“Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a night journey from the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) to the Farthest Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa), whose precincts We did bless.”  [Al-Isra 17:1]

The incident of Al-Isra and Al-Mi'raj is a miracle from the Miracles that Allah (swt) graciously bestowed upon His Messenger (saw). This great miracle that could not be challenged had a status of importance unlike any other in the life of the Messenger (saw) and the noble Sahabah or the Muslims in every age and place.

The magnitude of this incident and its importance comes to light in the sublimity of the Da'wa, the greatness in carrying it and the enormity of its objective. When the Messenger of Allah (saw) informed the people in Mecca that, Allah (swt) had taken him on a night journey from Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca to Masjid Al-Aqsa from where he ascended to the highest heavens and tasted of its signs. How the recounting of this incident caused disarray and shook the imans of the weak ones of Mecca, so the polytheists scorned what they heard and many Muslims fell into apostasy.

Ibn Ishaq states, when the news of the miraculous journey reached many of those who accepted Islam, they committed apostasy. On hearing the news Umm Hani bint Abi Talib requested that the Prophet (saw) keep a low profile and to sit on the news for a while at least until the Muslims were stronger, so as to avoid the turning away of the weaker Muslims from Islam. Without any hesitation, and with full confidence, the Messenger of Allah (saw) declared: “By Allah, I shall speak out!”

The Noble Messenger and his noble Sahabah were put to a test by this critical intellectual and mental situation; they stood firm, as steady as a mountain. They did not heed the disbelief of the disbelievers, the ignorance of the ignorant, and the worthlessness of the worthless and the malice of the malicious. Their perseverance and bravery in this critical situation was the first of its kind in the history of Islam. The great precedent which was set has seen the towering building of Islam that continued for hundreds of years.

Therefore it is incorrect for the Muslims to engage in celebrations, songs and innovation that did not come to be in practice of the predecessors. And it is not from Islam what the governments and establishments do, by suspending work in this celebration. However it is of utmost importance that a Muslim remembers this incident from two angles, they are:

Firstly, that we know that this doctrinal miracle teaches us the meaning of adhering to the ideology and patience in it. No matter how we are afflicted with all kinds of tribulations, that it is improper for us to surrender our correct thoughts, no matter what the result is, no matter what the effect is. That we will resist and struggle against all that is not based upon the Islamic 'Aqeedah. That we withstand and continue in carrying the Da'wa with certainty that does not shake, like the certainty of the Sahabah with the Messenger (saw) during the incident.

Secondly, that we realise the incident of Al- Isra and Al-Mi'raj is necessary to teach us in continuing the meaning of devotion by persistence of Islamic concepts, Islamic lands and Islamic rights to the extent that we cling stubbornly to them. Neglecting the lands is like neglecting the ideas, for there is no difference between forsaking the land of Al-Isra and Al-Mi'raj to the Jews and the Kuffar and forsaking ruling by what Allah has revealed and changing it to the Rule that Allah did not reveal.

Al-Quds was the original Qibla for Muslims, It has also been reported that in Al-Quds the Prophet (saw) led the prayers amidst all the previous Prophets and that the Prophet (saw) ascended to heaven from al-Maqdis. It is even reported that the gate of heaven, which is called Mas'ad al Mala'ikah faces Bayit al-Maqdis. Both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim in their books of Sahih narrated Abu Huraira (ra) saying that Allah's Messenger (saw) said: 'Set out deliberately on a journey only to three masjid's; this masjid of mine (in Madinah), the Sacred Masjid (in Makkah), and Masjid Al-Aqsa.’

Imam Ali (ra) is reported to have said: "The most blessed of abodes is Quds, and he who lives therein is like the one who strives in the way of Allah. The time will surely come when it will be said. Oh that I were a piece of straw in one of the bricks of Quds."

Some narrations mention that the Prophet (saw) ascended to the heavens and this is when Allah (swt) revealed the order of the five obligatory daily Salah for the Muslims. It is narrated that initially Allah (swt) gave the order of 50 obligatory Salah everyday, the Prophet (saw) met Musa (as) and he told him to return back to Allah and ask Allah to reduce the number because he said, "your followers cannot perform so many prayers.” Allah (swt) in his mercy reduced the number to 10 times a day and then finally to 5 times a day.

Salahudeen chose the night believed to be the night of Isra wa Mi’raj, the 27th of Rajab 583 after Hijra to take possession of al-Quds and to conclude a crushing defeat upon the Christians. He remembered the significance of Isra and Mi’raj, he did not detach it from life, he did not see it as an irrelevant story.

Likewise it is not permitted in any circumstance to surrender Palestine; similarly it is not permitted for us to accept a state other than the Khilafah Rashidah as a substitute. It is an obligation to work towards re-establishing the Islamic state, because she is the only one that is able to reclaim Palestine and liberate it. After which, life would be under her wing and in the shade of her flag, the Raya of Uqab, the Raya of the Messenger (saw) which will insha'allah be hoist aloft over Al-Quds, as the future capital of the Khilafah as prophesised by the Prophet (saw).
 
Abu Abdullah

Source: Khilafah Magazine