17. Sūrat al-Isrāʾ

١٧۔ سُورَةُ الإسْرَاء

Qurʾān > Chapter 17 > Section 1
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17.1 God took Muhammad (pbuh) on a tour of the universe.

١٧۔١ مقطع في سُورَةُ الإسْرَاء

quran:17:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.  

Glory be to Him — an affirmation of ˹God’s˺ transcendence — Who carried His servant, Muhammad (s), by night (laylan is in the accusative as an adverbial qualification; isrā’ means ‘to travel by night’; what is instructive about this mention ˹of laylan, ‘by night’˺ is that, through its being indefinite, there is an indication of the brevity of its duration) from the Sacred Mosque, that is, Mecca, to the Farthest Mosque, the Holy House ˹of Jerusalem˺, so called because of its distance from the former; the environs of which We have blessed, with fruits and rivers, that We might show him some of Our signs, the marvels of Our power. Indeed He is the Hearing, the Seeing, that is to say, the Knower of the Prophet’s (s) sayings and deeds. Thus He ˹God˺ was gracious to him by way of ˹carrying him on˺ the night journey, which comprised his encountering the ˹other˺ prophets, his ascension to heaven and the sight of the marvels of the ˹Divine˺ Realm and His communion, exalted be He, with him. For he ˹the Prophet˺ (s) said: ‘I was brought al-Burāq, a white animal, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule; it was able to place its hoof ˹back˺ towards its extremity and so I mounted it. It set off carrying me until I reached the Holy House ˹of Jerusalem˺. ˹There˺ I fastened the animal to the ring where the prophets fasten ˹their animals˺. I then went in and prayed two units inside it. As I came out, Gabriel came to me with a jug of wine and a jug of milk, and so I chose the milk. Gabriel said ˹to me˺, “You have made the right choice ˹by choosing˺ the primordial nature (fitra)”.’ He ˹the Prophet˺ continued ˹the narration˺, ‘We then ascended to the heaven of this world, whereat Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”, “And who is with you?”, “Muhammad (s)”, he said. “Has he been sent for?”. “Yes, he has been sent for”. Then it was opened for us, and lo! Adam stood before me; he greeted me and prayed for well-being for me. We then ascended to the second heaven and Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”, “And who is with you?”, “Muhammad (s)”, he said. “Has he been called forth?”. “Yes, he has been called forth”. And it was opened up for us, and lo! there were the two ˹maternal˺ cousins, John and Jesus. They greeted me and prayed for well-being for me. We then ascended to the third heaven and Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”, “And who is with you?”, “Muhammad (s)”, he said. “Has he been sent for?” it was asked. “Yes, he has been sent for”. And it was opened up for us, and lo! there was Joseph standing before me, and indeed he had been given one half of all beauty! He greeted me and prayed for well-being for me. We then ascended to the fourth heaven and Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”, “And who is with you?”, “Muhammad (s)”, he said. “Has he been called forth?”, it was asked. “Yes, he has been called forth”, he replied. And it was opened up for us, and lo! there before me was Enoch (Idrīs). He greeted me and prayed for well-being for me. We then ascended to the fifth heaven and Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”. “And who is with you?” it was asked, “Muhammad (s)”, he replied. “Has he been sent for?”, it was said. “Yes, he has been sent for”, he replied. And it was opened up for us, and lo! there before me was Aaron. He greeted me and prayed for well-being for me. We then ascended to the sixth heaven and Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”; “and who is with you?”, “Muhammad (s)”, he said. “Has he been called forth?”, it was asked. “Yes, he has been called forth”. And it was opened up for us, and lo! there before me was Moses. He greeted me and prayed for well-being for me. We then ascended to the seventh heaven and Gabriel asked to be let in. Someone asked, “Who are you?”. He replied, “Gabriel”, “And who is with you?”; “Muhammad (s)”, he said. “Has he been called forth?”, it was asked. “Yes, he has been called forth”, he replied. And it was opened up for us, and lo! there before me was Abraham, leaning ˹seated˺ against the Frequented House (al-bayt al-ma‘mūr), into which 70,000 angels enter every day never to return thereto. I was then taken to the Lote-Tree of the Boundary (sidrat al295 muntahā), and lo! its leaves resemble the ears of elephants, its fruits like pitchers ˹in size˺. When some command of God’s enveloped it, it changed, and lo! none of God’s creation could describe it for all its beauty’. He ˹the Prophet˺ continued: ‘God then revealed to me what He revealed and prescribed for me fifty prayers each day and night. I then descended until I reached Moses and he said, “What has your Lord prescribed for your community?” I said, “Fifty prayers each day and night”. He said, “Go back to your Lord and ask Him for an alleviation, for your community will not have the capacity for it: I have tried the Children of Israel and have experience of them ˹not being up to the task˺.” I then went back to my Lord and said, “My Lord! Lighten that ˹prescription˺ for my community”, and so He reduced it for me by five. I went back to Moses who asked me, “What did you do?”. I said to him, ‘He has reduced it for me by five’, to which he said, “Your community will not have the capacity for this; so go back to your Lord and ask Him for an alleviation for your community”. Thus I kept going back and forth between my Lord and Moses, with Him reducing it by five each time until He said, “O Muhammad (s)! They shall be five prayers each day and night, every prayer will be worth ˹the reward of˺ ten ˹prayers˺; that then makes fifty prayers. And whoever intends a good deed but does not perform it, I shall count it for him as one ˹done˺; and if he performs it, I shall count it for him as ten; and whoever intends an evil deed, but does not perform it, it shall not be recorded against him; but if he performs it, it shall be recorded ˹only˺ as one evil deed”. I then descended until I reached Moses. I informed him and he said, “Go back to your Lord and ask Him for an alleviation for your community, because your community will not have the capacity for this”; and I said, “I have gone back to my Lord so many times that I am ashamed ˹to go again˺”. This ˹hadīth˺ is reported by the two Shaykhs ˹al-Bukhārī and Muslim˺; but the wording ˹of this version˺ is that of ˹the report in the Sahīh of˺ Muslim. Al-Hākim ˹alNaysābūrī˺ reports in the Mustadrak by way of Ibn ‘Abbās that he said, ‘The Prophet (s) said, “I did see my Lord, Mighty and Majestic”.’
القرآن:١٧:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ  

(سبحان) أي تنزيه (الذي أسرى بعبده) محمد ﷺ (ليلاً) نصب على الظرف والإسراء سير الليل وفائدة ذكره الإشارة بتنكيره إلى تقليل مدته (من المسجد الحرام إلى المسجد الأقصى) بيت المقدس لبعده منه (الذي باركنا حوله) بالثمار والأنهار (لنريه من آياتنا) عجائب قدرتنا (إنه هو السميع البصير) أي العالم بأقوال النبي ﷺ وأفعاله فأنعم عليه بالإسراء المشتمل على اجتماعه بالأنبياء وعروجه إلى السماء، ورؤية عجائب الملكوت، ومناجاته له تعالى، فإنه ﷺ قال: "" أتيت بالبراق وهو دابة أبيض فوق الحمار ودون البغل يضع حافره عند منتهى طرفه فركبته فسار بي حتى أتيت بيت المقدس، فربطت الدابة بالحلقة التي تربط فيها الأنبياء، ثم دخلت فصليت فيه ركعتين، ثم خرجت فجاءني جبريل بإناء من خمر وإناء من لبن فاخترت اللبن، قال جبريل: أصبت الفطرة، قال: ثم عرج بي إلى السماء الدنيا، فاستفتح جبريل قيل: من أنت قال: جبريل، قيل: ومن معك؟ قال: محمد قيل: أو قد أرسل إليه؟ قال: قد أرسل إليه، ففتح لنا فإذا أنا بآدم فرحب بي ودعا لي بالخير، ثم عرج بي إلى السماء الثانية فاستفتح جبريل فقيل: من أنت فقال: جبريل قيل: ومن معك قال: محمد قيل أو قد بعث إليه قال: قد بعث إليه ففتح لنا فإذا بابني الخالة يحيى وعيسى فرحبا بي ودعوا لي بالخير ثم عرج بنا إلى السماء الثالثة فاستفتح جبريل فقيل: من أنت؟ قال: جبريل فقيل: ومن معك قال: محمد فقيل: أو قد أرسل إليه قال: قد أرسل إليه ففتح لنا فإذا أنا بيوسف وإذا هو قد أعطي شطر الحسن فرحب بي ودعا لي بخير ثم عرج بنا إلى السماء الرابعة فاستفتح جبريل فقيل: من أنت قال جبريل فقيل: ومن معك قال: محمد فقيل: أو قد بعث إليه قال: قد بعث إليه ففتح لنا فإذا أنا بإدريس فرحب بي ودعا لي بخير ثم عرج بنا إلى السماء الخامسة فاستفتح جبريل فقيل: من أنت قال: جبريل فقيل: ومن معك قال: محمد فقيل: أو قد بعث إليه قال: قد بعث إليه ففتح لنا فإذا أنا بهارون فرحب بي ودعا لي بخير ثم عرج بنا إلى السماء السادسة فاستفتح جبريل فقيل: من أنت فقال: جبريل فقيل: ومن معك قال: محمد فقيل: أو قد بعث إليه قال: قد بعث إليه ففتح لنا فإذا أنا بموسى فرحب بي ودعا لي بخير ثم عرج بنا إلى السماء السابعة فاستفتح جبريل فقيل: من أنت فقال: جبريل قيل ومن معك فقال: محمد قيل: أو قد بعث إليه قال: قد بعث إليه ففتح لنا فإذا أنا بإبراهيم فإذا هو مستند إلى البيت المعمور وإذا هو يدخله كل يوم سبعون ألف ملك ثم لا يعودون إليه; ثم ذهب إلى سدرة المنتهى فإذا أوراقها كآذان الفيلة وإذا ثمرها كالقلال فلما غشيها من أمر الله ما غشيها تغيرت فما أحد من خلق الله تعالى يستطيع أن يصفها من حسنها قال: فأوحى الله إلي ما أوحى وفرض علي في كل يوم وليلة خمسين صلاة فنزلت حتى انتهيت إلى موسى فقال: ما فرض ربك على أمتك قلت: خمسين صلاة في كل يوم وليلة قال: ارجع إلى ربك فاسأله التخفيف لأمتك فإن أمتك لا تطيق ذلك وإني قد بلوت بني إسرائيل وخبرتهم قال: فرجعت إلى ربي فقلت: أي رب خفف عن أمتي فحط عني خمسا فرجعت إلى موسى قال: ما فعلت فقلت قد حط عني خمسا قال: إن أمتك لا تطيق ذلك فارجع إلى ربك فاسأله التخفيف لأمتك قال: فلم أزل أرجع بين ربي وبين موسى ويحط عني خمسا خمسا حتى قال: يا محمد هي خمس صلوات في كل يوم وليلة بكل صلاة عشر فتلك خمسون صلاة ومن هم بحسنة فلم يعملها كتبت له حسنة فإن عملها كتبت له عشرا ومن هم بسيئة ولم يعملها لم تكتب فإن عملها كتبت له سيئة واحدة فنزلت حتى انتهيت إلى موسى فأخبرته فقال ارجع إلى ربك فاسأله التخفيف فإن أمتك لا تطيق ذلك فقلت:"قد رجعت إلى ربي حتى استحييت" رواه الشيخان واللفظ لمسلم وروى الحاكم في المستدرك عن ابن عباس قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ "رأيت ربي ﷻ".