By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah Who chose His praiseworthy servant Muhammad (Peace be upon him) for the Message, distinguished him with the night journey on the lightening-mount Buraq, and caused him to ascend the ladders of perfection to the high heavens to show him of the greatest signs of his Lord. He raised him until he reached the Lote-tree (Sidratil-Muntaha) of the Farthest Boundary where ends the science of every Messenger-Prophet and every Angel Brought Near, where lies the Garden of Retreat, to the point that he heard the sound of the pens that write what has befallen and what is to befall. To proceed:
Dear Brothers and Sisters! On Tuesday, 27th Rajab, 1443 AH/Tuesday, 1st March, 2022 marked the Isra’ and Mi’raj. Isra’ and Mi’raj are Arabic terms that describe the mystical Night Journey from Makkah to Baitil-Maqdis in Jerusalem, and Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) upward journey through the heavens to reach the very throne of Allah Almighty. This is one of the most amazing events in the life story of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Some scholars say that the Isra’ and Mi’raj occurred on 27th Rajab. Others disagree about the date, saying no one knows for certain. Only Allah knows best. But no Muslim disputes the essence of Prophet Muhammad’s Isra’ and Mi’raj: his Mystical Night Journey and his Ascension through the Heavenly Spheres. May Allah’s peace and mercy and blessings be ever upon him. The Noble Qur’an alludes to this momentous occasion in the first verse of Surah Isra’i. Allah the Most High says:
“Glory to [Allah] Who did take His Servant on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We sanctified; in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for Allah is He who hears and sees everything.”
Respected brothers and sisters! It was during this sacred month of Rajab, Allah Almighty conferred on Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the great honour of ascending to the heavens.
This honour had never been ascribed to any other Prophet than the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He (Peace be upon him) made a journey with his physical being from the sacred city of Makkah to Jerusalem and, from there he ascended through the seven heavens to a place so near to the Divine Court that not even an angel, far less a human being, could have access. After having reached the Sidratul-Muntaha even Angel Jibril (AS), the head of the angels expressed his inability to proceed beyond this point. The five daily prayers became obligatory on all Muslims following this night of ascent.
This momentous event occurred more than 14 centuries ago. Then, as now, it aroused the sceptics and cynics to dismiss it as a fantasy, as a delusion. How can someone travel hundreds of miles in one night, and then claim to have travelled through the heavens to the throne of Allah? Then, as now, the true Believers have the same answer: He Who created the heavens and the earth out of nothing can do whatever He pleases. He can part the oceans to save the followers of Prophet Musa (AS). He can drown Fir’aun (Pharaoh) in that same ocean. He can flood the world while saving Prophet Nuh (AS) in the Ark. He can turn to the roaring flames that are licking at the feet of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), and decree: “Fire, be cool!” And, Prophet Ibrahim can walk out of the fire with no burns. Allah can change the properties and behaviour of any part of His creation. He is not enslaved by the natural laws that He, Himself, wrote. He’s the Author. He can edit and do as He pleases.
A man was once asked, can Allah pass a camel through the eye of a needle? He answered: Not only can Allah pass a camel through the eye of a needle; if He decided to put the whole world, the whole earth through the eye of a needle that’s easy for Him. He says: Kun, faya kun! … Be! And it is!
Centuries ago, this might have seemed fanciful. But nowadays, every scientist knows that if the universe began with a big bang 14 billion years ago, then all matter and energy, all time and space must have been concentrated in an extremely dense, incredibly small area, smaller than the head of a pin, and certainly, smaller than the eye of a needle. Today every self-respecting scientist believes that. But many of them still hesitate to go one step further. Who created the Big Bang? Was it spontaneous? Did time and space all begin by accident? So many scientists have difficulty in taking that crucial next step. That is, to accept that this big bang did not just happen by chance. As believers we know that everything follows the Will of Allah. When Allah decrees a thing, He only has to say, “Kun!” Be! Faya kun! …. And it is! Subhanallah!
Dear servants of Allah! In the short time we have, I want to deal with 3 points:
- The story of the Isra’ and Mi’raj
- The significance of Mi’raj
- and the Gift of the Mi’raj.
The story is well known: it has a horizontal aspect and a vertical aspect. The horizontal aspect is the journey itself, from Makkah to Baitil-Maqdis in Jerusalem and back, in one night. The vertical aspect is the Ascension from Jerusalem to the heavens into the very presence of Allah, the Glorified and exalted.
We are told that one night, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was asleep near the Ka’abah, when the archangel Jibril [Gabriel] awoke him, washed his heart and placed him on Buraq, a mystical winged horse. Buraq could travel from horizon to horizon in one leap. Accompanied by Jibril (Gabriel), they rode to Jerusalem and from there they travelled upward through the seven heavens, meeting and greeting all the earlier Prophets along the way, until Jibril (Gabriel) stopped by ‘the lote tree of the furthest extremity, the utmost boundary’ Sidratul-Muntaha. Here he left Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) because not even angels could go further than this point. This is where Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) proceeded on his own until he was, as the Qur’an says, “Qaba Qawsain,” two bows-length from Allah. [Let us remember that words are so inadequate We are trying here to describe what is infinitely beyond description, beyond our strongest imaginings] The Noble Qur’an simply uses an evocative description:
“His vision did not waver, nor did the eyes deny what they saw…”
This was the absolute nearest any human being has ever come to the Divine Presence. Allah the Glorified and Exalted, and Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, alone at last, face to face. No interlocutors, no distractions. Creator and created, indeed, the best of His creation in direct communion. Again in the words of the Noble Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) saw:
“Of the Signs of His Lord, the Greatest.” [Qur’an, 53:17-18]
We are told that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) then descended to earth, and in Jerusalem he led all the other Prophets in prayer. He returned from his meeting with Allah, carrying this blessed Gift of the Mi’raj, the Prayer, the Salah, as we know it today. At first he had instructions that Muslims are required to pray 50 times each day. But when Prophet Musa (AS), said that this would be too difficult, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) went back several times till Allah reduced it to 5 times a day. Again Prophet Musa said that 5 daily prayers was too much, people are lazy and rebellious. But Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) replied that he was too embarrassed to go back and ask Allah for a further reduction. So there we have it. This gift of the 5 daily prayers, is a direct gift of the Mi’raj, over 14 centuries ago.
Imagine for a moment, what would Islam have been like without the Prayer (Salah), without precisely detailed formal prayers. Our faith would have been little more than an academic exercise, something to tickle the intellect; a belief system with some quaint notions about the meaning and purpose of life, but with no pivotal connection between Creator and created. Prayer (Salah) is what makes Islam more than just a good idea, but a functioning, purposeful relationship between Allah and His servants.
Before the Mi’raj occurred, we Muslims had no idea as to how and when they should pray. Now we not only know how and when, but also, most importantly, we must remember the reason, the ‘why’ part. Why do we pray? Why 5 times a day? Why not just once?
Dear brothers and sisters! Know that Prayer (Salah) is not a human invention. Also It’s not the product of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)’s imagination. It’s planned and prescribed by Allah Almighty Himself. It’s our divinely designed means of communication with Allah. This is how He wants us to turn to Him, 5 times a day, amidst all our distractions and mundane pursuits of daily life. He does not want us simply to go into seclusion in a temple or monastery to remember Him, once in a while. He wants us to remember Him constantly, in the marketplace, in our offices, in our homes and during our leisure time. Right there in the midst of life’s distractions, we must keep our spiritual compass. We must maintain our moral integrity. This is the real challenge. While we are busy enjoying Allah’s blessings, we must never forget to thank Him. Prayer (Salah) is our formal link with our Creator. It brings our body, mind and soul into complete harmony and submission to Allah. Properly performed, it helps us to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Our hearts fill with stillness, serenity, Sakinah (tranquility), and we develop a yearning to be close to Allah. We long to be in that blissful presence just as our beloved Prophet Muhammad had on the Mi’raj. Prayer (Salah) is our own Mi’raj. In prostration (Sujud), it’s the nearest we’ll ever be to Allah. With heads touching the ground, all limbs pointing towards our Qiblah (Makkah), all our thoughts and feelings and desires focussed on Allah, this is the magical moment when we become the connecting-point between time-space and eternity. In prostration (Sujud), we, humble creatures of dust, when we’ve shut off body, mind and soul to everything else except His Presence, we can become like lightning-rods that connect heaven and earth. In that moment of sheer and absolute surrender, we become truly, Allah’s Khalifah, His viceregents, on the earth.
Respected brothers and sisters! When we pray properly, as Allah decrees, then great things become possible. Let’s not neglect our prayers. Let’s not rush through them like some necessary but unwelcome habit like we’re brushing our teeth or washing the dishes. Let’s concentrate, meditate and rejuvenate with this wonderful gift of our personal Mi’raj. Let’s pray properly, with meaning and with feeling. In Prayer (Salah) we’re in the grand audience hall of the Lord of the universe. This is no place to let our minds wander off. Let’s show Allah our love, courtesy and respect.
Dear brothers and sisters! When we Muslims pray, we enjoy a very special relationship with Allah. While other faiths have intermediaries, Muslims have no priest, Rabbi, Archbishop or even a Pope to stands between us and Allah. We worship Him directly and He answers us directly. Allah the Most High says:
“I listen to the prayer of everyone who calls me. Let them also then, listen to My call, so that they may walk on the straight way.”
Although 70,000 veils may separate us from Allah, nothing separates Him from us. He says that He is:
“Closer to us than our jugular veins.”
What more do we need in the way of assurances and security? Without prayer, without regular, intimate contact with Allah, we would be exposed to all kinds of dangers, to mind, body and soul. Prayer (Salah) brings us intimately close to Allah. It brings us in to safety and security. Prayer (Salah) protects us like nothing else can. My dear brothers and sisters: we should never, never neglect our prayers.
This is especially true for those of us who are facing different challenges at this time. No matter how busy you are with last minute struggle. Don’t neglect your Prayer (Salah)! Don’t lose Allah’s protection!
“Exalted is He who took His Servant [Prophet Muhammad] by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surrounding We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” [Qur’an, 17:1]
Our Lord, please give us the best of this life, and the best of the life to come, and save us from the torment of the Fire!
Dear brothers and sisters! To conclude our sermon (Khutbah):
Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded!
Allah Almighty says:
“And remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”
“And without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”
Polite reminder to all our people: Please try to get here (Mosque) in time for the sermon (Khutbah). Some people come running in after the prayers have started. They missed the Khutbah. Remember, the Khutbah is part of your Jumu’ah. If you miss it you may miss Jumu’ah. Please remind those who don’t know this. Thank you.
And as you always asked, In Shaa Allah there’s no problem, you can share our sermons with your relatives and friends!
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation; may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.
I ask Allah, the Most High to grant us success and enable us to be correct in what we say and write, ameen.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected] or +2348038289761.
