SECTION TWO
THE STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ISRA'
AND MI'RAJ
INTRODUCTION
Any proper examination and
analysis of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ta’alah ‘alaihi wa sallam) (divinely blessed is he and in
eternal peace), when viewed in its totality, would surely reveal that his
miraculous journey by night from Makkah to Jerusalem and thence, through the heavens,
to the special divine presence (Isra' and Miraj), was the most important event
in his entire life. Not only was it his personal summum bonum, and the
turning point in his historical mission, but it is clear from the guidance
which he imparted and from his own way of life that this event was a crucially
important element - Nay! - the very substance of the prophetic paradigm. And since
the Qur'an declares that the believers have in the Messenger of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alah) the very best example and
model (of conduct and behavior), the Miraj thus constitutes a supreme personal
goal for which all his true followers should continuously strive.
As a consequence it is
important for Muslims to have a clear understanding of
the totality of the event and an equally clear perception of that journey
(Miraj) and spiritual goal for which individual worshippers should strive.
We propose, in this booklet,
first to explain the event of the journey (lsra and Miraj) and its mechanics,
namely: What happened? - When did it happen? - and How did it happen? And then,
in an attempt to explain the dynamics of the event of the journey, namely: Why
did it happen? - we propose to undertake an analysis of the subject from the
perspective of psychology, epistemology, comparative religion, theology,
politics and spirituality.
Finally we shall attempt to
provide some guidance for the individual believer in quest of his or her own
personal experience of Miraj.'
To Be Continued ....
