The heavenly journey of Meraj in the opinion of the Imams of the Ummah

Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) narrates a Hadith on the authority of Ibn Mardawai:

 

Translation of Hadith: It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Asma Bint Abu Bakr (May Allah be well pleased with them), she says:  I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) describing Sidratul Muntaha.  I asked:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  What did you see there?  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: I saw Allah Ta’ala.  (Durr Al Manthur, Surah Isra, verse no. 1)

 

There is a Hadith in Kanz Ul Ummal on the authority of Ibn Asakar:

 

Translation of Hadith: Verily!  Allah Ta’ala granted Hadhrat Moosa (May peace be upon him) the ni’mah of talking with Him and granted me His vision.  He distinguished me with Maqam Mahmood (the Shafa’at Kubra) and Houz-e-Kauthar.  (Kanz Ul Ummal, Hadith No. 39206)

 

Seeing Allah Ta’ala – What the Imams of the Ummah say

 

Imam Shihabuddin Khafaji (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes in Naseem Ur Riyadh Fi Sharh Ash Shifa Qazi Iyaz:

 

Translation:  The most authoritative opinion is that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) saw Allah Ta’ala with His physical eyes in the night of Meraj, as the majority of the Sahabah agree.

 

Imam Nawawi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has written in Sharh Sahih Muslim:

 

Translation:  The authoritative opinion with the majority of the Ulema is that in the night of Meraj, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) saw Allah Ta’ala with His physical eyes.  (Sharh Muslim Lin Nawawi, Kitab Ul Iman)

 

Imam Rabbani, Mujaddid Alf Thani, Hadhrat Shaykh Ahmed Sirhindi Farooqui (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes in a letter:

 

Translation:  This night, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went beyond the circles of time and space and He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) left the confines of space and found the immemorial (Azal) and the eternal (Abad) to be one and saw the beginning and the ending united in one point.  (Maktoobaat-e-Imam Rabbani, Daftar Awwal, Maktoob number 283)

 

The Imam writes about Meraj as a physical journey:

 

Translation: Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) who is the beloved of the Lord of all worlds and is the most superior to all creation, those who have passed and those who will come, was honored with physical Meraj, went beyond the ‘Arsh and the Kursi and was honored with ascent beyond time and space.  (Daftar Awwal, Maktoob number 273)

 

Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam Imam Muhammad Anwarullah Farooqui (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes:

 

Translation: What is to be considered here is that those people who say that Meraj occurred in sleep or it was a very high form of revelation (Kashf), as Mirza Qadiani says, then how many incidents do they have to deny.  This is obvious that there is no hesitation in describing that a dream no matter how strange and no one who listens to it will deny it.  (Afaadatul Afhaam, Vol. 2, Pg. No. 201)