بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
The Event of Miraj - In the Light of Reason, Science, and the Quran
(A Thoughtful, Positive, and Contemporary Study)
Article (71)
The event of Miraj of Mustafa (peace be upon him) is that magnificent event in the history of humanity which brings together faith, reason, and knowledge at one point. This event is neither in conflict with reason, nor in opposition to science, but rather, by showing human understanding its limits, it acquaints it with the vastness of Divine power.
Miraj in the Light of the Quran
The Holy Quran has neither called the event of Miraj a parable, nor declared it a dream, but has described it as an absolute truth:
سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِي أَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْاَقْصَى…
(Surah Al-Isra: 1)
Here, the word 'Abdih' (His servant) is very noteworthy. The Quran did not say "soul" or "self," but said 'Abd (servant) - and 'Abd is the name of the combination of both soul and body. This makes it clear that Miraj was not merely a spiritual experience but was both physical and spiritual.
Furthermore, the verse begins with Subhan, meaning that Allah is declaring Himself free from every weakness and concept of impossibility. It is as if the Quran itself is announcing that this journey is a sign of Allah's power, and in the face of Divine power, the concept of impossibility becomes null and void.
Now, take your mind back to the era in which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) appeared.
That era knew neither airplanes, nor had any concept of flights, nor was it familiar with vehicles that could pierce the skies.
It did not know that a person sitting on a screen could directly see a scene thousands of miles away,
Nor was there any concept that sound and image could reach a mobile screen in moments without any apparent intermediary.
All these are normal for humans today, but yesterday these same things were considered incomprehensible.
When the limited intellect of creation has accepted these examples today, then what hesitation is there in believing that the Almighty is capable of everything that is beyond human thought?
If it had been said to the people of that era that a person would go from Baitullah to Bait-ul-Muqaddas in a short part of the night, then travel through the heavens and return, it would have seemed unimaginable - just as flying in the sky was an impossible dream for humans a few centuries ago.
But what is the reality today?
Today, the same human changes continents in hours, covers thousands of miles in moments, and the sky is no longer foreign to him.
So the question is not how did Miraj happen?
The real question is to what extent do we believe in reason and to what extent have we limited the power of Allah?
It should also be remembered that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not go on his own,
But the Creator of the universe called him.
This journey was not a human effort but a Divine invitation.
When the one who calls is the one about whom the Quran declares:
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 20)
Indeed, Allah is capable of all things
Then reason has no right to confine Divine power within its limited measures.
Reassurance in the Light of Science
Modern science is also forced to admit today that time is not absolute, distance is not an ultimate obstacle, and Space and Time are changeable.
Time Dilation, Relativity, and other scientific theories point to the fact that what was once considered impossible is possible today, and what is not possible today can become a reality tomorrow.
So Miraj is not a negation of science but a negation of the arrogance of science.
For details, studying books like "Modern Science and the Miracle of Miraj" and "Philosophy of Miraj al-Nabi ﷺ" will be beneficial.
The event of Miraj teaches us that if reason adopts humility, it becomes faith, if knowledge is subordinate to revelation, it becomes guidance, and if faith turns into certainty, it bestows the Miraj of thought.
This event gives us not denial but reassurance, and not doubt but certainty.
Miraj is neither against reason nor contrary to science, but it is a declaration of Divine power, the truthfulness of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ, and the limitation of human intellect.
The intellect that begins to measure the power of God goes astray, and the intellect that bows before the power of God attains faith.
It should be kept in mind that some scholars try to explain Miraj with modern scientific concepts, but these are not scientific proofs but only rational explanations, because Miraj is a miracle that is beyond natural laws, and it is a reality that is believed not by science but by heartfelt faith.
The event of Miraj gives us the certainty that there is no conflict between faith and reason but a boundary.
Where human intellect ends, the manifestation of Divine power begins.
Miraj is actually the message that for the Being who is the Creator of the universe, the concept of impossibility is meaningless -
And whoever accepts this reality, comes out of doubt and attains the Miraj of certainty.
By Mahmoodulbari
mahmoodulbari342@gmail.com