Al-Israa`
Praise is due to `Allaah, the owner of the universe. May `Allaah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the greatest of the Messengers. `Allaah, the glorified and exalted, is the One Who created the Skies and the Earth and Who exists without being bound to place or time. On the 27th of Rajab, two years before the hijrah (migration), `Allaah granted that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ journey at night (`al-`israa`) in body and soul from `Al-masjid `al-haraam in Makkah to `Al-masjid `al-aqsaa in Jerusalem and make the ascension (`al-mi^raaj) through the skies.
During `al-`israa`, `Allaah enabled Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to visit many places, see many wondrous creations and lead all the Prophets in prayer.
The Prophet ﷺ saw the world (dunyaa) as an old woman wearing a great deal of jewellery. In this there is an indication of the reality of this world: it is superficially attractive, but will ultimately fade and vanish.
The Prophet ﷺ saw someone on the side of the road who did not dare to stand in his way or speak to him ﷺ. This was `Iblees (Satan). `Iblees is a jinn who at one time was a believer and used to live with the angels in Paradise. When `Allaah ordered the angels and `Iblees to honour Prophet `Aadam ﷺ by prostrating to `Aadam ﷺ, the angels did so in obedience to `Allaah because angels do not disobey `Allaah. However, `Iblees did not obey and objected to the order of `Allaah. `Iblees responded to God by saying, «You created me out of fire, and You created him out of clay. So how can You order me to prostrate to him?» This objection by `Iblees to the order of `Allaah was the first kufr that he committed.
The Prophet ﷺ also saw a bull which had passed through a very small outlet and was then trying in vain to return back through it. Jibreel told the Prophet ﷺ, «This is like the bad word: once spoken, it cannot be simply undone».
The Prophet ﷺ saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass finger nails. Jibreel told the Prophet ﷺ, «These are the examples of those who commit gheebah». Gheebah is to say something true about a Muslim in his absence that he hates to be mentioned.
The Prophet ﷺ saw angels smashing some people’s heads with rocks. Their heads would return to their former shape and then the angels would smash their heads again. Jibreel told the Prophet ﷺ, «These are the ones who would deliberately sleep and miss the obligatory prayers».
The Prophet ﷺ saw people who were competing to eat some rotten meat while ignoring meat that was sliced and unspoiled. Jibreel told the Prophet ﷺ, «These are people from your nation who chose to avoid what is permissible (halaal) and consume what is forbidden (haraam)». This was in reference to the fornicators, that is, those who avoided the permissible (marriage) and instead committed fornication.
The Prophet ﷺ saw many other signs relating to sinful people: the people who misuse the money that is held for safekeeping; the people whose speech causes tribulation and calls others to misguidance; the people who unjustly consume the money of orphans, `ar-ribaa (usurious gains) and alcohol; and the people who do not pay zakaah.
`Al-Mi^raaj
At the end of `al-`israa`, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ascended to the first sky on special gold and silver stairs. In the first sky, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ met Prophet `Aadam ﷺ who was looking to his left and right at the souls of his descendants. Prophet `Aadam ﷺ would smile as he looked to his right at his descendants who would die as believers and be saddened as he looked to his left at those who would die as non-believers.
The Prophet ﷺ ascended through each of the seven skies meeting Prophets ^Eesaa, Yahyaa, Yoosuf, `Idrees, Haaroon, Moosaa and `Ibraaheem, peace be upon them. Each Prophet would greet Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and make supplication for him. While in the seventh Sky he ﷺ saw sidratul-muntahaa, an exceptionally beautiful tree originating from the sixth Sky on which gold butterflies came and settled.
Ascending beyond the seven skies, the Prophet ﷺ entered Paradise and saw that most of its inhabitants would be poor Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also saw Maalik, the angel in charge of Hellfire who did not smile at him. When the Prophet ﷺ asked angel Jibreel about this, Jibreel said, «Maalik has not smiled since `Allaah created him; if he had smiled for anyone, he would have smiled for you».
The Prophet ﷺ saw the ^ar-sh, which is the ceiling of Paradise and the largest creation in size. If `Allaah, the exalted, were to allow it to fall on the creation below, all would be destroyed. The ^ar-sh is carried by four angels, but will be carried by eight angels on the Day of Judgement. These angels are so large that the distance between the earlobe and shoulder of each is what a fast-flying bird would travel in 700 years.
`Imaam ^Aliyy said: «`Allaah created the ^ar-sh as an indication of His power, and not to take it as a place for Himself». `Allaah does not resemble the creation in any way; `Allaah is not a body and is free of the attributes of bodies. The creator is absolutely incomparable to the creation or to anything that can be imagined in the mind. `Allaah existed prior to the existence of time and place, and after creating them `Allaah exists without them. Moreover, the question «where?» (i.e. «which place») does not apply to `Allaah. `Allaah is not a light or a soul, and exists without place and direction and thus does not live in or above the skies. The Muslims believe that the Prophet ﷺ went on the mi^-raaj to see the amazing signs that `Allaah created and not to meet `Allaah in a place.
During this miraculous journey the Prophet ﷺ saw `Allaah without `Allaah being in one or multiple directions. The Prophet ﷺ also heard the Kalaam (Divine speech) of `Allaah which is not composed of parts and is not a language, a letter or a sound.
Glory be to `Allaah, the exalted, the One Who honoured Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with great miracles that supported his ﷺ call to `Islaam. Praise and thanks are due to `Allaah, the Lord of the worlds, the One Who is Exalted and free from resemblance to the creation, from all unbefitting attributes and from all that is falsely said about Him.
And `Allaah, the glorified, knows best.