Allah immortalized the mention of Jerusalem and Masjid al-Aqsa till the Day of Judgement when He told us,
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
“Glory be to the One who Took His Servant (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have Blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” [Surah al-Isra, 1]
Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj is one of the greatest signs and miracles that were given to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after the Qur’an. Al-Isra’ refers to the Night Journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and Al-Mi’raj refers to the Ascension into the Heavens. Many people incorrectly believe that this journey was a hallucination, something that occurred in a dream, or something that was accomplished in the form of a soul and not physically. This is incorrect. This was a physical journey that happened on the same night. If the Isra’ and Mi’raj occurred only as a soul or in a dream, the Quraysh would not have rejected it or ridiculed him when he informed them about it. They would not have said that it took them a month by camel to reach Jerusalem and a month to come back, whereas Prophet Muhammad ﷺ claimed that he undertook this journey in a portion of the night.
When the Prophet ﷺ saw such a thing in a dream, he was very clear about it. Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated: While we were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) he said, “While I was sleeping, I saw myself in Paradise, and suddenly I saw a woman performing ablution beside a palace. I asked, ‘For whom is this palace?’ They replied, ‘It is for Umar.’ Then I remembered Umar's Ghira (protective jealousy) and went away quickly.” Umar wept and said, “O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! How dare I think of my ghira being offended by you? [Bukhari]
It is one of the most well-documented journeys in the Makkan period. There is no specific chronological order mentioned and there are certain narrations that go into detail whereas some don't. We have over 20 narrations in Sahih al-Bukhari alone from 6 different companions on Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj. There are 17 narrations in Sahih Muslim from 7 different companions. In addition to these, Allah Himself mentions portions of it in the Qur’an across Surah an-Najm and Surah al-Isra. To name just a few, the narrations of Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj have been successively narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Dharr, Malik ibn Sa’sa'ah, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa’eed, Ibn Abbas, Shaddad ibn Aws, Ubayy ibn Ka'b; Abd al-Rahman ibn Qart, Abu Hayyah, and Abu Layla al-Ansari, Abdullah ibn Amr, Jabir, Hudhayfah, Buraydah, Abu Ayyub, Abu Umamah, Samurah ibn Jundub, Abu al-Hamra, Suhayb al-Rumi, Umm Hani, Aishah and Asma, the two daughters of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq among many others. May Allah be Pleased with them all.
In this miraculous journey, the Prophet ﷺ witnessed heaven and hell, saw the future and past, and experienced other phenomena beyond all human comprehension. Allah is the Creator, the Most Powerful, and He does as He Pleases. Space, time, gravity, speed, light, and distance are all factors that submit to Allah, not the other way around. As Muslims, we believe that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was taken on a journey by night and was taken up to heaven himself when he was awake, then he was taken as high up as Allah willed where he spoke to Allah and was blessed with the 5 daily prayers.
It is reported that Al-Isra wal-Mi’raj occurred a year before the Prophet’s ﷺ migration to Madinah. Allah Knows Best the exact date of the event. This miraculous journey was a means of easing his heart after all that he had suffered during the Year of Sadness (in which Khadijah رضي الله عنها and Abu Talib died) and Taif.
Whenever we're down or feel there's no hope, turn back to the life of the Prophet ﷺ. In a single year, he lost his beloved wife as well as his uncle. He was chased, stoned, and ridiculed in Taif and his own people were planning to assassinate him. Surely our life isn't that bad now, is it? The key to unlocking our happiness here is to see how the Prophet ﷺ reacted. He didn't complain and ask why Allah was testing him as such. Rather he completely trusted in the plan that Allah had for him and continued his work. Allah was building in His Prophet ﷺ qualities of patience, empathy, and much more.
How did Allah reward this patience of the Prophet ﷺ? He was blessed to undertake the Night Journey where he led all the Prophets in Salah and was raised above into the heavens to the point where no creation had permission to pass before him. Remember: Allah's Plans will always be in our favour even if we don't understand them as long as we continue to do our duty to our Lord, Most High. That's a promise.
Why didn’t Allah raise Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah itself?
- Allah does as He Pleases.
- To show His Might, Power, and Signs.
- The Ka’bah at the time was not as we know it today. It was filled with idols and had become a place where shirk was committed.
- To showcase the importance and highlight the blessed station of Masjid al-Aqsa.
- Jerusalem was the land of the Prophets and many of them lived and were buried there.
- Masjid al-Aqsa was the Qiblah of the Muslims at the time.
The Beginning of Al-Isra'
The Prophet ﷺ was resting in the home of Umm Hani. Angel Jibreel عليه السلام opened the roof and entered the house. He took him to the Ka’bah. After a brief pause at the Hateem, Angel Jibreel عليه السلام escorted Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to the well of Zamzam. A golden tray full of wisdom and belief was brought his body was cut open from the throat to the lower part of the abdomen. Angel Jibreel عليه السلام washed his blessed heart with Zamzam, filled it with wisdom and belief, and placed it back. [Bukhari]
Scholars mention that one of the wisdom behind this washing was to prepare and strengthen the heart of the Prophet ﷺ for what he was about to experience. Anas رضي الله عنه used to say later on, “I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest.” [Muslim]
Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought for the Prophet ﷺ. This was the Buraq. Its name is derived from the Arabic word Barq, meaning lightning. The Buraq's step was so wide that it reached the farthest point that the eye could reach. [Muslim] This indicates the high speed at which the Buraq travels. All mentions of the Buraq having wings and human-like facial features are baseless and completely inauthentic. The Buraq was saddled and reined, but it shied away in the presence of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Angel Jibreel عليه السلام said, “Is it from Muhammad (ﷺ) that you do this? Nobody has ridden you who is more honourable to Allah than him!” At this, it started sweating profusely. [Tirmidhi]
Some narrations suggest that the Prophet ﷺ stopped at Madinah, Mount Sinai, and Bethlehem on the way to Jerusalem to pray. The Prophet said, “We set off from Makkah and at a point, Jibreel said, ‘Dismount and pray,’ so I did that. He said, ‘Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed in Taibah, which will be the place of the migration.’ Then (at another place) he said, ‘Dismount and pray,’ so I prayed. He said, ‘Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed in Mount Sinai, where Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, spoke to Musa, peace be upon him.’ So I dismounted and prayed, and (later at another point) he said, ‘Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed in Bethlehem, where Isa, peace be upon him, was born.’” [Nasai]
The authenticity of these narrations is disputed among scholars. What is authentically established is that he travelled from Makkah to Jerusalem directly. Just as they were entering Jerusalem, the Prophet ﷺ was shown the grave of Prophet Musa عليه السلام. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I passed by Musa during my night journey near the red mound; he was praying in his grave.” [Muslim]
Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that during the Prophet's ﷺ journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah enabled him to see some of His wondrous creations. Allah enabled the Prophet ﷺ to see the world (dunya) like an old woman. However, this old woman was wearing a great deal of jewellery, and in this, there is an indication signifying the reality of the world. [Fath al-Bari]
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When we reached Bayt al-Maqdis, Jibreel pointed with his finger causing a crack in the rock, and he tied the Buraq to it." [Tirmidhi] This is located approximately to the south-west corner of the Al-Aqsa compound. At the time of the Prophet’s visit to Jerusalem, the structure of Masjid al-Aqsa had been reduced to rubble and ruins by the disbelievers. The foundations of the original Masjid might still have been present and it is the land that has been blessed. Allah Knows Best.
The Prophet ﷺ entered Bayt al-Maqdis where all the Prophets of Allah had been assembled. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Then I found myself among a group of the Prophets, and the time for prayer came, so I led them in prayer.” [Muslim] Other reports indicate that Angel Jibreel عليه السلام brought Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to come forward as the Imam and lead all other prophets in prayer. This incident also teaches us that salah was known and prescribed from the beginning of Prophethood, but the five daily prayers were enjoined only after Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj.
In Bayt al-Maqdis, the Prophet ﷺ was presented with two vessels: one full of wine and the other full of milk. He looked at them and took the vessel which was full of milk. At this, Angel Jibreel عليه السلام said, “Thanks to Allah Who has Guided you to that, which is in accordance with the fitrah (natural disposition). Had you selected wine, your people would have gone astray." [Bukhari].
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, “I mounted it (Buraq) and came to the Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem, then tethered it to the ring used by the prophets (to tie their mounts). I entered the masjid and prayed two rak’at in it, and then came out. [Muslim] This incident also teaches us how Masjid al-Aqsa has been a central theme and a place of visit by other Prophets of Allah.
Ascension Into The Heavens
Now, it was time for Al-Mi’raj or the Ascension. Linguistically, anything that facilitates or takes a person from a lower position to a higher position is known as Al-Mi’raj. The Prophet described everything he saw including the Buraq in detail but left out the details of the exact mechanism of the Mi’raj. There are no authentic narrations that detail it like ladders descending from the sky etc. As Muslims, we submit, believe in it happening physically, and don’t delve into how it happened. Allah is All Powerful and this is something easy for Him. If there was a benefit in us knowing the details, Allah would have relayed it to us. This is a principle we should try and follow for everything that we do.
It is famously believed that the rock housed in the Dome of the Rock is the point at which Prophet Muhammad stood and from there ascended into the heavens. This is baseless and has no authentic narration to back it up. Muslims visited Jerusalem during the rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the time of Mu’awiyyah, and the generations of the Tabi’un (successors) and Atba at-Tabi’un (followers) that came after. None of them visited the stone, glorified it, or even narrated anything remotely connected to it that would define its virtue. It was only at the time of Caliph Abdul Malik ibn Marwan that the people started to glorify it.
The Prophet ﷺ describes the Ascension and narrates, “Jibreel 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?’ Jibreel answered, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has Muhammad been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit is his!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Jibreel said (to me), ‘This is your father, Adam; offer him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcome, O pious son and pious Prophet.’” [Bukhari]
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ tells us, "When we ascended the lowest heaven (I saw) a man seated with groups on his right side and groups on his left side. When he looked up to his right, he laughed and when he looked to his left, he wept. He said, ‘Welcome to the righteous prophet and the righteous son.’
I asked Jibreel who he was and he replied, ‘He is Adam and these groups on his right and on his left are the souls of his descendants. Those of them on his right are the inmates of Paradise and the parties which are on his left side are the inmates of Hell; so when he looked towards his right side, he laughed, and when he looked towards his left side, he wept.’” [Muslim]
Our Sheikh Dr. Ibrahim Nuhu حفظه الله shared a very deep reflection on this interaction. The Sheikh said, “What has Allah told us regarding the treatment of parents?
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age (while) with you, say not to them (so much as), "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. [Surah al-Isra, 23]
Who is Prophet Adam عليه السلام? He is a Father to all of us. Rather, he is the Grandest of all Fathers. If we can't say as much as ‘uff’ to the parents then what about making them cry out of sadness? Try your best to do as much as good as you can so that on the Day when Allah takes us to account, our Father doesn't shed tears because of us." [Sharh Bulugh al-Maram]
Continuing on the journey of the Ascension, the Prophet ﷺ narrated, “Then Jibreel ascended with me until we reached the second heaven. Jibreel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Jibreel answered, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has Muhammad been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit is his!’ The gate was opened. When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (John) and Isa (Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Jibreel said (to me), ‘These are Yahya and Isa; offer 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 Jibreel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excellent visit is his!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the third heaven, there I saw Yusuf (Joseph). Jibreel said (to me), ‘This is Yusuf; offer 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.'” [Bukhari]
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, “(The gate) was opened for us and I saw Yusuf who had been given half of beauty.” [Muslim] Without a doubt, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام was one of the most handsome people ever created. Scholars differ over what the Prophet ﷺ meant when he said ‘half of the beauty’. One group said that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the best of Allah’s creation. So Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام was given half of his beauty. It could be that he excluded himself out of humility in this narration. The second group and this is the opinion that seems the strongest is that it was referring to Prophet Adam عليه السلام. Allah Created and Fashioned Prophet Adam عليه السلام with His own Hands. Nothing can be more beautiful than such a creation. Hence, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام was given half the beauty of Prophet Adam عليه السلام. This is the opinion preferred by Imam Ibn Kathir and Ibn al-Jawzi. Allah Knows best.
Continuing on the journey of the Ascension, the Prophet ﷺ narrated, “Then Jibreel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excellent visit is his!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idrees (Enoch). Jibreel said (to me), ‘This is Idrees; offer 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 Jibreel ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excellent visit is his!’ So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (Aaron), Jibreel said, (to me), ‘This is Harun; offer 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 Jibreel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. It was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit is his!’ When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Musa. Jibreel said (to me), ‘This is Musa (Moses); offer 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. Musa) he wept. Someone asked him, ‘What makes you weep?’ Musa 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 Jibreel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Jibreel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Jibreel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Jibreel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit is his!’ So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Ibrahim (Abraham). Jibreel said (to me), ‘This is your father; offer 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.’” [Bukhari]
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Then Jibreel took me till we reached Sidratul-Muntaha which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk." [Bukhari]
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Then I was made to ascend to Sidratul-Muntaha (i.e. the farthest Lote Tree). Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Madinah) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Jibreel said, ‘This is the farthest Lote Tree.’ Behold! There ran four rivers; two were hidden and two were visible. I asked, ‘What are these two kinds of rivers, O Jibreel?’ 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-Bayt Al-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine, another full of milk, and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Jibreel remarked, ‘This is the religion of Islam which you and your followers are following.’” [Bukhari]
The Prophet ﷺ also said, “Then Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur (the most Frequented House) was raised up to me. I said, ‘O Jibreel! What is this?’ He replied, ‘It is Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur. Seventy thousand angels enter into it daily and, after they come out, they never return again.’” [Muslim] It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ saw Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام reclining with his back on Al-Bayt Al-Ma’mur.
Our father Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام sent us his salam and also gave us a gift. Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “I met Ibrahim on the Night of Ascension and he said to me, ‘O Muhammad, convey my greetings to your nation, and tell them that Paradise has pure soil and sweet water. It is a vast plain land and its seedlings are: Glory be to Allah (SubhanAllah), Praise be to Allah (Alhamdulillah), there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah (La Ilaha Ilallah), and Allah is Greatest (AllahuAkbar).’” [Tirmidhi]
Describing the other Prophets of Allah, our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “On the night of my Night Journey I passed by Musa ibn Imran, a man light brown in complexion, tall, and well-built as if he was one of the men of the Shanu'a. I saw Isa ibn Maryam as a medium-statured man with a white and red complexion and crisp hair. The closest in resemblance to him is Urwah ibn Mas’ud al-Thaqafi. I saw Ibrahim and amongst his children, I have the greatest resemblance with him. I saw Jibreel and Dihya is closest in resemblance to him.” [Muslim]
Allah says,
وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ - عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ - عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ - إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ - مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ - لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ
And he certainly saw him (Angel Jibreel) in another descent at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit (in the seventh heaven)—near which is the Garden of (Eternal) Residence—while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with (heavenly) splendours! The (Prophet’s) sight never wandered, nor did it overreach. He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs. [Surah an-Najm, 13-18]
It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهم that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was taken for the Night Journey, he was taken to Sidrat al-Muntaha, which is situated on the sixth heaven, where everything that ascends from the earth terminates and is held there, and where everything that descends from above it terminates and is held there. (It is with reference to this that) Allah said:
إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ
While the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with (heavenly) splendours! [Surah an-Najm, 16]
Ibn Umar continued, ‘(It was) gold moths.’ He further said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was given three (things): he was given five prayers, he was given the concluding verses of Surah al-Baqarah, and He pardoned the grave sins for those of his Ummah who do not associate anything with Allah.” [Muslim]
Imam al-Nawawi رحمه الله said, “It is called Sidrat al-Muntaha because the knowledge of the angels stops at that point, and no one has gone beyond it except the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. [Sharh Sahih Muslim]
Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I saw Jibreel at the Sidrat al-Muntaha having six hundred wings, and multi-colored pearls and rubies were falling from his wings.” [Ahmad] This was the second time that the Prophet was seeing Angel Jibreel in his true form. The only other time he had seen him in his true form was when he came down with the initial revelations and he covered all of the horizon. Otherwise, he usually came to the Prophet in the form of a handsome man. He would often take the resemblance of the companion Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi رضي الله عنه.
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ added, “Then Jibreel ascended with me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens.” [Bukhari]
This was the point where Angel Jibreel عليه السلام stopped and the Prophet ﷺ was told to go ahead alone. Angel Jibreel عليه السلام told him that he did not have Permission to go any further than that point. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was blessed and honoured to ascend to a position that none from the creation had ever reached. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers. When I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Musa who asked me, ‘What has Allah enjoined on your followers?’ I replied, ‘He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.’ Musa 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 Musa, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Allaah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Musa and he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Musa, he repeated the same advice, so I went back to Allaah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day. When I came back to Musa, 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 experienced 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 followers' 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, ‘O Muhammad! These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.’” [Bukhari]
The number of prayers that were initially obligated gives us a clear indication of what our purpose should be in life. To worship Allah Alone. Even though the prayers were reduced from 50 to 5, if we look at the different narrations from the Prophet’s ﷺ life, we find that out of his ihsan and immense servitude to Allah, he still prayed 50 every day. He ﷺ used to pray:
- 17 fardh rak'at from the obligatory prayers
- 12 rak'at of the Sunan al-Ratibah
- 2 rak'at before Tahajjud
- 8 rak'at for Tahajjud
- 3 rak'at for Witr
- 8 rak'at for Salat al-Duha
Why is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ meeting Prophet Musa عليه السلام and not Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام? Allah Knows best. Based on the order narrated to us, we know that Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام was in the seventh heaven and Prophet Musa عليه السلام was below him. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after getting the Command for the prayers would have had to pass him. He did not discuss or ask about the Command of the initial fifty prayers with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام is the Khaleel of Allah. His life shows us the definition of a true Muslim. He completely submitted himself to any and every Command of Allah without hesitation. He never questioned any Command that he received from Allah.
- Prophet Musa عليه السلام is Kaleemullah. He knows that Allah doesn’t Speak to a prophet without giving him a mighty task. He also had experience in dealing with one of the largest nations that any prophet had ever dealt with. He wanted to help Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by sharing his experience and learnings from leading Bani Israel.
Did The Prophet See Allah?
As per the majority of the scholars, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not see Allah during Al-Mi’raj. Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه directly asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Did you see your Lord?” He said, “(He is) Light; how could I see Him?” [Muslim]
Aishah رضي الله عنها said, "If anyone tells you that Muhammad (ﷺ) has seen his Lord, he is a liar, for Allah says, 'No vision can grasp Him.’ And if anyone tells you that Muhammad (ﷺ) has seen the Unseen, he is a liar, for Allah says, None has the Knowledge of the Unseen but Allah.’” [Bukhari]
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله cites a unanimous agreement among the companions that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not see Allah during al-Mi’raj. [Ijtima’ al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah]
The Gift of Salah
The greatest conclusion to this miraculous journey was the gift of the five daily prayers. Salah is an obligation upon every Muslim. Rather, it was made obligatory upon all the Prophets and their nations. Everything else is secondary. It was the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned after the shahadah. It is an obligation for which the Prophet ﷺ, the Imam of Imams himself was called up to the heavens to receive while everything else was sent down via Angel Jibreel.
How can we take this matter lightly when our Prophet ﷺ said, "The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [Tabarani]
The Salah is a gift from Allah. He does not need us to pray, rather it is we who need to pray to Allah. Allah out of his Mercy, rewards us 50 times in rewards for the 5 prayers that we do. It is the utmost lifehack to have our sins forgiven. The Prophet ﷺ said, "If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?" The people said, "No filth would remain on him whatsoever." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, "That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them." [Bukhari]
One of the last pieces of advice that our beloved Prophet ﷺ left us with while on his blessed deathbed was his emphasizing, “The prayer, the prayer! And fear Allah with regard to those whom your right hands possess.” [Abu Dawud]
Reflecting on The Conversation Between Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Musa
Let’s pause here for a minute and go back to the conversation between Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Prophet Musa عليه السلام. We learn a very important lesson on what a Muslim’s mindset should be like in their conversation.
Prophet Musa عليه السلام wept and said, “I weep because after me there has been sent (as a Prophet) a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.”
This is the permissible type of jealousy. Competing amongst each other to see who can attain the Love and Pleasure of Allah the most. This is what should fuel and drive our way forward as we work across our communities.
Despite knowing that his nation had lost out in honour, ranking, and in numbers to the Nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Prophet Musa عليه السلام still repeatedly kept advising and guiding our Prophet ﷺ based on his own learnings and experience. He advised regarding the prayers enjoined on us, "O Muhammad! By Allah, I tried to persuade my nation, Bani Israel to do less than this, but they could not do it and gave it up. However, your followers are weaker in body, heart, sight, and hearing, so return to your Lord so that He may lighten your burden."
This is the key to success. Even if we can't directly attain success or have it come through our hands, we can and should do anything and everything possible to make sure it happens. If you can't do it make sure others learn from what you could and could not do and let them build higher from that. Don't tear down those trying or discourage them. Help them and make their success as your success. It is the Pleasure of Allah that matters at the end of the day. and not the banner. Add to that, Allah Knows and Sees who intended to do something and who actually did it.
So how can we learn from this today? When working together, we need to keep trying to outdo our fellow companions in goodness just like there was a constant competition between Abu Bakr and Umar. If one builds a product that helps 10 people, we need to work on a product that helps 100 people and in an even more effective manner. This is working with Ihsan. In terms of mindset for the long term, we need to look at everyone involved through the lens of cooperation and not competition. Why? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever guides someone to virtue will be rewarded equivalent to him who practices that good action". [Muslim].
- When we race, we are rewarded for every step.
- When we lose, we are rewarded for trying and for our intention to win.
- When we help others win, we are rewarded twice-fold and their victory also becomes our victory.
Other Key Incidents
1. Meeting the Angel Malik
Malik is the gatekeeper of Hell. It is narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ completed the prayer, someone said, “Here is Malik, the keeper of Hell, so convey your Salam to him”. So, I turned to him, but he preceded me in Salam. [Muslim]
Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the Angel Jibreel, “Why do I never see the Angel Malik laughing?” Angel Jibreel said, “Malik has not laughed since the creation of the Hellfire.” [Ahmad]
2. The Fragrance of Pharaoh’s Hairdresser
It was narrated that Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey, a beautiful fragrance came to me. I said, ‘O Jibreel, what is this beautiful fragrance?’ He said, ‘This is the fragrance of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter and her children.’ I said, ‘What is their story?’
Angel Jibreel said, ‘Whilst she was combing the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter one day, the iron comb fell from her hand and she said, ‘Bismillah (in the Name of Allah).’ The daughter of Pharaoh said, ‘My father?’ She said, ‘No. My Lord and the Lord of your father is Allah.’ She threatened her, ‘I will tell him about that.’ She said, ‘Yes.’ So she told him and he summoned her and said, ‘O So and so, do you have a Lord other than me?’ She said: ‘Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.’
He ordered that a baqarah (cow) made of copper be heated up, then he ordered that she and her children be thrown into it. She said, ‘I have a request to make of you.’ He said, ‘What is your request?’ She said, ‘I would like my bones and my children’s bones to be gathered together in one cloth and buried.’ He said, ‘This will be done for you.’ He ordered that her children be thrown into it in front of her, one by one, until they came to the last one who was an infant boy who was still being breastfed. It was as if she wavered because of him, but he said, ‘O mother, go ahead, for the punishment of this world is easier to bear than the punishment of the hereafter.’ So she went ahead.”
Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه said, “Four infants spoke in the cradle: Isa ibn Maryam, the companion of Jurayj, the witness of Yusuf, and the son of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter.” [Ahmad]
The narration mentions a cow made of copper. This seems to be a simile or a figure of speech instead of an actual pot made in the shape of a cow. What’s more probable is that it may have been a vast pot, which they called a baqarah, taken from the word ‘tabaqqur’ which means vastness, or it may have been something that could have held a whole cow because of its large size.
3. Observing Paradise and Hell
There are many different reports of what the Prophet ﷺ observed of the beauty of Paradise and what he was shown of the punishments in Hell. Based on the wordings of the narrations, it can be understood that he didn’t enter Paradise and he definitely didn’t enter Hell as he is the best of creation and the one who is farthest from it. Rather, he was shown Paradise and Hell.
Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whilst I was walking in Paradise, I saw a river whose banks were domes of hollow pearls.” I said, “What is this, O Jibreel?” He said, “This is al-Kawthar which your Lord has given to you.” The angel struck it with his hand and its mud or its perfume was of the most fragrant (or pure) musk.” [Bukhari]
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: At the time of the Fajr prayer the Prophet (ﷺ) asked Bilal, "Tell me of the best deed you did after embracing Islam, for I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise." Bilal رضي الله عنه replied, "I did not do anything worth mentioning except that whenever I performed ablution during the day or night, I prayed after that ablution as much as was written for me." [Bukhari]
Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "During the Mi'raj (the Night of Ascension), I saw a group of people who were scratching their chests and faces with their copper nails. I asked, ‘Who are these people, O Jibreel?’ Jibreel replied, ‘These are the people who ate the flesh of others (by backbiting) and trampled people's honour.’” [Abu Dawud].
It is reported that he also saw:
- He ﷺ saw the punishment of the one who stole an orphan's money — they had noses like that of camels, and they were eating coals made out of the fire, and their mouths would swallow the coals and it would come out through their anuses.
- He ﷺ saw people who had in front of them pure meat and rotten meat, and they were eating the rotten meat and avoiding the pure meat. Angel Jibreel عليه السلام said, "These are the people that used to fornicate — they would leave the halal (spouses) and would go to the haram." [Ahmad]
- He ﷺ saw people with such large bellies that they could not stand up, and animals were being brought over them to trample over them. Angel Jibreel عليه السلام said, “These were the people who would get their money from riba (usury). [Ahmad]
- He ﷺ saw people who were cutting their own lips and tongues with scissors of fire/copper. Angel Jibreel عليه السلام said, “These were the preachers from your nation who used to tell others to do good, but they would forget themselves.” [Ahmad]
The Reaction of the Quraysh
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was brought back down to Jerusalem and from there to Makkah. On the way back, he passed three familiar caravans.
In the first caravan, he saw people from Makkah whom he knew. While passing by the second caravan, he felt thirsty and drank water from their container. In the third caravan, he saw a person he knew who was looking for a camel they had lost. Some reports suggest that this was all about the same caravan.
It is reported that when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ arrived in Makkah, his bed was still warm. He went to sleep. In the morning, he narrated the incident to Umm Hani and her family. When he was about to leave the house, Umm Hani said, “O Prophet of Allah, do not tell people this, lest they disbelieve you and harm you.” He ﷺ said, “By Allah, I will tell them.”
As he was sitting in the Haram, Abu Jahl passed by and saw him. Sarcastically, he asked, “What is the matter with you? Has anything new happened?” The Prophet ﷺ responded, “Last night I was taken from here to Jerusalem.”
Abu Jahl was shocked to hear this. He asked, “And you are now back here amongst us?” When the Prophet ﷺ answered in the affirmative, Abu Jahl saw this as a golden opportunity to belittle and make fun of him. He said, “If I invite people over here, will you tell them exactly what you have told me?” When the Prophet ﷺ replied in the affirmative, he gathered the people to listen and the Prophet ﷺ repeated exactly what had happened.
Some people started laughing and mocking the Prophet ﷺ while others put their hands on their heads, not knowing what to do. One of the people from the Quraysh, who had travelled to Jerusalem decided to test the Prophet ﷺ. Knowing that the Prophet had never been there before, he asked him to describe Bayt Al-Maqdis. It is important to note that the Prophet ﷺ had travelled in the dead of the night. Despite that, he started describing what he remembered seeing of Bayt al-Maqdis. The man started asking more questions about specific details of the city which he could not recall.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When the people of Quraysh did not believe me (i.e. the story of my Night Journey), I stood up in Al-Hijr and Allah displayed Jerusalem in front of me, and I began describing it to them while I was looking at it.” [Bukhari]
At the end of all the questioning, one of the people said, “He is accurate in his description of Jerusalem.” [Ahmad] The Prophet ﷺ said, “I will give you some extra signs.” He then mentioned the three caravans he had passed on his way back. One of them was very close to entering Makkah, and it arrived just as the Prophet ﷺ was facing the questions of the Quraysh. Abu Jahl went to see the caravan and found it was exactly as the Prophet ﷺ had described. So he comes back and says, "This is clear sorcery.” [Ibn Hisham]
The Makkans asked the caravan about the stray camel and water container. They replied, “By Allah! He told the truth, we had camped in a valley which he mentioned and one of our camels had run off. We heard a man’s voice calling us to it until we caught it. ”Despite seeing all the signs, he persisted in his disbelief and rejected the Prophet ﷺ.
Imam al-Qurtubi رحمه الله further narrates, “When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ reported to the people about his journey, most of the disbelievers of Makkah found it strange and unusual and some of them said, ‘By Allah! This is really a strange happening. Our caravans take one month from Makkah to Bayt Al-Maqdis; one month to go and one month to return. Then how is it possible for Muhammad to go in one night and to return to Makkah in the same night?’
They sought Abu Bakr and they said, ‘Have you heard that your friend imagined he was taken by night to Bayt al-Maqdis?’ Abu Bakr said, “Did he say that?” They said, ‘Yes.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘If he said it, he has spoken the truth.’ They said, ‘Do you believe he went by night to Bayt al-Maqdis and returned before morning?’ Abu Bakr said, ‘Yes. Verily, I believe what is even more astonishing than that. I believe he has received messages from heaven for everything he does.’”
This is why Allah says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن جَآءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَإٍۢ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓا۟ أَن تُصِيبُوا۟ قَوْمًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍۢ فَتُصْبِحُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَـٰدِمِينَ
O believers, if an evildoer brings you any news, verify (it) so you do not harm people unknowingly, becoming regretful for what you have done. [Surah al-Hujurat, 6]
“Then Abu Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah! Have you really told them that you visited Jerusalem tonight? He ﷺ said, ‘Yes.’ He then asked the Prophet of Allah ﷺ to describe Bayt Al-Maqdis as he had traveled to it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ began describing it, Abu Bakr said at each description ‘You are truthful, and I witness that you are a true Messenger of Allah’ until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished his description. He then said to Abu Bakr, ‘O Abu Bakr! You are As-Siddiq.’ Since then, Abu Bakr became known with this title.” [Al-Jami’ li-Ahkam al-Qur’an]
A Day of Celebration?
The masses famously take the 27th of Rajab as a day of celebration and claim that al-Isra' wal-Mi'raj occurred on this date. There are mutawatir reports from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he was taken up into the heavens, and their gates were opened for him until he passed beyond the seventh heaven, where Allah spoke to him as He willed, and enjoined the five daily prayers upon him. There is absolutely nothing authentically narrated to indicate that it is in Rajab or in any other month.
Many problematic practices happen on this day. The most apparent opinion is that al-Isra' and al-Mi'raj was in Rabi' al-Awwal. Moreover, having celebrations on the 27th night of Rajab is an innovation that has no basis from the blessed first three generations of Islam. When we don't even have a proper date documented for it, then how can we claim celebrations are legislated for it? If those who lived, loved, supported, and died for the Sunnah didn't celebrate it, then how can we? If celebrating it was something that is prescribed in Islam, the Messenger would have told his ummah about that, either in word or in deed. If any such thing had happened, it would have been well known, and his companions would have transmitted the information to us just as they transmitted the rest of the religion. The Prophet ﷺ warned us, “Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” [Muslim]
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