Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamo Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu,

Glory to Allah Subhan Wa Ta'ala. May He give you Ajr for your services

in the cause of Islam. Ameen.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 1: "Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant (Mohamed (saws)) 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)."

As for Isra Wa Al Mairaj, I have read on one of the web site that based on historical facts, the MASJID-E-AQSA i.e. "Farthest Mosque" was not in existence in the time of our Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.). It was built approximately 50 years after our Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) left this world. In the same web site, it says that the Arabic word MASJID-E-AQSA's

correct translation is "Farthest Mosque" and in the above Quranic Ayat, it refers to "Farthest Mosque" in Madina Al Munawwarah, where our Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) had migrated at night. In conclusion, as per the web site, the story of Isra Wa Al Mairaj is not correct and the reference in the above Quranic Ayat is for our Holy Prophet Mohammad's (S.A.W.) night journey to Madinah Al Munawwarah i.e. HIJRAT. If the historical facts are correct that MASJID-E-AQSA was not in existence at that time, then it is proved that the journey was not Isra Wa Al Mairaj, but night journey to Madinah Al Munawwarah i.e. HIJRAT.

Since in Holy Quran, nothing is very clearly mentioned about full Details of

the NIGHT JOURNEY except a couople of Ayats in Surah Bani Israil and Surah Al Najm, the whole story is based on Hadees. And we know that the Hadees were written approximately 200 years after our Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) left this world.

Would you kindly throw some light on this?

Thank you and Jaza-k-Allaho Khair.

Wassalam.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Night Journey

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Firstly, it is unanimously accepted that the 17^th Surah of the Glorious Quran, Surah Israa was revealed in Makkah one year before the Hijrah of the Prophet. It is indeed true that the Masjid-e-Aqsa, as we know and see today, was built only after the death of the Prophet (saws); but it is also a historical fact that the Masjid-e-Nabawi in Medina was also only built after the Hijrah of the Prophet (saws), and the Surah Israa was revealed one year before the Hijrah! Thus, both mosques, were non-existant at the time of the Revelation of the Aayah!

The web-site or author who tries to claim that the ‘Masjid-e-Aqsa’ or the Farthest Mosque refers to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, and not the Mosque in Jerusalem, is absolutely mistaken and incorrect in his deduction! Not only was the Mosque in Jerusalem, as we know and see today, not existent; the Prophet’s Mosque too was not constructed at the time of the Revelation of the Surah Israa!

The Glorious Quran itself proves that the Masjid-e-Aqsa refers to the Mosque in Jerusalem! And the key is the term of the Aayah where Allah Subhanah declares “whose precincts We did Bless”. Several times in the Quran, Allah Subhanah has declared that He has Blessed the Precincts or Land of the people of Bani Israel, which was obviously head-quartered in Jerusalem! For no other land except for Jerusalem and its surroundings has Allah Subhanah used this term “whose precincts We did Bless” in the whole Quran!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 137:And We made a people considered weak (and of no account) inheritors of lands in both east and west lands, whereon We sent down our blessings. The fair promise of the Lord was fulfilled for the children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy. And We levelled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected (with such pride).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 81:(It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order to the land which We had blessed: for We do know all things.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 71-72:

71 But We delivered him (Ibraheem) and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land which We have blessed for the nations.

72 And We bestowed on him Isaac, and as an additional gift (a grandson) Jacob, and We made righteous men of every one (of them).

There is absolutely no dispute amongst any of the historians that the land of migration of Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) and Prophet Lut (a.s.), and the land of Prophet Yaqoob (a.s.) and Prophet Sulaimaan (a.s.) referred to in the above Aayahs, and the land of almost all the Prophets that came to Bani Israel was the land that was blessed by Allah Subhanah; and that was the land of Jerusalem!

Thus it is proven from the Glorious Quran itself that the Farthest Mosque referred to in Surah Israa is none other than the Masjid-e-Aqsa in Jerusalem, the land that was blessed by Allah Subhanah!

Never has Allah Subhanah in the Quran referred to Medina as the “land that was blessed!” Thus, the web-site or author who tries to prove that the Farthest Mosque referred to in Surah Israa is the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, is obviously mistaken and has erred in his deduction; even if he does not take the support of the several authentic ahaadiths of the Messenger of Allah (saws)!

Glory be to Allah Subhanah Alone for how He enables the Truth to stand clear of the falsehoods!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan