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) Paradise[1] from close quarters and a consequently became fully aware of the secrets of creation the extent of the Universe and the signs of the Omnipotent Allah. Then he continued his journey and reached 'Sidratul-Muntaha'[2] and found it fully covered with splendour magnificence and grandeur. At this time his journey came to an end he returned through the way he had gone. During his return journey also he first came to Baytul Maqdis and then proceeded to Makkah. On the way he met a trading caravan of Quraysh who had lost a camel and were making a search for it. He drank some water from a container of theirs and threw the remainder on the ground and according to another narrative placed a cover on it. It was before daybreak when he dismounted in the house of Umme Hani from the animal which had taken him to the heavens. She was the first person to whom he related this matter and on the day following that night he made it known to the assemblies of Quraysh as well. The story of his 'ascension' and grand journey which was considered by Quraysh to be something impossible spread from mouth to mouth in all centres and made the chiefs of Quraysh all the more perplexed. According to their old habit Quraysh decided to refute him and said: "Even now there are some persons in Makkah who have seen Baytul Maqdis. If what you say is correct then give an account of its structure". The Prophet not only described the structure of Baytul Maqdis but also mentioned the incidents which had occurred between Makkah and Baytul Maqdis and said: "On my way I met the caravan of such and such tribe who had lost a camel. They had a container full of water which was a part of their equipment. I drank some water from it and then covered it.[3] At another place I met a group of persons whose camel had run away and had broken its leg". Quraysh said: "Tell us about the caravan of Quraysh". The Prophet replied:
[1] Majma'ul Bayan Surah Bani Isra'il 17:1 vol. III page 395.
[2] For understanding fully the meaning of 'Sidratul Muntaha' refer to books of exegeses.
[3] Some narrators have quoted thus: "I dropped the remainder". Possibly the difference between the two versions is due to the action having been repeated.
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"I saw them at Tan'im (a place from where the 'Haram' commences). A brown camel was going ahead of them and they had placed a litter on it and are now entering Makkah". Quraysh became very much excited on account of these definite news and said: "We shall now come to know about your truth or falsehood". However it was not long before Abu Sufyan the leader of the caravan appeared and people made known to him in detail what the Prophet had said. The above account is a gist of what has been stated in the books of exegeses and traditions. [1] DOES ME'RAJ HAVE A QUR'ANIC ORIGIN?The event of me'raj' of the Prophet in the heavens has been mentioned clearly in two surahs of the Qur'an and has also been alluded to in other surah(s). We give here briefly the verses which clearly make a mention of me'raj. In Surah al-lsra' it has been said: Glory be to Him Who made His servant go by night from Masjidul Haram to Masjidul Aqsa whose surroundings We have blessed that We might show him some of Our signs. He alone hears all and observes all. This verse apparently mentions the following points: 1. In order to tell us that the Prophet travelled through these worlds in a short time not with human strength but through Divine strength the Almighty commences His statement with "Glory be to Him!" which points to the fact that Allah is free from all defects and needs. He has also not contented Himself with this and has introduced Himself as the Agent of the journey by saying 'Asra' (Allah made him perform the journey). This favour was bestowed upon him so that the people might not think that the journey was performed according to natural laws and with usual means and might therefore deny its possibility. It has therefore been clarified that it was undertaken through Divine Will and special favour of the Almighty. 2. This journey was undertaken at night. 3. Notwithstanding the fact that this journey commenced
[1] For further details the readers are advised to refer to the chapters on 'Ascension' of Biharul Anwar vol. XVIII pp 282 - 410 and of Tafsir-i Burhan vol. II pp. 390 - 404.
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) things about me'raj and the things observed by the Prophet but all of them are not final and indisputable. The great Shi'ah commentator and expert exegete the late Allamah Tabrasi has divided these narratives into four groups: 1. One group of the narratives is final and indisputable for example the fact of me'raj and some of its particulars. 2. he reports which have been quoted in a correct manner but have not reached the stage of finality although they conform to the principles and verdict of wisdom for example survey of Paradise and Hell journey in the skies and conversation with the souls of the Prophets. 3. The reports which are not apparently acceptable but are capable of interpretation for example the Prophet's conversation during the night of me'raj with the dwellers of Paradise and Hell which can be explained away by saying that he observed their phantoms figures and qualities. 4. Exaggerated reports coined and circulated by the liars. For example it is said at times that the Prophet sat that night with the Almighty or that he heard the sound of His pen.[1] HISTORY OF THIS EVENTThough it was appropriate that this grand event should have been properly recorded in all respects yet for some reasons differences have risen about it and one of them is about the date of its occurrence. Two great historians of Islam (Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham) say that this event occurred in the tenth year of the Prophet's prophethood. The renowned historian Bayhaqi believes that it took place in the twelfth year of his prophethood. Some say that it occurred in the early days of his prophetic mission whereas others say that the time of its occurrence was the middle period of the prophethood. And at times in order to add up all these statements it has been said that the me'raj of the Prophet took place more than once. However we are of the view that the me'raj in which daily prayers were made compulsory took place after the death of Abu Talib which occurred in the tenth year of the prophethood of the Prophet. We conclude this because it is one of the br>
[1] Majma'ul Bayan vol. III page 395.
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) established facts of history and tradition that during the night of me'raj the Almighty ordered that the Prophet's followers should offer prayers five times a day and it is also learnt from history that prayers had not been made obligatory till the death of Abu Talib because when he was on his death-bed the chiefs of Quraysh approached him to settle the dispute between them and his nephew and to prevent him from his activities and to take whatever he wanted as a recompense for it. The Prophet who was present there addressed the chiefs thus: "I don't want anything from you except that you should confirm that there is no god but Allah and give up worshipping the idols".[1] He uttered these words and did not at all mention 'salat' (prayers) or other articles of faith. This in itself shows that prayers had not been made obligatory till then for otherwise mere declaration of faith devoid of a compulsory action like prayers would have been useless. And as regards the fact that he did not mention his own prophethood it was because witnessing of monotheism implicitly means confirming of his prophethood. Besides this the historians have also mentioned the embracement of Islam by persons like Tufayl bin 'Amr Dosi which took place a little earlier than migration (to Madina). At that time too the Prophet contented himself with giving them instructions to acknowledge monotheism and his own prophethood but did not mention 'prayers'. Such incidents go to show that the time of the occurrence of the event in which prayers were made compulsory was only a little earlier than migration. Those who think that me'raj took place earlier than the tenth year of the prophethood of the Prophet are very much mistaken
because from the eighth up to the tenth year he was besieged in the 'Valley' and the pitiable condition of the Muslims did not make it expedient that they should have been subjected to an additional responsibility like 'prayers'. And as regards the years before the eighth
besides the fact that the pressure of Quraysh was so hard on the Muslims that they could not bear additional responsibilities
their number was also very small. At such a time therefore when the light of faith and its principles had not been infused in the hearts of an appreciable
[1] Seerah-i Ibn Hisham vol. II page 27.
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) number of persons it appears very unlikely that an unusual responsibility like prayers should have been imposed on them. As regards the mention made in a number of narratives that Imam Ali the Commander of the Faithful performed prayers along with the Prophet for three years before the appointment of the latter to the prophetic mission and continued them later it may be said that it meant special and unlimited prayers and not limited and conditional prayers with a fixed time.[1] It is also possible that they might have been 'recommended' and 'nonobligatory' prayers. WAS ME'RAJ OF THE PROPHET PHYSICAL?The quality of me'raj of the Prophet has been a subject of discussion for long and much has been said about its being physical or spiritual although the Qur'an and the traditions clearly state that it was physical.[2] However some scientific notions have prevented a group of persons from accepting this reality. Consequently they have resorted to their own interpretations and considered the me'raj of the Prophet to be purely spiritual and have said that only his spirit travelled through all the worlds and then returned to his sacred body. Some have gone a step further and say that all these events were a vision and the Prophet saw different places and travelled through them in a dream. The statement of the last group is so much distant from
[1] For further information regarding the time when wuzu prayers and call to prayers were made obligatory please refer to Furu'-i Kafi vol. I p. 135.
[2] The great Shi'ah jurist the late Shaykh Tabrasi has stated in Tafsir-i Majma'ul Bayan that all Shi'ah scholars are unanimous that the 'Me'raj' was physical vol. III page 395.
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) because if a person says that one night while asleep he has dreamt this and that it cannot become an object of dispute and strife for a dream is after all a dream and many impossible things can be seen in it. For this reason therefore this view is not worth further scrutiny. Unfortunately however some Egyptain scholars like Farid Wajdi have adopted this idea and supported it with baseless statements. In spite of all this however it is only proper to pass it over. WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ME'RAJ?Those people who have not been able to solve some minute points related to physical me'raj have been compelled to resort to interpretation and have considered the Prophet's me'raj to have been a spiritual one. Spiritual me'raj means meditation about the things created by the Almighty and observation of His Grandeur and Beauty and absorption in thoughts about Him and glorifying His name and eventual freedom from material ties and worldly interests and crossing through all possibilities and entering into internal and non-material stages. And after going through all this process a special proximity to Allah is acquired and it is not possible to define it. If spiritual me'raj means meditation about the Grandeur of the Almighty and the extent of the creation such a me'raj is undoubtedly not peculiar to the Prophet of Islam as many Prophets and other enlightened and pure-hearted persons have also enjoyed this position whereas the Qurtan mentions his me'raj as something peculiar to him and an extraordinary distinction for him. Furthermore the Prophet had been in the aforesaid condition during many nights[1] whereas me'raj has been proved to be related to a particular night. The thing which has obliged these persons to hold the said view (i.e. the me'raj was spiritual only) is the hypothesis of the well-known Greek astronomer
Ptolemy
which has enjoyed great value in the scientists' circles of East and West for a period of two thousand
[1] Wasa'il Book of Fasting chapter-prohibition of fasting.
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) and nine inter-connected skies to be a mere myth and have not have not succeeded in seeing with the help of scientific implements astronomical tools and well-equipped eyes the worlds which Ptolemy had created with his imagination and they consider to be valueless even view which is founded on his wrong hypothesis. AN UNRHYTHMICAL SONGThe leader of the Shaykhiyah sect (Shaykh Ahmad Ehsai) has sung another song in the pamphlet entitled 'Qatifiyah' and has tried to satisfy both the groups in a new manner. He says that the Prophet went for me'raj with a 'barzakhi'[1] (Herculian) body. In this way according to his own thinking he has satisfied those who believe in physical me'raj because he has admitted that the me'raj took place along with body and has also removed the difficulty with regard to the skies because in order to penetrate through the skies it is not necessary for a 'barzakhi' body to rend them.[2] Nevertheless the enlightened
truth-seeking and unbiased persons consider this view also to be worthless and opposed to the Qur'an
[1] Barzakhi body is like the body with which man performs all deeds in a dream.
[2] The pamphlet entitled 'Qatifiyah' is one of his 92 pamphlets which were published collectively in 1273 with the name of "Jawame'ul Kalim". The text of his remarks is as under: In the event of ascension as the body goes above it abandons the elements connected with every one of the spheres at that very place and moves on. For example, it leaves the element of air in the sphere of air and that of fire in the sphere of fire. And at the time of its return it regains all that it had abandoned . Hence at the time of 'Me'raj' the Prophet abandoned everyone of the four elements of his body (in the past the basic elements were considered to be four) in their respective spheres and went for me'raj with a body which was devoid of these elements. Such a body cannot be an elemental body and can be nothing else than 'barzakhi' (according to his terminology a 'Herculian' body). In the book entitled 'Sharh-i Ziarat (pages 28 - 29) the Shaykh states that the nine skies are not capable of rending and conciliation.
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) the problems of mortal rays and the difficulty about the lack of air in which one could breathe. And even now the sciences relating to space are in a state of expansion and the scientists are confident that after some time it will be possible for them to lead their lives in one of the celestial spheres and they will travel quite easily to the moon and to Mars.[1] These scientific and technical developments clearly show that such an activity is hundred per cent possible and is not something beyond reason. It is possible that some persons may argue that such a journey cannot be undertaken without scientific and mechanical implements and as the Prophet did not possess these resources during the night of me'raj how could he travel in such worlds without them? Reply to this statement becomes quite clear from our foregoing discussions about the miracles of the Prophets and especially from the detailed narrative which we have penned earlier about the events of the 'Year of the Elephant' and the incident of Abrahah's army being killed with small stones for it is an established fact that the things which ordinary persons do with implements and scientific tools can be done by the Prophets with the blessings of Allah and without any apparent and external means. The Prophet of Islam went to me'raj with the blessing of Almighty Allah to Whom the entire creation belongs and Who is
[1] After artificial moons had been sent in the space a twenty seven year-old Russian named Major Gagarin first commenced his journey into space in a space ship on Wednesday 12th April 1961. He was the first human being to undertake such a journey. His spaceship went 302 kilometers above the earth and he travelled round the earth for one hour and thirty minutes. Thereafter spaceships were sent into space by America as well as by the Soviet Union. Eventually Apollo-12 with all its occupants landed on the moon and it was for the first time that man set his foot on it. This schedule has been put to test a number of times thereafter and has been usually successful. All these activities go to show that landing of man on the surface of the spheres is possible. And the thing which man does by scientific methods is done by his Creator by means of His Great Will.
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