Mi'raj: Difference between revisions

== "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]].

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]].

Based on a famous report, this nightly journey of the [[Prophet (s)]] happened in the final years of his stay in [[Mecca]] (After the [[Bi'tha]] and before the [[Hijra]]), but there are discrepancies among narrations regarding the exact year and whether it was before the demise of [[Abu Talib]] or after it.

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' I 17]]

* Eve of [[Rajab 27]], according to Mulla Fath Allah Kashani, author of ''[[Manhaj al-sadiqin]]'' is the most famous report.

* Eve of [[Ramadan 17]]

* Some have also mentioned a night in [[Shawwal]] or [[Rabi' II]].

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.

In the middle of the way, the Prophet (s) stopped in [[Medina]], mosque of [[Kufa]], [[Tur Sina]] and [[Bethlehem]] which is the birthplace of [[Jesus|Prophet Jesus]] (a) and prayed there. He (s) then entered [[al-Aqsa]] Mosque and prayed there too.

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."

==== Second to Seventh Skies ====

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

==== Seventh Sky ====

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."

On return, the Prophet (s) landed in Jerusalem and went toward Mecca. On his way to Mecca, he (s) encountered a trade caravan of [[Quraysh]] who had lost a camel and were searching for it. The Prophet (s) 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 (s) 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.

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.

Most exegetes believe that the [[Prophet (s)]] went to [[Jerusalem]] and from there to skies with his body and soul. But, [[Khawarij]] denied it and also [[Jahmiyya]] and [[Shaykhiyya]] believed it happened spiritually only.

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.

According to narrations reported by [[al-Shaykh al-Saduq]] and others, one of the places the Prophet (s) saw traveling above the earth was the land of [[Qom]] which glittered as a spot and when asked [[Gabriel]] about that spot, he answered, "It is the land of Qom, where believing servants and the followers of your household will gather and wait for deliverance and will endure hardships and grief."

The Prophet (s) also met the souls of some great prophets including  [[Prophet Adam (a)|Adam (a)]], [[Prophet Abraham (a)|Abraham (a)]], [[Prophet Moses (a)|Moses (a)]] and [[Prophet Jesus (a)|Jesus (a)]] and led their prayer.

* Obligation of [[Prayer|daily prayer]]

* Revelation regarding the [[caliphate]] of [[Imam Ali (a)]]

* Advising about [[Hijama]]

* [[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."

The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[http://fa.wikishia.net/view/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC معراج]}} in Farsi Wikishia.