The Miraculous Journey of Israa and Mi’raaj

The Israa and Mi’raaj was a miraculous journey on which Allah Ta‘ala took our beloved Nabi Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). This journey was such a great blessing from Allah Ta‘ala, that no other Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala had this blessing. In a single night, Allah Ta‘ala took Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) from Makkah Mukarramah all the way to Musjid-ul-Aqsa in the land of Palestine, and then Allah Ta‘ala took him into the sky, past the seven heavens, until he met and spoke to Allah Ta‘ala. Thereafter, that very same night, Allah Ta‘ala returned Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) back to Makkah Mukarramah.

The journey from Makkah Mukarramah to Musjid-ul-Aqsa is called Israa, and the journey through the heavens is called Mi’raaj. According to many Ulama, Mi’raaj took place on the 27^th of Rajab. This is the story of Israa and Mi’raaj:

One night, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was in the home of Hazrat Ummu Haani (radhiyallahu ‘anha), resting on the bed, when the roof of the room split open and Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) entered with a few other angels. Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) woke Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) up and took him to Musjid-ul-Haraam. On coming to Musjid-ul-Haraam, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) entered the Hateem and fell asleep again.

Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) and Hazrat Meekaa’eel (‘alaihis salaam) came to him, woke him up and took him to the well of Zam-Zam where they made him lie down. They then split open his blessed chest, removed his blessed heart and washed it with Zam-Zam water.

A golden tray was then brought which was filled with imaan and wisdom. This tray was a tray brought from Jannah. The imaan and wisdom in the tray was placed in the blessed heart of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), after which his heart was returned to his chest and his chest was sealed once again.

Thereafter, the Buraaq was brought. The Buraaq is a heavenly animal which is slightly smaller than a mule in size, but slightly bigger than a donkey. It is white in color and moves very, very fast. It moves so fast that in one step, it goes as far as the eye can see. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sat on the Buraaq, and together with Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) and Hazrat Meekaa’eel (‘alaihis salaam), they traveled to Bayt-ul-Maqdis.

While traveling to Bayt-ul-Maqdis, they stopped in different places where Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) performed some salaah. They stopped in Madinah Munawwarah, the place to which Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would perform hijrah later on. They also stopped in the valley of Sinai, where Nabi Musa (‘alaihis salaam) spoke to Allah Ta‘ala, they stopped in Madyan, the land where Nabi Shu’aib (‘alaihis salaam) had lived, and they stopped in Bayt-ul-Lahm, known as Bethlehem today – the place where Nabi Isa (‘alaihis salaam) was born.

When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) arrived in Bayt-ul-Maqdis, then they tied the Buraaq, entered the musjid, and performed two rakaats of salaah. On that occasion, all the Ambiyaa of Allah Ta‘ala, who had come to the world, were there in the musjid, and many angels had also come. The azaan and iqaamah was called out, and then, because Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is the greatest of all the Ambiyaa and the leader of the Ambiyaa, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) made him go forward to be the imam and lead all the other Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) and the angels in salaah.

Thereafter, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) went up to the heavens. Some narrations say that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) went up by riding the Buraaq, while other narrations say that he went up through a special ladder. This ladder was not a normal ladder – it was a special and very beautiful ladder that was covered in diamonds and precious stones.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then went up, through all the seven heavens, and met different Ambiyaa of Allah Ta‘ala at the different heavens. He met Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) at the first heaven, Nabi Yahya and Nabi Isa (‘alaihimas salaam) at the second heaven, Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam) at the third heaven, Nabi Idrees (‘alaihis salaam) at the fourth heaven, Nabi Haaroon (‘alaihis salaam) at the fifth heaven, Nabi Musa (‘alaihis salaam) at the sixth heaven, and Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) at the seventh heaven. When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) met Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam), he saw that he was resting with his back against the Bayt-ul-Ma’moor.

The Bayt-ul-Ma’moor is the qiblah of the angels in the heavens, just as our qiblah on the earth is the Ka’bah Shareef. In fact, the Bayt-ul-Ma’moor is directly above the Ka’bah Shareef and in line with it. Just as we make tawaaf of the Ka’bah Shareef, the angels make tawaaf of the Bayt-ul-Ma’moor. Every day, seventy thousand angels make tawaaf of the Bayt-ul-Ma’moor. However, Allah Ta‘ala has so many angels that they only have one chance to make tawaaf of the Bayt-ul-Ma’moor.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was then taken to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha which is a huge tree in the seventh heaven. From there, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was taken to Jannah and was shown the amazing bounties of Jannah that people will enjoy. After Jannah, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was shown Jahannum and all the punishments of Jahannum.

Among the punishments that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had seen during this journey was the punishment for people who make gheebah. This means that they used to speak bad and hurtful things about people behind their backs. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also saw the punishment for people who do not read their salaah. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told us about these people being punished so that we can make sure that we do not commit their sins and get punished like them.

After being shown Jannah and jahannum, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was taken to Allah Ta‘ala, where he made sajdah to Allah Ta‘ala and spoke to Allah Ta‘ala. On this occasion, Allah Ta‘ala gave Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) three gifts. The first gift was the five fardh salaah that we perform every day. The second gift was the last verses and aayaat of Surah Baqarah, and the third gift was that so long as we have imaan, Allah Ta‘ala will forgive us for our major sins and save us from being punished in Jahannum forever like the disbelievers.

After meeting Allah Ta‘ala, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) returned to Bayt-ul-Maqdis, and then to Makkah Mukarramah, returning just before fajr time. Thereafter, when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told the Quraish and the people of Makkah Mukarramah how Allah Ta‘ala had taken him for Mi’raaj, they did not believe him. They said, “When Syria and Bayt-ul-Maqdis is so far away, then how could you go there and come back in one night?” In this way, they started to mock and laugh at Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and call him a liar.

Then, to test Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), they began to ask him certain questions about Bayt-ul-Maqdis and how it looked so that he could prove to them that he had really went there. Allah Ta‘ala made it that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) could see Bayt-ul-Maqdis in front of his eyes, even though he was in Makkah, and he answered all their questions correctly. However, they still did not believe him and accept what he said.

The disbelievers then came to Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and said to him, “Did you hear what your companion, Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) says? He says that he went to Bayt-ul-Maqdis last night and came back by morning. Do you believe what he says?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “If he said that he went to Bayt-ul-Maqdis and returned in one night, then it has to be the truth. I completely believe everything that he says. In fact, I even believe him when he says that wahi and messages come to him from Allah Ta‘ala, from the heavens to the earth, in a single moment. So why should I not believe him when he says this?”

It was on this occasion that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was given the title Siddeeq. The word Siddeeq means the one who is most truthful. At this time, when the disbelievers of Makkah did not believe Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and said that he was lying, then Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately believed and accepted what Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said.

Insha Allah, in the next part, we will discuss the rest of this incident and what happened after Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came back from the Mi’raaj.