Monday, June 18, 2012

ASCENSION (ME'RAJ) OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (S)


Prophet Muhammad (S)’s Ascension began on Rajab 27 at night from the house of Umm al Hani in Makka along with Angel Jibra’il first to Bait ul Muqaddas and after visiting various places in the mosque and reciting prayers at those places, he went to the places beyond skies. He continued his journey till he reached the place called “Sidratul Muntaha”. Me’raj has been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an at places as under:
“Subhanallazi Asraa beAbdehi Lailam Minal Masjid al Haraam Ilal Masjid al Aqsaal
Lazi Barakna Houlahu Lenureahu Min Aayatena Innahu Huwassamiul Baseer”
“Glorified be He who carried His servant at night from Masjid al Haraam to Masjid al
Aqsaa, the precincts of which We have blessed so that We may show him of our Signs.
Verily, He is the All Hearing and the All Seeing” Surah al-Isra’ verse 1. Second time it is mentioned in Surah al-Najm verses 12 to 18. The translation is as follows: 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”
From the word servant in verse 1 of Surah Is’ra it is clear that Me’raj of the Prophet(S) was physical as well as spiritual. The Prophet did not say that he went rather the verse says that Allah carried his servant. The word “Subhan” denotes that He is free from all deficiencies.
The deficiencies of gravity, time and space etc are for human beings.
Bartholomew, a Greek scientist believed that all physical entities which exist in this world have two divisions; elemental and celestial. By elemental he meant water, soil, wind and fire. Celestial bodies means nine plains like different skins of an onion which are separated and cannot be broken. In modern days when Sputnik in 1957 proved that man can overcome the problems of gravity, cosmic rays and breathing in space. It goes to prove that the Ascension of Prophet (S) is not impossible. Allah is the one who gave gravity to earth, cosmic rays to Sun and made different layers to air, can take away the gravity from earth, dangers of cosmic rays of Sun and layers of air for certain time frame.
When Allah can bring back the dead, convert a staff of Musa into snake, keep alive Younus in the belly of a whale, He can direct any miracle so as to facilitate the Asension.
It is only His intention that counts.
The Prophet (S) traveled on a heavenly horse called “Buraq”. On the journey, the Prophet
(S) met different groups of people. At one stage, he met a group of people whose lips were of large size like a camel. Their lips were being cut with a pair of scissors and they were forced to eat it. On inquiry, Jibra’il said these were the people who used to back bite. Moving forward, he saw a group of people in whose throats, fire was being poured. On inquiry he was told that those were the people who used to take property of orphans unlawfully. They came across some women who were being hung by their chests. On inquiry, he was told that those women committed indecent acts and falsely claimed the children of their husbands while the children belonged to some one else.
During the journey, the Holy Prophet (S) met some of the Prophets mentioned in Holy Qur’an.  Abdullah ibne Umer reports that he heard someone asked the Holy Prophet (S) in whose voice Allah addressed him. He replied that Allah spoke to him in Imam Ali (AS)’s voice and Allah said “O Ahmad, I am an entity that is not like anything else; I know all the secrets of your heart. With the exception of Ali ibne Abi Talib, you have no other close friend”
During the Ascension, five times obligatory prayers were prescribed for Muslims and also Allah told the Prophet (S) that He will reward for any virtues ten times and any sin will be recorded as one only.
At Baitul Mamoor, the Prophet (S) saw the river al-Kausar and also river Mercy. He drank from river al-Kausar and took shower in the river Mercy.
The journey continued till he reached the peak of the journey called “Sidratul Muntaha” where the space of two bows (arcs) or even less remained as stated in Surah al-Najm verse 9.
In the end a couplet of Allama Iqbal is relevant here:
            “ Sabaq Mila hai ye Meraj e Mustafa (S) se mujhe”
            “ Ke alam e bashariyyat ki zad me hai gadroon”
            I have drawn a conclusion by the Ascension (Me’raj) of
            The Prophet Muhammad (S)
            That the skies are open to the mankind

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