What happened after the journey of Meraj?

When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) described the journey of Meraj to the people after Salaat Ul Fajr, it led to a great uproar.  Every person started denying it.  Some people who had embraced Islam newly turned apostates.

 

My friends!  Just think!  If Meraj wasn’t a physical journey, then why that uproar?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would simply have said that I am simply describing a dream, why do you have to be surprised so much?  But the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) insisted that it was a physical journey.

 

On this, the disbelievers said that we haven’t ever heard such a thing.  Give us some sign of it.  If you went to Bait Ul Muqaddas, then you must have seen so and so caravans of ours on the way.  If you are truthful, then describe them to us in detail as to where they were this night and what people of the caravan were doing at that time.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Your caravans which have gone to Syria for trade, are returning with their goods.  They have lost one of their camel and they were roaming forest upon forest in search of it.  That caravan is returning.  Foremost in that caravan is a muddy-brown camel laden with 2 sacks.  One of them is black and the other is striped.

 

People ran to check and this and saw that actually there was a muddy-brown camel foremost in that caravan.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) described another incident:  Frightened by the speed of my mount, one camel ran and another fell.  When the people in the caravan were asked about this, they acknowledged this.

 

Friends!  If this wasn’t a physical journey, then why did the camels panic?

 

Abu Jahl was very glad that now the lies of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would be revealed.  People came at this calling.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) narrated the whole incident.  People were astonished and started denying it.  Then they said:  If you are true, then describe the Bait Ul Muqaddas to us.  Like how many doors are there, how many minarets, etc.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:  When I had gone to Bait Ul Muqaddas, I had not considered these things to be of any importance and hadn’t paid any attention to them.  These questions perturbed me so much that I hadn’t been perturbed like this even.  Then Almighty Allah put Bait Ul Muqaddas before me.  I looked at it and whatever they asked me about it, I answered them.

 

On one hand, the incidents of the caravans had confirmed it.  On the other, the signs and description of Bait Ul Muqaddas confirmed it.  Voices were raised all around that this is the magic of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Thus, the way modern-educated people deny Meraj nowadays as it goes against all accepted logic, in the same way, each and every person of Makkah denied it and repudiated the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

Many praises to Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be well pleased with him) that when the disbelievers came running to him and asked him whether he knew what his Friend (the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)) was saying.  He is saying that He had physical ascension.  Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  It is true.  He then came to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Abu Bakr!  I went from Makkah to Bait Ul Muqaddas and came back.  Hadhrat Abu Bakr (May Allah be well pleased with him) hesitated.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Abu Bakr!  Will you also deny this like the disbelievers?  Hadhrat Abu Bakr (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  Never.  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Why are you making me acknowledge a small thing?  You please tell me something great and then ask me to acknowledge it.  The great thing that I want to acknowledge is that you went not only to Bait Ul Muqaddas but also to the seven heavens and even toured the ‘Arsh.  Please describe the whole incident and then see how emphatically does Abu Bakr acknowledge it.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Abu Bakr!  This is what happened, but I didn’t tell you all this out of the fear that you would also deny it.  Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  When I have acknowledged that Jibreel (Peace be upon him) comes from the heavens to this world 10 times in a day only because you said it, then what is there to deny if you go to the heavens in 1 night?  The Lord Almighty who sends Jibreel (Peace be upon him) from the heavens to the earth also took Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) from the earth to the heavens.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was returning home listening to the taunts of the disbelievers that He saw a woman is standing at a well and crying.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked her what was the matter.  She said:  I am the slave of that Jew.  He sent me to fetch water.  I am ill.  The pot broke on the way.  A kind person got me a new pot, but it is very big and I am unable to lift it.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Don’t worry!  I will take the pot.

 

The slave first ran inside and told the inmates of the house about this.  The Jew came out and saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He said:  O Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Did you have the Ascension last night?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Yes, but how do you know it?  He said:  Please wait.  He called all his family members and also brought the Torah with him.  He opened the Torah and said:  See what is written in the Torah, that one of the signs of the Last Prophet will be that when He will have the Ascension (Meraj), the next morning the pot a Jew will be on His head because of a slave.  The Seal of Prophethood will be on His (upper) back.  Now I am certain that you are the True Prophet.

 

That Jew and his whole family embraced Islam.  This was the result of good manners.

 

Obedience to Allah Most High and being affectionate with the creation, this was the character of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Muslims should also follow Him.

 

[Excerpted from Merajnama of Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan]