Why was the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) taken to the spiritual worlds?

By the grant of Allah Ta'ala, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would see the wonders of nature and the realities of the heavenly worlds with His blessed eyes and would see Jannah and hell. 

 

Without journeying Him through the cosmos, Allah Ta'ala would grant Him the vision of heavenly worlds, the La Makaan and Jannah and hell as well, as given in this Hadith of Sahih Bukhari:

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) performed Salaat Ul Kusuf.  The Sahabah said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  We saw that you made a move to take something in your blessed hand, then drew back.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Verily!  Jannah was presented before me and I decided to take a bunch of grapes from it (then I changed my decision) and if I had taken it, then you would have been eating from it until the end of the world and it would never have been finished.  (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 706)

 

When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) sees the heavenly worlds from this earth itself, why was He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) taken for a tour of those worlds?  Apart from showing the wonders of nature, it was the intent of Allah Ta'ala to grant the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) special proximity and to grant Him the honor of conversing and seeing Allah Ta'ala.

 

He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was busy in spreading and propagating the Islam and inviting people towards Islam.  Those who realized the value of Him and His message attached themselves to Him, but those who refused to recognize the value continued in their waywardness, prejudice and enmity.  After seeing this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) journeyed to Taif.  There, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) invited people to Islam.  Instead of believing, the people of Taif troubled Him in different ways.  Stones were rained of Him, because of which even His blessed feet bled and His shoes were clogged with blood.  The way He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was troubled in Taif saddened the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  To console the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), to make Him happy and to reveal His status and grandeur before all, Allah Ta'ala summoned Him to show everyone that the blessed feet, which were made to bleed are those feet that even the ‘Arsh of Almighty Allah kisses them and gains blessings from them.  Even Jibreel (May peace be upon him) who is forever present near Allah Ta'ala, needs the blessings of the feet of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

The way Jibreel (May peace be upon him) would consider coming to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) a blessing for himself, in the same way, Jibreel (May peace be upon him) considers the coming of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) to Sidratul Muntaha as Barakah for Himself.

 

Mulla Muin Kaashfi Haravi (May Allah Ta'ala shower His mercy on him) has mentioned a Hadith in Maa’arij Un Nubuwwah:

 

Translation:  Jibreel (May peace be upon him) said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  I have a request.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Tell me what it is.  He said:  It is my request that you offer 2 Raka'at of Salaat here, so that my dwelling gains the blessings of your feet.  (Maa’arij Un Nubuwwah, Pg. No. 931)