The purpose of Isra (the journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa via Buraq) in the Holy Quran is explained as: ﴿لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا﴾
“So that We may show Our signs to Our servant (the Prophet).” Similarly, some details of Mi’raj (the heavenly journey) are mentioned in Surah Najm, where it is said: ﴿لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ﴾
“The Prophet of Allah saw some of the great signs of his Lord there.”
From these two verses, it is clear that on the night of Isra and Mi’raj, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) witnessed many great signs of his Lord. Some of these great signs are as follows:
● After the splitting of the chest, the removal of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) pure heart, washing it, and then placing it back in its place is also a great sign because at that time, medicine and science were not as advanced as they are today. At that time, removing the heart from its place was equivalent to death, but nothing happened to the Prophet (peace be upon him). This was by Allah’s command and will. By Allah’s special grace and mercy, his life was preserved until his heart was filled with faith and wisdom and placed back in its place.
● The second great sign: Allah’s provision of a lightning-fast mount like Buraq, which covered a journey of one and a half to two months in a very short part of the night.
● The third great sign: The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) ascension to the heavens via the Mi’raj (ladder). What a magnificent ladder it must have been that was provided for ascending the heavens. You tied Buraq at Al-Quds (Jerusalem). After returning from the heavens, you again traveled from Al-Quds to Masjid al-Haram on the same Buraq.
● The fourth great sign: Gathering all the Prophets in Al-Quds and leading them in prayer by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Whether this event happened before ascending to the heavens or after returning (as there is some difference of opinion), its importance is clear.
● Then, a human’s ascension to the heavens is itself a very significant sign.
● Also, the special meetings with the noble Prophets (peace be upon them) in the heavens express the unique status of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and are a great sign.
● The observation of Sidrat al-Muntaha, which is the utmost limit, both of the upper things and the earthly things. Above it are things that descend; their descent first occurs here: angels receive them here and act accordingly. Things going upward from the earth to the heavens also stop here before being taken to their destination. In this respect, it is a very important place and a highly significant center. Moreover, this center is also a manifestation of divine revelations. Around it, golden moths are continuously flying. Its beauty and splendor cannot be described. Near it is Jannat al-Ma’wa (the Garden of Refuge). At this very place, صريف الأقلام “the sounds of pens moving” were also heard by the Prophet (peace be upon him), meaning that here angels record the decrees of fate from the Preserved Tablet. At this place, the Prophet (peace be upon him) received three things which are special gifts of the night of Mi’raj, the details of which have already been mentioned. On this night, the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw Angel Jibril (Gabriel) a second time in his original form. Here, he also saw four rivers whose sources are at this place. Thus, Sidrat al-Muntaha is a collection of many observations and a manifestation of heavenly wonders.
● On the seventh heaven, he saw Bayt al-Ma’mur, which is the place of worship for angels. From this, the greatness and multitude of this luminous creation of Allah was observed, as seventy thousand angels come daily to worship there, and they do not return until the Day of Judgment.
● The observation of Paradise and Hell and some of their scenes, the details of which will follow.
● And all this happened in a very short part of the night, for which months would have been required. Indeed, no human being could have been capable of witnessing these wonders except the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the night of Mi’raj.
Some More Authentic Observations of Mi’raj
By considering the aforementioned ten points, it becomes clear that each of these points and aspects is a great sign, and their observation is indeed a manifestation and embodiment of ﴿لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا﴾ and ﴿لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ﴾. However, besides these, there are some other observations that the Prophet ﷺ made during this great miraculous journey. Among those that are authentically transmitted, some important incidents are as follows:
Seeing Prophet Musa (Moses) عليه السلام praying in his grave:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “On the night I was taken on the journey, I saw Musa (Moses) عليه السلام praying in his grave.”
You were shown in the grave, meaning in the Barzakh (intermediate state), which confirms the existence of life in Barzakh that every human being experiences, whether believer or disbeliever. The Prophets عليه السلام are superior to all humans, so certainly this Barzakh life is experienced by them in a better manner compared to ordinary people. But what kind of life is this? What is its nature and quality? We do not have knowledge of its details nor can we describe it. However, to claim that it is like worldly life or even stronger than it, as some people claim, is an unfounded assertion. If that were the case, then what would be the need to keep them buried under the soil?
Observation of the Guardian of Hell and the Dajjal:
You were also shown the warden of Hell, whose name is Malik, and the Dajjal, whose emergence will be near the Day of Judgment, as signs of that same night.
Observation of Paradise:
After reaching Sidrat al-Muntaha and witnessing many wonders there, the Prophet ﷺ said:
ثم أدخلت الجنة فإذا فيها جنابذ اللؤلؤ، وإذا ترابها المسك
“Then I was taken to Paradise, where I saw domes made of pearls and its soil was musk.”
Observation of the River Kawthar:
In Paradise, you have witnessed the river Kawthar. Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was taken on the Mi’raj (ascension), he said:
أتيت علىٰ نهر حافتاه قباب اللؤلؤ مجوف، فقلت: ما هٰذا يا جبريل؟ قال: هٰذا الكوثر
I came upon a river whose banks were made of pearl domes. I asked, “Jibril (Gabriel), what is this?” Jibril (peace be upon him) said, “This is Kawthar.”
In another narration from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
بينما أنا أسير فى الجنة إذا أنا بنهر حافتاه قباب الدر المجوف، قلت: ما هٰذا يا جبريل؟ قال: هٰذا الكوثر الذى أعطاك ربك، فإذا طينه مسك أذفر
Once I was touring Paradise when I saw a river whose banks were domes made of hollow pearls. I asked, “Jibril! What is this?” Jibril (peace be upon him) said: “This is Kawthar which your Lord has granted you; its soil is fragrant musk.”
There is a third narration whose narrator is Shareek bin Abdullah bin Abi Namar. His narration is a collection of imaginations, in which he first describes observations of the heavens.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned more than ten imaginations in Shareek’s narration, one of which is the misconception of mentioning the river Kawthar on the first heaven.
In any case, these narrations confirm that the river Kawthar is in Paradise and the Prophet (peace be upon him) witnessed it during the Mi’raj.
On the Day of Resurrection, the Prophet (peace be upon him) will be granted a basin in the gathering place of the Day of Judgment, whose water is whiter than milk and its fragrance purer than musk, and the cups placed in it will be countless like the stars of the sky; whoever drinks from it will never be thirsty again.
This basin is also called the Basin of Kawthar because it will be connected to Paradise, located on one side of Paradise, and its water will come from the river Kawthar inside Paradise.
Hearing the footsteps of Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him):
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) says that on the night when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was taken on the Mi’raj and went to Paradise, he heard the sound of footsteps from one side of Paradise. He asked: Jibril! What is this? Jibril (peace be upon him) said: “This is the voice of Bilal the Mu’adhdhin.” After returning, the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed the people: “Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) has succeeded; I saw him (in Paradise) like this.”
The reason for the title “Siddiq” of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him):
When the Prophet ﷺ narrated in the morning that he had gone to Masjid al-Aqsa at night and from there ascended through the heavens, many people did not believe it. Even some newly converted Muslims, upon hearing this incident, turned away from their faith. They hurried to Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and said: Have you heard? Your companion (the Prophet ﷺ) has claimed that he traveled to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) last night. Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: Did he say that? They said: Yes. Then Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: If he said so, then it must indeed be true. People asked: Do you confirm that he went to Bayt al-Maqdis at night and returned before morning? Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: Yes, I confirm even greater things than this from him. I confirm morning and evening the things that come to him from the heavens. For this reason, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was given the title As-Siddiq.
The Tragic End of Pharaoh’s Hairdresser:
The meaning of “Mushatta” is one who styles and arranges hair, one who combs the hair. Pharaoh had a hairdresser (which can be called a beautician in today’s terms) for serving his household. She was not a believer in Pharaoh but believed in Allah as her Lord. Once, while combing Pharaoh’s daughter’s hair, the comb slipped from her hand, and she unintentionally uttered these words: “Pharaoh is doomed.” The daughter reported this to her father Pharaoh, who then had her killed. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “On the night of Mi’raj, I sensed a very pure fragrance and asked: Jibril! What is this fragrance? Jibril (peace be upon him) said: It is Mushatta, her husband, and her daughter.”
Sheikh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said that this narration is weak in its chain of transmission, but it has another supporting narration which strengthens it.
The Importance of Cupping (Getting Cupping Therapy):
Hazrat Ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said regarding the night of Mi’raj:
ما مررت ليلة أسري بي بملإ، إلا قالوا: يا محمد! مر أمتك بالحجامة
“Whenever I passed by a group of angels on the night of Mi’raj, they would say: O Muhammad (peace be upon him)! Order your Ummah to perform cupping.”
Cupping is also called “pichhna lagana” (to prick). It means to pierce the body with a lancet or razor to draw out blood.
This is a method of treatment through which impure blood is removed, and by removing the impure blood, a person recovers health. It was a very successful treatment method, but with the decline of Greek wisdom and medical methods, this treatment also became almost obsolete. This treatment was prevalent during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he himself underwent cupping several times, which is called “Hijamah” in Arabic.
This Hadith from Mi’raj also confirms the importance and virtue of this treatment method.
Another Aspect of Hazrat Jibra’il (AS):
It has already been mentioned that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw Hazrat Jibra’il (AS) twice in his original form. One of these occasions was the Night of Ascension (Isra and Mi’raj), during which he saw Jibra’il in a green silk garment that filled the horizon of the sky.
But on the same occasion of Mi’raj, the Prophet (peace be upon him) also witnessed another aspect of Hazrat Jibra’il (AS), which was when the fear of Allah overwhelmed Jibra’il. This divine fear made him appear like an old, worn-out mat. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
مررت بجبريل ليلة أسري بي بالملإ الأعلىٰ، وهو كالحلس البالي من خشية الله عزوجل
On the Night of Ascension, when I passed by Hazrat Jibra’il (AS) in the ملإ اعليٰ (assembly of angels), he was like an old, worn-out mat due to the fear of Allah Almighty.
A Special Message from Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to the Ummah of Muhammad:
Hazrat Ibn Masood (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
لقيت إبراهيم ليلة أسري بي فقال: يا محمد! أقرئ أمتك مني السلام وأخبرهم أن الجنة طيبة التربة عذبة الماء، وأنها قيعان، وأن غراسها سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إلٰه إلا الله والله أكبر
On the night of Mi’raj, I met Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), and he said: O Muhammad (SAW)! Convey my greetings to your Ummah and tell them that the soil of Paradise is very fine, the water is sweet, but it is a rugged field (it requires cultivation). Its cultivation is: سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إلٰه إلا الله والله أكبر.
The Virtue of لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله:
In another narration, Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) said to the Prophet (SAW):
مر أمتك فليكثروا من غراس الجنة، فإن تربتها طيبة، وأرضها واسعة، قال: وما غراس الجنة؟ قال: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله
Tell your Ummah to cultivate well in Paradise, because its soil is very fine and its land is vast. The Prophet (SAW) asked: What is the cultivation of Paradise? Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) replied: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله.
Both of these narrations have been authenticated by Shaykh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) based on evidence.
