The Miracle of Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi^raj
Among his Miracles are Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi^raj. Isra’, which was the Night Journey, is confirmed by the explicit documentation of the Qur’an and the authentic hadith, so it is obligatory to believe that Allah Made him take a night journey from Makkah to Al-Masjidu-l-Aqsa. As for the Ascension into the sky, it was confirmed by the explicit hadiths. As for the Qur’an, it was not documented therein with an explicit documentation that does not accept any other explanation. However, it came in the Qur’an that which is virtually an explicit documentation, i.e., it is practically explicit.
The Saying of Allah came in reference to al-Isra’:
﴿سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا﴾
[which means] “Glory be to Allah, Who is Clear of resemblance, the One who Made His slave take a night journey at night from Al-Masjidu-l-Haram to Al-Masjidu-l-Aqsa, which We have Blessed its surroundings, so that We would Show him of Our amazing signs.”
If it were said that the Saying of Allah,
﴿وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ﴾
[which means] “He saw him a second time,” is possible to be a dream, we say, this is interpreting the verse according to other than its apparent meaning, and it is not permissible to make ta’wil from the religious texts without any definitive mental evidence or confirmed transmitted evidence, as said by Ar-Raziyy in his book Al-Mahsul and others among the scholars of Al-Usul.
Muslim narrated from Anas Ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah said:
أُتِيتُ بالبُراقِ وهوَ دابَّةٌ أبيَضُ طَويلٌ فَوقَ الحمارِ ودُوْنَ البَغْلِ يضَعُ حافِرَهُ عندَ منتَهَى طرْفِهِ، فركِبْتُه حتّى أتيتُ بيتَ المقْدِسِ فَربَطتُهُ بالحلقَةِ التي يَربِطُ بها الأنبياءُ، ثم دخَلْتُ المسجِدَ فَصلَّيتُ فيه ركْعتينِ، ثُمَّ خَرجْتُ فجاءَني جبريلُ عليه السلام بإناءٍ من خَمرٍ وإنَاءٍ منْ لَبَنٍ فاختَرتُ اللّبَنَ، فقالَ جبريلُ عليه السلامُ: ((اختَرْتَ الفِطْرَةَ)) ثمّ عَرَجَ بنَا إلى السَّماءِ ….
[which means] “I was approached with Al-Buraq, a white, long animal, taller than a donkey and shorter than a mule. He puts his hoof wherever his sight falls.,, So I rode it until I reached Jerusalem, and so I tied him to the ring by which the Prophets tie their animals. Then I entered the masjid and I prayed two rak^ahs in it. Then I went out and then Jibril came to me with a container of wine and a container of milk, so I chose the milk. Then Jibril said, ‘You have adhered to the Religion.’ Then we went up into the sky…”
In the hadith is the evidence that Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi^raj took place in one night by both his body and soul while being awake, since no one said that he reached Jerusalem and then went to sleep.
The Messenger Seeing his Lord with his Heart and Not with his Eyes on that Night
As for the Prophet seeing his Lord on the night of Al-Mi^raj, At–Tabaraniyy narrated in Al-Mu^jamul-Awsat with a strong chain, as said by Hafidh Ibn Hajar, from the route of Ibn ^Abbas, may Allah Accept his and his father’s deeds, “Muhammad saw his Lord twice.” Also, Ibn Khuzaymah narrated with a strong chain that Muhammad ﷺ saw his Lord.
What is meant is that he saw Him with his heart, as proven by the hadith of Muslim from the route of Abu-l-^Aliyah from the route of Ibn ^Abbas about the Saying of Allah the Exalted,
﴿مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ﴾
[which means] “The heart did not lie about what it saw. Do you debate with him about what he sees? And he saw Him a second time.” Ibn ^Abbas said, “He saw his Lord with his heart twice.”
Notice: Al-Ghazaliyy said in Ihya’u-^Ulumi-d-Din, “What is correct is that the Prophet did not see his Lord on the night of the Ascension.” What he means is that the Prophet did not see Allah with his eyes, because it is not confirmed that the Prophet said, “I saw Him with my eyes.” Nor is it confirmed from any of the Companions, their followers, or the followers of their followers that the Prophet said, “I saw him with the eyes in my head.”