Tuesday 19 May 2015

MIRAJ- ASCENT

The Miraj of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is a great favor and blessing from Allah to the Muslims. It is a religious experience far superior to all the religious experiences Allah gave to the Messengers who came before him. Some such experiences include Moses dropping his staff which turned into a serpent which swallowed the fake ones of the magicians. Also when he struck the water it parted and when he again struck it, it joined back thereby drowning Pharaoh and his men.

As the Miraj is a Religious Experience outside the realm of reason and logic it is not correct to say that it was only a spiritual journey. This is because Allah speaks about the event as one which involved the entire personality of the Messenger. He says:

Glorified be He Who transported His servant by night from the Invioable Place of Worship, to the Far Distant Place of Worship, the neighborhood whereof We have blessed. (17:1)

Because the Prophet (pboh) was transported in a way we are unable to comprehend, he was able to stop on the way at two places, one to help the bedouin find his lost camel, and at the other place he drank water from a tent, and covered the water pot and proceeded towards Jerusalem.

The Miraj of the Prophet (pboh) highlights many important issues that every believer should take note of. Some of them are:

1. The climax of the Miraj was when the Prophet (pboh) was permitted to stand very close to Allah—two bows length or even closer—in that position, he was standing in front of the Lord with his gaze fixed on the Creator, and there was nothing between both of them. Then Allah told him to take another look and the Messenger stood there in a very composed state of mind with his total personality not being affected in any way with the experience he was having. Allah tells us about that occasion in the following verses of the Holy Qur’an:

And He revealed unto His slave that which He revealed; the heart lied not in seeing what it saw. (53:10-11)

No other creature had that unique blessing and status. Even Moses, after fasting for forty days and nights, when he requested his Lord to be able to see Him, he was told that he did not possess that capacity. Allah demonstrated this fact to him by telling him to look at the mountain and if he can bear what he was to experience, he would be able to see Him; so when Allah caused to descend upon the mountain something of His Divine Vibrations Moses fell down and fainted.

2. Allah has made this experience of the Prophet (pboh) an all-time blessing for all believers. That is, they practice standing in front of the Lord five times for the day and speak directly to Him. For example, in their Salaat they say:

Only You (O Lord) we worship, and only You we ask for help.

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

Salaat is the Miraj of the Momin.

Because Salaat is that Institution that enables us to be alone with our Lord, Satan, out of envy, will not want us to experience His closeness to us. As a result he will try to get between the worshipper and the Lord.

3. During the Miraj, all the Unseen Verities became known to the Prophet (pboh). He saw Paradise, Hell, the Angels, Jinns, the Lote Tree, the Pen, Lauhi Mahfuz, and even Allah. So when he gave his companions any information about Al Ghaib, he gave it on first-hand knowledge. In this connection Allah says:

And those whom they invoke instead of Him have no power of intercession; except those who bear witness to the truth; and they know. (43:86)

4. Because Prophet Muhammad (pboh) journeyed to Allah, he knows the Path that leads to Him. So that he is able to invite people to follow it, and also to lead them along. In addition, to giving this import invitation, he is blessed with the ability to light up the Path because he is Siraajun Muneerah.

5. This journey was something physical, as, during the earthly phase of it, i.e. from Makkah to Jerusalem, he stopped on the way on two occasions, one was to help a Bedouin find his camel and the other was to drink from a covered pot in one of the tents. Perhaps these things were done so that the people were able to confirm that there was someone who visited them.

6. All the Messengers who came before him and had the opportunity to predict his coming were given the opportunity to pray with him and to know in person Who was the Promised one.

7. Through his leadership, he was able to redirect the focus of all to turn towards the direction of the Kaba in worship. Before this they used to turn towards the direction of Jerusalem to worship.

8. This special journey created a contact with all the heavenly bodies, and so the entire universe became connected under one leadership, who is the Prophet (pboh).

9. Because the Miraj was a special religious experience of the Prophet (pboh), which opened up the path (Siraatul Mustaqeem) Muslims have the opportunity to experience the closeness of Allah to them.

10. Muslims know that if they are to be drawn closer and closer to the Lord, they will have to wash their hearts clean of all worldly impurities, as, in spite of the Prophet (pboh) was free of sins, his heart was washed before he began the journey.

Muslims should resolve on this day that they will strive hard to earn the pleasure of Allah which will result in Him enabling us to get closer to Him.

THE PROPHET’S ELEVATED STATUS

There is no doubt of the fact that Allah gave the Prophet (pboh) a very elevated status in the entire universe, both among human beings and with the other creatures.

Long before the universe was created Allah had already recorded the status of the Messenger and the Path he was to follow. Imam Ghazali, in his book, Ihya ulumud deed, writes that Allah recited Surahs Yaseen and Tahaa, fifty thousand years before He created the universe. If we should look at the meanings of these Chapters we would see that Allah speaks about the Mission of Prophet Muhammad in the very beginning of both the Chapters. For example in Surah Yasees He revealed the following:

Yaaseen, by the Wise Qur’an; Verily, you are indeed one of the Messengers on the Straight Path. (36:1-4)

The beginning of Surah Tahaa is as follows:

Taahaa, We have not revealed unto thee (Muhammad) this Qur’an that thou should be distressed; but as a reminder to him who feareth. (20:1-3)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was established by the Lord as the leader of all the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets even before they were sent to their respective peoples. Allah says:

Behold, Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying, I gave you a Book and Wisdom, then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you. Do you believe in him and render him help. Allah said: Do you agree and take this My Covenant as binding on you? They said: We agree. (3:81)

According to this revelation, all the Messengers agreed to:
  • Him being their leader in this world and in the next.
  • Help him in the mission for which he was to be sent.
  • Inform their people of his coming.
All the Messengers knew that the Holy Prophet (pboh) was to be:
  • The best example for mankind.
  • The Bringer of the complete code of life.
  • The universal model for all times
  • The one that was to unite mankind into one brotherhood.
  • The one that was to invite to Allah by His leave.
  • The one whose mission will be to light up to path to Allah.
  • The one who was able to give the glad tidings and warnings on the basis of firsthand experience.
  • The one who is the mercy to the worlds.
  • The chief intercessor on the Day of Judgment.
  • The one designated to distribute Kauthar in the hereafter.
As Allah mentions in the verse quoted above, every Messenger left with their people the knowledge that he who is the beloved of the Lord, will be coming.

Some of their predictions are as follows:

Moses said to his followers that the Lord said to him the following:

I will raise up a prophet among their brethren like unto thee. (Deut. 18:15-18)

It is an established fact that there was no Israelite Prophet after Moses who gave to them what Moses gave; e.g. he gave the Laws. Perhaps, this was a reason why Jesus said: I came to uphold the Law. That was the Laws given by Moses from the revelations that came from the Lord.

This fact is established In the Bible in the following verse:

And there rose not a prophet, in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. (Deut. 34:10)

Jesus told his followers the following:

I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. (Jn. 16:12-15)

Unlike the predictions of the other Messengers, Prophet Muhammad (pboh) in his Farewell Sermon asked from his unbelievably large congregation: Have I delivered the Message? They replied, in one voice; Yea, we bear witness that you have.

Recognized by all creatures:

It was normal for the trees, plants, stones and even some animals to greet the Prophet (pboh) whenever he used to pass by them. Some such incidents are hereby listed:
  • Ali ibn Talib reports: I was with the Apostle of Allah in Makkah, and we came out from the city from one side; as we walked every mountain or tree that we passed said to the Apostle, (pboh) Greetings on you O Messenger of Allah. (Tirmizi).
  • Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (pboh) would give his Sermon while standing beside the date palm trunk. When he had the pulpit made he used it instead. The trunk therefore began weeping, and so the Prophet (pboh) went to it and rubbed his hand over it to stop it from crying. (Bukhari)
  • According to Imam Ahmad, the trunk bellowed until it cracked and split. (Ahmad).
  • A camel complained to the Prophet (pboh) about the ill-treatment that it was getting from its master. (Ahmad, Abu Dawood).
The faithful followers of the Beloved Messenger also recognized his greatness as a person with special blessings coming from him. Some examples are as follows:

Abu Juhaifa narrates the following: Once, Allah’s Apostle went to Al Batha at noon, performed the ablution and offered two rakaats Zuhr prayer and two rakaats Asr prayer, while a spear head stick was planted before him. The passers were passing in front of it. (After the prayer), the people got up and held the hands of the Prophet (pboh) and passed them on their faces. I also took his hand and kept them to my face, and noticed that it was cooler than ice, and the smell was nicer than musk.

Anas reported that: I never touched silk or neither Dibaj (thick silk) softer than the palm of the Prophet, (pboh) nor have I smelt perfume nicer that the sweat of the Prophet (pboh). (Bukhari).

After the Friday prayer was over, the Holy Prophet (pboh) entered the city of Yasrab from the southern end and the city was renamed thenceforth as Madinatun Nabi, meaning the city of the Prophet (pboh), which for convenience is called Madinah.

The moment and the style of the procession for entry into the city were exceptionally grand and impressively impact. The atmosphere was renting from the echoes of Takbeer. The streets and lanes resounded with the words of praises and Piety of Allah. All the men and women, youngsters and aged one had surged up everywhere with eager eyes to gaze upon the effulgence of Allah. (Rahmatul lil aalameen, vol. 1; p.80)

Not only was the Messenger (pboh) held with respect and honor on earth but all the creatures in the skies displayed great respect and honor to him as he ascended past them during the night of the Miraj.


WHY HONOR THE PROPHET?



He is a human being:

When we think about honoring a human being like the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh), we need to always keep in mind the important fact that he is a creature and not the Creator. In this connection, Allah made it known to the whole of mankind that the Prophet (pboh) came into this world just like any other human being; and is also entirely dependent on the Lord for his status, position and even survival. Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:

Say: I am but a human being just like you; but inspiration has come to me; that your Lord is one God. (18:110)

Unlike other human beings, Allah has made it known to everyone that the Prophet (pboh) is special. He says as follows:

And you (O Prophet) are on an exalted status of character. (68:4)

And you (O Prophet) are held in a very high esteem. (94:4)

Your Companion (i.e. Prophet Muhammad) is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say anything of his own desire. (53:2-3)

The difference in status in the sight of Allah between the Prophet (pboh) and the other Messengers and believers, is like the difference in beauty and value between diamond and charcoal. While both originated from the earth, one is beautiful and priceless, and while the other has its purpose it does not present itself to the people as beautiful as the diamond.

He is the first believer:

In the Holy Qur’an, Allah made it known that the Holy Prophet (pboh) is the first Muslim. Some people believe that this is so because he is the one who received the Holy Qur’an, and it was with him that Islam was perfected. As a result they interpret the verses of Chapter (6:162-3) to mean that because he gave, through divine guidance, the Religion to the people, and he upheld it completely himself, he is the first to believe. The verses are:

Verily, my worship and my sacrifice; my living and my dying are for Allah; Lord of the Worlds. He has no partner. This I am commanded and I am the first to submit to His Will. (I am the first Muslim). (6:162-3)

If we should look at other verses of the Qur’an regarding the way all the creatures relate to the Lord and Creator of them all, we find the following:

All living creatures in the skies and the earth (they all) prostrate (submit) themselves to Allah with goodwill. (13:15)

And to Allah do all creatures that are in the skies and the earth submit; whether moving creatures or the angels; for, none are arrogant before the Lord. They all serve their Lord high above them; and they do what they are commanded. (16:49-50).

Thunder repeats His praises. (13:13)

If all the creatures in the skies and the earth submit to Allah, it means that they are all Muslims. And because the soul of the Prophet (pboh) is the first thing that Allah created, and he, upon creation declared: There is no god but Allah; then he is the first Muslim.

The Personality of the Prophet (pboh) has two levels or aspects. They are Mundane and Cosmic.

His mundane status:

The mundane aspect of his personality is easier to comprehend. Allah wanted to give to the world a code of life to be followed in order that each person can return to Him successfully. This code outlines what is the Path to be followed and the rules and regulations required to travel along it.

Messengers were sent to each tribe and nation to teach the people and to make their pitfalls known to them. Also they were told of the consequences for deviating. Allah says:

Every people had a guide. (13:7)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was the last of the divinely appointed Messengers sent to mankind. His role and function was unique as well as universal. Allah tells us about his universal mission in the following verses.

And you (O Prophet) stand on an exalted standard of character. (68:4)

When we look into the Prophet’s life, we find that he established practically all the qualities that will make life meaningful and purposeful. It will also develop and cement all that is required to make the human race live like one big family. In short he established universal Islamic brotherhood. Allah says:

And hold fast, all together, to the Rope which Allah has stretched out for you and be not divided amongst yourselves. And remember, with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love. (3:103)

The Prophet (pboh) was able to create this type of lifestyle based on love, sacrifice, goodwill towards all and ill towards none, self denial, forgiving, merciful, and all the other qualities for which he was well known.

Another reason why the Prophet (pboh) was accepted by all the tribes and nation all over the world and at all times was because he was a role model for all. Allah says:
 
And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) save as a universal model for mankind.
(34:28)

Allah also says that his lifestyle is the best that can be found. This is recorded in the Qur’an as follows:

You have indeed, in the Messenger a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any whose hope is in Allah, and the Last Day. And (for him) who engages much in the remembrance of Allah. (33:21).

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) taught his followers not to give any importance to worldly lusts and desires. Allah made it known that such qualities and habits will not benefit a person in the Hereafter. He says:

And as for him who had entertained the fear of standing before his Lord; and had restrained his nafs from lower desires. His abode will be the Garden. (79:40-1)

His cosmic status:

Beside the life of the Holy Prophet (pboh) that is known to us, he has other functions; such functions which mankind could at no time able to comprehend. He clearly indicated this to his followers by telling them as follows:

There is a relation between me and my Lord, which no angels; even the highest of them; nor the prophets can understand.
Some examples to highlight this point can be found in the following: 

  • When Allah allowed a little of His Light (tajalliaat) to descend on the mountain at Moses’s request, the mountain blew up and Moses became unconscious. Referring to this incident the Qur’an records the following:
When his Lord manifested His Glory on the Mount, He made it as dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon. (7:143)
  • The Prophet (pboh) was able to ascend beyond all created things and stood close in the presence of the Lord, then Allah revealed what He wanted to reveal to the Prophet (pboh), and nothing happened to him. Allah tells us about this as follows:
The he approached and came closer. And was at a distance of but two bow lengths or even nearer. So did (Allah) convey the inspiration to His Servant, what He meant to convey. The (Prophet’s) mind and heart in no way falsified that which he saw. (53:8-11)
  • Because the vibrations contained in the words of the Holy Qur’an are very powerful, nothing in the universe was able to receive them; not even the mountains. Perhaps this was the reason why this Book was locked in the divine vault called Lauhi Mahfuz until it was released and impressed on the heart of the Prophet (pboh). Allah tells us about this as follows:
And lo, it is a revelation of the Lord of the Worlds; which the True Spirit had brought down; upon your heart, that you may be one of the warners; in plain Arabic speech. (26:192-95)
  •  The Prophet (pboh) was able to penetrate the electro-magnetic barriers in the night of Miraj with his total personality, without the aid of any special equipment.
  •  He was able to split the moon from the earth, just with a sign from his finger.
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is so close to Allah that he is called by many loving names in the Holy Qur’an. Some of them are within our range of comprehension, e.g. Nabi, Muzammil and Mudassir. Others we are unable to really understand. Some of them are Yaseen and Taahaa. This shows that his personality is beyond our range of comprehension.

His special qualities:

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said: I have been given five things which no other messenger has been given. They are:
·        Allah made me victorious by awe over the enemy
·        The earth has been made a place of worship for me and a form of purification.
·        Booty has been made lawful for me
·        I have been sent to the whole of mankind.
·        I have been given right to intercession.

The Prophet’s name is mentioned with that of the Lord, in the declaration of Faith. When Allah created the soul of the Prophet (pboh), it immediately declared Laailaaha illallah (There is no god but Allah). Allah responded by saying: Muhammadur Rasoolullah (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said: I was a Messenger when Adam was between water and earth.

The Prophet (pboh) is the Mercy to the worlds.  Allah says:

And We have not sent you but as a Mercy to the worlds. (21:107)

To take allegiance to the Prophet (pboh) is to take allegiance to Allah. This Allah says to mankind in the following words:

He who swears allegiance to you, swears allegiance only to Allah. (48:10)

If a person should sincerely show love to the Prophet (pboh) Allah will love that person. Allah says

Say to them (O Muhammad) if you love Allah, follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. (3:31)

Allah mentions in the Qur’an that the actions of the Prophet (pboh) were done under inspiration from the Lord. For example, Allah says, concerning the occasion when the Prophet (pboh) took some sand and threw it over the faces of the people in Badr, and it caused them to become blind. Allah says:

When you threw, it was not you, but Allah, who threw. (8:17)

The Prophet (pboh) had no shadow. This was because the light of his personality was brighter than the light of the sun; as a result he did not cast a shadow while he was in the sun’s light. Allah mentions about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:

There has come to you from Allah a Light and a plain Book. (5:15)

We need to keep in mind all the time that the light that comes from Allah cannot be found anywhere in the universe; as He says:
  neither of the east or of the west. (24:35)

Allah and His Angels are constantly sending Salaat on him. This will be discussed in a separate Chapter of this presentation.

Muslims are required to love him more than anything else. He told Omar, after Omar declared that he loved the Prophet (pboh) even more than his own self. The Prophet (pboh) then said to Omar: You have now become a perfect believer.

Allah told Adam and Eve while they were begging for forgiveness: Adam, I have pardoned you and your wife for Muhammad’s sake.

Muslims are commanded to send Salaat and Salaams on him.

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is called the Imaamul Ambiya, as he led all of them in Salaat on the night when he was to ascend to the presence of Allah.
 
So important and elevated was the status of the Messenger of Allah that all the previous Messengers predicted his coming.

BEWARE OF YOUR DEEDS



Allah says:
If Allah were to punish mankind for all the wrong that they do, He would not leave on the earth a single living creature. (16:61)

The question is: If we should constantly ask for forgiveness, and make every effort to do good, then what can be the reason why we will find ourselves in such a situation.
Allah tells us that a simple act can nullify all the good that we may have done. He says;

O you who believe, lift not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him; as you shout to one another; lest your deeds become vain and you perceive it not. (49:2)

Some people may argue that this command was applicable to the Muslims in the time of the Prophet (pboh), and does not refer to us. This is not so as the Prophet (pboh) is always with the believers in a way that we may not be able to understand. Allah says:

Know that among you is the Messenger of Allah (49:7)

So we are to carry on our lives with the knowledge that Allah is very close to us; and His Messenger is also very close to us. Allah says:

It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him; for We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (50:16)

The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves. (33:6)

Because the Messenger is very close to us, he feels sad every time a believer commits an error. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves it grieves him that you should perish. (9:128)

Some people may be thinking that the Prophet (pboh) is a human being, and has already left this world, then how it is possible for him to connect to every human being, past, present and future.

Creatures of lower status than the Messenger, can do this, e.g. Satan and his workers. Allah says:

Lo; he (Satan) sees you, he and his tribe from where you cannot see them. (7:27)

So if Satan can see us why is it impossible for the Prophet (pboh) who is the greatest in creation not to be able to see us.

The essence of this Message is that we should develop love and respect for the Prophet (pboh); and try our best to follow him if we want to get Paradise. He is reported to have said:

None of you will have faith till he loves me more that his father, children and mankind  (Bukhari)

THE BALANCE



Allah the All Wise created the skies and the earth without any defects, or flaws. He has appointed man to be His Representative on earth, and gave him choices. But He made it known to man that each person will be questioned on that Day regarding the reasons why a particular choice was made. This is because Allah gave man a complete code of conduct, and included in it the examples of people of bygone times; how they behaved regarding the Message that they were supposed to upheld. 

All human beings will be rewarded or punished according to the choice they made while living in this earthly life.

Allah is most Just, and has put in place the recording of every single matter that comes from every single person. He says:

He who does an atom weight of good will see it then; and he who does an atom weight of evil will see it then. (99:7-8)

Allah selected to preserve the records of each individual by keeping them in a bag which is hanging around his neck and which will never separate. He says:

Every man’s fate We have fastened on his own neck; On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open. (17:13)

The impact of the records will be visible as, upon its receipt, the person will either beam with brightness or will become dark and dismal.

In addition to the impact that the record will have on the individual, each person will have to stand before a scale, and perhaps, the record sheet will pass through the scale; where the data will be processed and the final verdict given. Allah says:

The balance, that Day, will be true. Those whose scale of good will be heavy, will prosper. Those whose scale will be light will find their souls in perdition; for that they wrongfully treated Our Signs. (7:8-9)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

The son of Adam will be brought and stopped before the pans of the balance. An angel will be appointed for him. If his balance weighs heavy, the angel will say; so and so has been saved eternally.

But why will there be the need for having a scale when the records are accurately and properly kept? Perhaps, a reason can be because the records will not have written down the person’s intention. And even though it will be one of the factors that will impact upon the person upon receipt of the book of deeds, no one can know it except the person and the Lord. So Allah created a way whereby the intention, personal desires, and such other things will be processed as part of the data when the records go through the scale. Allah says:

And We set up a just scale for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul is wronged aught. (21:47)

Allah informs us that we must take care regarding our Hereafter. He says:

Those whose balance of good deeds is heavy, they will attain salvation. But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls; in hell will they abide. (23:102-3)

As every day is important, precious and valuable for our future, we must ensure that we keep increasing the weight of our deeds in order to be able to benefit from Allah’s mercy.