THE STORY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD - Isra' Mi'raj Events

When in an atmosphere of tension due to increasing pressure from the infidel Quraish, there was a major event which was always recorded in history, namely the events of Isra' Mi'raj experienced by Prophet Muhammad. This event only happened in one night.

There is no definite agreement when exactly this event took place, for sure this event occurred at the end of the existence of Prophet Muhammad in Mecca (Mekkah) before moving to Medina (Madinah).

Here are some opinions about the time of Isra' Mi'raj.

1.      At Tabari: in the year Muhammad was appointed as a Messenger.

2.      An Nawawi and Al Qurtubi: fifth year of prophethood.

3.      Al ‘Alamah Al Mansurfuri: the night of the twenty-seventh in month Rajab in the tenth year of prophethood.

4.      Month Ramadhan in the twelfth year of prophethood.

5.      Month Muharram in the thirteenth year of prophethood (a year two months before the Hijrah).

6.      Month Rabiul Awwal in the thirteenth year of prophethood (a year before the Hijrah).

Rasulullah in Isra' (carried out) with his body from the Haram Mosque to Baitul Maqdis by riding Buraq, namely a white animal between bighal (crossbreed between horse and donkey) and donkey and on both thighs there were wings, and he was accompanied by Gabriel (Jibril). While there he stopped by and became a prayer leader for the prophets. While Buraq was tied to the door circle of the Aqsa Mosque.

That same night, he was with Buraq Mi'raj (ascending) from the Baitul Maqdis to the multi-layered sky. Every layer of heaven he passed, and every time he passed through a layer of heaven, he met the prophets, starting from Prophet Adam in the first heaven, Prophet Yahya (John) bin Zacharia and Isa bin Maryam (Jesus) in the second heaven, Prophet Joseph in the third heaven, Prophet Idris in the fourth heaven, Prophet Aaron in the fifth heaven, Prophet Moses in the sixth heaven, until Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) in the seventh heaven. He greeted them, and they welcomed him by answering greetings while acknowledging Muhammad's prophethood.

Then he went up again to Sidratul Muntaha, then he has seen Baitul Ma'mur. Then he went up again to meet Allah Ta'ala, he approached Him. Then Allah gave His revelation, namely the command to carry out fifty times of prayer every day.

After that he returned, then met Prophet Musa. Prophet Moses asked, "What is the command from Allah to you?", Rasulullah replied, "Prayers fifty times", Prophet Moses said again, "Your people will not be able to do that, come back to meet your Lord, ask for relief for your people!".

So Rasulullah and Jibril returned to meet Allah Ta'ala. This happened repeatedly between meeting Allah Ta'ala and the Prophet Moses to ask for relief from the obligation to pray for his people. Until finally Allah Ta'ala gave an obligation to Rasulullah and his people to pray only five times every day. Prophet Moses also ordered Rasulullah to return again, but Rasulullah refused because he felt embarrassed to have repeatedly asked for relief from Allah Ta'ala.

In the events of Isra' Mi'raj, Rasulullah showed several things, including:

•         Rasulullah was offered khamr and milk, he chose milk. So it was said to him, "You have been given instructions for fitrah, if you take khamr, then your people will get lost".

•         Seeing people who ate illegally orphaned property, their lips like camel snouts. They took a lump of hellfire directly with their lips, then the fire came out of their anus.

•         Seeing people who had large bellies so they could not move and the Pharaoh's family passed them by trampling on them. They used to eat usury in the past.

•         Seeing the adulterous men in front of them had good fresh meat and beside it was dead-smelling carcass meat. They eat carcasses that smell bad and leave good meat.

•         See heaven and hell. At that time he also saw the angel Malik the guardian of hell, who never smiled and his face was creepy.

The next day after returning from the events of Isra' Mi'raj, Rasulullah conveyed the greatness of Allah to his people, but they denied it. They said, "A continuous caravan journey between Mecca and Sham takes one month. Is it possible that Muhammad went there and returned to Mecca in just one night? " Many of the people who had converted to Islam became apostates. The Quraysh met Abu Bakr and told what Rasulullah said.

Abu Bakr asked, "Don't you believe him?"

They replied, "Really, he was in the mosque talking to many people".

Abu Bakr said, "If that's what he said, of course he spoke the truth. He told me, that there is news from God, from heaven to earth, at night or day, I believe. Of course this is even more surprising for you”.

Then Abu Bakr met Rasulullah and asked him to explain the characteristics of Baitul Maqdis, because Abu Bakr had been there. Then Baitul Maqdis was shown to Rasulullah so that he was able to explain its characteristics. Abu Bakr said, "You say right".

The nickname Ash-Shiddiq (The Justifying) for Abu Bakr emerged after he confirmed the events of Isra' Mi'raj experienced by Rasulullah. But the infidels increasingly belied Rasulullah.

Rasulullah also told about the caravans that he passed during the trip. When there is a camel lost from a caravan, Rasulullah shows it. The Prophet also drank from another caravan and after drinking he closed vessel. The Quraish asked this. It turned out that the two caravans justified what the Rasulullah said.

The Qur'an explains the purpose of Isra' Mi'raj briefly.

سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَسۡرَىٰ بِعَبۡدِهِۦ لَيۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡأَقۡصَا ٱلَّذِي بَٰرَكۡنَا حَوۡلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَآۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ  ١ [ الإسراء:1-1]

1.  Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing. [Al Isra":1]

Reference:

·         Mubarakfuri, Syekh Shafiyyur-Rahman, and Haidir, Abdullah (Translator). 2005. Sejarah Hidup dan Perjuangan Rasulullah. Riyadh: Kantor Dakwah dan Bimbingan bagi Pendatang Al-Sulay.

·         Haekal, Muhammad Husain, and Audah, Ali (Translator). Sejarah Hidup Muhammad.

·         Al-Mubarakfuriyy, Syeikh Safy Al-Rahman. Seerah Nabawiyyah, Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum.

·         Abu Muhammad Abdul Malik bin Hisyam Al-Muafiri. Sirah Nabawiyah Ibnu Hisyam. 2000. Jakarta Timur: Darul Falah.