The Incident of Isrā’ and Mi‘rāj: Reports Attributed to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها and Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه and the Misuse of Certain Narrations
This excerpt is taken from Wāqiʿah Miʿrāj aur Us ke Mushāhidāt by Ḥāfiẓ Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf.
Isrā’ and Miʿrāj in Brief
The journey has two parts:
① The first part is called Isrā’ – the night journey from Masjid al-Ḥarām (Makkah) to Masjid al-Aqṣā (Bayt al-Maqdis).
② The second part is called Miʿrāj – the ascension from Bayt al-Maqdis to the heavens.
Both are commonly referred to as Miʿrāj.
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا﴾
(Banī Isrā’īl: 1)
The journey from Makkah to Bayt al-Maqdis would normally take forty days in those times, yet it was completed in a portion of the night — a miraculous event demonstrating Allah’s limitless power.
A Great Miracle
The journey of Isrā’ and Miʿrāj is among the Muʿjizāt of the Prophet ﷺ. It was not a dream, nor a spiritual vision, but a physical journey with body and soul in wakefulness, as unanimously agreed upon by the scholars of Islām.
Refuting the Claim of a Dream
Some people argue that this was a dream, based on narrations containing words like: "while I was asleep" or "then I woke up in Masjid al-Ḥarām."
Scholars clarified:
- These were initial states when the angels came while the Prophet ﷺ was resting.
- Some wordings are due to narrators’ errors (such as those of Sharīk ibn ʿAbdullāh, criticized by Imām Muslim and others).
- The event is narrated by over 24 Companions, giving it the strength of Tawātur Maʿnawī.
Hence, it cannot be reduced to a dream or vision.
The Reports Attributed to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها and Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه
① Report attributed to Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه:
"It was a true dream from Allah."
— This narration is Munqaṭiʿ (disconnected); Yaʿqūb ibn ʿUtbah never met Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه.
② Report attributed to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
"The body of the Messenger ﷺ did not disappear, but Allah took his soul."
— Reported through a Majhūl (unknown) narrator from the family of Abū Bakr, hence unreliable.
— At the time of Isrā’ and Miʿrāj, ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها was a child, and Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه was not yet a Muslim.
Conclusion: Both reports are weak and not suitable as evidence.
Imām al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله stated:
“The objection to the statements of ʿĀ’ishah and Muʿāwiyah is valid because neither of them witnessed the event, nor did they narrate it from the Prophet ﷺ.”
(Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Sūrah al-Isrā’: 10/209)
Consensus of Scholars and Mufassirīn
Despite some differences in minor details of the narrations, the majority of the Ummah agrees:
- The journey of Isrā’ and Miʿrāj occurred with the body and soul of the Prophet ﷺ.
- It was in a state of wakefulness.
- It was a miracle, not a dream.
Key scholarly statements:
✔ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله:
"The majority of the scholars of Ḥadīth, Fiqh, and Kalām hold that Isrā’ and Miʿrāj happened in one night, in wakefulness, with body and soul. The authentic narrations indicate this, and there is no reason to turn away from the apparent meaning."
(Fatḥ al-Bārī)
✔ Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ رحمه الله:
"The majority of the Salaf and Muslims believe that it was bodily and in wakefulness, and this is the truth."
(al-Shifā’ and Tafsīr al-Qāsimī 10/189-190)
✔ Imām al-Ṭabarī رحمه الله:
"The correct opinion is that Allah took His servant Muhammad ﷺ with his body from Masjid al-Ḥarām to Masjid al-Aqṣā, then to the heavens. To claim it was only a dream is baseless."
(Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī 15/16-17)
✔ Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله:
"Most scholars agree it was a bodily event in wakefulness. The Qur’ān says: ‘Subḥāna alladhī asrā biʿabdihī’ — ‘His servant’ refers to both body and soul."
(Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr 5/40-42)
Final Conclusion:- The event of Isrā’ and Miʿrāj is a bodily, wakeful, miraculous journey of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Reports attributed to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها and Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه are weak and not valid evidence.
- The consensus of the Ummah’s scholars, mufassirīn, and muḥaddithīn affirms the miracle as described in Qur’ān and authentic Sunnah.
