MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 17/41)
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ecreed that your nation might have a singularly blessed month so that He might forgive them their sins. This holy month is the month of Ramadan and it is meant as a gift for you and your nation. For its sake your nation will find forgiveness. I have been sent here this very night to announce to you this great gladness.’ Then I saw two boxes standing before him. On each of them there was a key of light. I asked that angel what was inside of those boxes. He told me, ‘In one of these boxes there are the letters of release from Hellfire for those among your nation who fast the whole month of Ramadan until the new moon, up till the Day of Judgment.’
According to a different narration, the angel is to have said, “Every day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar (the breaking of the fast), the Lord Almighty frees from Hellfire six hundred thousand of His servants who have fasted. When Jum’a (Friday) has come, He frees six hundred thousand prisoners every hour for twenty-four hours from Hellfire until the Night of Power has come. On that blessed night, that is to say, during the twenty-four hours making up that night and day, at the beginning of every hour the Lord frees from Hell as many of His servants as He has freed since the beginning of the holy month, including the Jum’a days. The last day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar (the breaking of the
fast), the Lord sets free as many of His servants as He has freed during the whole month, including the Jum’a days and the Night of Power.”
The Holy Prophet continues:
“The angel told me that the other box contained this precious gift: ‘On the Day of Judgment, seventy thousand persons of your nation will be granted entry into Paradise without questioning or reckoning. Their release certificates are contained in this box. In addition to these seventy thousand, each one of them will be granted the release of another seventy thousand from among his friends and relations and other disobedient Muslims. They, too, will be released without reckoning and granted accession to the heavenly gardens. This box contains the letters of release for all of them. Tuba, glad tidings to you and your nation, oh Rasulullah !’”
By the term “Tuba” he meant to say, “Oh Rasulullah , among all the countless and unbounded pleasures of the People of Paradise, the delights of the Tuba tree are reserved for you and your nation.”
This expression is metaphorical; the part signifies the whole, and speaking about the Tuba tree, signifies the totality of delights in the entire heavenly realm. In the sense mentioned above, Tuba signifies a tree in Paradise. However, the word ‘tuba’ is also (grammatically) the feminine form of the word ‘atyab’, (which means better, more excellent). This can be interpreted as follows:
“I give tidings of gladness to you and your nation; those who pass their days in the world in a good way and spend their time in a commendable fashion, who perform good works all their lives, and when they reach the end of their days will return their trusts in the light of faith, uttering the words of unity; whose questioning in the grave by the angels Munkar and Nakir will be made easy and whose graves will resemble a Garden of Paradise in which they will be at ease; who on the Day of Gathering will be gathered under the Banner of Praise and who will receive many gratifications under the shadow of the Great Throne; who will be given their book of accounts into their right hand and whose reckoning will be light; who will cross the bridge of the Sirat along with those who are the first to cross it, and who will by the Grace of Allah be of those who enter Paradise freely, without questioning or Judgment; who will be granted the sweetest of all bliss in being privileged to gaze upon the Divine Beauty of the Lord and thus will have attained their ultimate desire – these are the tidings I give to you and your nation, oh Muhammad .”
The Holy Prophet’s report continues:
“I then beheld another angel who had the shape and form of a rooster and was created from white pearls. This angel had seventy thousand wings to his left and seventy thousand wings to his right. On each wing there were seventy thousand feathers made of pearls, and seventy thousand feathers made of rubies, and seventy thousand feathers of red gold, and seventy thousand feathers of silver, and seventy thousand feathers of pure musk, and seventy thousand feathers made of camphor, and seventy thousand feathers of ambergris, and seventy thousand feathers made of saffron. He reached in height from the Throne to the lowest of the seven layers of the earth. On each one of his wings were written these words:
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, La ilaha ill’Allah, Muhammadan Rasulullah.
Kullu shay’in halikun illa wajhahu, al-Wahid ul-Qahhar.
(In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger. All must perish save His Divine Countenance, He who is One, the All-Vanquishing.)
“At every prayer time, this angel would raise his head and repeat the glorification:
Bismillahil-‘azhim wa bi-hamdihi
(In the Name of Allah, the Mighty and in Praise of Him.) “His Tasbih was thus:
Subhanaka, ma a’zhama sha’nuka.
(Praise be to Thee, how great is Thy Glory!)
“After this, he would flap his wings together, and as he did this, wondrous sounds issue forth from this flapping. When these tones reach the Paradise Gardens, the boughs of the trees of Paradise would bend and sway against each other, and it would carry on to the ruby and garnet domes of Paradise which resound with melodious echo. These tones rouse the Huris and Ghilman of Paradise, and they say to each other, ‘Good news! The time for prayer has come to the nation of Muhammad !’ Then, this great angel begins to move and his movement makes the Throne tremble. The Lord then asks him, ‘What
makes you tremble?’ and the angel answers Him, ‘Oh my Lord, the nation of Muhammad has risen for prayer, and yet there are among them such a great number of sinners. Therefore I tremble.’ The Lord thereupon says, ‘Oh angel, be unperturbed! I am obliged to dispense of My Mercy upon those who pray. Witness that I train upon them the Gaze of Mercy and that I have forgiven them. I have freed them from Hellfire, for the honor of My Beloved, I have granted them dwelling in the Paradise of Mawa.’ Thus the Lord proclaims His great Kindness and Munificence.”
The Angel Jibra’il’s Appearance
The Mercy to all the Worlds continued his narration:
“Here, too, I beheld the angel Jibra’il in his very own shape and form. He had six hundred wings, which were made of various kinds of jewels and pearls. Whenever he would open up a pair of these wings. They filled all the space between east and west. The wings were embellished by all sorts of precious stones. It would have taken a swift-flying bird five hundred, or according to other sources, seven hundred years to measure the distance from one shoulder to the other.
Adhan
“Then we came to an open space from where we could hear the sounds of the writing of the Divine Pen. I said to Jibra’il, ‘Go ahead’, but Jibra’il answered, ‘You go ahead, for in the eyes of Allah you are more honored than I and all the world.’ I then passed on ahead of him and Jibra’il went behind me. We came unto a veil of gold. Jibra’il shook the veil and a voice was heard from behind it, saying, ‘Who are you?’ Jibra’il answered, ‘I am Jibra’il, and Muhammad is with me.’ From within the veil this angel intoned: ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.’ From behind the curtain came a voice which said, ‘My servant has spoken truly, I am indeed the Greatest, no Greatness is due to any but Me.’
“Then the angel called, ‘Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill’Allah.’ Again there was a call, ‘My servant has spoken truly, Ana la ilaha illa ana, I am He beside whom there is no other God.’ The angel repeated the words of the Shahada, ‘Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.’ Again there was a call, 'My servant has spoken truly, I have sent Muhammad as My
Messenger-Prophet. ’ Then I heard the angel say, ‘Hayy ‘ala-s-sala, Hayy ‘alal-falah.’ Another call was heard, ‘My servant has spoken truly; he calls My servants to come to Me, worshipful. I have invited them to My gate, and whoever answers My invitation, will be saved and meet with success.’ Thereafter I heard the angel say, ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.’ Another call came, ‘My servant has spoken the Truth: Ana Akbar, I am the Greatest.’ The angel then said, ‘La ilaha ill’Allah’. A call came, saying, ‘My servant has spoken truly, there is no God but I.’
“Then I heard another call, ‘Oh Muhammad , Allah has honored you with perfect honor over all those who went before you and who are yet to come.’ I then asked Jibra’il, ‘Who is this angel?’ Jibra’il told me, ‘I swear by the Might and Glory of Allah who has sent you as His Messenger of Truth: I have never seen this angel, I do not know who he is or anything about him, but you are now about to find out.’ I then asked, ‘Are you not going any further then? Does a true friend leave his friend in midstream?’ Jibra’il then said, ‘Oh Rasulullah , every angel has his place and station beyond which he cannot go. If I advance even the breadth of a finger, the Wrath of Allah will burn me. My ultimate station is the Sidratul Muntaha. Up to this very moment, I have never gone as far as this point. For your sake and honor, however, I have been given permission, and I have brought you here. But I can proceed no further than this.’
“Then I asked, ‘Is there anything you request of the Lord Almighty? If there is anything you desire, I will ask it of Him.’ Jibra’il answered, ‘My request of the Lord is that He permit me, when your nation is ordered to march across the Bridge of the Sirat, to spread my wing across that bridge and assist them in crossing it in safety in this way.’
“Then an angel stretched forth his hand from behind the veil, and in less time than the blinking of an eye, he pulled me through to the farther side. Then he said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , proceed ahead of me.’ In a short while, he had brought me before a curtain of pearls. When he stirred the curtain, an angel’s voice was heard from behind it, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The angel accompanying me said, ‘I am the angel of the golden curtain and with me is the most-honored Prophet of the Lord.’ The angel behind the veil then said, ‘Allahu Akbar’ and, stretching out his hand from behind the veil, he pulled me across. In as
Rafraf
little time as it takes for the eye to blink, I had traversed the curtain and found myself standing before him, where he greeted me with every mark of honor and respect.
“In this way I passed through seventy thousand veils, each one of them made of a different kind of jewel. The distance between each of these curtains was one of five hundred years’ wayfaring, and the thickness of each was that of another five hundred years. When I had passed through all of the veils, I remained all alone. Then Rafraf came to me and became visible in the shape of a green settee, which greeted me with greetings of peace. He spoke to me, saying, ‘Seat yourself upon me, for I will be your transport.’”
During the night of his Mi’raj, the Holy Prophet journeyed upon five different conveyances: the first was the Buraq, which took him up to al-Quds (Jerusalem). The second was the Mi’raj (the steps) on which he ascended up into the earthly skies. The third was the angel Jibra’il ’s wing; on it he approached as far the veil. The fourth were the angels who pulled him from one veil to the next. The fifth was the Rafraf; with this he proceeded as far as Allah Almighty wished him to go.
Kursi
The Holy Prophet continues:
“I mounted upon the Rafraf and it took me as far as the Kursi (Divine Courtyard). The Lord Almighty has created the Kursi from pearls, and it is very great, so great it is that it defies all description.”
In the Holy Quran, Allah says about the Kursi:
His Throne (Kursi) comprises the heavens and the earth; the preserving of whom oppresses Him not. (The Cow, 255)
The most excellent of commentators, Ibn ‘Abbas, says about this in his commentary:
“If the seven layers of the earth and the seven layers of the heavens were put together and spread out, next to the Kursi they would be as a tiny ring which has been lost in a desert.” Between the Kursi (Divine Court) and the ‘Arsh (Divine Throne) there are seventy veils. If not for these, the angels of the Kursi would be
burnt from the Light of the Divine Throne (‘Arsh). The Holy Prophet continued his blessed narration:
“I passed beyond those veils. Between each of the veils, I beheld various thrones that were bedecked with fine throws studded with many gems. All around the thrones curtains were drawn, as if these thrones were still waiting for their occupants. An air of expectancy surrounded these bejeweled seats of honor. I asked the guardians of these thrones, ‘Who is to be seated upon them?’ and they answered me, ‘They will be occupied by the spirits.’ I asked, ‘The spirits of which prophets are they meant for?’ and I was told, ‘These are not for those ranking among the prophets; their ranks are far beyond that. These thrones are intended for the spirits of two groups from among your nation.’ I asked again, ‘Whose are these spirits?’ And I was told, ‘One group is made up of those who have learned by heart the words of the Holy Quran revealed to you, who understand its meaning and who act in accordance to its injections. The other group comprises those who rise at night to worship their Lord when all the world lies fast asleep.’” “Indeed, I beheld many wondrous marvels between the layers of these veils. I saw numberless strange seas and within them strange and wondrous creatures. I saw many angels of dreadful guise, but to comprehend them or describe or explain them exceeds all human means.
‘Arsh
“After passing through all the veils, I reached the Divine Throne. Allah has created it of green emeralds and it has four legs of red ruby. The Divine Throne has as many tongues as there are created beings, and each of these glorifies the Lord unceasingly. An angel holds on to each one of the feet of the Divine Throne and holds it aloft until the Day of Judgment. On that day, there will be two angels holding each foot of the Throne, eight angels in all. The size of these angels is such that the distance between the heel and the ankles of each is that of five hundred years’ wayfaring, and from their earlobe to their neck is another five hundred years’ traveling distance.
“The Throne-bearing angels never once raise their heads to gaze upwards, for the dazzling gleam of the light of the Throne. One of these angels has the form of a man, and he is always praying,
interceding on behalf of humankind, that they may be granted their sustenance and provisions and that their sins may be forgiven. The second one of these angels has the shape of an eagle and he is always praying for the provision of the birds and flying creatures. The third of these angels has the form of a lion, and he prays for the beasts of prey to be given their provisions. The fourth one is shaped like an ox and he prays constantly for the ruminant animals to be granted their provisions.
“Compared to the greatness of the Divine Throne, the entire Divine Court, the seven heavens and the seven layers of the earth are as a single lamp suspended beneath the sky. All around it are seventy thousand rows of angels circumambulating it at all times, reciting Takbir (‘Allahu Akbar’) and Tahlil (‘La ilaha illAllah’). Behind them are again seventy thousand rows of angels standing upright and reciting Takbir and Tahlil. Behind them are one hundred thousand rows of angels who hold their right hands clasped over their left hands and each one of them recites a different Tasbih. Seventy thousand veils separate these angels from the Divine Throne.
“Then I beheld a single pearl of emerald green upon which was written this line of writing:
LA ILAHA ILLALLAH, MUHAMMAD-UR-RASULULLAH, ABU BAKR AS-SIDDIQ WA ‘UMAR AL-FARUQ
THERE IS NO GOD BUT THE ONE TRUE GOD (AL-LAH); MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH.
ABU BAKR - THE TRUTHFUL, AND ‘UMAR - THE ONE WHO DISTINGUISHES TRUTH FROM FALSEHOOD.
“The Declaration of Unity (Kalimat-at-Tawhid) is written on the base that supports the Divine Throne, and upon the legs of the Throne itself, and it is written over the gates of the Seven Heavens. Sometimes, this phrase was added: ‘I have strengthened him through Ali.’
“When I reached the Divine Throne, I witnessed great events. One drop fell from the Throne into my mouth and the sweetness of it surpassed everything I have ever tasted. When I had swallowed it, the Lord of the Universe enlightened my heart with the knowledge and wisdom of all that had gone before and was yet to come. The light from the Throne surrounded me and I was engulfed by it. I was aware of nothing but that light. When faced with this light, I perceived
everything through my heart’s eye as clearly as though I were looking through my eyes. I perceived what was behind me as clearly as that, which was before me, at a level with my chest.
“After all this occurred, I came into a state when I heard absolutely nothing, not the voices of the angels, nor the sound of any other thing. This state caused me to experience great terror. Then I suddenly heard a voice that seemed to be the voice of Abu Bakr saying to me, ‘Qif, ya Muhammad, inna rabbuka yusalli. (Stay your step, oh Muhammad , for your Lord is praying blessing.’) When I heard this voice, all the terror departed from me completely, and I began to wonder, ‘What is Abu Bakr doing here? Has he surpassed me, I wonder? And what does this mean, the Lord is praying, the Lord Who is free from all exigence! What could be the meaning of all this?’”
This is a very important subject which needs to be well understood: the reason for the Holy Prophet proceeding to the Divine Throne was not to see the Lord Almighty, for Almighty God is exempt from any particular place. The Holy Prophet was taken to these stations in order to witness the entirety of creation, and to see the manifestation of the Divine Lord’s Supreme Majesty and Power, as He says in these verses of the Holy Quran:
Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 18)
...that We might show him some of Our signs. (The Night Journey, 1)
Apart from this, there is another matter that it is crucial to understand: Let it not be imagined that the greatness of the things described in this account are exaggerated, as the Lord has described in the aforementioned verses.
Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 18)
As the Lord of the Worlds Himself here describes a thing as being ‘great’; how great then must it be! For perhaps the Holy Prophet has given us only a summary report of what he saw in accordance with our minds’ capacity; most of what he saw he did not reveal to us, for it is not possible to give a description of the greatest things that he witnessed, as the mind of man is not equipped to comprehend such things. Therefore, he did not mention those matters; this must be understood.
The Vision of the Divine Beauty
The Holy Prophet continues his account:
“When I reached to the Divine Throne, I wished to remove my sandals, but the Throne spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Beloved of Allah , step upon me with your blessed sandal, so that I might rub the dust from it on my face, and take pride in the fact that the dust from the sandal of the Beloved of Allah has fallen upon me.’
“Again I tried to remove my sandals, but this time a call came to me from the Divine Person, saying, ‘Oh My Beloved, do not remove your sandals so that My Throne might be honored and blessed with the dust from the soles of your sandals.’ I then entreated my Lord, saying, ‘When You called the Prophet Musa to come to the mountain of Tur (Sina’i), You ordered him to remove his sandals.’ Again this word came to me from the Divine Person, saying, ‘In My view, you are more cherished and honored than he; Musa was My Word (Kalimullah), whereas you are My Beloved (Habibullah). Look ahead and see what you will see!’
“I looked and I saw a great sea, so great that there was no end to it, and no shore in sight. On its near side there was a tree, and upon that tree, there was a bird the size of a dove. In its beak this bird bore a piece of clay as big as a lentil. ‘Do you know what this is?’ I was asked. I answered, ‘My Lord knows best.’ And He Almighty told me, ‘You are forever entreating Me to forgive your nation their sins. This sea is the likeness of the Sea of Mercy. That tree signifies the world, the dove- like bird is the likeness of your nation and that bit of clay is the likeness of their sins. Now you have seen the relation of your nation’s sins to the vastness of My Mercy, so let your heart be at rest.’”
When the secret of that, which the mind is incapable of grasping, was revealed to the Holy Prophet in this Holy Verse of the Quran:
He stood poised, being on the higher horizon, then drew near and suspended hung, two bows’-length away, or nearer, then revealed to His servant that He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw; what, will you dispute with him what he sees?
(The Star, 6-12)
He, the Almighty, addressed him in the following words:
“Draw nearer to Me, oh you Best of all Mankind! Draw nigh, oh Ahmad, oh Muhammad, so that The Friend may be in intimate association with His friend!”
In this way, the Holy Prophet was granted the unmediated vision of the Sublime Beauty of He who is beyond all space and time, free from all conditions or qualities, the Unmitigated Principal of all things.
This is the avowed preference of the Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama’ah (People of the Sunnah of Prophet and the Majority).
The Tahiyyat Prayer
To continue with the Holy Prophet’s account:
“When faced with the unparalleled honor of a glimpse of the Lord’s Divine Beauty, it came to me to express myself in the following words:
At-tahiyyatu li-llahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu.
(Salutations be to Allah, all praise and glory to Him; all worship and good works are due to Him Almighty) which is to say, ‘All praise, exaltation and worship in speech, all worship through actions and property is due to the Almighty alone, the only One to whom worship is due.’
After I had pronounced these words, the Lord of Might and Glory answered me, saying:
As-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu;
(And salutations to you, oh Prophet, and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings) which is to say, ‘Peace be upon you, oh Prophet; may you be safe from the trouble and difficulties of this world and the next, oh My glorious Prophet! May the Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you.’
“In this way, He proffered very special greetings upon me. In response, I said:
As-Salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi-s-salihin;
(And peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of the Lord), that is to say, ‘May the peace of this world and the next be upon us, for our answering and acceptance of these greetings, upon all us Prophets of the Lord, and upon His righteous servants, which is the name given to the nation of Muhammad.’
“Jibra’il was informed of this secret, and from his post he concluded:
Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill’Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Prophet.)
After this, Allah Almighty, the Possessor of Majesty and Glory, asked me, ‘Do you know, oh Muhammad, which actions the inhabitants of the heavens approve of and what they desire to be done?’ I replied, ‘Oh my Lord, I know nothing, and You know everything; moreover all that is hidden and secret.’ Again the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Muhammad, do you know what actions the heavenly hosts love and approve of?’ Again I replied, ‘Oh my Lord, I know it not, for You know all things, and you know all that is hidden.’ After this, He in His Grace and Infinite Kindness and Benevolence taught me all the knowledge I was in need of.
“Then again He asked me the same question, ‘Do you know what actions the heavenly hosts rejoice in and are happy to see performed?’ This time I answered, ‘They are happy with works that are performed in compensation for sins committed and with works that lead to raised stations in Paradise - those are the works the heavenly folk rejoice in.’ The Lord of Hosts continued to ask me, ‘And what are these works that are compensation for sins committed?’ I answered, ‘On a cold day, to perform one’s ablutions with cold water and in such a way that one’s limbs are wetted entirely; to walk the distance required to join the prayer in congregation; after having prayed one prayer, to wait for the next (that is to say, to make ready as the time approaches, and to wait in readiness); these are actions that are compensation for sins. Whoever performs such works, he will live his life in goodness and righteousness and only good will be his lot. He will be as pure as on the day his mother brought him into the world.’”
The meaning of these last two statements can be understood as referring to good works in general, but it can also be understood as supplication and incentive, in which case it would be read as follows:
“Whoever persists in these three actions, I pray and plead that his may be a goodly life. May he always be surrounded by goodness and remain as pure as on the day he was born.”
To pursue the Holy Prophet’s account:
“Then my Lord resumed His questioning and said, ‘Which are those actions that lead to high stations in Paradise?’ And I answered, ‘To share food with people and to show hospitality, to give Salams to a Muslim whom one encounters on the road, to rise for prayer at night when everyone is asleep - these three actions lead to high stations in Paradise.’
“After this the Lord Almighty said to me, ‘Speak, oh Muhammad!’ ‘What shall I say, oh my Lord?’ I answered. He said, ‘Recite this Du’a:’
Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘amalan bil-hasanati wa tarkan lil- munkirati, wa idha aradta bi-qawmin fitnatan wa ana fi-him, fa-qbidni ilayka ghayra maftun.
(Oh my Lord, I ask of You to be granted good works and to be released from bad actions, and should You have decreed disaster for a people and I should be among them, then take me from their midst before calamity takes its toll.)”
The Leader of the World, the Foremost and Elect of all the Sons of Adam, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad thus reached the Station of Nearness and was granted the vision of Divine Beauty. From the Station of the Knowledge of Certainty (‘ilm al-yaqin), he passed to the Station of the Witnessing of Certainty (‘ayn al-yaqin) through holding direct converse with the Lord of Majesty and Might. His blind faith in the unseen was turned into faith supported by direct witnessing. The Exalted Lord Almighty informs of this in the revelation of this verse of the Holy Quran:
The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord.
(The Cow, 285)
Here the word ‘messenger’ (rasul) indicates Rasulullah, Muhammad our Prophet
.
The Holy Prophet recounts:
“Concerning the above mentioned verse, I said, ‘Yes my Lord, I believe in all that has been revealed aforetime.’ The Lord then asked, ‘And who else believed in it?’ I said, ‘And the believers; each one
believes in God.’ (The Cow, 285) The Lord then asked again, ‘And what else do they believe in?’ I replied, ‘’And His angels, and His Books and His Messengers. We make no division between any of His Messengers (The Cow, 285); we accept and confirm them all.’ The Lord then asked, ‘What did the believers say when the revelation came to them with the laws and injunctions from their Lord?’ I answered, ‘They said, ‘We hear, and obey (The Cow, 285) oh my Lord!’ The Lord then said, ‘You have spoken truly, oh Muhammad, for they have received My Word and pledged obedience to My Commands. Now ask of Me what you wish, it will be granted.’
“To this I said, ‘Oh Lord, grant us Thy Forgiveness; unto Thee is the homecoming. (The Cow, 285) Admit us to Your Divine Presence having granted us Your Mercy and Forgiveness.’ Thereupon the Almighty replied, ‘I have forgiven you and your nation.’ And after this, the Lord of Majesty and Might spoke:
God charges no soul save to its capacity, standing to its account is what it has earned, and against it what it has merited. (The Cow, 286)
“And after this, He said, ‘Oh Muhammad, this night is the night of gifts, ask therefore for whatever you wish, it will be granted.’ I then said,
Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget or make mistake. (The Cow, 286)
“The Lord then said, ‘I have forgiven you and your nation for whatever sins they have committed from heedlessness and forgetfulness. And I have forgiven them the sins that they were forced to commit. So ask again, it will be granted.’ I said,
‘Our Lord, charge us not with a load such as Thou didst lay upon those before us.’” (The Cow, 286)
The Holy Prophet wished to express this: “Do not charge us with as heavy a load as that which You laid upon previous nations.” This alludes to previous injunctions, which required the giving aw
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ecreed that your nation might have a singularly blessed month so that He might forgive them their sins. This holy month is the month of Ramadan and it is meant as a gift for you and your nation. For its sake your nation will find forgiveness. I have been sent here this very night to announce to you this great gladness.’ Then I saw two boxes standing before him. On each of them there was a key of light. I asked that angel what was inside of those boxes. He told me, ‘In one of these boxes there are the letters of release from Hellfire for those among your nation who fast the whole month of Ramadan until the new moon, up till the Day of Judgment.’
According to a different narration, the angel is to have said, “Every day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar (the breaking of the fast), the Lord Almighty frees from Hellfire six hundred thousand of His servants who have fasted. When Jum’a (Friday) has come, He frees six hundred thousand prisoners every hour for twenty-four hours from Hellfire until the Night of Power has come. On that blessed night, that is to say, during the twenty-four hours making up that night and day, at the beginning of every hour the Lord frees from Hell as many of His servants as He has freed since the beginning of the holy month, including the Jum’a days. The last day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar (the breaking of the
fast), the Lord sets free as many of His servants as He has freed during the whole month, including the Jum’a days and the Night of Power.”
The Holy Prophet continues:
“The angel told me that the other box contained this precious gift: ‘On the Day of Judgment, seventy thousand persons of your nation will be granted entry into Paradise without questioning or reckoning. Their release certificates are contained in this box. In addition to these seventy thousand, each one of them will be granted the release of another seventy thousand from among his friends and relations and other disobedient Muslims. They, too, will be released without reckoning and granted accession to the heavenly gardens. This box contains the letters of release for all of them. Tuba, glad tidings to you and your nation, oh Rasulullah !’”
By the term “Tuba” he meant to say, “Oh Rasulullah , among all the countless and unbounded pleasures of the People of Paradise, the delights of the Tuba tree are reserved for you and your nation.”
This expression is metaphorical; the part signifies the whole, and speaking about the Tuba tree, signifies the totality of delights in the entire heavenly realm. In the sense mentioned above, Tuba signifies a tree in Paradise. However, the word ‘tuba’ is also (grammatically) the feminine form of the word ‘atyab’, (which means better, more excellent). This can be interpreted as follows:
“I give tidings of gladness to you and your nation; those who pass their days in the world in a good way and spend their time in a commendable fashion, who perform good works all their lives, and when they reach the end of their days will return their trusts in the light of faith, uttering the words of unity; whose questioning in the grave by the angels Munkar and Nakir will be made easy and whose graves will resemble a Garden of Paradise in which they will be at ease; who on the Day of Gathering will be gathered under the Banner of Praise and who will receive many gratifications under the shadow of the Great Throne; who will be given their book of accounts into their right hand and whose reckoning will be light; who will cross the bridge of the Sirat along with those who are the first to cross it, and who will by the Grace of Allah be of those who enter Paradise freely, without questioning or Judgment; who will be granted the sweetest of all bliss in being privileged to gaze upon the Divine Beauty of the Lord and thus will have attained their ultimate desire – these are the tidings I give to you and your nation, oh Muhammad .”
The Holy Prophet’s report continues:
“I then beheld another angel who had the shape and form of a rooster and was created from white pearls. This angel had seventy thousand wings to his left and seventy thousand wings to his right. On each wing there were seventy thousand feathers made of pearls, and seventy thousand feathers made of rubies, and seventy thousand feathers of red gold, and seventy thousand feathers of silver, and seventy thousand feathers of pure musk, and seventy thousand feathers made of camphor, and seventy thousand feathers of ambergris, and seventy thousand feathers made of saffron. He reached in height from the Throne to the lowest of the seven layers of the earth. On each one of his wings were written these words:
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, La ilaha ill’Allah, Muhammadan Rasulullah.
Kullu shay’in halikun illa wajhahu, al-Wahid ul-Qahhar.
(In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger. All must perish save His Divine Countenance, He who is One, the All-Vanquishing.)
“At every prayer time, this angel would raise his head and repeat the glorification:
Bismillahil-‘azhim wa bi-hamdihi
(In the Name of Allah, the Mighty and in Praise of Him.) “His Tasbih was thus:
Subhanaka, ma a’zhama sha’nuka.
(Praise be to Thee, how great is Thy Glory!)
“After this, he would flap his wings together, and as he did this, wondrous sounds issue forth from this flapping. When these tones reach the Paradise Gardens, the boughs of the trees of Paradise would bend and sway against each other, and it would carry on to the ruby and garnet domes of Paradise which resound with melodious echo. These tones rouse the Huris and Ghilman of Paradise, and they say to each other, ‘Good news! The time for prayer has come to the nation of Muhammad !’ Then, this great angel begins to move and his movement makes the Throne tremble. The Lord then asks him, ‘What
makes you tremble?’ and the angel answers Him, ‘Oh my Lord, the nation of Muhammad has risen for prayer, and yet there are among them such a great number of sinners. Therefore I tremble.’ The Lord thereupon says, ‘Oh angel, be unperturbed! I am obliged to dispense of My Mercy upon those who pray. Witness that I train upon them the Gaze of Mercy and that I have forgiven them. I have freed them from Hellfire, for the honor of My Beloved, I have granted them dwelling in the Paradise of Mawa.’ Thus the Lord proclaims His great Kindness and Munificence.”
The Angel Jibra’il’s Appearance
The Mercy to all the Worlds continued his narration:
“Here, too, I beheld the angel Jibra’il in his very own shape and form. He had six hundred wings, which were made of various kinds of jewels and pearls. Whenever he would open up a pair of these wings. They filled all the space between east and west. The wings were embellished by all sorts of precious stones. It would have taken a swift-flying bird five hundred, or according to other sources, seven hundred years to measure the distance from one shoulder to the other.
Adhan
“Then we came to an open space from where we could hear the sounds of the writing of the Divine Pen. I said to Jibra’il, ‘Go ahead’, but Jibra’il answered, ‘You go ahead, for in the eyes of Allah you are more honored than I and all the world.’ I then passed on ahead of him and Jibra’il went behind me. We came unto a veil of gold. Jibra’il shook the veil and a voice was heard from behind it, saying, ‘Who are you?’ Jibra’il answered, ‘I am Jibra’il, and Muhammad is with me.’ From within the veil this angel intoned: ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.’ From behind the curtain came a voice which said, ‘My servant has spoken truly, I am indeed the Greatest, no Greatness is due to any but Me.’
“Then the angel called, ‘Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill’Allah.’ Again there was a call, ‘My servant has spoken truly, Ana la ilaha illa ana, I am He beside whom there is no other God.’ The angel repeated the words of the Shahada, ‘Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.’ Again there was a call, 'My servant has spoken truly, I have sent Muhammad as My
Messenger-Prophet. ’ Then I heard the angel say, ‘Hayy ‘ala-s-sala, Hayy ‘alal-falah.’ Another call was heard, ‘My servant has spoken truly; he calls My servants to come to Me, worshipful. I have invited them to My gate, and whoever answers My invitation, will be saved and meet with success.’ Thereafter I heard the angel say, ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.’ Another call came, ‘My servant has spoken the Truth: Ana Akbar, I am the Greatest.’ The angel then said, ‘La ilaha ill’Allah’. A call came, saying, ‘My servant has spoken truly, there is no God but I.’
“Then I heard another call, ‘Oh Muhammad , Allah has honored you with perfect honor over all those who went before you and who are yet to come.’ I then asked Jibra’il, ‘Who is this angel?’ Jibra’il told me, ‘I swear by the Might and Glory of Allah who has sent you as His Messenger of Truth: I have never seen this angel, I do not know who he is or anything about him, but you are now about to find out.’ I then asked, ‘Are you not going any further then? Does a true friend leave his friend in midstream?’ Jibra’il then said, ‘Oh Rasulullah , every angel has his place and station beyond which he cannot go. If I advance even the breadth of a finger, the Wrath of Allah will burn me. My ultimate station is the Sidratul Muntaha. Up to this very moment, I have never gone as far as this point. For your sake and honor, however, I have been given permission, and I have brought you here. But I can proceed no further than this.’
“Then I asked, ‘Is there anything you request of the Lord Almighty? If there is anything you desire, I will ask it of Him.’ Jibra’il answered, ‘My request of the Lord is that He permit me, when your nation is ordered to march across the Bridge of the Sirat, to spread my wing across that bridge and assist them in crossing it in safety in this way.’
“Then an angel stretched forth his hand from behind the veil, and in less time than the blinking of an eye, he pulled me through to the farther side. Then he said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , proceed ahead of me.’ In a short while, he had brought me before a curtain of pearls. When he stirred the curtain, an angel’s voice was heard from behind it, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The angel accompanying me said, ‘I am the angel of the golden curtain and with me is the most-honored Prophet of the Lord.’ The angel behind the veil then said, ‘Allahu Akbar’ and, stretching out his hand from behind the veil, he pulled me across. In as
Rafraf
little time as it takes for the eye to blink, I had traversed the curtain and found myself standing before him, where he greeted me with every mark of honor and respect.
“In this way I passed through seventy thousand veils, each one of them made of a different kind of jewel. The distance between each of these curtains was one of five hundred years’ wayfaring, and the thickness of each was that of another five hundred years. When I had passed through all of the veils, I remained all alone. Then Rafraf came to me and became visible in the shape of a green settee, which greeted me with greetings of peace. He spoke to me, saying, ‘Seat yourself upon me, for I will be your transport.’”
During the night of his Mi’raj, the Holy Prophet journeyed upon five different conveyances: the first was the Buraq, which took him up to al-Quds (Jerusalem). The second was the Mi’raj (the steps) on which he ascended up into the earthly skies. The third was the angel Jibra’il ’s wing; on it he approached as far the veil. The fourth were the angels who pulled him from one veil to the next. The fifth was the Rafraf; with this he proceeded as far as Allah Almighty wished him to go.
Kursi
The Holy Prophet continues:
“I mounted upon the Rafraf and it took me as far as the Kursi (Divine Courtyard). The Lord Almighty has created the Kursi from pearls, and it is very great, so great it is that it defies all description.”
In the Holy Quran, Allah says about the Kursi:
His Throne (Kursi) comprises the heavens and the earth; the preserving of whom oppresses Him not. (The Cow, 255)
The most excellent of commentators, Ibn ‘Abbas, says about this in his commentary:
“If the seven layers of the earth and the seven layers of the heavens were put together and spread out, next to the Kursi they would be as a tiny ring which has been lost in a desert.” Between the Kursi (Divine Court) and the ‘Arsh (Divine Throne) there are seventy veils. If not for these, the angels of the Kursi would be
burnt from the Light of the Divine Throne (‘Arsh). The Holy Prophet continued his blessed narration:
“I passed beyond those veils. Between each of the veils, I beheld various thrones that were bedecked with fine throws studded with many gems. All around the thrones curtains were drawn, as if these thrones were still waiting for their occupants. An air of expectancy surrounded these bejeweled seats of honor. I asked the guardians of these thrones, ‘Who is to be seated upon them?’ and they answered me, ‘They will be occupied by the spirits.’ I asked, ‘The spirits of which prophets are they meant for?’ and I was told, ‘These are not for those ranking among the prophets; their ranks are far beyond that. These thrones are intended for the spirits of two groups from among your nation.’ I asked again, ‘Whose are these spirits?’ And I was told, ‘One group is made up of those who have learned by heart the words of the Holy Quran revealed to you, who understand its meaning and who act in accordance to its injections. The other group comprises those who rise at night to worship their Lord when all the world lies fast asleep.’” “Indeed, I beheld many wondrous marvels between the layers of these veils. I saw numberless strange seas and within them strange and wondrous creatures. I saw many angels of dreadful guise, but to comprehend them or describe or explain them exceeds all human means.
‘Arsh
“After passing through all the veils, I reached the Divine Throne. Allah has created it of green emeralds and it has four legs of red ruby. The Divine Throne has as many tongues as there are created beings, and each of these glorifies the Lord unceasingly. An angel holds on to each one of the feet of the Divine Throne and holds it aloft until the Day of Judgment. On that day, there will be two angels holding each foot of the Throne, eight angels in all. The size of these angels is such that the distance between the heel and the ankles of each is that of five hundred years’ wayfaring, and from their earlobe to their neck is another five hundred years’ traveling distance.
“The Throne-bearing angels never once raise their heads to gaze upwards, for the dazzling gleam of the light of the Throne. One of these angels has the form of a man, and he is always praying,
interceding on behalf of humankind, that they may be granted their sustenance and provisions and that their sins may be forgiven. The second one of these angels has the shape of an eagle and he is always praying for the provision of the birds and flying creatures. The third of these angels has the form of a lion, and he prays for the beasts of prey to be given their provisions. The fourth one is shaped like an ox and he prays constantly for the ruminant animals to be granted their provisions.
“Compared to the greatness of the Divine Throne, the entire Divine Court, the seven heavens and the seven layers of the earth are as a single lamp suspended beneath the sky. All around it are seventy thousand rows of angels circumambulating it at all times, reciting Takbir (‘Allahu Akbar’) and Tahlil (‘La ilaha illAllah’). Behind them are again seventy thousand rows of angels standing upright and reciting Takbir and Tahlil. Behind them are one hundred thousand rows of angels who hold their right hands clasped over their left hands and each one of them recites a different Tasbih. Seventy thousand veils separate these angels from the Divine Throne.
“Then I beheld a single pearl of emerald green upon which was written this line of writing:
LA ILAHA ILLALLAH, MUHAMMAD-UR-RASULULLAH, ABU BAKR AS-SIDDIQ WA ‘UMAR AL-FARUQ
THERE IS NO GOD BUT THE ONE TRUE GOD (AL-LAH); MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH.
ABU BAKR - THE TRUTHFUL, AND ‘UMAR - THE ONE WHO DISTINGUISHES TRUTH FROM FALSEHOOD.
“The Declaration of Unity (Kalimat-at-Tawhid) is written on the base that supports the Divine Throne, and upon the legs of the Throne itself, and it is written over the gates of the Seven Heavens. Sometimes, this phrase was added: ‘I have strengthened him through Ali.’
“When I reached the Divine Throne, I witnessed great events. One drop fell from the Throne into my mouth and the sweetness of it surpassed everything I have ever tasted. When I had swallowed it, the Lord of the Universe enlightened my heart with the knowledge and wisdom of all that had gone before and was yet to come. The light from the Throne surrounded me and I was engulfed by it. I was aware of nothing but that light. When faced with this light, I perceived
everything through my heart’s eye as clearly as though I were looking through my eyes. I perceived what was behind me as clearly as that, which was before me, at a level with my chest.
“After all this occurred, I came into a state when I heard absolutely nothing, not the voices of the angels, nor the sound of any other thing. This state caused me to experience great terror. Then I suddenly heard a voice that seemed to be the voice of Abu Bakr saying to me, ‘Qif, ya Muhammad, inna rabbuka yusalli. (Stay your step, oh Muhammad , for your Lord is praying blessing.’) When I heard this voice, all the terror departed from me completely, and I began to wonder, ‘What is Abu Bakr doing here? Has he surpassed me, I wonder? And what does this mean, the Lord is praying, the Lord Who is free from all exigence! What could be the meaning of all this?’”
This is a very important subject which needs to be well understood: the reason for the Holy Prophet proceeding to the Divine Throne was not to see the Lord Almighty, for Almighty God is exempt from any particular place. The Holy Prophet was taken to these stations in order to witness the entirety of creation, and to see the manifestation of the Divine Lord’s Supreme Majesty and Power, as He says in these verses of the Holy Quran:
Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 18)
...that We might show him some of Our signs. (The Night Journey, 1)
Apart from this, there is another matter that it is crucial to understand: Let it not be imagined that the greatness of the things described in this account are exaggerated, as the Lord has described in the aforementioned verses.
Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 18)
As the Lord of the Worlds Himself here describes a thing as being ‘great’; how great then must it be! For perhaps the Holy Prophet has given us only a summary report of what he saw in accordance with our minds’ capacity; most of what he saw he did not reveal to us, for it is not possible to give a description of the greatest things that he witnessed, as the mind of man is not equipped to comprehend such things. Therefore, he did not mention those matters; this must be understood.
The Vision of the Divine Beauty
The Holy Prophet continues his account:
“When I reached to the Divine Throne, I wished to remove my sandals, but the Throne spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Beloved of Allah , step upon me with your blessed sandal, so that I might rub the dust from it on my face, and take pride in the fact that the dust from the sandal of the Beloved of Allah has fallen upon me.’
“Again I tried to remove my sandals, but this time a call came to me from the Divine Person, saying, ‘Oh My Beloved, do not remove your sandals so that My Throne might be honored and blessed with the dust from the soles of your sandals.’ I then entreated my Lord, saying, ‘When You called the Prophet Musa to come to the mountain of Tur (Sina’i), You ordered him to remove his sandals.’ Again this word came to me from the Divine Person, saying, ‘In My view, you are more cherished and honored than he; Musa was My Word (Kalimullah), whereas you are My Beloved (Habibullah). Look ahead and see what you will see!’
“I looked and I saw a great sea, so great that there was no end to it, and no shore in sight. On its near side there was a tree, and upon that tree, there was a bird the size of a dove. In its beak this bird bore a piece of clay as big as a lentil. ‘Do you know what this is?’ I was asked. I answered, ‘My Lord knows best.’ And He Almighty told me, ‘You are forever entreating Me to forgive your nation their sins. This sea is the likeness of the Sea of Mercy. That tree signifies the world, the dove- like bird is the likeness of your nation and that bit of clay is the likeness of their sins. Now you have seen the relation of your nation’s sins to the vastness of My Mercy, so let your heart be at rest.’”
When the secret of that, which the mind is incapable of grasping, was revealed to the Holy Prophet in this Holy Verse of the Quran:
He stood poised, being on the higher horizon, then drew near and suspended hung, two bows’-length away, or nearer, then revealed to His servant that He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw; what, will you dispute with him what he sees?
(The Star, 6-12)
He, the Almighty, addressed him in the following words:
“Draw nearer to Me, oh you Best of all Mankind! Draw nigh, oh Ahmad, oh Muhammad, so that The Friend may be in intimate association with His friend!”
In this way, the Holy Prophet was granted the unmediated vision of the Sublime Beauty of He who is beyond all space and time, free from all conditions or qualities, the Unmitigated Principal of all things.
This is the avowed preference of the Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama’ah (People of the Sunnah of Prophet and the Majority).
The Tahiyyat Prayer
To continue with the Holy Prophet’s account:
“When faced with the unparalleled honor of a glimpse of the Lord’s Divine Beauty, it came to me to express myself in the following words:
At-tahiyyatu li-llahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu.
(Salutations be to Allah, all praise and glory to Him; all worship and good works are due to Him Almighty) which is to say, ‘All praise, exaltation and worship in speech, all worship through actions and property is due to the Almighty alone, the only One to whom worship is due.’
After I had pronounced these words, the Lord of Might and Glory answered me, saying:
As-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu;
(And salutations to you, oh Prophet, and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings) which is to say, ‘Peace be upon you, oh Prophet; may you be safe from the trouble and difficulties of this world and the next, oh My glorious Prophet! May the Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you.’
“In this way, He proffered very special greetings upon me. In response, I said:
As-Salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi-s-salihin;
(And peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of the Lord), that is to say, ‘May the peace of this world and the next be upon us, for our answering and acceptance of these greetings, upon all us Prophets of the Lord, and upon His righteous servants, which is the name given to the nation of Muhammad.’
“Jibra’il was informed of this secret, and from his post he concluded:
Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill’Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Prophet.)
After this, Allah Almighty, the Possessor of Majesty and Glory, asked me, ‘Do you know, oh Muhammad, which actions the inhabitants of the heavens approve of and what they desire to be done?’ I replied, ‘Oh my Lord, I know nothing, and You know everything; moreover all that is hidden and secret.’ Again the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Muhammad, do you know what actions the heavenly hosts love and approve of?’ Again I replied, ‘Oh my Lord, I know it not, for You know all things, and you know all that is hidden.’ After this, He in His Grace and Infinite Kindness and Benevolence taught me all the knowledge I was in need of.
“Then again He asked me the same question, ‘Do you know what actions the heavenly hosts rejoice in and are happy to see performed?’ This time I answered, ‘They are happy with works that are performed in compensation for sins committed and with works that lead to raised stations in Paradise - those are the works the heavenly folk rejoice in.’ The Lord of Hosts continued to ask me, ‘And what are these works that are compensation for sins committed?’ I answered, ‘On a cold day, to perform one’s ablutions with cold water and in such a way that one’s limbs are wetted entirely; to walk the distance required to join the prayer in congregation; after having prayed one prayer, to wait for the next (that is to say, to make ready as the time approaches, and to wait in readiness); these are actions that are compensation for sins. Whoever performs such works, he will live his life in goodness and righteousness and only good will be his lot. He will be as pure as on the day his mother brought him into the world.’”
The meaning of these last two statements can be understood as referring to good works in general, but it can also be understood as supplication and incentive, in which case it would be read as follows:
“Whoever persists in these three actions, I pray and plead that his may be a goodly life. May he always be surrounded by goodness and remain as pure as on the day he was born.”
To pursue the Holy Prophet’s account:
“Then my Lord resumed His questioning and said, ‘Which are those actions that lead to high stations in Paradise?’ And I answered, ‘To share food with people and to show hospitality, to give Salams to a Muslim whom one encounters on the road, to rise for prayer at night when everyone is asleep - these three actions lead to high stations in Paradise.’
“After this the Lord Almighty said to me, ‘Speak, oh Muhammad!’ ‘What shall I say, oh my Lord?’ I answered. He said, ‘Recite this Du’a:’
Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘amalan bil-hasanati wa tarkan lil- munkirati, wa idha aradta bi-qawmin fitnatan wa ana fi-him, fa-qbidni ilayka ghayra maftun.
(Oh my Lord, I ask of You to be granted good works and to be released from bad actions, and should You have decreed disaster for a people and I should be among them, then take me from their midst before calamity takes its toll.)”
The Leader of the World, the Foremost and Elect of all the Sons of Adam, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad thus reached the Station of Nearness and was granted the vision of Divine Beauty. From the Station of the Knowledge of Certainty (‘ilm al-yaqin), he passed to the Station of the Witnessing of Certainty (‘ayn al-yaqin) through holding direct converse with the Lord of Majesty and Might. His blind faith in the unseen was turned into faith supported by direct witnessing. The Exalted Lord Almighty informs of this in the revelation of this verse of the Holy Quran:
The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord.
(The Cow, 285)
Here the word ‘messenger’ (rasul) indicates Rasulullah, Muhammad our Prophet
.
The Holy Prophet recounts:
“Concerning the above mentioned verse, I said, ‘Yes my Lord, I believe in all that has been revealed aforetime.’ The Lord then asked, ‘And who else believed in it?’ I said, ‘And the believers; each one
believes in God.’ (The Cow, 285) The Lord then asked again, ‘And what else do they believe in?’ I replied, ‘’And His angels, and His Books and His Messengers. We make no division between any of His Messengers (The Cow, 285); we accept and confirm them all.’ The Lord then asked, ‘What did the believers say when the revelation came to them with the laws and injunctions from their Lord?’ I answered, ‘They said, ‘We hear, and obey (The Cow, 285) oh my Lord!’ The Lord then said, ‘You have spoken truly, oh Muhammad, for they have received My Word and pledged obedience to My Commands. Now ask of Me what you wish, it will be granted.’
“To this I said, ‘Oh Lord, grant us Thy Forgiveness; unto Thee is the homecoming. (The Cow, 285) Admit us to Your Divine Presence having granted us Your Mercy and Forgiveness.’ Thereupon the Almighty replied, ‘I have forgiven you and your nation.’ And after this, the Lord of Majesty and Might spoke:
God charges no soul save to its capacity, standing to its account is what it has earned, and against it what it has merited. (The Cow, 286)
“And after this, He said, ‘Oh Muhammad, this night is the night of gifts, ask therefore for whatever you wish, it will be granted.’ I then said,
Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget or make mistake. (The Cow, 286)
“The Lord then said, ‘I have forgiven you and your nation for whatever sins they have committed from heedlessness and forgetfulness. And I have forgiven them the sins that they were forced to commit. So ask again, it will be granted.’ I said,
‘Our Lord, charge us not with a load such as Thou didst lay upon those before us.’” (The Cow, 286)
The Holy Prophet wished to express this: “Do not charge us with as heavy a load as that which You laid upon previous nations.” This alludes to previous injunctions, which required the giving aw
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