Me'raj-un-Nabi Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam - The Divine Vision‏ (part 5)

Me'raj-un-Nabi Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam - The Divine Vision‏

Opinion of the Illustrious Scholars of Islam:

1. Imam Khal'laal (Radi ALLAH Anh) in Kitaabus-Sunnah narrates from Imam Ishaaq bin Maroozi (Radi ALLAH Anh) that Imam Ahmad ibne Hambal (Radi ALLAH Anh) accepts this Tradition and confirms this by saying that:

قول النبي صلى الله تعالى عليه و سلّم رأيت ربّي
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Peace Be Upon Him) said, "I saw my Creator".

2. Imam Naqqaash (Radi ALLAH Anh) in his Tafseer narrates from Imam Sanadul Anaam (Radi ALLAH Anh) that:

انه قال أتقول بحديث ابن عبّاس بعينه رأى ربه رآه رآه رآه حتى انقطع نفسه
He said, "I accept the Hadith of Ibne Abbas (Radi ALLAH Anh) that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Peace Be Upon Him) saw his Creator. with his eyes, he did see, he did see, he did see". He repeated this till his breath lasted.

3. Imam Ibne Khateeb Misri (Radi ALLAH Anh) states in Mawaahib Shareef that:

جزم به معمر بن راشد بصري و آخرون و هو قول الأشعر و غالب اتباعه
Mah'mar bin Raashid Basri (Radi ALLAH Anh) and other scholars acknowledged this, and this is the Madhab of the Ahle-Sunnah, Imam Abul-Hasan Ash'ari (Radi ALLAH Anh) and the majority of his followers.

4. Allama Imam Sha'haab Khafaji (Radi ALLAH Anh) in his Naseemur-Riyaad, the commentary of Shifa Qaadi Ayaad, states that:

الأصح الراجح انه صلى الله تعالى عليه و سلّم رأى ربه بعين رأسه حين اسرى به كما ذهب إليه اكثر الصحبه
The most correct and pure Madhab is that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Peace Be Upon Him) on the night of Meh'raaj saw ALLAH with his naked eyes as it is the Madhab and consensus of the illustrious Sahaba fraternity.

5. Imam Nawawi (Radi ALLAH Anh) in Shar'ha Muslim Shareef and Allama Muhammad bin Abdul Baaqi (Radi ALLAH Anh) in Shar'ha Mawaahib states:

الراجح عند اكثر علماء انه صلى الله تعالى عليه و سلّم رأى ربه بعين رأسه ليلة المعراج
It is the consensus of the majority Ulama that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Peace Be Upon Him) saw ALLAH with his naked eyes on the night of Me'raaj.

6. Imame-Ajal Sayyidi Muhammad Boseeri (Radi ALLAH Anh) , in his renowned Qasidah Burdah Shareef states:

سريت من حرم ليلا الى حرم كما سرى البدر في داج من الظلم

The Habeeb of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him), in a short space of time, traveled from Musjid-e-Haraam to Musjid-e-Aqsa. This sacred journey was bright like the brilliance of the full moon.

و بت ترقى الى ان نلت منزلة و من قاب قوسين لم تدرك و لم ترم

The Beloved (Peace Be Upon Him) traveled in the night of Me'raaj until he reached the station of Qaaba Qosain. No creation could reach this height nor possessed the courage to do so.

خفضت كل مقام بالاضافة اذ نوديت بالرفع مثل مفرد العلم

The noble status of the Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him) left everything below him when he proceeded towards the Divine Heights of the Unique Lord, on the Night of Ascension.

فخرت كل فخار غير مشترك و جزت كل مقام غير مزدحم

The Beloved (Peace Be Upon Him) enjoyed such excellence that no one can share. He passed such places where no creation set foot.

Sayyidul Alameen (Peace Be Upon Him) was blessed with exclusive gifts and secrets and passed all the heights without any hindrance. Without doubt, this goes to say that the Master (Peace Be Upon Him) traveled the secret and timeless regions alone to the Divine Presence and met and saw ALLAH.

7. Allama Mulla Ali Qaari (Radi ALLAH Anh) in his Shar'ha elaborates on Imam Boseeri's verses:

اى انت دخلت الباب و قطعت الحجاب الى ان لم تترك غاية لساع الى السبق من كمال التقرّب المطلق الى جناب الحق و لا تركت موضع رقى و صعود وقيام وقعود لطالبفعة فى عالم الوجود بل تجاوزت ذالك الى مقام قاب قوسين او ادنى فاوحى اليك ربّك ما اوحى
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Peace Be Upon Him) passed all the Secret Curtains and reached the Divine Absolute Presence of the Supreme Creator, as one reaches one's goal leaving everyone behind. There was no step of excellence in the entire universe that the Master (Peace Be Upon Him) did not surpass. In fact, the Master (Peace Be Upon Him) transcended above the domain of space and time and entered the Station of Qaaba-Qosain and O'adna. Then, ALLAH the Supreme spoke to the Beloved what He had to Say.

8. Imam-e-Humaam Abu-Abdullah Sharfudeen Muhammad (Radi ALLAH Anh) states in Ummul-Qurra:

وترقي به قاب قوسين و تلك السيادة القعساء

The Master (Peace Be Upon Him) advanced till Qaba-Qosain (Divine Presence) and this is indeed the ultimate.

رتب تسقط الامانى حسرى دونها ما وراءهنّ وراء

These are the Secret Stations where desires and thoughts cannot contemplate because there are no paths that lead to them.

9. Imam Ibne Hajr Makki (Radi ALLAH Anh) comments in the Shar'ha of Ummul-Qurra:

قال بعض الائمه و المعاريج ليلة الاسراء عشرة سبعة فى السماوات و الثامن الى سدرة المنتهى و التاسع الى المستوى و العاشر الى العرش الخ
Some A'imma state that there were ten Meh'raajes in the night of Isra. There were seven in the seven skies, the eighth, Sidratul Muntaha, the ninth in the Divine Levels and the Tenth to the Arsh.

10. Sayyidi Allama Arif-e-Billah Abdul Ghani Nablusi (Radi ALLAH Anh) re-affirms this in Hadiqa-e-Nadiyyah Sharha Tareeqa-e-Muhammadiyyah:

حيث قال قال شهاب مكي فى شرح همزيه لبوصيرى عن بعض الائمة ان المعاريج عشرة الى قوله والعاشر الى العرش و الرويه
There were ten Meh'raajes. The tenth was from the Arsh till the Divine Presence.

11. Imam Ibne Hajr Makki (Radi ALLAH Anh) states in Shar'he Hamziyya:

لما اعطى سليمان الريح التى غدوها شهر و رواحها شهر اعطى نبينا صلى الله تعالى عليه و سلّم البراق فحمله من الفرش الى العرش فى لحظة واحدة و اقل مسافة فى ذالك سبعة آلاف سنة و ما فوق العرش الى المستوى و الرفرف لا يعلمه الا الله تعالى
When Nabi Sulaymaan, was given the wind, it carried him the distance of one months journey in one day. Our Master (Peace Be Upon Him) was given the Buraaq which carried him from the earth to the Arsh in a fleeting moment. The shortest portion of this journey (between earth and the seven skies) takes seventeen thousand years. And Allah only knows the distance above the Arsh to the arcane levels with the Rafraf (to the Divine Presence).

12. It is also recorded in the same Shar'ha Hamziyya:

لما اعطى موسى عليه السلام الكلام و اعطى نبينا صلى الله تعالى عليه و آله و بارك سلّم مثله ليلة الاسراء و زيادة الدنو و الروية بعين البصر و شتان ما بين جبل الطور الذى نوجى به موسى عليه السلام نوجى به نبينا صلى الله تعالى عليه و آله و بارك سلّم
Nabi Moosa, was blessed with Dialogue (Kalaam). Similarly, our Master (Peace Be Upon Him) was blessed on the night of Isra with Divine Presence. He saw Allah from very close range with his naked eye. You cannot compare the experiences of Mount Toor with the experiences of our Master (Peace Be Upon Him) with ALLAH.

13. It is further recorded in the same book:

رقيه صلى الله عليه و سلّم ببدنه يقظة ليلة الاسراء الى السمآء ثمّ الى سدرة المنتهىثمّ الى المستوى ثم ّالى العرش و الرفرف والرويه
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Peace Be Upon Him) physically proceeded to the skies on the night of Isra in wakefulness. From there to Sidratul Muntaha, then Divine Levels, then Arsh and Rafraf till he saw the Divine Vision!

14. Allama Ahmad bin Muhammad Saawi Maliki Khal'wati (Radi ALLAH Anh) in a marginal annotation of Ummul-Qura writes:

الاسراء به صلى الله تعالى عليه و آله و بارك سلّم على يقظة بالجسد و الروح من المسجد الحرام الى المسجد الاقصى ثم عرج به الى السماوات العلى ثم الى سدرة المنتهى ثم الى المستوى ثم الى العرش و الرفرف
The Beloved Habeeb(Peace Be Upon Him) undertook the journey of Meh'raaj in wakefulness with his body and soul. He traveled from Masjid-e-Haraam to Musjid-e-Aqsa. Then up to the skies, then Sidratul Muntaha, then Divine Levels then, Arsh, and then Rafraf.