Surah An-Najm (53) — Ayah 14

(Ayah 14) {عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهٰى: ’’ سِدْرَةِ ‘‘} The lote tree. {’’ الْمُنْتَهٰى ‘‘ ’’ اِنْتَهٰي يَنْتَهِيْ اِنْتِهَاءً ‘‘} (from ifti‘āl) is a locative noun, the place of utmost end. Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) explained the reason for this name, he said: [ لَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِرَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ انْتُهِيَ بِهِ إِلٰی سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهٰی وَهِيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ، إِلَيْهَا يَنْتَهِيْ مَا يُعْرَجُ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَيُقْبَضُ مِنْهَا وَ إِلَيْهَا يَنْتَهِيْ مَا يَهْبِطُ بِهِ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا فَيُقْبَضُ مِنْهَا ] [مسلم، الإیمان، باب في ذکر سدرۃ المنتھٰی : ۱۷۳ ] “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken by night (for Mi‘raj), he was brought to the Sidrat al-Muntaha, and it is in the sixth heaven. Whatever ascends from the earth, its end is there, then it is taken from there, and whatever descends from above, its end is also there, then it is taken from there.” In the commentary of Muslim, Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that in all the manuscripts of Sahih Muslim, the mention is of the sixth heaven in this way, whereas in other narrations from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) it has already been mentioned that it is above the seventh heaven. Qadi (Iyad) said, its being on the seventh heaven is more authentic and is the saying of most. This is also what the meaning and name of Sidrat al-Muntaha require, that it be on the seventh heaven. Nawawi says that it is possible to reconcile both statements: its root is in the sixth heaven and most of it is in the seventh heaven, because everyone knows it is very large.
From this verse, the time and place of seeing Jibril (peace be upon him) is also known, because the Sidrat al-Muntaha was seen by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of Mi‘raj when he was taken on a journey through the heavens. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ ثُمَّ رُفِعَتْ إِلَيَّ سِدْرَةُ الْمُنْتَهٰی فَإِذَا نَبِقُهَا مِثْلُ قِلاَلِ هَجَرَ، وَ إِذَا وَرَقُهَا مِثْلُ آذَانِ الْفِيَلَةِ قَالَ هٰذِهِ سِدْرَةُ الْمُنْتَهٰی] [ بخاري، المناقب، باب المعراج : ۳۸۸۷، عن مالک بن صعصعۃ رضی اللہ عنھما ] “Then the Sidrat al-Muntaha appeared before me, I saw that its fruits were like the jars of the city of Hajar and its leaves were like the ears of elephants. Jibril (peace be upon him) said: This is the Sidrat al-Muntaha.”