The seventh month of the Islamic year is Rajab Al-Murjib. Rajab is one of the four months that Allah has declared as sacred months: The number of months with Allah is twelve months, which according to the Book of Allah (i.e. Al-Lawh Al-Mahfouz) have been effective since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these (twelve months), four are sacred. (Surah At-Tawbah: 36) These four months are not specified in the Holy Quran, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has described them, and they are: Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram Al-Haram and Rajab Al-Murjib.
It turns out that the Holy Quran cannot be understood without the Prophetic Hadith. These four months are called Ashhar Al-Haram (Sacred Months) because everything that causes sedition, corruption, killing, plundering and disturbance of peace and tranquility is prohibited in them, although fighting is also prohibited in other months of the year, but fighting is specifically prohibited in these four months. The sanctity and greatness of these four months have been recognized in the earliest Islamic laws, and even in the Age of Ignorance, these four months were respected.
The event of the Ascension of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
Historians and people of the Sarah have different opinions regarding the date and year of this event. One of them is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ascended to heaven on the 27th of Rajab, the twelfth year of the Prophet Hood, at the age of 51 years and 5 months.
Israa and miraj meaning
Israa means to be taken at night. The journey from Masjid al-Haram (Makkah) to Masjid al-Aqsa, which is mentioned in Surah Bani Israel.
﴿سُبْحَانَ الَّذِیْ اَسْرٰی بِعَبْدِہ لَیْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ اِلَی الْمَسْجِدِ الْاَقْصیٰ﴾
The journey that took place from here to the heavens is called Mi’raj, which comes from the word ‘Uraj’, which means to ascend. The word ‘Uraj’ is used in the Hadith, meaning ‘I was taken up’, hence the name of this journey. This sacred event is remembered by both the names ‘Isra’ and ‘Mi’raj.’
This event is also mentioned in the verses of Surah An-Najm: Then he came near and bowed down, until he came as close as the distance of two bows, or even closer than that, and thus Allah revealed the revelation that He had intended to send down to His servant. Verses 13-18 of Surah An-Najm explain that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw great signs (on this occasion): And indeed, he saw him (the angel) another time. Near the fig tree, whose name is Sidra al-Muntahi, is the Paradise of the Abode. At that time, the fig tree was covered with whatever was covered on it. The eye (of the Prophet) did not wander or go beyond the limit, but rather he saw many of the great signs of his Lord. This is proven by the mutawatir hadiths, i.e., a large number of the companions, the followers, and the followers of the followers have narrated the hadiths about the event of the Ascension.
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The longest journey in human history
It is proven from the Holy Quran and the Mutawatir Hadiths that the entire journey of Isra and Mi’raj was not only spiritual, but also physical, that is, this journey of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not a dream, but a physical journey and an eyewitness account. It was a miracle that after going through various stages, Allah Almighty completed such a great journey in just a part of the night with His power. Allah Almighty, who is the creator of this entire universe, no task is difficult for Him, because He is Almighty, He does whatever He wants, and when He wills, something comes into existence. The event of Mi’raj is such a great, blessed and unique miracle in the entire history of human history that history is unable to present an example. The Creator of the universe invited His beloved (peace be upon him) and granted him the great honor of making him His guest, which no human being has ever achieved, nor has any of the closest angels.
The purpose of the event of Miraj
The shortest and greatest of the purposes of the event of Miraj mentioned in the Holy Quran (Surah Bani Israel) is that We (Allah Almighty) showed you some of Our signs. One of its important purposes is to give our beloved Muhammad (peace be upon him) a great position and status that no human being, not even the closest angel, has ever received and will ever receive. Also, among its purposes is to convey the message to the Muslim Ummah that prayer is such a significant and noble act and great act of worship that its obligation was announced not on earth, but on the night of Miraj, at a high and exalted place above the seven heavens. Also, its command did not reach the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) through Hazrat Jibreel (peace be upon him), rather Allah Almighty Himself bestowed the gift of the obligation of prayer on His beloved (peace be upon him). Prayer is the greatest means of establishing a relationship with Allah Almighty and seeking one’s needs and desires.
Brief description of the event of Miraj
A brief description of this event is that a golden bowl was brought to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which was full of wisdom and faith. His chest was slit open, then it was washed with Zamzam water, then it was filled with wisdom and faith, and then a mount that moved faster than lightning, namely Buraq, was brought. It was a long white animal, its height was bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. It kept its feet wherever it could see.
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was taken to Baitul Maqdis on it, and there all the prophets prayed behind the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then it was taken to the heavens. In the first heaven, Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), in the second heaven, Hazrat Jesus (peace be upon him) and Hazrat John (peace be upon him), in the third heaven, Hazrat Joseph (peace be upon him), in the fourth heaven, Hazrat Idris (peace be upon him), in the fifth heaven, Hazrat Aaron (peace be upon him), Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him) and in the seventh heaven, Hazrat Abraham (peace be upon him).
After that, Bayt al-Ma’mur was brought before the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), where seventy thousand angels enter daily to worship Allah, who do not return to it. Then he (peace be upon him) was taken to Sidra al-Muntahi. He (peace be upon him) saw that its leaves were as big as the ears of an elephant and its fruits were as big as pots. When Sidra al-Muntahi was covered by the things that were covering it by the command of Allah, its condition changed, and none of Allah’s creatures has the power to describe its beauty. Four rivers were seen at the root of Sidra al-Muntahi, two internal rivers and two external rivers. When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) inquired, Hazrat Gabriel (peace be upon him) informed him that the two inner rivers are the rivers of Paradise and the two outer rivers are the Euphrates and the Nile (the Euphrates is in Iraq and the Nile is in Egypt).
The Obligation of Prayer
At that time, Allah Almighty revealed the things that were to be revealed at that time and made fifty prayers obligatory. On his return, he met Hazrat Musa (AS). At the request of Hazrat Musa (AS), the Holy Prophet (PBUH) appeared in the court of Allah Almighty several times and requested for the reduction of the prayer. Each time, five prayers were forgiven, until only five prayers remained. Hazrat Musa (AS) also spoke of further reduction, but after that, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that I feel ashamed to ask for a greater reduction than this and I accept this command of Allah. Upon this, this call was given by Allah Almighty: The matter cannot be changed with Me. That is, I have retained the command of My obligation and reduced it from My servants and I give ten rewards for one good deed. In other words, there are five in performing it and only fifty in reward.
Two other rewards besides the obligation of prayer
On this occasion, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) received the gift of the obligation of prayer, the most important means of connecting a person with Allah Almighty, and due to the concern of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for his ummah and the grace and generosity of Allah, he will be given the reward of fifty prayers for performing five prayers. In addition to this, two more rewards were given: the last verse of Surah Al-Baqarah (from Aman to the end). This law was announced that the forgiveness of all sins except polytheism of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is possible, that is, they will not remain in torment forever due to major sins, but will be forgiven through repentance or will be released after suffering torment, however, the disbelievers and polytheists will remain in Hell forever.
Divine Vision in the Ascension
There has been disagreement since ancient times about whether the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was blessed with the divine vision on the night of the Ascension, and if so, was it a visual vision or a heart-to-heart vision? However, it is enough for us to believe, God willing, that this event is true. This event occurred during only a part of the night, and it occurred while the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was awake, and this is a great miracle of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The Denial of the Quraysh and the Establishment of proof against them
Traveling from Mecca to Jerusalem in only a part of the night, leading the prayers there with the prophets, then ascending from there to the heavens, meeting the prophets, and then attending the court of Allah, the Exalted, seeing Paradise and Hell, returning to Mecca, and on his return meeting a trading caravan of the Quraysh who was returning from Syria. When the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) narrated the incident of the Miraj in the morning, the Quraysh began to be surprised and denied it and went to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him).
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said that if he has said this, then he has spoken the truth. On this, the people of Quraysh asked, “Do you also confirm this?” He said, “I confirm something even more strange than this, and that is that news comes to you from the heavens.” That is why he was given the title of Siddiq. After that, when the Quraysh of Mecca inquired from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the situation of Bayt al-Maqdis, Allah Almighty illuminated Bayt al-Maqdis for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). At that time, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was staying in Hatim. The Quraysh of Mecca were asking questions and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was answering.
What is Sidra al-Muntahi?
Both Sidra al-Muntahi and Sidra al-Muntahi have been used in the Hadiths. Sidra al-Muntahi has been used in the Holy Quran. Sidra means a berry and Mantahi means a place of ending. The reason for giving this name to this tree is as follows in Sahih Muslim: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that the commands that come down from above end there, and the deeds of the servants that go up from below end there, that is, the commands that come down first come there, then they come down from there, and the deeds that go down end there, then they are taken up.
Explanation
There is no special worship related to the event of the Ascension of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that is Sunnah or necessary for us every year. The main purpose of describing this unprecedented event in history is to make us aware of the details of this great event to some extent and to avoid the sins whose perpetrators the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) witnessed with his own eyes during this journey and then narrated to the Ummah.
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