Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that the Isra’ and Mi’raaj (the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascent into heaven)
are two great signs of Allaah which point to the truthfulness of the His
Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the
greatness of his status before Allaah. They are also signs of the great
power of Allaah, and of His exalted position above His creation. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Glorified (and
Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him]
Who took His slave
(Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al‑Masjid Al‑Haraam (at Makkah) to
Al‑Masjid Al‑Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed,
in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences,
lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer”
[al-Isra’ 17:1]
There are mutawaatir
reports from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) that he was taken up into the heavens, and their gates were opened
for him, until he passed beyond the seventh heaven, where his Lord spoke to
him as He willed, and enjoined the five daily prayers upon him. At first
Allaah, may He be exalted, enjoined fifty prayers, but our Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept going back and asking
Him to reduce it, until He made them five, so they are five obligatory
prayers but fifty in reward, because each good deed is rewarded tenfold. To
Allaah be praise and thanks for all His blessings.
With regard to this night on which the Isra’ and Mi’raaj took
place, there is nothing in the saheeh ahaadeeth to indicate that it is in
Rajab or in any other month. Everything that has been narrated concerning a
specific date for these events cannot be proven to have come from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) according to the
scholars of hadeeth. Allaah has wise reasons for causing the people to
forget it. Even if the date were proven, it would not be permissible for the
Muslims to single it out for particular acts of worship, and it is not
permissible for them to celebrate it, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased
with them) did not celebrate it and they did not single it out in any way.
If celebrating it was something that is prescribed in Islam, the Messenger
would have told his ummah about that, either in word or in deed. If any such
thing had happened, it would have been well known, and his companions would
have transmitted the information to us. They narrated from their Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) everything that his ummah
needs to know, and they did not neglect any aspect of the religion, rather
they were the first ones to do anything good. If celebrating this night had
been prescribed in Islam, they would have been the first people to do so.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most
sincere of people, and he conveyed the message to the people in full, and he
fulfilled the trust. If venerating and celebrating this night were part of
the religion of Allaah, then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) would have done that and would not have concealed it. Since no
such thing happened, it is known that celebrating it and venerating it is
not part of Islam at all. Allaah has perfected this ummah’s religion for it
and has completed His favour upon them, and He condemns those who introduce
things into the religion which Allaah has not ordained. Allaah says in His
holy Book, in Soorat al-Maa’idah (interpretation of the meaning):
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you,
completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your
religion”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3]
And Allaah says in Soorat al-Shoora (interpretation of
the meaning):
“Or have they partners
with Allaah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which
Allaah has not ordained?”
[al-Shoora 42:21]
In the saheeh ahaadeeth it is proven that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against
bid’ah (innovation) and stated clearly that it is misguidance, so as to show
the ummah how serious the matter is and put them off it.
For example, it is narrated in al-Saheehayn from
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces anything into
this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” In a
report narrated by Muslim it says: “Whoever does any action that is not part
of this matter of ours will have it rejected.”
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that Jaabir (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his khutbah on Friday: “The
best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the
guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The
worst of matters are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is
a going astray.” Al-Nasaa’i added with a jayyid isnaad: “and every going
astray will be in the Fire.”
In al-Sunan it is narrated that al-‘Irbaad ibn
Saariyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered an eloquent speech to
us which melted our hearts and caused our eyes to flow with tears. We said:
O Messenger of Allaah, it is as if it is a farewell address, so advise us.
He said: “I advise you to fear Allaah, and to listen and obey, even if a
slave is appointed over you. Whoever among you lives will see many
differences, so I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the way of the
rightly-guided caliphs who will come after me, and cling firmly to it.
Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an
innovation and every innovation is a going astray. And there are many
ahaadeeth with a similar meaning.
Warnings against bid’ah (innovation) have been narrated from
the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and from the righteous salaf after them, because this is
no more than adding things to the religion and instituting a religion that
Allaah has not ordained, and it is an imitation of the enemies of Allaah,
the Jews and the Christians, in their additions to their religions and
introducing into them things that Allaah had not ordained. It also implies
that there is something lacking in Islam, and that it is not complete, and
it is well known that this leads to great mischief and evil, and goes
against the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you,
completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your
religion”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3]
It also goes against the
ahaadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
which warn against innovation (bid’ah).
I hope that the evidence we have quoted will be sufficient to
convince the seeker of truth that this bid’ah is wrong, i.e., the innovation
of celebrating the night of the Isra’ and Mi’raaj, and that it is not part
of the religion of Islam at all.
Because Allaah has enjoined being sincere towards the Muslims and explaining what Allaah has prescribed for them in their religion, and because it is haraam to conceal knowledge, I thought that I should point out this innovation, which is so widespread in many regions that people think it is part of the religion, to my Muslim brothers. Allaah is the One Whom we ask to set the affairs of all the Muslims straight, and to bless them with knowledge of Islam, and to help us and them to adhere steadfastly to the truth, and to forsake everything that goes against it, for He is able to do that. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon His slave and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and companions.