The Ascension

Eleven years had passed since the coming of the first revelation in the cave of Hira. Despite all the efforts and endeavors of the Messenger of Allah, the Meccan non-believers had been persistent in their denial and had increased their insults and oppression with each passing day. The way the Meccans had started to treat him after the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadija, the things they encountered in Ta’if and the way the people ridiculed them when they returned to Mecca, all of these had especially weighed our Prophet down.

One evening, as the Messenger of Allah was sitting in the Ka’ba, the Archangel Gabriel appeared right beside him. This coming was very different from the previous ones. With him there was a riding animal that was a little bigger than a donkey but a little smaller than a mule; it was named Buraq. Archangel Gabriel opened up our Prophet’s bosom and washed it clean with Zamzam water. Then he poured a golden bowl filled with belief and wisdom into our Prophet’s open bosom and closed it back up.

Afterwards, they embarked on an indescribable journey together with the noble Prophet. The Buraq, which our beloved Prophet was riding on, moved so fast that every step he took was to the last visible point in the horizon. They travelled at the speed of lightning. They arrived at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in no more than an instant. Allah’s Messenger dismounted the Buraq and headed towards the mosque to perform his Prayer. Meanwhile, Archangel Gabriel tied the Buraq to a column that stood there. Prophet Abraham and Prophet Moses, peace be upon them, were also among the group of Prophets, who were awaiting our Prophet’s arrival. They stood in congregation and the Messenger of Allah lead them in Prayer. After that the Archangel of revelation invited him to a journey far beyond the heaves and skies. They rose through the different levels of the skies and as they ascended they were met with a different ceremony at each level. At each gate of the heavens they met with a different Prophet. Each one prayed for them and congratulated them.

During this mysterious journey of Ascension, Allah’s Messenger had also seen the gardens of Paradise and the pits of Hell. They ascended even more. When they reached a point called Sidrat’ul-Muntaha, the Archangel Gabriel said, “If I were to take even one step further down this road, I would burn up.” And so, our Prophet continued his journey alone.

He continued on to places that no one besides Allah the Almighty knew or had seen. A matchless beauty covered over everything. It was a beauty impossible to describe with the expressions within our knowledge. And, the Messenger of Allah met with Allah the Almighty without any barrier in between. The Daily Prayers were rendered obligatory during this Divine meeting. From then on, the ascension of every believer would be through the performing of Daily Prayers.

The time for their return drew near, and our Prophet found himself back in Mecca. The first people to hear of this miraculous journey were those closest to our Prophet. Afterwards, he came out of his home to tell the people of Mecca the things that he had experienced. The Messenger of Allah went to the Ka’ba and started telling people of his Miraj, holy journey of Ascension. Everyone was astonished as they heard the things which the Messenger of Allah narrated. The things he spoke of were things that were impossible for an individual to achieve by themselves. The All Powerful Allah had shown His Divine power to the people by taking His most beloved servant on such a journey.

The crowd that stood before him asked our Prophet many questions about that specific night. They searched for proof and special signs embedded in his answers. They even asked him to describe the Mosque in Al-Aqsa. Of all the questions that the Meccans asked our Prophet, not even a single one was left unanswered. Just then, Abu Jahl happened to be passing by the Ka’ba. When he noticed the crowd and learned what was going on, he slyly caressed his beard. He had found himself a new way of ridicule. He turned to our Prophet and said,

“If I gather your people here, will you explain this exact situation to them as well?”

When the Messenger of Allah replied, “Yes,” Abu Jahl started calling out at the top of his lungs.

Now, there was no one left in Mecca who had not heard of the Ascension of Allah’s Messenger. The non-believers rushed over to Abu Bakr to inform him of the situation. They thought to themselves, “He will not believe in what has happened anyway and will stop following Muhammad’s way from now on. “However, Abu Bakr’s attitude came as a big disappointment for them. His answer was short and crystal clear; “If the Messenger of Allah claims that this is so, then it must be the truth!”

After such a display of submission, the Messenger of Allah gave his faithful friend the name As-Siddiq, the Eminently Truthful person.