In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[Lecture Title]: The Obelisk Workshop.
What are the theological and faith-based implications of the miracle of the Isra' and Mi'raj?
The journey of the Isra' and Mi'raj is among the greatest miracles and most magnificent signs that Allah, glory be to Him, bestowed
upon His Prophet and chosen one, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Due to its importance and status, Allah, glory be to Him, mentioned it in two places in the Qur'an.
The first is His saying, glory be to Him and Exalted is He:
“Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.” (17:1)
The second is in Surah al-Najm, where He says:
"It is but a revelation revealed, taught to him by one intense in strength, one of soundness. And he rose [to his true form] while he was in the higher horizon. Then he approached and descended."
"And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer. And He revealed to His Servant what He revealed. The heart did not lie about what it saw. So will you dispute with him over what he saw? And he certainly saw him in another descent."
"At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary—near it is the Garden of Refuge—when there covered the Lote Tree that which covered [it]. The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress. He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord."
The miracle of the Isra' was not merely a consolation for the Prophet, peace be upon him, for the loss of his best supporter and defender against the Quraysh, his uncle Abu Talib,
and the death of his wife Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was his best supporter and helper; rather, it was a journey of upbringing, strengthening, and refinement for all of us, due to the lessons, admonitions, and morals it contains.
Imam Muslim recorded in his Sahih from a hadith of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"I was brought the Buraq, a white beast, taller than a donkey but smaller than a mule, which places its hoof at the furthest limit of its sight." He said:
"I mounted it until I reached Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)." He said: "I tethered it to the ring to which the prophets used to tether [their mounts]. Then I entered the mosque and prayed two rak'ahs, then I went out."
"Then Jibril, peace be upon him, came to me with a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk, and I chose the milk. Jibril, peace be upon him, said: 'You have chosen the fitrah (natural disposition).'"
In a narration by al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, Jibril, peace be upon him, said: "Praise be to Allah who guided you to the fitrah; had you taken the wine, your Ummah would have gone astray."
Allah, the Exalted, inspired him to choose the milk for what He, glory be to Him and Exalted is He, intended of success and kindness for this Ummah; so to Allah belongs all praise and favor.
Here is an important indication and a necessary pause: that kindness, success, honor, and elevation will not be fully realized for this Ummah in their complete form
as long as the Al-Aqsa Mosque remains distant from it and captive in the hands of the enemies, the killers of the prophets. Thus, all success, goodness, and happiness for this Ummah lie
in reclaiming its sanctities and preserving them. The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque possesses a heritage and historical authenticity
which the Prophet, peace be upon him, established and confirmed on the night of the Isra' when he tethered the Buraq to the ring to which the previous prophets used to tether the mounts they rode
when they came to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray in it: Ibrahim, Ishaq, Ya'qub, Dawud, Sulayman, Zakariyya, Yahya, and 'Isa, peace be upon them.
Even though the Al-Aqsa Mosque at that time was under Byzantine rule and was not a fully standing, complete mosque,
the foundations of the mosque and some pillars and ruins remained, as evidenced by the ring to which the Buraq was tethered.
Therefore, Allah, the Exalted, called it a mosque, and it will remain so regardless of the calamities that befall it and the changes it is subjected to.
The night of the Isra' is the happiest night in the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and it is a night of Jerusalem par excellence.
Prayer is the only obligation that was ordained in the seventh heaven without an intermediary,
so that the Prophet, peace be upon him, could lead all the prophets in prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque that night,
in a historical gathering that never occurred throughout history except on that night and in that holy place.
That wondrous journey, by divine decree and care, combined the greatest of matters in the middle of time,
as Jibril, peace be upon him, came—the greatest of the angels and the most magnificent companion and associate for him on his journey—
and with him was the Buraq, the greatest beast and the most magnificent means of transport known to humanity.
And the Prophet, peace be upon him, the greatest of creation, was carried from Makkah, the greatest of places and lands,
to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in a short time of the night.
The Prophet's leading of his brothers, the prophets, in prayer that night in Jerusalem
is a clear indication and an explicit announcement that the religion of the prophets is one,
and that their connection to that spot is a continuous theological, religious, and faith-based connection.
It also contains an indication of the Ummah receiving the banner, leadership, and imamate,
a matter which implies that this Ummah alone is
qualified to inherit the land of the prophecies and the cradle of the messages.
That unique miracle came with many links, bonds, and documentations.
It linked two holy cities and two blessed spots:
Makkah and Jerusalem. It also linked two qiblahs:
the Ka'bah and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It linked the earth and the heavens,
linked the prophets through their gathering there,
and linked two times by shortening the travel time.
It brought together the places of revelation: Makkah and Jerusalem.
Among the most subtle links is the tethering of the Buraq to the ring at the gate of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
without the need to tether it, for it is obedient to the command of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and Jibril, peace be upon him.
But it contains an indication and confirmation of this beautiful meaning and the strong ties for what was mentioned.
Allah, glory be to Him and Exalted is He, is capable of the Mi'raj of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
from Makkah to the heavens and his return once again.
But among the wisdoms of that journey
is the confirmation and establishment of the importance of Jerusalem,
its status, and its direct connection to the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram),
and the divine care for it.
The incident of the Isra' and Mi'raj
was a preparation for the Prophet, peace be upon him, for a new and important stage
in setting out, calling to the faith, and confrontation,
and in forming the state and spreading the religion,
as it was one year before the Hijrah,
or one year and five months, according to the most correct opinion.
And the seeing of the greatest signs of Allah, the Almighty,
as a prelude to this journey,
“Verily he saw one of the greater revelations of his Lord.” (53:18)
is similar to the stage of preparing Musa, peace be upon him, for the confrontation with Pharaoh,
and his seeing of the greatest signs of his Lord,
“That We may show thee (some) of Our greater portents,” (20:23)
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed."
The beginning of the miracle of the Isra' and Mi'raj
“Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.” (17:1)
contains a suggestion to the Muslims
to remember the places of revelation in Makkah and Jerusalem,
and that they are all places of the messages,
and that all the messengers whom Allah chose to convey them
are children of one house,
and the last brick in it is placed by their seal, peace be upon him,
the one who experienced the Isra' and Mi'raj.
Therefore,
the banner of Tawhid (monotheism) and faith must always wave over them,
in the manner that came in his message,
and their territory must be purified from the seeds of polytheism, idolatry, injustice, and corruption,
and the authority of truth and the justice of the heavens must rise therein.
Yes, it is the place of prayer.
We are a sun that does not set.
If the caller calls, we answer.
We return the right, sound and whole.
We support the beloved Al-Aqsa.
In it, the best of creation prayed.
It is, indeed, a blessed place of prayer.
For the Trustworthy Revelation descended there,
a mission for the messengers,
a qiblah for the Muslims,
a destination for the conquerors.
In it, the best of creation prayed.
It is, indeed, a blessed place of prayer.
It is, indeed, a blessed place of prayer.