The complete account of the event of Mi’raj in the light of authentic Ahadith

Now we explain the event of Mi’raj in the light of authentic hadiths. Fortunately, most of the original details of the event are mentioned in the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim). In Sahih Bukhari, this event is detailed in four places:
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Additionally, some details are mentioned in other places, such as:
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These narrations are from different narrators, so some details they mention differ from each other, as we have previously indicated. When a great event is narrated by different people, such differences generally occur. Therefore, if there are some discrepancies and misunderstandings in the narrations of Isra and Mi’raj, it does not affect the authenticity of the event itself. The Imams of Hadith and commentators have clarified these differences and misunderstandings, and where possible, they have reconciled and explained them, after which the original event becomes clear and free of confusion.
Now we present the translation of the narration from Sahih Bukhari, narrated by Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) from Malik bin Sa’sa’ah (may Allah be pleased with him): Malik bin Sa’sa’ah said: The Prophet of Allah ﷺ informed me about the night in which he was taken on Mi’raj. He said: “At one time, I was lying in the Hatim (sometimes he said in the Hijr) (Hatim and Hijr are names of the same place; it is the part that the Quraysh left out of the length of the Ka’bah due to lack of capital, which was part of the Ka’bah built by Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام) when someone came to me and slit open my abdomen from the chest to the navel and took out my heart. Then a golden basin filled with faith and wisdom was brought to me. My heart was washed and filled with (faith and wisdom) and then returned to its place. Then a white animal was brought, smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey; it was Al-Buraq. It placed its feet wherever its sight reached. I was mounted on it, and Jibril عليه السلام took me with him until we reached the first heaven (the heaven of the world). Jibril asked to open the door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: And who is with you? Jibril said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he called by a message? Jibril said: Yes! They said: Welcome! What a blessed visitor he is. And the gatekeeper opened the door. When I stepped onto the heaven, I saw Adam (peace be upon him) there. Jibril said: This is your father Adam; greet him. I greeted him. He returned the greeting and said: Welcome! A good son and a good prophet!
Then Jibril took me to the second heaven and asked to open its door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he called by a message? Jibril said: Yes! They said: Welcome! The visitor who has come, how good he is! And the door was opened. When I entered, there were Yahya and Isa (peace be upon them), both maternal cousins. Jibril said: These are Yahya and Isa; greet them. I greeted them. They returned the greeting and said: Welcome! Righteous brothers and righteous prophets!
Then Jibril took me to the third heaven and asked to open the door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he called by a message? Jibril said: Yes! They said: Welcome! The visitor who has come, how good he is! And the door was opened. When I arrived there, Yusuf (peace be upon him) was there. Jibril said: This is Yusuf; greet him. I greeted him. He replied and said: Welcome! Righteous brother and righteous prophet!
Then Jibril took me up until we reached the fourth heaven. Then he asked to open the door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he called by a message? Jibril said: Yes! They said: Welcome! The visitor who has come, how good he is! And the door was opened. When I entered, Idris (peace be upon him) was there. Jibril said: This is Idris; greet him. I greeted him. He returned the greeting and said: Welcome! Righteous brother and righteous prophet!
Then Jibril took me up until we reached the fifth heaven. Then he asked to open the door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he called by a message? Jibril said: Yes! They said: Welcome! The visitor who has come, how good he is! When I entered, Harun (peace be upon him) was there. Jibril said: This is Harun; greet him. I greeted him. He returned the greeting and said: Welcome! Righteous brother and righteous prophet!
Then Jibril took me up until we reached the sixth heaven. Then he asked to open the door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he called by a message? Jibril said: Yes! They said: Welcome! The visitor who has come, how good he is! When I entered, Musa (peace be upon him) was there. Jibril said: This is Musa; greet him. I greeted him. He replied and said: Welcome! Righteous brother and righteous prophet!
When I moved on from there, Musa began to weep. They asked him: Why do you weep? He said: I weep because this boy who was sent as a prophet after me, his nation will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my nation.
Then Jibril took me up to the seventh heaven and asked to open the door. They asked: Who is it? He said: I am Jibril. They asked: Who is with you? Jibril said: Muhammad (peace be upon him). They asked: Was he sent a message to come here? He said: Yes! They said: Welcome! How good is the visitor who has come. When I entered, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was there. Jibril said: This is your father; greet him. I greeted him. He returned the greeting and said: Welcome! A good son and a good prophet!
Then I was taken to Sidrat al-Muntaha, whose fruit (هجر) was like the pots of the city, and its leaves were like the ears of elephants. Jibril said: This is Sidrat al-Muntaha.
There were four rivers there, two rivers inside Paradise and two rivers outside. I asked: O Jibril! What are these two rivers? Jibril said: Two are hidden rivers, they are in Paradise, and the two visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.
Then Bait al-Ma’mur was raised for me, and then three vessels were brought for me: one of wine, one of milk, and one of honey. I took the cup of milk, and Jibril said: This is the natural disposition upon which you and your nation are.
Then fifty prayers were made obligatory upon me in one night and day. When I returned and passed by Musa (peace be upon him) again, he asked: What command was given to you? I said: I was commanded to perform fifty prayers daily.
Musa said: Your nation will not be able to perform fifty prayers daily. By Allah! I have experienced the people before you and have tested the Children of Israel well. So go back to your Lord and ask for a reduction for your nation. So I returned again, and Allah reduced ten prayers from me. When I came to Musa, he repeated the same words. So I went back again, and Allah reduced ten more prayers. I came to Musa again, and he repeated the same words. I went back again, and I was commanded to perform ten prayers daily. I came to Musa, and he repeated the same words. I went back again, and I was commanded to perform five prayers daily. I came to Musa, and he asked: What command was given to you now? I said: I was commanded to perform five prayers daily.
Musa said: Your nation will not be able to perform five prayers daily. I have experienced the people before you and have tested the Children of Israel well, so go to your Lord and ask for further reduction for your nation.
The Prophet ﷺ said: I repeatedly asked my Lord until I felt ashamed. Therefore, now I am content with this and accept it. He said: When I went further, a caller loudly announced: I have fulfilled my duty and reduced the burden on My servants.

➊ When did the Mi’raj occur? There is considerable disagreement about this (as has been previously indicated). There are more than ten different opinions regarding its timing; however, the most famous is the 27th night of Rajab, and this event took place a few (two or three) years before the Hijrah. This clarifies that during the era of the Prophet, the Companions, and the Tabi‘in, which are the best periods of Islam (hence these three eras are referred to in hadith as Khair al-Qurun), there was no custom of celebrating any kind of festival because such things have no place in Islamic teachings. This is why there is so much disagreement about the date of the Mi’raj. If the Mi’raj or the night of Mi’raj had been celebrated during Khair al-Qurun, there would have been no disagreement about its date. Similarly, arranging special worship for it is also not correct.

➋ When the angels came to take the Prophet ﷺ, where was he? Some narrations say he was at the house of Umm Hani, the sister of Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). Some narrations mention that he said the roof of his house was open. Others mention that he was in the Hijr or Hatim. Hijr and Hatim are two names for the same place, which refers to the part of the Ka‘bah that the Quraysh of Makkah left out lengthwise due to the capital, which was originally built by Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The Prophet ﷺ was sleeping at Umm Hani’s house. He called Umm Hani’s house his own because he resided there. There the angel came and took him from there to the Ka‘bah, where he lay down.

➌ Similarly, some narrations say he was asleep, and some mention that he was between sleeping and waking. The term “na’im” (sleeping) is mentioned only in the narration of a participant, which is considered a misconception. Therefore, the correct statement is what all narrators mention: that he was lying down but not yet asleep. He lay down with the intention to sleep. This is also described as being “between sleeping and waking.”

➍ This narration does not mention Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), which apparently indicates that he was taken to the heavens directly on the Buraq, but this is not the case. Other narrations explicitly state that first he traveled on the Buraq from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa. There he tied the Buraq to the same peg where other prophets used to tie their mounts.

From the heavens, he then returned to Bayt al-Maqdis and from there came back to Makkah on the same Buraq. Some authentic narrations add: When the Buraq was brought to you for riding, it became playful. Hazrat Jibril (Gabriel) said to it: Are you behaving like this with Muhammad ﷺ? (فما ركبك أحد أكرم على الله منه) Do you not know that no one more honored than him has ever ridden you before in the sight of Allah? Upon hearing this, the Buraq became drenched in sweat.

Moreover, the arrangement of a mount for the journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa was also a mark of honor and respect for the Prophet ﷺ. Otherwise, Allah Almighty was capable of taking him to Bayt al-Maqdis without it, whether through an angel, by shortening the distance of the earth, or by any other means. But sending a mount and taking him there was a sign of his honor and miracle, just as a king makes such arrangements to honor a distinguished person invited to his court.
This is the wisdom behind the splitting of the chest (Shaq al-Sadr), when his chest was opened, his heart washed, and then filled with faith and wisdom. Although Allah Almighty could have filled his heart with faith and wisdom without this, He showed this miracle by opening the chest and taking out the heart without causing death or pain. This increased his wisdom, faith, and strength of certainty, and instilled confidence in him that Allah Almighty would be his protector, helper, and supporter in every dangerous situation. This certainty and trust in Allah made him أشجع الناس “the most courageous.”

➎ In Bayt al-Maqdis, he prayed two rak‘ahs. All the prophets (peace be upon them) also prayed behind him in congregation. According to some scholars, he prayed in Bayt al-Maqdis upon returning from the heavens. The prophets descended from the heavens with him and prayed behind him. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) preferred this second opinion, while Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) considered the first opinion more probable. They write:

والأظهر أن صلاته بهم ببيت المقدس كان قبل العروج، والله أعلم

➏ How did the prophets (peace be upon them) pray behind the Prophet ﷺ? Did their souls pray, or did Allah bring their bodies along with their souls? Both possibilities exist.

Nothing is difficult for Allah. Both possibilities are possible in heavenly meetings with the prophets because nothing is impossible for Allah. However, in the first case, Hazrat ‘Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon him) would be an exception because he is alive and present in the heavens; he has not yet died (as is the unanimous belief of Muslims). However, the clearer view is that the meetings were not only with souls but that Allah brought the mentioned prophets (peace be upon them) along with their bodies. Similarly, the prayer was not only by souls but by their bodies along with their souls. The objection that the bodies of the prophets are in graves, so how could they meet in the heavens, is answered by saying either their souls were given the form of bodies or their bodies were brought to the heavens.

For Allah, neither possibility is impossible; He is capable of doing all.

➐ In the hadith of Mi‘raj in Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that at Sidrat al-Muntaha three vessels were presented to the Prophet ﷺ: one containing wine, one milk, and one honey. Whereas in Sahih Muslim’s narration (which mentions Bayt al-Maqdis), it is stated that after praying two rak‘ahs and coming out, Hazrat Jibril (Gabriel) brought two vessels, one of wine and one of milk. The Prophet ﷺ chose the milk vessel, upon which Jibril said: You have chosen the natural disposition (fitrah).

And in another place in Sahih al-Bukhari: إسراء That night in “Eliya” (the old name of Bayt al-Maqdis), two cups were presented to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. One contained wine and the other milk. He looked at both and took the milk cup. Jibril said: All praise is due to Allah who guided you to choose the natural disposition. If you had taken the wine cup, your nation would have gone astray.

Besides Sahihayn, some narrations in other hadith books mention a vessel of water as well. Thus, it appears that four vessels were presented to the Prophet ﷺ: water, wine, milk, and honey. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) reconciled these narrations by stating that one narrator mentioned something that another did not, which is why some narrations mention two vessels, some three, and some four. Overall, water, wine, milk, and honey vessels were presented to the Prophet ﷺ at two places: once in Bayt al-Maqdis where he felt thirsty, and once at the lofty place of Sidrat al-Muntaha in the heavens.
In the narration of At-Tabari, it is mentioned that four rivers flow from the roots of Sidrat al-Muntaha:
❀ Water that does not change;
❀ Milk whose taste does not alter;
❀ Wine that is delightful to drinkers;
❀ And honey that is pure and transparent.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted this narration and wrote: “Perhaps one cup from each river was presented to the Prophet ﷺ.”

➑ How many times was the chest split (Shaq al-Sadr) of the Prophet ﷺ? There is disagreement. Some scholars say twice, others say four times. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) accepts four times. In any case, the splitting that occurred during the Mi‘raj and afterward when his heart was washed with Zamzam water and filled with faith and wisdom had the wisdom that the pure heart could easily bear the lights and manifestations he was to experience that night. Hence, regarding the observations and manifestations of that night, it is said: ﴿مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ﴾ “Neither did his gaze swerve, nor did it transgress.”

➒ The Prophet ﷺ was first taken to Bayt al-Maqdis and from there to the heavens. Why was he not taken directly from Makkah to the heavens? The wisdom given is that this made it easier for people to believe in his heavenly journey because when he said that he had been to a part of Bayt al-Maqdis that night, people knew he had never been there before. When they asked him details about Bayt al-Maqdis, Allah helped him to answer all their questions correctly. The disbelievers never accepted it, but it increased the faith and certainty of the believers, and accepting the heavenly journey became easier for them.

➓ Some narrations add regarding the meeting with Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) that Jibril said: This is Adam, and on his right and left sides are shadows, which are the souls of his offspring. Those on the right side are from the people of Paradise, and those on the left are from the people of Hell. When Adam looked to his right side, he smiled (with joy), and when he looked to his left side, he wept (from sorrow).

⓫ Regarding Hazrat Musa (Moses), Hazrat ‘Isa (Jesus), and Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) (peace be upon them), it is added that the Prophet ﷺ said: Musa was tall (or according to some, light in build; both can be true and are not contradictory), with open hair as if he belonged to the شنوءه tribe. ‘Isa was of medium height and had a reddish-white complexion (he was so clean that it seemed he had just come out of a bath). And among the descendants of Ibrahim, I resemble Ibrahim the most.

⓬ Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) wept thinking that the people of the Prophet ﷺ’s nation would enter Paradise in greater numbers than his own nation. Scholars have written that this weeping was not out of envy because in the higher and hereafter worlds, hearts are purified from vices like envy, hatred, and malice. The reason for his weeping was the hostile and opposing attitude of his people, Bani Isra’il, towards him, which made him fear that he would not attain as high ranks as they could through their obedience and loyalty. Because the more true followers a prophet has, the reward of all their good deeds also accrues to that prophet. In this respect, the followers of the Prophet ﷺ would be many. Firstly, his prophethood lasts until the Day of Judgment. Secondly, his nation is larger than that of Musa (peace be upon him). Thus, he will receive more reward and status than all other prophets, which will lead to higher ranks.

⓭ Regarding the meeting with Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) on the seventh heaven, it is added that the Prophet ﷺ said: Bayt al-Ma‘mur was raised before me. I asked Jibril about it, and he said: This is Bayt al-Ma‘mur, the worship place of angels. Every day seventy thousand angels pray there, then leave, and their turn does not come again.

⓮ Regarding the meeting with Hazrat Yusuf (Joseph) (peace be upon him), Sahih Muslim adds:

وإذا هو قد أعطي شطر الحسن

I saw Yusuf (peace be upon him), and half of beauty was given to him.

The meaning of [شطر] is half, i.e., Allah Almighty gave Yusuf (peace be upon him) half of the beauty in the world. [شطر] also means part, which would mean a portion of beauty was given to him, which also indicates abundance of beauty and charm. Whether shatr is taken to mean half or part, both indicate the distinguished status of Yusuf’s external beauty and charm, which Allah bestowed upon him.

⓯ A hadith mentions a meeting with the “Darwaza Jahannam” (Malik, the keeper of Hell). The Prophet ﷺ said: When I finished the prayer after leading it in Bayt al-Maqdis, someone said: O Muhammad ﷺ! This is Malik, the keeper of Hell; greet him. When I turned towards him, he greeted me first.

⓰ Most narrations mention that on the seventh heaven, he was brought near Sidrat al-Muntaha. Some narrations mention Sidrat al-Muntaha on the sixth heaven. If these words are authentic, the explanation is that its root may be on the sixth heaven, but its greater spread is on the seventh heaven. In any case, it is a lote tree that manifests divine manifestations. [منتهٰي] means the place of utmost limit; it is the last boundary of things ascending from the earth. They are received here, and what descends from above, i.e., from Allah, also has this limit. Divine commands are received here.

Another narration in Sahih Muslim states:

فلما غشيها من أمر الله ما غشي تغيرت، فما أحد من خلق الله يستطيع أن ينعتها من حسنها

“When Allah’s command envelops it in a special manner, it changes so that no creature can depict its beauty and splendor.”

The hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in Muslim states: In the Qur’an, Allah said: ﴿إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ﴾ “When it overshadowed the lote tree that overshadowed.” This refers to moths that hover around the lote tree and increase its beauty and splendor.
Imam Baydawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says that these moths are metaphorically called gold because gold is pure and shiny, and these moths are also pure and shiny in color and luster like gold. However, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) says it is also possible that the moths hovering around the lote tree are actually made of gold, and Allah by His power has given them the ability to fly. This is not difficult for Him.

According to the Qur’an, Paradise is near this Sidrat al-Muntaha: ﴿عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ﴾ Near it, on the night of Mi‘raj, the Prophet ﷺ saw Jibril in his original form for the second time: ﴿وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ ‎.‏ عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ﴾ .

More will follow on this.

⓱ The Most Important Gift of the Night of Mi’raj, the Five Daily Prayers

In any case, this is the Sidrat al-Muntaha, which is the ultimate limit. Beyond this, no one is permitted to go. At this place, Allah Almighty bestows His commands to the angels through revelation. The Prophet ﷺ also did not go beyond this point on the Night of Ascension. Allah Almighty informed you of the obligation of prayer through revelation here: ﴿فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰ﴾ ‎

“Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed.”

Allah Almighty informed His Prophet through revelation that He had made fifty prayers obligatory upon your nation. When the Prophet ﷺ returned with this gift of Mi’raj, Musa (Moses) عليه السلام advised him to seek a reduction, and upon his advice, the Prophet repeatedly petitioned the Divine Presence for a reduction.

How many times did you petition the Divine Presence for this? There is also a difference of opinion in the narrations regarding this. Scholars have explained two reconciliations between them. Either ten prayers were reduced four times, and in the last round five prayers were forgiven, or five prayers were reduced each time. Thus, in the first case, on the fifth occasion, and in the second case, on the ninth occasion, 45 prayers were forgiven, leaving only five. Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله considered the second case stronger and interpreted other narrations accordingly.

And Allah Almighty said: (هن خمس وهن خمسون) “These five are (the ones) and fifty.”

That is, in terms of action, these are five, but in terms of reward and merit, they will be counted as fifty. The words of another narration are:

إنه لا يبدل القول لدي كما فرضت عليك فى أم الكتاب، قال: فكل حسنة بعشر أمثالها، فهي خمسون فى أم الكتاب، وهى خمس عليك

“My decree does not change, (it is as) I had prescribed upon you in the Preserved Tablet. So every good deed is equal to ten good deeds; thus, these are five for you, and fifty in the Preserved Tablet.”

⓲ The Wisdom Behind the Obligation of Prayer on the Night of Ascension

Why did Allah Almighty make prayer obligatory on the Night of Mi’raj? One wisdom explained by scholars is that when Allah Almighty took His Prophet on a journey through the heavens, the scene of the angels’ worship was also shown, where some angels were engaged in worship while standing and did not sit, some were in the state of bowing and did not go into prostration, and some were in prostration and did not rise from it. So, Allah Almighty prescribed a form of worship for the Ummah of Muhammad in the form of prayer, which includes all these states simultaneously. It includes standing, bowing, and prostration.

Another wisdom stated is that at this occasion, just as the outward and inward of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were purified with the water of Zamzam and he was honored with faith and wisdom, similarly, for prayer, it is necessary first to purify oneself from all kinds of outward and inward impurities. In this context, the obligation of prayer was emphasized. Moreover, this was also to manifest your honor and virtue to the angels, which became evident directly through the command of prayer upon the angels.

Was there any prescribed or unspecified form of prayer before the Mi’raj? Some scholars opine that only night prayer was performed without any specification or limit. Some say that two units (rak’ahs) were prayed in the morning and evening. Some say that standing during some parts of the night was obligatory.

⓳ Some narrations mention that I reached such a high place where I heard the sounds of pens moving: (أسمع فيه صريف الأقلام) This place is also near Sidrat al-Muntaha, where angels copy Allah’s decrees from the Preserved Tablet, and they are so numerous that the simultaneous movement of their pens creates a galaxy of sounds.

(20) The hadith also mentions seeing four rivers at Sidrat al-Muntaha. Two are inside Paradise and two outside. The two outside rivers are the Nile and Euphrates, and in Sahih Muslim’s narration, the names of the other two rivers are سيحان and جيحان, and it is also said that they are from Paradise, meaning all four rivers are called (كل من أنهار الجنة).

Apparently, this indicates that the sources of these rivers are in Paradise. Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, states: This hadith indicates that the origin of the Nile and Euphrates is from Paradise, and both emerge from the root of Sidrat al-Muntaha, then flow wherever Allah wills, then descend to the earth, flow there, and emerge from it, and this is not against reason. The apparent meaning of the hadith also supports this. Therefore, this is the accepted view.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “In summary, the origin of Sidrat al-Muntaha is Paradise, and these two rivers initially emerge from its root, then flow until they settle on earth, and from there their tributaries emerge.” (Reference as above)
Shaykh al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “The rivers being from Paradise may mean that their origin is from Paradise, just as a human’s origin is from Paradise. So, this hadith does not contradict what is well-known and established about these rivers that they spring from known sources on earth. If it does not have this or similar meaning, then this hadith relates to matters of the unseen, in which belief and acceptance of the report are necessary.”

﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾

(21) After reaching Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Prophet ﷺ said:

ثم أدخلت الجنة فإذا فيها جنابذ اللؤلؤ، وإذا ترابها المسك

“Then I was taken to Paradise, where there are domes of pearls, and its soil is musk.”

(22) Two More Gifts of Sidrat al-Muntaha

At Sidrat al-Muntaha, where the gift of prayer was received, two more gifts were also given. It is mentioned in the Hadith:

فأعطي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثلاثا: أعطي الصلوات الخمس، وأعطي خواتيم سورة البقرة، وغفر لمن لم يشرك بالله من أمته شيئا المقحمات

“Then three things were granted to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: ➊ the five prayers, ➋ the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, ➌ and the forgiveness of the major sins of the person among your Ummah who did not associate anyone with Allah.”

The last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah refer to the last two verses.

From ‏ ﴿آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ﴾ to the end, as mentioned in another hadith regarding their virtue, the Prophet ﷺ said:

الآيتان من آخر سورة البقرة، من قرأهما فى ليلة كفتاه

“The virtue of the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah is that whoever recites them at night, they suffice him.”

Suffice him from what? Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
Some say: It suffices as Qiyam al-Layl (Tahajjud prayer), meaning reciting these two verses at night is equivalent to performing Tahajjud prayer. Others say: It suffices from Satan, meaning reciting them protects one from Satan. And some say: It is a cause of protection from all calamities. Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: It is possible that it suffices for all these matters.

In another hadith, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates: Once Jibril (peace be upon him) was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ when he heard a sound like a door opening above him. When he raised his blessed head, Jibril said: “This is the door of the heavens which has been opened today. It has never been opened before. An angel has descended from it and said: This is the angel who has descended on earth; before today, this angel had never descended.”
Then this angel greeted and said: “Good news to you of two lights that have been given to you. Before you, these two lights were not given to any prophet. One is Surah Al-Fatiha and the other is the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. For every letter you recite from them, you will be rewarded.”

The plural of [مقحمات، مقحمة] is from (تقحم), which means falling into destruction. In this regard, (مقحمات) means major sins that lead to destruction and Hellfire, i.e., major sins. The unanimous belief of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding major sins is that they will not be forgiven without repentance unless Allah bestows His special grace and mercy upon someone.
In this Mi’raj hadith where it is mentioned that the gift of forgiveness for major sins was also given to me, it means that those among my Ummah who commit major sins in this world and do not get the opportunity to repent before they pass away, if such people enter Hell, they will not remain there forever as the polytheists and disbelievers will. Rather, after serving their punishment for their sins, they will be taken out of Hell and admitted into Paradise. That is, the forgiveness of (مقحمات) ultimately means forgiveness; it does not mean that they will never enter Hell. Their temporary entry into Hell to serve their punishment does not contradict the forgiveness of sins.