It is clear from the narrations of Hadith and Quran that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was taken in Meraj with, body and soul by Allah (SWT) in a state of complete wakefulness. In only one night, Prophet (SAW) left from Makkah and reached Baitul Maqdis where he led various Ambiya (AS) in Salah. From there, he ascended the heavens where he again met the Ambiya (AS). Then, he saw the Sidratul Muntaha and the Baitul Maamoor and reached the place where the screech of the pens could be heard. In the realm of the heavens, Fifty times Salah was made compulsory. On the advice of Moosa (AS) Prophet (SAW) presented himself several times requesting Allah to lighten the responsibility of the Ummah until it was reduced to five times Salah daily with Allah’s promise that these five Salah will carry the reward of fifty Salaah. Then, on the same night, Rasulullah (SAW) descended from the heavens and returned to Makkah Muazzamah. On his way, he met a trade caravan of the Quraishi. When he mentioned the episode of the night before the Quraishi, they rejected what he had told them. But after describing to them and answering all their questions about the Baitul Maqdis to their full satisfaction and since the caravan he had met had now returned and their utter amazement everything Prophet (SAW) had told them about it turned out to be true, the Quraishi had no answer and were left completely speechless. Yet, sadly today we find some of our present-day skeptics reluctant to believe in the incident of Meraj. While some ignoramuses totally deny it, others brush it aside as only a vision or a dream of Rasulullah (SAW). Little do they realize that if it was nothing more than a dream, why did the Mushrikeen (Idolators) of Makkah deny it? and what had prompted them to ask how the journey of one month to Baitul Maqdis was covered in such a short span of time? And what was the need for them to ask for a meticulous description of some of the features of Baitul Maqdis?
The word “Israa” a verb perfect of the fourth form which is derived from the root words “Saraa, Yaseer” denotes a journey undertaken by night. When someone wanders anywhere in a dream, this is never described by the verbs “Saraa” Asraa”. However, those who have not the faintest intention to believe and accept the truth will have no doubts over even rejecting the Verses of the Qur’an or the Sahih Hadith of Rasulullah (SAW). May Allah (SWT) guide them?
In the beginning of Surah Israá, Allah (SWT) uses the expression “Glory be to him who took his servant in a night journey” to highlight the fact that Prophet (SAW) went on this journey with both body and soul. The word “Israa” a verb perfect of the fourth form which is derived from the root words “Saraa, Yaseer” denotes a journey undertaken by night. When someone wanders anywhere in a dream, this is never described by the verbs “Saraa” Asraa”. However, those who have not the faintest intention to believe and accept the truth will have no doubts over even rejecting the Verses of the Qur’an or the Sahih Hadith of Rasulullah (SAW). May Allah (SWT) guide them? Another baseless contention of the detractors and those who deny the (physical) Meraj is that after a certain point in the atmosphere, there is no oxygen and therefore anyone who undertakes such a distant journey must bypass such planets, where because of the lack of Oxygen, he cannot survive nor pass by these planets alive. All this is the prattle of ignorant people.
