“He’s a genius”, is how my friend described a public speaker, recently making waves as a new-age Islamic scholar. His videos were going viral – making rounds on the internet and social media. His modern look, subtly dismissive and firm tone, and obvious command of the topics of common misconceptions among various Muslim communities were the key factors behind his appeal. My friend enthusiastically told me how one lecture from this emerging thought leader had completely changed his outlook on life. Quite intrigued, I decided to tune in.
As is the case with most scholars in any field of knowledge, he had some bases covered – while others were left exposed where you could see the effort and a stretch. However, something he said in one of his videos got stuck in my head. He was boldly proclaiming the existence of celestial portals in space-time that enable time travel, describing various historical events from the Quran in light of this argument.
The logic while provocative, was hard to dispute at the same time as it was hard to digest, especially for the investigation of the topic of my interest – Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) time travel, and his ascension to the heavens (Isra & Miraj). While religion is underpinned by faith, many a curious mind has combed the religious scriptures to find scientific information – with both bonafide and malafide intentions. Aligned with those intentions, one can find marvelous scientific facts in the Quran, or get into a rabbit hole chasing down allegorical or numerical predicaments. Noncommittal about whether to succumb to this logic or not, I parked the information in my memory for later retrieval – until one day, I came across another provocation – this time a book on Physics.
Sabine Hossenfelder is a German theoretical physicist and science communicator. In her book Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions, she describes the universe dotted with tiny shortcuts that connect two normally distant places. She postulates that these shortcuts represent the defects in the geometry of space-time at the time of forming the early universe. Scientists believe that information can be sent out across large distances instantaneously, faster than the speed of light through these connections. In other words, no time passes when energy particles travel from one such connection to another. My mind made its own connection to the information I had stored in my long-term memory.
What if our newly minted religious scholar was right?
The Quran describes Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) trip to the celestial realm in a matter-of-fact way, as any divine act would be described – think Kun, Fa Yakun. While the authenticity of the Prophet’s trip was never in question for his followers, he was subjected to vicious abuse and mockery by the nonbelievers. His mount was described as a winged mule, his break journey destination as Jerusalem, and his tour itinerary included not one but all seven heavens. He also took his sweet time to meet and greet past prophets, observe how wrongdoers were subjected to humiliating punishments, and for good measure, negotiate with the Almighty to reduce the burden of prayers for his community. And all that transpired in the blink of an eye with the Prophet back with his people the very next morning. Surely for people who wanted to use any tiny excuse to discredit the Prophet, this was a home run.
But history tells us that this may not be the maiden heavenly expedition of its kind. And most likely, if not the pagans of Mecca, then the Jews, and the Christians surely must know of the historical ascension traditions that have been attributed to the patriarchs of the past. The Hebrew Bible provides a long list of major personalities – whether prophets or not – who were invited by God for a preview of heaven. These include Adam, Seth, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Moses, Elijah, Micah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel among others[1]. While Enoch and Elijah are believed to have traveled to meet God in person and then stayed in heaven, Jacob’s experience of climbing a ladder to heaven is understood to be a dream.
Moses, in Jewish tradition, was shown the seven heavens, the hell, and the paradise with God’s permission by the angel Gabriel[2]. Christians, on their part, believed in the ascension of Jesus after what they considered was the event of his resurrection. Muslims were told of Jesus’ ascension while still alive (4:158), and the Quran also talks about Abraham (6:75) being shown the kingdom of heaven and earth. The concept, it appears, was new only for the idolaters.
But can we find any clues about the authenticity of the trip from the Quran?
(I am indebted to a kind collaborator for their research on this part of the article).
The Quranic verses on the Prophet’s (PBUH) trip are dispersed in multiple chapters. There is also a certain scheme around describing how the trip unfolds. There appears to be an opening with suspense – teasing on whether the whole affair would transpire or not. Then there is the intermediate segment – where it seems as if the honor of the trip is looming. And then comes the endorsement from the Almighty. Let us explore together.
In the first set of these verses, the wording is almost entirely similar for the first part – where Allah foretells the possibility of both outcomes; He could invite the prophet (PBUH) in his lifetime to the heavens to witness some of the promised consequences of the wrongdoings of the nonbelievers, or He could take his soul before the prophet (PBUH) witnessed this outcome. In both cases, Allah’s promise must be fulfilled. The visit was akin to a consolation tour of sorts, with no impact on the eventual outcome – the fate of the unbelievers was sealed. Consider this set of verses below:
1- “Whether we show you (in your lifetime) some part of what we promised them, - or we take your sole (before that), - (in any case), to Us is their return”. (10:46)
2- “Whether we show you (in your lifetime) some part of what we promised them, - or we take your sole (before that), - (in any case) it is to Us that they shall (all) return”. (40:77)
3- “Whether we show you (in your lifetime) some part of what we promised them, - or we take your soul (before that), (in any case) your duty is to convey (the message), ours the reckoning”. (13:40)
Then comes the interim part, with a little variation. Here, the Almighty proclaims the same commitment. The wrongdoers will surely face Allah’s wrath, regardless of whether the prophet (PBUH) is shown a sample of this in his lifetime or Allah takes his soul before this transpires.
4- “Even if We take you away from the world, We shall surely take vengeance on them. Or We shall show you what We have promised them; for surely, We have complete power over them”. (43:41-42)
The topic takes an interesting turn when Allah essentially teaches the prophet (PBUH) a prayer – asking him to plead with the Lord for what was left as a possibility in the earlier verses – the possibility of a trip to the heavens to see for himself what his naysayers had in store for the afterlife. The fact that Allah is guiding the prophet (PBUH) and blessing him with a suitable supplication hints at the inevitable conclusion. The journey is imminent!
5- “Say: “O my Lord! if You will show me (in my lifetime) that which they are promised, - Then, O my Lord! put me not amongst the people who do wrong!". And We are certainly able to show you that which we have promised them”. (23:93-95)
And then comes the explicit and unambiguous confirmation of the trip itself. While there are multiple interpretations of the minutiae of the stops, the interim and final destinations, the time, the ride, and everything in between – it is hard to repudiate the journey for which Allah had been preparing the prophet (PBUH) for all this time, building his anticipation, and aiding him with the resources for the trip in the form of the above prayer as a fallacy.
6- Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, - so that We might show him some of Our signs: for He is the One Who hears and sees (all things). (17:1)
The phrase used by the Almighty in His own praise here (سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي) has been used only 3 other times in the Quran, each time describing something extraordinary. On one occasion, it asserts the dominion of God over all things; on the other, it sings praise for the Lord who created everything in pairs; and on the final one, it exalts the Master who lets us subjugate all our rides from tame wild animals to space shuttles. Following this pattern where this particular phrase is only used sparingly, and for truths and facts so vivid and absolute that they put humankind in wonderment – this trip appears to be one of those Godly things that need divine mastery for them to transpire.
And then like an artist’s brush filling in the details on a canvas, the Quran spills out some teasers from the event for the imaginative minds of the readers for their immersion. Chiding the disbelievers who mocked the prophet (PBUH) about his meeting with the archangel Gabriel, God not only confirms that first meeting on Muhammad’s earth, but He also corroborates the details of the second meeting on God’s turf – the heavens.
7- Will you then dispute with him as to what he saw? And verily he (the prophet) saw him (the angel) yet another time, by the lote tree of the utmost boundary, near which is the Garden of Abode. When that which shrouds did enshroud the lote tree, the (prophet’s) eye did not waver nor was it unduly bold. Verily he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (53:12-18)
The locals of Makkah were already accustomed to ridiculing the prophet (PBUH) as possessed, confused, strayed, and worse for his preaching of the new religion. The account of the otherworldly nature of these meetings with the famed angel made them completely incredulous. But these verses set the record straight – putting the matter beyond any doubt. While Gabriel visited the prophet throughout the course of his prophethood to convey the Godly message and pass on the Quranic revelations, the prophet (PBUH) saw him only twice in his stately form.
The first of these meetings is described in the same chapter 53.
1- He (the prophet) was taught by one mighty in power and endowed with wisdom (Gabriel). And he (Gabriel) grew clear to view when he was on the uppermost horizon. Then he approached and came down till he was (distant) two bows' length or even nearer and revealed to God’s servant what he (meant to) reveal. The (prophet’s) heart did not falsify (in seeing) what it saw. (53:4-11)
and later confirmed the second time in chapter 81.
2- “Truly, this is the word brought by a noble messenger, endowed with power, and held in honor by the Lord of the Throne – who is obeyed there (by other angels) and is worthy of trust. Your companion is not one possessed – he truly beheld him (Gabriel) on the clear horizon”. (81:19-23)
Both narrations simply mention the prophet observing Gabriel as he appeared on the horizon – an event many scholars describe as taking place as the prophet descended from his secluded cave. The setting of the second meeting, however, is markedly different. It vividly mentions concepts that are beyond human comprehension and hints at our limitations even if we try to grasp the ambiance and the dynamics of the whole thing.
Surely, these verses must not have pacified the doubters during the prophet's time (PBUH). Surely, this was a leap of faith for his followers as well. When approached by the scandalized local clansmen with the hope that he would be thrown off his feet by this seemingly absurd tail, Abubakar had no trouble leaping. This earned him the eternal title of “the righteous one”. But to this day, some of us find this chasm of doubt too big to cross.
Many have pointed to another verse of the same chapter 17, which is roughly translated as, “We granted the dream which We showed thee, as well as the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an, as a trial for men” (17:60). Their interpretation of this verse, in line with hadith 4,716[3] from Sahih Bukhari, aims to connect the word “ro’ya الرُّؤْيَا” (dream or vision) to the “showing of signs” described in the first verse of chapter 17 mentioned above.
While the word “ro’ya” has been used multiple times in the Quran for a dream (e.g. in the stories of Abraham and Joseph), it was used for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) only once, saying “Truly did Allah fulfill the dream (ro’ya) for His Messenger: you shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear” (48:27). But there could be countless ro’ya that Allah may have imparted upon Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – the connection appears arbitrary at best and forced at worst.
Was this excursion of Isra and Miraj one trip or four?
Was it a miracle or a mirage?
Has it been well-preserved in history books or fictionalized?
Have the facts been kept straight or is the whole affair sensationalized?
Is it a question of science or faith?
Maybe, it was a trip for the prophet (PBUH) and a trial for his people. Those who believe that Adam and Eve were sent down from the heavens, that Solomon could command the djinns and the winds, that the Nile parted for Moses, that Jesus ascended to the heavens while alive, and that the prophet (PBUH) received the revelation from God through Gabriel – may believe that the physical trip is yet another miracle of the Lord. Others, who still believe in all these miracles but find it hard to go beyond the realm of possibility, may conclude that a miracle is not required for something that can be conveniently accomplished by other means. Or it could be the weight of justifying the dynamics that overwhelms us, spooking us into the safety of the possible world. However, Possible is a term for those whose faculties are encompassed in their four-dimensional world.
So perhaps we are not questioning whether this was something God could pull off. Maybe, the question is not if this could happen, but rather if it did happen. For a book that had precious little space to preserve the wisdom, the history, and the commandments for all mankind to come, no verse is a space-filler and all need pondering and contemplation. The space given to this topic in the Quran compels us to put on our thinking hats, connect the dots, and then reach our own conclusions. Hopefully, this humble attempt can be of service to some of us. And Allah knows the best.
[1] https://rsc.byu.edu/deity-death/comparative-study-ascension-motifs-world-religions
[2] https://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=8JVRAVUWX4DS9GD
[3] https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4716
A wonderful article giving out a very refreshing view away from a commonly treaded one inviting to explore the Mega Event from different perspectives of the prophet’s Journey to Heavens. . ❤️💐👍