The Glorious Night of journey (Isra) & Ascension (Mi'raj):
The night of journey (Isra):
The night of journey (Isra):
From El Masjid Al Haram-- to-- El Masjid Al-Aqsa
Glorified be He who took his servant for a journey by night from the Masjid Al-Haram to the Masjid Al-Aqsa, the surroundings we have blessed, in order to show him some of Our signs. Indeed , He is the all-Hearing, the all-Seeing.(The Holly Qur'an Al-Isra 17;1 )
This verse talks about the most remarkable miracles of Muhammad (PUH), the night of journey (Isra). This journey had two phases: The horizontal from the Ka'aba in Makkah (El Masjid El Haram - The sacred Mosque ), to the historic masjid (Al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem. The second was the vertical phase from Al-Aqsa to the divine throne (Mi'raj) night of Ascension .
The purpose of this journey is “to show him Our signs”. The Saying literarture gives graphic details of this momentous journey. The verse begins with one of the Divine attributes, “Subhaan”, (Glorified). Let us look at the significance of this:
The diameter of the universe according to the astronomers is 3 billion light years, an incredible distance unimaginable, to the human intellect. The question is how could such a fantastic distance be covered in such a short period of night? We need not search any further, since the Glorious Qur'an tells us it was Subhaan who took His servant from the sacred mosque to the furthest mosque. The Divine name "Subhaan": the one who is flawless without defect or weakness, the Glorified, The Qur'an claims the One took His servant on this miraculous journey is the one who is free from every kind of weakness.
The diameter of the universe according to the astronomers is 3 billion light years, an incredible distance unimaginable, to the human intellect. The question is how could such a fantastic distance be covered in such a short period of night? We need not search any further, since the Glorious Qur'an tells us it was Subhaan who took His servant from the sacred mosque to the furthest mosque. The Divine name "Subhaan": the one who is flawless without defect or weakness, the Glorified, The Qur'an claims the One took His servant on this miraculous journey is the one who is free from every kind of weakness.
The Lord of the universe, Who can create from nothing by the mere command of ‘kun’ (Be) and ‘fa-yakun’ (it becomes), by using the divine epithet “Subhaan”, the clouds of doubt vanish in the air ! Hence the denial of the Miraj is not the denial of the miraculous journey, but the power of Allah.
El Masjid El Aqsa (farthest mosque) :
The House of Worship at Quds in Jerusalem was first built by Prophet Isaac (PUH.) 40 years after the foundation of Holy Ka’aba at Makkah by his father Prophet Abraham (PUH.) and his brother Prophet Ismail (PUH). Prophet Solomon (PUH) renewed it ,The Holy Quran was the first to call it a MOSQUE like the Sacred Mosque of Makkah. This is the high rank awarded to Al-Quds by Islam..
Later the Dome of Rock was built by Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan in 72 A.H. (690 A.D.) and after his death Waleed bin Abdul Malik completed the Masjid Al Aqsa which stands until today. Muslim have high respect for Al Aqsa Mosque "The farthest mosque" as it is the first Qibla of Islam and one of the Three Harems.
El Masjid El Aqsa (farthest mosque) :
The House of Worship at Quds in Jerusalem was first built by Prophet Isaac (PUH.) 40 years after the foundation of Holy Ka’aba at Makkah by his father Prophet Abraham (PUH.) and his brother Prophet Ismail (PUH). Prophet Solomon (PUH) renewed it ,The Holy Quran was the first to call it a MOSQUE like the Sacred Mosque of Makkah. This is the high rank awarded to Al-Quds by Islam..
Moreover, there is very chequered history of construction and destruction of this House. It was finished by Prophet Solomon (PUH) about 1004 B.C. destroyed by Babylonians under Nebuchad-nezzar about 586 B.C., rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C. turned into a heathen idol temple by one of Alexander’s successors, Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 B.C. restored again by Herod B.C. 17 to A.D. 29 and then completely razed to the ground by Emperor Titus in A.D. 70” ( AYA note 2168). It was again built in 135 A.D. by the Jews and again destroyed by the Christians later.When Muslim forces conquered Jerusalem and Caliph Omar Ibn al Khattab visited the site he built a mosque in the Holy Precincts.
The Dome of Rock (Inside look)
The Ascension (Mi'raj):
Mi-raj was a physical & spiritual ascension of The Prophet Muhammad (PUH), not a vision or dream in sleep or slumber, because even ordinary men see such things in their dreams. It was no doubt a spiritual realisation but attained by an actual journey. That was a Trip towards the higher world as a Prophet, since another part of the journey of Ascension of the Prophet (PUH) is explained in verses of al‑Najm :
The Prophet of Islam (PUH) began his historical night journey, along with the trusted protector of the revelation, the Angel Gabriel (Jibra'il) from the house of Umm al Hani, the daughter of his uncle and sister of Amir al‑Mo'minin Ali (A.S) in the blessed city of Makkah.
The Messenger (PUH) says:
This noble assembly marked the end of the horizontal part of the journey. From here, accompanied by Gabriel (A.s), the Messenger (PUH) traveled on the Buraq ascending the heavens:
In the first heaven, He (PUH) met Adam (PUH), who greated The Prophet Muhammed (PUH) with love and affection in thewords, “Welcome O righteous Son!” , The ascension continued to the second heavens where He (PUH) met Jesus (PUH) and John (PUH), then on to the third heaven where He (PUH) was met by Joseph (PUH), on the fourth by Idriss (PUH), on the fifth by Aaron (PUH), and on the sixth by Moses (PUH) and on the seventh He (PUH) was greeted by Abraham (PUH) , & The journey continued beyond the heavens until He (PUH) reached the Baiy al Mamur , (The Kaabah of the Angels), from where He (PUH) ascended to the Lote tree of the uttermost boundary. Thas is the focal point of the Divine mercy.The Angel Gabriel (A.S) then reached the point where he was not allowed to travel any further. It was at this point that he parted from Muhammad (PUH), saying: “Oh! Muhammad! Beyond this is for you. No permission is given to me to pass one inch beyond it.”
Then The Prophet (PUH) asked him, “ Gabriel , you have accompanied me all the way from Mecca reaching up to here and you are leaving me alone Now? I don’t know the way.”
Then The Prophet Muhammed (PUH) continued alone As the The Glorious Qur'an alludes to it (53:8)
Then he revealed to his servent what he revealed, his (The prophet's heart) did not falsify what he saw...when there enshrouded the Lote tree that wich enshroudeth, his eye wavered not , nor did it transgress verily he beheld, of all the signs of his lord, the Greatest.
The Prophet of Islam (PUH) began his historical night journey, along with the trusted protector of the revelation, the Angel Gabriel (Jibra'il) from the house of Umm al Hani, the daughter of his uncle and sister of Amir al‑Mo'minin Ali (A.S) in the blessed city of Makkah.
The Messenger (PUH) says:
“One night I was asleep, in the The sacred Mosque near the Kaabah when I was woken by Gabriel . He informed me of the Diving will and took me to the well of ZamZam, where upon he opened my chest and poured wisdom and faith into it. Then he sealed it. I was then presented with a beautiful Buraq. This is an animal larger than a mule but smaller than a horse. I mounted it.”It traveled at phenomenal speed. The Messenger (PUH) was soon at the second precinct of Masjid al-Aqsa (The farthest mosque). There all of the prophets (124,000 prophets) of the past ages Before Him were assembled and waiting for him. He lead them in congregational prayer, This noble assembly marked the end of the horizontal part of the journey. From here, accompanied by The Angel Gabriel , the Messenger (PUH) traveled on the Buraq ascending the heavens.
This noble assembly marked the end of the horizontal part of the journey. From here, accompanied by Gabriel (A.s), the Messenger (PUH) traveled on the Buraq ascending the heavens:
In the first heaven, He (PUH) met Adam (PUH), who greated The Prophet Muhammed (PUH) with love and affection in thewords, “Welcome O righteous Son!” , The ascension continued to the second heavens where He (PUH) met Jesus (PUH) and John (PUH), then on to the third heaven where He (PUH) was met by Joseph (PUH), on the fourth by Idriss (PUH), on the fifth by Aaron (PUH), and on the sixth by Moses (PUH) and on the seventh He (PUH) was greeted by Abraham (PUH) , & The journey continued beyond the heavens until He (PUH) reached the Baiy al Mamur , (The Kaabah of the Angels), from where He (PUH) ascended to the Lote tree of the uttermost boundary. Thas is the focal point of the Divine mercy.The Angel Gabriel (A.S) then reached the point where he was not allowed to travel any further. It was at this point that he parted from Muhammad (PUH), saying: “Oh! Muhammad! Beyond this is for you. No permission is given to me to pass one inch beyond it.”
Then The Prophet (PUH) asked him, “ Gabriel , you have accompanied me all the way from Mecca reaching up to here and you are leaving me alone Now? I don’t know the way.”
Angel Gabriel Replied: “Oh Muhammad! Beyond this is only for you, not for me. A strict order is given to me From The Lord saying: `If you pass beyond this limitation then you will be sent to non-existence, If i go one step further i will be burned.”
Then The Prophet Muhammed (PUH) continued alone As the The Glorious Qur'an alludes to it (53:8)
Then he drew near, very near, like two bows lengths or even closer. And He revealed to His servant what He revealedThis Journey of Isra and Miraj is journey of Love that starts from the earthly ka'abah and ends in the heavenly ka'abah (Throne of God), of which the earthly ka'abah is a symbolic reflection , so Islam too starts with Allah and ends with him . In other words the journey of Isra and Miraj represents, in a deeper sense , the Ultimate pilgrimage towards Allah , in relation to which the earthly pilgrimage is a symbolic imitation, for in the pilgrimage to the Ka'abah a person moves from his home to the Ka'abah , but in Isra - Miraj , The Prphet (PUH) moved from the Ka'abah towards the Almighty lord It simultaneously Constitutes , a Pilgrimage towards one's own inwards ka'abah or towards the trans-personal depth of one's own heart Likewise this Journey represents , in a deeper sense ,what we call the Greater Holy war "Al Jihad El Akbar" against the ceducible Ego and the seductive World in search of the Lord , through 70.000 veils of light and darkness that hide the almighty God from us .
it is a Journey from multiplicity to Unity , From many to One , From the visible to invisible , and from Time to Eternity .it constitutes a positive Movement of Muhammad (PUH) towards Allah leaving behind what is other than he , This is the ultimate State of Tawhid , The Goal of All spirituality in Islam.
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