Surah Al-Isra' (The Night Journey) - Verse 1

Classification:

• Meccan, except for verses: 26, 32, 33, 57, and verses 73 through 80, which are Medinan.

Number of Verses: 111.

Note on Revelation: Some stories were revealed later.

Alternative Name: Surah Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel).

Verse Count (Alternative): One hundred verses and ten verses (110).

Narration from Ibn Abbas: It is Meccan, except for the saying:

{And indeed they were about to tempt you away from the land [Makkah]...} (Al-Isra': 71) ...up to the saying: {...and grant me from Yourself a helper and a supporter.} (Al-Isra': 80) These verses are Medinan, revealed when the delegation of Thaqif arrived.

Verse 1:

Tafsir Notes (Al-Razi's Approach):

(The following section summarizes the key points typically addressed by Al-Razi when beginning a Surah, focusing on the opening phrase, though the excerpt provided is brief.)

1. Glorification (Subhan): The opening word, Subhan (Exalted/Glorified), signifies absolute transcendence, removing any imperfection or limitation from Allah. This is fitting for an event as extraordinary as the Night Journey (Isra'), which defies normal human experience.

2. The Subject (His Servant): The designation 'Abdihi (His Servant) is the highest honor. It emphasizes the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) complete submission and servitude to Allah, which is the very foundation of his prophethood and the reason for this miraculous honor.

3. The Journey (Isra'): The journey was laylan (by night), indicating that this miracle occurred outside the realm of ordinary, observable daytime events, thus preserving the secrecy necessary for the initial stages of the revelation and emphasizing divine power over natural laws.

4. The Destinations: The journey spanned from al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Mecca) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem). This links the prophetic mission in Mecca with the tradition of previous prophets centered in Jerusalem.

5. The Purpose (To show him of Our signs): The primary goal was not merely travel but the demonstration of Ayatuna (Our Signs). This journey served as a profound confirmation of his prophethood, showing him signs that transcended the physical world and affirmed the truth of his message.

6. The Attributes (The Hearing, The Seeing): Concluding with Al-Sami' al-Basir (The Hearing, The Seeing) confirms that Allah witnessed and heard every detail of this miraculous event, assuring the Prophet (PBUH) that his experience was fully acknowledged and validated by the Divine.

Al-Isra (The Night Journey): Verse 1

{Subḥāna-lladhī asrā bi-‘abdihi laylan mina-l-Masjidi-l-Ḥarāmi ilā-l-Masjidi-l-Aqṣā-lladhī bāraknā ḥawlahu li-nuriyahu min āyātinā. Innahu huwa-s-Samī‘u-l-‘Alīm.}

Glory be to Him Who took His Servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

Issues in the Verse

Grammarians state that {Subḥān} is a proper noun for glorification (tasbīḥ). Tasbīḥ is the verbal noun (source), while Subḥān is its proper name, similar to how takfīr (expiation) has the proper name kufrān.

Meaning of Tasbīḥ:

1. Literal Meaning (Separation/Distancing): In language, sabḥ means to be distant, as indicated by the verse: {And for you in the daytime is sabḥan} (Al-Muzzammil: 7), meaning separation/distancing. Thus, Subḥān Allāh means to distance and purify God from all imperfections. (The complete rational discussions on tasbīḥ were covered at the beginning of Sūrat Al-Ḥadīd.)

2. Other Meanings of Tasbīḥ:
   • Prayer (Ṣalāh): As in {If only he had been among those who glorify} (Aṣ-Ṣāffāt: 143), meaning among the praying ones. The subḥah is the supererogatory prayer. A worshipper is called a musabbiḥ because he glorifies God through prayer and purifies Him from what is unsuitable.
   • *Exception (Istithnā’):* As in {The one who said, "Did I not tell you to make an exception?"} (Al-Qalam: 28), meaning, "Why do you not say in shā’ Allāh (if God wills)?" This meaning also returns to glorifying God through acknowledging His will in the act of exception.
   • Light/Splendor: In the Hadith: "The splendor (subḥāt) of His Face would have burned whatever I saw." It is said this means the light of His face, which causes the beholder to say, "Glory be to God."

{Asrā} (He journeyed by night): Linguists say asrā and sarā are two variants of the same root.

{Bi-‘abdihi} (With His Servant): The exegetes unanimously agree this refers to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). I heard my esteemed father, Shaykh Imam Abū-l-Qāsim Sulaymān al-Anṣārī, say that when Muhammad (PBUH) reached the high stations and lofty ranks in the ascension, God revealed to him: "O Muhammad, by what have I honored you?" He replied: "By attributing me to Yourself through servitude." So God revealed: {Subḥāna-lladhī asrā bi-‘abdihi}.

{Laylan} (By night): This is in the accusative case, functioning as an adverb of time.

Question: Since Isrā’ (night journey) inherently implies nighttime, why mention laylan (night)? Answer: The use of the indefinite noun {laylan} indicates a portion of the night. He was taken from Mecca to Syria (a journey of forty nights) during part of the night.

Time of the Journey:

• Muqātil said it was one year before the Hijra.
• Al-Kashshāf reports from Anas and Al-Ḥasan that it was before the Prophet's mission (Prophethood).

{Mina-l-Masjidi-l-Ḥarāmi} (From the Sacred Mosque): There is disagreement on the exact starting point:

1. It was the Masjid al-Ḥarām itself, which is the apparent meaning of the Qur'an. A tradition states the Prophet (PBUH) said: "While I was in the Sacred Mosque, in the Ḥijr near the House, between sleep and wakefulness, Gabriel came to me with the Burāq."
2. It was from the house of Umm Hāni’ bint Abī Ṭālib. In this case, al-Masjid al-Ḥarām refers to the Ḥaram (the sacred precinct) surrounding the Mosque, as they are closely associated. Ibn ‘Abbās held that the entire Ḥaram is a mosque, which is the view of the majority.

{Ilā-l-Masjidi-l-Aqṣā} (To the Farthest Mosque): They agree this refers to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). It is called al-Aqṣā (the Farthest) due to the great distance between it and the Sacred Mosque.

{Alladhī bāraknā ḥawlahu} (Whose surroundings We have blessed):

1. With fruits and vegetation.
2. Because it was the dwelling place of the Prophets and the descent point for angels.

The preposition {ilā} (to) indicates the termination of the journey. Thus, he reached the boundary of the Farthest Mosque, but the wording does not explicitly state whether he entered the structure itself.

{Li-nuriyahu min āyātinā} (That We might show him some of Our signs): This refers to the wonders and signs he witnessed that day, demonstrating God's power.

Objection: The particle {min} (some of) implies he was only shown a part of the signs. In the case of Abraham, God said: {And thus We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth} (Al-An‘ām: 75), implying Abraham saw all the kingdom. This would suggest Abraham’s ascension was superior to Muhammad’s (PBUH). Response: What Abraham saw was the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, while Muhammad (PBUH) saw some of God's signs. Undeniably, God's signs are superior to His kingdom (in terms of the specific revelation shown).

{Innahu huwa-s-Samī‘u-l-‘Alīm} (Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing):

1. He is the All-Hearing of Muhammad’s words and the All-Seeing of his actions, knowing they are pure from hypocrisy, coupled with truth and sincerity. This is why God honored him with these miracles.
2. Alternatively, He is All-Hearing of what people say about this event, and All-Seeing of what they do regarding it.

The majority of Muslims agree that the Prophet (PBUH) was taken physically (body and spirit). A minority holds that it was only his spirit. This latter view is narrated from Ḥudhayfah (in his Tafsīr by Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī) that it was a dream, and the Prophet’s body was not lost. This view is also attributed to ‘Ā’ishah and Mu‘āwiyah (RA).

The discussion here involves two stages:

1. Establishing the rational possibility of such a journey.
2. Establishing its actual occurrence.

Stage 1: Establishing Rational Possibility

The rapid movement to this extent is intrinsically possible, and God is capable of all possibilities. Therefore, movement at this speed is not impossible. We need to establish two premises:

Premise 1: The possibility of movement at this extreme speed in itself. This is supported by several arguments:

1. Celestial Movement: The greatest sphere (the Faulk al-A‘ẓam) moves nearly half a revolution from the beginning to the end of the night. Geometry proves the ratio of the diameter to the circumference is 1:3.14 (approx.). If the Prophet (PBUH) ascended above the greatest sphere, he only traveled a distance equivalent to half the diameter. Since movement covering half the circumference occurred in the time available, movement covering half the diameter is more likely to be possible. Thus, ascending from Mecca above the Throne in a third of the night is intrinsically possible.

2. Solar Observation: Geometry shows the apparent size of the sun equals 160 times the Earth's sphere. We observe the sun’s disk rising in a very short, swift time. This demonstrates that movement reaching such a speed is intrinsically possible.

3. Analogy with Gabriel’s Descent: Just as the ascent of a dense body from the center of the world above the Throne seems incredible to the intellect, the descent of a subtle, spiritual body (like Gabriel) from above the Throne to the center of the world in an instant also seems incredible. If the Prophet’s (PBUH) ascension is deemed impossible, then Gabriel’s instantaneous descent must also be impossible. If we rule out the latter, we undermine the prophethood of all Prophets, as affirming the Mi‘rāj is contingent upon affirming the possibility of prophethood itself. Therefore, those who deny such rapid movement must also deny Gabriel’s instantaneous descent, which is false.

• Objection to Analogy: They might argue that Gabriel is not a body moving from place to place, but rather the veils obscuring the Prophet’s spirit were removed, allowing him to witness what Gabriel witnessed.
  • Response: This interpretation (that revelation is merely the removal of veils) is the view of the philosophers. The majority of Muslims affirm that Gabriel is a body whose descent means his movement from the celestial spheres to Mecca. Thus, the analogy holds strongly. (The story of Abū Bakr affirming the Prophet’s account, saying, "If he said it, he spoke the truth," confirms the necessity of accepting the extraordinary.)

4. Analogy with Iblīs (Satan): Most religious traditions affirm the existence of Iblīs and his ability to move from East to West to whisper temptations into human hearts. If such rapid movement is permissible for Iblīs (whom they often consider a subtle body), it is more permissible for the greatest Prophets. This argument is strong against those who believe Iblīs is a moving body. (It does not apply to those who consider him a purely evil spirit without physical form, though most traditions accept him as a subtle, moving body.)

• Objection to Analogy: Angels and devils are subtle bodies, making rapid movement possible for them. How can a dense human body achieve this speed?
  • Response: We used the angels/devils as proof that such speed is intrinsically possible. Proving its possibility for the human body is a separate matter to be addressed later.

5. Analogy with Wind/Solomon: The Qur'an states the wind carried Solomon (AS) over vast distances quickly: {Its morning journey was a month and its evening journey was a month} (Saba’: 12). Furthermore, sensory experience confirms that strong winds move great distances in an instant. This shows such speed is possible in principle.

6. Analogy with Asif’s Feat: The Qur'an indicates that the one with knowledge of the Book brought the Queen of Sheba’s throne from Yemen to Syria in the blink of an eye: {“I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you”} (An-Naml: 40). Since it is possible for some people, it is intrinsically possible.

7. Analogy with Vision: Some posit that sight occurs when a ray (shu‘ā‘) leaves the eye and connects with the object. If this ray travels to a distant person in an instant, it proves that movement at this speed is possible, not impossible.

Conclusion of Premise 1: These arguments prove that movement reaching this extreme speed is intrinsically possible.

Premise 2: Since this movement is intrinsically possible, its occurrence in the body of Muhammad (PBUH) cannot be impossible. This is proven by the fact that all bodies are fundamentally similar in their essence (māhiyyah). If such movement is valid for some bodies, it must be possible for all bodies, including the body of Muhammad (PBUH).

Final Synthesis:

1. It is proven by definitive proof that the Creator is capable of all possibilities.
2. It is proven that movement at this extreme speed in the body of Muhammad (PBUH) is possible.
3. Therefore, God is capable of causing it.

This leads to the conclusion that the Mi‘rāj is intrinsically possible. Any astonishment felt is not unique to this event but applies to all miracles (e.g., the staff becoming a massive serpent, the she-camel emerging from the rock, the mountain floating in the air). If mere astonishment justified rejection, all miracles would be rejected, which contradicts the foundation of prophethood.

Stage 2: Establishing Actual Occurrence

The people of verification state that the Qur'an and the authentic reports (khabar) prove that God took the spirit and body of Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to the Farthest Mosque.

Qur'anic Proof: The term {‘abd} (servant) refers to the composite being of body and spirit. Therefore, the Isrā’ must have occurred to the composite being.

• Counter-Argument (Spirit-Only View): Those who argue that man is only the spirit base their view on:
  1. The human being is one constant entity, while bodily parts constantly change.
  2. A person can be aware of their self while oblivious to their body parts; the known must differ from the unknown.
  3. A person says, "My hand," "my leg," etc., attributing these parts to their specific self; the possessor must differ from the possessed object.
  • Rebuttal to the Counter-Argument: We rely on clear intellect, which shows man is one entity using the hand as a tool for grasping and the eye as a tool for seeing. The self is distinct from these tools. If this is true, then {‘abdihi} refers only to the spirit, leaving no textual proof for the body’s involvement.
  • Response to Spirit-Only View: If it were only the spirit, it would not warrant the phrase {Subḥāna-lladhī asrā}, as spiritual visions are common. However, it is plausible that the spirit attained unique visions and manifestations never granted to others, making the glorification appropriate.

The Stronger Response (Body and Spirit): The term {‘abd} encompasses both body and spirit. Evidence:

1. {Have you seen the one who forbids a servant when he prays?} (Al-‘Alaq: 9-10). The servant here is clearly the composite being.
2. {And that when the Servant of God stood up calling upon Him, they almost pressed tightly against him} (Al-Jinn: 19). The servant here is the composite being. Therefore, the same applies here.

Prophetic Reports (Khabar): The famous, sound Hadith proves the journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then to the heavens.

Objections to the Hadith (and their Refutations):

1. Rational Objections (Already Refuted):
   • Extreme speed is irrational.
   • Ascending a heavy mass to the heavens is irrational.
   • Ascending would cause the celestial spheres to burn.

2. The Public Witness Objection: If this were true, it would be the greatest miracle, and it should have occurred publicly to prove his prophethood. Occurring secretly is futile and unbecoming of a Wise Being.
   • Response: God stated: {Li-nuriyahu min āyātinā} (That We might show him some of Our signs). The purpose was specific to him:
     • Benefit 1 (Intercession): If he had not witnessed the terrors of Hell and the delights of Paradise beforehand, their impact on the Day of Judgment would overwhelm him, distracting him from intercession. Witnessing them beforehand lessens their impact on his heart on that Day, allowing him to focus on interceding.
     • Benefit 2 (Spiritual Perfection): His witnessing may have been a means of perfection for him or for the angels and Prophets who witnessed it with him.
     • Benefit 3 (Strengthening the Heart): Witnessing the states of the heavens, the Footstool (Kursī), and the Throne makes the affairs of this world seem insignificant. This grants him greater strength of heart, enabling him to be more complete in calling people to God and less concerned with God's enemies. One who has witnessed God's power in this realm possesses immensely greater steadfastness in enduring hardship than one who has not.

3. The Trial Objection: They cite: {And We did not make the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people} (Al-Isrā’: 60). Since the Mi‘rāj story caused many believers to disbelieve, it was a trial, implying it was a dream vision (ru’yā).
   • Response: When we reach the exegesis of that verse later in this Sūrah, we will clarify that this vision was a vision of direct sight (ru’yā ‘ayān), not a dream vision.

4. Objections to Specific Details:
   • Splitting the Chest: The claim that his chest was split and purified with Zamzam water is deemed strange, as water only cleanses physical impurities, not false beliefs or blameworthy morals.
   • Riding the Burāq: Strange, as God could transport him to the celestial realm without needing the Burāq.
   • The Fifty Prayers Reduced to Five: The story of him repeatedly returning between God and Moses (AS) until the prayers were reduced from fifty to five, due to Moses’ compassion, implies that a ruling was abrogated before its implementation, which necessitates badā’ (change of divine will), which is impossible for God.
   • Response: We do not question God’s actions; He does what He wills and judges as He wills. (The refutations for the rational objections have already been covered.)

This verse does not explicitly indicate the ascension to the heavens or above the Throne. Some derive proof for this from the beginning of Sūrat An-Najm, and others from {You will surely travel from stage to stage} (Al-Inshiqāq: 19). Their exegesis is detailed in their respective places. The proof for the ascension to the heavens relies on the Hadith, as previously mentioned.

Verse 2

{Dhurriyyatan mimman ḥamalnā ma‘a Nūḥ. Innahu kāna ‘abdan Shakūrā.}

O descendants of those whom We carried [in the Ark] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant.

(Note: This verse is addressed to the descendants of Noah, connecting them to the lineage of those saved by God, and then praising Noah.)