Sayyid Ahmed Rifaa’ee (rahimahullah) is well known as one of the greatest saints of Islam. He passed away in the year 578 AH.

In the year 555 AH, Sayyid Ahmed Rifaa’ee (rahimahullah) was blessed to go to Makkah Mukarramah to perform haj. After completing his haj, he visited the blessed city of Madinah Munawwarah to visit the blessed grave of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). While standing before the blessed grave of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he recited the following couplets:

في حالة البعد روحي كنت أرسلها     تقبل الأرض عني وهي نائبتي

وهذه دولة الأشباح قد حضرت     فامدد يمينك كي تحظى بها شفتي

When I was far away, I would send my soul to you as my representative, kissing the ground (at the Rowdhah Mubaarak) on my behalf

Now the time has come for me to physically present myself with my body, so (now that I have come in person,) please extend your blessed hand so that my lips may acquire the honor of kissing it

As he recited these couplets, the blessed hand of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) extended from the Rowdhah Mubaarak, and Sayyid Ahmed Rifaa’ee (rahimahullah) then kissed it. This event occurred in the presence of approximately ninety-thousand people who witnessed it.

(Al-Haawee 2/314 , Fazaa’il-e-Haj (Urdu) pg. 789 and Wafayaat-ul-A’yaan 1/172 )

On one occasion, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had no food to eat and was undergoing hunger. When Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) learnt that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was undergoing hunger, then his heart was immediately filled with worry and concern. Such was his love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that he could not rest while knowing that the Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was in difficulty and hardship. However, Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) himself did not have any food to share with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).

Allah Ta‘ala says in the Qur’aan Majeed:

سُبۡحٰنَ الَّذِیۡۤ اَسۡرٰی بِعَبۡدِہٖ لَیۡلًا مِّنَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ اِلَی الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡاَقۡصَا الَّذِیۡ بٰرَکۡنَا حَوۡلَہٗ لِنُرِیَہٗ مِنۡ اٰیٰتِنَا ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡبَصِیۡرُ ﴿۱﴾

Glory be to He who had taken His (special) servant in (a short portion of) the night from Masjid-ul-Haraam to Masjid-ul-Aqsa whose precincts We had blessed, in order that we may show him some of Our signs (some of which are mentioned in Surah Najm, such as journeying to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, seeing Jannah and Jahannam and other divine phenomena). Certainly, He (Allah Ta‘ala) is All-Hearing, All-Seeing (and He will show the marvels of His power to whomsoever He wishes, and that special servant will behold it due to Allah Ta‘ala showing it to him, and he will hear it due to Allah Ta‘ala allowing him to hear it).” (Surah Israa v. 1)

In the terminology of the Ulama, the journey from Musjid-ul-Haraam to Musjid-ul-Aqsa is known as the Israa, and the journey from Musjid-ul-Aqsa to the Sidrat-ul-Muntaha is known as the Mi’raaj. At times, the entire journey, from the beginning to the end, is referred to collectively as the Israa and Mi’raaj.

Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) Being Created in His Complete Form

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Allah Ta‘ala created Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) in his (complete) form, with his height being sixty ziraa (approximately twenty-seven meters).” (Saheeh Muslim #2841)

From this Hadith, we understand that Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) did not go through the different phases of growth that a normal human being passes through e.g. birth, infancy, adolescence, middle-age and thereafter old-age. In other words, Allah Ta‘ala created Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) as a complete person from the very beginning.