MIRACULOUS NIGHT JOURNEY): BENEFITS AND LESSONS

All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Allah strengthened Muhammad (pbuh)- His servant and messenger with clear signs and proofs, He took him for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque and thereafter made him ascend to the heavens. We celebrate His praises, we ask for His help and forgiveness. We seek protection in Allah from the evil of our souls and deeds. Whom Allah guides none can mislead, and whom He causes to stray none can be his guide. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone with no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah bless him and his families and all his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the day of recompense. Thereafter, O Muslims! Revere Allah and fear Him in the secret and the open. Know that piety is a way out of every hardship, and an access to provision. Allah says: {وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاً , وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْراً" (الطلاق: 2 -3). “And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion” (65: 2-3) Brothers in faith, the blessed journey contains many benefits and lessons some of which include: 1- LESSON ON PROPHETHOOD: The leadership of the prophet (pbuh) as Imam who led other prophets in prayer points to two things: Firstly- Unity in the message of the prophets. All the prophets came with pristine monotheism from Allah- the exalted, thus all the were brothers with one religion. Allah says: {وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ} (الأنبياء : 25), “Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.” (21: 25) The deviations in Judaism and Christianity were only a making from their own hands. Allah says: { وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ يُضَاهِئُونَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ} (التوبة : 30). The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! (10: 30) Secondly: Prophethood and Messengership has ended, there will never be a messenger or prophet after the messenger of Allah (pbuh). Allah says: {مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا} (الأحزاب : 40). “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things” (33: 40) 2- Allah qualifies the prophet (pbuh) with Al-Ubudiyyah- servitude and says: {سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ اْلأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ} (الإسراء : 1) Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). (17:1) Whoever reflect on the verses of the holy qur’an attentively will notice that Allah do qualify His prophet- Muhammad (pbuh) with the quality of Al-ubudiyyah- servitude in his most respected conditions and most lofty occasions; in the dawah context for example Allah says: {وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا} (الجن19) “"Yet when the Devotee of Allah stands forth to invoke Him, they just make round him a dense crowd." (72: 19) Also in the revelation of the book to him Allah says: {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجَا} (الكهف1) “Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness” (18: 1) Allah also describes the way He invoked His revelation unto him thus: {فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى} (النجم10) “So did (Allah) revealed (the inspiration) to His Servant what He (meant) to revealed.” (53:10) He also describes all the messengers thus: {وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنصُورُونَ} (الصافات171- 172) “And Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers, [that] indeed, they would be those given victory” (37: 171- 172) Surely the real honour is for man to be truly a servant to Allah- the exalted. 3- A LESSON FOR DU’AAT- CALLERS TO THE PATH OF ALLAH: When the prophet (pbuh) returned from his blessed journey he intended to inform the people but Ummu Haaniy bint Abi Taalib persistently told him: ‘O messenger of Allah, I am afraid your people will deny you’. then the prophet said: ‘I swear by Allah, I will speak to them about it and inform them even if they call me a liar’. This is a golden lesson to Duaat to disseminate the trust of Allah whether the people are happy with it or displeased about it. The prophet used to say: ‘Whoever seek people’s pleasure at the expense of Allah’s annoyance, Allah becomes displeased with him and He will make people displeased with him as well’. (Al-Mutaalabul- ‘Aaliyah by Ibn Hajar, vol., 4/ 201- 204 & ‘Uyuunul- Athar, vol., 1/140-142 & Ibn Hishaam vol., 2/11) If the prophets of God could be accused of lie, magic and insanity, then it can no longer be a strange thing for Duaat to be accused of extremism, terrorism, retardation and backwardness in today’s reality. 4- LESSON OF RECOGNISING THE STRONG IN FAITH AND THE WEAK ONE THROUGH EVENTS: When the prophet (pbuh) informed them of the miraculous night journey, people fell into flagrant amazement into between applauders and those who out of amazement placed their hands on their heads. Ibn Kathir said: “And people among those who believed in the prophet (pbuh) apostatize” (Al-Mustadrak vol., 3, pg., 62). Al-Hakim said: This hadith is sound in the chains of narration and Adh-Dhabiy affirmed that also. The matter requires certainty, certainty in the power of Allah and certainty in the trueness of the chosen messenger of Allah (pbuh). Trials expose the true nature of men; it exposes the example of such men as described above who could not stomach the incident due to their weakness in faith. It also exposed men like Abubakr- the trustworthy. “The Quraishites came to him (Abubakr) saying: ‘look at what your friend said, he claimed he reached Jerusalem and return in a single night where we ride on our camels to there (Jerusalem) for a month and return from there for a month’ Abubakr said: ‘He said that? They said: ‘Yes’ He replied: ‘If he said that, he has spoken the truth’. (At-tarbiyatul-Qiyaadiyyah, vol., 1/447). That was a firm faith, that the world could never toy with, the mountains could never shake it, it stood on the true syllabus of Allah- the exalted. 5- LESSON THAT ALLAH IS WITH HIS PROPHETS AND FRIENDS: The Quraishites asked the prophet (pbuh) to describe the look of the holy mosque in Jerusalem but the prophet reached there at night and he had not seen it before, he said describing his feeling when questioned: “I got stricken by anguish which I have never been stricken by its like before” i.e. possibly the matter will be revealed, i.e. that the prophet could be accused of fabrication. But Allah forbids to neglecting His companions, the prophet (pbuh) said: “(suddenly) Allah presented the holy mosque before me, there then I began to view it and relate its description to them, from door to door, spot to spot” (At-tarbiyatul-Qiyaadiyyah, vol., 1/451). Allah says: {إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ اْلأَشْهَادُ} (غافر :51) “Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand” (40: 51) 6- GREATNESS OF ALLAH: The hadith on the miraculous night journey is a proof among other hundreds of proofs which epitomizes the highness of Allah over His creatures, and the prophet saw the screen above the seven heavens. 7- ISLAM IS A NATURAL RELIGION: The drinking of milk by the prophet (pbuh) when asked to choose between milk and alcohol, and the gladdening comment of Angel Jubril that “You have chosen the right religion of nature” clearly confirms that Islam is a natural religion for humanity perfectly in harmony with its traits. Surely the Being Who created the human nature actually created this religion for him that respond to his happening and needs, it also fulfils its aspiration, it curbs its whims. Allah says: {فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ} (الروم 30). “So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” (30: 30) 8- THE LINK BETWEEN AL-AQSA MOSQUE AND HOLY MOSQUE IN MAKKAH: The connection between the two mosques manifests some principles, proofs and benefits including: - The importance of Al-aqsa mosque to Muslims. It was the location of the prophet’s journey and take-off point for ascension to the high heavens. It was also the first Qiblah- direction during the makkan era. This is guidance and directions for Muslims to promote the love for Al-aqsa Mosque and Palestine, for both are blessed and sanctified. - The connection acquaints a Muslim with a divine responsibility and obligation towards Al-aqsa Mosque including the obligation to free Al-aqsa Mosque from the placement of Shirk- polytheism and the ideology of trinity as it is also their responsibility to liberate the holy Mosque in Makkah from polytheism and idolatory. - The connection also makes the intimidation and threat to Al-aqsa Mosque an open threat as well on the holy Mosque in Makkah and its people. Any obtainment or encroachment into Al-aqsa Mosque is really a preliminary step to obtain the holy Mosque in Makkah. Al-aqsa Mosque is the gate leading to the holy Mosque in Makkah, therefore the disappearance of Al-aqsa Mosque or the shift of its control from the hands of Muslims to the hands of the Jews will mean that the holy Mosque in Makkah and hijaz is under security breach and threat and the enemies will direct their attention towards them to occupy the two. David Ben-Gurion, leader of the Jews, after the entry of the Jewish army into Jerusalem reviewed the soldiers and youths of the Jews, near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and cast in them a fiery speech, saying: ' I've taken over Jerusalem and we are on our way to Yathrib. ' (Siratu-n-Nabawiyyah by Abu Faris, p. 214). After that, the Jews published a map of the expected state of the Jews, which included the area from the Euphrates to the Nile, including the entire Arabian Peninsula including, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf. They distributed in Europe the map of this expected state after their victory in the 1967 war. (Jordanian Constitution Newspaper No: 4313 by: Emil Ghori, quoted from the Siratu-n-Nabawiyyah by Abu Faris, p. 214) - The importance of solat- prayer and its great status: It is established in the prophetic tradition that solat- prayer was made obligatory on the Muslim Ummah on the night of the prophet’s Ascension to the heavens, and in that as described by Ibn katheer, is: “a great care and attention for the honor of prayer and its greatness' (Tafseer Ibn katheer, 3/23). It is therefore imperative for the callers to the path of Allah to confirm the importance of prayer, and guard it, and to remember and mention its importance and status, being enshrined on the night of ascension, and being the last recommendation of the messenger of Allah before his demise. (Al-Mustafaad Min Qisas-ul- Qur’an Lil-Dawah and Du’aat, 2/93) May Allah make us all of the people who receive admonition when admonished and forgive us the early and later of our sins. Having said this, I seek Allah’s forgiveness for us all and all Muslims, He is verily All-forgiving, Most Gracious. THE SECOND SERMON All praises are due to Allah, All praises are due to Allah who ordered to pray and took charge of the answer to the prayers, and answers the call of the oppressed when he calls on Him, and I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone with no partner, I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May the salutations and peace of our Lord be upon him, his families, and all his companions. Dear Muslims, we are in the era of the strangeness of Islam. It is obligatory on Muslims to hold on to the religion, and be firm on it. They should not listen to misguided opinions and views of the decadent ones, and views of the people who discourage or inhibit people from the religion of Allah, and not be deceived by the number of the deviants. Allah says: {وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ} (يوسف103)، (Yet no faith will the greater part of mankind have, however ardently thou dost desire it.) (12: 103) {وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الأرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ} (الأنعام116) (Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie.) (6:116) {وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلّ نِبِىّ عَدُوّاً شَيَاطِينَ الإِنْسِ وَالْجِنّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُوراً وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ وَلِتَصْغَى إِلَيْهِ أَفْئِدَةُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُواْ مَا هُم مُّقْتَرِفُونَ} (الأنعام112-113). (Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone. To such (deceit) let the hearts of those incline, who have no faith in the hereafter: let them delight in it, and let them earn from it what they may.) (6:112-113) This misleading propaganda against Islam and its people from the enemies of Islam are all out of their grudge and hatred of this religion, they sustain their enmity to Islam through all they could amass of means. The enemies of this religion create doubts in the minds of the Muslims concerning their ideology and faith, values and virtues, calling them to total detachment from this religion. Allah’s word is true where he says: {وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ} (البقرة120). {Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: "The Guidance of Allah,-that is the (only) Guidance." Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against Allah. } (2:120). O Lord, grant us recourse and strive towards You and grant us the sweetness of supplication and submissiveness in Your presence, answer our prayers and actualize our requests and never return us disappointed and fruitless. O Allah grant honour to Islam and Muslims, and humiliate idolatry and idolaters, protect the possession of religion, humiliate the enemies of the religion. O Allah grant us security in our country- Nigeria, make this country safe, secured, generous, comfortable, and all other Muslim countries. O Allah, grant victory to your religion and your book and your Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and your righteous servants. Oh God, make our leaders merciful to us, and guide them to the truth, O Lord of the universe.