Some people deny the event of the Prophet's ﷺ Mi'raj because they consider it against reason. They say that either this Mi'raj happened in a dream as mentioned in the Holy Quran:
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِيْٓ اَرَيْنٰكَ اِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ
Reference: (Al-Isra:60)
Translation: And the vision We showed you was only to test the people. Or it is a kind of philosophical thought like Wahdat al-Wujud and others; such ideas are used to deny the miraculous nature of the Prophet's Mi'raj.
① First Point
The miracle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Mi'raj, is an astonishing miracle, but denying every astonishing or strange thing is also unjust. It should be understood that not every astonishing thing is imaginary or unreal. How can it be correct that if something is beyond someone's knowledge and they do not perceive it, they deny its reality? Even contemporary science does not accept this attitude. For example, if someone denies the journey to the heavens on the basis that the layer of air around the earth is limited to about three hundred kilometers, and therefore anyone who goes beyond it would certainly die due to lack of essential air for life, then if the Mi'raj is denied on this basis, it would be said that this is due to your lack of knowledge. Because in this era, scientific inventions such as jets and airplanes fly at altitudes that practically clarify the factual status of such objections.
Furthermore, the existence of scientists who travel in space and space agencies like NASA, their achievements, and their research related to space people, planets, Earth, the moon, the sun, and other planets—what was once thought a while ago that if mentioned, no one would accept it and everyone would logically consider it impossible—today, everyone's intellect has accepted it. So then, why should the Mi'raj, which is a description of the power and might of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, be considered doubtful merely for this reason?
② Second Point
The Holy Prophet ﷺ, in his conversation with his people regarding this matter, describing the nearby conditions of Masjid al-Aqsa, not only proves this event but also proves that this event happened in a state of wakefulness with both body and soul. The style in which the event of Mi'raj is described in the Holy Quran cannot be used for describing a dream. Accordingly, the command of the Almighty is:
سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْٓ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ اِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْاَقْصَا الَّذِيْ بٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهٗ لِنُرِيَهٗ مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا ۭ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْبَصِيْرُ
Reference: (Al-Isra:01)
Translation: Exalted is He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
Reflecting on the words of this noble verse "سُبْحٰنَ" and then on the words "اَسْرٰى" it cannot be an interpretation related to a dream.
The event of Isra and Mi'raj is mentioned at another place in the Holy Quran, observe it.
عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ (5) ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَىٰ (6) وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَىٰ (7) ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ (8) فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ (9) فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰ (10) مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ (11) أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ (12) وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ (13) عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ (14) عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ (15) إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ (16) مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ (17) لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ
Reference: (النجم:5-17)
Translation: He was taught by a strong powerful (angel). Who is mighty in power, so he rose high. While he was at the farthest horizon. Then he drew near, then he descended. Until he came within the distance of two bows, or even nearer. Then he revealed to His servant what He revealed. Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed. Do you then dispute with them about that which he sees? And indeed, they saw him another time. Near the lote tree of the utmost boundary. Near it is the Garden of Abode. When covered the lote tree that which covered it. (The Prophet ﷺ) did not swerve nor transgress. Indeed, he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.
Readers, keep this style in mind and consider: can this style be about a dream?!
Furthermore, the inference of a dream from the word الرؤیا in the verse of Surah Al-Isra is not correct.
Furthermore, the inference of a dream from the word الرؤیا in the verse of Surah Al-Isra is not correct, because the style of the other mentioned Quranic verses clearly indicates that this is an event of wakefulness. Therefore, in this verse as well, the meaning of الرؤیا is not رؤیۃ المنام (dream), but rather رؤیۃ العین (i.e., seeing with the eye), as explained by Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). See:
Reference: Sahih Bukhari 2888, Kitab al-Tawheed by Ibn Khuzaymah (p. 226) and Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi (3/9)
.③ Third Point
Allah Almighty says:
مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى
Reference: (An-Najm:17)
Translation: Neither did his eye swerve, nor did it transgress.
This verse mentions the power of sight, which is a characteristic of the body, not of the soul.
Similarly, the fact that you ﷺ rode the Buraq is also evidence of the physical nature of the Mi'raj; because the Buraq is a white, shining creature, and riding is necessary for the body, the soul does not need a ride to go here and there. See:
Reference: Sahih Bukhari 3207, 3887, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (8/432)
.④ Fourth Point
Imam Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says in his famous book: "Aqeedah Tahawiyyah": "The Mi'raj is true and established; you ﷺ were taken in a state of wakefulness to the heavens in your very self, then you went as far as Allah Almighty willed. Allah Almighty honored you and revealed to you whatever He wished. Whatever you saw, the heart did not deny it. May Allah Almighty send blessings upon you in this world and the Hereafter."
The commentator of Aqeedah Tahawiyyah writes that the evidence that the Prophet ﷺ experienced Isra and Mi'raj including the pure body is the command of Allah Almighty:
سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْٓ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ اِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْاَقْصَا
Reference: (Al-Isra:01)
Translation: Exalted is He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque.
This verse serves as evidence because the term "Abd" (servant) is used for a servant only when there is a combination of body and soul, just as the term "human" is used only when both body and soul are combined. Therefore, whenever the words "Abd" and "Insan" (human) are used in an absolute sense, this is their meaning and this is also correct. Hence, according to the verse, Isra and Mi'raj involved both body and soul.
Also, this is not logically impossible; thus, if it is considered impossible for a human to ascend to the heavens, then it would also be impossible for angels to come down to the earth, and this could lead to the denial of prophethood, which is outright disbelief.
Reference: Sharh al-Tahawiyya: (1/245)
⑤ Fifth Point
It is not correct to liken Mi'raj to philosophical theories because these theories themselves are invalid; there is a very clear difference between these thoughts and Mi'raj.
⑥ Sixth Point
سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْٓ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ اِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْاَقْصَا
Reference: (Al-Isra:1)
Translation: Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa.
In this blessed verse, by saying " سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي ", the glorification of Allah Almighty is expressed, and glorification is only mentioned when a matter of the greatest significance is at hand. Therefore, if the Mi'raj occurred only in a dream, then it is not such a great matter that glorification would be expressed for it.
Similarly, the Quraysh had no need to deny the Prophet ﷺ, and weak-hearted people who became Muslims would not have apostatized over this matter! So, please consider carefully!
⑦ Seventh Point
Regarding Isra and Mi'raj, some say that the soul of the Prophet ﷺ was taken to the heavens, but his pure body was not taken. This has been narrated by Ibn Ishaq from Aisha and Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them), and a similar narration has also been reported from Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him).
It should be clear here that Aisha and Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with them) did not say that the Prophet ﷺ was taken on a journey in a dream, rather they said that the soul of the Prophet ﷺ was taken on a journey, but his body was not with it.
There is a difference between the two interpretations:
◈ The Prophet ﷺ was taken on a journey in a dream.
◈ Only the soul of the Prophet ﷺ was taken on a journey; the body was not with it.
The difference between the two is that: what a person sees in a dream is a perception and imagination of things already present in the mind, experienced in a visible form. Thus, the dreamer feels that he was taken towards the heavens and then returned to Mecca, but his soul neither actually went to the heavens nor returned. It is merely the angel of dreams creating images in the mind of the sleeping person.
Therefore, the purpose of Muawiyah and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was by no means that the Prophet ﷺ was taken on the Mi'raj in a dream, but rather their intention was that the blessed soul of the Prophet ﷺ was taken on a journey. Accordingly, the soul left the body, went on the journey, and then returned.
According to both of them, this matter is counted among the special characteristics of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; it is not possible for anyone else, because the soul of no one else will fully ascend to the heavens except at the time of death.
