The Noble Miraj: Its Truth, Wisdoms, Virtues, Proofs, and Unique Distinctions

Beneficial Points Concerning the MIʿRĀJ | Denial of the Miʿrāj

Ṣadr al-Afaḍil, Muftī Muhammad Naʿim al-Din Murādābādī رحمة الله عليه states, "The Miʿrāj took place on the night of 27th Rajab. The journey of the illuminated Prophet ﷺ from Makkah al-Mukarramah to Bayt al-Muqaddas in a short period of the night is established from Quranic text. The one who denies this is a disbeliever.

The celestial journey through the skies and arrival at the stations of close proximity is established from authentic hadith that are mash-hūr (famous), which are near the level of mutawātir (mass transmission).¹ The one who denies this is misguided. The denier of ʿUruj or Iʿraj, i.e. the Prophet ﷺ seeing Allah Almighty with the blessed eyes of his blessed head and going beyond the ʿarsh, is mistaken."²

The Wisdoms of the Noble Miʿrāj

Dear Islamic brothers! No action of Allah Almighty is devoid of wisdom. Every action of His contains countless wisdoms, even if our intellects fall short of understanding them. No doubt, there are countless wisdoms in Allah Almighty taking His beloved Prophet ﷺ on Miʿrāj. Here, four wisdoms are mentioned. The famous exegete, Ḥakīm al-Ummah, Muftī Aḥmad Yār Khān Naʿīmī رحمة الله عليه mentions:

¹ Khaza'in Al-'Irfan, Part 15, Surah Bani Isra'il, under the verse 1, p. 525
² Kufriya kalimat kay baray mayn suwal jawab, p. 227

1.    All the miracles and all the ranks that the Prophets عليهم السلام were bestowed with individually, all of them and more than them have been conferred upon the Prophet ﷺ. There are many examples of this. Sayyidunā Mūsā عليه السلام was given such a rank that when he went to Mount Sinai, he spoke with Allah Almighty, Sayyidunā ʿIsā عليه السلام was called to the fourth sky, and Sayyidunā Idrīs عليه السلام was called to Paradise. So, the Prophet ﷺ was granted the Miʿrāj in which he spoke with Allah Almighty, journeyed through the skies and saw Paradise and witnessed hell. The upshot is that all of these virtues were received in this one journey of Miʿrāj.

2.    All the Prophets عليهم السلام bore testimony to the existence of Paradise and Jahnnam and taught their Ummahs أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰه "I bear testimony that none is worthy of worship except Allah Almighty." However, none of their bearing testimony was based witnessing by sight, rather it was based on having been informed whilst testimony is based upon witnessing by sight. It was necessary then that from amongst this pure group of the Prophets عليهم السلام, there be one who bear testimony based on witnessing by sight such that upon his witnessing, the testimony would be complete. This testimony was completed upon the noble personage of the Prophet ﷺ.

3.    Allah Almighty states:

إِنَّ اللّٰهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ

Indeed, Allah has purchased from the Muslims their wealth and lives in this exchange; that, for them is Paradise.¹

Allah is the One who purchases the wealth and selves of the believers. The believers are the ones who sell their wealth and selves. This transaction happened through the Prophet ﷺ and thus it was important that he sees the things being traded and their value. It is as though it were said, 'You have seen the lives and wealth of the believers. Come! Witness Paradise, the buildings of your followers, and their orchards etc. In fact, look upon the One who has purchased the lives and wealth of your followers, Allah Almighty.'

4.    The Prophet ﷺ is the owner of the kingdom of Allah Almighty, through the bestowal of Allah Almighty. That is why it is written on every leaf of Paradise, on the eyes of the maidens of Paradise and in every place in Paradise: لَآإِلَهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰه "There is none worthy of worship except Allah Almighty and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah Almighty." The meaning is that all things have been created by Allah Almighty and conferred upon the Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.

Mayn to Mālik hi kahoon ga kay ho Mālik kay Habeeb
Ya'ni Mahboob-o-Muhib mayn nahin mayra tayra.

I will indeed call you the owner, for you are the Owner's beloved
There is no 'mine and yours' between the One who loves and His beloved

It was the Divine Will that He would show our master his dominion.³

¹ [Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 11, Surah Al-Tawbah, verse 111)
² Hada'iq-e-Bakhshish, vol. 1, p. 16
³ Shan-e-Habeeb Al-Rahman, p. 106

How Many Times Did Miʿrāj Occur?

In a state of wakefulness, with body and soul, the Miʿrāj only occurred once. Spiritually, it happened many times. ʿAllāmah Aḥmad ibn Muhammad Qasṭalānī رحمة الله عليه reports that some of the awliyaʾ have said that the Prophet ﷺ experienced Miʿrāj 34 times. Of these, one was with body and soul and the remainder were with the soul in the form of dreams.¹

Did the Previous Prophets عليهم السلام Also Experience Miʿrāj?

The Miʿrāj in the form experienced by our beloved Prophet ﷺ with all the distinguished qualities and ranks endowed upon the Prophet ﷺ is specific to him. No other is granted a Miʿrāj like this. Some scholars have said that the Prophets عليهم السلام were granted a Miʿrāj according to their rank and status. Thus, it is mentioned in the Quran regarding Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khalīlullah عليه السلام:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ

And We show Ibrāhīm the entire kingdom of the heavens and the earth in a like manner, and so that he becomes of those who believe with certainty of sight.²

¹ Al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, vol. 2, p. 341
² [Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 7, Surah Al-An'am, verse 75)
³ Khaza'in Al-'Irfan, Part 7, Surah An'am, under the verse 75, p. 262

In this verse, the Miʿrāj of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khalīlullah عليه السلام is mentioned.³ The noble Quranic exegetes have said that Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عليه السلام was stood on a rock and the skies were unveiled for him such that he witnessed the ʿarsh, kursī, all the wonders of the skies, and his place in Paradise. The earth was unveiled for him until he saw the lowest earth and he witnessed all the wonders of the earths.¹

Did the Previous Prophets عليهم السلام Travel on Burāq?

Although the previous Prophets عليهم السلام did travel on the Burāq (as has been narrated about Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khalīlullah عليه السلام that he would travel on Burāq to meet his son Sayyidunā Ismāʿīl عليه السلام),² there are facets to this which are unique to the Prophet ﷺ.

❖ ʿAllāmah Nūr al-Din Ibrāhīm al-Ḥalabī رحمة الله عليه states, "When the Prophet ﷺ travelled on the Burāq, it would place its hoof as far as its eye could see, whereas this was not its speed with the other Prophets عليهم السلام."

According to one narration, only the Prophet ﷺ will mount the Burāq at the time of the ʿHashr. Thus, it is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ once stated, "The she-camel of Thamūd³ will be resurrected for Prophet Ṣāliḥ عليه السلام and he will ride it from his grave to the plane of ʿHashr. Upon this, Sayyidunā Muʿadh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, will you be mounted on your blessed camel?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "No, my daughter will be mounted on that and I will arrive on Burāq, because on that day, it will be specifically bestowed upon me from all the noble Prophets عليهم السلام."⁴

¹ Kitab Al-Miʿrāj, p. 74
² Fatḥ al-Bārī, Kitab Manāqib Al-Ansar, vol. 7, p. 259, under the hadith: 3887
³ The she-camel of Thamud is the camel that came out miraculously from the rock upon the supplication of Sayyidunā Ṣāliḥ عليه السلام. The nation of Thamūd were warned against harming this she-camel but they were rebellious and killed her and hamstrung it, and so Allah Almighty sent punishment upon them. Khaza'in al-'Irfan, Part 8, Surah Al-An'am, under the verse 73, p. 302
⁴ Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 30, p. 214