The Life of the Prophet Muhammad Salahuddin MuhammadProfessor Omer Awass 12/10/2012

The Variations of the Interpretations of the Isra wa Miraj Introduction The Prophets Night Journey and Ascension is essential in Muslim spirituality. It is the vehicle that gives Islam one of the most significant pillars of Islam. Its where the formal prayer (Salah) gets it ordination into the five pillars of Islam. The Prophets Night Journey and Ascension is recognized by all denominations in Islam. The Prophet's night Journey and Ascension is seen and perceive differently by scholars. The principles and lesson are articulated differently by the scholars in Islam. In the Quran Allah says 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). [footnoteRef:1] Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them (all) descends His Command: that ye may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah comprehends, all things in (His) Knowledge. [footnoteRef:2] The Prophets Night Journeyand Ascension has been interpreted differently by those who have used the Prophets Night Journey and Ascension to abstract lesson, principles and concepts. In all of the major denominations in Islam, we can find the Prophets Night Journey and Ascension gave birth to doctrines, ideologies and spiritual practices. In this paper I will try to examine some of the different approaches of Muslims in the interaction with the Prophets Night Journey Ascension. I will focus on the Shiites approach and understanding of the Prophet Night Journey. Next I will explore Ibn Sina methodology of the Prophets Night Journey. Then Finally I will look at a modern attempt to interpret the Prophets Night Journey by the late Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. [1: Quran 17:1] [2: Quran 65:12]

Shii Interpretation of the Isra Mirage

In the Shii tradition the Prophet Night Journey and Ascension is related and interpreted to promote Shii doctrines. Muhammad b. al-Hasan Saffar Qummi (d.290/902-3) was the first major Shii collection of hadiths. The modern scholar of Shii Islam Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi has described Saffa Qummis collection as a fine example of what he calls the esoteric non-rational trend in proto- early Shiism. The collection contains a whole series of fragmentary and episodic reports describing not only Muhammads ascension but also the ascension experiences of some of the twelve Shii Imams whom the Imami Shiis admire. These anecdotes often develop a single idea, such as the following report that draws a connection between Muhammads ascension (in the plural) and his recognition of Alis as his right successor.[footnoteRef:3] Qummi collection of hadith and commentary of the Prophet Night Journey and Ascension focuses on the revelation of the station of Ali and the rightly guided Imams in the sight of Allah more so than the ritual practice that were handed down to the Prophet by Allah. The contentious issue of the Imama namely who deserved to rule the Muslim community after Muhammad and how the ruler was to be chosen, became intertwined with ascension discourse as a rejoinder to those Muslims who understood Muhammads ascension to be about the institution of duties such as the daily ritual prayers.[footnoteRef:4] This is seen in the following narration of Qummis collection: [3: Colby, Frederick Stephen.Narrating Muhammad's Night Journey: Tracing the Development of the Ibn Abbas Ascension Discourse. Albany: SUNY Press, 2008.,67 ] [4: Colby, Frederick Stephen.Narrating Muhammad's Night Journey: Tracing the Development of the Ibn Abbas Ascension Discourse. Albany: SUNY Press, 2008.,67]

Ali b. Muhammad b. Said, Hamdan b. Sulayman, Abd Allah b. Muhammad Yamani, Manba, Yunus, Sabbah Mizani, Abu Abed Allah said, The Prophet was caused to ascend to the heaven [s] one hundred and twenty times. Each time, God entrusted the Prophet with the authority (walaya) of Ali and the Imams after him more than he entrusted duties (faraid) to him.[footnoteRef:5] This account found Qummis collection and commentary on the Prophets Night Journey and Ascension illustrates the favor of Ali being the walaya and the position of the Imams as authoritative. The next report from Qummis depicts Allah as permitting Muhammad to bring Ali with him on the ascension and to allow him to witness the same revelation of the signs: [5: Ibid.,68]

Muhammad b, Isa, Abu Abd Allah al Mumin, Ali b. Hassan b. Ali b. al-Jammal, Abu Daud al Sabi, Burayada Aslami, the Messenger of God, who said Ali, God cause you to witness with me seven residences (mawatin). He then mentioned the second residence: Gabriel came to me and caused me to journey by night to the heaven [s]. He said, Where is your brother? I said, I left him behind as my substitute (khalafi). He said, Petition God to bring you [together] with him. So I petitioned, and there you stood with me! He kept uncovering the seven heavens and the seven earths for me until I saw their residents and furnishings, and the location of every angel in them everything I saw he showed to both you and me.[footnoteRef:6] This hadith justify and shows for shiites that Ali is the Prophets rightly successor. Ali also witnessed the same experiences during the Night Journey and ascension as the Prophet. He received the same knowledge that Prophet obtained during the ascension. This knowledge received by Ali during the ascension is believed by Shiites to have been passed on to the descendant Imams in Shiite tradition. The implementation of Ali into the Declaration of faith is also instituted in the Ascension. Saffar Qummis work Furat Kufi text, Muhammad during the Night Journey and Ascension learns of Ali exalted status. The Quranic verse ask those who recite the book before you[footnoteRef:7] is comment by Qummi that Muhammad led angels, prophets and true believers in ritual prayer in the fourth heaven, and afterward he asked them to what they bore witness, to which they replied. We testify that there is no god but God, that you are the Messenger of and that Ali is the Commander of the Faithful. The Prophets Night Journey and ascension for Shiites has been instrumental in helping to formulate for the Imami and Ismaili the belief of the succession of the Imams that they both adhere to. This belief of the Imami succession is legitimized by the interpretation of Fatima in the narrative of the Prophets Night Journey and ascension. The shitite metaphor of Fatima status is described as When I was caused to journey by night to the heaven [s], Gabriel took me to the limit of the tree of Tuba. Gabriel was intent upon one of its fruits, which he rubbed between his fingers and then gave me to eat. Then he placed his hand between my shoulder blades. He said, Muhammad, God brings you joyful tidings of Fatima from Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. When I descended to the earth, what happened happened, and Khadijah conceived Fatima. When I long for paradise, I draw close to her and smell the fragrance of paradise. She is a dark-eyed [maiden] among women.[footnoteRef:8] [6: Colby, Frederick Stephen.Narrating Muhammad's Night Journey: Tracing the Development of the Ibn Abbas Ascension Discourse. Albany: SUNY Press, 2008.,69] [7: Quran 10:94] [8: Gruber, Christiane J.The Ilkhanid book of ascension a Persian-Sunni devotional tale. London: Tauris Academic Studies, 2010.,73]

So for Shiites the most important aspect of the Prophets Night Journey and ascension is Ali exalted status that was provided by their interpretation of the Prophets Night Journey. And the raising up of the status the Imams that descends from Fatima and Ali that was deduced by Fatima rank as an extraordinary woman.

Ibn Sina and the Miraj NamaIbn Sinas (d.428/1037) Miraj Nama is one the best and well known ascension narratives. Ibn Sinas Miraj Nama was written in Isfahan within the first half of the eleventh century. The Miraj Nama is written in Persian and it represents the earliest types of Persian prose. Ibn Sinas Miraj Nama gives a theoretical background for understanding Ibn Sinas larger philosophical system. Ibn Sinas interpretation of the Prophets night journey and ascension is metaphorical in its nature and promotes spiritual and intellectual empowerment.Ibn Sina argues, unlike his more orthodox counterparts that the Prophets ascent was solely a spiritual (ruham) and intellectual (fikri or aqli) voyage.[footnoteRef:9] The Miraj Nama is divided into two parts. The first portion Ibn Sina interprets the Miraj and provides an overview of his psychology and epistemology. The second portion, Ibn Sina philosophies his allegorical interpretation of the ascension story. He adopts an exegetical approach to the Israr Miraj. He comments on the Israr Miraj after he quoted several lines of the story. He interprets the Israr Miraj through his philosophical system. [9: Gruber, Christiane J.The Ilkhanid book of ascension a Persian-Sunni devotional tale. London: Tauris Academic Studies, 2010.,13 ]

The first commentary begins with the night the journey began: I was sleeping one night in the house. It was a night with thunder and lightning. No animal made a sound, no bird chirped, no person was awake. I was not asleep, but lying between sleep and wakefulness. So it happened one night when I was between wakefulness and sleep.[footnoteRef:10] Ibn Sina interprets the sleep and wakefulness of the Prophet as being his senses and his intellect. He defines the saying night with the thunder as the godly spirit prevailing so that the ill-tempered capacity could die and the ability of imagination could leave the Prophet. This is needed in the Ibn Sina opinion in order for the Prophet to benefit from the Israr Miraj. The meeting of Gabriel and the Prophet also is interpreted by Ibn Sina as another instance when the prophet as being renovated for the Israr Miraj: [10: Heath, Peter, and Avicenna.Allegory and Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sina): With a Translation of the Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven. Middle Ages series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.,124]

Then he said: When we reached me, he embraced me and kissed me between my two eyes and said, O Sleeper, arise! How long you slumber! That is, when this Holy Faculty reached me,, it caressed me admitted me into its unveiling [kashf] and did (me) honor. Such yearning arose in my heart that it cannot be described. Then he said: How long you slumber! That is why are you satisfied with counterfeit imaginings? There are worlds beyond this one you are in. You can only reach them in the wakefulness of knowledge. Because of compassion, I shall be your guide. Arise![footnoteRef:11] [11: Heath, Peter, and Avicenna.Allegory and Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sina): With a Translation of the Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven. Middle Ages series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.,125]

The encounter with Buraq is interpreted by Ibn Sina in an abstract way. He refers to Baruq as the Active Intelligence of Muhammad. He says that the Active Intelligence, which is the most predominant of the Holy Faculties. It helps comes to the Intelligence before it reaches the world of generation and corruption. It is the bestower of help to souls at any time with whatever is appropriate. This Active Intelligence of Muhammad is what carried Muhammad during the night journey as describe by Ibn Sina. He further relates that Muhammad had to be purified before he could ride the Baruq or metaphorically received the Active Intelligence. This is seen in his commentary of Muhammads attempt to sit on the Baruq:Then he said: I wanted to sit on it, but it shield away. Gabriel helped me until it was tamed. That is, because I was in the physical world, I wanted to sit on it, that is to unite with it. But it would not accept, until the Holy Faculty [quwat-i-qudsi] and, through it, attained the emanation and beneficence of the Active Intelligence.[footnoteRef:12] [12: Ibid.,126]

Next Ibn Sina comments on the part of the Israr Miraj when the Prophet had to choose between the water, wine and the milk: When I went away from the mountains and left these two persons, I traveled to Sanctified Abode [bait al-muqaddas], and I enter it. Someone came forward and gave me three goblets, one wine, one water, and one milk. I wanted to take the wine. Gabriel did not allow this. He pointed to the milk, so I took (it) and drank. That is, when I went away from the senses and understood the condition of imagination and estimation, I gazed within myself and entered the spiritual realm. I saw three souls, one animal, one natural, and one rational. I wanted to follow the animal (soul). He likened it to wine since it faculties, such as lust and anger, deceive, cloak, and increase ignorance, and wine intensifies these two appetites. He likened the natural (soul) to water since it sustains the body. A person survives by managing (this souls) servants who work in the body. (Similarly), water is the cause of animal life; it promotes growth and increase. He likened the rational (soul) to milk since it is a beneficial nutriment, full of favor and usefulness.[footnoteRef:13] [13: Heath, Peter, and Avicenna.Allegory and Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sina): With a Translation of the Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven. Middle Ages series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.,127]

Ibn Sina interpretation of the above narrative of the Prophet having to choose between the wine, water and milk was explained by the function of the three souls. The wine was seen as intensifying the faculties of lust, anger of the animal soul. The water was seen as a sustainer of the body and associated with the natural soul. And he saw the milk as nutrient that nurtures the body just as the rational soul does for human being. Lastly Ibn Sina interprets the Prophet Ascension through Ibn Abbas version of the Prophets ascensions. Ibn Abbas version does not include the Prophets, it involves seven angels. Ibn Sina comments on all of the seven heavens that the Prophet finds these angels. When I reached the first heaven, a door opened. I entered and saw Ismail seated on a chair, and a group was placed, face to face, in front of his eye. I greeted (them) and went on. When I reached the second heaven, I entered. I saw an angel nearer than the former, with perfect beauty. He had wondrous form, half of his body was of snow, half of fire, Neither mixed with the other, nor were they antagonistic toward one another. He greeted me and said, Good tidings to you to whom goodness and fortune belong!When I reached the third heaven, I saw an angel whose like in beauty and goodness I had never seen, joyful and glad and seated on a chair of light with angels gathered around. When I reached the fourth heaven, I saw an angel, complete in statesmanship, seated on a throne of light. I greeted (him), he responded properly but with complete arrogance. Due to pride and haughtiness, he (usually) spoke to no one, (But) he smiled when he answered (my) greeting and said, O Muhammad, I see complete goodness and felicity in your royal splendor. Good tidings to you! When I reached the fifth heaven, I entered I learned of hell. I saw a dominion full of darkness and fear. I saw the proprietor seated at its edge busy torturing and tormenting sinful people. When I reached the sixth heaven, I saw an angel seated on a chair of light, engaged in praising and sanctifying (God). He had wings and tresses set with pearls and rubies. I greeted him. He responded, greeted (me), and gave tidings of goodness and happiness. He said to me, I continually sent blessings to you. When I reached the seventh heaven, I saw an angel sitting on a chair of red ruby. Not everyone finds a way to him, but when someone does reach him, he is cherished. I greeted him. He responded and bless me.[footnoteRef:14] [14: Heath, Peter, and Avicenna.Allegory and Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sina): With a Translation of the Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven. Middle Ages series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.,129]

Ibn Sina likens the angels that the Prophet visited in the seven heavens as symbolic to the solar system. He describes Ismiil in the first heavens as the sphere of the moon. He then explains that just as the moon guides at night so does Ismiil. In the second heaven there is no mention of the name of the angel but only a picture of the angel body as being half of snow and half of fire. Ibn Sina describes the angel in the second heavens as the sphere of Mecury. His explanation behind the meaning sphere of Mecury is just as Mecurys body has two function in the solar system on a concrete level it also has two function on the spiritual level. Ibn Sina says Mecury however, has two kinds of influence: conjoined with auspicious, it is auspicious; conjoined with sinsterness, it is sinister. For it is half auspicious and half sinster. This definition of the sphere of Mecury describe what the angel in the second heaven picture means of it being half of snow and half of fire. The angel in the third heaven is also nameless. Ibn Sina comments on the picture of the angel that is seen by the Prophet as joyful and glad and seated on a chair of light with angels gathered around. He defines the angel in the third heaven as the sphere of Venus. He parallels the beauty of Venus to the beauty of the angel in the third heavens as exactly the same experience of attractiveness. The angel of the fourth heavens that the prophet saw as completely in statesmanship, seated on a throne of light. Ibn Sina defines the angel in the fourth heaven as the Sun. Because the angel in the four heaven rules over the condition of kings just as the Sun rules over the condition of the planets. The angel in the fifth heaven was seen by the Prophet as the angel of hell. Ibn Sina defines the angel of the fifth heaven as Mars. Just as the condition on Mars are hellish so was the description of the understanding of hell that the prophet witness in the fifth heaven. The angel in the sixth heaven is seen by the Prophet as seated on a chair of light, engaged in praising and sanctifying (God). Ibn Sina defines the angel of the sixth heaven as Jupiter. He compares Jupiters dominance over the other planets as an analogous of the angel in the sixth heavens. Lastly the angel in the seventh heavens is seen by the Prophet as sitting on a chair of red ruby. He describes the angel on the seventh heaven as Saturn. He compares Saturn and the angel on the seventh heaven by the mere fact that they both are red.We can see that the Ibn Sinas philosophy of the Prophet's night journey and ascension is submerged into allegories and metaphors. The allegory that was used at the beginning was about the Prophets state of being sleep and wake the night of the night journey. Ibn Sina gives an analogy of the condition of the Prophet being sleep and wake as him contemplated between his senses and his intellect. The allegory that he used in the night journey was what he calls the Active intelligence that he describe as being the baruq. The next allegory that he used was that of the water, milk and the wine as equivalent to the animal soul, natural souls and the rational soul. The Prophet selecting the milk was seen as him picking the rational soul, that just like milk gives nutrients to nurture the body the rational soul does for human beings. Lastly he uses an allegory to describe the Prophet interaction with the angels in the seven heavens during the ascension with celestial vertical spheres of the planets in our solar system. Ibn Sina whole perception of the Prophets night journey and ascension was intelligible. He believed that the Prophet's night Journey and the ascension was not of the body but the soul. Ibn Sina said It is known that he did not go in the body, because the body cannot traverse a long distance in one moment. Hence it was not a corporeal ascension, because the goal was not sensual. Rather, the ascension was spiritual, because the goal was intellectual.[footnoteRef:15] This type of explanation in my opinion is genius, because Ibn Sinas use of creation as allegories and metaphors to explain the Prophets night journey and ascension narrative has never been done. Aristotle says the mastery in the creation of metaphors is a sign of genius, since it implies an intuitive perception of the similarity of dissimilars.[footnoteRef:16] [15: Heath, Peter, and Avicenna.Allegory and Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sina): With a Translation of the Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven. Middle Ages series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.,123] [16: Ibid.,177]

Imam Warith Deen Muhammads interpretation of the Miraj

Imam Warith Deen Muhammad was the leader of the largest community of Muslims in the United States. Imam Muhammad profound social commentary on major issues that plague the American society and his piercing scriptural insight into the Quran and his unique ability to apply scriptural interpretation to social issues. His perspectives are clearly Quranic and hadith based with applications that cut across scriptural, religious, cultural and ethnic lines.His interpretation of the Israr Miraj has never been sort after in the academical sphere until now. His interpretation of the Israr Miraj does not entail the Israr, it focuses on the Miraj. He begins by commenting on Surah 65 Ayat 12 that states It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. [His] command descends among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge. He uses this verse to establish his understanding of the Prophet's ascension. But first he translates the verse above as There are seven planes in the heavens and a like number within yourselves. He uses his translation to establish his perception of the Prophets ascension. He envisions the Prophets ascension as a form of development of the human soul that he abstracts from his translation seven planes in the heavens and like number in yourselves. He explains that just as God has said that there are seven planes in the heaven he concurs that they are seven planes or levels in the human soul. He uses this understand above to produce his philosophy of the Prophets ascension. He believes that all the Prophets on the seven levels in the Prophets ascension have a connection to our soul's development. He says As he ascended up he named those who he met on seven levels. On the first level he met Adam, on the second level he met Jesus Christ and Yayha, John. On the third level he met Yusuf, Joseph. On the fourth level he met Ezekial, many of the followers think is is Ezekial but it is not necessarily so but he met the Quranic, Islamic name is Idris like my friend over here from South Carolina. And on the fifth level he met Aaron the brother of Moses and on the sixth level he met Moses the liberator. And on the seventh level he met Abraham or Ibrahim the sound in his and complete our father Abraham. Those are the ones he met on the seven graduations or the seven elevations of the soul ascending from nature. The life that nature delivered, the natural world delivered was ascending upward to reach the level that !G-d created the human being for in soul, intellect and purpose. This might be seen as an evolution of man, of human souls. The ascent that is what it is called. The ascent of the soul and the spiritual life. We know what those men were able to accomplish in the earth. So when G-d is saying there is in us also seven He is saying that what they achieved is within the reach of every human being. G-d did not give one human, that He did not give all of us. But those men they achieved upon the seven that G-d gave them, they achieved those levels of excellence for the rise of human nature and conscience.[footnoteRef:17] [17: Ahmad, N (2004,January) IMWDM in Newark Public Address.[Transcript] ]

Next he describes each Prophet in the ascension as type that each human soul has the potential to reach. He begins first with Adam as being the Original Soul. Secondly Jesus and John the Baptist are the Spiritual Man. Thirdly Joseph as the Intuitive Man. Fourthly Idris is the Academic Man. Fiftly Aaron as the Cultural Man. Sixthly Moses as Ruler of Government and Social life. Seventh Abraham as the Ethical Man. He believes that the Prophet was the eighth level but not the eighth level in the ascension going up but the eighth level going down to establish the model community life. He is the 8th number but there is no eight up there the eight is downstairs where he was a little while ago. He had to go downstairs and establish the kingdom that was to come, the 8th is the kingdom, the 8th is the promised land, the 8th is the community life that G-d created Adam for and all of us are its rightful inheritors.[footnoteRef:18] [18: Ahmad, N (2004,January) IMWDM in Newark Public Address.[Transcript]]

So for Imam Warith Deen Muhammad the Prophets ascensions symbolize the ascent that the human soul reaches to fulfill its potential. Then after the human soul reaches its individual destiny that is the seventh level then it has to go down to the eighth level and establish the model community that the Prophet established fourteen hundred years ago.

BibliographyAhmad, N (2004,January) IMWDM in Newark Public Address.[Transcript]Ali, Abdullah Yusuf.The meaning of the Holy Quran. Beltsville, Md: Amana Publications, 1997.Colby, Frederick Stephen.Narrating Muhammad's Night Journey: Tracing the Development of the Ibn Abbas Ascension Discourse. Albany: SUNY Press, 2008.Gruber, Christiane J.The Ilkhanid book of ascension a Persian-Sunni devotional tale. London: Tauris Academic Studies, 2010.Heath, Peter, and Avicenna.Allegory and Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sina): With a Translation of the Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven. Middle Ages series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.