Honoring Muhammad — A Bridge Between the Crescent and the Oktcrux

Abu Qasim Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim was born in Mecca in the year 570 AD. He was raised by his uncle Abu Talib ibn Abdul Muttalib after being orphaned at an early age. At the time of his birth, the Arabian Peninsula had fallen into idolatry and disbelief, pagan traditions rampant and hedonism the norm.

Muhammad felt disgusted by all that. Revolted, he would retreat into the depths of Gar Hira for meditation. He could not believe that the true purpose of humanity was to bow down to stone and wooden statues of strange creatures in submission. He believed there was more. Turns out he was right.

At the age of forty, during one meditative sessions, Muhammad experienced something profound. A Light of Truth shone upon him in the form of the Archangel Gabriel who manifested before him with the command to read.

Initially, Muhammad was confounded by this. He did not know what he was being asked to read from. The angel embraced him, tighter and tighter, repeating the demand. Fear grasped Muhammad and he fled the scene, returning home to his wife, Hazrat Sayyidina Khadija bint Khuwaylid asking her to comfort him, lay her arms around him, soothe his nerves. As she did, Muhammad told her what happened and she assured him he was the Lord's Chosen.

The experience was profound and it was three years until the next revelation came, declaring Muhammad as a Prophet chosen to preach the doctrine of the One God to the pagan polytheists of Mecca. Daunted by the task, Muhammad was hesitant at first but steeled himself later on to begin his duty. He was persecuted, hurt, exiled and cast out. He lost his family and everyone he knew, those closest to him, dearest to him, were tortured along with him. Eventually, he and his followers took flight to Medina wherein the newest chapter of his ministry began.

In Medina, Muhammad turned his faith into a political system, forging the tribes there together into one state, with a law and an army. With his newfound power and influence, Muhammad launched a campaign to nationwide propagate the Faith of the One God of Abraham. Twenty-three years after the mission began, he succeeded.

The Arabian Peninsula came together as a singular entity of united tribes, a religious polity. The leaders who followed Muhammad after his death spread the faith even further. During the reign of Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab, the faith found its way to Palestine, Egypt and Persia. The faith was known as Islam.

From an outsider perspective, Muhammad is considered to be the founder of Islam. However, from the viewpoint of a practitioner, God is the founder of Islam and Adam was the first among humans to be Muslim. He propagated the faith and passed down its knowledge through Seth to Enoch to Noah all the way through to Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David. The central creed of this faith: the doctrine of the One God, also known as Tawhid.

La ilaha il-Allah — this is the summary of the creed. There is no god but God. And Muhammad is His Messenger, merely a Prophet on the Path of Prophets. Patriarch Mar Timothy I of Baghdad states it succinctly as the following:

Muhammad is worthy of all praise by all reasonable people...
He walked in the Path of the Prophets and trod in the Trail of the Lovers of God. 

All the Prophets taught the doctrine of the One God, and since Muhammad taught the doctrine of the Unity of God, he walked, therefore, in the Path of the Prophets. 

Further, all the Prophets drove men away from misdeeds, and brought them nearer to good works, and since Muhammad drove his people away from impious acts and brought them nearer to righteousness, he walked, therefore, in the Path of the Prophets. 

Again, all the Prophets separated men from idolatry and polytheism, and attached them to God and worshiping Him. Since Muhammad separated his people from idolatry and polytheism and attached them to the worship and knowledge of One God, beside whom there is no other God, he walked, therefore, in the Path of the Prophets. 

Finally, Muhammad taught about God, His Word and His Spirit, and since all the Prophets had prophesied about God, His Word and His Spirit, verily indeed , Muhammad walked, therefore, in the Path of the Prophets... 

Who, then, shall not praise, honor and exalt the great one who not only fought for God through words, but showed zeal for Him by the sword?

Patriarch Timothy I is a patriarch of the Church of the East often called, inaccurately since they accept and follow the Chalcedonian Creed, the Nestorian Church of the East or, simply, the Nestorian Church. It is to be distinguished from the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. A prime difference between the Oriental Orthodox Church and the Nestorian Church of the East is that the former is Nasrani while the latter Hanif.

"Hanif" is a Syro-Aramaic word meaning "one rejecting and turning back" because the Nestorian Church observed the Sabbath and refrained from eating pork along with keeping other Laws of the Torah meticulously. The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge states in the article concerning the Nestorians:

The Nestorians eat no pork and keep the Sabbath.
They believe in neither auricular confession nor purgatory.

Therefore, the greater majority of Christians considered that the Nestorians were turning back or inclining towards Judaism. Hence, the other Christians used to call the Nestorian Church "Hanif" because they were Hebraizers. Eventually the categorization stuck on.

What is interesting to note here is that the word "Hanif" also appears in the Quran and it did not previously exist within the Arabic language before the Revelation of the Book unto Muhammad. The root of the word is Syriac, basically the same as above. It is used in the Quran to refer to those who maintained the pure monotheistic beliefs of Patriarch Abraham, having rejected idolatry and retained some or all of the tenets and laws of the religion of Abraham which was "Submission to God" in its purest form.

 

Say unto them,
"Nay, we follow only Hanif, the religion of Abraham, and he was not of the polytheists."
[Quran 2:135] 

Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Hanif and he was not of the polytheists.
[Quran 3:67] 

Therefore, set you your face towards Hanif, inclining towards Haqq and Fitrah. No change let there be in the Creation of God: that is the straight religion, but most of men know not.
[Quran 30:30]

In the final Quranic verse listed above, "Haqq" means "Truth" and "Fitrah" means "Natural Law" referring to the preset moral compass instilled within all humans and jinn, as believed by Muslims, from the moment of their creation. These, in total, encompass the notion that Abraham's doctrine of monotheism, Hanif, in faith and practice was the true lawful nature of human beings expressed physically and spiritually.

Meanwhile, the categorization of the Oriental Orthodox as Nasri came from their acceptance of the Coptic belief regarding the Month of el-Nasi.  This is a thirteenth month lasting just a week or so in length. Nestorians do not accept this because of the prohibition of Nasi laid down in the Quran, the Revelation bestowed unto Muhammad, which the Church of the East term as Abu Qasim's Ahadith Qudsi, the Holy Narrations, making clear there are only twelve months, totally rejecting the Nasi,

The number of months with God is only twelve by God's Ordinance since the day He divinely fashioned the Heavens and the Earth.
[Quran 9:36]

Muhammad also mentions the Nasi in the Farewell Sermon,

Certainly the Nasi' is an impious addition, which has led the infidels into error. One year they authorize the Nasi', another year they forbid it. They observe the divine precept with respect to the number of the sacred months, but in fact they profane that which God has declared to be inviolable, and sanctify that which God has declared to be profane. 

Assuredly time, in its revolution, has returned to such as it was at the creation of the heavens and the earth. In the eyes of God the number of the months is twelve. Among these twelve months four are sacred, namely, Rajab, which stands alone, and three others which are consecutive.

The Nestorians accepts Muhammad as a transcendentally appointed Messenger of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. They call him Abu Qasim, Abbot Cosimas, and his Quranic traditions collected and codified during the time and reign of Caliph Osman they honor and consecrate as the Ahadith Qudsi.

The Nestorian Church of the East consists of many orders within its ranks, one of them being the small, almost extinct, military order known as the Order of the Caraimean. The Caraimean believe Muhammad was an orphaned ecclesiastical poet, not illiterate as propounded by mainstream Sunni scholarship, but one prolific with words and letters, his narrations, beautiful poetry, some of which were written down upon tablets of rocks and rags of parchment, leaves and leather, surviving him while others were lost.

They believe that when Caliph Osman put together the official Quran, some narrations were left out because he only included the ones which were written and could be recited but some could be recited yet no written copy was found and some were written yet no reciter was found. These became the remnants of the Ahadith Qudsi

However, over time, more and more Ahadith Qudsi were being spread around, some authentic while others fabricate. Therefore, Imam Abu Hanifah laid down the criteria to identify which ones were the former and the latter using Kalam, that is, philosophical discourse, and Ijtihad, independent reasoning. He taught this to Anan ben David who was, as believed by the Caraimean, the only student dedicated enough to be imprisoned with Imam Abu Hanifah.

Regarding the Theology and Christology of the Caraimean Order, they believe in High God the Holy Father Almighty. He is ha-Eloh, the God, al-Ilah or Allah, the Divine One. His Essence, dhat, is the Divinity, Haloh or Allah, which He has given His creations the chance of becoming one with through theosis, known in Islamic Sufi terminology as fana'. Theosis, in contrast to fana', though, is believed to provide one the chance to become elohim or alihatun, that is, lesser gods in His family. The equivalent to these "gods" or elohim in Islamic theology would probably be Sifatullah because these are the Names and Attributes of the One God reflected unto the mirrored hearts of His creations.

The Caraimean Creed believes in the statement of "La ilaha il-Allah" where they interpret it as:

The God is One, and His Essence is One, but His Names are many.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit, Ruh al-Quds, is considered to be a reflection of an eloh or sifat but not the God Himself, although emanating from the same Essence, Allah. The Holy Spirit carries the Logos which is also considered to be an eloh or sifat but not the God although emanating from the same Essence, Allah.

Meanwhile Christ is called Son of Mary — who is known by the Caraimean Order as the Christotokos, meaning Mother of Christ, and not the Theotokos, meaning Mother of God — not the Son of God. This is to emphasize his humanity. The role of the Messiah, according to the Caraimean, is to take the Logos from the Holy Spirit and be united with it forever. The Logos is from Allah but the Christ is not Allah. Together they are one in Jesus.

This is why it is said:

The Word is god from God, light from Light, truth from Truth, generated not created, but one divine essence with the Father. It was sent out by the Power of the Holy Spirit and through the flesh of the Virgin Mary to become one with man in Christ.

The Caraimean believe that Christ suffered death by crucifixion, he permitted it, under Pontius Pilate, who did not crucify him but only Allah allowed it to happen, and was buried, descended unto Sheol, the Realm of the Dead, at the End of Time to liberate the souls deserving Mercy, then rose again on the third day and ascended unto Heaven.

They believe we will see him again at the End of Days when he liberated the dead. Since time is relative, for him it has already happened but for us it is yet to happen. This is why the Caraimean say that Christ came and yet is coming. In Truth, it has all been accomplished already.

They believe that the Holy Spirit is Grace, termed Ahmed, poured out into the Saints, called Mahamadim. Each Saint is therefore named Muhammad. It is impossible to say Muhammad has gone, if he dies or is slain and the believer should not turn on their heels because, they believe, he will return in the next saint.

The Caraimean Order understands that when Abu Qasim was a child, the Archangel Gabriel came and opened his chest, took out his heart and put Ahmed inside of him. Hence, from that day onward he became Muhammad, and the same happens to every saint, at some point in their life.

This story and the foundation of this belief is not alien to Islam. The narration regarding the renewal of Muhammad's heart is found in a hadith concerning Muhammad's childhood related by Anas ibn Malik in the Sahih of Imam Muslim which states the following:

"Gabriel came to the Apostle of Allah while he was playing with his mates. He took hold of him and made him to lay on his back, ripping open his chest and taking out the heart from it.
He then proceeded to open the heart and extracted something that clung in it stating that was the part leading Man to sin. Then, his heart was washed in a gold basin with the Water of Zamzam, closed, and restored to its place. The boys came running to his foster mother and said,

Verily, Muhammad has been murdered!

They all rushed towards him and found him changed in complexion.
Anas said,

I myself saw the mark of stitching on his chest."

Muslims believe Gabriel is the Holy Spirit, Ruh al-Quds, who is tasked as the Archangel of Revelation to carry the Word of God to the Saints and Prophets. This is referenced multiple times in the Quran,

"And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, evident signs, and we supported him with the Holy Spirit."
[Quran 2:87]

"That Day God shall say: 'O Jesus, the son of Mary, recount My Favor unto thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit!"
[Quran 5:110]

"Say: the Holy Spirit has brought the Revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as Guidance and Glad Tidings to Muslims."
[Quran 16:102]

Therefore, Gabriel, the Holy Spirit, cleansing the heart of Muhammad and implanting it unto him anew brimming with the Inspiration from the Grace of God is not entirely a bizarre idea from an Islamic viewpoint, though the resultant events and the interpretation of the event itself is different.

In the end, the gist of the matter is this, that our Caraimean brothers among the echelons of the Nestorian Church, have the utmost respect for our Liege Lord and Sultan al-Qulub Muhammad salallahu alayhisalam.

It is a shame today that so many of our brethren among them are being slaughtered inhumanely by those who claim to be from us such as the likes of ISIS and al-Qaeda. The violence perpetrated unto them by these terrorist so-called Muslims who are, in reality, munafiqun, are driving the Nestorians to believe that perhaps Patriarch Mar Timothy I was wrong about Muhammad and his people, leading them to leave the Church of the East for other denominations.

What is even more saddening is that the Church is already dwindling in regards to numbers. We cannot be the ones under whose name they are driven to extinction, specially when they behold our Prophet in such eminent light. We have to extend our hands to them, embrace them as one with us, hand in hand, together as humanity against the subhuman ilk of terrorism and extremist fundamentalism that is corrupting our world today.

I end this article with the Achtiname of our beloved Prophet Muhammad to the Christian Monks of Mount Sinai penned by his esteemed cousin and son-in-law Mawla Imam al-Murtaza Ali ibn Abu Talib:

This is a letter issued by Muhammed, son of Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet, the Faithful, who is sent to all the people as a trust on behalf of God to all His creatures and creation, that they may have no plea against God hereafter. Verily God is Mighty and Wise. 

This letter is directed to the ones embracing submission to God in peace, as a covenant unto the followers of the Holy Nazarene in the East and West, the far and the near, the Arabs and foreigners, the known and the unknown. 

This letter contains the oath given unto them, and he who disobeys that which is therein will be considered a renegade and transgressor to that whereunto he is commanded. He will be regarded as one who has corrupted the Oath of God, disbelieved His Testament, rejected His Authority, despised His Religion, and made himself deserving of His Curse, whether he is a Sultan or any other Muslim. 

Whenever monks, devotees and pilgrims gather together, whether in a mountain or valley, or den, or frequented place, or plain, or church, or in houses of worship, verily we are behind them and shall protect them, and their properties and their morals, by myself, by my friends and my allies, for they are of my subjects and under my protection. 

I shall exempt them from that which may disturb them; of the burdens which are paid by others as an oath of allegiance. They must not give anything of their income but only that which pleases them — they must not be offended, or disturbed, or coerced or compelled. 

Their judges should not be changed or prevented from accomplishing their offices, nor the monks disturbed in exercising their religion, or the people of seclusion be stopped from dwelling in their cells. 

No one is allowed to plunder the pilgrims, or destroy or spoil any of their churches, or houses of worship, or take any of the things contained within these houses and bring it to the houses of Islam. And he who takes away anything therefrom, will be one who has corrupted the Oath of God, and, indeed, disobeyed His Messenger. 

Poll-taxes should not be put upon their judges, monks, and those whose occupation is the worship of God; nor is any other thing to be taken from them, whether it be a fine, a tax or any unjust right. 

Verily I shall keep their compact, wherever they may be, in the sea or on the land, in the East or West, in the North or South, for they are under my protection and the testament of my safety, against all things which they abhor. 

No taxes or tithes should be received from those who devote themselves to the worship of God in the mountains, or from those who cultivate the Holy Lands. No one has the right to interfere with their affairs, or bring any action against them. 

Verily this is for aught else and not for them; rather, in the seasons of crops, they should be given a Kadah for each Ardab of wheat as provisions for them, and no one has the right to say to them this is too much, or ask them to pay any tax. 

As to those who possess properties, the wealthy and merchants, the poll-tax to be taken from them must not exceed twelve drachmas a head per year. 

They shall not be imposed upon by anyone to undertake a journey, or to be forced to go to wars or to carry arms; for the Muslims have to fight for them. Do no dispute or argue with them, but deal according to the verse recorded in the Quran,

Do not dispute or argue with the People of the Book but in that which is best [29:46] 

Thus they will live favored and protected from everything which may offend them by the Muslims, wherever they may be and in any place they may dwell. 

Should any Christian woman be married to a Muslim, such marriage must not take place except after her consent, and she must not be prevented from going to her church for prayer. 

Their churches must be honored duly as their right and they must not be obstructed or withheld from building churches or repairing their convents. 

They must not be forced to carry arms or stones; but the Muslims must protect them and defend them against others. 

It is positively incumbent upon every one of the Islam nation not to contradict or disobey this oath until the Day of Resurrection and the End of Time.

— Fahim Ferdous Kibria

Beauty

There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion.
It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner.
Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers.
All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in
the first instance, but this rose is an extra. Its smell and color are an embellishment of life,
not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have
much to hope from the flowers.
~ Sherlock Holmes

The quote posits religion as a science of pure reason, without practical experimentation and hypothetical theorizing – a science based completely on armchair observation and deduction, everything occurring within the mind
as it analyzes the data without the use of tabletop tinkering involving gadgets and contraptions.

The observation notes that beauty is the ultimate reason vouching for the existence of God, a good One at that, for everything else in the world can be explained away with the reason of necessity but beauty is something that exists as a bonus in reality serving no other purpose than to provide aesthetic pleasure to the soul without ensuring survival of any sort in and of itself though attraction to beauty may beg to differ but this attraction itself cannot be rationally explained for why be attracted to a feature that does not provide you with any sustenance? Attraction to food and water may appease hunger and thirst for one to nourish themselves, but what purpose does attraction to color and symmetry serve other than to appease the eyes? Yes, beauty is truly an enigmatic feature of the universe.

Beauty is not a mechanism of cold, unfeeling evolution as presented by the ideology of naturalism. It is an extra – something existing beyond natural selection; a product of the unconditional goodness of a caring, loving God. Perhaps, it is why the Prophet Muhammad said:

Verily God is Beautiful and They love Beauty.

[Sahīh Muslim, Hadith 131]

— Fahim Ferdous Kibria

A Prophet Like Unto Thee...

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My Words in his mouth;

And he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

[Deuteronomy 18:18]

The Hijra is arguably one of the most important events in the life of Muhammad marking a new beginning for the Muslim community. In fact, its significance is so notable within Islamic history that the Muslim calendar marks down its first year from this event onward.

The Hijra, meaning "the migration," referring to the journey of the Prophet alongside his close companion, Abu Bakr, from the city of Mecca to Yathrib, later to be renamed Madinatun Nabi, which translates to "the City of the Prophet," later abbreviated simply to Medina, meaning "the City," took place during the thirteenth year of Hazrat Muhammad's Prophethood in 622 CE.

Muhammad received his First Revelation from the Archangel Gabriel in the year 610 CE while meditating inside a cave near Mount Hira at the age of forty, a profound phenomenon of overwhelmingly epic proportions.

The Message was simple: the ancestral tradition of pagan idol worship prevalent in Mecca was a mistake for God was One. Muhammad was tasked to preach this dogma of pristine monotheism. Unfortunately for him, Banu Quraysh, the leading tribe of the Arabian Peninsula did not welcome this new exclusive doctrine favorably. And so began the persecution of Muhammad.

The next thirteen years of the life of Muhammad was one marred with torture and oppression. His first followers were his beloved Khadijah, his cousin Ali ibn Abu Talib, his best friend Abu Bakr and his adopted son Zayd.

Muhammad began publicly preaching the message of monotheism around the year 613. Meccans weren't pleased. As Muhammad gained followers who abandoned worship of the primordial idols of the Quraysh in exchange of devotion to the One True God of Abraham, the Meccans grew increasingly agitated towards the new religion.

In fear that the faith of Muhammad would soon usurp their power over the people, the high priests and leaders of the Quraysh tribe approached Muhammad to broker a deal with him. They pleaded with him to abandon preaching the Message of Allah and in return they would offer him admission to the elite echelons of merchants, kingship over the Qurayshi sub-clans and the most beautiful women of the Arab peninsula as his wives. Muhammad refused.

The pains that Muhammad and the early Muslims had to endure were manifold. Muhammad's neighbors used to fling guts of cattle and feces through his windows and the pots he hung out to dry after washing on a regular basis. On one occasion, Abu Jahl wagered a bet to see who among his companions would be willing to dump the intestines of camels on the shoulders of the Prophet while he was in prostration for prayer. 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt executed the heinous task. On another occasion, the accursed one stomped onto the neck of Muhammad while he was in prayer until his eyeballs almost bulged out of his sockets. Abu Bakr intervened to save the Prophet.

Sumaiya binte Khayyat, the first martyr of Islam, was a slave of Abu Jahl. After she and her family members converted to Islam, Abu Jahl used to take them out to the desert at midday and expose them to the heat of the sun threatening them to either apostatize from Islam or die. They never relented, proclaiming the Oneness of God until the very end. Eventually, Abu Jahl snatched the life of Hazrat Sumaiya by driving a spear up her womb.

Bilal ibn Rabah, an Ethiopian slave who had accepted Islam, was forced to lay on his back in the desert and a heavy rock was placed upon his chest whereupon he was pressured to renounce belief in the God of Abraham for the idols of Arabia: Laat, Manat and Uzza. This continued until Abu Bakr bought Bilal off and freed him.

It is important to note here that most of the early followers, nearly all of them, were either slaves of the rich Meccan rulers who were staunch polytheists or subordinates under-ranking them in power and position. The scenario was that of the upper class polytheists such as Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab reigning over and oppressing the working class monotheists such as Ammar ibn Yasir, Zaneerah ar-Rumiyah and Lubaynah. Sounds familiar?

Generations after the prosperity of Joseph, the Israelite people of Egypt found themselves in captivity and slavehood under the Pharaoh Ramses, an evil tyrant and a pagan. The devotees of the One God of Abraham, monotheistic in the concept's purest form, enslaved at the hands of polytheists by the Nile, worshipers of the sun, moon and stars. Such was the plight of the followers of Yahweh, a trial of pain and humiliation, with no sliver of mercy at sight.

However, God refused to forsake His people, soon bestowing among them a Deliverer of Liberation, Moses, son of Jochebed and Amram. Moses was raised by the Pharaoh's household, in an ironic twist of fate, as God had willed it, and upon reaching his prime landed himself in hot water as a scuffle between a Hebrew and an Egyptian resulted in an accidental murder forcing Moses to be deemed a fugitive escaping to Midian and save his scalp.

As the persecution of the Israelite nation continued under the iron fist of Ramses, Moses settled down with Zipporah, daughter of Jethro, where he recuperated and soon after received the Command from God to free His people from the hands of the Pharaoh.

Afraid and hesitant, Moses returned to Egypt nonetheless. And, with the assistance of his brother, Aaron, succeeded in freeing the Hebrews after a Curse of Ten Plagues and a Sign from Adonai Elohim that literally split the Red Sea.

Following the liberation, in what we now know as the Exodus, Moses brought the Children of Israel to the foot of Mount Sinai where they rested in the Shade of God and God laid down the Law: Divine Commandments through which His Chosen One would govern His Nation.

Following the persecution at the hands of the Meccans, the time eventually came that they raised the ante and plotted to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad. Of this conspiracy, Muhammad was informed about by Gabriel. As the people lay in wait for the ambush the night the plan was to be executed, however, Muhammad miraculously averted the eyes of all watching and escaped, fleeing for Medina.

The journey was made in parts and took an entirety of thirty days. Upon reaching Medina, then known as Yathrib, he gratuitously welcomed and soon was crowned the chief of the city arbitrating disputes and forming a community there. Before his arrival, Yathrib was a campsite for merchants with dispersed autonomous tribes scattered all over the land. The advent of Muhammad changed the scenario.

When Muhammad reached the town, the two largest tribes there were the 'Aws and the Khazraj. They were fierce rivals but the Prophet mediated them into being allies of one another. He united the two tribes along with the rest others as a singular Muslim community soon to be joined by the Muslims of Mecca arriving into the city which was then rechristened Madinatun Nabi, "the City of the Prophet."

It is here that we see the change in the nature of Quranic Revelation. Whereas the earlier chapters revealed dealt with strengthening the faith of the persecuted believers in Mecca and consoling them with the Promise of Reward in the Afterlife along with the Warning of Enduring Torment for the persecutors, the Medinan Revelations focused on delivering the Law through which Muhammad was to govern the newly established Islamic State.

The Muslims have gone from slaves in bondage under the rulers of the tribes in Mecca to being full-fledged citizens of their nation ruled under their own Law with Muhammad as the Lawgiver and God as the Legislator. Following this, Muhammad and his successors, the Rashidun Caliphate, led conquests against the pagan tribes in the area expanding the reach of Allah's Message throughout the land taking over the regions of Khaybar, Ghatafan, Murrah, Sulaym, Hawaizin, Makkah, Bilad ash-Sham, al-Masr, Bayn an-Nahrayn, Maghreb, Kibris, Hayastan and Iran.

This is in many ways similar to the story of Moses who, along with his people, after suffering persecution at the hands of the idolater Pharaoh Ramses, escaped from Egypt, traveled across the Red Sea and formed a community of believers by Sinai to be ruled by the Law revealed by God atop the Mountain of HaShem, following which began the Conquest of Canaan led by Moses, aided by Aaron, and, then, his successor, Joshua, reigning over the lands of Heshbon, Bashan, Jericho, Ai, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Horma, Arad, Adul′lam, Libnah, Makke′dah, Bethel, Tap′pu-ah, Hepher, Aphek, Lashar′on, Madon, Ach′shaph, Hazor, Shim′ron-me′ron, Kedesh, Ta′anach, Megid′do, Jok′ne-am, Na′phath-dor, Goi′im and Tirzah.

The travail at Egypt can be compared to the tribulation at Mecca for the community of Muhammad. The Exodus across the waters can be compared to the Hijrah and the settling down at the foot of Mount Horeb with the Revelation of the Commandments can be compared to the assembling of a legislated Islamic society with refined rules and regulations in Medina. On an end note, Moses is the most mentioned Prophet in the Quran.

— Fahim Ferdous Kibria

The Night of Power and Destiny

The last of the Meccan phase of Muhammad's life is noted for alternate fortunes ranging between two extremes: gradual success and continual persecution. However, glimpses of favorable lights were appearing manifest on the distant horizon, to ultimately materialize in the event of the Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem and then Ascension through the Spheres of the Heavens.

As for its exact date, there is a difference of opinion about it. The following are the views about when it occurred:

1. The Night Journey occurred during the year in which Allah honored Muhammad with Prophethood.
   This view was chosen by Imam at-Tabari.
2. It occurred five years after the beginning of his Prophethood.
   This is the view preferred by Imam an-Nawawi and al-Qurtubi.
3. It was the night of the 27th of Rajab during the tenth year of Prophethood.
   This view was chosen by 'Allamah al-Mansurpuri.
4. It was sixteen months prior to the Migration to Medina,
   during Ramadan of the twelfth year of Prophethood.
5. It was one year and two months prior to the migration to Medina
   meaning al-Muharram during the thirteenth year of Prophethood.
6. It was one year prior to the migration,
   during Rabi'ul-Awwal in the thirteenth year of Prophethood.

The first three views are to be dismissed on the basis of the death of Sayyiduna Khadijah which was in Ramadan during the tenth year of Prophethood. She died before the five daily prayers were made obligatory, and there is no difference of opinion over the fact that the five prayers were made obligatory during the Night Journey.

As for the remaining three views, there is no sign indicating a preference for one over the other, except that the context of Surat al-Isra' supports that the Night Journey was very late on the timeline.

The Imams of Hadith narrate a number of details about this event the following of which is a summary:

ibn al-Qayyim said, "Allah's Messenger was carried physically — according to the most correct view — from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to Baytul-Maqdis in Jerusalem, riding on al-Buraq in the company of Archangel Gabriel. There, he alighted, tied the horse to a ring in the gate of the Mosque and led the Prophets in prayer.

Then, he ascended above Baytul-Maqdis to the lowest Heaven. Angel Gabriel sought permission to enter.

It was opened and he saw Adam, the Forefather of Mankind. The Prophet greeted him and Adam welcomed him, returned his greeting, expressed his faith in Muhammad's Prophethood. He saw the souls of martyrs on his right and those of the wretched on his left.

Gabriel then ascended with the Prophet to the second Heaven, sought entry and there he saw and greeted peace unto John, son of Zechariah, and Jesus, son of Mary. They returned his greeting, welcomed him and expressed their faith in his Prophethood.

Then they reached the third Heaven where they saw Joseph, son of Jacob, and greeted him.
The latter welcomed the Prophet, returned his greeting, and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

The Prophet, in the company of Gabriel, then reached the fourth Heaven where he met Enoch and greeted him. Enoch returned the greeting and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

Then he was carried to the fifth Heaven where he met Aaron and greeted him.
The latter returned the greeting and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

In the sixth Heaven he met Moses and greeted him. The latter returned the greeting and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Muhammad on leaving, saw that Moses began to weep. He asked about the reason. Moses answered that he was weeping because he witnessed a man sent after him as a Messenger who was able to lead more of his people to Paradise than he himself did.

Then Prophet Muhammad reached the seventh Heaven and met Abraham and greeted him.
The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood.

Then he was carried to as-Sidrat al-Muntaha, the remotest Lote Tree in Paradise, and was shown al-Bayt al-Ma'mur, the Oft-Frequented House, encompassed daily by seventy thousand angels, so that the angels who once encompassed it would not have their turn again till the Resurrection.

He was then presented before Allah. He was brought near such that he was at the distance of two bow's length or less. Allah revealed to His servant as He willed, ordaining fifty daily prayers for him. On his return, he spoke to Moses, informing him that his followers had been enjoined to pray fifty times a day. Moses addressing the Prophet said, 'Your followers cannot perform so many prayers. Go back to your Lord and ask for a decrease in number.'

The Prophet turned to Gabriel, he nodded, 'Yes, if you desire,' and ascended with him back to the Court of Allah, Almighty, Glorious and Exalted is He, where He reduced the prayers by ten.

The Prophet then descended and reported that to Moses, who again urged him to request a further reduction. Muhammad once more begged his Lord to reduce the number still further. He went again and again at the suggestion of Moses for reduction in the number of prayers till these were reduced to only five.

Moses again asked him to implore for more reduction, but he said,

'I feel ashamed now of repeatedly asking my Lord for reduction. I accept and resign to His Will.'

When Muhammad went farther, a Caller was heard saying,

'I have imposed My Ordinance and lightened the burden of My servants.'"

ibn al-Qayyim and ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that there is some difference over whether the Prophet saw Allah or not. The result of the research into this matter being that seeing Him with the eye is not confirmed as a saying of any of the Companions, and that what is reported from ibn Abbas is seeing in general does not negate the first view. As for the saying in Surat an-Najm,

"Then he approached and came closer." [53:8]

The general consensus is that it is not the approach of the story of the Night Journey and Ascension, because, the approach mentioned in the Chapter of the Star relates to Archangel Gabriel and his coming closer to him, as stated by 'Aisha and ibn Mas'ud, and the rest of it supports that. As for the approach and coming closer that is mentioned in the Hadith of the Ascension, that clearly is about the Lord, Blessed and Most High, and his coming closer to Him. This is not contradicted by Surat an-Najm. Rather it merely that he saw him another time at Sidratul-Muntaha, and the 'him' in question is Archangel Gabriel, since Muhammad saw him manifested in his true holy visage twice: once on Earth, and once at Sidratul-Muntaha. Allah knows best.

In some of the narrations it is reported that his chest was also split on this occasion. Among the things the Prophet witnessed during this event are the following:

He was presented with milk and wine. He chose the milk, and it was said,
"You have chosen wisely. Had you selected the wine, your nation would have been misled."

The Prophet saw two manifest rivers, — the Nile and the Euphrates  — and two hidden ones. It appears that the signification of the two manifest rivers, the Nile and the Euphrates, is that they symbolically describe the area in whose fertile valleys, Muhammad's Message would settle, the two hidden rivers being those in Paradise.

He had the opportunity to see Moloch, the Keeper of Hell, guarding the Gates with a terrifying frowning face. He saw Paradise and the Fire. He saw those who unjustly consume the property of orphans. They had snouts similar to those of camels, swallowing red-hot stones and then issuing it out of their backs. There were also people who take interest and usury with bellies too big to be able to move around; they are trodden by the people of Pharaoh when these are admitted into Hell. In the same abode, he saw the adulterers and fornicators offered a tasty fatty meat and a rotten smelly one but they always chose the latter. The licentious women were made to hang from their breasts.

The Night Journey raised a good deal of stir among the people and the disbelieving audience plied Muhammad with all sorts of questions. He told them that he saw the camels of Meccan merchants going to and fro. He also guided them to some of their animals that went astray. He informed them that he had drunk some of their water while they were fast asleep and left the container covered.

The disbelievers, however, found it a suitable opportunity to laugh at the Muslims and their creed. They pestered the Prophet with questions as to the description of the Mosque at Jerusalem, where he had never gone before and, to the astonishment of all, the Prophet's replies furnished the most accurate information about that city. He supplied them with all the news about their caravans and the routes of their camels.

However, all this increased in them nothing but flight from the Truth, and they accepted nothing but disbelief.

For the true Muslims, however, there was nothing unusual about the Night Journey. The Almighty, Allah, Who is Omnipotent, capable of creating the Heavens and the Earth by the mere act of His Will, is surely Powerful enough to take His Messenger beyond the Heavens and show him those signs of His directly, which are inaccessible and unseen to Man otherwise — the Ghaib.

The disbelievers, on their part, when to see Abu Bakr on account of this event, and he readily said,
"Yes, I do verify it."
It was on this occasion that he earned the title as-Siddiq  — the One who verifies the Truth.

The most eloquent and most concise justification of this Journey is expressed in Allah's Words:

"...in order that We might show him Our Signs." [Quran 17:1]

The Divine rules as regards the Prophets are as follows:

"Thus did We show Abraham the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth that he be of those who have affirmed Faith." [Quran 6:75] 

To Moses, his Lord said:

"That We may show you some of Our Greater Signs," [Quran 20:23]

In order that:

"...he be of those who have affirmed Faith." [Quran 6:75]

The Prophets, after seeing Allah's Signs, will establish their Faith on solid certainty too immune to be parted with. Indeed, actual observation is not the equal to mere information. They are in fact eligible for this Divine Privilege because they are ones who will bear burdens too heavy for other ordinary people to carry, and in the process of their mission, they will regard all worldly trials and sufferings too small to care about.

There are simple facts that emanate from this blessed Journey, and flow along into the flowery garden of the Prophetic biography, peace and blessings of Allah be upon its subject, Muhammad. The story of the Night Journey as we see in the Noble Quran is summarized in the first Verse of Suratul-Isra' and then there is a quick shift to uncover the shameful deeds and crimes of the Jews, followed by an admonition saying that the Qur'an guides to that which is most Just and Righteous. This arrangement is not in fact a mere coincidence. Jerusalem was the first scene of the Night Journey, and herein was the Covenant with the Jews which clearly laid out that they would be removed from Divine Favor and the Office of Leadership of Mankind due to the crimes they had committed against God, which no longer justified their occupation of that position.

The Message suggested significantly that the Office of Leadership would be taken over by Allah's Messenger, Muhammad, to hold in his hand both, headquarters of the Abrahamic Faith, the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem. It was high time for the Spiritual Authority to be transferred from a nation whose history was pregnant with treachery, covenant-breaching and aggression towards another nation blessed with piety and dutifulness to Allah, with a Messenger who enjoys the Privilege of the Quranic Revelation.

There, however, remains a crucial question waiting to be answered: How could this foreseen transition of Authority be effected while the Champion himself was left deserted and abandoned in the hillocks of the Arabian Peninsula?

This question in itself uncovered the secrets of another issue which referred to a phase of the Islamic Call and the appearance of another role it was about to take up, different in its course and noble in its approaches. The forerunners of that new task took the shape of Quranic Verses bearing the direct and unequivocal Warning accompanied by a severe Ultimatum directed to the polytheists and their agents:

"And when We decide to destroy a town, We send a definite Order to those among them who are given the good things of this life. Then, they transgress therein. Thus the Word is justified against them, and We destroy them with Complete Annihilation. 

And how many generations have We destroyed after Noah!
Sufficient is your Lord as Omniscient and Beholder of the Sins of His servants"

[Quran 17:16-17]

Together with these Verses, there were others revealed to show the Muslims the rules and items of the civilizations upon which they could erect their Muslim community, and foretelling their ownership of a piece of land, exercising full freedom over it and establishing a rightful society around whose axis the whole humanity would rotate. Those Verses in reality implied better prospects for the Prophet comprising a secure shelter to settle in, and headquarters safe enough to empower and embolden him to communicate his Message to the entire world as a whole: that was in fact the inner secret of the Blessed Journey. For this very Wisdom and the like we consider it appropriate to suggest that the Night Journey took place either before the First Pledge of 'Aqabah or between the two. Allah knows best.



 — Abu Hisham Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum