Some frequently asked questions about Mi’raj

Did the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) see Allah on the night of Mi’raj?

Imam Ahmed narrates in his Musnad from Abdullah Ibn Masood:
“The Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said, I saw my lord”
Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti mentions in his Khasais e Kubra that this Hadith is Saheeh.

Ibn Asakir narrates from Abdullah Ibn Masood, that the Prophet of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Allah said, I blessed Ibrahim with my friendship and talked to Musa, Oh Muhammad I blessed you [in such a way] that you have seen me with no veil in between.”

Jam’i Tirmidi and Mu’jam Tabarani narrate from Akrama:
“Abdullah Ibn Abbas said that the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) saw Allah. Akrama, his student asked ‘did Muhammad see his lord?’ He said ‘Yes, Allah kept speaking for Musa; friendship for Ibrahim; and for Muhammad his vision’.” Imam Tirmidi states this Hadith is Hasan.

It is stated in Musannaf Abdul Razzaq:
“Imam Hasan Basri would take an oath and say, indeed Muhammad saw his lord.”

Allamah Shahab states in Naseem al-Riyad (commentary of Shifa Shareef):
“The correct and accepted stance is that on the night of Mi’raj, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) saw his lord with the eyes on his blessed head; this is the stance of the majority of Sahaba.”

Imam Nawawi mentions in the commentary of Saheeh Muslim:
“According to the majority of the scholars, the accepted stance is that on the night of Mi’raj, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) saw his lord with the eyes on his blessed head.”

[Fatawa Razwiyyah volume 30 – Risalah: Munabbihal Munyah Bi Wusūl al-Habīb Ilal Arshi wa’r Ru’yah]

Difference between Isra and Mi’raj?

Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith e Dehlwi states:
“The Journey from Masjid al-Haram till Masjid al-Aqsa is called ‘Isra’, and from Masjid al-Aqsa till the heavens and above is called ‘Mi’raj’. The ‘Isra’ has been proven from the clear and explicit text of the Qur’an. Therefore, to deny it leads to kufr. The ‘Mi’raj’ has been proven from the Mashhoor (mass transmitted) Ahadith. Hence, to deny it is misguidance and imprudence”. [Ashi’at al-Lam’at]

Did the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) go with the soul or the body?

It is in Sharh Aqa’id al-Nasafi:
“It is proven from the Mashhoor (mass transmitted) Ahadith that the The Prophet of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) was taken on a journey till the heavens and above, in awakening with the body and soul. The one who refuses this fact is misguided.”

Sayyidul Fuqaha Imam Mulla Ahmed Jiwan states:
“The sound opinion is that the Mi’raj took place in awakening with both the body and soul. This is the belief of the Ahl al-Sunnah Wa al-Jama’ah. Thus, the one who utters that Mi’raj took place with the soul or only in a dream is a deviant and a transgressor; who has not only misguided himself, but is also misguiding others.” [Tafsirat e Ahmadiyyah]

Compiled/Translated by Muhammad Kalim, Preston