Indexed OCR Text

Rasulullaah p also saw another person in a river of blood, who was being pelted
with large rocks every time he tried to get out of the river. Hadhrat Jibra'eel v
explained that this was a man who consumed interest. 477
Rasulullaah p also passed by some people who planted seeds and harvested
them the same day. The crops then sprouted again as they had been before
harvesting. Hadhrat Jibra'eel v explained that these were the people who strove
in the path of Allaah. Every deed they did yielded a reward of seven hundred and
all the wealth they spent was also rewarded most generously.
Rasulullaah p then passed by some people whose heads were being crushed by
huge boulders. Every time their heads were crushed, they returned to normal
before being crushed yet again. This process continued all the time. When
Rasulullaah p asked who these people were, Hadhrat Jibra'eel v explained that
they were people who did not perform their Fardh salaah because of laziness.
Another group of people Rasulullaah p passed comprised of people dressed only
with a cloth wrapped around their private parts. They were walking around like
camels and cows, eating from Daree478, Zaqqoom479 and the rocks of Jahannam.
When Rasulullaah p asked who they were, he was told that these were people
who did not pay their zakaah.
The next group of people Rasulullaah p passed by were sitting in front of a pot of
cooked meat and another pot of decayed, foul-smelling meat. Instead of eating
477 Ibn Mardway, from Hadhrat Samurah bin Jundub t.
478 Thorny trees of Jahannam.
479
A tree that grows from the depths of Jahannam and which boils within the belly when eaten
980

from the cooked meat, these people were eating the rotten meat. Disgusted,
Rasulullaah p asked who these people were. Hadhrat Jibra'eel v informed him
that these were people who had lawful wives, but spent the nights in adultery
with other women.
Rasulullaah p also passed by a group of people who were gathering a bale of
firewood. Although the bale was too heavy for them to carry, they still continued
to add more wood to it. Hadhrat Jibra'eel v told Rasulullaah p these were people
who were already overburdened by the dues they owed, yet they continued
adding to it by taking more upon themselves.
Rasulullaah p later passed by people whose tongues and lips were being cut with
scissors. Each time these shredded parts of their bodies were restored to
normal, they were again cut to pieces in the same way. This continued forever.
Hadhrat Jibra'eel v explained to Rasulullaah p that these were the orators of his
Ummah who preached to people without themselves practising what they
preached.
Rasulullaah p then came to a place where he felt a wonderful and fragrant
breeze. "This is a breeze from Jannah," Hadhrat Jibra'eel v explained. When they
then passed by a foul stench, Hadhrat Jibra'eel v told Rasulullaah p that it was
the stench of Jahannam. 480
It appears from the narrations that all these sights took place while Rasulullaah p
was upon the Buraaq and had not yet reached Masjidul Aqsa or ascended to the
480
Khasaa'isul Kubra (Vol.1 Pg.172).
981

heavens. It is possible that these were physical manifestations of various actions
or visions of the realm of Barzakh that were shown to Rasulullaah p.
After performing salaah in Masjidul Aqsa, Rasulullaah p met the Ambiya pull ale,
all of whom had been gathered there especially to meet him. Some of the most
eminent Ambiyaa pull c praised Allaah in different ways and briefly introduced
themselves. Imaam Zurqaani , has quoted the words of these Ambiya pulate,
which we shall duplicate here. Take note that although these narrations are not
of the highest level of authenticity, they have been quoted in compilations of
Ahadeeth.
The Praise of Hadhrat Ibraheem V
"All praise belongs to Allaah Who has made me His friend, granted me a vast
empire, made me a leader of a great nation and made the fire cool and safe for
me."
The Praise of Hadbrat Mossa V
"All praise belongs to Allaah Who has spoken directly to me, Who has
annihilated Fir'oun and his army and rescued the Bani Israa'eel by my hand and
made my people a nation who promote guidance, justice and the truth."
The Praise of Hadbrat Dawood V
"All praise belongs to Allaah Who has given me a vast kingdom, revealed the
Zaboor to me, made iron soft for me, subjugated the mountains and birds to
make Tasbeeh with me and also blessed me with knowledge, wisdom and
decisive speech."
982

The Praise of Hadbrat Sulayman V
"All praise belongs to Allaah Who has subjugated the winds, Shayaateen and Jinn
for me so that they do as I command. All praise belongs to Allaah Who taught me
the language of the birds, has given me command of an army of men, Jinn, birds
and animals and a kingdom that will not be had by any other and which I will not
be called to account for."
The Praise of Hadhrat Ina V
"All praise belongs to Allaah Who has created me by His word, created me like
Aadam v without a father, given me the power to create birds, to raise the dead
and to cure the blind and lepers. All praise belongs to Allaah Who has given me
the knowledge of the Torah and Injeel, protected my mother and me from
Shaytaan and raised me to the heavens to be free of the Kuffaar."
Thereafter, Rasulullaah p praised Allaah in the following words:
The Praise of Hadhrat Muhammad &
"All praise belongs to Allaah Who has sent me as a mercy to the universe, as a
bearer of good news and a warner to the world. All praise belongs to Allaah Who
has revealed to me the Qur'aan, which addresses all issues and has made my
Ummah the first and the last of all. All praise belongs to Allaah Who has opened
my heart to knowledge and wisdom, has elevated my name and made me the
victor and the seal."
983

After Rasulullaah p had spoken this piece, Hadhrat Ibraheem v addressed all the
Ambiyaa pull , saying, "It is because of these virtues that Muhammad has
surpassed us all." As Rasulullaah p was leaving, two cups were served to him;
one with milk and other with wine. When Rasulullaah p chose the cup with milk,
Hadhrat Jibra'eel v said, "You have made a selection based on your innate
disposition towards good. Had you selected the wine, your Ummah would have
all gone astray." Some narrations state that Rasulullaah p was also served a cup
of honey, from which he had a little. 481
Since some narrations state that these drinks were served to Rasulullaah p only
after he had been to the Sidratul Muntahaa, Haafidh Ibn Hajar aldo, writes that
this may have happened twice. And Allaah knows best.
It was after he had met with the Ambiyaa pul se at Masjidul Aqsa that Rasulullaah
p proceeded to travel to the heavens. While some narrations state that
Rasulullaah p travelled to the heavens with the Buraaq, other narrations state
that he ascended with a staircase that led into the skies.
Ibn Is'haaq il , writes that he heard from reliable narrators482 that Hadhrat Abu
Sa'eed Khudri t said, "I heard Rasulullaah p say, 'After I had finished off in
Masjidul Aqsa, a staircase was brought, which was the most magnificent I had
ever seen. It is this staircase that the souls of mankind use when they leave for
the heavens and which the dying person looks up towards before he dies. My
friend Jibra'eel led me on this staircase and we ascended until we reached a gate
in the skies known as the Gate of Hafadha." 483
481
Zurqaani in his Khasaa'il (Vol.6 Pg.47).
482 However, he does not name them.
483
Sharh Mawaahib (Vol.6 Pg.55).
984

The research of Allaama Ibn Katheer ildo, reveals that Rasulullaah p ascended to
the heavens with the staircase, while the Buraaq remained behind in Baytul
Muqaddas. When Rasulullaah p returned from the heavens, he descended at
Masjidul Aqsa, from where the Buraaq once again took him home. 484
When he reached the first heaven, Rasulullaah p met Hadhrat Aadam v, who
greeted him with the words, "Welcome! O righteous Nabi and righteous son".
When he was there, Rasulullaah p saw two springs flowing and asked what they
were. Hadhrat Jibra'eel v replied that these were the sources of the Nile and
Euphrates Rivers. Rasulullaah p then saw another spring over which a palace of
pearls and rubies was constructed and which had sand made of musk. Hadhrat
Jibra'eel v explained, "That is the pond of Kowthar, which Allaah has reserved
for you."
Thereafter, Rasulullaah p proceeded to the second heaven, where he met
Hadhrat Isa v and Hadhrat Yahya v, who were cousins. Next, he proceeded to
the third heaven, where he met Hadhrat Yusuf v, who had been blessed with
immense beauty. On the fourth heaven, Rasulullaah p met Hadhrat Idrees v,
about whom the Qur'aan says, "We elevated him to a high rank".485
As he went further, Rasulullaah p met Hadhrat Haaroon v on the fifth heaven
and then Hadhrat Moosa v on the sixth. Hadhrat Moosa v greeted Rasulullaah p
with the words, "Welcome! O righteous Nabi and righteous brother", but then
started to weep as Rasulullaah p left. "What makes you weep?" a voice asked.
484 Al Bidaayah wan Nihaayah (Vol.3 Pg.110).
485
Surah Maryam, verse 57.
985

Hadhrat Moosa v replied, "O Allaah! You have sent this young man after me and
more people from his Ummah will be in Jannah than people from my Ummah."
When Rasulullaah p reached the seventh heaven, he met Hadhrat Ibraheem v,
who greeted him with the words, "Welcome! O righteous Nabi and righteous
son!" Hadhrat Jibra'eel v introduced Hadhrat Ibraheem v, who was reclining
against the Baytul Ma'moor. The Baytul Ma'moor is the Qibla of the angels in the
heavens and is directly above the Kabah. Each day seventy thousand angels
perform Tawaaf around the Baytul Ma'moor, after which they never get a
second chance.
After this, Rasulullaah p was taken to the Sidratul Muntahaa, which appears to
be a lotus tree above the seventh heaven. The effulgence and light from Allaah
enshrouds it and everything ascending up to Allaah (such as the souls and
actions of people) stop at it before reaching Allaah. Similarly, everything passing
down from Allaah also stops at the Sidratul Muntahaa before proceeding. It was
here that Rasulullaah p saw Hadhrat Jibra'eel v in his original form before
proceeding on a tour of Jannah. Concerning this, Rasulullaah p said, "Then
Jibreel took me further until we reached the Sidratul Muntahaa which was
shrouded in colours, which I am unable to describe. Thereafter, I was admitted
into Jannah, where I found domes of pearls and sand made of musk."
Rasulullaah p was then taken to a place so high that he could actually hear the
pens recording destiny. After passing by this place, he was brought to the court
of Allaah. Here he was given a green velvet carpet to sit upon486, which took him
before Allaah. A narration from Hadhrat Anas t states that a door was then
opened for him and he saw the Greatest Light. Allaah then spoke to him.
486 This is mentioned in certain weak Ahadeeth and is therefore not a fabrication.
986

It was on that occasion that Rasulullaah p received the following three gifts:
1. The concluding verses of Surah Baqarah
2. The assurance that Allaah will forgive even the major sins of every member
of Rasulullaah p's Ummah on condition that he does not commit Shirk
3. The five salaahs
When Rasulullaah p then returned to earth and descended to Baytul Muqaddas,
he saw a gathering of the Ambiyaa Jul . Amongst those that Rasulullaah p saw
performing salaah were Hadhrat Ibraheem v and Hadhrat Moosa v. Describing
Hadhrat Moosa v, Rasulullaah p said, "He is tall, of brownish complexion and
with very curly hair like the people of the Azd Shinow tribe. Rasulullaah p
described Hadhrat Isa v as a man of average height, reddish-white complexion
and straight, long hair, who looked like a man from the Thageef tribe by the
name of Urwa bin Mas'ood. Rasulullaah p added that Hadhrat Isa v appeared to
have just emerged from a bath. Rasulullaah p then added that Hadhrat Ibraheem
v looked like him (Rasulullaah p).
It was the time of Fajr salaah and Rasulullaah p led the Ambiyaa (>ll Make in salaah
as their Imaam. A narration of Ahmad and the Seerah written by Ibn Is'haaq
suggest that Rasulullaah p led this salaah as Imaam of the Ambiyaa pul sk before
travelling to the heavens. While the narration of Bukhaari makes no mention of
this salaah, the narration of Muslim alludes to the fact that it was performed
after Rasulullaah p returned from the heavens. Allaama Ibn Katheer aldas, has
stated that this is the correct version of events.
987

When Rasulullaah p had completed the salaah, a voice called out, "O
Muhammad! The keeper of Jahannam is here. Do greet him." Rasulullaah p
turned around and greeted him. A narration of Bukhaari from Hadhrat
Abdullah bin Abbaas t states that Rasulullaah p even saw Dajjaal during the
journey.
After witnessing and experiencing all of the above, Rasulullaah p returned to
Makkah just before dawn.
The Kuffar Refuse to Believe Ramlullaak p and Baytul Magaddas is Brought Before him
There were many leaders of the Quraysh around the Kabah when Rasulullaah p
returned and related his experience to them. They were all very surprised and
did not hide their disbelief. Some of them slapped their heads others started to
clap, while the most wretched of the lot blankly called Rasulullaah p a liar. Some
of them were traders and had been to Baytul Muqaddas many times. To
disprove Rasulullaah p's claim, they asked him to describe Baytul Muqaddas.
Since Rasulullaah p had not taken particular interest in the construction of the
place, he grew worried because failure to describe it accurately would make it
appear as if he never was there. Suddenly, Allaah projected the image of Baytul
Muqaddas in front of Rasulullaah p and he was able to answer every question
the people posed concerning its description.
While this is all that Bukhaari and Muslim mention, Ibn Is'haaq, Ibn Jareer, Ibn
Abi Haatim, Bayhaqi and Haakim all add that when the Kuffaar were done
questioning Rasulullaah p about Baytul Muqaddas, they asked him to describe
what he saw on the way there. Rasulullaah p told them that he had seen a
caravan returning to Makkah from Shaam. Rasulullaah p also told them that the
caravan lost one of their camels, which they subsequently found. He informed
988

them further that the caravan would be returning to Makkah in three days
time and that it would be led by a gray camel carrying two baskets. As
Rasulullaah p stated, the caravan returned three days later in exactly the same
manner as described and the people in the caravan confirmed that they had
indeed lost a camel and then found it. When the Kaafir Waleed bin Mughiera
heard this, he remarked, "This is apparent sorcery!" His people supported him by
saying, "Waleed is right!"487
It has also been reported that when the caravan was delayed on the third day,
Rasulullaah p was perturbed and worried that the people would doubt him
further. He therefore turned to Allaah in du'aa. Allaah responded to the du'aa
and restrained the sun from setting that day until the caravan reached
Makkah. The words of Rasulullaah p were thus proven to be true. 488
Amongst the narrations reported is one stating that when the Kuffaar heard
about the Mi'raaj, they hurried to report it to Hadhrat Abu Bakr t, thinking that
this would sway his support from Rasulullaah p. They told him, "Your friend
claims that he travelled to Baytul Muqaddas last night and returned to Makkah
by dawn! Can you believe such a tall tale?" "Did Rasulullaah p say this?" Hadhrat
Abu Bakr t asked. When they confirmed that it was Rasulullaah p who said this,
Hadhrat Abu Bakr t said, "Of course I believe him. Why should I not believe it
when I believe that an angel comes to him every day from the heavens, which
is even more wondrous?" It was because of this that Hadhrat Abu Bakr t
received the title of Siddeeq. 489
487
Zurqaani (Vol.6 Pg.126).
488
Zurqaani (Vol.6 Pg.126).
489
Khasaa'isul Kubra (Vol.1 Pg.176).
989

Seeing Allaah
Did Rasulullaah p really see Allaah when he went on the journey of Mi'raaj?
There are narrations that confirm that Rasulullaah p did indeed see Allaah. One
such narration in Bukhaari is reported from Hadhrat Shareek bin Abdullaah, who
narrates from Hadhrat Anas t. It states, "When Rasulullaah p reached the
Sidratul Muntahaa, then Allaah The Mighty Rabb of honour, came closer and
came down until He was only the distance of a bow's span from Rasulullaah p or
even closer."
Muhadditheen have vehemently criticised this part of Hadhrat Shareek's
narration. Imaam Muslim il., was the first to state that Shareek had been
careless in his narration. Discussing the narration of Shareek, Imaam Muslim al das )
writes, "Shareek has recorded some incidents before they happened, some after
they happened and has omitted others altogether." Imaam Khattaabi ail das, has
written that there is no other Hadith in Bukhaari that is as objectionable as this
one. He adds that there are many narrations from Shareek that contains words
which cannot be supported by other narrators, even by his contemporaries who
narrated the same Ahadeeth. This narration from Hadhrat Anas t has been
narrated from several narrators of Ahadeeth, but Shareek is the only one whose
narration includes the addition. None of the other narrators mention it. Imaam
Bayhaqi al wan, and Allaama Ibn Katheer al wasy have also expressed this concern.
Imaam Ibn Hazam ales, has also expressed the same and quoted from Imaam
Nasa'ee il , and the Muhaddith Ibn Jaarood al > that Shareek bin Abdullah is not
a strong narrator. Imaam Yahya bin Sa'eed Qattaan ilan, has stated that the
narrations of Shareek should not be reported. However, there are several
scholars such as Imaam Abu Dawood il> and Ibn Sa'eed , who have testified
990

that he is a reliable narrator. It is because of this difference of opinion
concerning him that Muhadditheen tend not to accept from him those Ahadeeth
which are not supported by narrations from others. The portion of the Hadith
from Hadhrat Anas t concerning Allaah coming down to Rasulullaah p falls within
the category of those narrations of Shareek that are not supported by other
narrators. Muhadditheen therefore prefer to ignore it. And Allaah knows best.
A narration of Muslim and Tirmidhi reports that Hadhrat Abu Dharr t once asked
Rasulullaah p whether he had seen Allaah. Rasulullaah p replied, "Allaah is Noor.
How can I see Him?" Another narration states that Rasulullaah p replied, "I saw
only Noor."490 Amongst the senior Sahabah w who have stated with certainly that
Rasulullaah p did not see Allaah were Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood t, Hadhrat
Abu Hurayrah t and Hadhrat Aa'isha wie al gr.). They state that inferences of the
Qur'aan suggesting that Rasulullaah p saw Allaah refer to him seeing Hadhrat
Jibra'eel v. These verses are "He (Rasulullaah p) certainly saw him (Hadhrat Jibra'eel v in
his original form) on the clear horizon."491 and "He (Rasulullaah p) certainly saw him (Hadhrat
Jibra'eel v in his original form) once more at the Sidratul Muntahaa" 492.
.
Hadhrat Aa'isha wie ali, states that she was the first to question Rasulullaah p
about this, to which he replied that it was Hadhrat Jibra'eel v whom he only saw
twice in his original form (as referred to in the two verses above). 493 Allaama Ibn
Katheer als, writes that none of the Sahabah y opposed the above interpretation
of these verses that was made by Hadhrat Aa'isha wie al gato, and Hadhrat Abdullaah
bin Mas'ood t (stating that it was Hadhrat Jibra'eel v whom Rasulullaah p and
not Allaah).
490
Muslim (Vol.1 Pg.83), Tirmidhi.
491
Surah Takweer, verse 24.
492
Surah Najm, verse 13.
493
Muslim (Vol.1 Pg.84).
991

In his Fat'hul Baari (Vol.8 Pg.468), Haafidh Ibn Hajar al tany states that when
scholars such as Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas t mention that Rasulullaah p saw
Allaah, they refer to seeing Allaah with the eyes of the heart and not with his
physical eyes. This explanation effectively terminates all dispute and speculation
concerning the issue. What is meant by seeing with the heart? This can be
understood only by those people who have sight of their hearts and the ability to
see with it.
992

Lessons & Conclusions
A Historic Event
Allaama Ibn Katheer aldas, has reported a narration in his Tafseer from Muhammad
bin Amr Waaqidi, which has been reported in Dalaa'ilun Nubuwwah by Haafidh
Abu Nu'aym dil 4 .. ). Although Imaam Waaqidi is generally regarded as an
unreliable narrator of Ahadeeth, Allaama Ibn Katheer al wan, has reported this
narration because of its historical significance and because it does not concern
beliefs.
He reports that amongst the epistles that Rasulullaah p sent to the leaders of
various lands, one was sent with Hadhrat Dihya bin Khalifah Kalbi t to the
Emperor of Byzantine (the eastern Roman Empire). The details of the
subsequent interview that the Emperor Heraclius conducted with Abu Sufyaan t
has been narrated in several books of Ahadeeth, including Bukhaari. Abu Sufyaan
(who was then not yet a Muslim) says that although he was tempted to lie about
Rasulullaah p, he could not do so for fear of being labelled a liar. However, it
occurred to him to inform the Emperor about the incident of Mi'raaj so that
Rasulullaah p may lose credibility if the Emperor disbelieves it.
Abu Sufyaan therefore said, "O Emperor! I need to tell you about a claim that he
makes. He claims that he travelled from Makkah to Baytul Muqaddas in a single
night and then returned before dawn." The most senior scholar of Baytul
Muqaddas at the time happened to be with the Emperor at the time. As he
heard what Abu Sufyaan said, he exclaimed, "I remember that night very well."
Turning to him the Emperor asked, "How would you know about it?"
993

The scholar replied, "Dear Emperor! It has always been my habit never to go to
bed until I have closed all the doors. I therefore went about my task that night
and had closed all the doors when the last one would not close. Despite all my
efforts, I could not budge it. I then summoned some of my people and they could
do nothing either. We called for some artisans to see what could be done, but
they declared that nothing could be done until the following morning since the
weight of the roof was exerting too much pressure on the door. We were
therefore forced to leave the door with both leaves open. When I returned the
following morning, I noticed abrasions on the rock beside the door, which made
it clear that someone had tethered their animal there the previous night. It was
then that I explained to my companions that the final Nabi was expected to be
visiting here and I have no doubt that it was the previous night that he had
arrived. In fact, the signs of his arrival and departure were evident throughout
the morning. It was in anticipation of his arrival that the door refused to close
that night."
The scholar then proceeded to quote many extracts from his scriptures that
spoke about the coming of the awaited Nabi. The scheme of Abu Sufyaan to
discredit Rasulullaah p therefore backfired and lent even more credibility to
Rasulullaah p.494
The Physical Nature of the Minaaj
The only way to arrive at the correct decision concerning the physical nature of
the Mi'raaj is to ignore all philosophical objections and logical improbabilities
and to focus solely on the words of the authentic narrations concerning the
Mi'raaj. In this way it will be determined with certainly that the Mi'raaj was a
physical ascent to the heavens, which took place while Rasulullaah p was awake
and not asleep. It was both his body and soul that travelled to Baytul Muqaddas
494
Tafseer Ibn Katheer (Vol.3 Pg.24).
994

and then to the heavens; not his soul alone. All Mufassireen from the time of Ibn
Jareer ail ton, right until the Mufassir Imaam Raazi ail Lau, have furnished the following
four fundamental proofs for this:
1. Allaah says, "Pure is that Being Who transported His slave (Rasulullaah p) by night
from Masjidul Haraam (in Makkah) to Masjidul Aqsa (in Jerusalem) ... ".495 This verse
uses the Arabic word Abd ('c' - translated as slave), which is a word that
refers to both body and soul. The word is never used to refer to the soul
alone. This proves that the Mi'raaj occurred with both the body and soul of
Rasulullaah p
2. The narrations discussing the Mi'raaj make mention of the fact that
Rasulullaah p travelled upon an animal known as the Buraaq. The narrations
also state that Rasulullaah p drank from a cup, that he spoke and did various
other things that require a physical presence
3. Had the Mi'raaj been a spiritual experience or a dream, why would the
Mushrikeen refuse to believe it? Why would they call it a lie when people
have seen much stranger things in dreams and visions? No one disbelieves
dreams and calls them lies because they are not physically possible. This
proves that Rasulullaah p explained the Mi'raaj as a physical experience. Had
it been a dream, he could have easily abated the criticism of the people by
telling them that it was a dream and therefore nothing to object to
4. The Qur'aan describes the incident as test for the people. Allaah says, "We
only made the sight (of Jannah, Jahannam and everything else in the heavens) that We
showed you (during your journey of Mi'raaj) and the accursed tree (Zaqqoom) mentioned
in the Qur'aan as trials for the people (to see which of them will believe you and who will
not. There were therefore those who did not believe that Rasulullaah p went on Mi'raaj and
those who argued that a tree cannot grow in the fire of Jahannam" .496 Had the Mi'raaj
been a dream, what test would it have been for the people because
495 Surah Israa, verse 1.
496 Surah Bani Israa'eel, verse 60.
995

everyone believes that the most impossible events can occur in dreams?
However, this incident was intended to test the belief of people in the
unseen to separate the Mu'mineen from the Kuffaar. Furthermore, when a
person relates his experiences, it is never deemed to be a dream unless the
person explicitly states that it is a dream. Without such clarification, the
incident is regarded to have taken place in real life. It will be seen that
neither the Qur'aan nor the authentic narration of Hadhrat Abu Dharr t in
Bukhaari mentions anything about a dream. This makes it evident that the
Mi'raaj was certainly not a dream.
Responding to Objections
Because the incident of Mi'raaj has been mentioned in the Qur'aan, no one can
deny that it happened. However, people have raised objections concerning the
details of the Mi'raaj mentioned in the Ahadeeth. Some people argue that it is
not possible that Rasulullaah p met Allaah after passing the Sidratul Muntahaa
because Allaah is not restricted to any space or time. This is made evident by
verses such as "Wherever you turn, you will find Allaah's presence there" and "He is
with you wherever you may be".
Another objection raised is that it is not possible for Rasulullaah p to see the
punishments of the various groups of people on this journey because retribution
for good and evil will take place only after Qiyaamah.
The reality of the matter is that these objections are based on a lack of
understanding. All that is required to reply to these objections is a bit of
reflection and thought. What one needs to understand is that although Allaah
Himself is not dependent on time and space, He uses the physical means that
man is dependent upon to interact with man. This is not because Allaah is
dependent on the means, but because man is dependent on these means. Allaah
remains independent of all restrictions of space and time. Therefore, when
996

Allaah wishes to communicate with His Ambiyaa Jul , He uses the existing
means of communication that the Ambiyaa > will be able to perceive and
understand. In a like manner, when Allaah intends to show to his Nabi His great
powers, He can show him only as much as he will be able to perceive with the
powers he has. Since the Nabi u will be unable to see the entire universe at once
as Allaah is able to see it, it will have to be shown to him in parts.
The same applies to the time when Rasulullaah p met Allaah. Although Allaah is
not restricted to time and place, Rasulullaah p was in need of a place where he
could see the Noor of Allaah. Had a place not been defined, there was no way
that such a meeting could take place.
In reply to the second objection, it needs to be clarified at the outset that
everything Rasulullaah p saw on the journey of Mi'raaj was real. However, the
punishments for sins that he saw were images and depictions of these
punishments as a warning to people who engage in them. For example, the
people sitting in front of a pot of cooked meat and a pot of decayed meat and
then eating from the rotten meat depicted people who had lawful wives, but
spent the nights in adultery with other women.
The fact of the matter is that the realm of the Barzakh is a place where the souls
of people are housed after they die until the Day of Qiyaamah. Although this is
not the place where people will be rewarded or punished for their actions, the
good people will be able to enjoy something if Jannah, while the evil will suffer
some degree of the punishment of Jahannam.
997

Rasulullaah p was shown these various scenes of the unseen so that he would be
able to have first-hand knowledge of it and thereby preach it to people with
complete conviction and certainty.
The Hijrah
The Arabic word Hijrah (8%)) literally means 'emigration'. In the definition of the
Shari'ah, it refers to leaving ones home solely for the sake of preserving one's
Deen.
The Mushrikeen of Makkah exerted themselves to make the lives of the Muslims
a misery in Makkah so that they should forsake their Deen. When this became
unbearable for the Muslims, Allaah permitted them to emigrate to Madinah to
preserve their Deen. The very first person to undertake the Hijrah was Hadhrat
Abu Salamah t, who was the foster brother of Rasulullaah p. He made the
necessary preparations to leave Makkah with his wife Ummu Salamah wie dl (or )
(who later became one of the Ummul Mu'mineen) and his son.
Hadhrat Ummu Salamah wie dil go, relates the incident. She says, "When my husband
made up his mind to emigrate to Madinah, he loaded the camel with the luggage
and then made our son Salamah and I ride the camel. As he held the reins of the
camel and led it out of town, the people of my father's tribe, the Banu
Mughierah, happened to see us leaving. They said to Abu Salamah, 'You are free
to go wherever you please, but we cannot allow our girl to wander with you
from place to place.' They then snatched the reins from his hand and forced my
son and me to return with them.
998

When the people of my husband's family, the Banu Abdul Asad, learnt about
this, they approached the Banu Mughierah tribe and started to argue with them
saying, "You can do as you please with your girl, but why should we allow the
son to stay with you when you have not allowed your girl to go with her
husband?' Saying this, they forcibly took my son away, thereby separating our
family. Abu Salamah was in Madinah, I was with my tribe's people and my son
was with his father's tribesmen. Every day I would go out to the desert and
weep there until evening fell. Unable to meet my husband and my son, I
continued crying like this for an entire year.
Eventually one of my cousins took pity on me said to the people of the tribe,
'You have separated this poor woman from her husband and son. Have mercy on
her and let her go?' The tribesmen heeded the plea of my cousin and agreed to
let me go to my husband. Seeing this, the Banu Abdul Asad also made over my
son to me. I then got a camel ready and, with my son in my lap, I left for
Madinah all alone. I had hardly travelled three or four miles when Uthmaan bin
Talhah met me at Tan'eem. 'Where are you headed?' he asked. When I informed
him that I was going to Madinah to join my husband, he remarked, 'Is no one
accompanying you?' 'Nobody except Allaah,' I replied. He then took the reins of
my camel and began to lead it. By Allaah! I have never met a person more
respectable than Uthmaan. When I had to get down from the camel, he would
make it sit and then go behind a tree until I was down. When I needed to
mount, he would first load the goods upon the camel and then bring it to me and
make it sit close by so that I could get on. Thereafter, he would take hold of the
reins and lead the animal.
In this manner we eventually reached Quba, where Abu Salamah had been
staying until then. After safely making us over to my husband, Uthmaan bin
999