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Chapter 3. The Authentic And Well-known Traditions Narrating The Esteemed Value Allah Has Placed Upon His Prophet, Together With His Exalted Position And Nobility In This Life And The Everlasting Life

There is no room to dispute that Prophet Mohammed, may Allah praise and venerate him and grant him peace, is by far the most noble of all mankind, and that he is the Master of the Children of Adam. Nor is there any doubt that he is in the Sight of Allah the one who is elevated to the highest station and rank, and the one who is nearest to Him. You should know dear reader the quotations that have reached us are innumerable and that we have limited ourselves to those that are authentic and well-known. This chapter is in fifteen sections and discusses and expounds the meaning of these quotations.

Section 1: The position of the Prophet in the Sight of Allah

Section 2: The miracle of the Prophet's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and the Heavenly Ascent

Section 3: The reality of the Prophet's Night Journey

Section 4: The rebuttal to those who say the journey was a dream

Section 5: The Prophet's seeing of His Lord

Section 6: The conversation between Allah and His Prophet

Section 7: The proximity of the Prophet and his nearness

Section 8: The preceding of the Prophet before the people on the Day of Resurrection

Section 9: The selection of Prophet Mohammed, over and above all of the creation for the receivership of the Love of Allah and the closeness of His friendship

Section 10: The intercession given to the Prophet and his praiseworthy station

Section 11: The River of Abundance (Kawthar) in the Garden

Section 12: The Prophetic Sayings relating to the prohibition of differentiating between the prophets

Section 13: The excellence of the names given to the Prophet

Section 14: The Honour of Allah to the Prophet by gifting him with some of His own Beautiful Names and by describing him with some of His own splendid qualities

Section 15-Demonstrating that Allah, the High is unlike anything amongst His creation

Section 1: The position of the Prophet in the Sight of Allah

Qadi Iyyad opens this section with the narration of Abbas' son who tells us that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Allah divided people into two groups and placed me in the best group. Allah speaks of 'the Companions of the Right' and 'the Companions of the Left', I am among the Companions of the Right and the best of the Companions of the Right. Then He divided the two groups into three and placed me in the best of the three. Allah says, 'Companions of the Right, what are the Companions of the Right? Companions of the Left, what are the Companions of the Left? And the Outstrippers, the Outstrippers' 56:8-10. I am among the Outstrippers and the best of the Outstrippers. Thereafter He divided the three into tribes and placed me in the best tribe. Allah says, 'And made you nations and tribes that you might know one another. The noblest among you before Allah is the most righteous of you. Allah is the Knower, the Aware' 49:13. Of all the children of Adam, I am the one who fears Allah most, and the noblest in His Sight, and this is no boast. Then, He divided the tribes and placed me in the best house. Allah says, 'O family of the House, Allah only wishes to distance fault from you and to cleanse you, and to purify you abundantly''. 33:33. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked when the Prophethood was bestowed upon him and Abu Hurayra tells us that he replied, "When Adam was between the body and spirit."

With regard to the excellence of the Prophet's lineage we are told by al-Asqa's son, Wa'ila, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) told them, "Allah chose Ishmael from the children of Abraham, and from the children of Ishmael He chose the children of Kinana. From the children of Kinana He chose the children of Hashim, and from the children of Hashim He chose the Quraysh, and He chose me from the children of Hashim."

In the following quotation Anas tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of his honoured position saying, "I am the most honoured of the children of Adam with my Lord, and this is no boast." Lady Aisha, Mother of Believers (may Allah be satisfied with her) tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Gabriel came to me and said, 'I searched the East and the West of the earth and saw no man better than Mohammed, neither did I see a tribe better than the children of Hashim.'" On the "Night Journey" Burack, (the white, heavenly winged mount) was brought for the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to ride and Anass tells us that it shied away from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) whereupon Gabriel said to Burack, "Would you do this to Mohammed? No one who has ever ridden you is more honourable to Allah than he." Upon hearing this Burack broke into a sweat. Anas also tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Allah brought me down to earth in the loins of Adam, then He placed me in the loins of Noah and thereafter cast me into the loins of Abraham. Allah proceeded to move me from one noble loin and pure womb to another until He brought me out of my parents. None of them were ever joined together in fornication."

Abbas praised the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saying, "And when you were born the earth shone and the horizons were lit from your light. Even before your arrival in this world, you were excellent in the shadows and repository in the time when they covered themselves with leaves. Then, you came through the centuries, not as a mortal, nor yet as a lump of flesh nor as a clot, rather as a drop that rode the ships, and bridled the idol. The drop was transferred from loin to womb. As the world proceeded, the next era appeared. Then your guardian house contained loftiness from Khindiff underneath which were mountain ranges. When you were born, the earth shone and the horizon was illuminated by your light. We travel in that illumination And in the light and paths of right guidance. O coolness of the fire of Abraham! O cause of the protection in the blazing Fire!

Abu Hurayra, together with several other Companions tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Five things have been given to me that no other prophet before me was given. Through terror being cast into the hearts of my enemies I was given help a month before I arrived. The earth has been made a mosque for me and a place of purity, therefore when the time for prayer arrives, any man of my nation can pray. The spoils of war which were unlawful to all previous prophets have been made lawful to me. I have been sent for all peoples. I have been given the intercession (on the Day of Judgement)." It has also been transmitted that "Allah will instruct Prophet Mohammed, 'Ask and you will be given and pleased.' He will reply 'I will not be pleased if any of my nation is in Hell. And also he said 'I left my best supplication for the sinners of major deeds of my nation.'"

Also the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I was sent to the fair and the dark." This last statement has been explained in two ways, the first is that "the dark" refers to the Arabs and "the fair" non-Arabs. The second explanation is that "the fair" refers to mankind and "the dark" to jinn (who were created from fire and live in the wilderness). Abu Hurayra also tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Through terror being cast into the hearts of my enemies I was given help a month before I arrived and I have been given all the worlds. While I slept, I had a vision in which the keys of the treasures of the earth were brought to me and placed in my hands." In addition to this in another transmission is "The rank of Prophethood was sealed for all times by me." Amir, Ukba's son narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "On your behalf, I will go in advance before you, and I will be a witness for you. By Allah, I am looking at al-Kawthar (the river, its pool and springs) now. I have been given the keys to the treasures of the earth. By Allah, I do not fear that you will associate (another with Allah), rather, I fear you will vie with one another for worldly gain."

Amr's son, Abdullah tells us that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I am Mohammed, the unlettered Prophet, there is no prophet after me. I was given all the Words and their seals. I was made to recognize the guardians of the Fire and the bearers of the Throne." Omar's son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the end of the world saying, "I have been sent not long before the arrival of the Last Hour." Wahb's son, reported that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) told them that Allah said, "Ask, O Mohammed!" whereupon he replied, "What shall I ask from my Lord? You took Abraham for a friend, You spoke to Moses, You chose Noah and gave a kingdom to Solomon, the like of which no one after him can have." Allah replied, "What I have given you is better than that, I have given you al-Kawthar (the river in Paradise, its pool and springs), and I have placed your name after My Name, which is announced throughout the heavens (on the earth in the daily Call to Prayer). For you and your nation I have made the earth a place of purity. I gave you the status of forgiveness for your past and future deeds. You walk among people who are forgiven because of you. I have not done this for anyone before you. I have placed in the hearts of your nation the Holy Reading (Quran). For you I have reserved your rank of intercession, and I have not reserved it for any prophet except you."

On another occasion the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke to his Companions about the first people to enter the Garden, and Hudhayfa tells us that he said, "My Lord has given me good news that seventy thousand people from my nation and myself will be the first to enter the Garden. With each of the seventy thousand there will be another seventy thousand who will not be held to account. To me He has granted that my nation will neither hunger nor yet will they be overcome. He has given me victory, might and terror which runs a month before me. The spoils of war have been permitted to me and my nation. To me, He has made lawful much of that barred to those who were before me. He has not placed any discomfort in the religion for us." Abu Hurayra tells us that, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the signs of Prophethood given to previous prophets, saying, "Every prophet was given signs by which people would believe him, and I have been given the Revelation which Allah has sent down to me, and it is my hope that I will have the greatest number of followers on the Day of Resurrection."

The following is a simplified explanation of the preceding quotation on a vast subject which will, Allah willing (insha Allah), be discussed in greater detail in the final chapters that speak of the miracles given to Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Scholars of Islam have explained the meaning of this quotation is that the Quran, the greatest miracle given to Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is unlike all the miracles of other prophets and it will remain as long as the world remains. The miracles of previous prophets appeared but did not remain and were present only during their lifetime. The Quran will remain generation after generation as something that can be seen by the eye, not just as information and will remain up until the Day of Resurrection. It is read, memorized by children and recited with its fine recitation.

Our attention is drawn by Imam Ali (may Allah be satisfied with him) that every prophet was given seven noble, helping companions from his nation. However, our Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was given fourteen and include, Abu Bakr, Omar, Masood's son and Ammar. Furthermore, ten of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) were guaranteed Paradise: (Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman son of Afan, Ali, may Allah honour his face, Talha son of Obidallah, Zubair son of al-Waam, Abdul Rahman son of Awf, Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas, Sayed son of Zayed, Abu Obaidah son of Jarrah).

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Allah protected Mecca from the elephant (and the army of Abraha that came to destroy Kaaba), and gave the Opening of Mecca to His Messenger and the believers. This will not be permitted to anyone after me and it was made lawful for me for only one hour of one day." Sariyyah, al-Irbad's son heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "I am the worshiper of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. I was cast into the clay of Prophet Adam, and I am the promise of my father Abraham, and the good news of Jesus, son of Mary."

Abbas' son spoke to his companions about the position of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saying, "Allah preferred Mohammed to the angels of the heavens and all the other prophets." Whereupon his companions inquired about his excellence over the inhabitants of the heavens, so he told them, "Allah says to the inhabitants of the heavens, 'If any one of them says: I am a god other than Him, We will recompense him with Gehenna (Hell). As such We recompense the harm doers'" 21:29. Whereas He said to Mohammed "Indeed, We have opened for you a clear opening, that Allah forgives your past and future sins, and completes His Favour to you, and guides you on a Straight Path." 48:1-2. They then inquired about his excellence over the other prophets and he reminded them of the verse, "Allah says, 'We have sent no Messenger except in the tongue of his own nation, so that he might make everything plain to them. But Allah leads astray whom He will and guides whom He will. He is the Almighty, the Wise.' 14:4 whereas He said to Mohammed, "We did not send you for all mankind except to bring them glad tidings and to warn." 34:28.

One day, Khalid, Madan's son was amongst the Companions who asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) to tell them more about himself, so he told them, "I am the answer to the supplication of my father Abraham, when he supplicated 'Our Lord, send among them a Messenger from them.' 2:129. Jesus also gave the good news about me." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) continued, "When I was in my mother's womb, she had a vision in which a light came from her that illumined the castles of Basra in Syria." Then he spoke of his suckling saying, "I was suckled by the tribe of Saad Bakr's son" and told them, "I was herding some animals with my foster-brothers behind our tents when two men wearing white robes came to me. They held me tightly and split open my chest, from my throat down to my belly. Then they removed my heart and split it open and extracted a black drop from it and discarded it. Then they washed my heart and chest with snow until they had cleansed it."

Regarding the belief and wisdom in his heart even when he was a child it has also been reported that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Then one of them reached for something and there was a ring of light in his hand that would dazzle anyone who looked at it. Then, he sealed my heart with it and my heart was filled with belief and wisdom, and he put it back. Thereafter, the other passed his hand over that part of my chest and it was healed and restored. Then one of them said to the other, 'Weigh him against ten from his nation', so they weighed me and I outweighed them. Then he said, 'Weigh him against one hundred of his nation', so they weighed me and I outweighed them. Then he said, 'Weigh him against one thousand of his nation', so they weighed me and I outweighed them. Then he said, 'Leave him, if you were to weigh him against all of his nation he would still outweigh all of them.' (This is proof that he is the major core and center point of creation). Thereafter they embraced me, kissed my head and then kissed me between my eyes. Then they said, 'O beloved, do not be afraid, if you did but know the blessings that are destined for you, you would be overjoyed!' Then they said, 'How honoured you are with Allah!' Allah and His angels are with you.' Then they left me, and it is as if I can still see them."

On another occasion Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of Prophet Adam, and Samarkandi and other scholars tell us that he said, "When Adam made his mistake he said, 'O Allah, forgive me my sin by the right of Mohammed!' And Allah inquired (gently although He already knew), 'How do you know Mohammed?' He replied, 'I saw written everywhere in the Garden: There is no god except Allah, Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah, so I knew that he was the most honoured of creation in Your eyes. So Allah turned to him and forgave him." It has been explained that this is the meaning of the verse, "Then Adam received Words from his Lord, and his Lord relented towards him. He is the Receiver of Repentance, the Merciful." 2:37.

It has also been reported that Adam said, "When You created me, I lifted my gaze to Your Throne, and on it, it was written, 'There is no god except Allah, Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah,' so I knew that no one would be held in greater esteem by You than he whose name You placed next to Your Name." Then Allah revealed to him, "By My Might and Majesty, he is the last of the prophets among your descendants. If it were not for him, I would not have created you." It has been said that Adam was given the endearing name "Abu Mohammed', meaning father of Mohammed, some people say it was Abul Bashar meaning 'father of mankind'. Surayj, Jonah's son tells us that, "Allah has angels, who as an element of their worship, visit each house that has a person called Ahmed or Mohammed in it on account of the honour in which they hold Mohammed." Abul Hamra tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of his Night Journey, saying, "When I was taken to the heavens on the Night Journey, written on the Throne of Allah were the words, 'There is no god except Allah, Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah, and I have supported him with Ali."

Abbas' son explained the verse "Beneath it was buried a treasure which belong to them." 18:82 saying, "It is a tablet of gold on which it was written, 'How strange is it for the one who is certain about the decree! How can he begin? How strange for the one who is certain of the Fire! How can he laugh? How strange for the one who sees this world and itsunexpected changes in respect of people-how can he be at peace there? 'I am Allah, there is no god except Me. Mohammed is My worshiper and My Messenger.'" The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also told those in his company, "Written on the door of the Garden is 'I am Allah, there is no god except Me. Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah. I will not punish anyone who says that.'"

Many inscriptions have been found either on inanimate objects or otherwise all of which testify to the rank of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) amongst which are: Written on an ancient stone it is written, "Mohammed fears Allah, a righteous man, and a trusted master." One day as Al-Simintari was in Khorasan he saw a child and written on one side of him was the inscription, "There is no god except Allah," and on the other side "Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah." In India a red rose was found with an inscription written in white that read, "There is no god except Allah, Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah."

(In the following narrations, our attention is drawn to the meritorious value of naming a son Mohammed.) Mohammed Jaafar's father tells us that "On the Day of Resurrection a call will be given, 'Let whosoever is named Mohammed stand up and enter the Garden by the meritorious honour of his name.' May Allah praise and venerate him and grant him peace." Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "No harm will come if he has, one, two or three Mohammed's in the house." Malik heard the people of Mecca say, "There isn't an unprosperous house in which there is the name Mohammed. All the people of that house are provided for and likewise their neighbours."

Abdullah, Masood's son said, "Allah looked into the hearts of His worshipers and from among them chose the heart of Mohammed. He chose him for Himself and sent him with His Message." When the verse "You must not hurt the Messenger of Allah, nor shall you ever wed his wives after him, surely, this would be a monstrous thing with Allah." 33:53. Naqqash tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) arose and addressed the people, saying, "O gathering of believers! Allah, the Immense has preferred me greatly over you, and He has preferred my wives greatly over yours." It also draws our attention to the favor of Allah upon him and his wives.

Section 2: The miracle of the Prophet's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and the Heavenly Ascent

[Qadi Iyyad presents different rich opinions relating to the journey that were narrated down to each group, while he and the subject matter experts hold that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) started by vision spiritual ascent which in turn graduated him to the final miraculous actual ascent in both body and spirit, and that final state is what caused the debate of the unbelievers flair since a vision is incontestable.]

Speaking of the miraculous Night Journey of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) tells of his conversation with Allah, his vision, his being the leader of all the prophets, his ascent to the Lote Tree (Sidrat Tree) of the Ending, close to the Garden of Refuge, and speaks of the greatest signs of Allah seen by him during his journey. Another of Prophet Mohammed's very special qualities are made known to us as a result of this event added to which we learn more of the exalted degrees bestowed upon him on account of it. This miraculous event is mentioned in the Holy Quran and further details are made known to us in the authentic prophetic quotations. Allah says, "Exalted is He who carried His worshiper (Prophet Mohammed) to travel in the night from the Sacred Mosque (Mecca) to the Furthest Mosque (Jerusalem) which We have blessed around it so that We might show him some of Our signs. He is the Hearer, the Seer." 17:1

And, "By the star when it plunges, your companion is neither astray, neither errs, nor does he speak out of desire. Indeed, it is not except a Revelation which is revealed, taught by One who is Stern in power. Of might, he (Gabriel) stood firm while he was in the highest horizon; then he drew near, and became close he was but two bows' length or even nearer, so (Allah) revealed to His worshiper (Gabriel) that which he revealed (to Prophet Mohammed). His heart did not lie of what he saw. What, will you dispute with him about what he sees! Indeed, he saw him in another descent at the Lote Tree (Sidrat tree) of the Ending close to the Garden of Refuge. When there comes to the Lote Tree, that which comes his eyes did not swerve, nor did they stray for indeed he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord." 53:1-18

Muslims have absolutely no doubt about the occurrence of this great, miraculous event because Allah in His unchangeable Word, the Holy Quran Himself testifies to it. There are a great number of authentic prophetic quotations that elaborate upon its detail and marvels to acquaint us still further with the very special qualities of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Some of the information has already been made known to you, dear reader in previous chapters, however, we will, Allah willing (inshaAllah), enlightened you with more indications to its magnitude. Malik's son Anass tells us that he was told by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) "Burack was brought to me. It was a white animal, somewhat taller than a donkey, yet smaller than a mule. Its step extended a distance that equalled the range of its vision. I mounted and rode it until I was brought to Jerusalem. I tied it to the ring that the prophets used and thereafter entered the mosque where I prayed two units of prayer. When I came out, Gabriel brought me two vessels, one of milk and the other of wine. I chose the one containing milk and Gabriel said, 'You have chosen the upright nature.'

Then he ascended with me to the first heaven and asked for it to be opened and a voice asked, 'Who is it?' He replied, 'Gabriel'. Then the voice asked, 'Who is with you?' Gabriel replied, 'Mohammed'. The voice inquired, 'Was he sent for?' and he answered, ' He was sent for', whereupon the door was opened for us and I found Adam who welcomed me and supplicated for me. Then we ascended to the second heaven and Gabriel asked for it to be opened, and a voice inquired, 'Who is it?' and he replied, 'Gabriel' and the voice asked 'Who is with you?' To which he replied, 'Mohammed'. It was asked, 'Was he sent for?' and he answered, 'He was.' And the door was opened for us, and there I found my cousins, Jesus, Mary's son and John, Zachariah's son. They welcomed me and supplicated for me. Then we ascended to the third heaven and the same thing happened and the door was opened for me and I met Joseph, he had been given half of all the beauty, and he too welcomed me and supplicated for me. Then we ascended to the fourth heaven and the same thing occurred. There I found Idris and he welcomed me and supplicated for me. (Of Idris) Allah says, "Idris, he too was of the truth and a Prophet." 19:56. Thereafter, we ascended to the fifth heaven and the same occurred. Aaron was there and he welcomed and supplicated for me. Then, we ascended to the sixth heaven, and the same thing occurred, and there I found Moses who welcomed and supplicated for me. Thereafter we ascended to the seventh heaven and the same thing occurred and I found Abraham leaning against the "Bayt al-Ma'mur (the Crowded House) pilgrimaged by seventy thousand angels in the heavens who enter but do not emerge until the Day of Judgement.

Then he took me to the Lote Tree of the Ending, its leaves are like the ears of elephants and its fruits are like earthenware vessels. When a command from Allah covers it, that which is covered is transformed in a way that no creature is capable to describe on account of its absolute beauty. Then, Allah revealed to me what He revealed and He obligated to me fifty prayers during each day with its night. Then I descended to Moses who advised me saying, 'Go back to your Lord and ask Him to lighten it, your nation will never be able to do that. I tested the Children of Israel and know from experience.' So I went back to my Lord and requested, 'My Lord, lighten it for my nation.' So He reduced it by five, and I returned to Moses and told him, 'He reduced it by five for me.' Moses said, 'Your nation will not be able to do that, go back again and asked Him to lighten it.' I kept going and coming between my Lord and Moses until Allah said, 'Mohammed, they are five prayers throughout each day with its night. Each prayer counts as ten, equivalent to fifty prayers. Whosoever intends to do something good, but does not do it, a good action will be written for him. If he does it, ten will be written for him. Whosoever intends to do something bad and does not do it-nothing will be written against him. If he does it, then one bad action will be recorded.' Then I returned to Moses and told him and he said, 'Go back to your Lord and ask Him to lighten it.' Whereupon I said: I have gone back to my Lord so often that I am shy before Him." A fine detail of the preparatory Heavenly Ascent was narrated by Abu Dharr who tells us that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "The roof of my house was split open, and Gabriel descended and opened my chest and washed it with water from Zamzam. Then he brought a gold dish filled with wisdom and belief and poured it into my chest and then sealed it. He took me by the hand and ascended with me to the heavens."

Qadi Iyyad continues to throw more light up the Night Journey by drawing our attention to the reports of several Companions: Shehab's son tells us, "Every Prophet except Adam and Abraham said to me (Prophet Mohammed). 'Welcome to the righteous Prophet and the righteous brother'. Adam and Abraham said, 'a righteous son.'" Abbas' son, reports that the Prophet said, "Then he (Gabriel) ascended with me until I reached a level plain where I heard the scratching of pens." To this Anas added, "Then he (Gabriel) ascended with me until I reached the Lote Tree of the Ending, and it was covered in colours that I did not recognize, thereafter I was brought into the Garden." Sa'sa'a son, Malik tells us of the Prophet's (peace and blessing be upon him) conversation with Moses, he said, "When I passed Moses, he wept. He was asked, 'Why do you weep?' He replied, 'Lord, this is a young man who was sent after me, and more of his nation will enter the Garden than those of my nation." Abu Hurayra, tells us, "Then he (the Prophet) traveled until he reached Jerusalem where he dismounted. He tied his mount to the Rock and prayed with the angels. After the prayer they asked, 'Gabriel, who is this with you?' He replied, 'This is Mohammed, the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of the Prophets.' Whereupon they inquired, 'Has he been sent already?' To which he replied, 'Yes'. And they said, 'May Allah give him a long life as a brother and a caliph, an excellent brother, an excellent caliph!' Thereafter he met the spirits of the prophets who praised their Lord and he mentioned what each of them said. They were, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, David and Solomon."

Abu Hurayra went on to say, "Mohammed praised his Lord, the Mighty, the Glorified, and said, 'You have all praised your Lord, and I will praise Him: Praise be to Allah who has sent me as a mercy to the worlds and as a bringer of good tidings and as a warner for all mankind. He has sent down the Criterion on me that clarifies all things. He has made my nation the best nation, and He has made my nation a median nation. They are the first and the last. He opened my chest for me and removed my burden from me. He has elevated my prominence and made me an opener and a seal.' Abraham said, 'That is why Mohammed is better than you.'"

Masood's son tells us, "He brought me to the Lote Tree of the Ending, which is in the sixth heaven. Whatever rises from the earth to it reaches it and touches a part of it. Whatever falls from above it reaches it and touches part of it. Allah says, "When there comes to the Lote Tree, that which comes" 53:16. Rabi, Anas's narrates, "I (Prophet Mohammed) was told, 'This is the Lote Tree of the Ending. Each of your nation who travels your Path will reach it. It is the furthest Lote Tree. From its roots spring rivers of sweet water, rivers of unstaling milk, rivers of wine, a delight to its drinkers, and rivers of pure honey. The tree is so huge that it would take a rider seventy years just to ride across its shadow. One leaf from it would shade creation, light and angels cover it." Abu Hurayra explained that this refers to the words of Allah, "When there comes to the Lote Tree, that which comes." 53:16.

Allah told him, "Ask," and Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, "You took Abraham to be a close friend and You gave him and immense kingdom. You spoke directly to Moses and gave David an immense kingdom and made iron malleable for him, and You subjected the mountains to him. To Solomon, You gave an immense kingdom and subjugated men, jinn and satans to him, and the winds and gave to him a kingdom the like of which no one after him would have. To Jesus You taught the Torah and the Gospel and permitted him to heal the blind and the leper. You protected him and his mother from the accursed satan so that he would find no way against them."

Allah then said to him, "I have taken you as a close friend and a beloved. In the Torah it is written, 'Mohammed is the Beloved of the Merciful'. I have sent you to all people and made your nation such that none will be permitted to speak until they have all testified that you are My Worshiper and My Messenger. I made you to be the first of the prophets to be created and the last to be sent. I have given you the seven dual verses (Mathani), and I did not give them to any prophet before you. To you I have given the seals of the "Cow" chapter from the treasure under My Throne, and these I did not given to any prophet before you. I have made you an opener and a seal."

In another version it reads, "The Messenger of Allah was given three things. He was given the five prayers, the seals of the "Cow" chapter, and the pardoning for the major sins of his nation for each of his nation who did not associate anything with Allah." Allah says, "His heart did not lie of what he saw." 53:11. Masood's son tells us that he saw Gabriel in his reality and described him as having six hundred wings. Sharik, Abi Namr's son, says that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saw Moses in the seventh heaven, then he was taken higher to that of which Allah has knowledge, Moses said, "I did not think that anyone would be raised above me."

Anas tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) prayed with the prophets in Jerusalem. He also tells that he said, "One day when I was sitting, Gabriel came to me and nudged me between my shoulders, whereupon I arose and ascended to a tree in which there was something similar to two bird's nests. He sat in one and I sat in the other, and it grew until it filled both the east and west. If I had wished I could have touched the sky. I looked around and glanced at Gabriel and it appeared to me as if he was a piece of transparent cloth. I recognized the superiority of his knowledge of Allah over mine. Then the gate of heaven was opened and I saw a blinding light and a veil dropped below me. The pearl and ruby split open and Allah revealed to me what He wished to reveal."

Imam Ali (may Allah be satisfied with him) informs us, "When Allah wanted to teach His Messenger the 'Call to Prayer', Gabriel came to him with a mount called Burack. As he went to mount it, it shied away from him and Gabriel said, 'Be still, by Allah, no worshiper has ever ridden you who is more honoured before Allah than Mohammed.' Then he mounted and rode it until it brought him to the veil just below the Merciful, whereupon an angel came out of the veil and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) inquired, 'Gabriel, who is this?' He replied, 'By the One who has sent you with the truth, I have the closest station to Allah of all creatures, yet I have not seen this angel from the time I was created until this moment.' The angel said, 'Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest!' Then a voice came from behind the veil saying, 'My worshiper has spoken the truth, I am the Greatest, I am the Greatest!' The angel then said, 'I bear witness that there is no god except Allah' and a voice from behind the veil said, 'My worshiper has spoken the truth, there is no god except Me,' and the rest of the Call to Prayer was mentioned, although he did not mention the response to the words, 'Come to the prayer, come to success.'" After this he said, "Then the angel took Mohammed by the hand as a guide so that he was the prayer leader for the inhabitants of the heavens, including Adam and Noah."

The grandson of al-Hussayn tells us that "Allah honoured Mohammed above the inhabitants of the heavens of the earth." Dear reader, we must understand that it is the creatures who are veiled in this life, not the Creator because He is never absent but eyes never reach Him, whereas He reaches the eyes. The Creator, Exalted is He, is not connected with anything that might veil Him because veils are defined by physical senses and reflective lights on substances. He veils the eyes, the inner eyes, and the perception of His creatures how and when He wills as He has said. However, on the Day of Judgement Allah will be seen by the elite amongst the believers in Paradise, but not with the physical method of this life's sighting because Allah is removed from directions and is neither contained by either space or location. Allah tells us, "On that Day there shall be radiant faces, gazing towards their Lord." 75:22-23. Whereas the unbelievers are veiled from this rank as Allah said, "No indeed, on that Day they shall be veiled from their Lord." 83:15

The preceding hadith speaks of an angel 'coming out of the veil', therefore it is understood that it is a veil which veils what is beyond it and so the angels cannot grasp the power and immensity of Allah nor yet the wonders of what He created of the earthly life and the angelic world of the whole universe beyond that point. This is an indication that the veil is not particular to the Essence, rather to the creation. Ka'b explained that it is there at the Lote Tree of the Ending, that the knowledge of the angels ends, and it is there that they find the command of Allah and their knowledge does not extend further than that point. The hadith says, "Then a voice (having no direction) came (as if) from behind the veil saying (not heard by the ear, rather by the heart), My worshiper has spoken the truth I am Greater, I am Greater!" From this it is understood that the angel does not hear the words of Allah here, rather they are from behind a veil. Allah says, "It does not belong to any human that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He sent a Messenger to reveal whatsoever He will by His permission. He is the High, the Wise." 42:51. The meaning of this is that he does not see Allah, his eye is veiled from seeing Him.

Section 3: The reality of the Prophet's Night Journey

There are three varying opinions among those of the early generation of Muslims and other scholars of Islam as to whether or not the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) went on the Night Journey in body or just in spirit. One faction, who are in no doubt that the visions of the prophets are a truth and a revelation, maintain that he went in spirit, and not by body, and that the event took place in a vision. Amongst those who adhered to this opinion is Mua'wiyah. It has also been said that Hassan al-Basri adhered to the same opinion. However, Mohammed Isaac' son indicates that Hassan al-Basri actually held the opposite opinion. In support of this opinion they quote the words of Allah that read, "We did not make the vision which We showed to you, and the tree cursed in the Quran except to be a trial for people." 17:60.

Speaking of the Ascent and the Night Journey, Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "I did not miss the warmth of the body of the Messenger of Allah", meaning he went and the bed was still warm, is a timeless miracle. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) tells us "As I slept". Anas said, "He was asleep in the Sacred Mosque". The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I awoke and I was in the Sacred Mosque." Most of the Companions, including, Abbas' son. Jabir, Anas Hudhayfa, Abu Hurayra, Sa'sa'as son Malik, Abu Habba al-Badri, Masood's son, Ad Dahhak, Jubair's son Said, Katada, the son of al-Musayyab, Shehab's son, Zaid's son, Al-Hassan al-Basri, Abraham, Masruk, Muhjahid, Ikrima and Jurayi's son, believe that he went on the Night Journey in his physical body while he was awake. This opinion is upheld by the majority of jurists, scholars of hadith, theology, and by those who explained the Holy Quran.

Another faction are of the opinion that he was taken bodily on the Night Journey, in a state of awakeness from the Sacred Mosque to Jerusalem, and thereafter he was taken in spirit through the heavens. To support their opinion they quote the verse, "Exalted is He who carried His worshiper to travel in the night from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque which We have blessed around it so that We might show him some of Our signs. He is the Hearer, the Seer." 17:1, deeming the "Furthest Mosque" the end of the journey. This miraculous event is of such immensity, that it is awe-inspiring, and is yet another illustration of the tremendous honour bestow on Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). This faction are of the opinion that if the Night Journey had taken place with him in his physical body further than the Furthest Mosque, Allah would have mentioned it and consequently his praiseworthiness would have become even more elevated.

There is a difference of opinion in these last two factions as to whether or not he prayed at Jerusalem. Anas and others, you will recall, tell us that he prayed there, however, Hudhayfa al-Yaman's son, said, "By Allah, they did not leave the back of Burack until they returned." The sound position, Allah willing (insha Allah), is that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) travelled in both spirit and body throughout the entire Night Journey. Verses from the Quran, authenticated sayings, and the considered opinion direct us to this. The habit of the scholars is that they accept the literal meaning unless it is impossible. This being the case they conservatively approach the metaphoric interpretation to keep the faith pure of the Oneness of Allah and the difference between Him and His creation. We cannot visualize Allah by either our worldly dictionary or human interaction. It is not impossible that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) went on the Night Journey in his physical body and in a state of awakeness. If it had been a vision, then Allah would have said, "with the spirit of His worshiper". Recall how Allah says, "his eyes did not swerve, nor did they stray" 53:17. If it had been a vision then it would not have implicated either a sign or a miracle.

Some unbelievers, and some Muslims whose faith was yet to mature, held the ascent or the night journey to be a dream, on this ground they would not have objected to it and not believed it to be impossible. Their dilemma was that it happened outside the state of sleep. It was only because of the fact that the entire event took place both in spirit and body in the state of awakeness that doubt entered their minds, and that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had spoken of his praying with the other prophets not only in Jerusalem but in the heavens. If it had been a vision, he himself would have described it as such, and the Quran would have said the same. Especially as it was the habit of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to make it clear whether a matter was seen in a vision or otherwise.

In this respect the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) mentioned the events of this miracle such as when Gabriel brought Burack for him to mount, then again during his ascent when the heavens were asked to open they inquired "Who is it?" and Gabriel's answer "Mohammed". Then, there were the welcoming and conversations with the prophets in each heaven, the establishment of the obligation of the five daily prayers and the going back and forth when Moses' advised him to request a reduction in the number of prayers. Abbas' son said, "It was a direct sighting which he saw with his own eyes. It was not a dream." Hassan al-Basri tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "As I slept in the Hijr, Gabriel came to me and nudged me with his foot. I sat up, but saw nothing so I lay back down." This happened three times. He said, "Upon the third occasion, he grasped me by my arm and took me to the door of the Mosque, where there was a riding animal, the Burack."

Umm Hani tells us, "It was during the same night that the Messenger of Allah spent in my house that he was taken on the Night Journey. He had prayed the final prayer of the night and slept with us. Before dawn, the Messenger of Allah woke us up and prayed Subh with us. Thereafter he said, 'Umm Hani, I prayed the final prayer with you as you saw here in this valley, then I went to Jerusalem and prayed there. Then I prayed the morning prayer with you as you see'". This report validates his physical travelling. Abu Bakr tells us that he said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) "I looked for you in your usual place but did not find you" whereupon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, "Gabriel carried me to the Furthest Mosque." Omar was present when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I prayed in the front of the Mosque on the evening of the Night Journey, then I came to the Rock in Jerusalem where an angel stood with two vessels."

The preceding are explicit statements that clarify matters, so it was not impossible. Therefore it is evident that the literal meaning is to be taken. And again, Abu Dharr's narration tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "When I was in Mecca, the roof of my house was split open, and Gabriel descended and opened my chest and washed it with the water of Zamzam, then he took me by the hand and ascended with me." Anas also tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I was fetched, and they took me to Zamzam and opened my chest." When the Quraysh asked the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) (about Gabriel and the Angelic Assembly) Abu Hurayra tells that he said, "The Quraysh asked me about my Night Journey. They asked me things of which I was unsure (because he did not pay attention of trivial matters) and I became more distressed than I had ever been, then Allah made it appear before me so I could look at it." Omar spoke of the Night Journey, and said that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I returned to my wife before she had turned over."

Section 4: The rebuttal to those who say the journey was a dream

There are some people, who lived many centuries after the Ascent and Night Journey took place, that claim the event was a dream. To support their opinion they quote the verse "We did not make the vision (ru'yah) which We showed to you. Except to be a trial for people." 17:60. There is no disagreement among scholars that this verse was revealed with regard to the decision Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) took at Hudabiyah, and relates to the disappointed, would-be pilgrims. They overlook the first verses of the same chapter that clearly speak of the Night Journey. Allah says, "Exalted is He who carried His worshiper (Prophet Mohammed) to travel in the night from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque which We have blessed around it so that We might show him some of Our signs. He is the Hearer, the Seer." 17:1. Such mistaken people also choose to ignore the fact that Abu Bakr, the first Caliph accepted the reality immediately and never interpreted it otherwise. The Arabic word "ru'yah" means vision. The rebuttal for this mistaken minority is found in the beginning of the same chapter which is named "The Night Journey" in which Allah says, "Exalted is He who carried His worshiper to travel in the night." 17:1. This statement disproves their claim because one cannot say about someone who is asleep that he went on a journey. This is an affirmation that he saw a vision with his eye together with a physical, bodily journey because if it had been just a dream, dreams do not constitute trials. This fact cannot be rejected by anyone, since anyone can have a dream and see himself in different places at the same time. And there are many times that Allah addressed His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and no one ever said it meant only his spirit, rather all of him, body and spirit. In regard to their line of reasoning they quote him as saying, "in sleep (manam)" and in other quotations, "between being asleep and awake," and "I was asleep and then awoke", this is not substantiated because it is most likely that when the angel first came to him he was asleep, therefore it would stand to reason he was asleep at the beginning prior to him being taken and carried at night. There is nothing in the prophetic quotations that point to the entire event having taken place as such.

Section 5: The Prophet's seeing of His Lord

Opinions varied amongst the first generation of Muslims as to whether or not Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) saw his Lord. Amongst those who reject this concept is Lady Aicha (may Allah be satisfied with her) who when asked by Masruk, "O Mother of Believers, did Mohammed see His Lord?" She emphasized her reply by saying three times, "My hair is standing on end at what you have said. Whosoever has told you this lied." Then she recited the verse, "No eye can see Him, though He sees all eyes. He is the Subtle, the Aware." 6:103. Masood's son and Abu Hurayra endorsed this opinion and said that it was Gabriel whom he saw however, this opinion lends its self to dispute.

Amongst those who support the opinion as factual are noted scholars of the Prophetic Sayings, theologians and jurists. They reject the preceding opinion and the prohibition on the Prophet's (peace and blessing be upon him) permission to see Allah in this life. Abbas' son stated "He saw Him with his eyes', while Ata related from him that he saw Him with his heart. Abul Aliyyah said that he saw Him twice with his heart. Omar's son inquired of Abbas' son whether the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had seen his Lord, and Abbas' son affirmed that he had.

The most accepted opinion is that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) did in fact see his Lord with his eyes, and the statement of Abbas' son is reiterated in many transmissions. He also draws our attention by reminding us that Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, was selected by Allah with direct speech (again without ear, or sound), and that Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was selected for close friendship, and now Prophet Mohammed, praise and peace be upon him was gifted with a vision of Him. To support this opinion are the verses, "His heart did not lie of what he saw. What, will you dispute with him about what he sees! Indeed he saw Him ('Him' can either refer to Allah or Gabriel) in another descent." 63:11-13.

Many knowledgeable people including al-Mawardi, Ka'b al-Ahbar, Abu Dharr and the tribe of Hashim are in agreement with Abbas' opinion. Reiterating Abbas' son's opinion, Ka'b exclaimed until the mountains echoed with his exaltation, "Allah is the Greater!" He also endorsed Abbas' son statement saying, "Allah divided the vision and the speech between Mohammed and Moses. He spoke directly to Moses twice and Mohammed saw Him twice with his heart." Mohammed, Ka'b al-Qurdi together with Rabi ibn Anass tell us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked, "Have you seen your Lord?" Whereupon he replied, "I saw Him with my heart, I did not see Him with my eye." Such was the conviction of Hassan al-Basri that he would swear by Allah that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) saw his Lord. The authentic transmissions relating to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) seeing His Lord are numerous. Naqqash said that Ahmed, Hannbal's son said "The meaning of Abbas' son's statement is that he saw Him with his eye!" He repeated this phrase so many times that he ran out of breath. Whereas Abu Omar Talamanki reported that Hanbal's son said Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) saw Him with his heart, and that he refrained from saying that he saw Him with his eyes in this world.

Ata's son draws our attention to the verse "Have We not expanded your chest for you." 94:1 and says that this means that Allah expanded his chest in order to receive the vision whereas He expanded the chest of Moses for direct speech. Al-Ashari and his companionsare all of the opinion that he saw Allah with his physical eyes, and said, "Each prophet is given a sign. Our Prophet was also given one. Out of all of them he was selected to receive the vision of Him." Commenting upon this a shaykh was somewhat hesitant and said, "There is no clear proof for it, however it is permitted for it to be so."

It is an indisputable truth that it is conceivable for him to have seen Allah in this life, and there is nothing to make it logically impossible (unless one quantifies Allah, in which case he will be mistaken). The supporting proof that it is permissible in this life is, you will recall, that Prophet Moses asked for it and it is impossible for a prophet not to know what is permitted for Allah and what is permitted for himself. Undoubtedly, Moses would have only asked for something permissible, not something impossible. However, he was not given the seeing of Allah, while some said that when he was in a state of shock and death, it was then that he saw Allah. Then when He revived him Moses said "Forgive me" because he had asked to see Him in this life and later when his people asked for it they were also overwhelmed by lightening as a punishment. Allah told Moses, "You shall not see Me. But look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then you shall see Me." 7:143. This verse means that Moses would not be able to bear the seeing of Allah, because it is impossible. To illustrate this, Allah made the mountain which was far stronger and firmer than Moses' physical form to be crushed and levelled.

Regarding the verse, "No eye can see Him" 6:103, we have already mentioned there are varying interpretations, and the qualification of the one who says, "in this life" does not demand that the vision of Allah is impossible. There are scholars who have taken this verse as a proof that it is permissible and not impossible to see Him. Others have said that it refers to the eyes of the unbelievers who do not perceive Him. Then, there are those, such as Abbas' son who say that they do not encompass Him. Whereas some say it is only those with inner sight that He is perceived. None of these varying interpretations can be taken to mean that the vision of Him is forbidden or impossible. No proof can be established in the verse "You shall not see Me" and later on Moses says "Exaltations to You! I repent to You. I am the first of believers." 7:143 that this is not representative of a prohibition. The first quotation has been explained as meaning 'You will not see Me in this world.' One's attention is drawn to the fact that in this verse there is nothing that forbids the vision and that it refers specifically to Moses. As for, "I repent to You. I am the first of believers." This has been explained with the meaning that Moses repented from asking for something he could not have. Abu Bakr al-Hudhali said, "The explanation of the verse "You shall not see Me" means it is not for any mortal to have the capacity to look at Him in this life and whosoever looks at Him dies. Abu Bakr continued saying, "I have observed that there are some of the early and later generations of Muslims who said that it is the human's physique and their faculties, and these faculties are prone to destruction and disaster, and it is because of this the human does not have the capacity to receive a vision of Allah. But, in the Everlasting Life, our physique will be different and our faculties enhanced so that we will be given the strength to endure, and so it is that the lights of the inner eyes and hearts will be illumined.”

Malik, Anas's son explained, "Allah is not seen in this life because He is Enduring, and the Enduring cannot be seen by those who are passing. However, in the Everlasting Life we will be given enduring eyes, so the Enduring will be seen by the enduring." This is an excellent point. However, it does not prove that a vision is impossible except in the case of the weakness of faculties. But Allah is the Strengtheners and if He wills strengthens whosoever He chooses of His worshipers and gives them the power to bear the vision, such being the case it is not forbidden to him. Both the power of the sight of Prophets Mohammed and Moses, peace be upon them, together with their perception was attained through Divine Power that Allah had given them so that they could perceive what they perceived and see what they saw. Allah knows best.

Judge Abu Bakr al-Baqilani was asked about this verse and said that its meaning is that Moses saw Allah and that was the reason why he fell down senseless, and that when the mountain saw its Lord it became crushed and leveled due to the special perception Allah created for it. This he deduced from His words "But look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then shall you see Me. And when his Lord was revealed to the mountain and caused it to be crushed and leveled Moses fell down senseless." 7:143. His revealing to the mountain was the effect of His Glory, from this it is understood that Moses actually saw his Lord during his death but this is only an opinion as Moses said when he was revived, "Forgive me." And did not explain any further. And Allah knows best. Jaafar, Mohammed's son is also of the same opinion and further theorized that Allah preoccupied Moses with the mountain so that He might see the effect of His Glory on the mountain, thereupon Moses died. It has also been said that Moses saw the demise of the mountain, and that by seeing its demise it is proof that it is permissible to say that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) saw Allah and there is nothing in the verse that would forbid it.

The event, coupled with the Prophet's witnessing is from the Kingdom of the Unseen, and unless someone is taught by Allah no one has knowledge. As for the visions being necessary for Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) and the verse that reads "He saw Him with his eyes", there is yet again nothing to forbid this and one must rely on the two verses in the chapter "The Star" that read, "His heart did not lie about what he saw. What, will you dispute with him about what he sees! 53:11-12 coupled with what was mentioned earlier, it is permissible to say that this is most likely factual. However there is no Prophetic saying reported on this matter since it was personal to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in the same way that the verse at the beginning of the chapter tells us, "Allah has revealed to His worshiper what He has revealed" was not explained, which is yet another indication to the high rank of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and the spiritual secrets and merits he possess. As for the theories of Abbas' son and Abu Dharr, they do not have chains of transmission traceable to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) they are opinions as to the explanation of the verse.

If one were to quote the transmission of Mu'adh, it is open to interpretation and both its chain and text are insufficient. Abu Dharr is reported to have mentioned another prophetic saying, however the versions handed down to us vary and are obscure. One rendering has the phrase "A light which I saw." Another of our shaykhs said that he said, "I saw Him luminous" then, in another version it reads, "I asked him and he said, 'I saw a light." It is impossible to take any of these versions and use them as a proof for the validity of the vision. If the sound version is the phrase, "I saw a light," then it stands to reason he is in fact reporting that he did not see Allah, and what he saw was a light that prevented him from seeing Allah, "A light which I saw" would then refer to how he saw Him with the veil of light that obscures the sight, and this is comparable to another saying that reads, "His veil of Light". In another transmission, Abu Dharr quotes, "I did not see Him with my eye, I saw Him with my heart." Then he recited the verse "Then he drew near, and became close." 53:8. Allah is able to do anything He wills and is able to create in the heart the perception which normally belongs to the eye or whatsoever He determines-there is no god except Him!

If a prophetic saying with a defining text had been transmitted on this subject, there is no doubt it would have been believed and relied upon, since there is no absolute impossibility that it could have occurred. Allah gives success to what is correct. With regard to the meaning of this verse one finds a difference in opinion between Abbas' son, Ikrima, Hassan al-Basri and Masood's son. Abbas' son and Ikrima both interpret it with the meaning that he saw Him with his heart. Whereas Hassan al-Basri and Masood's son said it was Gabriel whom the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saw. This is a good conclusion, and Allah knows the truth. Regardless of which opinion you read, you should understand that they never quantified Allah, nor did they address Him with our human dictionary underneath layers of motives and reactions etc.

Section 6: The conversation between Allah and His Prophet

In reference to the wondrous events of the Night Journey, Allah tells us, "so (Allah) revealed to His worshiper that which he revealed " 53:10. Most commentators say that Allah revealed to Gabriel, and thereafter Gabriel revealed it to Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Jaafar Mohammed Sadek's son approaches the explanation of this verse differently. He is of the opinion that Allah revealed directly to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) without an intermediary. This opinion is endorsed by a similar saying of al-Wasiti. Al-Ashari, and other theologians rely upon the transmissions of Masood's son and Abbas' son, and believe that Allah spoke to our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) during the Night Journey. However, others differ. An-Naqqash quotes the transmission of Abbas' son who said that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said referring to the Words of Allah, "then he drew near, and became close" 53:8 that 'Gabriel raised me up and the sounds were severed from me so I could not hear them. Then, I heard my Lord say, 'Calm yourself Mohammed, draw near, draw near.'

These opinions pivot upon the Words of Allah that say, "It does not belong to any human that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He sent a Messenger to reveal whatsoever He will by His Permission." 42:51. Such persons are of the opinion that this verse consists of three categories:

"from behind a veil" as when He spoke to Moses
"or, that He sent a Messenger to reveal"-all the prophets, and most of the Revelations given to Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) were received via the angel.
"so (Allah) revealed to His worshiper that which he revealed ". The only form of speech remaining is that of direct speech together with its witnessing. It has been explained that this "revelation" is what He casts into the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) without an intermediary.

Imam Ali (may Allah be satisfied with him) spoke in connection with a prophetic quotation relating to the Night Journey that sheds light upon the way in which the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) listened to these words. He said, "The angel said, 'Allah is Greater, Allah is Greater!' and I was told from behind the veil, 'My worshiper has spoken the truth, I am Greater, I am Greater.'" The dilemma of this transmission and the previously mentioned transmission by An Naqqash will be discussed later on in detail. It is permissible to say that Allah spoke to Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) and any of His other selected prophets, and there is nothing in the Islamic Law that definitively forbids it. If there was a proven sound Prophetic quotation, it would of course take preference and be relied upon. It is an established fact that Allah spoke to Moses and the proof is the definitive text of the Quran and it is grammatically emphasized. We are told in a transmission that Allah raised Moses' position to the seventh heaven because it was there that He spoke to him. As for Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) Allah raised him above this so that he reached the plain where he heard the scratching of pens. Therefore, how can it be claimed that it is impossible or even unlikely for him to have heard His speech in this manner? Exaltations be to the One who sets apart those whom He chooses for whatsoever He wills and elevates some of the prophets above others!

Section 7: The proximity of the Prophet and his nearness

The transmissions and prophetic quotations that relate to his drawing near and his proximity during the Night Journey of which Allah says, "then he drew near, and became close he was but two bows' length or even nearer." 53:8-9 have been explained in several ways. "He drew near" and "became close" can refer to either Gabriel or Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) or that it could be in both cases Gabriel or Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Or, that it might be in reference to the Lote Tree of the Ending. Razi and Abbas' son have been reported as saying that it is Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) who drew near and became close to his Lord. It has also been reported by Makki and al-Mawardi that he said it was Allah who drew near to Prophet Mohammed, meaning His command and judgement drew near. Al-Hassan tells us, "Allah drew near to His worshiper Mohammed, and came close to him, and showed him whatsoever He willed to show him of His power and immensity."

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, 'Gabriel raised me and the sounds were severed from me and I heard the words of my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.'" Anas informs us that "Gabriel ascended with him to the Lote Tree of the Ending, and the Majestic Lord of Might drew near and became close until He was but the distance of two bows' lengths or nearer. Then Allah revealed to him what He willed and revealed the fifty prayers to him." Jaafar, Mohammed's son said, "The drawing near of Allah cannot be defined nor yet its limit, whereas the worshiper's human drawing near is limited." He also said, "How it occurred cannot be applied to the drawing near. Do you not see how Gabriel was veiled from His drawing near? Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) drew near and believed in his own heart. He became close through the tranquillity of his heart with that which drew near when both doubt and hesitation were removed from his heart."

It should be understood that drawing near and nearness to or from Allah is not comparable to a nearness of place or even proximity in space, or human dimensions. The drawing near to his Lord of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and his nearness to Him is apparent on account of his honourable rank, the splendour of the lights, his witnessing of the secrets of the unseen world of Allah, coupled to His power and that kindness, coolness and generosity came to him from Allah. With regard to the Prophet's words, "Our Lord descends to the nearest heaven" this should be viewed by interpretation, because an aspect of descent is that of granting favors, subtleness, acceptance and kindliness. On this subject al-Wasiti said, "Whosoever surmises that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) drew near perceives this in terms of distance. Anything that draws near to Allah, the Real, hangs in the distance. In other words far from one's comprehension of its reality, this is because to the Real neither our human understanding of nearness nor distance applies."

He continued to expand upon the part of the verse that reads "Two bows' lengths or nearer." Saying if one were to make the pronoun refer to Allah and not Gabriel then one makes it a statement relating to the limit of nearness, the subtle of the proximity, clarification of faith and honour for Mohammed. What it does refer to is the fulfilment of his want, the granting of his request, the welcoming of Allah all these were coupled to the increase of his position and the blessed rank Allah bestowed upon him. In the same way that His words, 'When he draws near to Me by the span of a hand, I draw near to him by the span of an arm. Whosoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running', nearness occurs by answering, acceptance, the gifting of goodness, and the acceleration for that which is hoped. As fir the nearness in regard to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) it is the admitting him to the highest Angelic and Spiritual Assembly, of this Abu Yazid Bustami said, 'The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has over 1,000 ranks each of which is like an ocean in magnitude, if I were to come near the lesser of them I would be burned.'"

Section 8: The preceding of the Prophet before the people on the Day of Resurrection

There are many authentic prophetic sayings relating to the Prophet's exalted and honoured position on the Day of Resurrection. Anass tells us that one day the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the events that will occur on the Day of Resurrection. He said, "When mankind are revived, I will be the first to emerge, and I will be their spokesman when they arrive. When they despair, I will give them good news. The Banner of Praise will be in my hand. I am the noblest of the children of Adam before my Lord, and this is no boast." In another rendering Rabi', son of Anass said, "I will be the first of people to emerge when they are revived and I will be their leader when they arrive and their spokesman when they are silent. I will be their intercessor when they are restrained, and I will give them good news when they despair, and the Banner of Praise will be in my hand. I am the noblest of all the children of Adam with my Lord, and this is no boast. A thousand youths of Paradise will go about me as if they were hidden pearls."

Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I will be robed in a robe of the Garden, and I will stand on the right of the Throne where no created being other than I will stand." He also reported, "I will be the Master of the Children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, the first for whom the tombs split open, and the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted." Abu Sayeid al-Khudri tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the position of all the prophets on the Day of Resurrection, saying, "On the Day of Resurrection I will be the master of the Children of Adam and the Banner of Praise will be in my hand, and this is not a boast. All the prophets from the time of Adam will come under my banner, and I will be the first for whom the earth splits open, and this is no boast."

Abbas' son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of his accepted intercession and the opening of the Gates to the Garden, saying, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the bearer of the Banner of Praise, and this is no boast. I will be the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted, and this is no boast. I will be the first to knock at the Gates of the Garden and they will be opened for me and I will enter accompanied by impoverished believers, and this is no boast. Amongst the first and the last I will be the most honoured, and this is no boast." Anas heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "I will be the first of all people to intercede in the Garden, and I will be the one with the most followers." He also heard, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the master of people. Do you know why this will be? (It is because) Allah will gather the first and the last."

Abu Hurayra heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "It is my hope that on the Day of Resurrection I will be the prophet with the greatest wage." We are also told amongst other matters of the request of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) told his Companions, "Aren't you satisfied that Abraham and Jesus will be among you on the Day of Resurrection? On the Day of Resurrection they will be among my nation and Abraham will say, 'You are the answer to my supplication and my descendant, so let me be placed amongst your nation.' All the prophets are brothers with one father and different mothers, Jesus is my brother and no prophet came between him and myself, because of this I am the closest person to him."

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) indicated that on that Day, it is he alone who will be given the mastery and intercession. This is because mankind will not find refuge in any other prophet and seek refuge with him. When a person is in need he seeks the help of a master, and on that Day it is he alone among all mankind who will be given mastery. There will be none to share with him or claim otherwise. Allah says, "And who is the Owner of the Kingdom on that Day? Allah, the One, the Conqueror!" 40:16. Both this world and the Everlasting world belong to Allah, and those who laid claim to their ownership will be severed, and there is no doubt that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) will be given mastery over us all in the Everlasting Life. Anas heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will approach the Gate of the Garden and ask for it to be opened. Its guardian will inquire, 'Who are you?' and I will reply 'Mohammed', whereupon he will say, 'It is because of you that I was ordered not to open the door to anyone before you.'"

The following prophetic quotation describes the Pool (Kawthar) of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). It has been widely reported and include such narrators as Amr, Abdullah's son, Anass, Lady Aisha and her sister Asma, may Allah be pleased with all of them, and from them we learn that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him said, "The length of a journey across my pool is that of a month. Its water is whiter than silver and its fragrance is sweeter than musk. Its vessels are like the stars in the heaven and whosoever drinks from it will never thirst again." Abu Dharr reported a similar saying, but gave details that its length is the distance between Aden and Syria, and that streams from the Garden flow into it.

Section 9: The selection of Prophet Mohammed, over and above all of the creation for the receivership of the Love of Allah and the closeness of His friendship

There are many authenticated prophetic quotations that speak of our Prophet's selection over and above all of the creation of Allah as being "The beloved of Allah" and Muslims often refer to him by this title. There is a difference between the exalted titles of "close friend" and "beloved" and these will be explained. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of his closeness to Abu Bakr saying, "If I were to have taken a close friend other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr." We are also informed that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said "Your companion (referring to himself) is the close friend of Allah" and this is endorsed by the transmission from Abdullah, Masood's son in his narration, "Allah took your companion as a close friend."

Several of the Companions had gathered and waited for the arrival of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and during this time they spoke to one another about the ranks of the prophets. Abbas' son reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) came out he overheard their conversation, one of whom was saying, "How astounding, Allah took Abraham from His creation as His close friend," Another said, "It is even more astounding that He spoke directly to Moses!" Whereupon another said, "Jesus is the word of Allah and His created spirit." And another said, "Allah chose Adam!" Having heard their comments, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) greeted them and told them that he had heard what they were saying and noticed that they were astounded that Allah had chosen Abraham as a close friend, and confirmed that this was so. He said, "You also expressed your amazement that Allah took Moses as a close friend, and this too is so. You also spoke of Jesus as being the created spirit of Allah, and this is so, and that Adam was chosen and this is so. I am the beloved of Allah, and I am not boasting. I will be the Bearer of the Banner of Praise on the Day of Resurrection, and this is not a boast. I will be the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted, and this is not a boast. I will be the first to knock at the Gate of the Garden and Allah will cause it to be opened for me and let me enter together with the poor believers, and this is not a boast. From the first to the last I am the most honoured or all, and this is not a boast."

In addition to the preceding Prophetic quotation, Abu Hurayra reported that Allah said to His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "I have taken you for a close friend, and written in the Torah is 'the Beloved of the Merciful.'" There are differences in opinion regarding the terminology "close friend" and the root word from which it is derived. There are those who say the Arabic word "khalil", meaning 'close friend', also bears the definition of "devoted to Allah." This is because people who attain such a rank of devotion, or love of Allah are not detached from one another. Another opinion is that the word "khalil" can be taken as meaning "chosen", and that Allah selected this word in preference to others. It has also been said that the root of the word is derived from "taking a matter to be pure". Prophet Abraham was called the close friend of Allah "khalilu'llah" on account of the ultimate intensity of his devotion to Allah. The friendship of Allah to Abraham was that He made him victorious and a role model. On the other hand, there are those who define the root of "khalil", which is "khulla" meaning "in need" as being "a poor person in need". Abraham was known by this title because his need was only in his Lord and he was devotedly dependant upon Him for his needs and did not depend upon others. We recall how when Abraham was about to be cast into the fire, Gabriel came to him and asked, "Are you in need of anything?" whereupon he replied, "No, I am not in need of anything from you."

Abu Bakr Furack's son defined the word "khulla" with the meaning of "pure love that necessitates a person being singled out for being infused by secrets." It has also been said that the root of the word "khulla" is love, and incorporates kindness, help, raising and intercession. This is founded in the verse that reads, "The Jews and Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.' Say (Prophet Mohammed), 'Why then does He punish you for your sins?' 5:18. It is inconceivable that if a person is beloved, that he should be punished for his sins! The Prophethood has perspectives between people and the prophet, whereas the friendship has a perspective between Allah and Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) which makes it very special. Because of their devotion to Allah, both Prophets Abraham and Mohammed, peace be upon them, were titled "close friends." They looked to Him for all their needs and severed themselves from needing anyone else. And, it was either because of the greatness of the concealed kindness of Allah to them, and the disclosed knowledge of the Divine secrets they received, as well as the matters of the Unseen worlds and faith with which they were infused in their inner self that they forsook other means and causes. Or, because their hearts had been purified from anything other than Him, so that love for anything else was prevented from reaching them. For this reason a scholar said, "A person who is 'khalil' is one whose heart has no room for anyone other than Him." Accordingly the same scholar is of the opinion that this is what the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) referred to when he said, "If I were to have taken a close friend other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr, however, in Islam there is brotherhood."

Opinions vary among the knowledgeable masters of the matters relating to the heart as to which is the higher degree and the question arises is it the degree of close friendship, or the degree of love the higher? On the other hand there are those who consider both degrees as being equal to one another saying that the beloved is a close friend and a close friend is also the beloved. But then, Prophet Abraham was given the degree of close friendship and Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon them both, was given the beloved status. In support of the opinion that the degree of friendship is higher, one of the scholars quotes the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that says, "If I were to have taken a close friend other than my Lord …" but he did not do so and we find him using the word 'love' to his daughter Lady Fatima, her sons, as well as Osama and others. The consensus of most scholars is that "love" is higher than "friendship". To sustain this opinion they use as their proof that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) was given the title of the "Beloved" whereas Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was titled "Close Friend".

One must examine the human basis of love and know that it is the inclination of what the beloved finds pleasing. The love of Allah is not connected to unessential matters. Rather, His love for His worshipers is comprised of happiness, protection, success, and affairs that bring him/her closer and His Mercy that overflows upon the recipient. The highest degree is reached when the veils of the heart are removed so that the worshiper sees Him with his heart and looks at Him with his inner eye. This is supported by the Divine quotation that tells us, "When I (Allah) love him I am his hearing by which he hears, the sight by which he sees, and his tongue by which he speaks." One should understand by this that there is nothing better for a worshiper other than seclusion for the sake of Allah, devotion to Him, the turning away from anything other than Allah, the purity of heart and sincerity of actions for the sake of Allah. Lady Aisha (may Allah be satisfied with her) was asked about the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and said, "His character was the Quran, and his pleasure was its pleasure and his anger was its anger."

It is an undoubted fact that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) was blessed to be the receiver of not only the quality of close friendship but also the very special quality of love. When the unbelievers said, "Mohammed means we should love him just as the Christians love Jesus, the son of Mary", but should not associate him as a son, Allah sent down the verse that reads "Say, (Prophet Mohammed), 'If you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins." 3:31. And His anger towards them becomes apparent in the following verse that tells us, "Say, 'Obey Allah and His Messenger.' But if they turn away, then truly, Allah does not love the unbelievers." 3:32. In this verse Allah increased the honour the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Note how He issued the command to obey His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in connection with obedience to Himself-this is followed by the warning if they choose to turn away, "then truly, Allah does not love the unbelievers."

A theologian explained the difference between love and close friendship. He said that the close friend reaches Allah through an intermediary. To support his explanation he quoted the verses "And so We showed Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, so that he might be of those who are certain." 6:75 whereas He indicated that the beloved, Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) reaches Allah by Allah in the verse "he was but a bows' length or even nearer" 53:9. It has also been said that the limit of the close friend is the desire for forgiveness. Allah quotes the saying of Abraham, "and whom I am eager shall forgive me my sins." 26:82. Whereas the one who is the beloved is absolutely certain that he will be forgiven, and this is supported in the verse that reads, "that Allah forgives your past and future sins, and completes His Favour to you and guides you on a Straight Path." 48:2.

We refer back to Prophet Abraham whose rank is that of the close friend and the verse in which he said, "and whom I am eager shall forgive me my sins." 26:82 and now to the verse "Allah will not degrade the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will run before them on their right hands." 66:8. The 'close friend' Abraham said, "And appoint me a tongue of truthfulness among the latter." 26:82. Whereas Prophet Mohammed, 'the beloved', was told, in the verse "Allah will not degrade the Prophet and those who believe with him." 66:8. Note how the glad tiding was given to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) before the questioning. In times of affliction note how the close friend says, "Allah is sufficient for us" 3:173. Whereas it was said to Prophet Mohammed, the Beloved (peace and blessing be upon him) "O Prophet, Allah suffices you and whosoever follows you of the believers." 8:64. And Abraham, the close friend of Allah is quoted in the Quran saying, "And appoint me a tongue of truthfulness among the latter." 26:82, while Allah said to the Beloved Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) "The Last shall be better for you than the First." 93:4 "O family of the house, Allah only wishes to distance fault from you, and to cleanse you." 33:33. The preceding information is sufficient to give one a glimpse into the superiority of the rank, degrees and status of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) and to the inform you of the opinions of the scholars of Islam. Allah says, "Each human works in his own manner. But your Lord knows very well who is best guided on the way." 17:84

Section 10: The intercession given to the Prophet and his praiseworthy station

Allah tells Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) "Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station." 17:79. When the Prophet was asked about the meaning of this verse, Abu Hurayra reports him as saying, "It means intercession." Omar's son said, "On the Day of Resurrection people will arrive kneeling. Each nation will follow their prophet asking, 'O so-and-so, intercede for us!' And this will continue until the intercession is given to Prophet Mohammed. It is on that Day that Allah will raise Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) to the Praiseworthy Station." On the subject of the Praiseworthy Station, Ka'b, Malik's son heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "On the Day of Resurrection, all the people will be gathered together. I and my nation will be on a hill and my Lord will clothe me in a robe of green and give me permission. Then, I will say what Allah wills me to say-that is the Praiseworthy Station." Omar's son said, "He will advance and knock at the Gates of the Garden. It is on that Day that Allah will grant him the promised Praiseworthy Station." Masood's son tells us, "The Prophet will stand on the right of the Throne in a station where he alone will stand, and the first and the last will be envious." He also tells us that when he said, "I will stand in the Praiseworthy Station" he was asked, what it is, whereupon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, "On that Day, Allah is in control of His Throne."

One day the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of a choice he had been given, and Abu Musa al-Ashari tells us he said, "I was given a choice of either having half of my nation enter the Garden, or being granted the intercession. I chose the intercession because it is more encompassing. Do you think that it is on behalf of those who fear Allah? Rather, it is for those who fall into error and sin." Abu Hurayra wanted to know more about the intercession so he asked the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to speak about it, whereupon he replied, "My intercession is for those who sincerely bear witness that there is no god except Allah with his tongue which confirms what is in his heart." Habiba's mother heard Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "I was shown by Allah what will happen to my nation after me. They will shed the blood of one another, and this also occurred in previous nations, and the same will happen to them. Because of this I asked Allah that on the Day of Resurrection He grants me permission to intercede on their behalf, and this He has done."

Hudhayfa informs us, "Allah will gather mankind altogether after the Caller has called them on a wide plain. They will be barefoot and as naked as when they were created. All will be silent, no one will speak except by the permission of Allah. There will be call, 'Mohammed.' And he will reply, 'Obedient to You! Goodness is in Your Hands, evil is not (attributed) to You. The one You guide is guided and Your worshiper is here in Your presence, Yours, to You. Except with You there is no place of safety or refuge. You are the Blessed and Exalted. Glory be to You, the Lord of the House.'" Hudhayfa also said, "That is the Praiseworthy Station of which Allah has spoken." Abbas' son spoke of the people of Paradise and Hell, saying, "When the people of the Fire enter it, and the people of the Garden enter therein, and their remains only the last band of those to enter the Garden and the last band of those to enter the Fire, the band of those of the Fire will say to the band of those of the Garden, 'Your belief has not been of help to you!' They will call shouting, out to their Lord, and the people of the Garden will hear them, and they will ask Adam and the other prophets after him to intercede on their behalf. Each prophet will refrain with an excuse until they come to Mohammed who will intercede for them-that is the Praiseworthy Station."

Jabir, Abdullah's son asked Yazid al-Faqir whether he had heard something about the station of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) where upon he replied that he had and said, "It is the Praiseworthy Station of Mohammed through which Allah will release from the Fire whosoever comes from it." Then he recalled the famous prophetic quotation of intercession that speaks of the release of people from Hell. Anas and several other Companions reported something similar and said that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also said, "Allah will join the first and the last on the Day of Resurrection. They will be anxious, or consumed, and say, 'If only we could seek intercession with our Lord!'" It is also reported that "People will search amongst each other."

Concerning the circumstances of that Day, Abu Hurayra tells us of the occasion when the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke giving more details of the Day of Resurrection saying, "I will be the master of all people on the Day of Resurrection. Do you know how that will be? On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will assemble all mankind, the first and the last, on a wide plain so that they will all be visible and able to hear the Caller. On that Day the sun will be very near to mankind and they will undergo tremendous suffering and grief. They will say among themselves, 'Do you realize what we are in and what has befallen us? Can you find someone who might intercede for you with your Lord? Some will say to the other, Adam is your father', and they will go to him and say 'O Adam, you are the father of mankind. Allah created you with His Hands and breathed into you of His spirit, and commanded the angels to bow down towards you and let you live in the Garden. Won't you intercede for us with your Lord? Don't you see our condition and the intense suffering that has overtaken us?' Adam will say, 'My Lord is angry today in a way in which He has never been angered before, and He will never be angered like it again. He forbade me to eat of a certain tree but I disobeyed Him. I am afraid for myself, for myself, for myself. Go to someone else. Go to Noah. So they will go to Noah and say, 'O Noah, you were the first Messenger to the people of the world, and Allah called you a grateful worshiper. Look at our condition, see how we suffer. Won't you intercede for us with your Lord?' He will tell them, 'My Lord is angry today, in a way in which He has never been angered before, and He will never be angered like it again. I was given one chance of supplication and I supplicated for my nation, I am afraid for myself, for myself, for myself. Go to someone else, go to Abraham.' So they will go to Abraham and say, 'O Abraham, you are the Prophet of Allah, His friend, chosen from the inhabitants of the earth, please intercede for us with your Lord. You can see the predicament we are in!' Abraham will tell them, 'My Lord is angry today in a way in which He has never been angered before and He will never be angered like it again. I lied three times. Myself, myself, myself, therefore go to someone else, go to Moses. So they will go to Moses and say, 'O Moses, you are a Messenger of Allah, Allah honoured you and favored you with His Message and His Speech above the people, please intercede for us with your Lord! Can't you see our condition?' He will say, 'My Lord is angry today in a way in which He has never been angered before. I killed a person whom I had not been ordered to kill. I am afraid for myself, for myself, for myself, go to someone else, go to Jesus. So they will go to Jesus and say, 'Jesus, you are the Messenger of Allah and His Word which He conveyed to Mary and a created spirit from Him, and you talked to people when you were in your cradle. Please intercede for us with your Lord, look at our circumstances!' Jesus will say, 'My Lord is angry today in a way in which He has never been angered before.' He will not mention a sin, but say, 'I am afraid for myself, myself, for myself, go to someone else, go to Mohammed. (Regarding the saying of Prophet Jesus not mentioning a sin there are other narrations that report that his fear will be on account of people who erroneously worshiped him, and also the verses in Quran that state that they and what they worship will be the fuel of Hell.) Then they will come to me and say, 'O Mohammed, you are the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. Allah has forgiven you all your shortcomings, the first and the last, please, intercede for us with your Lord. Look at the condition we are in!' Then I will proceed towards the Throne and fall prostrate before my Lord, then Allah will give me knowledge of His Praise and Glorification, the like of which has never been given to any before me. Then He will say to me, 'O Mohammed, raise your head and supplicate, you will be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted.' Thereupon I will raise my head and supplicate. 'My nation, O Lord, my nation. O Lord, my nation, O Lord.' And Allah will say, 'O Mohammed, take into Paradise through its Gate those on the right, and those who are not subject to the accounting; the remainder will be admitted along with other people through the various gates of Paradise.'

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) added, 'By Him in whose Hands is my life, the distance between two gates of Paradise will be as wide as the distance between Mecca and Hijr, or between Mecca and Basra.'" Anas reported a similar quotation but said that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Then I will fall down in prostration and I will be told, 'Mohammed, raise your head. Speak and you will be heard, intercede and it will be granted, ask and you will be given.' I will say, 'O Lord, give me permission for the one who says: There is no god except Allah." Several other Companions reported similar sayings including Abu Bakr, Ukba Amir's son, Abu Said al-Khudri and Hudhayfa. Hudhayfa tells us of the quotation that relates to the Bridge over the Fire of Hell, saying, "They will come to Mohammed and he will be granted permission. Then the trust and kinship will come and stand on either side of the Bride" (to harm those who are guilty of cheating the trust and severing the kinship). He also informs us that "They will come to Mohammed and he will intercede. The Bridge will be established and the first of them will pass over like lightening, the next like the wind, the next like a bird and the next running, while our Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is on the Bridge supplicating, 'O Allah, grant safety, grant safety!' For as long as it takes for all mankind to cross." Abu Hurayra heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "I will be the first to pass over." Abbas' son informs us that he said, "Pulpits will be set up for the prophets on which they will sit. My pulpit will be there, but I will not sit on it, rather I will remain standing before my Lord, and Allah will ask, 'What do you want Me to do with your nation?' Whereupon I will reply, O Lord, make their reckoning quick. Then He will call for them and they will be judged. Some will enter the Garden by His Mercy, and some will enter it by my intercession. I will continue to intercede until He gives clemency to selected persons who have been condemned to the Fire. The Guardian of the Fire will say, 'Mohammed, you have not left any room for the anger of your Lord against your nation!'''

To summarize these quotations, the intercession of our Beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and his Praiseworthy Station stretches from the first intercession to the last. His intercession will alleviate mankind when they stand in wait for the final Reckoning with throats constricted, sweating under the intense heat of the sun. When the Bridge is established and mankind judged, he will hasten those who are not called to account through his intercession. Thereafter, he intercedes for those who are subject to be punished and go to Hell, then he will intercede for all those who say, "There is no god except Allah" and no other prophet is able to do this. From the well known quotation of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) we learn, "Each prophet has a supplication which he makes. I have reserved my supplication for intercession for my nation on the Day of Resurrection." From the preceding quotation, the scholars of Islam say that the supplication of our Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is one which he is certain will be answered, and their wishes will thereby be fulfilled. The true value of our Prophet's intercession cannot be estimated. When other prophets supplicate they waver between hope and fear, and their supplication is guaranteed for them as long as they are without doubt, certain that it will be answered.

Abu Hurayra quotes the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "Each prophet has an answered supplication which he uses for his nation. It is my wish to delay my supplication and use it to intercede for my nation on the Day of Resurrection." To this Abu Salih added, "Each prophet has an answered supplication, however each prophet has already supplicated." The supplication of our Beloved Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him and grant him perfect peace, is specific for his nation, and its answer is guaranteed. Our Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said that he asked for his nation certain things in both religion and in worldly affairs and that some were granted and others withheld. He hoards this supplication for the Day of Poverty, the Seal of all Afflictions, the time of unanswerable questions and unquenched desires. May Allah shower him with a repayment better than any other prophet has been repaid by his nation. May Allah praise him and grant him perfect peace continuously, abundantly and increasingly now and throughout all eternity.

Section 11: The River of Abundance (Kawthar) in the Garden

Abdullah, Amr's son heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "When you hear the call to prayer repeat what he says and ask for blessings upon me. Whosoever asks for blessings upon me once, Allah will bless him tenfold. Then ask Allah to give me the position of going between (wasila) and the intercession, that is a station in the Hereafter for only one recipient of the worshipers of Allah, and it is my hope that I will be that one. Whosoever asks Allah by this supplication will receive my intercession." Abu Hurayra reported having heard that the supplication is for the highest degree in the Garden. We are given a glimpse of the River of Paradise in a report by Anass who tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "When I was traveling through the Garden a river appeared before me. Its banks were domes of pearls. I asked Gabriel, 'What is this?' He replied, 'This is Kawthar which Allah has given you.' Then he struck the earth (under Kawthar) with his hand and brought forth musk."

Lady Aisha (may Allah be satisfied with her) reported something similar with the addition, "It flows over pearls and rubies, and its water is sweeter than honey and whiter than snow." We are also told "It does not carve out a river bed as it flows, and there is a pool to which my nation will come." Also reported is that the water of Kawthar will be channeled into the houses of each believer in Paradise. Abbas' son narrates a similar quotation to which is added, "Kawthar is the abundance of good given to him (Prophet Mohammed, praise and peace be upon him) by Allah." Hudhayfa heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "He has given me Kawthar, it is a river in the Garden and flows into my Pool." Allah says, "Your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied" 93:5. Abbas' son tells us that there are one thousand castles of pearl and its earth is musk, and contains what is appropriate for them to house." In another version we learn that what is appropriate means the house, wives and youths.

Section 12: The Prophetic Sayings relating to the prohibition of differentiating between the prophets

The proof that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is the noblest of all mankind and the best of all the prophets has been established and proven in both the Quran and prophetic quotations. The question arises as to the meaning of the prophetic quotations that speak of the prohibition against stating that there is any preference amongst them. You will recall earlier we mentioned the prophetic saying, "No worshipper should say that I am better than Jonah Matta's son." A similar statement is reported by Masood's son. Abu Hurayra also reported an incident when a Jew said, "By the One whose chose Moses over mankind." Whereupon an Ansar hit him saying, "How dare you say this when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is among us!" The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) happened to overhear what was said and said, "Do not make differences between the prophets." Again, Abu Hurayra reported the Prophet to have said, "Whosoever says I am better than Jonah Matta's son has lied."

One day a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and addressed him saying, "O best of mankind!" He replied, "That is Abraham." Scholars explain the meanings of these quotations in several ways. It has been explained that the prohibition occurred before he was informed that he was the Master of the children of Adam, so consequently he forbade anyone to differentiate between them in the rank of prophethood and its common core. Another explanation is that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said it out of humility and to forbid pride and arrogance. Others explained the saying with the meaning that if there was differentiation between them it could either lead to the lessening or detracting from the status of any one of them, a case in particular is what Allah said about Prophet Jonah. Scholars explain that this is in order to prevent the unknowledgeable person belittling or lessening his high rank on account of the verse, "He went away in anger thinking We had no power over him." 21:87. When reading this verse such a person might incline to think that he was lesser in rank. It has also been explained that it is the prohibition of differentiating between the Prophethood and the delivery of the Message. All the prophets are equal in this respect and consequently there is no difference. However, there is differentiation between the prophets regarding the elevation of their states, miracles, election, rank and kindness.

Although all have them they are common on the core of prophethood, we should reserve some differentiation. This is because Allah Himself has favored some of them above others for example there are Messengers who received a message, and Messengers who possess resolution and firmness, as one finds in Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, or Idris-the one who has been raised to a high position. John-the one who was given judgement when he was an young. David-the one who was given the Psalms. Jesus-the one who was given clear signs. Moses to whom Allah spoke to, and others whom Allah raised in degree. Allah tells us, "We have preferred some prophets above others." 17:55. And, "Of these Messengers, We have preferred some above others." 2:253.

A scholar of Islam commented on the word "preferred" saying, "Preference is that of preferring them in this world, and of this there are three aspects:

The greatness and prominence of their signs and miracles.
The purity and size of their nation.
The quality and prominence.

To clarify the third aspect, it is that it refers to the generous gifts highlighting the honour given specially to them by Allah and included such eliteness as being selected for direct speech, favours and close friendship. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of Prophet Jonah saying, "Prophethood has heavy loads and Jonah was unable to carry them, in a similar way that a weak, young camel is unable to carry a heavy load." One finds that the Prophet's conduct was always guarded against saying or doing anything that could be used as a source of dissension, because there are those who would not hesitate to belittle the prophethood of Jonah, peace be upon him, and disregard the fact that he was among those who were chosen. It was an act of compassion on behalf of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) for his nation. Another explanation is the possibility that the word "I" refers to the speaker, in other words no one should think that he is better than Jonah because of the Words of Allah concerning him. The degree of prophethood is better and higher and therefore its value cannot be diminished by even an atom. Allah willing, (insha Allah), we will discuss this matter further later in the book. Success is from Allah, and He is the Helper-there is no god except Him!

Section 13: The excellence of the names given to the Prophet

Mutim, father of Jubair tells us of the names given to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and tells us that he said, "I have been given five names. I am Mohammed, I am Ahmed, I am al-Mahi (the eraser) by whom Allah extinguishes disbelief. I am al-Hasher (the gatherer) at whose feet mankind will gather, and I am al-Aqib (the last in prophetic succession)." One of the special gifts given to him by Allah lies in the fact that Allah named him "Ahmed and Mohammed" both of which are found in the Quran and derived from the Arabic root "to praise" and this is also the same root that some of the finest Names of Allah are derived. Therefore the creation praise the Creator with His Divine praised, finest Name and also venerate His Prophet with his praised prophetic name. Of all those who praise Allah, Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is the most excellent, and he is the best of all those who are praised and the one who is most deserving of praise among creation. On the Day of Resurrection, he will come as the bearer of the Banner of Praise (to Allah) and this is will be the completion of the perfection of the praise for him, and his Lord will, as promised, give him the Praiseworthy Station. At that time and place, the first and last generations will thankfully praise him for the intercession he makes for them, and as we learned in an earlier part of this chapter, he will begin praising Allah in a way never before given to anyone. In the previous Books given to the prophets, the nation of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) are called "the praisers", therefore it befits him that he is called Mohammed and Ahmed.

These two names are very special and contain not only qualities but signs. Before Prophet Mohammed's advent (peace and blessing be upon him) no one had been called Ahmed. Allah in His wisdom had preserved them especially for him. Even though the name Ahmed had been written in previous scriptures proclaiming the good news of his coming, no one was called by it before his coming. This blessing was a protection for mankind dispelling all doubt and the confusion of the faint hearted. The same can be said of his name Mohammed. Neither Arabs nor non-Arabs knew of it until shortly before his birth when they heard the news and that a person bearing this name had been selected to be a prophet. When the news of his name became known six Arabs named their son Mohammed in the hope that it would be their son who would be the chosen one, but Allah had selected His Message to be placed with Mohammed, Abdullah's son. The six Mohammed's were, the son of Uhayha whose grandfather was al-Julah al-Awsi, the son of Maslama al-Ansari, the son of Barra al-Bakri, the son of Sufyan whose grandfather was Mujashi, the son of Humran al-Jufi and the son of Khuza'i Sulami. Allah prevented all of them from claiming the Prophethood and there was no contender amongst them and the names were established as being his.

Of the Prophet's name "Al-Mahi"-the eraser, the one who would erase disbelief, it has been said that it might possibly be because he erased disbelief from Mecca and other Arab lands that he had prophesized would convert that came about after his passing. Or, that the erasing of disbelief is referred to in general, meaning victory and overcoming as Allah says, "It is He who has sent forth His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to uplift it above every religion" 9:33. This is explained in a prophetic quotation as meaning the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is the one through whom the sins of his nation will be erased. His name "Al-Aqib"-the last in prophetic succession, is that no other prophet will come after him, he is the last, the seal of the Prophethood. Allah speaks of him saying, "He is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets." 33:40. His name "Al-Hasher"-the gatherer, it is because the people will be gathered at his feet. This name has also been explained as meaning that all people will be gathered before him because Allah says, "In order that you will be a witness above the people, and that the Messenger be a witness above you." 2:143. It has also been said that "gathered at his feet" is an indication of his precedence over all others. Allah says, "that they stand firm with their Lord." 10:2. "Gathered at his feet" has also been explained with the meaning in front and around him, and that it also refers to his prophetic way.

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is known by more than five names, and those mentioned in this quotation are names that existed in ancient scriptures and were known to previous nations. Upon another occasion the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of others names he had been given, saying, "I have ten names" then he mentioned the five in the previous quotation and added "I am the Messenger of mercy, the Messenger of rest, the Messenger of fierce battles (against satan and his army), I am the Tracker and followed in the tracks of the prophets. I am the straight and the unifier. In the unadulterated books of previous prophets it is written that, Prophet David, peace be upon him, said, "O Allah, send Mohammed to us it is such a long period to straighten the prophetic way. This is also said to bear the same meaning of unifier. At another time he told his Companions, "I have seven names that are mentioned in the Quran: Mohammed, Ahmed, Yaseen, Taha, al-Muddaththir (the cloaked), al-Muzzammil (the wrapped), and Abdullah." The name "Taha" has been explained as meaning "O Pure" from the Arabic word "Tahir', and "Yaseen', is explained with the meaning "O Master".

The father of Moses al-Ashari tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I am Mohammed, Ahmed, the Tracker, the Gatherer, the Prophet of Repentance, the Prophet of Fierce Battles (against satan and his army), the Prophet of Mercy." In another report it reads "The Prophet of Mercy and Rest." Allah willing (insha Allah), all these names are correct. Allah speaks of His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saying, "We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds." 21:107. He also says, "to recite to them His verses, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and the Wisdom." 62:2. Also, "And guides them to a Straight Path" 5:16 and He speaks of his qualities saying, "he is gentle, merciful to the believers." 9:128. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of his nation saying, "It is a nation that has been shown mercy." Of his nation Allah says, "they charge each to be patient, and charge each other to be merciful." 90:17. In His Mercy, Allah sent Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) not only as a Prophet and a Messenger for his nation but also for all mankind, and the one who asks for their forgiveness. Allah made his nation one that shows mercy, and one to whom mercy is attributed. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) commanded his follows to be merciful to one another and praised this quality in them saying, "Allah loves those of His worshipers who are merciful." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) encouraged his followers to be merciful and said, "The Merciful loves those who are merciful, therefore show mercy to all upon the earth and whosoever is in the heavens will show mercy to you."'

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) informed his Companions, "An angel came to me and told me I am "Al-Quthum" (the Gathered)." He told them that "Al-Quthum" is one who gathers good. This name was one by which the members of his household frequently called him. In the Quran, Allah calls His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) by many blessed names, some we have already mentioned. Amongst those not already mentioned are the: Light, Luminous Lamp, Warner, Bearer of Glad Tidings, Witness, Witnesser, Manifest Truth, Seal of all the Prophets, Compassionate, Merciful, Trusty, Foot of Truthfulness, Mercy to all the worlds, Blessing of Allah, Firmest Tie, Straight Path, Piercing Star, Generous, Unlettered Prophet, and the Inviter to Allah.

In the ancient scriptures a wealth of other names are to be found together with the mention of his attributes. In his sayings one finds many other names that were frequently used by his Companions and followers. These include names such as the: Chosen, Selected, Father of Kasim, the Beloved, Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds, Accepted, Intercessor, the Fearfully Aware, Amender, Outward, Guardian, Truthful, Confirmer, Guide, Master of the Children of Adam, Master of the Messengers, Leader of the Fearfully Aware, Leader of the Glorious Radiant Ones, Beloved of Allah, Friend of the Merciful, Possessor of the Visited Pool, Intercessor, the Praiseworthy Station, Possessor of Means, Excellence and the High Degree, Possessor of the Crown, Ascended, Banner and Staff, Rider of Burack, Owner of the She-Camel and the Fine Camel, the Possessor of Proof, Power, Seal, Sign and the Evidence, Possessor of the Staff and the Possessor of the Two Sandals.

Anas tells us that when the Prophet's son Abraham was born, the Archangel Gabriel came to him and greeted him saying, "Peace be upon you, Father of Abraham". In the previous scriptures the following names are found: the Relied Upon, the Chosen, the Estabisher of the Prophetic Way, the Pure, the Spirit of Purity, the Spirit of the Real, the Paraclete. Ka'b al-Ahbar informs us "Madh Madh" is another name found in earlier scriptures and bears the meaning of, "Excellent, excellent". He also tells us that the names, "Hamtaya," “Al-Khatim", and "Al-Hatim" are also recorded. Tha'lab explained the meanings of “Al-Khatim" and "Al-Hatim" saying, “Al-Khatim is the one who seals the Prophethood and "Al-Hatim" denotes the nature of his character and physical attributes both of which are better than those given to the previous prophets. Tha'lab also tells us that in the Syriac language he was called "Mushaffah" and “Al-Munhaminna" which means the "Spirit of Purity". While Sirin's son informs us that in the Torah he is called "Ahid". The name "Possessor of the Staff" refers to the sword. In the Gospel it is written "He will have a staff of iron with which he will fight his nation." There is the possibility that it refers to a long staff held by the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) similar to that of the Caliphs in later years. Allah knows best.

Judge Iyyad is of the opinion that it is his staff mentioned in the prophetic sayings that relates to his Pool that reads, "I will drive people away from it with my staff for the sake of the People of the Right." "The Crown" refers to his turban. During his era a turban was worn only by the Arabs. The preceding suffices as brief glimpse at his blessed names, titles and qualities of which there are many more.

Section 14: The Honour of Allah to the Prophet by gifting him with some of His own Beautiful Names and by describing him with some of His own splendid qualities

Upon reflection, Qadi Iyyad said that he felt this section would have been better placed earlier on in this reference as it covers much of the same subject matter. However, he tells us that it was during this period of writing that Allah expanded his chest and guided him to discovery by illuminating his thoughts, and this enabled him to extract its jewel. We are told in the Holy Quran of the honour Allah bestowed on many of His prophets by gifting them with some of His Own Names. For example, he called Prophets Ishmael and Isaac "Alim" meaning the "knowing" and their father Prophet Abraham "Halim" meaning the "forbearing". Prophet Noah was bestowed with the name, "Shakur" meaning "thankful" and both Prophets John and Jesus were given the name "Barr", meaning "devoted". Prophet Moses was blessed with the names "Karim" and "Qawwi" meaning "noble" and "strong'. Prophet Joseph was given the name "Hafidh Alim" meaning the "knowing guardian", and Prophet Job was named "Sabur" meaning patient. Prophet Ishmael was also called "Sadiq al-Wa'd" meaning "True to the promise". Peace be upon all the prophets.

[As for Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) one finds that Allah preferred, honoured and adorned him with an abundance of His Own Names, and that he was known by these names to earlier prophets. There are approximately thirty gifted names, and the author, Judge Iyyad, humbly tells us that prior to this work, no one had gathered them together. He tells us that in his research all he was able to find in the works of others were just two names. (Approximately three-hundred years later, Imam al-Jazuli listed in his work "Dala'il ul-Khayrat" 201 names of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him).)]

The Judge Iyyad said, "As Allah inspired and taught us, and verified these names and their meaning, Allah willing we will now complete the blessing by clarifying what He has yet to show us on the subject and unlock it." We begin with His Name "Al-Hamid" which means "Praiseworthy. The meaning of this is the One who is praised because Allah Himself praises Himself and His worshipers praise Him. It also bears the meaning of the One who praises Himself and praises acts of obedience. Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is called by two names both of which mean praised, they are Mohammed and Ahmed and these names are mentioned in the unadulterated Psalms of Prophet David. To shed more light, Ahmed bears the meaning of the greatest of those who praise, and the most noble of those to be praised. Hassan, Thabit's son, the great poet, known for his poetry praising the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) indicated to this when he said, "For him it has been taken from His Own Name so that he is ennobled". Allah has called Himself, "the Gentle" (Ra'uf) and "the Absolute Merciful" (Raheem). There is a similarity between these two Names, and we find Him adorning His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) with them in His Words, "and is gentle, merciful to the believers."

Amongst the Names of Allah is "the Clear Truth" (Al-Haqq al-Mubin). "The Truth" (Al-Haqq) means that which is existent and is an irrefutable reality. "Clear" (Al-Mubin) is the One whose Divinity is apparent. The Arabic verbs "Bana and Abana" have the same meaning, that is to make clear to His worshipers the religion and that they ultimately return to Him. Allah calls His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) by this name saying "until the truth and a clear Messenger came to them" 43:29. And, "I am a plain warner" 15:89. Allah also refers to him saying, "O people, the Messenger has come to you with the truth from your Lord." 4:170. And He says, "they belied the truth when it came to them." 6:5. It has been said that the preceding refer to Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) others say it means the Quran. However, what is understood is that it is the opposite of falsehood. The Prophet's truthfulness and characteristics are an irrefutable reality. "The clear" is he whose actions and message are clear, or the one who clarifies what Allah sent him with. Allah says, "so that you can make clear to people what has been sent down to them." 16:44

Allah calls Himself "An Noor", meaning "The Light". He is the Possessor of Light, the Creator, and illuminates the heavens and the earth with lights. He is the One who enriches the hearts of believers with the light of guidance. In chapter 5 verse 15, Allah tells us "A light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book." It has been said that the light refers to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and it has also been said that it refers to the Quran. Allah calls His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "a caller to Allah by His permission, a light shedding lamp." 33:46. This verse makes his position clear, confirms his Prophethood and what he brings to mankind illumines the hearts of believers. Another of the Names of Allah is "The Witness" (Shahid) and bears the meaning of the One who is All-Knowing. Allah calls His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "a witness" and says, "O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness." 33:46 and, "and that the Messenger be a witness above you." 2:143 .

Furthermore, another of the Names of Allah is "The Generous and Honourable" (Al-Karim) has the attributes of being the One with whom there is much good. It has also been explained as meaning "The Overflowing of Generosity", and "The Forgiving" as well as "the High". Allah tells us "it is indeed the word of an Honourable Messenger" 81:19. This verse has been said to refer to either the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) or to the Archangel Gabriel. In a prophetic quotation he said, "I am the noblest and master of the children of Adam." Each meaning of the name are equally valid for him. Allah has named Himself "The Mighty" (Al-Adhim). And its meaning is the One who is majestic, everything relies upon Him. When He speaks of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) he says, "Surely, you are of a great morality." 68:4. Amongst the scriptures of the Torah is found the saying of Ishmael, "A mighty one will be born for a mighty nation and he is mighty with a mighty morality."

Allah is "The Compeller" (Al-Jabbar), and bears the meaning of He who amends, it has also been said that it means "the Conqueror", or "the One with a Mighty Affair" or "the Proud". In the Psalms of David the Prophet, peace be upon him, is called "Jabbar" it reads, "O Jabbar, put on your sword! Your constitution and jurisprudence are accompanied by the fear of your right hand." This quotation bears the meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) will either reform his nation through guidance, or through the power given to him against his enemies, or, because of the magnitude of his rank over all mankind and his valuable importance that defies estimation. Allah makes us aware that he was not driven by the compulsion of pride, rather He says, "You are not a tyrant over them." 50:45.

Allah has named Himself "The Aware" (Al-Khabir) it means that He is the One who has knowledge of the essence of a matter and knows it in its reality. It has also been explained with the meaning that it is He who is the One who informs. Allah tells us, "The Merciful; ask about Him from he who knows Him." 25:59. The Judge Bakr, son of al-'Ala' said that this verse tells us that the one who is to be asked is the one who is aware and that is the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Scholars have said that he is called "the aware" because he was given knowledge from Allah who taught him matters from His hidden knowledge. By this verse, Allah is also informing his nation that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has been given permission to teach.

Another of the Names of Allah is "The Opening" (Al-Fat?h), who is the One who judges between his worshipers, and the Opening of the doors of provision, mercy and other matters that are available to them. He is the One who causes the hearts and eyes to opened by the His Command. On the other hand, the verse "If you were seeking victory, victory has now come to you." 8:19 shows that Allah is He who initiates the opening and victory. Allah refers to his Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as being "the opening" in a lengthy hadith that speaks of the Night Journey in which He says, "I have made you to be the opening and the seal." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "He raised the mention of me and made me to be the opening and the seal." The opening in this quotation means the judge, or the one who opens the doors of mercy for his nation, or the one who opened the inner eye to the remembrance of the truth and belief in Allah, or the one who helped the truth or started to guide his nation, or the first of the prophets to be created but the seal of the Prophethood. As he says, "I was the first of the prophets to be created but the last of them to be sent." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was first so that all would recognize the right he has over them.

Allah has named Himself ''The Thankful" (Shakur). This Name bears the meaning of the One who rewards even the smallest action. Scholars have also said that it means the One who praises those who obey. Allah described Prophet Noah with it saying, "He was truly a thankful worshiper." 17:3. In gratitude for the blessings given to him by his Lord, Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Why shouldn't I be a thankful worshiper?" It is recognition of its worth, and praise of Him, as well as striving for increase because Allah says, "If you give thanks, I will increase you, but if you are unthankful My punishment is indeed stern." 14:7.

Two of His other Names are "The Knower" (Al-Alim), the "Knowing" (Al-Allam) the Knower of both the Unseen and Seen. Allah bestowed His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) with the virtue of knowledge from Him. He says, "He taught you what you did not know. The Bounty of Allah to you is ever great." 4:113, and in another verse He says, "and teach you that of which you have no knowledge." 2:151.

Allah has called Himself "The First and the Last". The meaning of this is that which precedes matters before their existence and what remains after their existence has vanished. Allah does not have a beginning or an end. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I was the first of the prophets to be created but the last of them to be sent" and quoted the Words of Allah, "We took from the prophets their covenant and from you (Prophet Mohammed) and from Noah." 33:7. In this verse our attention is drawn to the fact that Allah placed Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) first by honouring his mention before the other prophets. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "We are the last, the one who goes ahead." And he told his Companions, "I will be the first for whom the earth splits open, the first to enter the Garden, the first intercessor and the first whose intercession is accepted." As we mentioned earlier, Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is the Seal of the Prophets, the last to whom the Prophethood was entrusted, and the last of the Messengers of Allah, and it is he with whom him the Prophethood was sealed for all time, there being none to come after him.

Allah has also called Him "The Strong" (Al-Qawi). He is the One with Strength and is Firm. This Name also bears the meaning of powerful. Allah describes His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) with this attribute saying "of power, given a rank by the Owner of the Throne." 81:20. It has also been said that this refers to Gabriel.

Allah is "The Truthful" (Sadiq), and there are many hadiths in which the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is referred to be as being the truthful.

Amongst the Names of Allah are "The Guardian" (Al-Wali) and "The Master (Al-Mawla), both bear the meaning of Helper. Allah tells us "Your guide is only Allah, His Messenger." 5:55. In the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) we learn "I am the guardian of those who believe." Allah says, "The Prophet has a greater right on the believers than their own selves." 33:6. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "As for those whose master I am, they have an exalted master."

Another of the Names of Allah is "The Pardoner" (Al-'Afuw). The meaning of this is that He is the One who acquits. In both the Quran and the Torah Allah refers to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) by this name, and we find Him commanding him to accept what is easy, saying "Accept the easing." 7:199, and "yet pardon them, and forgive." 5:13. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Pardon those who wrong you." He is also described in the Gospel as well as the Torah as "He is neither coarse, nor harsh, rather he pardons and overlooks."

Amongst the Names of Allah is, "The Guide" (Al-Hadi). Allah gives success to whosoever of His worshipers He wills, meaning guidance to His Way and His invitation to them. Allah says, "Allah invites you to the House of Peace. He guides whom He will to a Straight Path." 10:25. We spoke earlier of the interpretation of the Prophet's name "TaHa" as meaning, O Pure, O Guide. Allah says, "And you, surely guide to a Straight Path." 42:52, and refers to him saying, "a caller to Allah by His permission" 33:46. Allah is the ultimate Guide and says, "You cannot guide whom you please; it is Allah who guides whom He will. He knows well those who are guided." 28:56.

He, the Exalted is called, "The Guardian of Faith" (Al-Mu'min), "The Protector" (Al-Muhaymin), these Names have similar meanings. Allah's Name al-Mu'min, means that He is the One who confirms His promise to His worshipers. He confirms the truth of His Word and His believing worshipers and Messengers. It has also been explained with the meaning that Allah is the One who affirms His Oneness to Himself. It has also been said that it means that He is the One who protects His worshiper in this world from injustice. And protects believers in the Hereafter from His punishment. al-Muhaymin has been explained as meaning the "Trustworthy". As for Amen (Ameen) it is the word which is used at the end of supplications, it was said it is amongst the Names of Allah and that its meaning is the "Guardian of Faith (Mu'min). As for the "Protector" (Muhaymin) it is said that it means Witness and the Protector. Allah calls His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) by the name Ameen, the trustworthy and calls him "obeyed and honest" 81:21. Well before his Prophethood, he was known as al-Ameen by good and bad alike. It has also been said that al-Ameen means protector. Allah says "he believes in Allah and trusts the believers." 9:61. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "I am the trustworthy of my Companions."

"The Pure" (Al-Quddus) is another of the Names of Allah and means the One detached from all imperfections and pure from time. The Mosque in Jerusalem, (Bayt al-Maqdis) is so called because it was there that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was purified from any wrong action and Allah told him, "that Allah forgives your past and future sins." 48:2, or it is said to mean that it is because of him people are purified by his being in the status of no sin, and that by following the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) they are freed from sin as Allah says, "to purify them" 62:2. Of his Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) Allah says, "By His permission He takes them out from darkness to the light." 5:16. It has also been said that its meaning is the status of purity from all blameworthy qualities and baseness.

Allah is called "The Mighty" (Al-Aziz) and incorporates the meanings of difficult to access, victor, or the One of whom there is no likeness, or the Self-Exalted. Allah tells us, "But the might belongs to Allah, and His Messenger." 63:8

Allah called Himself "The Bringer of Glad Tidings and Warning". He says, "Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Him.” 9:21. And, "Allah gives you glad tidings of John." 3:39 and "Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word (Be) from Him." 3:45. Allah speaks of His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as being the bearer of glad tidings, as a warner and a herald, in other words, someone who conveys good news to those who obey Allah and warns those who disbelieve and disobey.

Section 15-Demonstrating that Allah, the High is unlike anything amongst His creation

Judge Iyyad concludes this chapter and makes a point that will remove any misconception in what has been said of those whose ability to understand is not yet mature. His Essence is unlike all other essences and His Attributes are unlike those of His created beings because the attributes of created beings are neither free from non-essential qualities nor desires, and Allah is by far greater than that. He is Everlasting as are His Names and Attributes. The point he makes is that all mankind should believe that the tremendous Greatness of Allah, the angelic universe, His Beautiful Names and attributes do not bear even the slightest resemblance to those qualities found in His creation-no created quality resembles Him. He tells us "There is nothing like Him." 42:11. His Essence is unlike all other essences and His Attributes are unlike those of His created beings because the attributes of created beings are neither free from non-essential qualities nor desires, and Allah is by far greater than that. He is Everlasting as are His Names and Attributes.

Judge Iyyad expresses his conviction saying, "By Allah, it is an excellent statement made by the knowledgeable of realization and reality who say Oneness, 'Tawhid' is the affirmation of an Essence which is not separate from His attributes and is unlike all other essences that He created." Al Wasiti summarized the matter, and this too is the Judge's purpose. He said, "There is no essence like His Essence. There is no name like His Name. There is no action like His action. There is no attribute like His attribute, all that can be said is the expressions are similar." The belief of the truthful and those who follow the Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is that the Essence of Allah, which is not subject to time is by far too majestic to have a quality which is timely, in the same way that any created essence lives in the confines of time does not escape from time.

Imam Abu'l Kasim al-Qushayri commented and expounded, "This contains all the facts of Oneness. How is it possible for His Essence to be like the essence of things which are confined by time when His Essence, is independent from time or any created substance or its characteristics by His very existence? And how can His action resemble the action of any of His creation when His action is not caused by it nor is His action repelling an action of imperfection and is not derived from thoughts or desires. His action does not come through any physical cause or endeavour, whereas the action of His creation only emerges from these created elements." It was also said, "What creation imagines or perceives with their intellect is confined by time, which is the same condition in which they are."

Imam al-Juwayni said, "Whosoever stops at something that exists and which he is capable of understanding must know that it is a human production. Whereas whosoever takes the stand of pure negation of the Creator is an atheist. As for the believer he admits that it is impossible to perceive the reality of Allah Dhu'n Nun al-Misri gave an excellent explanation of the Words of Allah that read, ”There is nothing like Him." 42:11, "He is not to be questioned about what He does, but they shall be questioned." 21:23 and, "When He wills a thing, His command is to say to it 'Be' and it is!" 36:82. He said, "The reality of Oneness is that you understand that the power of Allah is in things without stating the means, and that this comes about without Allah being merged with them, and that His action is the cause of everything, but this action is without cause. Whatever forms in your imagination about Allah, be sure Allah it is not that!" These are precious, wonderful, precise words."

Judge Iyyad concludes this section of the chapter with the following supplication, "O Allah by Your Favour and Mercy, make us firm in the belief of Your Oneness, testifying to and disconnection from disbelief, and prevent us from misguidance and error that leads to atheism and man-made faith."

Islamic Books

Ash-Shifa

Chapter 3. The Authentic And Well-known Traditions Narrating The Esteemed Value Allah Has Placed Upon His Prophet, Together With His Exalted Position And Nobility In This Life And The Everlasting Life

Section 1: The position of the Prophet in the Sight of Allah

Section 2: The miracle of the Prophet's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and the Heavenly Ascent

Section 3: The reality of the Prophet's Night Journey

Section 4: The rebuttal to those who say the journey was a dream

Section 5: The Prophet's seeing of His Lord

Section 6: The conversation between Allah and His Prophet

Section 7: The proximity of the Prophet and his nearness

Section 8: The preceding of the Prophet before the people on the Day of Resurrection

Section 9: The selection of Prophet Mohammed, over and above all of the creation for the receivership of the Love of Allah and the closeness of His friendship

Section 10: The intercession given to the Prophet and his praiseworthy station

Section 11: The River of Abundance (Kawthar) in the Garden

Section 12: The Prophetic Sayings relating to the prohibition of differentiating between the prophets

Section 13: The excellence of the names given to the Prophet

Section 14: The Honour of Allah to the Prophet by gifting him with some of His own Beautiful Names and by describing him with some of His own splendid qualities

Section 15-Demonstrating that Allah, the High is unlike anything amongst His creation

Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8