Mi'raj: Difference between revisions

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]].<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 6, p. 609; Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 18, p. 289.</ref> It is been cited in ''[[Tafsir al-'Ayyashi (book)|Tafsir al-'Ayashi]]'' that [[Imam Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq (a)|Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] said, "The Prophet (s) performed the prayers of [['Isha prayer|'Isha]] and [[Fajr prayer|Fajr]] in Mecca."<ref>ʿAyyāshī, ''Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī'', vol. 3, p. 34.</ref> Which means that Isra' and Mi'raj happened between the two.

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

The story of Mi'raj seemed to be impossible for [[Quraysh]] and 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.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 13, p. 17; Qummī, ''Tafsīr al-Qummī'', vol. 2, p. 13; Subḥānī, ''Furūgh-i abadīyyat'', p. 369.</ref>

According to narrations reported by [[al-Shaykh al-Saduq]] and others, one of the places the Prophet (s) saw travelling 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."<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 57, p. 207; vol. 60, p. 238.</ref>

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. Together with three other works attributed to him, this work is 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.

This work is painted in the size of 101 * 81.5 cm. Beside the picture of the Prophet (s), angels are in the 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]].