Shab-e-Miraj Holds up the Meaning to Pray, Acknowledge of Allah the Almighty

Pakobserver.net

March 29, 2019

MERAJ was a journey by the Prophet to the heaven. In that night, Archangel Gabriel came to the Holy Prophet (PHUB) and brought him a conveyance called Buraq and the Holy Prophet (PHUB) got on and moved toward Jerusalem. At the time of mounting on Buraq, it began to show disobedience and Gabriel hit it and told it, “Be calm o Buraq! Previously no prophet has ever mounted on you and in the future, no one like him would ever ride you.”

After that hit, Buraq was calm and took him up which was not so high while Gabriel was with him. In the middle of the way, the Holy Prophet (PHUB) stopped in Medina, mosque of Kufa, Tur Sina and Bethlehem which is the birthplace of Prophet Jesus and prayed there. He (PHUB) then entered al-Aqsa Mosque and prayed there too. Apparently, the Holy Prophet (PHUB) ascended to the skies from the mosque of Qubbat al-Sakhra. The reason for naming it is the existence of a rock inside it from where the Prophet (s) ascended to the skies. In the travel log of Nasir Khusraw, it has been claimed that upon the entrance of the Prophet (s) to the mosque, that rock ascended before him and after his ascent that rock never came back to earth.

From there, the Holy Prophet (PHUB) ascended to the sky of this world and saw Prophet Adam there. Then, angels came to welcome him in groups and greeted him smiling and congratulated him. There, the Holy Prophet (PHUB) saw an angel having a frowning and angry look and when greeting him (PBUH), not smiling like others. When the Holy Prophet (PHUB) asked the name of that angel from Gabriel, he answered that, “this is Malik, guard of the hell and has never smiled and his wrath on the enemies of God and sinners is being increased incessantly.” The Holy Prophet (PHUB) then asked Gabriel to show him the hell and when he opened its cap, a flame rose out of it which filled the air.

There, the Holy Prophet (PHUB) also met Malak al-Mawt (Azrael or ‘Izra’il, the Archangel of Death) who was holding a tablet of light in his hand and after he had a conversation with the Holy Prophet (PHUB), said, “all the world in my hand is like a coin in the hand of a man and he flips it. There is no house except I meet five times a day…” That was when the Holy Prophet (PHUB) said, “Indeed, death is the greatest of calamity and the harshest of event.” And then Gabriel said, “the events following death are worse than that.”

The Holy Prophet (PHUB) then ascended to the second sky and there, he (PBUH) met Prophet Yahya (John, the Baptist) and Prophet Jesus, then with Prophet Joseph in the third sky, with Prophet Idris (Enoch) in the fourth sky, with Prophet Aaron in the fifth sky and with Prophet Moses in the sixth sky.

The Holy Prophet (PHUB) then went to the seventh sky and reached where Gabriel was unable to reach saying, “I do not have permission to go there, and if I approach it as much as a tip of a finger, my wings and feather will burn.” On return, the Holy Prophet (PHUB) landed in Jerusalem and went toward Makkah. On his way to Makkah, he (PBUH) encountered a trade caravan of Quraysh who had lost a camel and were searching for it.

The Holy Prophet (PHUB) drank from the water they had in a bowl and poured the rest of it on the ground and according to a report, covered the cap of the bowl. He (PBUH) landed in the house of Umm Hani before sunrise, and told her his secret for the first time and then in the daytime, disclosed his secret to the gatherings of Quraysh.

 In Arabic, “Mi’raj” means something that helps one to ascend and go up, hence using this word to refer to “ladder”. In the first verse of Surah Isra, the Quran says that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) miraculously covered a long distance between Makkah and Jerusalem (The Dome of the Rock) in one night with the help of Allah (SWT); this journey serving as the beginning of an even longer journey to the skies and witnessing the signs of Allah (SWT). This second part of his journey has been mentioned in the following verses of the Surah.

Nevertheless, it must be noted that the Quran doesn’t use the term “Mi’raj”, it is only Hadiths that refer to the night of the Prophet’s (PBUH) journey as “the night of the Mi’raj” (Lailat ul-Mi’raj), the reason maybe being that the Prophet (PBUH) used a means of transportation that night called the Buraq to ascend to the skies. Anyway, from here on, when we use the term “Mi’raj”, what we mean is that specific famous miraculous journey of the Prophet (PBUH) to the skies (that the Quran has also spoken of). Shab e Miraj is one of the most peaceful night throughout the year.

This night holds up the meaning to pray, acknowledge of Allah the Almighty, result to be good or bad, ways to get place in Heaven etc and so on. Allah helps those who pray the whole night. Especially Muslims pray to eradicate all past sins and blessed upon on that night. Lailat Ul Miraj is not the Sunnah Ibadat. There is no proof to celebrate the night as Sunnah. Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions always devoted to follow the Islamic Sunnah and prayed all the time they lived.

So, every Muslim should pray even a single moment to be grateful to God. This night holds up the truth of being the Almighty Allah and his relation to his creation. Man is the best of Makhluqat (creation) of Allah and this is a best gift to send them to the earth. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the ideal for every Muslim. His (PBUH) lifestyle is ideal for them and shows the path to deserve the Jannat (Heaven). This night is a sign of Muslim beliefs.

Source: pakobserver.net/2019/03/29/what-is-shab-e-miraj/

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/shab-e-miraj-holds-up/d/118222