The Truth of the Night Journey

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa Raḥmatullāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu Billāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi Rasūlillāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al-Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

This week in shā’a Llāh is the last week of Rajab. There is the day of the holy journey of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. And it is mentioned in the middle of Qur’ān ‘Aẓīmu sh-Sha’n. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:, ‘Subĥāna Al-Ladhī 'Asrá Bi`abdihi Laylāan Mina Al-Masjidi Al-Ĥarāmi 'Ilá Al-Masjidi Al-'Aqşá Al-Ladhī Bāraknā Ĥawlahu Linuriyahu Min 'Āyātinā’, ‘Glorified (and Exalted) be He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid alAqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs.’ (Qur’ān 17:01). Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘aẓīm.

Allāh ﷻ is Subḥān. Subḥān is the greatest honoring, respect to Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. Honoring Him ﷻ is something that cannot fit in people’s minds. And in order to show it to people even more, our Holy Prophet ﷺ travelled from Masjidu l-Ḥarām, from Ka‘bah, Makkah to Jerusalem. He ﷺ rode the Burāq and descended at several places, says our Holy Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ stopped in Madīnah first, and then in Madyan. Madyan is a place close to Amman in Jordan. And then he ﷺ stopped at the place of the birth of Īsā ‘alayhi s-salām. And he ﷺ stopped at other places. When he ﷺ stopped in Gaza, he ﷺ prayed two rakāt. He ﷺ descended in seven places, and after praying together with Prophets in Masjidu l-Aqṣá, he ﷺ made Mi’raj (ascended) to heavens. Isrā’ means the night journey. Those trips in this world were his ﷺ journey. And the journey to heavens is the main miracle. Everything was a miracle, but people's minds couldn't bear that as well.

People of that time, kāfirs were happy saying, “How is it possible? It is impossible. No one will believe this man anymore.” Ḥāshā (far from it). They didn't respect him ṣallá Llāhu alayhi wa sallam. The matter they were happy about was this matter: that no one would believe him ﷺ anymore. They were very happy for that.

They were kāfirs, they may be happy. Because they had an enemy in front of them who didn't like what they liked, and who didn't want what they wanted. It was normal that they didn't like him ﷺ. It is also normal that they didn't believe. There is nothing abnormal with people's minds of that time. However, even if he ﷺ went there quickly by horse without stopping, it wouldn't be possible to reach there in a week.

Therefore, we still say there is an excuse for them. They were so clever according to the measure of that time: that it was something impossible. Ok, we understand them, as we said. But what should we say to people of this time who say they are Muslim and still say it was a dream, to people who live by as scholars? It means they are worse than kāfirs. We don’t want to say it, but why are we saying this? Because it is nothing when it comes to them. Hundreds and thousands of people follow them and say, "Look, he says he is a scholar. And if he doesn't accept it, how shall we accept that it was not in a dream?” There is mind and understanding.

People of that time might have not understood much, but people of this time say it was in a dream. What don't people see in dreams? Are all of them true? Are all of them real? This is waswasa given by shayṭān through the channel of scholars, bad scholars, fake ‘ālims. Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam calls them ‘Ulamā’u s-Sū’. Sū’ meaning bad, scholars of badness. They are not scholars of goodness but scholars of badness. There is a lot of them. Whereas even with the possibilities of this time, it doesn't seem to be something difficult. Even with the possibilities of this time, the night journey of Isrā’ can be made.

But the main thing is the other side. People of the present time who think they are clever; the main thing is the other side. They have made such machines that thousands of people applaud now at those who go beyond the sky. They are going to the moon, they are going I don't know where. They go. But they reach one place in three years. And they will reach another place in twenty years. Whereas that distance they travel is not even zero, it's maybe minus a billion compared to the distance within this universe. It is such a short distance. Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam travelled that distance and saw everything in the blink of an eye. He ﷻ went everywhere. There was neither rocket, nor capsule, nor I don't know what. There was nothing from what they talk about with great emphasis now. These are the ayāt of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. Ayāt meaning things that were impossible for others. They were granted for our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. And his ﷺ virtue was granted for his ﷺ ummah.

That is a great occasion. It is not - They call them birdbrains. Birds are cleverer than these people who claim to be scholars and deny this. This is a great virtue for the Ummah. Great gifts are given to our Holy Prophet ﷺ in the presence of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. People’s minds cannot bear the situation given there to our Holy Prophet ﷺ by Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. Neither can the mind bear it, nor can the eyes see it, nor can you imagine it. It is such a great thing. Mankind hardly believes in this. But all of that was given for the honor of our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. No other person, no other creature has ever reached that maqām, that rank. It was given to our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. And we have gained great honor.

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is the greatest Prophet. Being from the ummah of such a great Prophet ﷺ, the most beloved servant of Allāh ﷻ: this honor is enough for us. We don't need anything else. “No, I am this, I am that.” It has no value. Nothing has any value. There is no greater value than being from the ummah of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. May it be everlasting in shā’a Llāh. We will see his ﷺ beautiful face in paradise, and we'll be on his ﷺ way here and hereafter in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ give mind and understanding to Muslims. They should not listen to and believe such foolish people who claim to be scholars. They should not believe them. May Allāh ﷻ help us. May Allāh ﷻ be pleased with us in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 02 February 2024/ 22 Rajab 1445 Lefke, Cyprus