The Miracluous Journey.
Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship. ( 17:1)
SubhanAllah! Our Beloved Nabi was instructed by Jibreel Alaihis Sallam to alight and pray in this most Radiant of Cities, a land filled with date palms, the first of several stops on this Blessed Night Journey to His Lord….. Jibreel Alaihis Sallam on the right, was holding the stirrup and Mika’il Alaihis Sallam on the left , holding the reins of Buraq on this sacred mission. Jibreel Alaihis Sallam then informed our Beloved praised servant of Allah Ta’ala SallAllahu alaihi wasallam that he had just prayed in a tayba, a land of pastures where his Hijrah would later take place. So long before Yathrib became At-Tayba the land was beautified by not only the presence of the Angelic Hosts, Buraq, the ever obedient lightning-mount who had also transported previous Prophets, but honoured and perfumed by the best of creation SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.
Perpetual salutations on the Rider of the Lightning-Mount.
Perpetual salutations on the Holder of the Stunning Miracles.
Perpetual salutations on the Possessor of the Greatest Pre-Eminence.
Perpetual salutations on the Bringer of Deliverance.
Perpetual salutations on the Holder of the Exalted Station.
Perpetual salutations on the Fully Witnessed One.
Perpetual salutations on the Distinguished One in the Divine Presence.
The chosen one, the light of lights from the source of Light SallAllahu alaihi wasallam was divined to ascend the ladders of perfection, where all the Divine secrets and signs were revealed to him SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. And then his noble station was venerated to the highest plateau, raised to reach the Lote-tree and the glowing Farthest Boundary, to the Intimate Presence, a nearness of two bows lengths, a pristine space never having been entered by Angel or Prophet, there where he heard the scratching of the Pen scribing all that was and is and will be. Allah Ta’ala shared all that He wished with His Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and decreed that his Ummah be gifted with one of the brightest of gems from the thousands of gems that is the Crown of Islam…. Salat! The most celebrated of gifts our Lord has bestowed upon us as directly ordained from His Jannah, the key to our finally entering His Garden of Blissful Eternity.
And His Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasallam gave thanks:
Praise to Allah Who has sent me
As a mercy to the worlds sent to all without exception,
A bearer of glad tidings and a warner!
Who has caused to descend upon me the Qur’an
In which there is a perfect exposition of all things!
Who has made my Community the best Community
Ever brought out for the benefit of mankind!
Who has made my Community a median and middle!
Who has made my Community, in truth,
The first [in Paradise] and the last [in creation]
Of all Communities!
Who has expanded my breast
And relieved me of my burden!
Who has exalted my name,
And made me the Opener and the Sealer!
Al-Kareem, Subahahu wa Ta’ala, reduced the original request of fifty prayers to five prayers every day and night, and by His Munificence every prayer is counted as ten to make the original fifty prayers. SubhanAllah! How blessed we are! How blessed are we, how blessed we are!! May we be grateful, Insha’Allah.
Later our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said:
As-salatu Mi’raj-ul-Mumineen. Salat is the Mi’raj of the Mu’mineen.
Through our concentration, devotion, and our absorption in Salat we become connected to Allah Ta’ala and ascend to the spiritual perfection and presence experienced by the holy Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Our striving for perfection in our Salat, Insha’Allah leads to the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala, Who attracts Whom He wills, as well as it being a means of following the spiritual path of Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.
So let us eagerly ‘mount a Buraq’, as we step on the prayer mat in readiness for our own “miraculous journey” to our Lord, one that culminates in a Divine meeting with Him Subhanahu wa Ta’ala as He lifts the veils while we are in Sajdah.
The believers will succeed; those who pray humbly. (23:1-2)
Abu Dhar RadhiAllahu anhu narrated that Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi Wasallam said: Allah continues to turn attentively towards His slave while he is engaged in Salat, as long as he does not turn his attention. When he turns his attention away, Allah turns away from him. (Nasai)
Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: The example of obligatory Salat is like a weighing scale. Whoever gives in full, receives in full. (Baihaqi)
May we reflect upon the miracle of this wondrous journey, bringing the significance of all that it encompasses into our own daily routine. May the efforts we strive to make towards our own Mi’raaj, through our Salat, bring us to the One, and raise our station, as we aspire to ascend to Him. Ameen.
Perpetual salutations on the Rider of the Lightning-Mount.
Perpetual salutations on the Holder of the Stunning Miracles.
Perpetual salutations on the Possessor of the Greatest Pre-Eminence.
Perpetual salutations on the Bringer of Deliverance.
Perpetual salutations on the Holder of the Exalted Station.
Perpetual salutations on the Fully Witnessed One.
Perpetual salutations on the Distinguished One in the Divine Presence.
Last year’s entry for this Mubarak Journey, with several links:
http://almiskeenah.blogsome.com/category/israa-wa-miraaj/
Two excellent visual panoramas of Masjid Aqsa, one inside,
http://www.visualdhikr.com/extra/aqsa_pano.php
this one outside:
http://www.nylocations.com/panoramic-photography/jerusalem/source/22_dome-of-the-rock.htm
A collection of photographs of the Dome of the Rock at the following two sites:
http://haqaonline.lightuponlight.com/pg/thumbnails.php?album=19
http://www.islamicfinder.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=22
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Makka, may Allah Ta’ala have mercy on him, has written this succinct scholarly account, The Prophet’s Night Journey and Heavenly ascent.
http://www.aqsapublications.com/home.html
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
salam, do u have an email address i can contact u?
Comment by f — August 9, 2007 @ 12:37 am
Alhamdulillah! With each post your pen is more and more gifted by love, and your wondrous words flow like the waters of paradise, washing clean the hearts of all who read them, and overflowing the heart also into tears at their beauty. May Allah bless you for bringing us such joy
Rejoice, O Pen! If you cannot but break
when you write the word Love,
Then a thousand times will you break
at this tale.
But what sorrow is this?
Love is worth breaking for.
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — August 9, 2007 @ 6:39 pm
Assalamu alaikum dear Irving Darvish,
Your words are far too generous…and compared to your lyrical pen bend in humility. Verily verily, “Love is worth breaking for”, the heart ecstatically rejoices, JazakumuLlahu Khairan over and over and over.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — August 9, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
assalamualaykumm WW and Jumuah mubarak!
enjoy your day in the city of nur and peace as much as i would:)
36 weeks ago i was spending my first few hours in the city of madinah!please remember me in your special dua, today and always, for Allah to accept me as a true lover of Nabi sallallahualayhiwasallam, and to grant me and mine, an easy death with iman, and the favour of burial beneath the mubarak soils of jannatul baqee ameen!Life’s full of valleys and peaks, but when i feel that im stuck in a valley, i gain comfort from thoughts of your “little black book’:) I heard omce in the tafseer of surah yusuf, that as yusuf as was left alone in the well and was found even though there was almost no hope of him getting out, whenever one is in any difficulty, know that Allah will send along someone in your life to relive you from your difficulty if you just hold on to His rope. i stumbled upon this blog one eve of jumah a few months ago, in a moment of ‘helplessness’ and Allah opened for me the ‘windows of madina’ through your blog. InshaAllah one day soon, the ‘doors of madinah’ will be opened for me and my family and i can become the permanent and worthy residents of the city of light and peace - ameen. plz rem us in your special duas. ws
allahumma sallee ala sayyidina muhammad wa alaa aalihi was ashabihi alfa alfa marrah.
Comment by tasnim — August 10, 2007 @ 6:10 am
also…in 2003 Alhumdulillah, Allah ranted my brother and i the opport of spending the last 2 nights of ramadaan and eid in jeruselum. wow subhanallah, reading taraweeh salaah in the 3rd haram, spending eid there so far away from family and home, yet the heart so full! alhumdulillah.olive bread and water for iftar, the beautiful sunset, the sad feeling of being in a land of such conflict, the elation of being a chosen 1 to be there, the feeling of awe - wow imagine, thew same land upon which the buraq landed and our beloved habib sallaalhualayhiwasallam was the imam of al the ambiya alayhisalaatuwassalaam,Allahuakbar. what emotion.may our most Kind Allah grant evryone the same opportunity inshaAllah ameen.
and jazakallah khairan for all you time and effort taken in keeping up the good work.mashaAllah, may Allah grabt you a long and healthy life so that the ummat may continue n=benefitting from you Ameen. InshaAllah we’ll meet someday soon, but if it is not meant for it to be in this world, then may our meeting be at the haudhe kauthar, with all our loved ones inshaAllah ameen. please remember my family and i in your special dua on this mubarak day, in he mubarak lands. Jazakiallah for your time,ws
Comment by tasnim — August 10, 2007 @ 6:21 am
Assalamu alaikum dear sister Tasnim, Ameen thumma Ameen to all your soulful words and Du’a, and for sharing the moving account of when you were in Al-Quds, SubhanAllah, how blessed to have been to our three Sacred Places, Masha’Allah…and may all your sincere and persistent Du’a be answered. My little black book is now a little silver one….and you are certainly in it…but my humble words are just that, from a weak and needy one myself…in need of your begging too, Insha’Allah. May our words fly higher during this Mubarak time, Ameen.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — August 10, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
As salaamu alaikum
SubhanALLAH, a joy to read as always, lifting our souls towards Allah SWT and Habibullah
Wa’salaam
farhanah
Comment by Farhanah — August 10, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
Assalamu alaikum dear Ukhti Farhanah, Alhumdulillah that our souls have no weight like our bodies!(referring to emails!) Insha’Allah you had a Mubarak Laylatul Mir’aaj, with all Du’a answered and all Ibadah receiving multitude of rewards, Ameen.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — August 11, 2007 @ 8:33 pm