Infallibles The Holy Prophet The Ascension Qur'anic Roots of the Me'raj
Qur'anic Roots of the Me'raj
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In the Surah al Isra (Sarah 17 also known as Bani Isra`il), it is mentioned:
سÙبۡØَـٰنَ ٱلَّذÙىٓ أَسۡرَىٰ بÙعَبۡدÙÙ‡ÙÛ¦ لَيۡلاً۬ مّÙÙ†ÙŽ ٱلۡمَسۡجÙد٠ٱلۡØَرَام٠إÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‰ ٱلۡمَسۡجÙد٠ٱلۡأَقۡصَا ٱلَّذÙÙ‰ بَـٰرَكۡنَا ØÙŽÙˆÛ¡Ù„ÙŽÙ‡Ù Û¥ Ù„ÙÙ†ÙرÙÙŠÙŽÙ‡Ù Û¥ Ù…ÙÙ†Û¡ ءَايَـٰتÙنَآۚ Ø¥Ùنَّه٠ۥ Ù‡ÙÙˆÙŽ ٱلسَّمÙيع٠ٱلۡبَصÙيرÙ
"Glorified be He who carried His servant at night from Masjid al¬ Haram to Masjid al Aqsa, the precincts of which We have blessed so that We may show him of Our Signs. Verily He is the All¬ Hearing, the All Seeing. " [1]
From this verse, we come to the conclusion that the Prophet of Islam traveled with his physical body through the worlds of Ascension. Further, by the greatness of the Hidden Power, he was able to complete this journey in a very short span of time.
Allah starts His speech with the phrase which denotes the fact that Allah is free from all deficiencies but He does not stop here. Rather, He makes the ascension the reason for His greatness by saying `made to travel' so that others do not imagine that the means of this journey was through causes of the natural world and with normal, ordinary means of transportation. This would have made his journey something that could have been denied. Rather, this journey was accomplished by relying upon the power of Allah and His specific and special blessings.
Although this verse states that the start of the journey was from Masjid al Haram and ended at Masjid al Aqsa, this does not contradict the fact that the Prophet in addition to this trip, also had other trips towards the higher world, since another part of the journey of Ascension of the Prophet is explained in verses of Sarah al Najm.
Another important part of this verse is that the journey of the Prophet was both bodily and spiritually, not just a spiritual pilgrimage, and this is confirmed by the word meaning His servant which is used to mean both the body and the spirit. Had it not been so, He would have said meaning his (Muhammad's) soul only. In Sarah al Najm, the event of the Me'raj is explained in more detail.
From the time the Prophet Muhammad told the Quraish, `I saw the angel of revelation (when he received the first revelation) in his original and pure state', all the Quraish rose up to mock him.
The Qur'an, in response to the thoughts of the ignorant people replies:
Ø£ÙŽÙَتÙمَـٰرÙونَه٠ۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ (١٢) وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاه٠نَزۡلَةً Ø£Ùخۡرَىٰ (١٣) عÙندَ سÙدۡرَة٠ٱلۡمÙنتَهَىٰ (١٤) عÙندَهَا جَنَّة٠ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰٓ (١٥) Ø¥ÙØ°Û¡ يَغۡشَى ٱلسّÙدۡرَةَ مَا يَغۡشَىٰ (١٦) مَا زَاغَ ٱلۡبَصَر٠وَمَا طَغَىٰ (١٧) لَقَدۡ رَأَىٰ Ù…ÙÙ†Û¡ ءَايَـٰت٠رَبّÙه٠ٱلۡكÙبۡرَىٰٓ(١٨)
"Will you then argue with him about what he saw? He certainly saw him (Jibra'il) during his other ascent to the Lote tree (in the seven heavens) near which is Paradise. When the tree was covered with a covering, (Muhammad's) eyes did not deceive him, nor did they lead him to falsehood. He certainly saw the greatest (signs) of the existence of his Lord. " [2]
Notes:
[1] Surah al-Isra’ (17), Verse 1
[2] Surah al Najm, Verses 12 to 18
Taken From : Me'raj - The Night Ascension As Compiled by Mullah Faidh al Kashani Translated by: Saleem Bhimji
