THE JOURNEY - REAL OR DREAM?
Having described the event we
must now turn to the not un-important matter of an explanation of how it took
place. Was it a dream or a vision in which something manifested itself before the
inner eye, or was it, in fact, a real journey? It is only if it was a real
journey that it would become necessary to explain how it took place.
Now all the companions of the
Prophet (sallalahu ta’alah ‘alaihi wa
sallam) believed
that it was a real and therefore, miraculous journey. Only two, Aisha (the
Prophet's youngest wife) and Muawiyah (the son of Abu Sufyan) believed that it
was a dream or vision. At the time of the event, however, Aisha was still a little girl of nine or ten years of age, and
Muawiya was not only a little boy but he was in a family or household which was
leading the opposition to the Prophet (sallalahu ta’alah ‘alaihi wa sallam) and which openly ridiculed his
claim that it was an actual journey.
It would, therefore, be quite proper to say that at the
time when the event took place there was a unanimity of view amongst the companions
of the Prophet (sallalahu
ta’alah ‘alaihi wa sallam) that it was a real journey and not a dream (which would imply an
imaginary journey), or a vision (which would imply a spiritual journey). Such a
situation of unanimity could never have developed had the Prophet (sallalahu ta’alah ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself not described the event
as they interpreted it.
We must reject the
interpretation that the journey was a vision or a dream for two additional
reasons apart from the fact that the Qur'anic introduction "Glory be to
Him" (Subhan al-lazee) and the reference to 'His Servant' (abdihi)
being transported lend themselves to the interpretation of a real journey
rather than a dream.
Firstly, it is only in the
context of a real journey (albeit a miraculous journey) that we can possibly
understand the statement that the spot where the Prophet (sallalahu ta’alah ‘alaihi wa sallam) was lying was still warm when he
returned from the journey, or the claims regarding the water which he drank and
the runaway camel which he helped retrieve.
Secondly we cannot explain the
demand for proof nor the taunts and doubts of the Quraish nor, most of all, the
apostasy of some Muslims except in the context of a claim by the Prophet (sallalahu ta’alah ‘alaihi wa sallam) that it was a real and, hence,
miraculous journey.
To Be Continued ....
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