Al Islam

1590. The verse which seems to mention a vision of the Holy Prophet is supposed by most Commentators of the Qur’an to refer to his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension). Contrary to popular opinion we are inclined to the view that the verse deals with the Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey) of the Holy Prophet in a vision from Mecca to Jerusalem, while his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has been dealt with at some length in Surah An-Najm. All the facts, mentioned in Surah An-Najm (vv. 8-18) which was revealed immediately after the Emigration to Abyssinia which took place in the month of Rajab in the 5th year of the Call, are to be found narrated in detail in the traditions which deal with the Mi‘raj of the Holy Prophet. The Isra’ or the Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, with which the present verse deals, took place in the eleventh year of the Call, according to Zurqani, and in the 12th year according to Muir and some other Christian writers. According to Merdawaih and Ibn-e-Sa‘d, however, the Isra’ took place on the 17th of Rabi‘ul-Awwal, a year before Hijrah (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra). Baihaqi also relates that the Isra’ took place a year or six months before the Hijrah. Thus all relevant traditions go to show that the Isra’ took place a year or six months prior to Hijrah about the 12th year of the Call when after the death of Khadijah which took place in the 10th year, the Holy Prophet was living with Umm-e-Hani’, his cousin. But the Mi‘raj, according to overwhelming scholarly opinion, took place about the 5th year. Thus the two incidents are separated from each other by an interval of six or seven years and, therefore, cannot be identical; the one must be regarded as quite distinct and separate from the other. Moreover, the incidents which are mentioned in the Traditions to have taken place in the Prophet’s Mi‘raj, are of quite a distinct nature from those which took place in his Isra’. It may also be stated in passing that the two incidents were only spiritual phenomena and that the Holy Prophet did not physically go up to heaven or travelled to Jerusalem.

In addition to this strong historical evidence, other relevant circumstances lend support to the view that the two incidents were quite distinct and separate from each other: (a) The Qur’an gives an account of the Holy Prophet’s Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) in Chapter 53, but makes no reference to his Isra ’(Night Journey to Jerusalem), while in the present Surah it speaks of his Isra’ but omits all allusion to his Mi‘raj (b) Umm-e-Hani’ the Holy Prophet’s cousin with whom he was staying on the night when the Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem) took place speaks only of his visit to Jerusalem and makes no mention of his journey to the heavens. She was the first person whom the Holy Prophet informed of his Night Journey to Jerusalem and at least seven collectors of Traditions have given her account of the incident on the authority of four different reporters who have reported the incident from her. All these four reporters concur in saying that the Holy Prophet went to Jerusalem and returned to Mecca the same night. If the Holy Prophet had spoken of his Ascension to the heavens also, Umm-e-Hani’ could not have failed to refer to it in one or other of her reports. But she does not do so in any of her reports, which conclusively shows that during the night in question the Holy Prophet made the Isra’ or the Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem only and that the Mi‘raj did not take place on that occasion. It seems that some reporters of Traditions mixed up the two accounts of the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj. The confusion appears to have arisen from the word Isra’ (Night Journey) having been used both for the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj; and the resemblance that existed in some of the details in the descriptions of the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj heightened and confirmed it. (c) The Traditions which first give an account of the Holy Prophet’s visit to Jerusalem and then of his transportation from Jerusalem to heaven also state that at Jerusalem he met the former Prophets, including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and that in the heavens he met the same Prophets again but did not recognize them. How did these Prophets whom he had met at Jerusalem reach the heavens before him and why could he not recognize them while he had seen them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey. It is inconceivable that he should have failed to recognize them when he had met them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey. For a detailed discussion of this important subject see "The Larger Edition of the Commentary," pp. 1404-1409. (close)

1591. "The Distant Mosque" refers to Prophet Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem. (close)

a. 5:22; 7:138. (close)

1591A. The Vision of the Prophet referred to in the present verse implied a great prophecy. His journey to "The Distant Mosque" meant his Emigration to Medina where he was to build a Mosque which was destined to become later on the Central Mosque of Islam, and his seeing himself in the Vision that he was leading other Prophets of God in Prayers signified that the New Faith— Islam—was not to remain confined to the place of its birth but was to spread all over the world and the followers of all religions were to join its fold. His going to Jerusalem in the Vision may also be understood to mean that he was to be given dominion over the territory in which Jerusalem was situated. This prophecy was fulfilled during the Caliphate of ‘Umar. The Vision may also be taken as referring to a spiritual journey of the Holy Prophet to a distant land in some future time. It meant that when spiritual darkness would envelop the entire world, the Holy Prophet would appear in a spiritual sense a second time in the person of one of his followers, in a land far away from the scene of his First Advent. A pointed reference to this Second Advent of the Holy Prophet is to be found in 62:3, 4. (close)

a. 2:54, 88; 23:50; 32:24; 40:54. (close)

b. 17:69. (close)

c. 19:59; 23:28. (close)

1592. The two transgressions of the Israelites mentioned in the Book of Moses (Deut. 28:‌15. 49-53, 63, 64 & 30:‌15) are referred to in this verse. Those amongst the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed twice by David and Jesus, son of Mary (5:79) and consequently were punished twice. (close)

1593. The first Divine punishment overtook the Israelites after David, and the second after Jesus. It appears from the Bible that the Jews had become a very powerful nation after Moses, and in the time of David they laid the foundations of a mighty kingdom which continued to flourish for sometime after his death in its old might and glory. Then it fell a prey to gradual decay and in about 733 B.C. Samaria was conquered by the Assyrians, who annexed the whole of Israel north of Jezreel. In 608 B.C. Palestine was ravaged by an Egyptian force under Pharaoh Necho and the Israelites came under Egyptian sway (Jew. Enc., vol. 6, p. 665). The loss of their temporal power and their destruction and desolation, however, did not induce them to mend their ways. They persisted in their old wicked practices. The Prophet Jeremiah warned them to give up their evil ways as the wrath of God was about to overtake them, but they paid no heed to Jeremiah’s warnings. In the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his first invasion of Palestine and carried off some of the Temple vessels, but the city was spared the rigours of a siege. In 597 B.C. also the city was invested and fell victim to a severe famine. The rebellion of Zedekiah, however, caused a second invasion by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C., and after a siege of a year and a half, the city was taken by storm. King Zedekiah fled from the city but was taken prisoner. His sons were slain and his eyes were put out, and bound in fetters he was carried off to Babylon. The Temple, the King’s palace and all the great buildings in the city were burnt down, the chief priests and other leaders were put to death and many people were carried off in captivity (Jew. Enc. vol. 6, p. 665 & vol. 7, p. 122 under "Jerusalem"). (close)

1594. The Jews fared well in exile. Most of them were employed on public works in central Babylonia and many among them eventually gained their freedom and rose to influential positions. Their faith and religious devotion were renewed; the literature of the Kingdom was studied, re-edited, and adapted to the needs of the reviving Community, and the hope of restoration to Palestine was preached and cherished. About 545 B.C., this aspiration took a more definite form. The Jews made a secret agreement with Cyrus, King of Media and Persia and helped him to conquer Babylon. The city surrendered to his army without resistance in July, 539 B.C. As a reward for their services Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and also helped them to rebuild the Temple (Historians’ History of the World, vol. II, p. 126; Jew. Enc., vol. 7, under "Jerusalem;" Enc. Bib., under "Cyrus" and 2 Chronicles 36:‌22, 23). The Judean, Sheshbazzar (a governor under Cyrus) brought back to the Temple vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away and prepared to undertake the work at the expense of the royal purse. A large body of exiles returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:3-5). The work of rebuilding the Temple steadily progressed and was completed in 516 B.C. It is to these events and the subsequent prosperity of the Jews that the verse under comment refers. All this, however, was foretold by Moses long before it came to pass (Deut. 30:‌1-5). (close)

a. 4:124, 125; 6:161; 28:85; 41:47; 99:8, 9. (close)

1594A. The words also mean: 'They might humiliate your leaders,' wujuh meaning leaders (Lane). (close)

1595. This verse speaks of the second relapse into iniquitous ways of the Jews and of the punishment which befell them in consequence. They persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him on the Cross and stamp out his Movement. So God afflicted them with a terrible punishment when in 70 A.D. the Roman forces under Titus swept the country and amid circumstances of unparalleled horror Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple of Solomon was burnt down (Enc. Bib., under "Jerusalem"). This disaster took place when Jesus was yet living in Kashmir. This was also foretold by Moses (Deut. 32:‌18-26). It may be noted here that this prophecy about the second punishment is mentioned in the Bible after the prophecy which speaks of the first punishment (Deut. chap. 28). More than that, it is mentioned even after the prophecy which speaks of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem (Deut. 30:‌1- 5). This shows that this prophecy (Deut. 32:‌18-26) refers to the second punishment, to which reference has been made in the Qur’an, viz. You will surely do great mischief in the land twice (17:5). The verse implied a warning for Muslims that, like the Jews, they too will be punished twice if they did not give up their evil ways. But they did not profit by the timely warning and did not give up their evil ways and were punished twice. The first punishment overtook them when Baghdad fell in 1258 A.D. The barbarous hordes of Halaku completely destroyed that great seat of learning and power and 1,800,000 Muslims are said to have been put to the sword. Islam, however, emerged triumphant from that dreadful catastrophe. The victors became the vanquished. The grandson of Halaku along with a large number of Mongols and the Tartars accepted Islam. The second punishment was decreed to overtake them in the Latter Days. (close)

a. 12:112; 16:103; 18:3. (close)

1596. The goal which the Qur’an sets before its followers is nobler and more sublime than that of the former peoples, and promises its true followers both spiritual and temporal blessings. They should, therefore, make great efforts to attain them and be on their guard against a lax and undisciplined life and in every way prove themselves deserving of the promised Divine boons. (close)

b. 16:23; 27:5; 34:9. (close)