Seeratul Mustafaa (316)
Returning to Makkah Mukarramah and Answering the Questions of the Quraish
Written by user2In the same order, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) returned from the heavens and landed first at Bayt-ul-Muqaddas. From here, he mounted the Buraaq and reached Makkah Mukarramah before the break of dawn.
The same morning, he recounted this incident to the Quraish. On hearing the incident, they were left shocked. Some of them held their hands over their heads in astonishment whilst others scornfully started clapping their hands. In surprise, they began to exclaim, “How could it be possible for him to go to Bayt-ul-Muqaddas and return in just a single night!”
On the occasion of mi’raaj, when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) met Allah Ta‘ala, then Allah Ta‘ala bestowed him with many special bounties, bestowed glad tidings to him that made him pleased and happy, and gave him various commands and injunctions. From all these injunctions and commands, the most important command was for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his ummah to perform fifty salaah daily.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) accepted these injunctions and commands with great happiness, and thereafter, as he returned, he first met Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam). On meeting Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam), Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) did not mention anything regarding the commands and the fifty salaah which Allah Ta‘ala had prescribed.
Allah Ta‘ala Addressing Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
Written by user2According to a lengthy narration reported by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Allah Ta‘ala addressed Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in the following words while conversing with him:
قد اتخذتك خليلا وحبيبا وأرسلتك إلى الناس كافة بشيرا ونذيرا وشرحت لك صدرك ووضعت عنك وزرك ورفعت لك ذكرك فلا أذكر إلاذكرت معي وجعلت أمتك خير أمة أخرجت للناس وجعلت أمتك وسطا وجعلت أمتك هم الأولين والآخرين وجعلت من أمتك أقواما قلوبهم أناجيلهم وجعلتك أول النبيين خلقا وآخرهم بعثا وأعطيتك سبعا من المثاني لم أعطها نبيا قبلك وأعطيتك خواتيم سورة البقرة من كنز تحت العرش لم أعطها نبيا قبلك وأعطيتك الكوثر وأعطيتك ثمانية أسهم الإسلام والهجرة والجهاد والصلاة والصدقة وصوم رمضان والأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر وجعلتك فاتحا وخاتما
I have taken you as my close friend and My beloved. I have sent you to all of mankind as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner. I have expanded for you your chest (so that you can manage the weight of the wahi revealed to you), and removed from you your burden (i.e. Allah Ta‘ala assisted you in bearing the responsibility of conveying deen to the ummah). I have exalted for you your esteem (i.e. your name and position), so whenever My name will be taken, your name will also be taken with My name. I have made your ummah the best of ummats taken out for the benefit of mankind, and I have made your ummah a moderate ummah. I have made your ummah the first (to enter Jannah) and the last (to come in this world). I have made from your ummah such people whose hearts are their Injeels (Bibles i.e. their hearts will contain the divine kitaab of Allah Ta‘ala – the Qur’aan Majeed). I have made you the first of the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) to be created, and the last of them to come to the world. I have bestowed you with Surah Faatihah, which I have not bestowed to any Nabi before you, and I have bestowed you with the concluding verses of Surah Baqarah, which are from a treasure beneath the throne and which I did not bestow to any Nabi before you. I blessed you with the Howdh-e-Kawthar, and I blessed you (and your ummah) with eight special favors; Islam (i.e. the title of being Muslims), hijrah, jihaad, salaah, sadaqah, the fast of Ramadhaan, amr bil ma’roof (enjoining with good) and nahy anil munkar (forbidding from evil). I have made you the one who opens (the one who will open and commence the reckoning on the Day of Qiyaamah through his intercession) and the seal (of all the Ambiyaa [‘alaihimus salaam]).
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/308-309)
When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) met Allah Ta‘ala, then on this great occasion, Allah Ta‘ala conversed with him directly and bestowed three gifts upon him. The first gift was the five daily salaah.
The second gift was the concluding verses of Surah Baqarah which include mention of the complete mercy, kindness and compassion of Allah Ta‘ala upon this ummah, together with the ease, concession, overlooking faults and forgiveness with which Allah Ta‘ala has favored this ummah, and the assistance and victory against the disbelievers that the ummah will receive from Allah Ta‘ala.
From the Sidratul Muntaha, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) ascended even further until he reached such a high place where he was able to hear the sounds made by the pens (recording predestination). The sound produced by the writing of these pens of predestination is referred to as Sareeful-Aqlaam.
This is the location where the pens of taqdeer were engaged in recording everything that will transpire in the future. The angels were busy writing the divine decisions and religious commandments from the Lowh-e-Mahfooz.
From the place of Sareef-ul-Aqlaam, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) proceeded and passed through many veils until he arrived in the sacred presence of Allah Ta‘ala.
Jannah is located close to the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha. In the Qur’aan Majeed, Allah Ta‘ala says:
عِنۡدَ سِدۡرَۃِ الۡمُنۡتَہٰی ﴿۱۴﴾ عِنۡدَہَا جَنَّۃُ الۡمَاۡوٰی ﴿ؕ۱۵﴾
At Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, near it is Jannat-ul-Ma’waa (the abode of Jannah). (Surah Najm v. 14-15)
It is reported in the narration of Hazrat Abu Sa’eed Khudri (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) that after performing salaah in Bayt-ul-Ma’moor, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was raised to the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha. Thereafter, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was raised to Jannah, and after his visit to Jannah, Jahannum was presented before him. In other words, the horrors of Jahannum were laid bare before him.
After meeting Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) in the seventh heaven and seeing the Bayt-ul-Ma’moor, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was raised to the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha.
The Sidrat-ul-Muntaha is a large tree in the seventh heaven. When anything is raised from the earth to the heavens, it first stops at the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, and thereafter it continues to rise into the heavens. Likewise, when anything is sent down from the angels in Mala'ul A'laa (the angles in the high assembly), it first stops at the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, and thereafter it continues to descend. It is for this reason that this tree is called the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (the lote tree of the end point).
After meeting Nabi Yahya (‘alaihis salaam) and Nabi Isa (‘alaihis salaam) in the second heaven, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) continued to the third heaven. On coming to the third heaven, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) sought permission to enter, as he had done at the first and second heavens.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) met Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam) in the third heaven and spoke to him, as he had spoken to the Ambiyaa in the other heavens. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also mentioned, “Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam) was bestowed with a great portion of handsomeness and beauty.”
Meeting Nabi Yahya and Nabi Isa (‘alaihimas salaam) in the Second Heaven
Written by user2After meeting Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) in the first heaven, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came to the second heaven. On coming to the second heaven, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) once again requested permission to enter.
The angel who was the doorkeeper of the second heaven asked Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam), “Who is this person with you?” Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) replied, “He is Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).” The doorkeeper then asked, “Was he invited here?” When Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) replied in the affirmative, the doorkeeper said:
مرحبا نعم المجيء جاء
He is welcome, and how excellently he has arrived!
Mi’raaj – Coming to the First Heaven and Meeting Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam)
Written by user2When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) arrived at the first heaven, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) sought permission to enter. The angel who was the gatekeeper of the first heaven asked Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam), “Who is the person with you?” Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) replied, “He is Muhammed, the Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).” The angel then asked, “Was he invited here?” When Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) replied in the affirmative, the angel opened the gate and said, “Welcome to you!”
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Drinking the Milk and Honey on the Occasion of Mi’raaj and Ascending to the Heavens
Written by user2After Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) praised and glorified Allah Ta‘ala, Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) addressed the other Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) saying:
بهذا فضلكم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم
It is on account of these virtues and excellent qualities (for which Rasulullah [sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam] had praised and expressed gratitude to Allah Ta‘ala) that Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has surpassed all of you.
Thereafter, when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came out from Musjid-ul-Aqsa, he was presented with three cups. One contained water, the second contained milk, and the third contained wine. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) chose the cup with the milk and drank the milk. Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) then said to him, “(By choosing the milk,) you have chosen the pure and natural deen. If you chose the wine, your ummah would have gone astray, and if you chose the water, your ummah would have drowned.”
The Praises and Glorification of the Ambiyaa ('alaihimus salaam) – Continued
Written by user2The Praise and Glorification of Nabi Sulaimaan (‘alaihis salaam)
الحمد لله الذي سخر لي الرياح وسخر لي الشياطين يعملون ما شئت من محاريب وتماثيل وجفان كالجواب وقدور راسيات وعلمني منطق الطير وآتاني من كل شيء فضلا وسخر لي جنود الشياطين والإنس والطير وفضلني على كثير من عباده المؤمنين وآتاني ملكا عظيما لا ينبغي لأحد من بعدي وجعل ملكي ملكا طيبا ليس فيه حساب
All praise is due to Allah who subjugated the winds for me, subjected the shayaateen to my control, making for me whatever I wish of castles, images, basins like reservoirs, and large cauldrons fixed in their places, and Who taught me the speech of birds, and blessed me with every bounty out of His sheer grace, and subjected to my control the armies of shayaateen, men and birds, and Who favored me over many of His believing slaves, and bestowed me with a magnificent kingdom that will not be granted to anyone after me, and Who made my kingdom such that it is pure and I will not be made to account for it.
The Praises and Glorification of the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam)
Written by user2On the journey of mi’raaj, when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) met with the souls of the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam), then each one of them praised and glorified Allah Ta‘ala in a unique manner.
The Praise and Glorification of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam)
Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) praised Allah Ta‘ala in the following words:
الحمد لله الذي اتخذني خليلا وأعطاني ملكا عظيما وجعلني أمة قانتا يؤتم بي وأنقذني من النار وجعلها عليّ بردا وسلاما
All praise is due to Allah Who blessed me to be His Khaleel (close friend), and granted me great authority, and Who has made me an imaam (in deen) to be followed by people, and made me a devoted servant (to Him), and Who saved me from the fire by making it cool and safe for me.
On arriving in Bayt-ul-Maqdis, Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) dismounted from the buraaq. Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then tied the buraaq to the iron ring on which all the previous Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) would tie their conveyances (when they would come to Musjid-ul-Aqsa). According to some narrations, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) made a hole in a stone using his finger and then tied the buraaq.
It is possible to reconcile between these two narrations by saying that both Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) had tied the buraaq together. As far as Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) making the hole in the stone is concerned, then it is possible that through time passing, the iron ring had been covered with sand and had become stone. Hence, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) used his finger to remove the stone and uncover it the iron ring so that the buraaq could be tied to it.