The Miraculous Journey of al-Al-Isra
(Glory is to Him who caused His slave to travel by night from the Sacred mosque to al-Aqsa mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our proofs. Indeed, He is the all-Hearing, the all-Seeing.
We gave Moses the Book and made it guidance for the Children of Israel, informing them, ‘Do not make other than Me as a worshipped guardian.’
O descendants of those whom We carried with Noah! Indeed, he was a grateful slave.) [Q 17:1-3]
The Night Journey and Revealing the Torah to Moses
Anas bin Mãlik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messengerﷺ said, ‘I was brought al-Burãq – it is a white and long animal that is bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. It stretches its hoof a distance equals to the range of its vision. I mounted it until I reached Jerusalem. I tied it to the ring that the Prophets of Allah used to tie their Burãqs to.
Then I entered the mosque, and prayed two units of prayer. After that, I came out. Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk. Gabriel said, ‘You have chosen what agrees with the natural disposition.’
Then he took me to the heaven. Gabriel asked for permission at the gate of the heaven. He was asked, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I am Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes, it has been revealed to him.’ Then the gate was opened for us. I met Adam. He welcomed me, and prayed for me.
Then Gabriel took me to the second heaven. He asked for permission at the gate of the heaven. He was asked, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I am Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been revealed to him.’ The gate was opened for us. I met the two cousins – Jesus, the son of Maryam and John the son of Zachariah. They welcomed me and prayed for me.
Then Gabriel took me to the third heaven. He asked for permission. He was asked, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I am Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been revealed to him.’ The gate was opened for us. I met Joseph, who was given half of all the beauty. He welcomed me and prayed for me. Then Gabriel took me to the fourth heaven. He asked for permission. He was asked, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been revealed to him.’ I met Idrîs. He welcomed me and prayed for me. (Allah says, interpretation of meaning: (And We raised him to a high position.) [Q 19:57] Him in the ayah refers to Idrîs)
Then Gabriel took me to the fifth heaven. He asked for permission. It was said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been revealed to him.’ Then the gate was opened for us. I met Aaron. He welcomed me, and prayed for me.
Then Gabriel took me to the sixth heaven. He asked for permission. It was said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been revealed to him.’ The gate was opened for us. I met Moses. He welcomed me, and prayed for me.
Then Gabriel took me to the seventh heaven. He asked for permission. It was said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has it been revealed to him?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been revealed to him.’ The gate was opened for us. I met Ibrahim, reclining against al-Bayat al-Ma’mour ‘the Most- Frequented House.’ Seventy thousand angels enter it every day, and they do not return to it –but always a fresh batch comes into it daily.
Then Gabriel took me to Sidrat al-Muntaha- It is a tree, whose leaves are so big like elephant ears, and its fruits are so big like big jars. When it was covered with what Allah willed for it to be covered with, it changed and no one can describe its beauty.
Then Allah revealed to me what He willed to reveal. He made fifty prayers obligatory on me every day and night. I descended, and went to Moses. He asked me, ‘What your Lord made obligatory on your nation?’ I said, ‘Fifty prayers.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, and ask Him to decrease the prayers since your nation cannot bear praying them. Indeed, I tested the Children of Israel, and knew them well.’
The Messenger returned to Allah. He said, ‘O my Lord! Make the prayer less on my nation.’ Allah decreased five prayers. The Messenger returned to Moses. He said, ‘Allah decreased five prayers.’ He said, ‘Your nation cannot bear praying them. Go back to your Lord and ask Him to decrease them.’ The Messenger said, ‘I kept on returning between my Lord, Exalted is He, and Moses until my Lord said, ‘O Muhammad! They are five prayers every day and night, and the reward of every prayer equals to the reward of ten prayers; thus, it becomes fifty prayers. Whoever intends to do a good act, but he does not do it, a reward will be recorded for him, and if he does it, ten rewards will be recorded for him. Whoever intends to do an evil act, but he does not do it, nothing will be recorded against him, and if he does it, a sin will be recorded against him.’
The Messenger said, ‘I descended until I met Moses, and told him about the matter.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, and ask Him to decrease the number of the prayers.’ The Messenger said, ‘I have been returning to my Lord so much. I am shy now to do so.’’
Tafsir
(Glory is to Him who caused His slave to travel by night from the Sacred mosque to al-Aqsa mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our proofs. Indeed, He is the all-Hearing, the all-Seeing.)[1]
Allah caused His slave Muhammadﷺ to travel from the Sacred mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem at night, and returned in the same night. Allah, Exalted is He, is free from whatever claims the disbelievers ascribed to Him, e.g. they said that He, Exalted is He, has a son, wife, and partner.
Allah caused His Messenger to travel to al-Aqsa mosque, whose surroundings He has blessed for its inhabitants, to show His slave and Messenger Muhammadﷺ some of His proofs, denoting His Oneness.
Verily, Allah is all-Hearing of everything, e.g. what the disbelievers said about the Night Journey of the Prophetﷺ. Allah is all-Seeing of everything, e.g. He sees what the disbelievers do and nothing of their deeds is hidden from Him. His knowledge encompasses everything in the heaven and the earth.
(Glory is to Him who caused His slave to travel by night…)
Describing the Messenger Muhammadﷺ as the slave of Allah constitutes the greatest honor. That is because being a slave of Allah is the greatest rank that man can attain.
‘The perfect human being is the one who perfectly realizes the true concept of servitude to his Creator, Allah. He is the one who sincerely acknowledges his poverty and need before his Lord, Allah. He knows that he cannot manage his affairs without the help of Allah, even the slightest moment of his life. Therefore, the Messenger Muhammadﷺ is the closest creature to Allah, and the one, who has the greatest rank, and position since he acquires the perfect rank of servitude to Allah.’
Allah, Exalted is He, describes His Messenger Muhammadﷺ as His slave in the most honorable states when He caused him to make the Night Journey.
(…from the Sacred mosque to al-Aqsa mosque…)
This shows where the Night Journey began and ended.
The mosque in Mecca is described as the sacred because it is prohibited to violate its sanctity.
The mosque in Jerusalem is described as al-Aqsa ‘the furthest’ because it is far from the sacred mosque in Mecca.
Anas bin Mãlik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophetﷺ told them about the Night Journey. He said, ‘While I was in al-Hatym - ‘a semi-circular area beside the Kaaba, which is originally part of the Kaaba – someone came to me…’ [This area near the Kaaba is also called Hijr of Ishmael.]
(…whose surroundings We have blessed…)
Praising al-Aqsa mosque by describing it as blessed.
Allah, Exalted is He, has blessed al-Aqsa mosque by bestowing religious and worldly blessings on it.
As for the religious blessings, Allah made the area of al-Aqsa mosque the abode of many prophets, e.g. Ibrahim, Isaac, and Jacob - .
Al-Aqsa mosque was the place of worship for many prophets.
Before changing the direction of the prayer to the Sacred mosque in Mecca, the direction of prayer was to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
As for the worldly blessings, Allah has made rivers flow and vegetation grow in as-Sham, where al-Aqsa mosque is located.
(…to show him some of Our proofs.)
The wisdom for which Allah, Exalted is He, caused His prophet Muhammadﷺ to make the Night Journey was to show him some proofs, denoting His limitless ability, e.g. seeing the noble Prophets of Allah, and seeing some miraculous things in this universe.
The commentators of the Quran mention some points when interpreting the aforementioned ayah. Some of which are as follows:
• This ayah affirms the Night Journey that the Prophetﷺ made from the Sacred mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
As for ascending to the heaven, some scholars refer to the ayat of surah an-Najm to confirm it. Allah says, interpretation of meaning:
(By the star when it falls. Your companion has not deviated, nor has he aberrated. And neither he speaks out of his whim. Verily, the Quran is nothing but revelation revealed to him. He was taught by a strong angel, being prudent. Then he rose in his real form to the highest point of the horizon. Then Gabriel drew near to Muhammad, and then he became closer until he was at a distance of two bow-lengths or closer than that. Then Allah revealed to His slave what He wanted to reveal.)[Q 53:1-10]
After mentioning prophetic narrations about this issue, imam ibn Kathîr said, ‘Al-Bayyhaqy said, ‘This context is a proof that ascension of Prophet Muhammadﷺ to the heaven took place at the same night of the Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.’ His statement is true without any doubt nor suspicion.’
Imam al-Qurtuby said, ‘The Night Journey is confirmed by all hadîths books. Narrations of the companions of the Prophetﷺ about it is reported in all Islamic countries. Thus, they are authentic continuous narrations ‘mutawãtir.’’
• The scholars differ about when the Night Journey took place. The most plausible opinion is that it took place sometime before the migration of the Messenger Muhammadﷺ to al-Madinah.
• The scholars also differ about whether the Night Journey was while the Prophetﷺ was awake or asleep. Did he make the Night Journey by his soul and body or only the soul?
Imam at-Tabarî said, ‘The correct opinion on this issue is that Allah took His slave Muhammadﷺ at night from the Sacred mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, as He informed His slaves in the Quran, and prophetic narrations affirmed it. Allah carried him on al-Burãq to al-Aqsa mosque. The Prophet Muhammad led the prophets and Messengers of Allah in the prayer there. Allah showed him some of His proofs. Saying that the Night Journey was only for the soul of the Prophetﷺ is unacceptable. That is because if it was so, the journey would not be evidence affirming his prophet-hood, nor a proof confirming his messengership. Neither those who disbelieved in him and denied the Night Journey, nor any person with sound disposition would deny a dream in which someone saw that he traveled to a far place. Allah has informed us in the Quran that he took his slave to al-Aqsa mosque and not the soul of His slave. It is unacceptable to say something that Allah did not say.’
Learned Lessons
• The Quran confirms the Night Journey of the Messenger Muhammadﷺ from the Sacred mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
• The Messengerﷺ made the Night Journey by his soul and body. Allah has informed that He took His ‘slave’ in the Night Journey, and the word ‘slave’ includes the soul and the body of a person.
• Establishing the perfect power and ability of Allah as He took His Messengerﷺ from Mecca to Jerusalem, and brought him back to Mecca in short time, i.e. one night.
• The Messengerﷺ saw proofs, denoting the ability of Allah during the Night Journey.
• The Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem refers to the unity of the messages of the prophets of Allah, which is to worship Allah alone, even if the direction of prayers changes.
(We gave Moses the Book and made it guidance for the Children of Israel, informing them, ‘Do not make other than Me as a worshipped guardian.’)[2]
Allah gave Moses the Torah to guide the Children of Israel to the straight path. Allah informed them that they must not worship other gods besides Him, Exalted is He, and make them their guardians, on whom they depend to manage their affairs.
Learned Lessons
• Allah honored Moses by revealing the Torah to him.
• It is obligatory to sincerely worship Allah alone, and not worship other gods besides Him, nor depend on anything other than Allah, Exalted is He.
(O descendants of those whom We carried with Noah! Indeed, he was a grateful slave.)[3]
O children of the righteous people, who believed in Noah, and Allah saved from drowning in the flood! Do not worship other gods besides Allah. Indeed, Noah was a thankful slave, who always thanked Allah for all His blessings.
Describing Prophet Muhammadﷺ and Noah as slaves of Allah is clear evidence, showing the true rank of the Prophets of Allah, that is to say, they are slaves of Allah.
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