Glory be to Him, Who transported His Servant one night from the Masjid-i-Haram to Masjid Al Aqsa, whose surroundings We have

blessed, so that we might show him some of Our Signs; the fact is that He alone is All-Hearing and All-Seeing.

Surah Isra

1233 km

ISRA

MIRAJ

•Ibrahim (as)

7th Heaven

•Musa (as)

6th Heaven

•Haroon (as)

5th Heaven

•Idris (as)

4th Heaven

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

In perspective…

• Aam ul Huzn - Death of his Wife Khadijah and Uncle Abu Talib.

• Unsuccessful trip to Taif – Incident of Taif was the most difficult one in his life.

• Prophet (S) shows humility and forgiveness to people of Taif and turns towards Allah for dua.

• To show Prophet (S) the Great Signs of Allah.

The Pure Heart of Prophet (S)

• The Prophet(S)’s chest was cleft open by Jibraeel (as), his heart extracted and washed with the water of Zamzam in a golden bowl.

• He filled it with “Imaan” – knowledge, forbearance, wisdom, faith and conviction.

The Buraaq

• Buraaq was presented as a ride.• Buraaq is derived from the word "bareeq" which

means "white " in Arabic. • According to another view, its origin lies in the

word "barq " which means "lightning", the speed of which is well-known; hence the name Buraaq.

• It was bigger than a donkey but smaller than mule.

Prayer in Jerusalem

• He became the leader of all the Prophets and led them in prayer.

The Bowl of Milk

• “I prayed two rak’ahs in Al-Aqsa Mosque and then went out, and Jibreel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, and Jibreel said, ‘You have chosen the natural thing.’” (Muslim)

• The Prophet’s choice emphasizes fitrah or pure nature.

Ascension to the Heavens• The doors of the heavens became

apparent to Prophet (S) which were closed.

• Guardian angels asked who is there. Gabriel told his name.

• He was asked who is with him?

• He said, "Mohammad (SAW)”

• He was asked,” Is he invited?”

• He answered, “Yes”. Then the door was opened and he was welcomed.

First Heaven • Prophet (S) saw a man sitting.

He was told this is your father Adam. He greeted him with Salaam and Adam answered him with Salaam. Then he said, “Welcome my virtuous son and virtuous Nabi”

• He had some people on right side and when he looked at them he smiled. When he looked on people on his left side he would cry.

• Prophet was told, on his right side are people of Jannah and on his left side are people of Hellfire.

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

• Prophet (S) greeted Isa(as) and Yahya(as) with Salaam and they replied back with Salaam. Then they said, “Welcome our righteous brother and Nabi.”

Second Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Third Heaven

Prophet (S) met Nabi Yusuf (as) here. He greeted him with Salaam and he

replied with Salaam. He said, “Welcome to pious brother and

Nabi.”

Prophet (S) said,” He is most beautiful in the creatures of Allah. His

distinction in beauty is like the distinction of moon amongst the

stars.”(Tabrani)

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Prophet (S) greeted Idris (as) with Salaam and he replied back with

Salaam. Then he said, “Welcome my righteous brother and Nabi.”

Fourth Heaven

•Idris (as)

4th Heaven

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Fifth Heaven

Prophet (S) greeted Harun(as) with Salaam and he replied back

with Salaam. Then he said, “Welcome my righteous brother

and Nabi.”

•Haroon (as)

5th Heaven

•Idris (as)

4th Heaven

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Sixth Heaven

Prophet greeted him with Salaam and he replied with Salaam. Then he said,” Welcome to my righteous brother and Nabi. “ When the Prophet proceeded, he started crying. When asked why he cried. Musa (as) replied that a Prophet came after me. His followers will be more in Jannah than my followers. I feel sorry for them. They did not follow me like the followers of Mohammad (S).

•Musa (as)

6th Heaven

•Haroon (as)

5th Heaven

•Idris (as)

4th Heaven

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Seventh Heaven

• Prophet (S) greeted him with salaam and he replied with salaam. He said, “Welcome to my righteous son and Nabi.”

• Ibrahim(as) said, “O Muhammad! Convey my salaam to your Ummah and inform them that undoubtedly the soil of Jannah is pure, its water is sweet.”

• Ibrahim (as) wants us to know the beauty of Jannah.

•Ibrahim (as)

7th Heaven

•Musa (as)

6th Heaven•H

aroon (as)

5th Heaven

•Idris (as)

4th Heaven

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Bait Al Mamour

Bait ul Mamour (the much frequented house) which is like the Kabah on this earth (including the Hateem area)

Bait Al Mamour is encompassed daily by 70,000 angels, so that the angels who once encompassed it would not have their turn again till the Resurrection.

•Ibrahim (as)

7th Heaven

•Musa (as)

6th Heaven•H

aroon (as)

5th Heaven

•Idris (as)

4th Heaven

•Yusuf (as)

3rd Heaven

•Isa (as) & Yahya (as)

2nd Heaven

•Adam (as)

1st Heaven

Jibraeel (as) in his True Form

• Prophet (S) saw Jibraeel (as) in his original form there.

• He encompassed the whole horizon.

• He had 600 wings.

• Corals and Pearls were dripping form the feathers of Jibraeel (as).

The Keeper of Jahanam

• Malik came upto the seventh heaven to meet Prophet (S) and said salam to Prophet (S), and Prophet (S) replied back.

• He had a cheerless frowning face.

• When he asked Jibraeel (as) who this angel was, he replied, "This is Malik, the keeper of Jahannam. If he were ever to smile at anyone before or after you, he would certainly have smiled when meeting you. But (truly) he does not smile at all”.

• Malik has 19 nineteen angels under his command to oversee Jahanam (Al Muddathir:30)

Sidratul Muntahaa• The word "Sidrah " in Arabic means "a lote tree “.

• While "Al-Muntahaa " denotes "furthest place” or “ending”. It is the last frontier. End of creation.

• The leaves are like elephant ears and its fruit like big earthenware vessels.

• It is decorated with golden butterflies, colors of the tree cannot be described and kept on changing.

• Allah says ﴿ �َر�ى �ْب �ُك اْل �ِه ِّب َر� ِت ـ� َء�اَي ِمْن� ى� َأ َر� �َق�ْد� ﴾ ْل

• Four rivers originated at its root, 2 are in this world (Nile and Euphrates) and 2 in Paradise.

• Roots and trunk start in the sixth heaven and branches finish in the seventh heaven.

The Divine Meeting

• Someone caused Prophet (S) to ascend (not Jibraeel (as))

• Prophet (S) could hear the sound of pen writing.

• The Pen was the very first of creation.

• Allah told the pen to write everything from the beginning of creation to the end of the world.

Gifts from Allah (swt)

• The last two verses of Surah Baqarah.

• Promise of forgiveness for those who never committed any Shirk.

• The Greatest Gift was the gift of Salah.

• The importance of this great gift

• the Prophet (S) was called personally to the heavens and beyond to receive this injunction, whereas most other injunctions were given on earth via Jibraeel (as).

• Moreover, the fact that Jibraeel (as) descended the very next day after Mi'raj to teach Prophet (S) the finer points of the method of salah, highlights it's importance.

River of Kausar• While walking in Jannah, Prophet (S) suddenly found himself along a

river.

• the banks of which are golden,

• it flows on rubies and corals and emeralds and pearls and diamonds instead of pebbles,

• its earth smells sweeter than musk,

• its water is whiter than milk,

• cooler than snow,

• and sweeter than honey,

• On the Day of Judgement, the water jugs set at it will be as numerous as the stars in the sky,

• the one who drinks from it would never thirst; and the one who is deprived of it will never have his thirst satisfied.

House of Perfume in Jannah

• The Prophet smelled a sweet perfume from a house in Jannah.

• He asked Jibreal (as) about it.

• It was a house of a woman whose duty was to comb Pharaoh's daughter's hair.

• She was a good, pious believer.

• Pharaoh demanded this woman leave Islam, but she refused.

• The Pharaoh killed her and her children in boiling oil.

• She died a martyr.

• The house was her high status in Paradise.

Admonitions and Punishments Witnessed• Teaching without practicing: "lips were being slit with scissors of fire- they

are the khateebs who command people to do good deeds while forgetting their own selves”.

• Slandering: "people who had fingernails of copper and they were raking their own faces and chests with them."

• Consuming Interest: "people with bellies as huge as houses (in which people stay) and inside their bellies were snakes which were visible from the outside.“

• Fornication and Adultery: " These people were eating the decayed meat and leaving the cooked meat untouched.“

• Abusing peoples trust: " A man who was struggling to carry a very large bundle of wood which he was unable to bear, yet he wanted to carry even more.“

• Witholding Zakaat: "They were eating Daree'(a thorny plant of the fire of Jahannam) and Zaqqoom( a most bitter and foul smelling tree growing at the bottom of Jahannam) and the smouldering stones of Jahannam."

All these punishments were shown to Prophet (S) so that

• he may warn mankind to abandon sin and transgression and

• encourage mankind to obedience and goodness.

Admonitions and Punishments Witnessed

Return to Makkah

• He returned to Makkah on Buraq.

• He told whole story to his cousin Umm Hani. She asked him not to tell the people since they will not believe him and ridicule him. He left the house saying that he will tell them.

Next Day…

• Facing Abu Jahl in Kaaba he told him the story. Abu Jahl called and gathered a crowd, and Prophet told them the same story.

• The people came to the Prophet(S) and asked him to describe the details of Baitul Maqdis. Prophet (S) said "When the people of Quraish did not believe me, I stood up in Al-Hijr and Allah displayed Jerusalem in front of me, and I began describing it to them while I was looking at it."

• Prophet (S) also supplied them with all the news about their caravans and the routes of their camels.

• He also described a caravan looking for its lost camels. When this caravan arrived they confirmed this.

Strength of a Believer

• The disbelievers went to see Abu Bakr(ra), and he readily said: “Yes, I do verify it.” It was on this occasion that he earned the title of As-Siddiq (the verifier of the truth).

• He said if Allah can send an angel to Prophet (S) every day, He can also call Prophet (S) to visit the Heavens too.

• The lesson for us, the Muslims, is that if it is in the Qur’an or reported authentically as a Sunnah, then we should believe in it, and act upon it.

A Physical Journey

• The Prophet (S) took this journey in a fully conscious state of mind,

• with body and soul, flesh and blood.• The fact that disbelievers denied and made

fun of it, is enough to prove that Prophet (S) told them he took this journey physically.

When did all this happen?

• Prevalent opinion of later scholars is that it falls on 27th Rajab.

• Other opinions;

• Shawal – 12th year of Prophethood (Tabari)

• 17th Ramadan – 12th year of Prophethood (Ibn Sa’ad)

• 17th Ramadan – 13th year of Prophethood (Baihaqi)

• There is no hadeeth to establish the date of Isra Al Miraj.

• Nor are there any narrations from any companions about any specific date.

• Prophet (S) and his companions did not single out this event nor did they celebrate it any way.

How do we celebrate Isra Al Miraj• Celebrate it 5 times a day by offering Salah – the Greatest

Gift from Allah (SWT).

• Instead of Halwa, drink milk and follow the Sunnah.

• Strengthen our Imaan and character with obedience to Allah (SWT).

• Abandon sin and keep away from what is disliked by Allah.

• Work towards our real goal – i.e. Jannah.

• Constantly remind ourselves that this Dunya is a testing ground.

• Show patience in the face of adversity and kindness to oppressors , following the example of Prophet (S).