The Night Journey (Isra' Wal Mi'raj) Part 1

In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful

The most severely tested have always been the Prophets; vilified and attacked by proud disbelievers wallowing in sin. And the last one, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) suffered immensely but after every hardship comes ease, and so we begin. After 12 years of calling people to reject idols and worship only One God, Muhammad (pbuh) was sorely tested by the year of grief. Tragically his uncle Abu Talib died whose kinship provided protection from Makkans - now buoyed up as thugs in disbelief. In that year, Pagans imposed severe sanctions upon his tribe; Bani Hashim, aiming to starve Muslims and make them outcasts. In that same year before the migration to Madina, he was devastated by the loss of his loving wife, Khadijah (R.A). While disbelievers closed all doors upon him, Allah S.W.T didn't forsake him but He opened up the Doors of Heaven for him in honor. Allah glorified Himself on introducing Isra' wal Mi'raj - the Prophets miraculous Night Journey and Heavenly Ascent. Where he was physically taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and then up to the Highest Heaven. 

Allah S.W.T revealed a Surah (chapter) called Al Isra (The Night Journey). And in that Surah it says: With difficulty comes - ease. The messenger of Allah (pbuh) went through this most tragic time in his life, so it was followed with one of the best - Blessings - given to him by Allah S.W.T. Because of the size of the calamity, the bounty that followed it was great. Rasulullah (pbuh) narrates in Hadith is in Bukhari, similar narrations are in Muslim - in the most of the books. In the most of the books of Hadith, these narrations exist, The messenger of Allah (pbuh) says, "While i was in Al Hijr, (this is the semi-circle area close to Kaaba which is part of the original building of the Kaaba) i received a visitor - An Angel. Who came and opened my abdomen and pulled out my heart, and then my heart was placed in the basin - Golden Basin, filled with faith (Iman) and my heart was placed in it and washed and then stuffed and replaced. And then i was presented an animal, smaller than a horse - larger than a donkey". Anas Ibn Malik was narrating this Hadith and his student asked Anas Ibn Malik "Is this animal Al Buraq?". Anas Ibn Malik said "Yes". The messenger of Allah (pbuh) said "This animal would a stride as far as it can see". So the Prophet (pbuh) is trying to describe to us the speed of this animal and he describe it as - that this animal would place its hooves -  it would places its hooves at the extent of its sight - it would take a stride as far as it can see with one leap. It would wrap the distance equivalent to the distance you can see or look forward. So it was extremely fast beast. 

The Prophet (pbuh) said "Jibreel (Angel) told me to mount this animal and then he would guide me". The Prophet (pbuh) says in the another Hadith is in Muslim "I was taken to Jerusalem and i tied my mount at the gates of Al Masjid, and then i entered and prayed two Rakaah". It states that the messenger of Allah (pbuh) was an Imam and the people who were following him were - The Prophets. Then he (pbuh) said "I was led by Jibreel up in the Heavens. We made it all the way to the gates of the lowest Heaven - the nearset Heaven". Jibreel knocked on the gates and the gateskeeper said "Who is it?". Jibreel said "It is Jibreel". The gateskeeper asked again "Who with you?". Jibreel said "Muhammad". The gateskeeper asked "Was he given his mission?" Jibreel said "Yes". They responded by saying "He is welcome and his arrival is a pleasure" and they opened the gates.

They opened the gates - The messenger of Allah (pbuh) said "I went in, and i found there in my Father - Adam (A.S). Jibreel introduced me to Adam and said 'this is you father Adam, greet him'. So i said 'Assalamualaikum'. Adam salute me in return and said 'Waalaikumussalam'. And the Adam (A.S) said 'Welcome to my pure son, welcome to the pure Prophet'". When i think of this meeting, i try to imagine the pleasure and happiness that both the Prophets had. Imagine Adam (A.S) is meeting the Brightest and the Greatest of his children - Muhammad (pbuh). He is meeting him for the first time. After thousands of years! Now Adam (A.S) has a chance to meet his Greatest Son. And imagine the surprise of Muhammad (pbuh) to meet his father Adam. It must have been such a pleasurable moment and they might have wished to sit together and have conversation but remember that Muhammad (pbuh) in this journey, is on a tight schedule, he has a lot waiting in front of him. 

So Jibreel carried Muhammad (pbuh) and they went up to the gates of second Heaven. Muhammad (pbuh) said "I met Jesus (A.S) and John (A.S)". The two cousins. Isa and Yahya in the Arabic name. Rasulullah (pbuh) said "And i exchange greetings with them - and what are the greetings of Islam? and the Prophets? Assalamualaikum! Peace be upon you. The Prophet (pbuh) said "Then we move ahead to the third Heaven, and i met with Joseph - Yusuf (A.S). He has been given half of beauty". So if you had a big block of beauty - half of it was with Yusuf (A.S). Then they made it to the fourth Heaven, in there Muhammad (pbuh) met with Idris (A.S). And Allah S.W.T says "We have placed him to a very high status". Then Muhammad (pbuh) and Jibreel went to the fifth Heaven and there they met Aaron - Harun (A.S). And then they went to sixth Heaven, and Muhammad (pbuh) met Musa (A.S). And his meeting with Musa was an eventful meeting. Always Musa is surrounded with important events. One of the scholars said "Quran was almost going to be the story of Musa". He is mentioned so frequently there in and his personality is so outstanding. Whenever the name of Musa (A.S) is mentioned, there is something important that is going to happen.

The messenger of Allah (pbuh) passed by Musa, Musa started to weep. After they greeted each other, and Musa welcomed Muhammad (pbuh). When he was asked "How come you are weeping?". He said "A young man was given prophet-hood after me and he will have more of his followers entering Paradise than mine". Up until that moment, Musa had the largest following of any Prophet. The children of Israel were the largest believing nation up until that point. But now there was a new world record. By the ummah of Muhammad (pbuh). So Musa wept - he cried. And you can see that there is competition between the Prophets but you will notice that it is not the competition of jealousy. It is a compassionate competition. And you will see that in the upcoming conversation between Muhammad (pbuh) and Musa (A.S). 

The messenger of Allah (pbuh) said "Then i moved up to the seventh Heaven, and i went in and i met my father Ibrahim (A.S) and i exchanged Salam with him. Then i was presented with Baitul Ma'moor. And in one narration it states that Ibrahim actually had his back kneeling towards Baitul Ma'moor. What is Baitul Ma'moor? Allah S.W.T is making an oath in an established house - Baitul Ma'moor. To the creation of the Heavens is equivalent to Kaaba to us. Just as we make Tawaf around the Kaaba, and it is the first house on the earth established for the worship of Allah, the same thing is to be said about Baitul Ma'moor. So here as Muslims we would visit Kaaba, angels will visit Baitul Ma'moor. Rasulullah (pbuh) said "Baitul Ma'moor is visited by 70 000 angels everyday and they never come back to it again. Do you understand the implications of that? Everyday, a new group of 70 000 angels would visit the established house, how many angels are there? If on a daily basis you have 70 000 angels visiting it and they never come back again, how many angels are there? And for how long has this been going on? For how many thousands or millions or billions of years? So you multiply all of those days by 70 000. How many angels are there? 

It puts us human beings to shame. I mean we are saying that we have over population on Earth - 6 Billion of us. Who are we compared to the world of the angels? This massive creation. The Prophet (pbuh) said "The Heavens above you are mourning, and they are justified to mourn. Because in every space equivalent to the size of 4 fingers, there is an angel bowing down in Rukuk or prostrating in Sujood.- worshiping Allah S.W.T. All over the Heavens above us. Every position, every area or volume - equivalent to the size of 4 fingers, is occupied by an angel worshiping Allah. So this is a vast huge creation. That makes us the world of a human being seem insignificant. In the narration that states that Ibrahim (A.S) was kneeling towards Baitul Ma'moor. It is symbolic to have Ibrahim (A.S) in that position. After he dies, sitting next to Baitul Ma'moor. Because he was the one who built Kaaba on the Earth. So when Allah S.W.T took his soul away, Allah S.W.T had him rest next to Baitul Ma'moor - The House of The Angels. 

------- to be continue----------

Islam Kills Racism (Powerful Speech By Malcolm X)

In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious And The Most Merciful

I think a lot of people are confused by the new Arabic name, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. I've always had the name on my passport, Malik El Shabazz. Only..i only used it in the Muslim world, well Hajj is the title that is given to any Muslim who makes the Pilgrimage to Makkah during the official Hajj season. One thing that i found in all of my travels was that all of the Africans..not only the Africans..but the Asians, the Muslims..look upon us as their long lost brothers, and America had actually tricked many of them into a hand of policy, by giving them the impression that 'she' was honestly trying to do something to solve the problem. My argument over there was designed to prove that it is impossible for the United States government to solve the race problem.

Never have i witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of the brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races. Here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad (peace be upon him) and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, i have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness i see displayed all around me by people of all colors. I have been blessed to visit the Holy City of Mecca, i have made my seven circuits around the Kaaba led by a young mutawaf named Muhammad. I drank water from the well of the Zam-zam, i ran seven times back and forth between the hills of Mount Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, i have prayed in the ancient city of Mina, and i have prayed on Mount Arafat. There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors. From blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood. That my experiences in America had let me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.

America needs to understand Islam because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, i have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam.I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color. You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this Pilgrimage, what i have seen and experienced has forced me to re-arrange much of my thought-patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This was not too difficult for me. Despite my firm convictions, i have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every of intelligent search for truth.

During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, i have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept in the same bed or in the same rug while praying to the same God with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white, and in the words and in the actions in the deeds of the white Muslims, i felt the same sincerity that i felt among the black African Muslim of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana. We were truly all the same brothers because their belief in One God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white from their attitude. I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps too, they could accept in reality the oneness of man. And cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms of their differences in color.

With racism plaguing America like an incurable cancer, the so-called Christian white American heart should be more receptive to a proven solution to such a destructive problem. Perhaps it could be in time to save America from imminent disaster the same destruction brought upon Germany by racism that eventually destroyed the Germans themselves. Each hour here in the Holy Land enables me to have greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white. The American negro never can be blamed for his racial animosities. He is only reacting to four hundred years of the conscious racism of the American whites. But as racism leads America up the suicide path, i do believe from the experiences that i have had with them, that the whites of the younger generation, in the colleges and universities will see the handwriting on the walls and many of them will turn to the spiritual path of truth. The only way left to America to ward off the disaster that racism inevitably must lead to.

Never i have been so highly honored. Never have i been made to feel more humble and unworthy. Who would believe the blessings that have been heaped upon an American Negro? A few nights ago, a man who would be called in America a white man, a United Nation diplomat, an ambassador, a companion of kings, gave me his hotel suite, his bed. Never would i have even thought of dreaming that i would ever be a recipient of such honors.Honors that in America would be bestowed upon a king, not a negro. All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of all the worlds.

Sincerely,
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
Malcolm X

Jannah [Paradise] Part Two

In The Name Of Allah The Most Compassionate And The Most Merciful

Brothers and sisters in Islam, The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) described a 'Mukmin' (Believer) in this life and he said "It is a prison of a Mukmin, and it is Paradise of a Kafir (non-believer)". Yes, it is a Paradise. Because they believe that this is the only life they're going to live. They say it's a short life so we might as well make the best of it, get us much as we can from it. A Mukmin doesn't think that way. He sees that everything in this world always calls him and her to do Haram (forbidden) things. It makes difficult for us to worship Allah correctly and sincerely, especially in our time today, where the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "There will come a time when, the one who's holding on to his religion is like one who's holding on to a coal of fire". It's intense. It's difficult brothers and sisters. But it is not difficult upon the one who anticipates a great reward in the Hereafter. 'Ad dunya sijnul mu'min', the world is like a prison for a Mukmin, one who desires Allah, one who desires Paradise. Are you one of them brothers and sisters?

We all want Jannah, but we don't want to do nothing. We heard the Hadith "Whomsoever his last words are: 'La ilaha ila Allah, Dakhalal Jannah'". So everybody saying Alhamdulillah, this is very easy. If i tell you now to say 'La ilaha ila Allah', no problem, but at the death bed, its not that easy at all. And i am afraid, that we're just saying 'La ilaha ila Allah' without living 'La ilaha ila Allah'. Who are the 'Sabiqoon' that Allah mentions in the Quran brothers and sisters? From the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his Companions, and the ones after them, they are the 'Sabiqoon'. The have beaten us in two things, they are the 'Sabiqoon' means thay are before us, and it means they have beaten us to Paradise. And there is a small amount from this life, there's only a minority that are still striving and working and desiring Paradise, only a small amount Allah says. Allah is praising the one who race each other for the goodness but not race each other for worldly things. Know, a normal Muslim does not want just a first place in Paradise, a Mukmin wants to beat everyone and go to the Firdaus Al A'la.

The 'Sabiqoon' brothers and sisters, what were they like? They sacrificed their wealth. How can you buy this world with your money? And sell the Hereafter? For a few pennies or a few dollars which you can earn in this life? Why? How could you buy this worthless life when the Prophet (pbuh) said "The whole world is not worth a wing of mosquito to Allah S.W.T".  And there are a lot of Muslims who place the world on their head like a crown.

How can we get there? What should we do? Is it hard? The goods that Allah S.W.T is offering are very precious, they are very valuable. Jannah is not cheap! The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "All my ummah's going to Jannah, except the one who refuse." So the companions said "Ya Rasulullah, who would refuse, after hearing all these beautiful things?" The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "Whosoever obey me, he will enter Jannah, and whosoever disobey me, he has refused to enter Jannah". So, the key to enter Jannah is the obedience of Rasulullah (pbuh). What does it mean following Rasulullah (pbuh)? :

1. Following Rasulullah (pbuh) in Tawheed : Believing in the Oneness of Allah S.W.T. and staying away from all forms of 'Shirk' (to associate anyone with Allah).
2. Believing everything that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said without any doubt. Unfortunately, we hear something in the news we believe it immediately, we read something in the papers we believe it immediately, but when it comes to the 'Sunnah', we have doubts. Then how do we get to Jannah if we doubts the Sunnah of our Prophets?

So, in the Jannah, mansions above mansions and they're all lofty and high. Beneath them flowing rivers. Now the rivers are not going side by side, it's going under them. Such is the promise of Allah, never does Allah fail in his promise. Our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "There will be rooms in Jannah, from the outside you can see the inside, and from the inside you could see the outside. How does that work out? We don't know. When someone enter Jannah, as he walking up and he goes next to his palace and then suddenly he just can not move, and he sees his wife. Whether it is his wife from Jannah or his wife from 'Dunya', he will just see her face and freeze in his tracks, and he will just sit there contemplating at her beauty. We are incapable of describing in worldly terms. Their beauty is so much, that this man will stand there and stare at her for forty years, just contemplating at her beauty. Rasulullah (pbuh) said in Bukhari, in this Hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik, "If one of the women of Jannah would just appear to the people of this world, the distance between the heavens and the earth would be filled with the light, and her scent will cover the whole distance, and the scarf that she has on her head is better than the world and everything in it.

In Jannah, we will have the height of Adam A.S, which is said was about ninety yards, we will have the beauty of Yusuf A.S, we will have the age of Isa A.S, thirty three years old, so we will have a different creation in Jannah. Rasulullah (pbuh) said "A man in Jannah will have the strength of a hundred men of this world". No matter how hard you try to imagine what is in Jannah, it will only be a fraction of the real thing. So now you've spent all of these years staring at your wife, and then you will enter in to your mansion. Everything is new to you, everything is an experience. You take a look at the furniture that you have in that mansion, and you just go around looking at the way it looks, the way it is arranged, the quality of it and you just go from room to room, saying 'Alhamdulillah'. And it's an insult to call it furniture because there's no comparison.

You don't have any appointment in Jannah, you are not in a hurry to do anything, there's no time that is rushing you, you have an unlimited amount of time to do whatever you want. So you will go out with your wife to take a look at what you have, but before that you want to have something to eat and something to drink. While sitting on the couches, you'll have all of these youths running around, in beautiful uniforms, wonderful exotic colors and the're all smiling, and they are serving you all of these stuff that you have never seen before. So you don't have to do anything. Your wife doesn't have to do anything. There's no cleaning that is involved, it is pure enjoyment for both of you. As soon as you walk out of your mansion, this wonderful smell will fill your nostrils, and you are wondering where is it coming from. So you'll go around trying to locate the source and then you'll find that it's coming from the soil of Jannah. You'll pick that soil up and it is pure white musk. And then you are gonna hear the sound of water, so you are gonna ask your guide, what is this? He'll tell you that this is a river and it is located right beneath your palace. Here is a parable, of the garden which the righteous are promised, in it are rivers of water incorruptible, rivers of milk of which the taste never changes, rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink, and rivers of honey, pure and clear.

So the guide tells you, do you want us to go and visit the springs? You'll say 'Yes' and the guide will tell you; But i have something better for you. How about we go and visit the river that belongs to Rasulullah (pbuh)? And that is the river of 'Al-Kawsar'. So you ask him; is it okay to me to go and visit it, he says; 'Yes'. Since you are part of the Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh), all of you will have access to his river. He will allow you to go and drink from it. And this is the best river in Paradise and it originates from under the throne of Allah S.W.T. Truly the righteous will be in bliss, on throne of dignity, will they command the sight of all things. You will recognize in their faces the beaming brightness of bliss, they will be given to drink pure wine; sealed. The sealed thereof will be of musk. So for this let the competitors compete. With it will be given a mixture of 'Tasneem', a spring from which those near to Allah will drink.

So now all of these tours are taking you years to complete and you start noticing something. You are noticing that there are no sun or moon, There's no darkness, there's no shadow, there's no summer, there's no winter, there's no fall, there's no spring, so you're start wondering how long is the day in Jannah and is there any night? And you figure out that it's in Jannah there's no sleeping and it's constant daylight, and the only way you recognize whether it is daytime or night is by a beam that comes from beneath the throne of Allah S.W.T. Otherwise it's all light in Jannah.

So you're still following your guide, and then you see this huge tree. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "There is a tree in Paradise which is so big and huge that a rider could travel in its shade for a hundred years". He said in at Tirmidhi "The trees of Paradise, the branches and the trunk of it are made of gold ". Ibrahim A.S is now giving advice to his son Muhammad (pbuh), he's the descendant of Ibrahim A.S. The reason why Ibrahim A.S is care about us is because we are the ummah of Muhammad (pbuh). So Ibrahim A.S told Muhammad (pbuh), they had this meeting in Jannah in 'Isra Wal Mi'raaj', he said "O Muhammad, give your ummah my 'salaam', and tell them that Paradise is beautiful, its water is pure, and its soil is clean, and tell them that it's vast huge, and the tree of Jannah are SUBHANALLAH, ALHAMDULILLAH, WALAILAHA ILA ALLAH, ALLAHUAKBAR". So if you want a tree to grow for you in Jannah, all what you have to do is say SUBHANALLAH, ALHAMDULILLAH, WALAILAHA ILA ALLAH, ALLAHUAKBAR. Use your time in 'Dunya' to grow acres of there trees. Just keep on building houses and planting trees, work on it from 'Dunya'. Prepare yourself for Jannah.