> Evidence of Muhammad’s Prophethood
Category: Articles
> The Prophet Muhammad
> Evidence of His Prophethood
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Prophet Muhammad travelled on the back of Al-Buraq all
the way to the farthest Mosque in Jerusalem. He ascended through the seven
heavens and marvelled at wonders unimaginable. He looked into the faces and
exchanged greetings with many of his fellow Prophets, and the final slave and
Messenger of God, Muhammad, stood in the presence of God Himself. On the same
night, only several hours after he had commenced his journey, Prophet Muhammad returned
to Mecca.
This miraculous journey was about to become a weapon
against Prophet Muhammad and his followers by his enemies, and equally it would
be an extreme test of faith for the believers. Upon his homecoming, Prophet
Muhammad made his way to Umm Ayman and told her of his miraculous journey. She
responded, “O Messenger of God, do not tell anyone about this.” Umm Ayman had
perfect faith in Prophet Muhammad and believed his account of the journey, but
she was afraid of how others would respond.
Prophet Muhammad described Umm Ayman as “my mother after
my own mother”. She was the faithful servant of his mother Aminah and remained
with Prophet Muhammad through the deaths of his mother and grandfather. Prophet
Muhammad and Umm Ayman had always been very close, and at the completion of
this wondrous journey, he went to Umm Ayman’s home, perhaps for comfort and
ease while he contemplated this miracle, and decided his next move.
Prophet Muhammad responded by saying that he would tell
the people about the wondrous night. He considered it his responsibility
before God to convey the message, no matter the response or consequences; God
was responsible for the outcome. He left the house quietly with sombre
contemplation, and made his way to the Holy Mosque. He met people along the
way, and slowly the news of the night journey spread amongst the people.
The Response
While
Prophet Mohammad was sitting silently in the Mosque, Abu Jahl approached him
and asked casually, “O Muhammad is there anything new?” Known as one of the
greatest enemies of Islam Abu Jahl was responsible for the torture, punishment,
murder and harassment of the new Muslims throughout the early days of Islam. Even
though he was aware of the animosity and hatred Abu Jahl felt towards him,
Prophet Muhammad answered truthfully and said, “This past night I have
travelled to Jerusalem and back.”
Abu
Jahl, being unable to contain his amusement, responded by requesting Muhammad to
repeat these words in front of the people of Mecca. Prophet Muhammad responded
in the affirmative, and Abu Jahl left the Mosque running, calling out to the
people as he ran through the streets. When sufficient people had gathered in
the Mosque, at Abu Jahl’s request Prophet Muhammad said, for all to hear, “I
have been to Jerusalem and back.”
The
crowd of people started to laugh, whistle, and clap. They treated it as a big
joke and fell against one another laughing. This was the response expected by
Abu Jahl and he was thrilled. The disbelievers in the crowd saw a chance to put
an end to Islam. They ridiculed and belittled Prophet Muhammad’s claim. Among
the crowd were people who had travelled to Jerusalem and they asked Prophet
Muhammad to describe what he had seen.
The
Prophet of God began to describe his journey but he became irritated. He spent
only a brief amount of time in Jerusalem, and the miraculous nature of this
travels had meant that he did not remember small details and descriptions. However,
Prophet Muhammad tells us that God showed him the details “right in front of
his eyes” and he described what he had seen “stone by stone, brick by brick”.
The travellers confirmed his descriptions. (Saheeh Bukhari)
There is another narration that says that
whilst travelling back to Mecca, Prophet Muhammad passed over a caravan. He was
able to describe clearly. The caravan had lost a camel, and Prophet Muhammad
called from the sky telling them the whereabouts of the camel. He also drank
from their water supply.
The people of Mecca immediately dispatched some one to
meet the caravan before it entered the city to ask questions about the previous
night. They confirmed that a strange voice called out the location of the lost
camel and that part of their water supply had disappeared. Still these
confirmations were not enough. The people jeered and laughed and disbelieved
the words of the Prophet of God. This miraculous event was such a test of
faith that even some of the new Muslims disbelieved and turned away from the
faith of Islam.
The Sweetness of Faith
To those whose faith was strong and true, the Power of
God was obvious. Some of those who found the whole story difficult to believe
went to see Abu Bakr, the best friend and loyal supporter of Prophet Mohammad.
They asked him if he believed Prophet Muhammad travelled overnight to Jerusalem, and back to Mecca. Without hesitation Abu Bakr replied, “If the messenger of
God said so, then it is true”. It was because of this occasion that Abu Bakr
earned the title As-Siddeeq (the foremost believer). This was a turning point
for many Muslims; after already facing the physical torture and abuse of the disbelievers,
they now had to grapple with a concept beyond their wildest imaginings. Some
failed, but many soared to new heights and were able to taste the sweetness of true
submission to the One God.
The journey by night, from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to
the farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, and the ascension through the heavens and
into the presence of Almighty God was a miracle granted by God to His final
slave and Prophet, Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and
one of the greatest of honours bestowed upon any human.
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