The Miracle of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi^raj

(The night journey and the ascension of Prophet Muhammad)

The miracle of al-Isra' is confirmed in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Isra', Ayah 1 means [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, Muhammad, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, which is surrounded a blessed land.] This journey is also confirmed in the sahihhadith. Moreover, Islamic scholars indicated that the person who denies al-Isra' is a blasphemer, for belying the explicit text of the Qur'an.

After the Prophet performed the Nightfall Prayer (^Isha'), Jibril came to him with the buraq one of the animals of Paradise. The length of the buraq's stride is the farthest distance its eye can see. The buraq took off with the Prophet and Jibril .They arrived to Madinah, Tur Sina', then Bayt Lahm where Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) was born, until they entered the city of Jerusalem. There the Prophet went to Masjid al-Aqsa where Allah had assembled for him all the Prophets from Adam to ^Isa. Prophet Muhammad moved forward and led them all in prayer.

On Prophet Muhammad's journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah enabled him to see some of His wondrous creations.

• The Prophet saw people whose lips and tongues were clipped with scissors made of fire. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the speakers of sedition (fitna) who call people to misguidance."

• The Prophet also saw angels smashing some people's heads with rocks. These heads would return to the shape they had been, and then the angels would smash their heads again and so on. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones whose heads felt too heavy to perform prayer, the ones who used to sleep without praying."

• The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass fingernails. Jibril said, "These are the examples of those who commit gossip (ghibah)."

After the Prophet took this night journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, he ascended to the upper heavens on stairs, called al-mirqat until he reached the first heaven. There, Prophet Muhammad saw Prophet Adam. Then the Prophet ascended to the second heaven where Prophet Muhammad saw Prophets ^Isa and Yahya. The Prophet ascended to the third heaven, where he found Prophet Yusuf. Then the Prophet ascended to the fourth heaven, where he found Prophet Idris. In the fifth heaven, the Prophet encountered Harun. In the sixth heaven, he encountered Prophet Musa.

Then the Prophet ascended to the seventh heaven, and that is where our Messenger saw Prophet Ibrahim with his back against al-Bayt al-Ma^mur. To the inhabitants of the skies, al-Bayt al-Ma^mur is like the Ka^bah is to us. Every day 70,000 angels go there; then exit from it, and never return. In the seventh heaven, Prophet Muhammad saw Sidrat al-Muntaha--an extremely beautiful tree, its beauty is beyond description.

Then the Prophet ascended to what is beyond the seven skies; he entered Paradise. In Paradise, the Prophet saw some of the bounties Allah prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul-^In: females Allah created who are not human or jinn. The Prophet saw the wildan ul-mukhalladun:. They are servants of the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw examples of the inhabitants of Paradise and how their situation would be.

The Prophet saw other things on the night of his ascension. He saw Malik, the angel in charge of Hellfire. The Prophet saw the Throne (^Arsh), which is the ceiling of Paradise. The Throne is the largest creation of Allah in size. Allah created the Throne as a sign of His Power and He did not create the Throne to sit on it. Allah created the Throne to show His Power.

Then the Prophet ascended beyond Paradise. He reached a place where he heard the Kalam of Allah, which is an attribute of the Self of Allah and does not resemble our speech. It does not resemble our attributes and is eternal and everlasting.

The Prophet understood several things from hearing this Kalam of Allah. He understood the obligation of the five Obligatory Prayers. The Prophet also understood that a good deed would be written for the person who intends to do a good deed, even if he did not do it. In addition, the good deed performed would be registered for he who performs it as at least ten good deeds. Additionally, if one performs a bad deed, it is registered for him as one bad deed.

After all these matters took place with the Prophet, he returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet's journey took about one-third of the night. The next day the Prophet told the people what happened to him the previous night. The blasphemers belied the Prophet and mocked him. They said to Abu Bakr, "Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night." Abu Bakr told them, "If he said that, then he is truthful. I believe him concerning the news of the heavens, how could I not believe he went to Jerusalem and came back in a short period. At that, the Companion, Abu Bakr, was called "as-Siddiq"--because of how strongly he believed all what the Prophet had said.

Despite that, the blasphemers were still stubborn and rejected the faith. They did not accept Islam. Only those, whom Allah willed to be guided, surely they will be believers. Many people witnessed miracles and still did not believe.

We ask Allah that we would all die as Muslims. We ask Allah to bestow on us the bounty of entering Paradise without torture.

Allah knows best.