Mi'raj: Difference between revisions

'''Al-Miʿraj''' (Arabic:المعراج, lit. ascent) or '''al-Isrāʾ''' (Arabic:الإسراء) is the nightly journey of [[the Prophet (s)]] from [[Mecca]] to [[al-Aqsa Mosque]] and from there to the skies. Both [[Shi'a]] and [[Sunni]] are unanimous regarding the happening of Mi'raj according to frequent [[verse]]s and [[hadith]]s, but they disagree regarding the time, place, times, condition, and physical or spiritual nature. This event happened in final years of the noble Prophet’s (s) stay in Mecca. In Mi'raj, the Prophet (s) saw divine signs and met the souls of some great prophets (s).

== “Mi’raj” ==

Literally, Mi’raj means “ladder, stairs and anything by which one can ascend” while in usage it refers to the nightly journey of the [[Prophet (s)]] from [[Mecca]] to [[al-Aqsa Mosque]] and from there to the skies and reaching [[Sidrat al-Muntaha]] and the position of Divine [[Qab Qawsayn]].

== In the Qur’an and Hadiths ==

According to [[Al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi]], Mi’raj of the [[Prophet (s)]] is among the issues that Shi'a, Sunni, [[verses]] along with frequent hadiths support.

The story of Mi’raj has been mentioned in [[Sura al-Isra’]] and [[Sura al-Najm]] in the holy [[Qur'an]].

From the two words of “Laylan” and “Asra” in the first verse of [[Sura al-Isra’]], it can be understood that this journey happened at night. But in the narrations, it is referred to with many differences as in which night it took place. In most cases, it has been narrated to have happened in one of the following nights:

* Eve of [[Rabi’ al-Awwal 17]]

* Some have also mentioned a night in [[Shawwal]] or [[Rabi’ al-Thani]].

The time it took for the [[Prophet (s)]] to go to [[Jerusalem]] and [[al-Aqsa Mosque]] and to the skies and his return, did not last longer than one night and the next morning the Prophet (s) was in [[Mecca]]. It is been cited in [[Tafsir al-'Ayyashi (book)|Tafsir ‘Ayashi]] that [[Imam Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq (a)|Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] said, “The Prophet (s) performed the prayers of ‘Isha and Fajr in Mecca.” Which means that Isra’ and Mi’raj happened between the two.

There are differences among narrations about the detail of [[Prophet (s)|the Prophet’s (s)]] Mi’raj and whether its beginning and the end of it was the house of Umm Hani, [[Masjid al-Haram]] or [[Shi’b Abi Talib]]. But it is famously said that in that night, the Prophet (s) was in the house of Umm Hani, daughter of Abi Talib and from there went to Mi’raj and returned there at the end.

To explain why the holy [[Qur’an]] has mentioned Masjid al-Haram as the departure of this journey, it is said that Arabs call all [[Mecca]] the sanctuary of God; therefore, all of it were assumed as mosque and sanctuary of God and the house of Umm Hani was in the sanctuary. Also, the content of some narrations do not agree with the occurrence of Mi’raj in Shi’b Abi Talib.

According to some narrations, the [[Prophet (s)]] went to Mi’raj more than just once. [['Allama Tabataba'i]] regarded one of them from [[Masjid al-Haram]] and another from the house of Umm Hani and said that the first [[verses]] of the [[Sura al-Najm]] approves this. Also different opinions regarding the place, time and other details of Mi’raj can be justified through this theory.

In that night, archangel [[Gabriel]] came to the [[Prophet (s)]] and brought him a conveyance called [[Buraq]] and the Prophet (s) 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.

From there, the Prophet (s) ascended to the sky of this world and saw [[Prophet Adam (a)]] there. Then, angels came to welcome him in groups and greeted him smiling and congratulated him. There, the Prophet (s) saw an angel having a frowning and angry look and when greeting him (s), not smiling like others. When the Prophet (s) 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 Prophet (s) 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 Prophet (s) 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 Prophet (s), 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 Prophet (s) 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 Prophet (s) 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.”

==== Hadith of Mi’raj ====

On the night of Mi’raj, a conversation was made between the Prophet (s) and God in the form of a [[Qudsi]] hadith which became famous as hadith of Mi’raj.

The story of Mi’raj which seemed to be impossible for [[Quraysh]] to believe made their chiefs angry the most. They denied the [[Prophet (s)]] and said, “There are people in [[Mecca]] who have seen [[Jerusalem]]; to prove it, describe the building!” The prophet (s) not only described the buildings of Jerusalem, but also reported the events on the way between Mecca and Jerusalem and said that in the middle of the way, I encountered a caravan from a tribe who had lost a camel and had a bowl full of water in their goods from which I drank and then covered it. Also, I encountered a group a camel of whom had escaped and had broken a leg.” Quraysh said, “Report on the caravan of Quraysh.” The Prophet (s) said, “I saw them in [[Tan’im]] as a grey camel was walking ahead of them, carrying a palanquin on its back. They must enter Mecca now. Quraysh became very angry at such definite news and said, “We will see the truth or lies of his word now.” Soon, a caravan entered the city and [[Abu Sufyan]] and the passengers approved the details of the Prophet’s (s) report.

== Condition of Mi’raj ==

According to some narrations, when the Prophet (s) arrived in [[Bayt al-Ma’mur]] and near [[Sidrat al-Muntaha]], some of his companions accompanied him.

== Prophet’s (s) Reports from Mi’raj ==

On the night of Mi’raj, he (s) saw some great signs of God. There are some reports on what the Prophet (s) saw in the skies, dwellers of paradise, the hell and angels.

== Fruits of Mi’raj ==

* [[Abu Sa'id al-Khudri]] reported that the [[Prophet (s)]] said, “On the night when [[Gabriel]] took me to Mi’raj, when we came back, I told him, ‘O Gabriel, do you have any request from me?’ he said, ‘my request is that you send regards to [[Khadija]] on behalf of the Almighty God and on behalf of me.” When the Prophet (s) met Khadija, gave her regards from God and Gabriel and she replied, “Surly, [[Allah]], He is the Peace, and from Him is peace and towards Him is peace and with Gabriel be peace.”

== Position of Mi’raj in Literature and Art ==

Since the time of Al Jalayir, Mi’raj of the [[Prophet (s)]] has been among the most dominating themes for Iranian painting. There are pictures available from this period about the Prophet’s (s) Mi’raj the oldest one of which is made by Ahmad Musa, one of the famous painters of this period. Pictures of the Prophet’s (s) Mi’raj reached their pinnacle of illustration in the next period of painting in [[Iran]] which was the school of Harat. Many books have been found from this period especially at the time of Shahrokh which have pictured the Prophet’s (s) Mi’raj. One of these books is Mir Haydar’s ''Mi’raj Nama'' in Uyghur language which has depicted different moments of Prophet’s (s) Mi’raj. In a picture, Shah Muzaffar Siyah Qalam has depicted the Prophet (s) at the time of Mi’raj riding the human faced [[Buraq]] which is accompanied by [[Gabriel]].

Nizami’s ''Khamsas'' are among the most important books which have depicted pictures from the Prophet’s (s) Mi’raj at the time of Timurids and periods contemporary with them.

=== Mi’raj Painted by Sultan Muhammad ===

One of the most famous works of painting at the time of Safavids is a Khamsa of Nizami belonging to the time of [[Shah Tahmasb]] which is a drawing of the famous scene of the Prophet’s (s) Mi’raj painted by Sultan Muhammad. This work, together with three other works attributed to him, are placed in the illuminated manuscript of Nizami’s Khamsa ordered by Shah Tahmasb  

Safavi and its painting and calligraphy have been made between 942/1535 and 947/1540 . Its calligrapher has been Shah Mahmud Nayshaburi, the famous calligrapher of 10th/16th century. In this work, the picture of the Prophet (s) whose face has been covered with a white mask is depicted riding Buraq among the great crowd of angelic creatures with 15 angels and Gabriel is guiding him flying ahead of Buraq.

=== Farshchian’s Mi’raj ===

This work is painted in the size of 101 * 81.5 cm. Beside the picture of the Prophet (s), angels are in state of supplication. In this painting which depicts the night of Mi’raj, a force can be seen which draws the hand of the Prophet (s) towards God and the higher we look, the more angels fade in the [[Divine Essence of God]].

* Mi’raj of the Prophet (s) made by Reza Asl Najafi

* Mi’raj Namas and paintings about Mi’raj, especially the painting of the Mi’raj of the Prophet (s) kept in Malek Library and National Museum belonging to [[Astan Quds Razavi]] with the record number of 5995.