Sadia Dehlvi

In the first week of July falls the 27th night of Rajab, the day in the seventh month of the Islamic calendar in which the Shab-e-Miraj, Night of Ascension took place. The night Prophet Mohammad journeyed to meet the Lord. The ascension is spirituality at its highest for it carries clues on the secrets of the heavens. It gives us the remarkable news that the gulf between the finite and infinite can be bridged. Details of the celebrated event are found in countless hadith, transmissions of prophetic sayings.
This night journey of love forms the very foundation of the ultimate sufi experience; for we all have to follow Mohammad in making that ascension. This mystic voyage demonstrates that union with God is possible. Shams Tabriz, the 13th century Master of Mevlana Rumi, taught, “To follow Mohammad is that he went to the Miraj and you go behind him”.
This ascension is a story of pluralism, where the Prophet travelled to the heart of the older Semitic traditions, the Temple of the Mount in Jerusalem. Here, Mohammad led all the previous prophets in prayer and then journeyed through the different layers of heaven, where the Prophet met Abraham, Jesus, Moses and some other prophets. They shared their stories, insights and concerns for humanity.
The journey illustrates the tale of love between Mohammad and Allah. In Mecca the Prophet often visited the Kaaba enclosure at night. Tired, one evening he went to sleep near the House of God. The Archangel Gabriel shook him gently, awakening him from a deep slumber. He escorted Mohammad to Al Buraq, the wonderous winged steed standing by to carry him to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Here, Mohammad led all previous prophets in prayer with the title of Imam-e-Ambiya, Leader of the Prophets.
Mecca is the city of Ishmael whereas Jerusalem is the city of Isaac; and this visit to Jerusalem closed the gap between the two great branches of Abraham’s family. Masjid Al Aqsa, The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem remains Islam’s holiest site after Mecca and Madina for it marks the place from where the ascension took place.
At that time the qibla, direction of Muslim prayer, was Jerusalem. It changed later during Mohammad’s life when he was instructed by God to face the city of Mecca. Throughout Islamic history, Muslim scholars have reflected whether the ascension was of a physical or spiritual nature, with most agreeing that it was both. The narratives of the ascension are considered the most dramatic words spoken by the Prophet. They describe the gate of the lower heavens opening with the Prophet and Gabriel rising higher. In the successive heavens they encounter Isa (Jesus), Yahya (John the Baptist), Idris (Enoch), Haroon (Aaron), Musa (Moses), and Ibrahim (Abraham). Each one greets Prophet Mohammad before he reaches the climax of this journey.
The Quran testifies that Mohammad finally arrived at the highest part of the horizon, at the maqaam, the station of “Two Bows Length” with God — understood as the fine juncture where the two halves of an archer’s bow are glued together, forming an almost invisible line of separation. It speaks of Mohammad’s impeccable conduct, his eyes not swerving. The mystic journey finds another mention in the Quran: “Glory to Allah Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless — in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth all things”. (17:1)
Muslims believe that time came to a standstill during the ascension, for Mohammad returned to find his bed warm and the pitcher, which had tumbled over, had not emptied out completely Prophet Mohammad returns to the world but not worldly, claiming: “Poverty is my pride”. He returns with the assurance that God is pure Mercy and Goodness. The event of Shab-e-Miraj is celebrated in many countries with streets, mosques, houses and dargahs illuminated beautifully. It remains the subject of popular poetry and art throughout the Muslim world. Sarmad (d. 1661 AD) the martyred Sufi poet wrote:

“The Mullah says that Mohammad went to heaven
Sarmad says that heaven descended into Mohammad.”

— Sadia Dehlvi is a Delhi-based writer and author of Sufism: The Heart of Islam. She can be contacted at sadiafeedback@gmail.com