Israa' and Mi'raaj:
Connecting Earth to Heaven, Man to God
Dr. Pasha
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time!
Taking the Qur’an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It --
And which One Does Not?)
I can barely write, but write I must. For, the night of connecting earth to heaven, man to God is upon us.
It is the night of Israa – the night Allah took his slave, Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, from Masjid Al Haraam at Makkah to Masjid Al Aqswa in the blessed land in Palestine.
And I expect that night is this Sunday, June 17, 2012: Rajab 27, 1433.
The earth appeared to have shut its doors in the face of God’s messenger Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and his message. He had nowhere to go but to heaven, which threw open its doors for him.
Disappointed at the rejection by his own kith and kin at Makkah, Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, had walked to Taif, a distance of about 60 kilometers, to invite the people of Taif to come to God. They too turned him down and turned their back on him.
And they did this with the same rudeness and cruelty that the people of Makkah had shown. Their leaders subjected him to all kinds of insults and set their slaves and riffraff to pelt him with rocks as he walked back. Blood flowed freely from his wounds and congealed in his shoes.
It was then that the tide turned. The critical point in the struggle between Right and Wrong and between Good and Evil had been reached. From now on, this same man, Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, rejected by all in this world, shall be in charge of the fate and destiny of that world.
And not just this world, but also the next world, the world in heaven.
Archangel Jibra’eel, Alaihis Salam, comes to him, as he sat despondent, and alone, except for his adopted son Zaid, introduces to him a visitor from above, the angel in charge of mountains – Malakul Jibaal, who gives his Salam and says: “At your service, Ya Rasulallah! If you approve, I shall take these two mountains and drop them on this valley for what the people of this valley did to you.”
Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, says no to that request. “I wish them to be spared, so, maybe, their children will come to God.”
So, that is how the tide turned.
The people of Taif had no idea. The man whom they had turned out of their door with such cruelty and contempt was now deciding their fate, not only in this world, but also in the next world. He decided to spare them and also hinted ever so gently that maybe their progeny will be saved.
Thus, just when this earth appeared to be lost to him, he found himself with the keys of this earth in his hands. Now, he had nowhere to go but to heaven and conquer that too.
And that is what happened.
He returned to Makkah. And from there it was a mere blink of an eye when he found himself in Jerusalem and from there into the Seventh Heaven, having crossed all the others on the way. On the way, he not only met the earlier prophets of God, Alaihimussalam, he was their Imam and prayer leader.
In every heaven, he is greeted with great joy and excitement, till he reaches God Almighty's presence – 'Inda Sidratil Muntahaa.
This was Mi’raj, ascent by Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, to the highest place any man had ever reached.
It was here that God conferred upon him the gift of Salah, which is called a believer’s Mi’raaj – every man and every woman’s own unique opportunity to ascend to God’s presence, right here in this world.
Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, master of both worlds, then returned to earth and changed it forever.
It was the crack of dawn at Makkah and it was the dawn of a new life for the world.
END
© 2012 Syed Husain Pasha
Dr. Pasha is an educator and scholar of exceptional
talent, training and experience. He can be reached at DrSyedPasha [at]
AOL [dot] com or www.IslamicSolutions.com.
