One
night as the Prophet (pbuh) lay sleeping in the same spot
where 'Abd al-Muttalib used to sleep, next to the Ka’bah,
he was woken by the Archangel Gabriel. Later the Prophet (pbuh)
described what happened: 'I sat up and he took hold of my
arm. I stood beside him and he brought me to the door of the
mosque where there was a white animal for me to ride.'The
Prophet (PBUH) told of how he mounted the animal and, with
the Archangel Gabriel at his side, was transported from
Mecca to the mosque called al-Aqsa, in far away Jerusalem.
There the Prophet (PBUH) found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
among a group of Prophets. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) acted
as their leader, or imam, in prayer. Then he was brought two
jugs, one containing wine and the other milk. He chose the
milk and refused the wine. At this, the Archangel Gabriel
said, 'You have been rightly guided to the fitrah, the true
nature of man, and so will your people be, Muhammad. Wine is
forbidden to you. The Prophet (PBUH) also related how they
passed through Heaven's gates and saw countless angels.
Among them was Malik, the Keeper of Hell, who never smiles.
Malik stepped forward and showed the Prophet (PBUH) a view
of Hell and the terrible plight of those who suffer in that
place. Then the Prophet (PBUH) was taken up by the angels,
through the seven Heavens, one by one Along the way he again
saw Jesus, Moses, and Abraham, and the Prophet (PBUH) said
that he had never seen a man more like himself than Abraham.
He also saw John, called Yahya in Arabic, Joseph or Yusef,
Enoch, that is Idris, and Aaron. At last he reached the Lote
Tree of the Uttermost, the sidrat al-muntaha where no
Prophet had been before. Here the Prophet (PBUH) received
Revelation of what Muslims believe.In the Name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful The Messenger believeth in that
which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do)
the believers. Each one believes in Allah and His Angels and
His Books and His Messengers-We make no distinctionbetween
any of His messengers-and they say: We hear, and we obey.
Grant us Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the
homecoming.(Koran ii.285) Then he was taken into the Light
of the Divine Presence of Allah, and was instructed that
Muslims should pray fifty times a day. The Prophet (PBUH)
recalled: On my way back I passed by Moses and what a good
friend to you he was! He asked me how many prayers had I
been ordained to perform. When I told him fifty, he said,
'Prayer is a serious matter and your people are weak, so go
back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce the number for you
and your community.' I did so and He took away ten. Again I
passed by Moses and he said the same again; and so it went
on until only five prayers for the whole day and night were
left. Moses again gave me the same advice. I replied that I
had been back to my Lord and asked him to reduce the number
until I was ashamed, and I would not do it again. He of you
who performs the five prayers faithfully, will have the
reward of fifty prayers. On the morning following these
events and the Prophet's return to Mecca, he told Quraysh
what had happened. Most of them said, 'By God! This is
ridiculous! A caravan takes a month to go to Syria and a
month to return! Can you do that long journey in a single
night?' Even many Muslims were amazed by this and wanted the
Prophet (PBUH) to explain. Some ran with the news to Abu
Bakr who said, 'By Allah, if Muhammad (PBUH) himself has
said so, then it is true. Remember, the Prophet tells us
that the word of Allah comes to him directly from heaven to
earth at any hour by day or night, and we believe him. Isn't
that a greater miracle than what you are now doubting?' Then
Abu Bakr went to the mosque and listened to the Prophet's
detailed description of Jerusalem. He commented, 'You tell
the truth, O Prophet of Allah!' From then on, Abu Bakr was
honored with the title 'al-Siddiq’, which means 'he who
gives his word to support the truth'. Others also began to
believe the Prophet's story when he went on to describe two
caravans he had seen on his way back to Mecca. He told the
doubters where he had seen the caravans, what they were
carrying and when they would arrive in Mecca. All that the
Prophet (PBUH) had said was born out when the caravans
arrived at the time he said they would, carrying all that he
had described. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night
from the Holy Mosque to the Far distant place of worship,
the Neighborhood which We have blessed, that We might show
him some of Our signs, He, only He is the All-hearing, the
All-seeing. (Koran xvii:1) By the Star when it setteth, Your
comrade is not astray, neither deceived, Nor does he speak
of his (own) desire. This is naught but a revelation
revealed, Taught him by one mighty in power, very strong; he
stood poised, being on the uppermost horizon, Then drew near
and came down, two bows'-length away, or nearer, Then
revealed to His servant that which He revealed. His heart
lies not of what he saw; What, will you then dispute with
him what he sees? Indeed, he saw him yet another time. By
the Lote- Tree of the utmost Boundary, Near which is the
Garden of Abode When there covered the Lote- Tree that which
covered; his eye turned not aside, nor yet was overbold.
Verily, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (Koran
liii:1-18)
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