MUSLIMS & THE STRAIGHT PATH: Part - 3-F - Meraj or The Ascent of the Prophet

Muslims & The Straight Path  [Published 2010]

Part - 3-F

QURAN MISUNDERSTOOD 

Those who do not believe in Meraj or the ascent of the Prophet should read the first few verses of Surah Najm wherein it is clearly stated:

53:9

Thus was (he) the measure between two bows (facing each other) or nigher still,

53:10

Then revealed he unto His Servant what He did reveal

53:13-14

And indeed he did see him at another Descent

At the Sidra (the Lote-Tree) ‘Muntaha’ (the all-Comprehensive Terminus).

53:15-16

Nigh unto it is the Garden Abode

When covereth (over) the ‘Sidra’ (Tree) that which covereth it.

53:17-18

Neither his eye did dazzle nor did it rebel

Indeed he did see of the greatest signs of his Lord.

These verses talking of Meraj refer to the highest state of communion with God granted to the Holy Prophet. The distance between the two was not even equal the measure of the distance of two bows.

It must also be remembered that the Ascension of the Holy Prophet to the heavens was with his physical body and not in a vision as those opposed to the holy Ahlul-bayt interpret it and this fact is more and more realized by man with his progress in his scientific achievements, in his travel through space. It is getting easier for human intelligence to realize the factors of higher knowledge by applying a wholesome reasoning that if this be possible by means of the atomic energy by the experimental use of it how easy it would be for the Creator Lord of all energies still unknown to man to effect the Ascension of one of His chosen ones and what is that the Will of the Omnipotent Lord of the Universe cannot do.

See 2:117, 16:40, 19:35, 40:68 and 36:82. There was a time when we could not believe in the possibility of conveying sounds through a wire charged with electricity and when telegraphic and telephonic devices became a reality and we believed in it. Before the invention of the wireless system we could not believe in any sound being heard from distances without any medium of a wire and when the radioactivity became a reality, we believed in it and prior to the invention of television we could not believe matter being reflected far away without any visible medium and today it is a reality to us. As we advance in our scientific achievements, we are increased in our knowledge about the possibilities endowed in our environmental world which were known and unbelievable. How long will it take to begin our actual and perfectly reliable knowledge of the heavenly kingdom which is infinite – in its extent and nature?

Hence it would be nothing but a miserable betrayal of the bankruptcy of one’s intellect to deny or doubt about the bodily Ascent (Meraj) of the Holy Prophet and any of his experiences during his heavenly journey.

The tone of the statement in verse 10 clearly states that which transpired between God and the Select Servant and the Chosen One of His Apostles, i.e., the Holy Prophet, during the state of the maximum communion with the Lord, none could ever know it. Verse 12 is an interrogatory address to those who disbelieveth in what the Holy Prophet related about his experiences, in the heavens, during his Ascension – Journey. Verse 13 tells of the Holy Prophet seeing Gabriel for a second time (on return journey). Verse 14 says that the second time the Holy Prophet saw Gabriel was at the ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’ the point where ends or stops all knowledge of every one – and no one’s knowledge crosses the limit. It is said that when the Holy Prophet reached the point of ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’, Gabriel said: “I shall not step an inch further from this.” The Holy Prophet passed that point of ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’ and what is mentioned in verse 8, 9 and 10 is what happened after crossing this point when Gabriel had stopped away. Verse 15 talks of a garden or Paradise or the blissful region near the Sidra which is the abode of the pious ones.

It is evident that God is talking of this garden beyond the point where Gabriel could go. If angel Gabriel couldn’t to beyond this place, no other angel could dare to venture there. This place in Gita has been referred to as Indra’s heaven (or Mohammad’s heaven, as there is no doubt that Indra is Mohammad; see ‘One God, One Religion’), as the highest level of heaven. Since Mohammad passed that point, we should have no doubt that the same Garden is the heaven of Mohammad and he was there prior to taking birth in human form.  

Verse 16 also confirms that after reaching the point of Sidra, the realities of the Kingdom of God beyond the point unveiled, i.e., the Holy Prophet was made to visualize the Kingdom beyond Sidra which none else besides God has the knowledge of it. Verse 17 says that in spite of the things around made manifest, being full of marvel and wonder, the Holy Prophet’s gaze was only towards the manifest Glory of the Lord and never even cast his glance on anything around him, nor did his eye or his sight or attention, that was so much engrossed in viewing the glory of the Lord, turned towards any of marvels and wonder that surrounded him.

This description can be more clearly understood after reading the Vedas and Upanishads and Puranas. The place was not new to Mohammad as it was the abode when in his Noor state. He had stayed there prior to taking birth as Mohammad on earth, he is there at this point of time as well and will continue to dwell until God creates yet another creation and it is time for him to manifest himself in the creation to impart God’s teachings. That is why all the marvels and wonders around could not shift the gaze of Mohammad from his Lord – most probably the Manifest Self of God that is the subject of all discussion in the Vedas and Upanishads.

According to the statement of the Sixth Holy Imam Jafar ibn Mohammad As-Sadiq, it was at this stage that the question of Vilayat (Succession) and Imamat (Vicegerency) and its finality and perfection was revealed to the Holy Prophet. That is why when the verse came down at Ghadeer, it was said to Prophet to tell what had already been told.