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'Journey By Night' (Isra) of the
Prophet The Words of Allah, as Revealed
in Arabic, DOES NOT REVEAL that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s) was taken from
the Mosque (Masjid) in Mekkah to the Mosque (Masjid) in
Jerusalem. Upon deliberating what has been
expounded further by Allah (s.w.t.) in Verses 53: 2 to 7 of the Qur'an, it is
known to us with certainty that the Prophet was taken to the highest part of
Horizon, near the Lote-tree and not to Jerusalem. Most of the Muslim translators
have - based upon the SPURIOUS NARRATIONS - either injected the name
"Jerusalem" within the brackets or have specified 'the Mosque in
Jerusalem' within their commentaries. It is a recorded historical
fact from the Islamic and Jewish history that there was NO MOSQUE in Jerusalem
when the Second Khalif Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) conquered this city. Umar
declined to pray in a Church and instead prayed in the open.
Here is the transliteration of
the Opening Verse from Surah Al-Isra (17). subhanallazee 'asra
bi-'Abdihee laylam-minal Masjidil-Harami 'ila-Masjidil-'Aqsallazee
barakna hawlahou li- nuriyahou min 'Ayatina; 'innahou Huwas-Samee'ul
Baseer Note: Neither the name
"MEKKAH" nor "JERUSALEM" is mentioned within the above
Arabic Text. The Arabic root word
"qsa" means "to be distant". Al-aqsa refers to, "the
more remote or further". No doubt, the Mosque that NOW STANDS in
Jerusalem is known to Muslims as the "Al-Aqsa Mosque". But
Allah (s.w.t) was referring to THE FARTHEST MOSQUE, ONE THAT IS BEYOND THIS
PLANET. The Qur'anic Evidences and Support for that is to follow... Here is a direct translation of
the above Verse 17: 1: Glory to (Allah) Who did take
His Servant for Journey by night, from the
Sacred Mosque to the Farthest
Mosque, whose precincts We did Bless, - in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: For He is the One
Who Heareth and Seeth (all things). Translator Yusuf Ali's
MISLEADING -- SELF-CONTRADICTORY Commentary Number 2168 reads: The Farthest Mosque must refer to the
site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem on the hill of Moriah, at or near
which stands the Dome of the Rock, called also the Mosque of Hadhrat 'Umar. This and the Mosque known as the Farthest Mosque (Masjid-ul-Aqsa)
were completed by the Amir 'Abd-ul-Malik in A.H. 68. Farthest,
because it was the place of worship farthest west which was known to the Arabs
in the time of the holy Prophet: it was a sacred place to both Jews and
Christians, but the Christians then had the upper hand, as it was included in
the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, which maintained a Patriarch at Jerusalem. The
chief dates in connection with the Temple are: it was finished by Solomon about
B.C. 1004; destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar about 586 B.C.;
rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C.; turned into a heathen
idol-temple by one of Alexander's successors, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C.;
restored by Herod, B.C. 17 to A.D. 29; and completely razed to the ground by the
Emperor Titus in A.D. 70. These ups and downs are among the greater Signs in
religious history. The emphasis "must refer to"
placed by the translator is UNFOUNDED. Surprisingly, the next sentence of that
commentary acknowledges the fact that this famous Mosque in Jerusalem known as (Masjid-ul-Aqsa)
was completed in 68 A. H. The Prophet passed
away in 10 A. H. Caution: Yusuf Ali published his
translation with commentary in 1938. Millions of copies of that original
publication, with the above Erroneous Commentary, have been distributed
from Indo-Pakistan and also the revised and edited copies from Saudi
Arabia by The Presidency of Islamic Researches, IFTA, Call and Guidance --
printed by King Fahad Holy Qur'an Printing Complex. Any Muslim or non-Muslim,
who is not aware of the fact that it is ONLY WITHIN the mistranslated texts
and the commentaries this MISCONCEPTION EXISTS may be (naus'billah)
inclined to doubt the VERACITY of the Qur'an. Allah knows the secret in the
heavens and the earth (Qur'an 25: 6). How could Allah reveal; His Prophet had
visited a Mosque that DID NOT exist during Prophet's life time! It is the
translators and commentators misgivings based upon the Spurious Re-reported
Narrations quoted little later. Read the revealed verses of the Qur'an that
negate these Narrations. If you feel that you owe to
Allah and His Prophet, the dispelling of the Falsehood, please read carefully
the entire article and Spread The Truth... Where was this Farthest Mosque
if not in Jerusalem? To understand an obscure
passage from the Holy Qur'an it is suggested by Allah (see Qur'an 11: 1), to
study other passages from the Qur'an on the relevant subject matter. Here are
verses that expound the subject of Prophet's Journey by Night that unfold REALITY
and disclose FACTS: Your Companion is neither astray
nor being misled. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less
than inspiration sent down to him: He was taught by one mighty in Power. Endued
with Wisdom: For he appeared (in stately
form). While he was in the highest part of the horizon:. Qur'an 53:
2-7 The (Prophet's) (mind and) heart
in no way falsified that which he saw. Will ye then dispute with him concerning
what he saw? For indeed he saw him second time. Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass:
Near it is the Garden of Abode. Qur'an 53: 11:
15. Notes: 1. "Your Companion"
is a reference to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.). 2. Angel Gabriel is called
"one in mighty power, endued with wisdom". See Qur'an 81: 23 3. The above verses tell us
that the Night Journey of the Prophet was not a physical one. 4. The Garden of Abode and the
Lote-tree are located high above the Horizon in the SKY. 5. The Prophet had visited the highest part of that horizon beyond which none can go. 6. Since Angel Gabriel appeared
for the second time in the highest part of the horizon (after the first
appearance in the Cave near Mekkah), the idea of Prophet meeting Gabriel and
drinking a cup of milk offered by him in Jerusalem (see Hadeeth below) can not
be entertained. And (O people!) your companion
is not one possessed; And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon.
Qur'an 81: 22 - 23. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING
VERSES FOR SEVEN FIRMAMENTS AND THE SEVEN EARTHS. Allah is He Who created seven
Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them
(all) descends His Command: that ye may know that Allah has power over all
things and that Allah comprehends all things in (His) Knowledge. Qur'an 65: 12 Notes: 1. The Arabic term sama
("heaven" or "sky") is often translated as the canopy or
the firmament above our earth. Term Seven Heavens or Firmaments often appear in
the Qur'an. 2. The phrase "earth (of)
a similar number" denotes the multiplicity of the cosmic system, which the
mankind has yet to discover. We know there are billions of galaxies and the
possibility of life similar to that on this earth cannot be ruled out. 3. Descending of Allah's
Command tells us that upon these far away "Earths" may live the
obedient servants of Allah. If so, there could be Mosques (Prayer Houses). And,
Prophet Muhammad s.a.s. was given the exclusive honor of visiting "the
farthest" of these Mosques. 4. We daily recite
"Rabbil-'Alameen" meaning Allah is the Rabb of the Worlds
(plural). To doubt the existence of other worlds that also need
sustaining is to doubt the text of the Qur'an. Note: In verse 17: 1 above, it is revealed that the
objective of THE NIGHT JOURNEY WAS TO SHOW THE PROPHET (S) ALLAH'S SIGNS. The
detailed information of Allah's Great Signs shown to the Prophet beyond the highest horizon are recorded under
chapter 53, particularly in verse 18. The commentary number 2168 quoted earlier
tells us there were no Great Signs of Allah in
Jerusalem during the life Prophet to show. Spurious narrations have
superimposed the Qur'an: There are several such
narrations in circulation. I have selected the ones compiled by Imam Bukhari
who is regarded as the top most sound authority on the Collection of Hadeeths.
Please read the following "cut and paste" text. The Narration is from
the classification DRINKS 'Intoxicants and Gambling; Stones and Arrow', Volume
7, Hadeeth Number 482 (the text is reproduced from Alim CD): Narrated Abu Huraira: Notes: 1. The Qur'an has recorded the
first meeting of the Prophet with Angel Gabriel in a visible form was in the
cave of Hira on the Mountain of Light (Nur), near Mekkah. 2. The Prophet's next meeting
with Angel Gabriel in a visible form was during his Miraj or Night Journey,
near the Lote-tree and the Garden of Abode as mentioned in verses 53: 11-15.
And, that was the 2nd meeting. 3. The Qur'an does not record
any meeting of the Prophet with Angel Gabriel in Jerusalem. 4. The Night Journey of the
Prophet from this earth to beyond the horizon and in the vicinity of the Lote
Tree was a Spiritual Journey and NOT a Physical one -- according to Bibi A'isha
(r.a.) the Prophet's body was lying in bed -- the concept of DRINKING
MILK by the Spirit on a Spiritual Journey (with physical body in bed) can not
be entertained. 5. The Prophet's Night
Journey was direct from one Mosque on this earth to another Mosque beyond the
Horizon. There was no stop-over. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING
HADEETH FROM BUKHARI; CLASSIFICATION FASTING; VOL. 3: 215. Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri
(who fought in twelve Ghazawat in the company of the
Prophet). I heard four things from the
Prophet and they won my admiration. He said; Notes. 2. While DEFENDING THE
ERRONEOUS COMMENTARIES based upon Hadeeths, some scholars do argue that
Jewish Temple or Christian Church CAN ALSO qualify as a "Mosque". IF SO, did the Prophet equate, in above quoted Hadeeth, the
Church wherein the names of Jesus Christ and Mary - the Mother of Jesus,
were being INVOKED with the SACRED MASJID-AL-HARAM??? 3. "And Mosques are built for Allah's worship; therefore,
invoke not anyone along with Allah."
Qur'an 72: 18. This verse disqualify the Christian Churches from being
designated as Mosques. 4. Umar Ibn Khattab would not
have refused to pray in the Church of Jerusalem or any location where the
Prophet had himself prayed. Text of another Hadeeth from
Al-Bukhari 4: 585 (also 4: 636), cut and paste from ALIM CD: Narrated Abu Dhar 1. The Qur'an Reveals that this Masjid-ul-Haram was built by
Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ishmael (a.s.), while they were in Mekkah.
This was the first Masjid built on this earth. 2. How could Prophet speak of "FORTY YEARS" when he perfectly well
knew the REVEALED TEXT for the building of that Mosque. 3. The History of Islam records
that the next or the second Masjid, after the one in Mekkah, was built by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) himself in Medina
when he had migrated to Medina. Neither the Muslims nor the Prophet had
migrated to Jerusalem when Medina Mosque was built. 4. Six years after the Prophet had left this earth the followers of Islam
conquered Jerusalem. 5. The foundation of the third
Masjid was laid by the Second Khalifa Umar Ibn Khattab (r.a.) while he was in
Jerusalem. The Mosque upon the surface of this earth known as Al-Aqsa Mosque
was completed by Amir Abdul Malik Marwan and by his son Al-Walid, after 68
Hijri. 6. The Prophet had visited the "FARTHEST MOSQUE" WHICH WAS NOT IN
JERUSALEM OR UPON THIS EARTH. A passage from the biography of
the second Khalif named Umar bin al-Khattab (r.a.): The Patriarch of Jerusalem
handed over the keys of the city of Jerusalem to Umar. The Muslims were now the
masters of Jerusalem. That was a special divine favour of God to the Muslims.
As Umar entered the city he was greeted by the citizens with great enthusiasm.
Umar said that he wanted to be led to some place where he could offer
thanksgiving prayer to God. He was led to a
Church but he refused to pray there, on the ground that that would set a
precedent for the Muslims of the following generations to forcibly convert
churches into mosques... Umar stayed in Jerusalem for
a few days. He reorganised the administration, and made the necessary
arrangements to look after the needs of the citizens. He founded a mosque at an elevated place in the city. This
mosque came to be known as Umar's Mosque. The above passages tell us that
there was NO MOSQUE IN JERUSALEM to give
Azan or to Pray to Allah, when the Khalif entered the city. He laid the foundation of the First Mosque in
Jerusalem. IMPORTANT QUESTION: If the so called reliable
compilers of the Prophetic Narrations could hear and record the above quoted
Reliable Narrations related by ABU HURAIRA, ABU SAID AL KHUDRI, ABU DHAR,
relating to the MOSQUE IN JERUSALEM
CALLED MASJID AL-AQSA, CENTURIES LATER, how come KHALIFA UMAR WHO HAD LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE WITH THE
PROPHET (s.a.s.) HAD NOT KNOWN OF IT AND DID NOT INQUIRE ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THIS
MOSQUE IN THE CITY DURING HIS STAY IN JERUSALEM AND INSTEAD PRAYED IN
THE OPEN SPACE AND LATER ON BUILD THE "UMAR'S MOSQUE"? To learn the history of Al-Aqsa
Mosque visit: Here at http://www.noblesanctuary.com/
one will find the ONLINE GUIDE TO HARAM AL-SHARIF THE NOBLE
SANCTUARY IN JERUSALEM. The glimpses of the history of the Temple of Solomon;
the Conquer of Jerusalem after the death of the Prophet; the photos and history
of the Mosque of Umar; the Dome of the Rock; the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other
constructions in the Sanctuary. After reading the historical
facts, IF YOU ARE CONVINCED there was NO MOSQUE IN
JERUSALEM during the life of the Prophet,
then BELIEVE IT - these Hadeeths were forged by people who
lived AFTER THE PROPHET HAD LEFT THE WORLD AND KNEW OF THIS MOSQUE. THESE
FORGERS THEN ATTRIBUTED THEIR SOURCES TO THOSE COMPANIONS WHO HAD FOUGHT
SIDE BY SIDE WITH PROPHET. Allah reveals: Those to whom We have sent the Book study it as it should be
Tilawatih (Recited): They are the ones that believe therein. Qur'an 2: 121. We cannot ADD the name of city "Jerusalem" or
SUBSTITUTE "Mosque" with the Jewish Temple or a Christian Church within
Opening Verse of Surah Al-Isra (17). If we truly and sincerely wish to
study what Allah has Revealed let us not deviate from the Arabic
Text! Important Question and its
Answer: A Muslim Brother wrote: Waleykum salaam Thanks for the article, it's
intriguing and enlightening to say the least' but you left one question
unanswered. It's maintained in traditions that before turning their Qibla
direction towards kaaba, Muslim used to face Jerusalem while they prayed. Why
did they do that and what the significance of this prior to the revelation that
asked them to turn their Qibla to kaaba? MY ANSWER: Prior to the promulgation of the Islamic Laws and/or the
Traditions by Allah through His Final Testament - the Qur'an, the earlier
Revealed Laws and/or the Traditions were applied. As for an example; The
"stoning to death" for the sin of adultery was substituted with
"flogging" once the Verses of Surah Nur (24: 2 to 6) were revealed.
The significance of Kab'ah takes us to our roots in the Patriarch Abraham
(a.s.), who is honored by Allah for being Hanif and Khaleel. A Response Posted on an Islamic
website http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html to a Hadeeth from Bukhari quoted
by me earlier, the opening passage of which reads: I said, "O Allah's
Apostle! Which mosque was first built on the
surface of the earth?" He said, "Al-Masjid-ul-Haram (in
Mecca)." I said, "Which was built
next?" He replied "The mosque of Al-Aqsa ( in Jerusalem)."
I said, "What was the period of construction between the two?" He said, "Forty years." Please read carefully the following
response and my brief note added after the text:
His saying (40 years) In summary, the verse 17:1 refers to the holy locations in
Jerusalem and Makkah because they are blessed regardless of the presence or absence
of a building at the time of the heavenly trip of Prophet Muhammad(P).
From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim
scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi showing that it was Adam(P)
who built both mosques for the first time and that the job of Abraham and
Solomon(P) was only a renovation/reconstruction of these
sanctuaries. Brief note: Prophet Muhammad (p) had no knowledge of the past or
future. Neither the text of Hadeeth quoted earlier nor those quoted by the
Islamic website indicate that the narrated information had come from Allah, who
had Commanded Adam (a.s.) to build these two mosques. On the other hand,
we know it with full assurance that the Prophet was conveyed the following: Remember We made the house a place
of assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the station of Abraham
as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma`il that they
should sanctify My House for those who compass it round or use it as a retreat
or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). Qur'an 2: 125 RECENT E-MAILS FROM READERS: Several readers have sent
emails informing me that the famous Jewish TEMPLE OF SOLOMON in Jerusalem was
the Mosque Al-Aqsa that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) had visited on that night. My Response: The history books have recorded that Roman Emperor Titus
had completely destroyed that Temple in 70 A.D. There was no Jewish Temple or
an Islamic Mosque in Jerusalem during the life of the Prophet. Later, the Dome
of the Rock was built on that vacant plot of land in 63 Hijri. Yes, there was a
Christian Church with the images of Jesus and others...
The Temple Mount (Heb., Har Habayit; Arabic, Haram
esh-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary),is identified in both Jewish and Islamic tradition as the area of Mount Moriah
where Abraham offered up his son in sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-18; the Koran, Sura Al-Saffat 37:102-110). Here King Solomon built the First Temple almost 3,000 years ago. It was destroyed by
the Babylonians in 586 BCE, but 70 years later Jews
returning from exile built the Second Temple on the same site. King Herod refashioned it into an edifice of great
splendor. Following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70, the area of the Temple was
deliberately left in ruins (first by the Romans, then by the Byzantines). This desecration was not redressed
until the Muslim conquest of the city by the Caliph Omar ibn
al-Khattab in 638. He ordered the clearing of the site and the building of a
"house of prayer". Some 50 years later, the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik built the Dome of the
Rock to enshrine the outcrop of bedrock believed to be the "place of the
sacrifice" on Mount Moriah. He (or his son, the Caliph al-Walid I) also
built the large mosque at the southern end of the Haram, which came to be
called al-Aksa.
ALLAH ALONE KNOWS THE TRUTH... http://www.mostmerciful.com/night-journey-of-prophet-muhammad.htm |
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