Sunday 21 June 2009

The Return from Israa' [Palestine] and Proof of Allah's Messenger's Prophethood, and how he wouldn't lie in the most dire of circumstances.

Imam Ahmad also recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah said:

«لَمَّا كَانَ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي، فَأَصْبَحْتُ بِمَكَّةَ فَظِعْتُ وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ مُكَذِّبِي»

(On the night when I was taken on the Night Journey, I woke up in Makkah the next morning having anxiety that, I knew that the people would not believe me.) He kept away from people, feeling anxious and sad, then the enemy of Allah Abu Jahl passed by him and came to sit with him, saying mockingly, `Is there anything new' The Messenger of Allah said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes). He said, `What is it' He said,

«إِنِّي أُسْرِيَ بِي اللَّيْلَة»

(I was taken on a Journey last night.) He said, `Where to' He said,

«إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِس»

(To Bayt Al-Maqdis.) He said, `Then this morning you were among us' He said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes). Abu Jahl did not want to say to his face that he was lying, lest he deny saying it when he called other people to hear him, so he said: `Do you think that if I call your people, you will tell them about what happened' The Messenger of Allah said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes.) Abu Jahl said, `O people of Bani Ka`b bin Lu'ay!' People got up from where they were sitting and came to join them. Abu Jahl said, `Tell your people what you told me.' The Messenger of Allah said:

«إِنِّي أُسْرِيَ بِي اللَّيْلَة»

(I was taken on a Journey last night.) They said, `Where to' He said,

«إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِس»

(To Bayt Al-Maqdis.) They said, `Then this morning you were among us' He said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes). They began to clap their hands together and put their hands on their heads in astonishment at this "lie'' - as they claimed it to be. They said, `Can you describe the sanctuary to us' Among them were some who had travelled to that land and seen the sanctuary, so the Messenger of Allah said,

«فَمَا زِلْتُ أَنْعَتُ حَتَّى الْتَبَسَ عَلَيَّ بَعْضُ النَّعْتِ قَالَ فَجِيءَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى وُضِعَ دُونَ دَارِ عُقَيلٍ أَوْ عِقَالٍ فَنَعَتُّهُ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ وَكَانَ مَعَ هَذَا نَعْتٌ لَمْ أَحْفَظْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ: أَمَّا النَّعْتُ فَوَاللهِ لَقَدْ أَصَابَ فِيه»

(I started to describe it, until I reached a point where I was not sure about some of the details, but then the sanctuary was brought close and placed near the house of `Uqayl - or `Iqal - so I could look at it and describe the details. [i.e. Prophet Muhammad got a vision from Allah of how it looked like so he described it in detail]) I could not remember those description. The people [i.e. those who had travelled there in the past] said, `As for the description, by Allah he has got it right.'' This was recorded by An-Nasa'i and Al-Bayhaqi.


Tafsir of Surah al Israa' - ibn Kathir

http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=17&tid=28487