NEWSFLASH


       




















                                   Sheikh Nazim's beloved wife Hajja Amina's ziyaram









                                


                                            

The Prophet (sal) went on the Mihraj (Ascent).  For what purpose did he go on this Mihraj? For what
purpose was this miraculous mihraj? The purpose was to show to the whole nation of Muhmmed that
by following the Prophet (sal) that they also should be able to reach to it.  When Jibril (alai) brought
Buraq u Sheriff to the Prophet (sal), the Prophet asked him “Is this only for me or also for my
Ummah (nation)”.  Jibril answered “It is for you and also for your nation and the only condition is that
they should follow in your steps, and they should also be able to reach to this.”



The Buraq that was brought to the Prophet (sal) was in a grass field in Paradise, and there were so
many other Buraqs with it.  But this one was specially taken to the Prophet (sal) because when it
heard the name of  the Prophet Muhammed (sal),  “Ya Muhammed” – Oh Muhammed (sal), a feeling
of love came over that Buraq and it fell in love with the person who was named Muhammed.  It
stopped eating because of this and also started crying.  Then Jibril (alai) gave it good tidings and took
it to the Prophet (sal).



To the Prophet’s (sal) question as to whether Mihraj (the ascension) was only for him, Jibril
answered “It is for your Ummah also and there are Buraqs waiting for them also.  Those who are
following you may also join after you.  If they do not follow you they shall always remain on earth
and under the ground.” When all the Sahaba reached to their destinations through the heavens
everyone else also reached to their heavenly stations.










Below is a description of the Mihraj of the Prophet Muhammed (sal) extracted from the Life Story of
the Prophet Muhammed (sal) written and compiled by Sheik Nazim's beloved wife Hajja Amina Nazim.








    The Mihraj of the Prophet Muhammed (Sal)


                    (from the Dalail-i-Khairat Sharhi of Kara Da’ud, d. 1541)



The 178th name of the Prophet on whom be Peace: Sahib-ul-Mi’raj, he who was granted ascent to
heaven. Oh Allah, Thy Benediction be upon the owner of this name. The word ‘Mihraj’ signifies an
instrument facilitating ascent, such as a flight of stairs. Our Holy Prophet (Sal) ascended to the
heavens on a stairway of precious gems beginning at al-Quds (Jerusalem) during his lifetime and in
his pure physical form. Among all the prophets and messengers, it was a privilege reserved for the
Holy Prophet (Sal) alone to be granted such an experience. Therefore the appellation ‘Sahib-ul-Mihraj’
was appended to his name.



Now we shall set forth in full the account of the Mihraj that the Holy Prophet (Sal) was honoured to
experience.



When the Prophet Muhammed (Sal) had reached his fortieth year, he was sent with mercy for the
whole world and the prophet and Messenger to all people. He began to preach his message and invite
people to faith. It was in the twelfth year of his calling, on the twenty-sixth day of the month of Rajab
that the Prophet (Sal) went to the Baytullah (the Kaaba) and sat by himself in front of one of the
pillars. There he engaged in remembrance and meditation of the Lord Almighty. Just then, Abu Jahl
came in to meet with his helpers and henchmen. He saw Muhammed (Sal) sitting there all on his own,
engaged in the worship of his Lord. Seeing him thus, he thought to himself, “I will play a prank,” and
going up close to him, he bent down and asked him, “Oh Muhammed (Sal), are you a Prophet?”
Muhammed (Sal) answered him directly, saying, “Yes, I am a Prophet.” Abu Jahl went on to say,
“How can you be a prophet whilst you sit here all alone? Where is your following, where are your
helpers? Had there been any necessity for a new prophet, the call to prophethood certainly would have
come to me. Look at my following, look at the number of my retainers!” And, striking an arrogant
pose, he turned around and left. After Abu Jahl had gone, another one of his party came by with his
group of followers. He, too, approached the Holy Prophet (Sal) sitting there on his own, with the
intention of doing something hurtful to Muhammed (Sal). He spoke as Abu Jahl had spoken, and then
he turned and left. In this way, no less than seven of the notables of Quraysh came by with their
accomplices and they all spoke the same words as Abu Jahl, as if they had previously devised a plan.
As a result, the Holy Prophet (Sal) became very dejected and his spirits fell.  He thought to himself,
“It is now twelve years that I am calling them to Islam and to the belief in the Unity of Allah Almighty.
However, far from accepting the Truth, they don’t even understand the concept of the Messenger. A
Prophet has no need of a following of servants and retainers. All that is needful to a prophet is Divine
Revelation and the order to make known His Divine Command.” Thus the Holy Prophet (Sal) grew
sad.



That night was the twenty-seventh night of the month of Rajab, a Monday night. He proceeded to the
house of Umm Hani who was the daughter of Abu Talib, the sister of Imam Ali. She lived in her
father’s house, which was situated between Safa and Marwa. The Prophet (Sal) arrived at her house,
and finding him downcast and dispirited, she asked him for the reason of this. The Prophet (Sal)
explained to her what had happened and why he felt as he did. Now, Umm Hani was an intelligent and
resourceful woman. She comforted the Holy Prophet (Sal) and said, “These men undoubtedly know
that as a Prophet of Allah bringing the message of Truth you are not in need of servants and
accomplices. But as they are a stubborn, envious and ill-tempered lot, they spoke these words with
the sole purpose of insulting you and wounding your spirit.” These words served to comfort the
Prophet (Sal) somewhat, but he still remained distraught. It is reported that soon after praying the
night prayer (Salat-ul-Isha), he fell asleep in Umm Hani’s house in a saddened state of mind.



Then the Lord of all Created Beings who had created Rasulullah (Sal) before anything else, destining
him to be a Messenger of many miracles and gifts of mercy to all the people in the world and
endowing him with perfection and the ability to awaken love in the hearts of men; the Lord Almighty
whose Glory reaches from end to boundless end, other than whom there is no God, in His aspect of
Majesty and Might addressed Himself to the angel Jibreel, saying, “My Beloved whom I have chosen
from amongst all My Creation, the Best of them all, lies  sleeping in the house of Umm Hani,
aggrieved by the hurtful words of the unbelievers. Let your piety and obedience be an invitation to My
Beloved. Go, adorn your dazzling wings with the gems of paradise and enjoy the dignity of being at
his service. Go and tell Mikhail to leave off the weighing out of provisions this night, tell Israfil to
abandon his trumpet for one hour, and tell Israil for this one night to refrain from taking any souls.
Tell the angels of the lights and luminaries to festoon the heavens with lamps; tell Ridwan to embellish
the gardens of Paradise, and admonish the angels to keep the gate to the pits of Hell firmly fastened
and the demons of Hell not to move from their places. Tell the Huris to bedeck themselves and to set
about scattering precious gems, preparing all the Paradise mansions. Say to the Throne-bearing
angels: ‘Wrap the sphere of the skies in its blessed robes and equip yourselves each with seventy
thousand angels.’ You, Jibreel , repair to Paradise and there select a Buraq steed, then descend to the
face of the earth. All the punishment in the graves shall be lifted for the duration of this night. Go to
My Beloved who fell asleep of sad and dejected mind in Umm Hani’s house, and be his companion.
Awaken him gently and explain to him that this night he is to be shown his great destiny and the
station of nearness (qurb) that excels all other stations of elevation and honour. Invite him to come
along with you.”



Jibreel then went to the Paradise gardens where he beheld forty thousand Buraqs as they were
grazing. Each one had the name of Muhammed (Sal) written across its forehead. Among them was
one Buraq, which seemed sad and dejected; its head was bowed and tears were streaming from its
eyes. Jibreel approached that Buraq without hesitation and asked him the reason for its distress. The
Buraq then said, “As I was prancing about in Paradise Gardens, a voice suddenly came to my ear,
which said, ‘Oh Muhammed (Sal)!’ No sooner had I heard this name spoken than I became
enamoured of the bearer of this name. For forty thousand years now I have been burning with the fire
of separation and the hope of attaining union. Ever since I am weeping, in the sway of intense
longing.”



Jibreel  had pity on the state of this Buraq and said to him, “Your beloved Muhammed (Sal) has this
very night been invited to ascend to the Heavens. He needs to be transported from the Masjid-ul-
Haram (Mecca) to the Masjid-ul-Aqsa (Jerusalem) by a Buraq steed. It is you I will select, so come
now and attain fulfillment.” Then he saddled the Buraq with a saddle of light and placed a bit in his
mouth of green chrysolite. Next he went to the chamber, where the spiritual king of this world and
the world to come, the Messenger to both mankind and Jinn, lay sleeping.



Now, the compilers of Hadith have narrated in six collections of Hadith the story of the Prophet’s
(Sal) Mihraj as it was told to them by no less than twenty of the venerable companions who heard it
as the King of Prophets (Sal) told it to them himself. This then was his narrative:



“I had fallen asleep in Umm Hani’s house, my eyes were closed, but my heart was wakeful.
Suddenly, I heard the voice of Jibreel in my ear, and rising from my slumber, I sat up, finding myself
face to face with the angel Jibreel. He spoke to me, saying, ‘The Lord Almighty sends you His
greetings of peace and invites you to come with me. I will carry you along, for the Lord wishes to
shower upon you the diversity of His munificence. Of those that have gone before you, none has ever
attained to such munificence, nor will any who are to come after you ever attain to it.”



“I rose and wished to perform my ablutions. Water was ordered to be brought from the heavenly
stream of Kawthar. Before I had even uncovered my hands and feet, preparing to take ablution,
Ridwan had already brought two jugs full of water from the stream of Kawthar in pitchers of red
ruby. He also brought a bowl of green emerald that had four corners to it. In each corner there was a
gem that shone like the sun and lit up the night sky. I washed with this blessed water, and they clad
me in a wrap of pure light and set upon my head a quilted turban of light.”



“The story of this turban is this: eight thousand years before the creation of Adam, the angel Ridwan
wound this turban in my name. Since that time up until now, forty thousand angels stand about this
turban reciting praises and glorifying the Lord. After every single one of their glorifications, they
recite blessings (Salat-wa-Salam) upon me. That turban has forty thousand folds, and in every one of
these folds there are four lines of writing.



In the first line is written: Muhammed (Sal) is the Messenger of Allah.



In the second line is written: Muhammed (Sal) is the Prophet of
Allah                                                                                                            

In the third line is written: Muhammed (Sal) is the Beloved of Allah.



In the fourth line is written: Muhammed (Sal) is the Friend of Allah.





“After this, Jibreel covered my back with a cape of light and fastened around my waist a belt of red
rubies. He placed in my hand a whip made of green emeralds, which was embellished with four
hundred pearls, each of which shone like the morning star. He clad my feet in a pair of slippers
crafted from green emerald. Thereafter he took me by the hand and led me to the Haram.”





In another narration, the Prophet (Sal) continues his account as follows:



“I made my ablution with the waters of the Zamzam well. Then I circled the Holy House seven times
and prayed two Rak’ats at the Maqam Ibrahim. I came to the place called the Khatm and there sat
down for a bit to rest. While I was sitting there, Jibreel split my chest asunder and brought two large
basins filled with knowledge and wisdom, respectively. Mikha’il brought three basins full of Zamzam
water wherein they washed my entrails and my bosom. Then he opened up my heart and took from it
the small black clump of clotted blood, while saying, ‘This bit of clotted blood is the reason why men
feel fear when they behold an awesome sight. I have taken it from you, for tonight you will behold the
Heavens and the Lote Tree, the Divine Throne and Divine Court and the many strange and wonderful
things they contain, and many great angelic creatures. Therefore I have cleansed you of this clot, so
that you might gaze at whomever you will and speak what needs to be said without fear or
constraint.’ He then took from the basin the knowledge and wisdom contained in it and placed it
within my heart. He tucked it in and closed my chest again, so that there remained no trace or scar.”



“Jibreel then took me by the hand and led me to a place outside of Mecca. I saw there the other great
archangels, Mikhail, Israfil and Israil, each surrounded by seventy thousand angels of their company.
When they beheld me, they all stood to respectful attention and I gave them my greetings of peace. In
answer to my greetings, they proclaimed the boundless graces of the Lord.”



]“Presently, Jibreel said to me, ‘Oh Prophet of Allah (Sal), I have brought you this Buraq from the
Gardens of Paradise. Mount it now, for the Lord on High awaits your coming.’ I turned and saw the
Buraq, which was as bright as the sun and as swift as a flash of lightning. As soon as he lifted his
foot to take a step he had already reached as far as the eye could see. In addition, this Buraq had two
wings by his side, which he used whenever he wished to fly through the air.”





The wise and learned have this to say about the Buraq: his body is smaller than that of a mule, but
larger than that of a donkey. He speaks pure, intelligible Arabic. The Lord has created each of his
limbs from a different set of precious materials. His hooves are made of corals; his feet are of gold.
His chest is of red ruby stone, while his back is made pearls. The wings at his side are of ruby red.
His tail resembles the tail of a camel. According to a different narration, his tail resembles that of a
peacock and is of extreme comeliness. His mane was that of a horse while his feet resembled those of
a camel. He was saddled with a saddle from Paradise, and his stirrups were of red ruby, beset with
jewels.





Our Holy Prophet’s (Sal) narration continues as follows,



“The angel Jibreel held the stirrups for me, saying, ‘Mount!’ As I made ready to mount him, the
Buraq stirred restively. Jibreel addressed him, ‘Oh Buraq, are you not ashamed of yourself?  How
dare you dare behave with such insolence?  By the Grace of Allah Almighty whose Glory is vast and
whose bounties are all-encompassing, beside whom there is no other Lord, never will you see a rider
of greater merit and excellence!’ At the angel’s words, the Buraq blushed with shame and began to
tremble all over. Large drops of sweat trickled from his brow and he said, ‘Oh Jibreel, I have a
request to make, and it was from this urgency that I behaved thus, not because I am reluctant to
fulfill my duty. Now you have put me to shame.”



The Holy Prophet (Sal) then turned to the Buraq and asked him what his request was and how it
might be fulfilled. “Oh my Prophet (Sal),” replied the Buraq, “I have been stricken with love for you
since before time began. For untold eons, I was immersed in yearning, submerged in an agony of
love. Now, by the Grace of Allah, I have been granted the boon of beholding your light and perceived
your blessed scent. My love now has blossomed forth and increased thousandfold. On the Day of
Gathering, when you rise from your blessed resting-place, you will be brought to the place of
gathering on a Buraq steed. The request of my love is this: that you will mount no other steed than me
on that tremendous day, thereby completing my happiness and filling my heart with the light of joy.”
The Holy Prophet (Sal) answered and said, “I granted the Buraq his request and promised that I
would mount no other than him on that day.”



After hearing from the Buraq that he would be brought to the Site of Judgement on the back of a
Buraq, the Prophet (Sal), the Glory of all Creation, the Quintessence of all Being grew thoughtful as
he pondered the fate and state of his nation on that day. The Lord Almighty who is aware of every
hidden thing then made the angel Jibreel ask Muhammed (Sal) the reason for his sudden sadness. The
Holy Prophet (Sal) replied, “I have been informed by the Buraq of the honour that will be shown to
me on that mighty day in that I will be fetched and mounted on a Buraq. It occurs to me to reflect on
the state of my nation on that day: they are but weak, far from perfect, sinful mortals; how, on the
Day of Judgement, will they go on foot to the place of assembly which is at a distance of fifty
thousand years bearing the weight of all their sins? How will they manage to cross the bridge of Sirat,
which is a stretch of three thousand years’ wayfaring?”



“I was then informed by Divine inspiration that Divine Grace would reach every single one on that
day. Just as the Lord would send a Buraq to fetch me from my grave, so every single soul belonging
to my nation would be sent a Buraq to bring him to the Site of Judgement. They would cross the
Bridge of Sirat in a flash and they would traverse a road of fifty thousand years as if in a single
moment. ‘This is Our Favour and Grant of Kindness to your nation, oh Muhammed (Sal),’ I was told,
‘therefore, let your mind be easy on this account.”



There is a verse in the Holy Qur’an relating to these events:



On that day that We shall muster the godfearing

to the All-Merciful with pomp..



(Mary,85)



The Holy Prophet (Sal) then continued in his narrative, “Learning of the promise of the Lord’s Favour
and Kindness, I mounted upon the Buraq filled with joy. Jibreel and a following of seventy thousand
angels were at my right stirrup, Mikha’il with seventy thousand angels was at my left stirrup, and
every one of these angels held in his hand a candelabrum of light. Behind me went Israfil with seventy
thousand angels and on his shoulder he bore the saddle cloth of the Buraq. I begged his pardon for its
great size and that he was made to carry it, since it nearly covered him entirely, but he answered me,
‘Oh Rasulullah (Sal), how many thousands of years have I been praying for the favour of being
permitted to bear this weight of your Buraq’s covering! At last the All-Gracious Lord has heard my
pleas and granted me this favour!’ ‘Why did you pray for this?’ I asked him. Israfil  answered, ‘For
how many thousands of years did I worship the Divine Throne! At last there came a voice addressing
me, saying, ‘What is it that you long for? Your prayer has been accepted.’ I replied, ‘Oh my Lord,
when his time on earth has come, I pray that I might be granted one hour in the service of the
intercessor for his sinful nation, whose name the King of the Day of Judgement has deigned to write
on the base of the Divine Throne beside His own Blessed Name.’ To this the Almighty Lord replied, ‘I
grant you your prayer. There will come one night during his lifetime in which I will grant him the
experience of My Nearness. I will bring him from his lowly station on earth up to the highest heaven.
I will open for him the gates of My treasure houses with the Key of Witnessing. I will lead him from
Mecca to the Bayt-ul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and until he arrives there, you will have the honour of
carrying the saddle cloth of his mount.”



The Holy Prophet (Sal) then continued, “That night, the Buraq’s feet did not touch the ground. All the
way from Mecca to Jerusalem were spread the fine, flowered silks from Paradise, on which the
Buraq trod. On my way, suddenly one Ifrit (demon) appeared before me and leaned towards me, with
flames leaping from his mouth. Jibreel then said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah (Sal), let me teach you a few
words to say, which will extinguish the fire of this Ifrit and undo his existence.’ ‘Do teach me,
please!’ I replied and he taught me these words:



A’udhu bi-wajhi-llahi-l-karim

wa bi-kalimati-llahi-t-tammat-allati la yujawizuhunna

barrun wa la fajir,

min sharri ma yanzilu min-as-sama’i wa ma ya’ruju fiha

wa min sharri ma yakhruju minha

wa min fitan-il-layli wa-n-nahari

wa min tawariq-il-layli wa-n-nahari

illa tariqan yatruku bi-khayrin,

ya Rahman!



(I seek refuge in the gracious nature of my Lord Allah, and in the perfection of the Divine Word
which neither the righteous nor the transgressor is able to breach, from the evil which descends from
the sky and that which rises up to it; and from the evil which comes forth from the sky; and from the
tribulations of the night and the day, and from all the calamities of night and day, except for those that
result in benefit, oh Lord of Mercy!)



“When this Du’a was recited, the fire of this Ifrit died down and the creature ceased to exist.”



“A voice then came from my right side, saying, ‘Oh Muhammed (Sal), stay for a moment and linger;
for there is something I wish to ask you...’ This voice called me three times, but I paid it no heed and
went on. Then I heard a voice calling me from my left side, and it said, ‘Oh Muhammed (Sal), wait
awhile, I need to ask you something.’ But again I listened not to it and passed on. Then I beheld a
woman, magnificently bedecked in costly robes and lavishly bejeweled. When I passed close by her, I
saw that she was a very old woman. Thrice she spoke to me, saying, ‘Stop!’ but I heeded not her call
and passed on. Ahead of me I saw an old man, bent over his staff and trembling in every limb. He,
too, requested me thrice to stop and stay with him. ‘Look at me and pity my condition,’ he said, ‘let
me enjoy your beauty, for I have something I want to ask you.’ But I passed him by, not heeding his
pleas. After a while, I beheld a fresh youth of surpassing beauty whose face shone with light, ‘Stay,
oh Muhammed (Sal),’ he addressed me, ‘for I have things to ask of you.”



“At his words, the Buraq halted, and I gave him Salams. After responding to my greetings, he said,
‘Good tidings to you! All good is in you alone and in your nation.’ To this I rejoined, ‘Al-hamdulillah!’
and Jibreel echoed my words. I then asked him who these people were whom I had just seen. He
answered, ‘The voice coming from the right was the voice of the Jews. Had you stopped there, your
nation would have been overpowered by them, and reduced to contempt after your time. The voice
coming from your left was that of the Christians; had you paused to stop there, your nation would
have been overpowered by the Christian peoples after your time and subjugated by them. The woman
you saw was this world, the dunya.  She appears finely decked out and attractive to those who wish
to possess her. Her decorations and fine robes are meant to fool and deceive mankind. The fact that
she appears to be an old woman indicates that the Last Day has drawn nigh. Had you been swayed by
her appeal, your whole nation would have become obsessed with the goods of this world and would
have worshipped them. The old man you saw was the accursed devil, Shaytan himself. He knows
how kind and merciful you are by nature, so he tried to ensnare you by appearing pitiful to you. It
was nothing but a guile to stay you. Had you been fooled by his words, your nation would never have
been saved from his wiles, up to the very last drop of their blood, he would have gained the
upperhand over very many of them. As for the young lad you saw, he is the religion of Islam. It was
there that you stopped; therefore, after your time, your entire nation will be safe from the
machinations of the enemy and the religion of Islam will endure.”



“You had been concerned with a number of questions regarding your nation, such as ‘What will
happen when they go out at night into the desert and run into a company of malevolent Jinn? What
will be their state after I am gone?’ Allah Almighty who knows all that is hidden and what is manifest
then made that Ifrit appear to you and taught you the means of salvation. After your time, there will
be no religion that will overcome this religion of Islam. Muslim forces will overcome the nations of
the Jews and the Christians. The nation of Muhammed (Sal) will live according to the Divine Law of
the Shari’a. Thus, in the final end, they will be saved from the wiles of Shaitan and reach to safety.
Islam will remain on earth until the Day of Judgement. All that you have seen are signs from Allah
who wishes to awaken you and relieve you of your fears and doubts.’ So Jibreel explained to me
these visions.”



“After some time we reached a place where date palms were plentiful. Jibreel  told me to dismount
there and to pray, so I did. When I had finished praying, Jibreel asked me whether I knew this place
where I had prayed and he told me that it was called Tayyiba (which is one of the names for Medina-t-
ul-Munawwara). And he told me that before long I would migrate to this place. Next we came to a
place, which was all white. Again Jibreel told me to dismount and to pray there. Then he asked me if I
knew the place, and when I did not he explained that this was the tree beneath which Musa had
prayed when he came to the land of Madian. When Musa was fleeing from Pharaoh, he came to this
land. Outside the city of Madian he saw some shepherds watering their flocks, and he saw two girls
who were standing at a distance from the well, waiting for their turn. Musa felt sorry for the girls and
went up to them to inquire why they waited. Learning their story, he said to himself, ‘Herein lies great
reward,’ and disregarding his own fatigue, he went and watered their sheep for them. Then he
withdrew to a tree and prayed beneath it. This very tree is the tree you have now prayed beneath, oh
Muhammed (Sal).”



“Afterwards we came to yet another place, and Jibreel said, ‘Dismount, and pray here!’ When I had
done so and again did not know where it was that I had just prayed, he told me, ‘This is Tur-i-Sina,
Mount Sinai, where the Almighty Lord revealed Himself to His Prophet Musa and spoke to him, in
answer to his supplication.”



“We continued apace and in time reached a grand mansion where again the angel bade me pray,
explaining that this was the village where the Prophet Isa was born. When I had done praying, I
beheld a group of people who were planting a field.  No sooner had they planted a seed than it yielded
seven hundredfold. I asked the angel who these people were, and he told me, ‘These are the people
who expend of their wealth in the way of Allah.”



“Then again, I beheld another group of persons, whose heads were being smashed with stones by the
angels, but they grew back instantly, only to be crushed again. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked the
angel Jibreel. He said, ‘They are those of your nation who abandoned the practice of prayer, and
those who performed it negligently in that when rising from the position of Ruk’u or Sajda, they did
not bother to straighten up completely, but fused the various postures and phases of the ritual prayer
in heedless haste.”



“I then saw a certain group of people who were altogether hungry and naked. Around them grew
weeds of fire and the angels were driving them to eat those fiery weeds just as animals are driven to
pasture. I asked who they were and the angel said, ‘They are those belonging to your nation who did
not give the Zakat they were obliged to pay, and who had no compassion with the poor and destitute,
the homeless widows and orphans.”



“Then I saw another people: to one side there was a spread of the choicest foods anyone could dream
of, to the other there was some dreadfully smelling, rotten meat. These people never looked or turned
to the delicious foods, but ate only of the carrion meat. ‘Who are they?’ I asked. ‘They are men and
women of your nation who engaged in all manner of unlawful sexual activities, while lawful spouses
were available to them.”



“After these, I saw a group of men piling up wooden logs. They were trying to lift them up, but they
failed at every attempt. Their strength was simply insufficient, yet they kept up their futile efforts.
‘And who are they?’ I asked. Jibreel told me, ‘They are people of your nation who were engrossed in
the affairs of this world (dunya). Whereas they had more than they could possibly use up, they were
forever dissatisfied and tried to amass more and more. They are in love with the world and what it
has to offer and they are constantly seeking to increase their share.”



“Then I saw a great stone, which had a little hole in it. Out of the hole came a snake and began to
grow. Then it turned around and tried to go back through the little hole, but, having grown so large, it
could not fit through it, and began to circle round and round the stone in confusion. I asked the Angel
what this was, and Jibreel told me, ‘This stone symbolizes the body of your nation, and the small hole
within it signifies their mouths. As for the snake, it signifies all the lies, and bad, forbidden things,
gossip and slanders that issues from their mouths. Once these things have emerged from their
mouths, it is impossible to swallow them again, and they will be punished for these things in this life
and the life hereafter. They will hear worse than this and will be called to account. So exhort your
nation to mind their words, and beware of speaking evil and hurtful things, so that they might find
salvation.”



“Then I saw a person drawing water from a well. With great effort he drew the bucket up to the rim
of the well, but he found no water in it, an empty bucket was all he got for his trouble. I asked about
him and Jibreel told me, ‘This is the condition of those who performed good works without a pure
intention. Their aim was not Allah alone but the acclaim of men. Hence, though they put themselves
through great trouble in their worldly lives, they reap no reward for it in the afterlife, but expose
themselves only to greater troubles.”



“I saw another people bearing great loads upon their backs. Although they could hardly carry the
weight, they said to their companions, ‘Load me up with more!’ ‘Who are they?’ I asked the angel
Jibreel who answered me, ‘These are the people who defrauded goods left in their safekeeping.
Despite being weighed down with such great weight, they seek to increase their wealth by
unrighteous methods.”



“Then I saw another group of people whose tongues and lips were distended and hung down loosely.
Angels with shears of fire came and cut off these flapping appendages. But whenever they cut them,
they would immediately grow back as they were before, and the angels would resume their cutting.
‘Who are these?’ I asked Jibreel  and he  replied, ‘These are such persons as denounced their own
people to their rulers and tyrants, the sycophants and toadies who upheld all their commander’s lies
rather than trying to save their people from the injustice committed by their rulers.”



“Then I saw a people whose flesh was being cut by the angels and fed to them. ‘Eat!’ the angels
ordered them. When they couldn’t do this from the disgust they felt, the angels whipped them and
ordered them again, ‘Eat!’ until they did so. ’Who are these?’ I asked, and Jibreel told me, ‘These are
people who spread calumnies about their fellowmen.”



“Next I beheld a people whose faces were black and whose eyes were blue. Their lower lips reached
down to their feet, while their upper lip was affixed to their forehead. Blood and pus dripped from
their mouths. In one hand they held a carafe full of fire, in the other hand a glass of fire. The blood
and pus oozing from their mouths drips into the bottle and begins to boil. The angels order them to
drink this, and force them to do so. But every time they try to fill their glasses and drink from them,
the liquid boils so strongly and its stench is so disgusting that they cannot stand it and begin to bray
like donkeys. The angels then beat them and make them drink it by force. ‘Who are these people?’ I
asked Jibreel. ‘These are the wine-drinkers,’ he replied.”



“Then I saw another group of people whose tongues stuck out from the backs of their necks and
whose faces had become like the faces of pigs. From above and from below they were being
whipped and beaten. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked, and Jibreel told me, ‘These are people who
bore false witness and gave false testimony, and in so doing wronged the servants of Allah.”



“Another group appeared whose stomachs were so bloated that they hung pendulously down and
whose hands and feet were bound and fettered. They could not rise to their feet because of the
weight of their stomachs, and fell rolling upon the ground. ‘Who are these people?’ I asked Jibreel.
‘These are people from your nation your practiced usury and misappropriated other people’s
property.”



“Next I passed some women whose faces were blackened and who were given robes of fire to wear.
Angels were beating them with maces of fire so that they howled like dogs. I asked Jibreel who they
were and he said, ‘These are the women who committed adultery and who caused their husbands
pain and torment.”



“Next I came upon a group that was being slaughtered by angels with knives of fire. They came back
to life, only to have their throats cut anew. ‘Who are they?’ I asked Jibreel. ‘Those are people
belonging to your nation who killed a soul without justification.”



“Then I came by a group of people who were suspended in mid-air while fire issued from their ears
and noses and mouths. Each one of them was attended by two terrible, vengeful angels, and each
angel held in his hand a fiery stick of seventy knots. With these they were beating them continuously,
without stopping, while they recited this very significant Tasbih:



Qadir, Muqtadir, Subhanallah. Allah Almighty is the Mighty Avenger over His foes, Allah Almighty is
the Most Powerful, Praised be He.



I asked Jibreel about these people and he told me, ‘These are the people who outwardly confessed
their faith, while in their hearts there was nothing but hypocrisy and disbelief.”



“Then I saw another group of people who were imprisoned in a valley of fire. They were being burnt
to death, but they instantly came back to life, only to be burnt alive once more. Their punishment
seemed very severe to me. ‘Who are these people?’  I asked the angel. ‘These are people who failed
to honour and obey their parents and who were rebellious and opposed them.”



“Next I came upon a people upon whose chests were placed bowls of fire, while the angels were
beating them with big sticks. ‘Who are these?’ I asked, and Jibreel said, ‘These are the musicians
who played the lute and sang songs to the people.”



“Then I heard a terrible noise and asked what it was. Jibreel told me, ‘A stone has fallen into the pit of
Jahannam from its rim. It has been falling for three thousand years, and now it has hit the bottom.
That was the noise you heard.”



About this stone there is the following narration: If a stone the size of a man’s head is rolled down
from the earthly skies, it will fall down to earth in twenty-four hours, even though it falls a distance of
five hundred years. Consider this distance and then consider how far a stone of that size must fall if it
falls for three thousand years! That is the depth of the pit of Hellfire; therefore, take refuge in Allah
from its raging fires.





The Prophet (Sal) continues:



“I then came to another valley from which issued the most noxious smells and dreadful sounds.
‘What are these smells?’ I asked, and Jibreel answered me, ‘That is the stench of Hell. Listen to what
it has to say!’ I listened and this is what I heard: ‘Oh my Lord, send to me those servants whom you
promised to me. My chains, my spikes, my fetters, my Zakkum trees and boiling waters and
cauldrons of pus are ready for them, and other punishments as well. My snakes and scorpions have
become many, and my depths unfathomable. Send me the servants You have promised to me, that I
may begin to punish them.’ This was the reply that the Lord Almighty gave in answer to this request
of Jahannam: ‘Oh Jahannam, I leave up to you these works! I will leave to you all those who attribute
partners to My Holy Name, who disbelieve in Me and My Prophets, all those who are wicked and
villainous, be they male or female, and who disbelieve in the Day of Resurrection – all those I shall
throw into your fires!’ Jahannam was pleased with the Lord’s promise and said, ‘I am satisfied, oh
my Lord!”



“After this we reached a valley in which blew a gentle breeze and sweet smells wafted all around. A
pleasant and melodious air struck the ear. I asked, ‘What is this most pleasing sound, where does it
come from and what are these voices saying? What is this gentle wind and from where do these
sweet smells come?’ Jibreel then explained to me, ‘This is the smell and the breeze of Paradise. Just
listen to what it says, and you will understand.”



“The breeze from Paradise spoke as follows, ‘Oh my Lord, send to me Thy servants whom Thou
hast promised to me. All the delights I have in store for them are ready: the pavilions, fine and heavy
brocades and silks, carpets and wraps, the pearls, jewels, silver and gold; the amber and musk; the
spreads and jugs and vessels; all the varied foods of Paradise, the rivers of milk, honey, wine and
water; the Huris, Ghilman and Wildan and all the unspeakable delights of Paradise are stocked in
abundance and overflowing plenty. Send Thou Thy promised servants to me so that I might present
them with these untold pleasures and shower them with gifts of goodness.”



“The Lord replied to this lovely supplication of the Janna: ‘Oh Paradise, I shall send to you what you
desire. I shall send you the men and women who believed in Me and worshipped Me alone, who
recognized and honoured My Messengers, engaged in beneficial actions and associated no partners to
My Divinity. Whoever is in fear of Me and My Punishment, him I shall free and make safe from it.
Whoever turns to Me in his need and invokes Me in extremis, to his need I shall hearken and his intent
I shall see through. Whoever grants Me a loan, I shall repay him manifold.[1] Whoever leaves all his
cares up to Me, who entrusts all his affairs to Me, I shall take over for him all his labour. For I alone
am Allah; there is no god beside Me. I fulfill all My vows; not do I turn back from My promises. All
the believers have come to success. The Glory of the Creator outshines that of all His Creation.”



“To these words of Grace, Paradise replied, ‘I am well satisfied, oh my Lord!”



Now the Holy Prophet (Sal) saw a great many wondrous sights on the way to the Masjid-al-Aqsa, but
these are the best known of them all, and we shall content ourselves with this much.



The Holy Prophet (Sal) continues his narrative:



“After this, we came to the Bayt-ul-Maqdis. There I saw the angels descending down to earth. They
came to meet me and give me the glad tidings of abundant blessings and boons that the Lord of
Holiness and Grace was to send to me. They greeted me with these words: ‘Salams to you, who are
the first, Salams to you, who are the last, Salams to you, who are the assembler of men.’ With this
address they honoured me greatly, still I asked Jibreel, ‘What kind of greeting is this - the First, the
Last, the Assembler of Men is the Lord of the Worlds, Allah Almighty?’ Jibreel then told me, ‘Oh
Rasulullah, on the Day of Judgement your tomb will be the first to open up, and then that of your
nation. Therefore, they addressed you as the Gatherer. On that day, you will be the first to make
intercession and yours will be the first intercession to be accepted. Therefore, they addressed you as
the First. Of all the prophets in this world, you are the last to be sent, therefore they addressed you as
the Last.”



“I then passed by them and came to the gates of the Masjid-al-Aqsa. I dismounted from the Buraq and
Jibreel tied him to a ring there. This was the ring to which the prophets and messengers always tied
their mounts. The prophets and messengers came to greet me there and gave me much honour.”



Now there are two accounts of the meeting of the prophets and messengers with our Holy Prophet
(Sal). One of them maintains that the Lord Almighty called the prophets back to life just for the sake
of receiving the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Sal) with due formality; this implies that He resurrected
them in their physical forms.  The other, more commonly accepted version is this: that He Almighty
called only their unblemished spirits to this meeting with the Prophet Muhammed (Sal).



Let us continue with the Prophet Muhammed’s (Sal) narrative:



“They appeared to me as exceedingly great, honourable and enlightened personalities. I ask Jibreel
who they were and he told me, ‘They are your fathers and brothers, the prophets and messengers.
Give them your Salams and salute them.’ I greeted them accordingly and entered the Masjid-ul-Aqsa
together with them. The Iqama was called and I thought to myself, ‘I wonder who will be the Imam
of this gathering?’ While I was yet pondering this point, Jibreel  took me by the hand and said, ‘Go
ahead up front, you are to be Imam, for you are the most excellent and the most highly esteemed.’ So
I stepped out in front of them all and led all the prophets and messengers in a prayer of two Rak’ats.”



The scholars have proffered various views concerning this prayer, which was prayed here. If it were
categorized as ‘nafila’ (supererogatory), this is contradicted by the fact that it was prayed in
congregation, for it is not permissible for nafil-prayers to be prayed in congregation. It also could not
have been the Isha prayer, for this consists of four Rak’ats, while only two Rak’ats were here
prayed. The most authoritative opinion on this is the following: the prayer, which Rasulullah led in the
Masjid-ul-Aqsa is of the same kind as that, which he led and prayed in each level of the heavens to
which he ascended and the one he prayed in the Bayt-ul-Ma’mur and at the Sidratu-l-Muntaha, in
which he led the entire assembly of angels, and it partakes of its characteristics. It was performed
upon the command of the Lord of the Worlds, Allah Almighty.



To continue in the words of the Holy Prophet (Sal):



“After completing the prayer, I turned my back to the Mihrab and my face to the assembly of
prophets, on all of whom be peace, and I spoke to them. Every single prophet engaged in praise of the
special gifts the Highest Lord had graced him with, and I also joined in the praise of Allah who
equipped me with such outstanding gifts.”



“Ibrahim praised the Lord and said, ‘Praise and glory to the Highest of the High who made me His
intimate friend and gave me great possessions.”



“Musa praised Him Almighty and said, ‘Praise and glory be to Allah Almighty, the Highest of the High
who spoke to me without intermediary, who caused Pharaoh and his henchmen to drown in the
waters at my hand and who saved the Children of Israil. He made my nation a people guided to the
Truth, judging by the Truth and striving for the good pleasure of Allah Almighty.”



“Next the Prophet Da’ud came forth and praised the Lord, saying, ‘Praise and Glory to the Divine
Lord who made me king over such a great realm and who revealed to me the scripture of the Zabur.
Who made iron to be as soft as beeswax in my hand, and who placed the birds and the mountains
under my command, so that they all joined me in the praises of the Lord, who gave me knowledge of
the law and the gift of sweet speech.”



“After him, his son Sulayman stepped forth and glorified the Lord thus: ‘Praise and Glory be to the
Lord, the Mighty, the Enduring, who gave me power over the winds, and made the Jinn and the
demons subservient to me, so that they did whatever I wished. He taught me the languages of the
birds and the beasts and gave me greater excellence than many of His servants. He gave me such an
incomparably vast kingdom, which no other mortal can ever hope to attain.”



“Then Isa stepped forth and glorified his Lord, saying, ‘Praise and Glory be to the Almighty Creator
who, as He created Adam from clay, brought me into existence without the contribution of an earthly
father. He created me solely through His Creative Word, ‘Be!’ He taught me the wisdom of the Torah
and the Injil and the knowledge of the law. He granted healing to the sick, seeing to the blind through
my supplication, and by means of me, He brought the dead back to life. He made me and my mother
safe from the wiles of the accursed devil and he lifted me up into the heavens in my living, physical
body.”



“After they had spoken, I said to them, ‘You have now all voiced your glorification of the Lord; it is
now my turn to glorify Him,’ and I began by saying, ‘Praise and Glory be to the Lord, the Forgiving,
the Merciful, the Abundant, Munificent, the Lord of Might and Honour who has sent me as a Mercy
for the Worlds and as a Messenger of Joy to all humankind and as a Warner. He has sent a book to
me that makes clear all things, and He has given my nation excellence over every previous nation. He
has made my nation to be a people of the middle way. He split open my bosom and removed from it
all sin. He has made my reputation to be blameless and He has given me victory over all created beings
and made me the last and final of all prophets.”



“After I had completed my glorification, Ibrahim got up and said, ‘You have been made more
meritorious than all the other Prophets with regard to your being victorious and being the last and final
of the Prophets.”



Some authorities relate the meeting of the Prophets as follows:



When Rasulullah came to the Bayt-ul-Maqdis, all the Prophets and Messengers rushed up to greet
him. They saluted and praised him in many ways and sprinkled upon him showers of light. They
marched out ahead of the Buraq as far the Masjid-ul-Aqsa. There, the Holy Prophet (Sal) dismounted
from the Buraq, Jibreel tied the halter of the Buraq and everybody halted. Then they addressed the
Holy Prophet (Sal) and said, “Oh Habibullah (Sal), it is for you to enter the Masjid ahead of us,” and
the Prophet Muhammed (Sal) answered, “You were sent before me as Prophets, you therefore have
the right of precedence over me. Therefore, proceed into the sanctuary ahead of me.” Then the
Almighty Lord Himself addressed the assembly, “Oh My Beloved, you have attained a special station
in this world by appearing with your message of Truth after all those present had gone before; but
you are the one who has precedence over everything else that was in the hidden world before the
Creation, for all was created from your light. Therefore, it is your right to proceed ahead of them all;
enter now!”



At this command, the Holy Prophet (Sal) together with the angel Jibreel entered and all the Prophets
and Messengers followed them. Then Jibreel called the Iqama, and the Prophet Muhammed (Sal) led
the entire assembly of Prophets, Messengers and angels of the Muqarrabin in a prayer of two Rak’ats.



The Holy Prophet (Sal) resumes the narrative:



“After we had prayed, I received an inspiration in my heart of hearts that it was now time to make
supplication for my nation. I therefore raised my hands towards the heavens and began to plead for
my weak and inadequate nation. I prayed for their salvation and safety, for grace and forgiveness, and
for their release from hell. All the assembled Prophets and Messenger and angels concluded my
supplication by saying, ‘Amin!”



“At that very moment, I heard within me a voice which called to me, saying, ‘Oh My Beloved, you
are seated in the Masjid-ul-Aqsa, it is the night of your Mihraj. You who are praying here are the
Beloved of Allah and a much-honoured Prophet; those answering to your supplication are all Prophets
and Messengers and angels of the Muqarrabin, and He to whom you direct you supplication, He is the
Most Merciful of the Merciful, the Most Bounteous of the Bountiful. He is Allah who leads all to the
Light of His Guidance, the Sublime Lord of all Might and Glory. Beyond doubt, He will grant
acceptance to your prayer, He will forgive the sins of your nation and grant them freedom from
punishment. By My Might and Glory, I proclaim that I shall grant them of My Mercy. I shall clothe
them with the honour of beholding the Sight of My Divine Beauty.”



Oh Allah, grant us that our last breath might be one of faith, oh Lord of Mercy and Compassion! And
grant us to behold Thy Divine Presence, for the sake and honour of Thy Prophet Muhammed (Sal),
Amin, ya Hannan, ya Mannan! (Oh Most Compassionate, Bounteous Lord!)



The Holy Prophet (Sal) continues:  



“After this, Jibreel came out, holding in his hand three cups. One of these contained milk, one wine
and the third water. He told me to choose one of these and to drink it. I chose the one that held milk
and drank from it, but there was a little left over in the cup. When I handed the cup back to Jibreel, he
said to me, ‘You have chosen the natural disposition of Islam.’ Then I heard a voice from the unseen
which spoke to me, saying, ‘Oh Muhammed (Sal), had you finished all the milk in the cup, not one of
your nation would have had to go to hell.”



“I then turned to Jibreel and asked him to give the cup back to me so that I might empty it entirely.
But Jibreel said to me, ‘All that has been written must come to pass; what has been decreed from
before the beginning of time, must take place, oh Rasulullah (Sal).”



The scholars make this comment: There are seventeen benefits in the fact that the Holy Prophet (Sal)
did not proceed directly to the heavens from the Kaaba at Mecca in the night of his Mihraj, but rather
stopped at the Bayt-ul-Maqdis and ascended from there.



If we were here to expound on all the seventeen benefits, it would take us a very long time; therefore,
we shall content ourselves with the mention of only two points.



The first is this: Had our Holy Prophet (Sal) ascended to the heavens directly from Mecca on his
Mihraj and later told his people about it, it would have been very difficult for him to convince those
among them whose minds were stubbornly set in opposition to him. However, the Holy Prophet (Sal)
reported that he first went to the Bayt-ul-Maqdis (the Temple site in Jerusalem) and that from there he
ascended to the heavens. Even then, some of the most stubborn denied that this could have happened,
and they challenged him, saying, “If it is true that you have been where you say you have, then tell us
about the shape and structure of the Bayt-ul-Maqdis. We have visited there before and so we know
what it looks like, but we know that you have not been there before. If your description accords with
what we know, then we will believe in what you tell us. We will then believe that in this night you
have been to al-Quds, in full waking consciousness.”



The Holy Prophet (Sal) then gave them the appropriate answers and described to them the shape and
form of the buildings there, and thus he silenced them. In this way, the reality of the Mihraj was
proven.



But let me dwell on this subject a little longer: The day after the Mihraj had taken place, the Prophet
(Sal) told his people about it, but they called it lies, saying, “If you really went to the Masjid-ul-Aqsa
last night, then you must be able to describe it to us.” Faced with this demand for proof, the Holy
Prophet (Sal) experienced some confusion. He had been entirely engaged in holy converse with the
assembled Prophets and Messengers that he had not so much as glanced at the building of the holy
mosque there. But Jibreel appeared to him just that moment and said, “The Lord Almighty sends His
Salams upon you. He commands me to bring before you the Masjid-ul-Aqsa for you to look at, so that
you may give them the answers they desire.” With that he revealed to the Prophet (Sal) the Masjid-u-
Aqsa in its complete shape. Beholding the mosque in front of him, the Holy Prophet (Sal) was very
glad and confidently told them to ask what they would of him. He answered them, giving precise
names and descriptions of the building. For instance, when they asked him how many columns the
mosque had, the Prophet (Sal) described to them each single pillar in detail, singling out whether it
was made of marbled stone or of real marble. For each detail he gave exact descriptions. He even told
them the distance between every single pillar. At last they said, “There is no doubt that he actually
went there and saw what he says he saw there. Although we have been there countless times, we
could never have given such a close description of all this.” With this acknowledgment, they
themselves silenced their own arguments and the reality of the Mihraj was thus demonstrated.



Secondly, the site of the Bayt-ul-Maqdis shall one day be the place of gathering. On the Day of
Judgement all of Creation shall be assembled there. It was for this reason that the Lord Almighty
brought His Beloved Muhammed (Sal) whom He has honoured above all the other Prophets and all
other men to this place in his pure physical body. He imprinted his foot upon that place while he dwelt
in the world, so that on the Day of Judgement when all creatures are resurrected and gathered in that
place, the terror of it should be lessened and safety be found from its dread for the sake of the
Prophet Muhammed (Sal) who stepped in this place once before, during his life in this world. Thus it
will be made easy for his nation to endure in that place and they will be protected from its
awesomeness.



The place of Gathering consists of fifty stations, and they will remain one thousand years in every
station. Thus, that day will be as long as fifty thousand years. For the Holy Prophet’s (Sal) sake, the
Lord Almighty makes the sojourn there easy for his nation and they will be protected from all the
terror and fright of that tremendous day.



Peace and Blessings from Almighty Allah be upon His Beloved and Chosen Prophet, Muhammed
Mustafa (Sal), the Imam of the God-fearing, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallim. Amin!





To return to the narrative of the Holy Prophet (Sal):



“After this, Jibreel took me by the hand and led me outside. No sooner had we stepped out than I
beheld a flight of steps one end of which was placed upon the flat ground while the other end reached
up and up and disappeared from view into the skies. One of its poles was made of red ruby while the
other was of green emerald. The treads were of gold, silver and pearls, and each tread was made of a
different precious stone. There were five hundred steps in all and each was embellished and embossed
in a different and marvelous way. Never had I seen a thing of greater beauty.”



“This stepladder was the angels’ stairway, which they used to descend from heaven down to the
earth and to ascend up to the heavens again. The angel of Death, Israil, uses this ladder when he
comes to take home the souls of men. The spirits of men also climb up on that ladder when they leave
this world. When a believer comes close to his death, the Lord shows him this stairway and he sees
Israil descending upon it. He loses himself in the contemplation of that stairway and thus does not feel
the agony of the throes of death. It is therefore that the eyes of the dead and dying are often found
wide open and staring, gazing fixedly at the beauty of that staircase, which the souls must ascend.
While he is yet gazing, his soul departs from him, and after the soul has gone, he can no longer close
his eyes.”



Oh Lord, we pray that the pangs of death be made light and easy for us and that we might draw our
last breath with our faith intact, Amin!



The Holy Prophet (Sal) continued:



“The angel Jibreel took me upon his wing. To the right and to the left the angels surrounded me and
thus we ascended on that stairway straight towards the heavens.”



There is the following account concerning this:



The Holy Prophet (Sal) stepped on a stone as he was attempting to affect his ascent. Under the
pressure of the Holy Prophet’s (Sal) blessed foot, this stone softened and became as soft as wax. Up
to this very day, the imprint of the Prophet’s (Sal) foot can be seen upon this stone. When the Holy
Prophet (Sal) wished to raise his foot from the stone, by leave of the Almighty, this stone raised him
aloft instead. At the same time, the steps of the heavenly ladder bent down and became one with the
stone. The Holy Prophet (Sal) then raised his foot off the stone and placing it upon the step of the
stairs, said to it, “Stay, oh stone!” The step upon which the Holy Prophet (Sal) trod then rose up and
lifted the Prophet (Sal) up. The next step then bent down and came to meet his foot, and then it rose
and carried him up with it. The next higher step then bent itself down to receive his foot, and raised it
aloft when he placed it upon it. In this manner the steps continued to bend and rise until they had
carried the Prophet Muhammed (Sal) all the way up to the heavens.



The stairs to the pavilions and palaces of the lofty gardens of paradise behave in a manner similar to
that of these steps.  



When this stone heard the Prophet’s (Sal) command telling it to stay, it obeyed that very instant and
remained suspended in mid air, and even so it remains to this very day. From it many useful lessons
may be drawn:



While it is only a stone, its unquestioning submission and obedience to the Prophet’s (Sal) command
continues into our own time. Therefore, is it befitting of this noble nation to disobey and oppose the
Holy Prophet (Sal), having received the order from the Almighty to follow and obey his instructions,
and having been cautioned and warned against all opposition to him?  This is a point we must think
about and take most seriously. To follow the Holy Prophet’s (Sal) enlightened commands and to
emulate the actions of his right guidance, to obey him in perfect submission will save us from
disgrace and punishment in this world and the world to come. We must always strive to reach for the
happiness and bliss of both worlds. May Allah Almighty grant us His Divine Aid and Support and help
us achieve Supreme Success, Amin.



There is another tradition that tells us the story as follows:



From this stone, the Prophet (Sal) mounted the Buraq and the Buraq carried him up into the heavens.



Yet another report has the Holy Prophet (Sal) relate as follows:



“At the foot of those stairs, I beheld a great angel. Had this angel spread out both its hands, all the
seven layers of the earths and the seven layers of the heavens would have disappeared in them. This
angel greeted me and showed me courtesy. Then he spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Rasulullah (Sal), I
was created twenty-five thousand years before Adam. Since that time I have been waiting to receive
you here, all the while reciting Salawat and blessings upon you in loving expectation of your advent.
The Almighty be praised, for tonight I have attained my goal.”



“After I left that angel behind, I came to a sea, which had a depth of two hundred years’ wayfaring.
This sea remained suspended through the power of Allah Almighty and not one drop of its waters fell
out from it. Whatever creatures there exist on land and in the waters, they all were present in that sea.
It was GN: justify">



In another narration a differing version is related:



Rasulullah (Sal) rose up to the heavens using the rock in the Masjid-ul-Aqsa as a stepping stone to
mount the Buraq. The distance from the earth to the heaven is five hundred years’ wayfaring. Each
heaven has a depth of five hundred years’ travelling, and between two heavens there is a space of
another five hundred years’ travel.



The Holy Prophet (Sal) resumes his narrative:



“When I entered this heavenly realm, I encountered Isma’il in his impressive aspect, seated upon a
throne of light. One hundred thousand angels surrounded him, standing in front, to the back, to his
right and to his left. Each of these angels had another hundred thousand soldiers at his command.
Isma’il and all those with him engaged in this Tasbih:



Subhana-l-malik-il-a’la, Subhana-l-‘aliyy-il-azhim. Subhana man laysa ka-mithlihi shay’in.



(Praise be to the Highest King; Glory to the High, the Mighty;

Glory to Him who is unlike any other.)”



“I then saluted him and he returned my greetings and honoured me. After this I beheld another group
of angels, who stood in pious reverence in Qiyam, (the standing position of ritual prayer). They all
were engaged in this Tasbih:



Subbuhun quddus Rabbuna wa Rabb-ul-mala’ikati wa-r-ruh



(Praised be He with exalted praise, He who is holier than holy, our Lord and the Lord of the angels.)”



“I enquired of Jibreel about these angels’ form of worship, and he answered, ‘Since the day they
were created they have been worshipping thus and so they will remain until the Day of Resurrection.
Ask the Lord to grant this worship to your nation, too.’ So I made supplication and the Lord granted
this kind of worship to my nation. That is how the Qiyam came to be included in our prayer.”



“Apart from these, I beheld a number of angels created from wind and water. The angel appointed as
their head and overseer was called Ra’ad (which means thunder). He is responsible for the clouds and
the rains. The Tasbih they were engaged in was this:



Subhana dhi-l-mulk wa-l-malakuti



(Praise be to Him in whose Hand lies the entire creation and its dominion.)”



“From this angel’s voice issued the sounds of thunder and lightning. In the heavenly sphere there
remained not one empty space, angels were cramped even into the smallest corner, prostrating
themselves and praising the Lord with manifold praises.”



“Then I saw another angel who bore the shape of a man. Below his waist he was made of fire, while
above the waist he was made of snow. The fire clung to the snow and although there was nothing
separating these two elements, neither did the snow extinguish the fire, nor did the fire melt the snow.
But tears were streaming down this angel’s face, and as he wept, he recited this glorification (Tasbih):



Ya man allafa bayna-th-thalji wa-n-nar,

allif bayna qulubi  ‘ibadika-l-mu’minin.



(Oh Thou who hast joined the snow and the fire,

unite Thou also the hearts of Thy believing servants.)”



“I turned to Jibreel and asked, ‘Who is this angel and why does he weep?’ Jibreel explained, ‘He is an
angel, Habib by name. He weeps for the sins of thy nation and prays for mercy and forgiveness on
them.”



“Then I saw Adam in the form in which he appeared in the world. He was draped in wraps of light
and seated upon a throne of light. The Lord Almighty presented to him the souls of the departed, and
whenever he perceived the soul of a believer, he rejoiced and said,



‘A pure soul emerges from a pure body.’ After this, he asked for forgiveness and pleaded for mercy
upon that soul. Then the angels came and carried that soul up to a high and lofty place, as it is written
in the Holy Qur’an:



No indeed; the book of the pious is in Illiyun[2];

and what shall teach thee what is Illiyun? A book inscribed,

witnessed by those brought nigh.



(The Stinters, 19)



Whenever the souls of departed unbelievers and hypocrites are presented to him, he is vexed and
curses them, ‘An impure soul emerges from an impure body.’ The angels then take that spirit and
place it in a place called Sijjin, as it is written in the Holy Qur’an:





No indeed; the Book of the libertines is in Sijjin;

and what shall teach thee what is Sijjin?

A book inscribed.



(The Stinters, 7)”



“I then asked Jibreel who was this person and he told me,’This is your first forefather Adam, go
towards him and extend to him your greetings.’ So I went to him and saluted him, and he replied to
my salute, honouring me by saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh my righteous son. Oh righteous Prophet!
Praise be to the Lord who has given me such a son as you.’ In this way he received me well, and I
replied to his complimentary speech with these words: ‘Praise be to the Lord who has given to me
such a father as thou art one.’ Then again, Adam spoke, glorified the Lord and said, ‘Glory to the
Almighty who has blessed you with such great wonders; who has brought you forth from my loins;
may Allah always increase the blessings He showers upon you and make you steadfast and
permanently grounded in them.’ In reply to this supplication and well wishing, I said, ‘Praise be to
Allah, the Lord of Might and Bounty! He who created you from clay through His Divine Powers and
who had you carried up to the heavens on the shoulders of angels. Who has made you the Qibla and
commanded all the angels to bow down before you and who has made Paradise accessible for your
sake.’ To that Adam answered me as follows, ‘For all the bounteous gifts granted to me that you
have mentioned, you are still more blessed than I. For all the miracles and gifts that I was granted
were only given to me for the sake of your light upon my forehead, I was favoured with all these
honours only for the sake of that radiant light.”



“He spoke many more things to me, and ended his speech by saying, ‘From my time on until the time
of your prophet hood, only one in a thousand of my children were graced with entering Paradise,
while nine hundred and ninety-nine were sent to Hell. When your time of prophet hood came, only
one in one thousand of your nation was sent to Hell and nine hundred and ninety-nine were admitted
into Paradise. The Almighty placed your blessed name beside His very own Holy Name even before
you appeared in this world and proclaimed your great worth to all of creation.”



“Adam recited this Tasbih:



Subhana-l-jalil-il-ajalli,

Subhana-l-wasi’a-l-ghaniyyi,

Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi,

Subhana-llahi-l-azhim. Istaghfirullah.



(Glory to the Mightiest of the Mighty,

Glory to the All-Embracing, All-Abundant;

Praised be Allah and glorified be He!

Praised be Allah, the All-Glorious

I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty).”





“Then I saw a door to the right of Adam from which issued the sweetest of scents. Just to look in the
direction of that door filled the heart with gladness and serenity. To his left there was another door; to
look at it sufficed to make a man weep and the heart to become heavy. I asked Jibreel about these
doors, and he said, ‘The door to the right opens upon Paradise. The souls of the blessed enter through
that door, and whoever glances to the right, sees them and is gladdened. The door to the left leads to
Hell, and the souls of the sinners must go through that door. Who looks to the left sees them on their
way to Hell and is saddened by the sight.”



“Next I saw an angel who had the form of a cockerel. He was very large and his head touched up to
the Divine Throne, while his feet were below the seven layers of the earth. He had two wings; when
he spread these, they reached from the farthest east to the utmost west. The station of this angel is
the Sidratu-l-Muntaha, which shall be described in detail later on, insha’Allah. The angel’s body is
created of white pearl, while the comb on its head is of red ruby.”



To rear a pure, white, unspeckled rooster in one’s home is of great usefulness and has very special
advantages. This is because of its resemblance to this angel, the Cockerel of the Divine Throne. It
benefits not just the owner of the white rooster, but it also protects the neighbours and the
environment from many disasters and bad things. The Holy Prophet (Sal) is reported to have said
about this, “The white rooster is my sincere friend, and he is also the friend of my friend, the angel
Jibreel. He is also the enemy of my enemy, Shaytan. The white rooster protects the house in which he
is raised and its owner and entire household, as well as nine neighbouring houses and their
inhabitants.”



There is only this condition attached to it: the rooster must be of a flawless white, without a speck.
He is of even greater value if his crest is forked, as the Holy Prophet (Sal) says,“The fork-crested
white rooster is my dear and beloved friend. He protects four houses to the right, four to the left, four
in front and four in back, altogether sixteen houses and their inhabitants from disaster and calamity.”
(This Hadith is related by Abu ash-Shaykh from Annas.) There is another Hadith related by Bayhaqi
from ‘Umar who claims that the Holy Prophet (Sal) said, “This rooster makes known to Allah’s
servants the times for prayer. Whoever raises a white rooster in his house will be protected from
three things: from the evil of Shaytan, the evil of the sorcerer, and the evil of the soothsayer.”
However, he who raises a white rooster must on no account slaughter him, as those who know about
these matters inform us in the ‘Fath-ul-Qadir’ will have us know: “Sorrow will not depart from the
side of him who slaughters a white rooster.”



Imam Tha’libi cites from the book entitled ‘Hayat ul-Haywan’ (The Life of the Animals) by Imam
Dumayri: “The Holy Prophet (Sal) makes clear to us these pearls of spiritual wisdom when he says,
‘There are three things that Allah Almighty loves and is pleased with: the voice of him who recites the
Holy Qur’an; the sound of the rooster’s call; the voice of him who prays for forgiveness in the time
before the dawn.”



To continue with the Holy Prophet’s (Sal) narrative:



“This angel who has the form of a rooster descends to the earthly skies when it is night, and this is
his Tasbih:



Subhana-l-maliki-l-quddus,

Subhana-l-kabiri-l-muta’al,

La ilaha ill’Allah-ul-hayy-ul-qayyum



(Glory to the All-Holy King,

Glory to the Great and Exalted God,

there is no God but Allah, the Ever-Living, Eternally Abiding.)”



“I then asked Jibreel, ‘What is this?’ and Jibreel answered me, ‘This is the reason he is called, ‘the
Rooster of the Divine Throne’, for when it is night on earth, he descends to the worldly skies. After
one third of the night has passed, he flaps his wings and says, ‘Oh you who would be worshippers,
arise and pray!’ All of creation hears this call, all except mankind and Jinn. Therefore, when the
roosters on earth hear the angels call, they too flap their wings and voice their call, saying, ‘Oh you
heedlees ones! Arise and engage in remembrance of your Lord!’ When half of the night has passed,
this angel again flaps its wings and calls, ‘Let those who would perform the supererogatory night
prayer (Tahajjud); rise and pray!’ When the roosters on earth hear this call, they too sound their call
to pass on to men the message of the angel. When two thirds of the night has passed and only one
third of it remains, the angel speaks up again and calls out, ‘Where are they who would ask for
forgiveness for their sins, whose sole hope and desire is the Lord of the Worlds? Let them rise and
pray for forgiveness and present their invocations!’ Again, the roosters on earth hear this call and
pass it on to the people on the earth. When at last dawn begins to break, this angel flaps its wings
once more and calls, ‘Now let the heedless ones rise, though they be laden heavily with their sins..’
After this, he again ascends to his station in the Heavens. Again, the roosters on earth hear his words
and inform mankind of the angel’s call. This same sequence is repeated every night, uptil the Day of
Judgement.”



“And Jibreel continued, ‘When the Day of Judgement is about to occur, this angel will want to call
out his call as usual after the first third of the night has passed. But he is stopped by a call from on
High, ‘Oh My angel, do not awaken My servants!’ In this way he is prevented from calling, and he
and all the angels of the heavens with him realize that the Day of Resurrection is upon them. All at
once they begin to weep.”



That night will be the length of three days and three nights, and in that night neither the cocks will
crow, nor will the dogs bark. Mankind will lie in a deep sleep of forgetfulness for three full days and
nights. Only those who were accustomed to rise and pray the prayer of the night (Tahajjud) will
awaken and rise to pray their Tahajjud as usual. But they will wonder and say, “Yet there is no sign of
morning breaking, have we risen too early?” Then they will lie down to sleep a bit longer, and when
again they awaken, still it will not be day. Then they will understand that it is the longest night before
the Last Day, and that indeed it has finally begun.



They will then set about trying to wake up their companions who were not used to rising for the night
prayer, but whatever they do, they will not succeed in waking them, it is impossible. Then they betake
themselves to the mosques, gathering there and repenting of their sins, praying for forgiveness. There
they will remain for those whole three days and nights, weeping copious and incessant tears,
imploring the Lord for mercy. When this period is over and the day dawns, the sun will be seen to
rise in the west and the Gates of Repentance will be shut.



To continue with our Prophet’s (Sal) narrative:



“I then came to a sea, which was whiter than milk and as viscous as the semen of men. Within it, I
beheld things so exceedingly strange and unknown so as to defy all description. Their numbers were
unaccountably great and beyond reckoning. I asked Jibreel, ‘What sort of sea is this?’ and he
answered me, ‘This is the Sea of Life. On the Day of Resurrection, after every created thing has died
its death, the Almighty will want to raise them all from their graves in order to mete out reward or
punishment. He will then issue His Command and a rain will fall upon the earth from the waters of
this sea. The rainwaters will rise to a depth of forty yards upon the level earth and the ground will be
drenched to its depths. All the flesh and bones that have rotted in the earth will then be restored, all
the skins and strands of hair and nerves will come together and appear once more. As soon as this
water comes in touch with the earth, whatever is contained in it will instantly return to its former
state. What has long been scattered will be assembled again, and all this will come to pass on account
of the action of the waters of the Sea of Life.”



“After this, Jibreel called the Adhan and Iqama, and I led all the angels and inhabitants in a prayer of
two Rak’ats. Then I rose to the second level of the heavens,”



The Second Heaven



“The Lord Almighty, praised be His Name, has created this heaven from red coral and called it
Qaydum. The name of its gatekeeper is Mikha’il. This heaven appeared to me to be especially full of
light and splendour, so much so that I was blinded and had to squint. The door of this heaven is of
pearls and its lock is of light. Jibreel knocked upon this door and requested entry. The keeper of the
gate, Mikha’il, called from inside, ‘Who is it requesting the opening of this gate?’ ‘I am Jibreel,’
replied Jibreel, and again the angel asked, ‘And who is this with you?’ This is Muhammed (Sal),’
answered Jibreel . Again the gatekeeper asked, ‘Has he been given prophet hood?’ ‘Yes.’ replied
Jibreel. ‘Has he come here upon invitation and request?’ asked Mikha’il. ‘Yes,’ said Jibreel, ‘invitation
and request have gone before.’ Then the gatekeeper said, ‘Welcome to you, oh welcome guest! How
agreeable a visitor!’ With that, he opened the gate.”



“I entered and beheld the guardian angel of this heaven, Mikha’il. There were two hundred thousand
angels at his service, each one of whom had another two hundred thousand helpers to assist him. I
greeted him and he returned my greetings with reverence. He gave me the joyous news of the many
honours and blessings the Almighty was to bestow on me. They were engaged in this Tasbih:



Subhana-llahi kullama sabbaha-llaha musabbihun,

wa-l-hamdu lillahi kullama hamid-allaha hamidun

wa la ilaha ill’Allahu kullama hallala-llaha muhallilun

wa-llahu akbaru kullama kabbara-llaha mukabbirun.



(Glory be to Allah whenever the glorifier glorifies Him;

and praised be He whenever the praiser praises Him;

there is no God but He each time this Tahlil is recited;

and Allah is Greatest each time this Takbir is affirmed.)”





“I passed on and came upon another group of angels who stood in rows and and were bowing in Ruk’
u in perfect reverence and devotion. They remained always in this position and recited this Tasbih:



Subhana-l-warithu-l-wasi’u-lladhi yudriku-l-absar;

Subhana-lladhi la tudrikuhu-l-absar;

Subhana-l-azhimu-l-‘alim.



(Praised be He, the Heir Universal who sees,

the All-Discerning;

Praised be He whom our eyes cannot perceive;

Praised be the Majestic, the All-Knowing.)”



“I asked Jibreel, ‘Since when have they been in this position of Ruk’u?’ and he said, ‘Since the day
they were created they have always been bowing in Ruk’u, and thus they will remain until the Day of
Resurrection, bowed in Ruk’u, reciting their Tasbih. Pray to your Lord that He granted to your nation
this form of worship in their prayer.’ I therefore prayed to Allah for this, and the Almighty granted it
to my nation.”



“After we passed on, I perceived two young men and I asked Jibreel who they were. Jibreel explained
to me, ‘These young men are the Prophets Yahya and Isa. They are related to each other, being
cousins.’ I saluted them and they received my Salams with reverence and greeted me, saying,
‘Welcome to you, oh righteous Prophet, our righteous brother!’ Then they gave me tidings of the
many Gifts of Grace the Highest and Holiest Lord had in store for me.”



“The Tasbih of Isa was this:



Subhana-l-hannani-l-mannan;

Subhana-l-abadiyyu-l-abad;

Subhana-l-mubdi-ul-mu’id.



(Praised be to the All-Compassionate, the All-bounteous;

Praised be the Eternal, Never-Ending;

Praised be He who creates from nothing, then causes to die

and returns to its previous state.)”



“After we had passed them, I saw a very great angel who had seventy thousand heads, and on every
head there were seventy thousand faces. Every face had seventy thousand mouths and in every
mouth there were seventy thousand tongues. Each tongue spoke a different language, which bore no
resemblance to the next. Each tongue glorified the Lord as follows:



Subhana-l-khaliqi-l-azhim;

Subhana-l-azhimi-l-‘alim;

Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdihi;

Subhanallahi-l-azhim wa bi-hamdihi,

Istaghfirullah.





(Praise be to the Creator, the Glorious;

Praise be to the All-Powerful, All-Knowing;

Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;

Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be He,

I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)”



‘Who is this?’ I asked Jibreel. Jibreel told me, ‘This is the angel who is charged with the distribution
of provisions, and his name is Qasim. He distributes to every single one his daily provision; no one
receives more or less than his apportioned lot.”



According to one narration, he is to have said, “If a person finds himself in straightened
circumstances and in the morning prayer (Fajr) recites one-hundred times the last line of the Tasbih
of this angel between the Sunna and the Fard Rak’ats, then Allah will supply him plentifully and make
his provision bounteous.”



This is the line of this Tasbih:



Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi,

Subhana-llahi-l-azhim wa bi-hamdihi

wa istaghfirullah.



(Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;

Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be He,

I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)





To continue with our Prophet’s (Sal) narration:



“After passing by this angel, I beheld an even greater, even more wondrous angel who was seated
upon a throne of light. He was silent and of morose aspect. The throne he was seated upon had four
corners and each corner was supported by seven hundred thousand pillars of gold and of silver.
Around him were grouped such multitudes of angels, only the Omnipotent Owner of Might and
Bounty, Allah Almighty alone knows their number. To his right angels were ranged row upon row,
seventy thousand in all, dazzling in their light. All of them were clad in green and they gave off a
lovely scent. Their words, too, were sweet, and their beauty was so great that it was impossible to
gaze at them.”



“To the left were another seventy thousand angels, ranged row upon row. Their aspect was of
terrible and sinister portent, their faces were black as night and their speech was rude. Their clothing
was ugly and the smells they emitted were noxious. When they began reciting their Tasbih, tongues of
fire erupted from their mouths. They held before them fiery clubs and blades, and their eyes were so
cruel, no one could stand to look at them for long.”



“The angel seated upon the throne was covered with eyes from head to foot, which sparkled as Mars
and Venus in the sky. He also had shimmering wings and in his hand he held sheet of paper, while
before him there was a tablet. He gazed incessantly at that tablet and not once lifted his gaze from it.
There was also before him a tree, and only Allah can know the number of its leaves. Upon each leaf
was written the name of a certain person. Then there stood before him a type of vessel. At times he
reached in it with his right hand and drew something out of it, handing it to the luminous and gentle
angels to his right. At times he reached for something with his left hand and gave it to the pitch-black
angels standing by his left side. As I looked at those dark angels, fear fell upon my heart and I began
to tremble. I was seized by a weakness and prostration, and I asked Jibreel, ‘Who is this?’ Jibreel
replied, ‘This is the Angel of Death, his name is Israil. There is no one who can bear to look at him. It
is he who ends all delights, and cuts off from all community.’ He then went up to him and said, ‘Oh
Israil, this visitor here is the Prophet of the Last Times (Sal), he is the Beloved of Allah, the Lord of
Mercy. Speak thou to him!’ Upon these words, Izrail lifted his head and he smiled. Jibreel approached
him and saluted him. I also went up to him and proferred my Salams.  He received my greetings and
showed me great honour. Then he spoke, ‘Welcome to you, oh Muhammed (Sal)! Allah has created
no creature more honoured than you, and to no nation has He given greater honour than to your
nation. I am gentler and more compassionate towards your nation than to any nation that went before
them.’ In response to these words, I said to Izrail, ‘You have gladdened my heart, oh Israil, and
cleared my mind of fear. Yet there remains one matter on my mind, for I have seen your state to be
one of gloom and grief and I wonder wherefore.”



Israil explained to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah (Sal), since the time the Lord Almighty has appointed me to my
post, I have been living in fear of not being able to discharge my duty and of not being able to fulfill
my responsibility. That is why I appear gloomy and depressed.’ Then I asked him about the vessel he
had before him, and he said, ‘That is the entire world, everything from east to west, from one end of
the world to the other is contained in this dish. I dispose of it at will.’ Again I asked him, ‘What is this
tablet you are looking at?’ and he said to me, ‘This is the Lauh-ul-Mahfuzh, the Preserved Tablet, on
which is inscribed the doom of those who are to die within the year. The angels write them down and
hand the list to me. That is the Tablet.’ ‘And what is this page?’ I asked. ‘On this page is written the
exact hour of time when these souls are to be taken away.’ ‘And what is this tree?’ I asked. He said,
‘It is the tree of the lives of those living in the world. When a man is born, a leaf unfurls upon that
tree upon which his name is written. When his time to die approaches, his leaf begins to yellow and
wither and his name appears on the Tablet. I give this leaf to the angels, and they take it and mix it in
his food so that he eats it. When he has eaten it, by the leave of Allah he falls ill, and when his time is
up, his name is erased from the Tablet. I stretch out my hand and seize his soul, whether he be in the
east or in the west of this world. If he is among the blessed, I hand him to the angels on my right, for
they are the angels of Mercy. But if he is one of the sinners, I hand him to the angels to my left, for
they are the angels of Wrath.”



May Allah preserve us from the doom of the wretched sinners, Amin.



“Again I asked, ‘How many of those angels are there?’ and Azra’il replied, ‘I do not know their
number, but whenever I seize a person’s soul, six hundred angels of Mercy and six hundred angels of
Wrath are ready to do their duty. They wait expectantly to see to which group it will belong. These
angels do their duty only once, the same angels never come twice, and so it will be until the Day of
Judgement.’ After this, I asked again, ‘Oh Angel of Death, how do you take the soul of every single
individual?’ He replied, ‘Since the time I was created, I have never moved from this spot. Seventy
thousand angels are there to serve me, and each one of these has another seventy thousand helpers.
Whenever I have to seize a person’s soul, I give my order to them and they go out and bring the
person’s soul up into his throat. After that, I just stretch out my hand and grasp it from there.’ I said
to him, ‘What I would wish for is that my nation, which is a weak nation, experience death in a mild
and gentle manner.’ He replied, ‘By Allah, the Lord of Might and Majesty who has made you the Seal
of the Prophets, He Almighty addresses me seventy times during one day and night, saying to me,
‘Take the souls of those belonging to Muhammed’s nation with lightness and ease, and judge their
deeds kindly.’ Therefore, I am given to more compassion towards your nation than to any of those
who went before them.”



“After this, Jibreel called the Adhan and Iqama and I led the angels and all inhabitants of the second
heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then I continued my ascent to  





The Third Heaven






“The Lord Almighty created this heaven from copper and has named it Zaytun. The name of its
guardian angel is Arina’il. Its gate is of white pearls and it has a lock of light. When Jibreel knocked
upon the gate, the guardian angel called from within, ‘Who is it requesting entry?’ Jibreel answered,
‘It is I, Jibreel.’ ‘And who is this with you?’ asked the keeper of the gate. ‘It is Muhammed (Sal),’
replied Jibreel. Again he asked, ‘Has he been given prophet hood?’ ‘Yes, he has,’ answered Jibreel.
‘Has he received summons and invitation?’ ‘Yes, he has,’ replied Jibreel. Then Arina’il opened the
gates, saying, ‘Welcome to you, how pleasing a guest!’ I entered this heaven and I beheld Arina’il to
be a great and majestic angel. He had at his command three hundred thousand angels who engaged in
this Tasbih:



Subhana-l-mutiy-l-wahhab,

Subhana-l-fattahi-l-‘alim,

Subhana-l-mujibi liman da’ahu.





(Praise be to the Giver of all things, the generous Bestower,

Praise to the Opener of All Ways, the All-Knowing,

Praise to Him who answers all prayers.)”







“I greeted this angel and he responded with full reverence and gave me news of many and varied
blessings and gifts that were to come to me. After that, I went on and came upon a large group of
angels ranged in rows and all in the position of Sajda. While bowing thus, they were engaged in this
Tasbih:



Subhana-l-khaliqi-l-azhim,

Subhana-lladhi la mafarra wa la malja’a minhu illa ilayhi,

Subhana-l-‘aliyyi-l-a’la.



(Praised be the Almighty Creator,

Praise be to Him from whom there is no escape

no refuge but in Him;

Praised be the Highest of All.)”



“Jibreel then said to me, ‘They are perpetually engaged in this form of worship. Pray that the Lord
grant that also to your nation.’ Then I prayed to the Lord and He granted to my nation the Sajda in
their prayer. This is the reason why the Sajda in our prayer is doubled: when I came and saluted them,
they raised their heads from their Sajda to receive my salute, then they again bowed down. Therefore,
my nation was obliged to perform the Sajda twice in their prayer.”



“I then passed on, and I saw Yusuf in all his great beauty. Of all existing beauty, Yusuf was given one
half. I gave him my Salams and he returned them with dignity and bade me welcome. He informed me
of many miracles to come and he prayed for me. His Tasbih was this:



Subhana-l-karimi-l-akram,

Subhana-l-jalili-l-ajall,

Subhana-l-fardi-l-witr;

Subhana-abadiyyi-l-abad.



(Praised be the Most Bounteous of the Bountiful;

Praised be the Greatest of the Great;

Praised be the Peerless, Unique;

Praised be Eternal, Never-Ending.)”



“After we had passed him, I saw Da’ud and his son Sulayman. I greeted them both and they returned
my Salams with respect. They gave me great good tidings and said, ‘Pray in this night that you might
be given intercession for your nation and that the Lord grant them security.’ In this way they
counselled me.”



“Da’ud’s Tasbih was this:



Subhana khaliqi-n-nur;

Subhana-t-tawwabi-l-wahhab.



(Praised be the Creator of Light;

Praised be He who accepts Repentance

and the Bestower of All Good.)”





“Sulayman’s Tasbih was this:



Subhana maliki-l--mulk ,

Subhana-l-qahiri-l-jabbar,

Subhana man ilayhi tasir-ul-umur.



(Praise to the Lord of All Dominions,

Praise to the Compeller, the Imposing;

Praised be to whom all Things must return.)”



“After I left them, I came to an angel seated upon a throne. This angel had seventy heads and seventy
pairs of wings, each pair spanning all the way from the east to the west. All around him I beheld
enormous angels, each of which was extremely tall. These angels were punishing a certain group of
sinners, beating them with sticks until they fell apart. Then they became whole again and the angels
began beating them again. I asked who this great angel was whom I saw seated upon the throne.
Jibreel told me that he was the angel Soha’il and he told me that those I saw being punished were the
unjust tyrants and cruel oppressors from among my nation. In this way they would be punished until
the Day of Judgement. Their Tasbih was as follows:



Subhana man huwa fauqa-l-jabbarin;

Subhana-l-musalliti fauqa-l-musallitin;

Subhana-l-muntaqimi mim-man asahu.





(Glory to Him who is above all oppressors;

Glory to Him who attacks all attackers;

Glory to Him who takes revenge on whomever disobeys Him.)”



“After this, I beheld a Sea of Fire surrounded on its shores by fierce and terrible angels. ‘What is
this?’ I asked, and Jibreel explained to me, ‘This sea is the ‘Sea of Sa’q’ (Lightning), and these angels
here throw down thundering bolts of fire and lightning from the heavens onto the earth.”



As it written in this Holy Verse of the Qur’an:



He looses the thunderbolts,

and smites with them whomsoever He will..



(Thunder, 13)



“After this I beheld a door, which was made all of camphor wood. Its lower groundsill reached down
to the lowest level of the earth, while its upper doorsill reached to just below the Divine Throne. This
door was a double door, on which was mounted a lock as great as heaven and earth together. I asked
in amazement, ‘What is this door?’ and Jibreel answered me, ‘The name of this door is ‘Bab-ul-
Aman’, the Door of Safety.’ I asked why it was so called and Jibreel told me, ‘The Lord Almighty
created Hell and filled it with various torments. There came a breath out of Hell, and all the creatures
on earth and in the heavens appealed to the Lord for help and protection. Then, the Lord of All
Majesty created this door between Hell and the rest of all creation, so that all the creatures of the
seven heavens and earths will find safety from it. Therefore, the name of this door is the Door of
Safety.’ I then asked to see what was behind that door and asked for it to be opened, but Jibreel said,
‘Behind this door you will find Hell, is that really what you want to see?’ ‘Yes, indeed, I wish to see
it,’ I said. Thereupon a Divine Command was heard, saying, ‘Oh My Beloved, upon a sign of your
finger, this door will open.”



“I then signalled with my hand and the door opened. I looked beyond it and this is what I saw: a great
Minbar of iron, which had six hundred thousand pedestals. Upon it sat a great and terrible angel
created from fire. He was busy twisting ropes of fire, making shackles and fetters of fire. His face
was awesome and frightful to behold. His hand was powerful and his anger was plain to see. His head
was bowed forward and he recited this Tasbih:



Subhana-lladhi la yajuru wa huwa-l-malik-ul-jabbar;

Subhana-l-muntaqimu min ‘ada’ihi,

Subhana-l-mu’ti li-man yasha’a,

Subhana man laysa ka-mithlihi shay’un.





(Praised be He who commits not injustice

and He is the Almighty, Omnipotent King;

Glory to Him who triumphs in revenge over His foes,

Praised be He who bestows on whomever He wilt;

Glory to Him who is unlike anything.)”



“Flames leapt from his mouth as high as mountains, and from his nose darted flares of fire. This angel
was exceedingly angry and full of rage, and his eyes, each one of which was as great as the whole
world, blazed with fury. As I beheld this angel in all his awesome aspect, I felt afraid. Were it not for
the grace and generous support from the Lord Almighty, I would have perished from fear. I asked
Jibreel, ‘Who is this, the sight of whom makes me tremble?’ Jibreel told me, ‘Be unafraid, for there is
nothing there for you to fear. This is the Guardian of Jahannam, Hell, and his name is Malik. Allah
Almighty has created him from His Wrath and since the day of his creation, he has never smiled yet.
His fury increases with every passing moment. Go up to him now and salute him.’ Thereupon, I went
up and gave him my Salams, but he was so engrossed in what he was doing that he lifted not even his
head. Jibreel  passed in front of him and spoke to him, ‘Oh Malik, he who has just given you Salams
is the Prophet of Allah, Muhammed (Sal).”



“Jibreel thus introduced me, and when he heard my name, this terrible angel rose to his feet and
honoured me with many compliments and respectful greetings, after which he spoke, saying to me,
‘Oh Muhammed (Sal), good tidings to you! For the Lord has vouchsafed to you many miraculous
doings; and He is pleased with you: He has forbidden your body to the fires of Hell. From love and
respect for you, He has also forbidden the fires to touch those who follow you. He has ordered me to
treat the disobedient from among your nation with mildness and restraint. I shall wreak my revenge
on those who refuse to believe in you.”



“I then said to Jibreel, ‘Ask him to show me Hell.’ When Jibreel told him of my request, he opened a
hole the size of a needlepoint through which I could look into Hell. At first, a thread of black smoke
came wafting through the hole. Had that smoke come from the hole for the period of one hour, all the
heavens and the earth would have been filled with it. The light of the sun and the moon and all other
luminaries would have been occluded, all would have been steeped in darkness and laid waste. But
Malik stopped up that hole with his hand and the smoke ceased pouring forth. Then he said to me,
‘Look through this hole and behold Hell.”



“I looked through the hole and I saw the seven layers of Hell stacked one upon another. The
uppermost was the one reserved for the disobedient from among my nation and it is called
‘Jahannam’. The punishments meted out here were less severe than in the deeper layers of Hell.”



“The second level is called ‘Lazha’; it is the hell for the Christians;

The third level is named ‘Hotama’, and it is reserved for the Jews;

The fourth level is named ‘Sa’ir’, and it is for the Sabeans;

The fifth level is called ‘Saqar’, and it is the hell for the Majusis;

The sixth level is called ‘Jahim’, and in it shall burn the idolaters;

The seventh level is named ‘Hawiya’, and it is reserved for the

hypocrites and those who claimed themselves to be

Gods, such as Nimrod and Pharaoh.”



“I had not the strength to gaze at the extreme chastisements of those in the lower levels of Hell, so I
only saw what went on in the first levels in which were the unrepentant of my nation. I saw that in it
there were seventy seas of fire along the shores of each of which was a city of fire. In each of these
cities there were seventy thousand houses of fire and in each of the houses there were seventy
thousand chests of fire. Each of these chests contained men and women, imprisoned therein,
surrounded by snakes and scorpions. I asked the Guardian of Hell, ‘Oh Malik, who are these people
locked in these chests?’ He told me, ‘Some of them are people who oppressed their fellows and
unfairly enriched themselves through their belongings. Others are those who became proud, and
appointed themselves to be leaders and tyrants and ruled by cruel oppression. Greatness and Pride are
attributes of Allah Almighty and befit Him alone.”



“Then I beheld a people whose lips were as the lips of dogs and camels. Their bellies were bloated
and the Zabaniya (demons of hell; myrmidons) beat them with mallets of fire until their entrails were
ripped up and trailed out from their rear ends. Each time this happened, their entrails were recreated
and the Zabaniya tormented them anew, and thus it continues. I asked who these people were, and
Malik told me, ‘These are the people who wrongfully took for themselves what belonged to orphans.’



“Then I saw another people whose bellies were swollen up like huge mountains. They were filled with
snakes and scorpions that crawled about within and caused them great torment. Whenever they
wished to rise to their feet, they could not do so for the greatness of their stomachs and the motion of
the vermin in them, and they fell back down. I asked the angel, ‘Who are they?’ Malik replied, ‘These
are the people of your nation who committed usury.”



“Then I came upon a group of women who were suspended by their hair. I asked who they were and
Malik said, ‘These are the women who concealed not their hair and faces from unrelated menfolk and
who revealed their beauty to men other than their husbands and caused their husbands pain and
chagrin.”



“After them, I beheld a group of men and women who were suspended from their tongues by means
of fiery hooks. Their fingernails were made of copper and with them they clawed and tore up their
own faces. ‘Who are these?’ I asked, and Malik told me, ‘These are people who swore by false
testimony, and who were talebearers, spreading slander and gossip.”



“Then I beheld a group of women some of whom were suspended by their breasts while others were
tied by their feet, head down. They were yelling and screaming incessantly. I asked about them, and
Malik said, ‘These are women who committed adultery, and such women who had abortions and
killed their children.”



“After these I saw a group of men who were tearing flesh from their own sides and placing it in their
mouths. But they did not swallow it; they just hid it in their mouths. The Zabaniya were at them,
forcing them to eat the flesh, and again, the same thing would take place: they tore of some flesh,
placed it in their mouths and the demons of hell would force them to eat it. This was their
punishment. I asked who they were and I was told, ‘They are those from among your nation who
openly criticize and belittle people, and who talk behind their backs and spread malicious gossip about
them as well. And those who wink and poke fun at people, making signs of derision with their hands,
lips, brows or eyes.”



“Then I came upon another people whose bodies resembled the trunks of pigs, whose faces were like
the faces of dogs, and who emitted fire from their rear ends. Snakes and scorpions were biting them,
their flesh being eaten by them. ‘Who are those?’ I asked the Angel of Hell, and Malik answered me,
‘They are those from among your nation who neglected to pray or perform their ritual ablutions, and
who went about in a state of (ritual) impurity.”



“After that, I came to another group of people who were suffering from extreme thirst, and
desperately crying for water. In response to their pleas, they were given goblets of fire filled to the
brim with boiling water, and they were commanded to drink from these. Being forced to do so, as
soon as the goblets came near to their lips, all the flesh of their faces began to bubble from the
extreme heat of the water until it fell off and dropped into their goblets. When they had drunk the
water, their intestines fell apart and emerged in tatters from their backsides. “Who are they?’ I asked
and Malik told me, ‘These are people from your nation who used to drink wine and other intoxicants.”



“After this, I saw a group of women who were suspended from their feet, with their tongues
protruding and hanging out. Angels with fiery shears clipped them off, but they grew back each time.
All the while they were braying like asses and howling like dogs. ‘Who are they?’ I asked the angel,
and he answered, ‘These are the wailing women who used to loudly bemoan the dead.”



“Then I passed a group of men and women who were seated in copper ovens that were set upon a
raging fire, whose flames licked their heads and enfolded their entire bodies. A vile stench arose from
here. I asked the angel about them and he said, ‘These are men and women who committed adultery.’
‘And what is this terrible smell?’ I asked. ‘That smell comes from the discharge of their genitals.”



“Next I saw a group of  women who were hung up while their  hands were tightly bound to their
necks. ‘Who are these?’ I asked. ‘These are women who deceived their husbands and spent their
husband’s wealth without his knowledge,’ answered Jibreel.”



“Next I saw a group of men and women who were being punished in the fire and the demons of hell
set upon them, beating them with fiery rods. The more they screamed, the harder they beat them.
They drove blades of fire into their stomachs and whipped them with whips of fire. Their
chastisement appeared very severe to me. I asked about them and Malik said to me, ‘These are such
as opposed and disobeyed their mothers and fathers.”  



“Then I saw a people who wore great rings of fire around their necks. ‘Who are these?’ I asked the
angel. ‘These are the ones who defrauded goods left in their safekeeping.”



“Then I came to a group who were being slaughtered by the Zabaniya with knives of fire, but
instantly they came to life, only to be slaughtered anew. ‘Who are these?’ I asked, and Malik told me,
‘They are those who killed a soul without justification.”



“Then I saw people who were eating the most disgusting, stinking carcass. ‘Who are these people?’ I
asked the angel. He told me, ‘These are the people who spread slanderous gossip, and thereby ate the
flesh of their brethren.”



“Next I saw a place in hell which had two divisions, one for the men and one for the women, and
both were being punished in a terrible fashion. I asked Malik who they were and he said, ‘These are
men who went out before their kings and rulers, beating with whips the weak and poor of the people,
driving them away with cruelty. And these are women who seemingly dressed in a modest fashion,
but in reality were naked and displayed themselves to strangers, for when they went about, they
adorned themselves to make themselves appear attractive. Therefore, their heads have grown as big
as a camel’s hump, and they cannot enter the peace and safety of Paradise.”



“After this, I saw another group of men and women, all being punished in different ways, each
distinct from the other. They were made to suffer the worst castigations of all those punished on this
level of hell. For example: they were impaled on poles of fire on which their flesh began to boil and
drop off until only their bones remained. But Allah Almighty caused their flesh to grow back forthwith
and their torment began anew. Some others were bound with shackles and fetters of fire, and that
was their penalty. ‘Who are these?’ I asked again, and Malik answered and said, ‘These are such
people who whilst they were alive and well, neglected their prayers and abandoned worship.’ “



“Then I said to the Guardian Angel of Hell, ‘Oh Malik, shut the Gates of Hell, for I have not the
strength to regard any more of its sights.’  Malik then said, ‘Oh Rasulullah (Sal), you have witnessed
the terrors of Hell with your own blessed eyes so that you might pass on what you have seen to your
nation as a warning. And may it serve to increase their fear of Allah and keep them from rebellion and
disobedience, and make them steadfast in their worship and submission to Allah. Jahannam has seven
levels. What you have seen, is only its very first layer, and the punishments therein are light; they are
as nothing compared to the deeper levels of hell.”



The Holy Prophet (Sal) then began to weep from pity for his nation and for the terrors that lay in
store for it, and as he wept, the great angels Jibreel and Mikha’il and all the Muqarrabin wept with him
and joined in his appeal for mercy. At last there came a call from the Lord Almighty, saying, “Oh my
Beloved, for the esteem you hold in the Divine Presence, your prayer is answered and your
intercession is granted; so be easy, for on the Day of Judgement, I will give you a special station of
intercession and I will spare as many sinners as you ask for, until you say: it is enough! For We