By Amal Al-Sibai
Saudi Gazette
There are many life lessons to be learned from the miraculous night journey of Israa and Miraj. During the Israa, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was carried on a white animal that was smaller than a horse yet larger than a donkey and it had wings and was called Al-Buraq. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) rode Al-Buraq to Jerusalem, where he met the Prophets and led them in prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Miraj is the ascension of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on Al-Buraq and with the company of Angel Jibreel to the Heavens.
If we look at when this night journey occurred, we will realize that this journey was a gift to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Israa and Miraj took place shortly after the year of grief, the year that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received two painful blows when he lost two of his closest supporters: his beloved wife, Khadija and his uncle, Abu Talib. It was also after the incident of Al-Taif when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went to Taif to call people to the message of Islam but he was met with mockery and rejection, to the extent that the tribes released their children to throw stones at him (peace be upon him).
To lighten the Prophet’s burden and relieve his distress after these painful events, Allah invited the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the journey of Israa and Miraj, as if to show the Prophet (peace be upon him) and all believers that after pain comes relief and after suffering comes ease. And sometimes, it takes patience through difficult times before we can achieve inner peace and nearness to Allah.
As Muslims, we are also reminded of the importance of Al-Aqsa Mosque in our faith. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) visited Al-Aqsa during his night journey and he prayed there with all the prophets of Allah. Al-Aqsa Mosque was mentioned in the Holy Qur’an as a blessed place. Jerusalem is a holy land, in its vicinity many prophets have lived and died, and were buried there. In several sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he encouraged Muslims to visit the three sacred mosques in Islam: the Holy Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. We must make it a priority to pray for those people in Palestine, to call for justice, to donate for their cause, and to visit Al Aqsa Mosque.
In Al Alqsa Mosque, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) met all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus may Allah’s peace be upon them all. It is a pillar of faith to believe in all the prophets and to love them. The seal of all the prophets is Muhammad (peace be upon him), and he led the prophets in prayer, which was a great honor for him. And on the Day of Judgment, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be given precedence over the other prophets as he will be the first to intercede for mankind. On the Day of Judgment, the believers will be worried and they will go to the prophets to ask them to intercede on their behalf. None of the prophets will accept this task, except Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said of his people, “So they will come to me, and I will ask my Lord’s permission to enter His presence and then I will be permitted. When I see Him I will fall down in prostration before Him, and He will leave me (in prostration) as long as He wills, and then He will say, ‘O Muhammad, lift up your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask (for anything) for it will be granted.’” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
That is why we make this supplication between every adhan and iqama for prayer: “O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer to be offered, grant Muhammad the privilege (of intercession) and also the eminence, and resurrect him to the praised position that You have promised.”
Another vital lesson to be drawn from the night journey is the significance of the five daily prayers in a believer’s life. The obligatory prayers were ordained by Allah to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he was in the Heavens and in close presence to Allah. This indicates that the prayer is in essence an elevation of the spirit. When we pray, we detach ourselves from this world and all of its troubles and pleasures. We focus on our Creator, draw near to Him, and pray to Him. It is imperative to get the message across to our youth that the prayer is no trivial matter and that when performed correctly and with concentration, it is an uplifting, comforting, spiritual experience.
Finally, when reading about Israa and Miraj, we learn yet again, what we probably already knew before, and that is the virtue of the Prophet’s best friend and confidant, Abu Bakr.
Some scholars said that the entire Israa and Miraj journey took about one third of the night. The following day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told the people what had happened. The disbelievers ridiculed the Prophet (peace be upon him). They went to Abu Bakr and said to him, “Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night.”
Abu Bakr confidently responded, “If he said that, then he is speaking the truth.”
From this incident, Abu Bakr was given the title of As-Siddiq, because of how strongly he believed in the Prophet (peace be upon him). Part of our faith is to love Abu Bakr, one of the most faithful of companions.
The Israa and Miraj journey is full of signs to make our faith stronger and lessons that we continue to learn from to this day.
