27th of Rajab Tonight

[Eram Uddin]

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Remember the miraculous journey of the Isra & Mi'raj tonight, register for our Tribute event next weekend along with Shaykh Walead's monthly events.

View this email in your browser (scroll below for details) Tonight: the Night of Isra' & Mi'raj The 27th of Rajab commences at Maghrib tonight, Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019.  This is a night on which the Islamic world traditionally celebrates the Isra’ (Night Journey) and Mi`raj (Ascension) of our Prophet, the Chosen One ﷺ. There are great lessons in the events that took place and a means of increasing in belief and certitude.  Prior to this night the Prophet had displayed great patience in the face of hardship and it is one of Allah’s wisdoms that He bestows His gifts accompanied with hardships.  At the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah said that the worst treatment that he received from the disbelievers was his violent rejection at the hands of the people of al-Ta’if. Most of the scholars of the Sirah say that that the Isra’ and Mi`raj took place shortly after this, a year prior to the Hijrah on the 27th night of the month of Rajab. When Allah wished to speak to His Beloved, His order came suddenly, without any warning. The Prophet’s chest was split open and his heart was washed and filled with knowledge and forbearance. The Buraq was then brought to him.  On the back of the winged Buraq, the Prophet stopped in a number of places on the Isra’ to emphasize the importance of visiting the places in which Allah bestowed His bounties upon His pious slaves.   He was ordered to seek to draw close to Allah by praying near the tree where Allah spoke to Musa, (as) by praying at Mount Tur, where Allah gave revelation to Musa (as), and at Bayt Lahm, where Isa (as) was born.  The whole earth was made a place of prayer and prostration for the Prophet ﷺ.   The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the Prophets in prayer in al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Jibril informed him that the soul of every prophet sent by Allah from the time of Adam to the time of Isa was brought to pray behind him so that they would come to know the station of their master, Muhammad. He was the imam who led all the prophets and angels in prayer.  The Prophet then ascended from heaven to heaven. The angels in the heavens had been informed that he would come and it was their opportunity to be honoured by meeting him just as his Companions had that honour on the earth. The people of the earth threw stones at him and insulted him but the people of the heavens gave him the warmest of welcomes. In the Prophet’s meeting with his father Adam and the other Prophets in the various heavens there is a lesson.   He ascended to al-Bayt al-Ma`mur, which resembles the Ka`bah above the seventh heaven. It lies directly above the Ka`bah, and every day 70,000 angels enter it. The Prophet entered it and prayed in it, along with the spirits of some of the elect of Allah. Then he came to al-Sidrat al-Muntaha, a tree whose size and beauty is indescribable. Were one of its leaves to fall it would cover the heavens and the earth. This is the end point of the knowledge of creation. It was here that Jibril stopped. He said that if he went any further, he would burn but he told the Prophet to continue his journey alone. He duly ascended to the Throne of Allah and fell into prostration. Musa had been ordered to remove his sandals when Allah spoke to him, but the Beloved was not ordered to do so. Allah then ordered him to raise his head and he addressed Allah: “Greetings, blessings and the best of prayers to Allah.” Allah responded: “Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.” At this point, when Allah was manifesting Himself to him, the Prophet wished to remember the pious members of his Ummah and the previous nations. He said: “Peace be upon us and upon Allah’s pious slaves.” The angels of the heavens then cried out: “We testify that there is no deity other than Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.” When Allah spoke to him, He said: “I have taken you as My beloved and I have expanded your heart and raised high the esteem in which you are held so that whenever I am mentioned you are mentioned with Me. I made your nation the best of nations and I made them the last and the first on the Day of Judgement. I made you the first prophet to be created and the last to be sent.” Allah thus spoke gently to His Beloved and reminded him of His blessings upon him. He said things to Him which only He knows. He made fifty prayers compulsory on his nation. This was eventually reduced to five with the reward of fifty. Are those who are unable to perform the five not ashamed of their Lord? What would they have done if it was fifty prayers that they had to perform? Allah made five prayers compulsory upon His slaves, in which there is the opportunity to converse with Allah and draw close to Him. “The closest the slave is to his Lord is when he is in prostration.” The Prophet was blessed with the vision of his Lord, a blessing which no one else will receive until they enter Paradise. The vision cannot be understood in a conventional way since Allah is transcendent and cannot be limited to a place or direction May Allah bestow prayers upon the one who made this awesome journey and may He resurrect us with him. Make us among those who are truthful in their following of him. Do not deprive us of the vision of him in this life, the Barzakh and the next life. Allow us to see the face of the one who You allowed to see Your countenance so that we are ready to see Your countenance in the abode of Your pleasure. Register Today! Click here to view program schedule & RSVP. Enter the Art Gallery! Are you artistically gifted? We would love for you to enhance the Tribute to the Prophet experience by sharing your love through your work at the Tribute Art Gallery! See flyer below for guidelines and details. Upcoming Weekend with Shaykh Walead April 11th - 13th Thursday, April 11th 8pm | Brothers' Halaqa | Northville Friday, April 12th Jummah | U-Mich, Ann Arbor 6:30pm | Tribute to the Prophet ﷺ | Canton Saturday, April 13th 11:30am - 1pm | Aqida Class | Tawheed Center 8pm | Intimate Halaqa | Canton     Facebook Twitter Website Email Copyright © 2019 Beacon Foundation, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up. Our mailing address is: Beacon Foundation 16984 Niagara Court Northville, MI 48168 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences