The Miraculous Ascendance: Deep Spiritual Insights from the Night Journey (Part 3)
A journey through the celestial realms, exploring the boundless mercy of the Creator, heavenly encounters, and the eternal beauty of Paradise.
My dear brothers and sisters, truth-seekers, and beloved readers, welcome back as we continue our breathtaking spiritual journey alongside our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In this third installation of our exploration into the miraculous event of Al-Isra wal-Miraj (The Night Journey and Heavenly Ascension), we transcend the boundaries of our physical reality.
Imagine stepping beyond the lower realms into the upper celestial spheres, where time fades away and the absolute majesty of Allah’s creation is unveiled. Let us open our hearts to these authentic narrations from the Sunnah, establishing a firm anchor in our faith while uncovering lessons of deep compassion, noble competition, and the marvelous promises awaiting the righteous.
1. The Third Heaven: Glimpsing the Splendor of Yusuf (Peace Be Upon Him)
Ascending further into the vastness of the heavens, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) reached the third horizon. Here, a breathtaking encounter awaited him with one of the most beloved figures in prophetic history: Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), the epitome of grace and patience.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Then he ascended with me to the third heaven… and when I entered, behold, there was Yusuf. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being as a righteous brother and a righteous prophet.”
— Authentic Narration (See reference on Sahih Muslim 162a)
In describing this majestic scene, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) highlighted an astonishing physical and spiritual attribute of Yusuf, stating: “Behold, he has been given half of all beauty.” This was not merely an earthly attractiveness; it was a heavenly splendor tailored specifically for a noble messenger of Allah. It reminds us of the endless creative power of our Lord, who fashions beauty as a sign of His divine perfection.
2. The Fourth Heaven: The Lofty Station of Idris (Peace Be Upon Him)
Continuing the upward movement through the open gates of the heavens, the next stop was the fourth heaven, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) met Prophet Idris (Enoch).
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) related:
“Then he ascended with me to the fourth heaven… and when I entered, behold, there was Idris. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being as a righteous brother and a righteous prophet.”
— Authentic Narration (See reference on Sahih al-Bukhari 3207)
This marvelous meeting serves as a direct, literal confirmation of the beautiful words revealed by Allah Almighty in the Holy Qur’an regarding Idris:
{وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا}
“And We raised him to a lofty station.”
3. The Fifth and Sixth Heavens: Lessons of Deep Compassion from Harun and Musa
The journey moved steadily forward to the fifth and sixth dimensions of the spiritual cosmos. In the fifth heaven, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met Harun (Aaron), the eloquent and beloved guide. Upon arriving at the sixth heaven, he encountered Musa (Moses), the one who spoke directly with Allah.
As the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) bypassed Musa and moved onward, an extraordinary and deeply touching interaction took place—Musa (peace be upon him) began to weep!
It was said to him: “What makes you weep?” Musa replied: “I weep because a young man has been sent after me, whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than the followers of my own nation.”
— Authentic Narration (See reference on Sahih al-Bukhari 3887)
💡 What Do We Learn from the Tears of Prophet Musa?
- The Boundless Compassion of Prophets: Musa’s tears were not out of envy or malice; rather, they were tears of intense care, yearning, and honorable competition in goodness. It showcases how deeply the prophets love humanity, mourning for those who miss out on eternal salvation.
- Divine Insights Soften the Heart: Gaining access to the unseen realms and understanding the absolute reality of Paradise and Hellfire does not harden a believer’s heart. On the contrary, it increases tenderness, sensitivity, and overwhelming care for the ultimate fate of all human beings.
4. The Seventh Heaven: Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Inhabited House
Then came the monumental ascent to the seventh heaven. It was here that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) met his noble grandfather, the Father of the Prophets, Ibrahim Al-Khalil (the Close Friend of Allah).
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) noted:
“Then I was taken up to the seventh heaven… and behold, there was Ibrahim, reclining his back against Al-Bayt al-Ma’mur (The Inhabited House).”
— Authentic Narration (See reference on Sahih al-Bukhari 3207)
This was an extraordinary meeting of origin and lineage. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) described the stunning physical and moral resemblance between them, stating: “I saw Ibrahim, and I am the one who resembles him the most among his descendants.” It was as though divine wisdom intended to let our Prophet see his own radiant reflection through the mirror of his magnificent forefather.
Ibrahim was resting against Al-Bayt al-Ma’mur—the Kaaba of the celestial universe. This sacred house is positioned directly above our earthly Kaaba, so pure and massive that seventy thousand angels enter it every single day to worship, never returning to it again due to the endless, infinite ranks of Allah’s creation.
📢 A Priceless Gift: The Eternal Request from Ibrahim to You
Imam At-Tirmidhi recorded that the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) sent a direct, moving letter of peace and guidance directly to us—the Muslim Ummah. He told our Prophet:
“O Muhammad, convey my greetings of peace (Salam) to your nation, and inform them that Paradise has pure, rich soil and delicious, sweet water. Inform them that it is a vast plain, and its precious saplings and plants are: Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah), and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).”
— Reported in Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 3462)
Subhanallah! Let us pause and respond to this magnificent fatherly gesture. And upon you be peace, O Close Friend of the Most Merciful, O Father of the Prophets! You have faithfully conveyed the advice, and we believe wholeheartedly in the message. May Allah reward you on behalf of the Ummah of your grandson Muhammad with the finest rewards ever granted to a prophet. Let our tongues stay moist by repeating these words, actively planting our eternal gardens in the fields of Paradise tonight.
5. The Ultimate Horizon: Sidrat al-Muntaha and the Radiant Light
After traversing the seventh heaven, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) surpassed the boundaries of all previous prophets, moving into realms where no human foot nor angelic wing had ever dared to go. He reached a state of profound, absolute stillness, broken only by the sharp, beautiful sound of “the scratching of pens” writing down the destinies of creation within the Preserved Tablet.
It was here that he beheld Sidrat al-Muntaha—the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. This marks the ultimate boundary where everything ascending from the Earth stops, and everything descending from the Divine Majesty originates.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) related:
“Then he took me to Sidrat al-Muntaha… When the command of Allah covered it, it changed into something so incredibly magnificent that no one among the creation of Allah could ever adequately describe its sheer, unparalleled beauty.”
— Authentic Narration (See reference on Sahih al-Bukhari 3887)
Right next to this blessed tree lies the ultimate sanctuary: The Garden of Abode, exactly as explicitly detailed in the Noble Qur’an:
{عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ}
“Near it is the Garden of Refuge.”
At this unparalleled junction, the doors of eternal paradise were wide open, revealing to our Prophet the foundations, the aromas, and the literal building blocks of our final home. It was also at this exact summit that Allah Almighty bestowed upon us the ultimate daily gift: the prescription of the five daily prayers.
6. The Pure Building Blocks of Paradise: Pearls, Musk, and Saffron
To motivate every seeker of truth, let us close our eyes and breathe in the authentic descriptions of the eternal home that our Prophet witnessed first-hand during this ascension:
| Feature of Paradise | Authentic Prophetic Description |
|---|---|
| Main Structure | Alternating bricks of solid gold and pure silver. |
| Mortar (Cement) | Pure, intensely fragrant musk (Al-Misk Al-Adfar). |
| Pebbles & Stones | Genuine, luminous pearls and precious rubies. |
| Soil & Terrain | Exquisite saffron and fine, pure musk powder. |
These descriptions are firmly anchored in authentic texts. In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet stated: “I was admitted into Paradise, and behold, there were wreaths of pearls and its soil was pure musk.” Furthermore, Imam At-Tirmidhi recorded his narration regarding the building blocks: “A brick of gold and a brick of silver, its mortar is the smelling musk, its pebbles are pearls and rubies, and its soil is saffron.”
(References available on Sahih al-Bukhari 3342 and Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2526).
