Introduction:
The night journey and ascension (Isra wa Meraj)1 into the heavens are considered some of the Prophet’s (sws) magnificent miracles. The incident is recounted by interpreters of the Quran, compilers of Hadith, and the Prophet’s (sws) biographers based on verses 1 and 60 of Surah Bani Israel (17), verses 1 to 18 of Surah al-Najm (53), and various hadith reports.
According to Surah Bani Israel, one night, the Prophet (sws) was taken from the Masjid al-Ḥarām to Aqsa Mosque, aiming to make him witness divine signs. According to Surah al-Najm, the Prophet (sws) saw Hazrat Gabriel (asm) twice in his original form: once at the far end of the horizon and the other at the utmost boundary of the seventh heaven (Sidrat ul Muntaha). The incident involving the distance between two bow lengths (Qāba Qausin) also occurred at this juncture.
The hadith narrates the incident as follows: One night, Archangel Gabriel (asm) came to the Prophet (sws), opened his chest, filled it with faith and knowledge, and sealed it. Subsequently, a white horse, swift as light, was presented to him. The Prophet (sws) mounted the horse to travel to Bayt al-Maqdas. After covering several miles and moving through different places, he reached al-Aqṣā Mosque, tethered the horse outside the mosque, and entered Solomon’s temple (Haykal e Sulaimānī). All the divine prophets were already there preparing for prayers to be led by the Holy Prophet (sws). Following the congregational prayer, two bowls, one filled with milk and the other with wine, were presented to him, and he chose to drink the milk. Later, a ladder was presented to him to ascend to the skies, through which he traversed the seven heavens accompanied by Archangel Gabriel. The Prophet (sws) passed through all seven heavens, meeting many other prophets, including Hazrat Adam (asm), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) (asm), Hazrat Yusuf (Joseph) (asm), Hazrat Idris (Enoch) (asm), Hazrat Musa (Moses) (asm), Hazrat Harun (Aaron) (asm), Hazrat Yahya (John the Baptist) (asm), and Hazrat Isa (Jesus) (asm). Beyond the seventh heaven at the border between the human and divine realms (Sidrat ul Muntaha), Gabriel departed, and the Prophet (sws) was presented in front of God Almighty at a distance of two bow-lengths (Qāba Qausayn).2
God Almighty bestowed upon him the blessings of 50 obligatory prayers, which the Prophet (sws) received and began his return journey. On his way back, at the seventh heaven, he met Hazrat Musa (Moses) (asm), who advised him to request a reduction in prayers, drawing from his experience with his own people. The Prophet (sws) accepted the advice and returned to the court of God to request the reduction. God acceded to his request and reduced the number of prayers. When he came down, Hazrat Musa (Moses) (asm) again gave him the same advice. He went back with the same request. This was repeated many times until the number of prayers was finally reduced to five. When Hazrat Musa (Moses) (asm) gave the same advice yet again, the Prophet did not like to go back and proceeded on his journey downwards. He reached the seventh heaven after passing through all the other skies and came to the Bayt al-Maqdas. Here all the other honorable prophets were ready for prayers. He led the prayers, mounted the horse Buraq, and returned to the Sacred Mosque.
During this journey, the Prophet visited the River of Paradise (Ḥawz e Kawthar), Mosque of the Heavens (Bait ul Ma’amur), and the Heaven and the Hell. According to some scholars, the Prophet also practically saw God on the occasion of Qāba Qawsayn. The Prophet (sws) experienced and observed these incidents in their full physical and spiritual dimensions.
These details of the events known as Isra and Mi ‘rāj in our academic tradition can be found in the commentaries of the Quran, the interpretations of hadith, the writings of the Prophet’s Sirah, books on arguments about prophethood, and the miracles of the Prophet(s).
Javed Ahmed Ghamidi considers these incidents of the night journey and ascension into the heavens as signs of God and believes in their miraculous and extraordinary aspects. However, he does not accept the traditional interpretation as correct. In his view, there are several flaws in analysis, reasoning, understanding, and interpretation, leading to a portrayal that contradicts the meaning and objective of the Quran and Hadith. Therefore, he has critically analyzed its interpretation, evaluated its arguments, and presented his views in comparison.
This book details Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s critical review of the traditional opinion and his perspectives. It includes two chapters and two appendices. The first chapter, titled “The Night Journey and Ascension into the Heavens: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s Point of View,” provides a detailed description of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s opinion on the issue. It includes sufficient evidence from the Quran and Hadith, backgrounds of incidents, clarification of arguments, and structured outcomes for comprehensive understanding. The second chapter evaluates the traditional perspective and is titled: “Night Journey and Ascension to the Heavens: A Critique of the Traditional View.” It describes the traditional view, its arguments, quotations from supporters, and briefly outlines the principles underlying Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s arguments. It then examines all arguments and their conclusions, addressing any deficiencies. This discussion covers various aspects:
Whether it is one incident or four The meaning of ‘رؤیا‘ (Dream) in the Narration Describing the Night Journey – Traditional View The debate between a physical or spiritual journey as the final argument The Meaning and Concept of ‘الرؤیا‘ ‘(the Dream) The Validity of Evidence from the Verse of Muttanabi The Significance of Evidence from the verse of Ra’ai The Purpose Behind the Wording of subḥāna alladhī (Glory to Him) The Authenticity of the Argument for asrā bi ‘abdihī (Who Took His Servant for the Night Journey) The Arguments Derived from Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (rta)’s Narrative The Argument Based on the Wording of “fitnatan linnās” (Trial for People) The Argument Deducted from People’s Reactions Sighting of God
The final section comprises appendices. It includes crucial elements and explanatory debates to cater to scholarly needs, assisting readers seeking further exploration or access to the sources of the debate.
References:
- The term “Isra” is derived from “بعبده أسرى” (took His servant), while “Mi‘rāj” is associated with
“بی ج ر ع” (I was taken up to heaven). “Mi‘rāj” in Arabic translates to “ladder.” - The details surrounding the incident of Mi‘rāj are generally agreed upon by most scholars. However, some aspects are based on narratives that have been deemed weak by compilers of Hadith. Despite acknowledging this weakness, scholars accept these narratives due to their perceived alignment with the Quran and Hadith.