In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Treasures of the Prophetic biography.
The Night Journey and Ascension.
It is said to have occurred in the twelfth year of the mission.
And other opinions exist.
However, this is the most famous account.
That it happened one year and two months before the Hijrah.
Was the Night Journey and Ascension.
On a Monday in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
Explaining the incident of the Night Journey that befell him.
That while I was in Al-Hijr.
Between sleep and wakefulness, near the Ka'bah.
I heard a voice.
One of the three, between the two men.
And that was after he had led his Companions in prayer.
The 'Isha' prayer in Mecca.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
Then came Gabriel.
And he was the closest in resemblance.
To Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi.
So they took me and set off with me towards Zamzam.
They did not speak to me.
Until they placed me near the well of Zamzam.
And Gabriel came to me.
And he opened my chest.
He split it from here to here.
Down to the base of the abdomen.
Until he finished with my chest and my interior.
He washed it with the water of Zamzam with his hand.
Until he cleansed my interior.
Then he extracted my heart.
And washed it with the water of Zamzam.
Then a basin of gold was brought to me.
With a pitcher of gold.
Filled with wisdom and faith.
And he poured it into my chest.
And washed my heart.
Then he filled my chest and my uvula with it.
Then he closed it and said:
The heart of [a righteous person, referring to the Prophet].
It has two ears that hear.
And two eyes that see.
Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.
The last of the prophets, the one who gathers.
You were created with integrity.
And your tongue is truthful.
And your soul is at peace.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
Then the Buraq was brought to me.
And it is a white, tall animal.
Taller than a donkey and shorter than a mule.
It places its hoof at the furthest reach of its sight.
So I rode it until I reached Jerusalem.
And I tethered it to the ring to which the prophets tether [their mounts].
Then I entered the Masjid and prayed two rak'ahs therein.
Then he took my hand and set off with me.
Until we reached the first heaven.
And he struck one of its gates and asked for it to be opened.
It was asked, "Who is it?"
He said, "Gabriel."
It was asked, "Who is with you?"
He said, "Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
It was asked, "Has he been sent for?"
He said, "Yes."
It was said, "Welcome to him and well met."
What a blessed arrival he has made.
The inhabitants of the heavens rejoice at him.
The inhabitants of the heavens do not know what Allah intends for him on Earth until He informs them.
So it was opened for us.
When I passed through.
I ascended from the first heaven.
And there I saw Adam.
A man sitting with dark figures on his right.
And dark figures on his left.
When he looked to his right, he smiled.
And when he looked to his left, he wept.
I said to Gabriel, "Who is this?"
He said:
This is your father Adam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
And these dark figures to his right and left are the souls of his offspring.
And those on the right are the people of Paradise.
And the dark figures to his left are the people of the Fire.
So when he looked to his right, he smiled.
And when he looked to his left, he wept.
So greet him.
So I greeted him.
And he returned the greeting.
And he said:
Welcome, O righteous son and righteous prophet.
You are indeed a righteous son.
And he prayed for me with good.
Then he ascended with me until he reached the second heaven.
And he asked for it to be opened, and said to its keeper:
Open.
And the angels said to him what they had said to him in the first heaven.
When I passed through.
I saw John and Jesus.
And they are maternal cousins.
So I asked, "Who are these two?"
He said:
These are John and Jesus.
So greet them.
So I greeted them.
And they returned the greeting.
Then they said:
Welcome, O righteous brother and righteous prophet.
And they prayed for me with good.
Then he ascended with me to the third heaven.
And he asked for it to be opened.
And they said to him what they had said in the first and second heavens.
When I passed through.
I saw Joseph, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
And he had been given half of all beauty.
So he said to me:
This is Joseph.
So greet him.
So I greeted him.
And he returned the greeting.
Then he said:
Welcome, O righteous brother and righteous prophet.
And he prayed for me with good.
Then he ascended with me until he reached the fourth heaven.
And he asked for it to be opened.
And they said to him the same.
When I passed through.
I saw Idris.
I asked, "Who is this?"
He said, "This is Idris."
So greet him.
So I greeted him.
And he responded to me, then said:
Welcome, O righteous brother and righteous prophet.
And he prayed for me with good.
Allah the Almighty said:
"And We raised him to a high station."
Then he ascended with me until he reached the fifth heaven.
And he asked for it to be opened.
And they said to him the same.
When I passed through.
I saw Aaron, peace be upon him.
He said, "This is Aaron."
So greet him.
So I greeted him, and he responded.
Then he said:
Welcome, O righteous brother and righteous prophet.
And he prayed for me with good.
Then he ascended with me until he reached the sixth heaven.
And he asked for it to be opened.
And they said to him the same.
When I passed through.
I saw Moses, peace be upon him.
And that was due to Allah speaking to him directly.
Moses said:
My Lord, I did not think anyone would be elevated above me.
I asked, "Who is this?"
He said, "Moses."
So greet him.
So I greeted him, and he responded.
Then he said:
Welcome, O righteous brother and righteous prophet.
And he prayed for me with good.
When I passed beyond you.
It was said to him, "What makes you weep?"
He said:
I weep because a young man will be sent after me.
And more of his Ummah will enter Paradise than of my Ummah.
Then he ascended with me until he reached the seventh heaven.
And he asked for it to be opened.
And they said to him the same.
When I passed through.
I saw Abraham, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Leaning his back against the Bayt al-Ma'mur.
A venerable and majestic elder.
I asked, "Who is this?"
He said:
This is your father Abraham, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
So greet him.
So I greeted him.
And he returned the greeting.
Then he said:
Welcome, O righteous son and righteous prophet.
Then the Bayt al-Ma'mur was raised for me.
In the seventh heaven.
And it is called Al-Draah.
And it is directly above the Ka'bah.
Its sanctity in heaven is like the sanctity of the Ka'bah on Earth.
So I said, "O Gabriel, what is this?"
He said:
This is the Bayt al-Ma'mur.
Seventy thousand angels enter it every day to pray therein.
When they leave it, they never return to it.
Then he ascended with me above that, to a degree known only to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Until he reached the Sidrat al-Muntaha.
He said:
Then the Sidrat al-Muntaha was raised for me.
And it is in the seventh heaven.
To it ascend whatever ascends from Earth.
It would then be grasped from it.
And from its branches would descend what was sent down from above it.
It would then be grasped from it.
Then its fruits would be like the large water skins of Hajar.
And its leaves would be like the ears of elephants.
A rider would travel in the shade of its branches for a hundred years.
A hundred riders would find shade in its branches.
He said:
"This is Sidrat al-Muntaha (the Lote-tree of the Utmost Boundary)."
And from its base emerged four rivers.
Two are hidden and two are apparent.
I asked, "What are these two, O Jibril?"
He said:
"As for the two hidden rivers,
they are two rivers in Paradise.
And as for the two apparent rivers,
they are the Nile and the Euphrates."
Then I was brought a vessel of wine,
and a vessel of milk,
and a vessel of honey.
I took the milk.
He said, "You have attained the truth.
May Allah make you and your Ummah firm upon the innate disposition (fitrah) you are upon."
Then I was entered into Paradise.
And there I saw a palace of pearls.
And its soil was musk.
Then I heard a sound from its side.
I asked, "O Jibril, what is this?"
He said, "This is Bilal."
He said:
Then I heard a rustling sound.
I asked, "What is this rustling sound?"
It was said:
"This is Ar-Rumaysaa' bint Milhan,
the wife of Abu Talhah."
He said:
"While I was walking in Paradise,
I came upon a white palace.
I asked, 'Whose is this, O Jibril?'
hoping it would be mine.
He said:
'It is for Umar ibn al-Khattab.'
Then I proceeded further.
And I saw a palace more beautiful than the first,
made of gold, square-shaped.
A commotion could be heard within it.
In its courtyard, a maiden was performing ablution next to the palace.
I asked, 'Whose is this palace, O Jibril?'
hoping it would be mine.
He said:
'It is for a man from the Ummah of Muhammad.'
I said:
'Am I not Muhammad?'
'Whose is this palace?'
He said:
'It is for an Arab.'
I said:
'I am an Arab.'
'Whose is this palace?'
He said:
'It is for a young man from Quraysh.'
He said:
"Then I thought it was me.
I said:
'I am from Quraysh.'
'Whose is this palace?'
He said:
'It is for Umar ibn al-Khattab.'
And within it are the Houris.
I wanted to enter and look at it.
But I remembered his jealousy.
So I turned away.
And there was a river whiter than milk,
and sweeter than honey.
Its banks were lined with hollow pearls.
Upon it was a palace of pearls and emeralds.
I asked, 'What is this, O Jibril?'
He said:
'This is the Kawthar (Abundance) that your Lord has given you.'
He struck with his hand.
And its clay was fragrant musk.
So I struck my hand into its soil in the watercourse.
And it was fragrant musk.
And its pebbles were pearls.
And a pleasant fragrance passed by.
He said:
"What is this fragrance, O Jibril?"
"This is the fragrance of Mashita, the daughter of Pharaoh, and her children."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to Jibril:
"What is her story?"
He said:
"While she was combing the hair of Pharaoh's daughter,
the comb fell from her hand.
She said, 'In the name of Allah.'
Pharaoh's daughter said to her:
'My father?'
The hairdresser said to her:
'No.
Rather, my Lord, your Lord, and the Lord of your father.'
She said:
'Do you have a Lord other than my father?'
She said, 'Yes.
My Lord, your Lord, and the Lord of your father is Allah.'
She said:
'Then I will tell him.'
She said:
'Tell him.'
So he summoned her.
He said to her, 'O so-and-so,
do you have a Lord other than me?'
She said, 'Yes.
My Lord and your Lord is Allah, the Almighty,
who is in the heavens.'
Jibril said:
"So a cow of brass was ordered.
It was heated.
Then it was ordered to be thrown into it, she and her children.
The hairdresser said to her:
'I have a need of you.'
He said:
'What is it?'
She said:
'That you gather my bones and the bones of my children into one cloth and bury us.'
He said:
'That is upon us for you,
because of the right you have upon us.'
So he ordered her children.
They were thrown into the cow before her, one by one,
until it came to her nursing infant.
And it was as if she hesitated because of him.
Then the infant spoke, by the permission of Allah, the Blessed and Most High,
and said to her:
'O mother,
proceed and do not hesitate.
Be patient, for you are upon the truth.
Plunge in.
For the torment of this world is easier than the torment of the Hereafter.'
Then she was thrown in with her child.
And this was among the four who spoke as infants:
Jesus, peace be upon him,
the son of the hairdresser of Pharaoh's daughter,
the companion of Jurayj,
and the children of the woman who was thrown into the ditch,
in the story of the People of the Ditch.
Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, looked into the Fire.
And there were people eating carcasses.
He asked, "Who are these, O Jibril?"
He said:
"These are those who eat the flesh of people."
And he saw a red-faced, blue-eyed man,
with curly, disheveled hair. When I saw him,
I asked, "Who is this, O Jibril?"
He said:
"This is the one who hamstrung the she-camel."
And he passed by people whose lips and tongues were being cut with scissors of fire.
He said:
"Who are these, O Jibril?"
He said:
"These are the orators of your Ummah,
those who say what they do not do.
They command people to do good and forget themselves,
while they recite the Book.
Do they not reason?"
And he said, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"When my Lord, the Almighty, ascended with me,
I passed by people who had nails of brass,
scratching their faces and chests.
I asked, 'Who are these, O Jibril?'
He said:
'These are those who eat the flesh of people
and slander their honor.'
And the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw Paradise and the Fire,
and all the appointed time of the Hereafter.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Then I was ascended until I reached a level where I could hear the scratching of the pens.
And I passed by the highest assembly,
at Sidrat al-Muntaha.
Near it is Jannah al-Ma'wa (the Garden of Abode).
When the Lote-tree was covered by what covered it,
when it was covered by what Allah's command covered it,
it changed.
And no one among Allah's creation could describe its beauty.
Upon it was silk and brocade.
And angels covered it with beds of gold.
And it turned into ruby or emerald or something similar,
and colors that I do not know.
He said:
"Then the prayer was enjoined upon me,
fifty prayers every day.
Then Allah revealed to me what He revealed.
Then Jibril raised his head.
And I saw him in his form as Allah created him, at Sidrat al-Muntaha,
in his form, having six hundred wings,
in a garment of splendor,
covering the horizon.
From his feathers, pearls and rubies were falling,
which only Allah knows.
And the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, found his name written in the sky:
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
So I returned, having been relieved.
Then I passed by Moses, peace be upon him.
Moses detained me and said,
"O Muhammad, what have you been commanded?"
I said,
"I have been commanded fifty prayers each day and night."
He said to him,
"Indeed, I have dealt with the Children of Israel before you,
and your Ummah will not be able to [perform] fifty prayers each day and night.
And by Allah, I have tried people before you,
and I have dealt with the Children of Israel with severe dealing.
So return to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction for your Ummah."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned to Gabriel,
as if seeking his counsel on the matter.
Gabriel gestured to him, "Yes, if you wish."
So Gabriel returned with him to his Lord, the Blessed and Exalted,
and said,
"O Lord, lighten the burden for my Ummah,
for my Ummah cannot bear it."
He said,
"So reduce five from me."
I returned to Moses,
and I said,
"Reduce five from me."
Moses said,
"Your Ummah cannot bear it.
So return to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continued to go back and forth between his Lord and Moses,
until Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, commanded him with five prayers.
He said,
"So I returned and was commanded with five prayers each day."
He said,
"O Muhammad,"
He replied, "Here I am, at your service and happy to obey."
He said,
"They are five prayers each day and night.
For each prayer, there is a reward of ten,
so that is fifty prayers.
They are five,
and they are fifty.
My word is not changed with Me."
And if we were to look now at the state of the Muslims,
and how they find these five prayers burdensome,
how would it be if the matter were as it was in the beginning?
How would it be if there were fifty prayers?
Who would perform them?
Who would be keen to observe them?
Without a doubt, Moses, peace be upon him, was wise
when he commanded the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to return to his Lord and ask for a reduction.
And Allah, the Blessed and Exalted,
knew that Moses would ask Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to return to his Lord.
And therefore, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, out of His mercy,
made them five in practice,
but He kept the reward as fifty.
So to Allah is all praise and gratitude.
And in another narration:
Then I was brought a mount smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey,
which is Al-Buraq,
saddled and bridled, for me to ride.
It was made subservient to the Prophets before me.
It became difficult to mount when I intended to ride it.
So Gabriel said to it,
"What is making you do this?
Is it Muhammad? Are you doing this?
By Allah, no one has ever ridden you,
more honored with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, than him."
So it began to sweat.
Then I rode it, and it traveled until I came to Jerusalem.
Gabriel said with his finger,
"He pierced the rock with it
and tethered Al-Buraq with it.
So I tethered it to the ring to which the Prophets tether [their mounts]."
Then I entered the Masjid,
and I placed my foot where the feet of the Prophets are placed in Jerusalem.
Then I saw myself in a gathering of Prophets.
And there was Moses, son of Imran, peace be upon him, standing and praying.
He was a tall, dark-skinned man,
with abundant hair,
of stern disposition,
as if he were from the men of Shin'ah.
And there was Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, standing and praying.
He was of medium height, reddish,
of square build,
tending towards redness and whiteness.
His hair was straight.
As if he had just emerged from a bathhouse,
meaning a place of bathing.
The person most resembling him
is Urwah ibn Mas'ud Al-Thaqafi.
And there was Abraham, peace be upon him, standing and praying.
The person most resembling him is your companion,
meaning himself, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Then Abraham said to him,
"O Muhammad,
convey my greetings to your Ummah,
and inform them that Paradise has good soil,
sweet water,
and its land is vast.
And it is fertile ground.
Its planting is:
Glory be to Allah,
and praise be to Allah,
and there is no god but Allah,
and Allah is the Greatest.
And there is no might nor power except with Allah.
And the gathering of the Prophets with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, here,
Allah knows best how it was,
but we believe in it.
And that is not difficult for Allah.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
Then the time for prayer came.
A caller called the Adhan.
So I led them in prayer.
I advanced towards the Qiblah,
and I prayed two rak'ahs in it.
Then I looked around,
and behold, all the Prophets were praying.
When I finished the prayer,
I saw from the eastern wall of Jerusalem
Hell in the valley that is in the city.
And I saw an angel turning embers like clusters of fruit.
And behold, Hell was unfolding like carpets.
Gabriel said,
"O Muhammad,
this is Malik,
the keeper of the Fire.
So greet him."
Then I turned to him,
and behold, a frowning man,
with anger evident on his face.
He initiated the greeting with me.
So I greeted him.
Then I was shown Malik, the keeper of the Fire,
and the Dajjal,
among the signs that Allah showed him.
And he saw the Dajjal in his form,
not as a dream,
but as a vision with his eyes.
In his left side, he was huge,
and the left side is the large body,
with a prominent forehead,
meaning white.
One of his eyes was raised,
like a shining star.
The hair on his head was like the branches of a tree.
He said,
"And I saw a white pillar,
like a pearl,
carried by angels.
I asked, 'What are you carrying?'
They said,
'This is the pillar of Islam.
We have been commanded to place it in Sham.'
So we passed by a camel of Quraysh
at such and such a place,
and it scattered.
They said,
'O you people,
what is this?'
They said,
'We see nothing but wind.'
So they lost a camel of theirs.
So-and-so collected it.
This is the story of the Isra and Mi'raj.
As for the Isra,
it was from Mecca to Jerusalem.
And as for the Mi'raj,
it is from Jerusalem to the heavens.
And Mi'raj is from the root 'aruj',
which means ascent.
And Isra is from the root 'sara',
which means to travel by night.
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, woke up in Mecca,
and his command was set,
how would he tell them, and how would they believe him?
He woke up having been informed of what had happened. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The people then went to Abu Bakr,
and they said to him,
"Do you have a word with your companion?
He claims that he was taken on a night journey to Jerusalem."
So Abu Bakr said to them,
"Did he say that?"
They said, "Yes."
He said,
"If he said that,
then he has spoken the truth.
They said,
"You believe him that he went to Jerusalem last night
and returned before morning?"
He said, "Yes.
If I believe him in something further than that,
I would believe him regarding news from the heavens in the morning or evening."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sat aside, saddened.
Abu Jahl passed by him,
and came and sat with him.
He said to him mockingly,
"Was there anything?"
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied,
"Yes."
Abu Jahl said,
"And what is it?"
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"I was taken on a night journey."
Abu Jahl asked,
"To where?"
He replied,
"To Jerusalem."
Abu Jahl said,
"And then you woke up among us?"
He said, "Yes."
Abu Jahl then said,
as if he saw the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, not disbelieving him after that,
and fearing that he might deny it,
he said,
"What if I call your people?"
"Will you tell them what you told me?"
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"Yes."
Abu Jahl then said,
"Come on, O assembly of Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy!"
"Gather around!"
The gatherings stirred and came towards him.
They came and sat between them.
Abu Jahl said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
"Tell your people what you told me."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"I was taken on a night journey."
They asked, "To where?"
He said,
"To Jerusalem."
He said,
"And then you woke up among us?"
He said, "Yes."
So some were clapping their hands,
and some were placing their hands on their heads in astonishment.
They said,
"And can you describe the Masjid for us?"
The people of Mecca wanted to test the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
because some of them had reached Jerusalem and seen it,
and they knew that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
had never traveled to Jerusalem.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"When the Quraysh disbelieved me,
I went to describe it to them.
I kept describing it
until they asked me about things in Jerusalem that I had not retained.
So I was distressed with a distress I had never experienced before.
Then I praised my Lord
and asked Him to manifest Jerusalem for me.
Here is the believer,
when matters become difficult for him,
there is no refuge to seek,
except in Allah.
He sought refuge in Allah, the Exalted.
So what did Allah do to him?
He said,
"Then Allah manifested Jerusalem for me,
and raised it up for me to look at,
until it was placed below the house of 'Aqeel,
showing me
whatever they asked me about, I informed them.
So I began to tell them about its signs while looking at it.
The people said,
"As for the description,
by Allah, he was accurate."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then said to them,
"And among My signs
is that I passed by a caravan of yours at such and such a place,
they had lost a camel, and so-and-so gathered it.
And their journey will be by such and such,
and they will arrive on such and such a day,
led by a brown camel,
with two black saddlebags.
When the day he mentioned came,
people were looking out, waiting,
until it was near noon.
Then the caravan arrived,
led by that camel which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had described.
Some people said,
"We will not believe Muhammad in what he said."
So Allah struck their necks along with Abu Jahl.
This shows us that they were obstinate in their disbelief of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
for even after this precise description from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
they persisted in their arrogance and their misguidance,
and may Allah protect us.
This night journey that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, experienced
has many wisdoms.
Among its wisdoms,
firstly,
that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, enabled His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to witness great manifestations of His power, may He be glorified and exalted,
so that he would increase in trust in Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.
Secondly,
the emergence of bonds of closeness between the Prophets,
for all the Prophets their religion is one,
as the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"The Prophets are brothers from different mothers,
their mothers are different,
but their religion is one."
So there is great affection between the Prophets.
And this is what happened to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
with his brother Prophets.
In every heaven he visited,
the Prophets of that heaven welcomed him.
This is a confirmation of the Prophet's saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
"My example and the example of the Prophets before me
is like a man who built a house,
making it beautiful and splendid,
except for the space of one brick in a corner.
So people would go around it and marvel at it,
and say,
'Why don't you place this brick?'
I am that brick, and I am the Seal of the Prophets."
Thirdly,
the confirmation that this religion is the religion of innate disposition (fitrah),
in the Prophet's saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
"So I chose the brick."
And it was said to me,
"You have chosen the fitrah."
Treasures of the Seerah