In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

 

I S R A & M A I R A J

 

[Shamim A Siddiqi, NY]

 

 

The issue of Isra & Mairaj, Accession to Heaven of Rasulullah (S) that took place in the 12 year of his Prophethood must be put before the human society in its correct perspective.  I will summarize it in brief in a sequence in order to evaluate its extreme significance and understand the onward march of Islam in the Arab lands and beyond.

 

1. Allah (SWT) when assigned Muhammad (S) his Mission to fulfill on earth in the very second Wahl [revelation] after Fitrah [the short period when the Wahi was stopped temporarily] as directed through Verse # 2 & 3 of Surah # 74, Al-Muddaththir towards the glorification of his (S) Lord through establishing His authority on His slaves and building the Islamic society of humans in that land:

 

“Arise and warn. And glorify the greatness of thy Sustainer”

 

He (S) needed three things [a trio] to this effect.

 

a. The Blue Print - the Guide lines - the Guidance as how to live, act and behave on earth;

 

b. A dedicated and committed team of  trustworthy workers and leaders  to implement the Plan or the Blue Print in the human society for establishing justice and peace on earth;      

 

c. Land where to establish that Plan or the Blue Print.  

 

Now see the next 12 years of his (S) struggle for the attainment of his mission in the Makkan life:

 

* The Blue Print of the would be Islamic State was coming gradually in bits and pieces as the situation warranted directly from the Creator and the Sustainer to Muhammad (S) in the shape of the Qur'an. 

 

* Rasulullah (S) himself undertook the task of building his team of trustworthy workers/leadership in ones and twos through person to person contact with people around him in Makkah and in its vicinity.

 

* He (S) was constantly in search of land as where to build the HQ of his mission. He tried first in Ethiopia, and then he went to Taif for the same purpose but could not succeed due to obstinacy of the tribal chiefs. However, the ground in Madinah was  prepared  to this end when its people who came on Hajj, had a Baiyah on his hands and invited Rasulullah (S) to come to Madinah and he (S) readily accepted the invitation as he (S) was in search of it - a prelude to Hijra [migration] subsequently.

 

Now it was the most appropriate time in sequence when Allah invited His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (S) to heavens through His special emissary the arch angel Gabriel:

 

1. To have a practical observation of His Kingdom - Heavens and Hell not directly from Makkah but through the special route via Jerusalem where he (S) was the Imam [the Leader who leads the  prayers] of all the Prophets of Allah from Adam to Jesus as Prophet Muhammad(S) was the last  Prophet of Allah to mankind [not for Arabs only] and brought the most updated Guidance for humans to act, live and behave accordingly on earth in order to acquire the cherished balanced life of justice, peace and security on earth.

 

2. To show him (S) the end-result of different crimes that people commit on earth in the from of similitude and the rewards that humans will get on the Day of Judgment for their good actions and deeds on earth;  

 

3. To hand him over the Manifesto of his (S) would-be Islamic State that he was going to establish in Arabian Peninsula with Madinah as its HQ. The salient features of that 14 points Manifesto are laid down by Allah in the Qur'an in Chapter 17 - Al-Isra from Verses # 23 to 39.

 

Any modern state that wants justice, peace and security to prevail within its geographical bounds can reap the harvest of its Barakah [blessings] if it establishes a state accordingly. The Islamic State established by Rasulullah (S) in Madinah and that of his four distinguished Caliphs in the vast tracts of Asia and Africa filled the earth with the aforesaid blessings. Man could not produce its replica since then.

 

I would request the Muslim leadership around the world to study the event of Isra or Mairaj and the Islamic Manifesto in detail. He will be convinced that this is the only way left for mankind to attain Justice, peace and security for the human abode today.

 

Muslims have to produce its model in 21 century. It is their obligation and they all are accountable to their Lord if they do not struggle hard for its accomplishment,

 

Fortunately, they have the Guidance totally intact in its most original form and abundance of land [57 Muslim dominated countries] but not the desired leadership to complete the "Trio" towards establishing the promised society that guarantees justice, peace and security to all its citizens, irrespective of cast, color. creed and status. 

 

Will the Muslims not struggle for establishing this dream land and be the savior of mankind?      

 

 

Shamim Siddiqi 

Ramadan 28, 1431H/ Sept. 8, 2010