ahmetak
Night Journey
FROM THE RİSALE-İ NUR,
THE LETTERS,
The Nineteenth Letter,
Seventeenth Sign:
After the Qur'an, the greatest miracle of Allah's Messenger is his personality, comprising the highest moral virtues. Indeed, friend and foe were in unanimous agreement that he stood at the highest level of whatever is recognized as a laudable virtue. So much so that a man of great bravery Ali (RA), said again and again, "When the fighting became fierce, we would take refuge behind the Prophet (ASW) and maintain our stronghold." Likewise in all praiseworthy qualities he possessed the highest and unreachable degree. For this miracle of his, we refer the reader to Shifa ash-Sharif by Qadi Iyad in which the miraculousness of his praiseworthy virtues is beautifully explained and proven. Another great miracle of Muhammad (ASW) is, as affirmed by friend and foe, his supreme Sacred Law, the like of which never came before, nor will ever come after. For a partial explanation of this supreme miracle, we refer the reader to all our writings, and especially the thirty-three Words thirty-three Letters, thirty-one Flashes, and thirteen Rays. Among his greatest miracles, a certain and mutawatir one, is the splitting of the moon. This miracle was related through various channels, to the degree of tawatur, and by the foremost among the Companions such as Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Ali, Anas and Hudhayfa (RA). Moreover, the Qur'an also announced this supreme miracle to the whole world with the verse [Qur'an 54:1]:
"The Hour is nigh and the moon split."
To this verse, even the stubborn unbelievers of the time could not respond with denial; all that they said was, "It is magic." Thus, the splitting of the moon is certain even from the viewpoint of the unbelievers. More on this miracle is to be found in the 'Treatise on the Splitting of the Moon' that was written as an appendix to the Thirty-First Word.
As Allah's Messenger (ASW) showed the inhabitants of the earth the miracle of the splitting of the moon, so too, he showed the inhabitants of the heavens a still greater miracle of his, the 'Night Journey' or the 'Ascension.'
Referring this supreme miracle to the Thirty-First Word that is entitled the 'Treatise on the Night Journey' and demonstrates with clear evidence the occurrence sublimity and brightness of this miracle; we will merely touch upon another miracle that occurred in relation to the 'Night Journey' when the Quraish people asked the Prophet (ASW), following the night of the 'Night Journey' for the description of Masjid al-Aqsa, which was his point of departure for the Ascension. When the Prophet (ASW) informed the Quraish about his Ascension, they dismissed it as false, and said, "If you have really travelled to the Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, then describe to us its doors, walls and condition." Allah's Messenger (ASW) later said, "I was annoyed by their question and denial in a way that had never happened to me before. Suddenly, Allah Almighty lifted the veil between me and the Masjid al-Aqsa and manifested it to me, so that I looked at it, saw it, and described it." Thus, the Quraish realized that he was giving the correct and complete description.
"The Hour (of Judgement) is near, and the moon split. But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, 'This is transient magic.' " [Al Qur'an 54:1-2]
On the Miracle of the Splitting of the Moon appendix to the ineteenth and Thirty-First Words Materialist philosophers and their absurd imitators, who attempt to cast a shadow over such a moon-like miracle of Muhammad (ASW) by vicious misgivings, say, "If the splitting of the moon had occurred, it would have been known to the whole world and narrated in all books of history."
OUR ANSWER: The splitting of the moon was demonstrated as an evidence of prophethood. It happened instantaneously before a particular group of deniers at night time when people were asleep. There were, at the same time, obstacles that prevented others from witnessing this event, such as fog, clouds, and time differences between parts of the world. Furthermore, science had not spread at the time, so that researchers were very limited. This miracle, therefore, was not intended to be witnessed all over the world and to be narrated by all historians. Now listen to the following Five Points that will clear the clouds of misgiving concerning the miracle of the splitting of the moon.
First Point: The extreme stubbornness of the unbelievers at that time was notorious. However, when the Most Wise Qur'an announced this occurrence through the verse,
"And the moon split ,"
none of them dared to contradict the event that was reported by this verse, although they were rejectors of the whole of the Qur'an. If this event had not been witnessed by the unbelievers, they would have denounced this verse and made use of this opportunity in their formidable attacks against the Prophet (ASW). Whereas neither the Prophet's (ASW) biography nor history reports a word of denial of the occurrence of this event from them. What has been narrated by history is, as the verse,
"They say, 'This is transient magic,' "
point to, that they called it 'magic.' They said, 'If the caravan at other places have witnessed this, it is true, otherwise it is magic." When the caravans coming from Yemen and other places told them the following morning that they had witnessed such an event, the deniers said -Ha Shaa (Allah forbid) - "the magic of Abu Talib's orphan has affected the heavens!"
Second Point: Most of the foremost scholars such as Sa'd ad-Din at-Taftazani have stated that "The occurrence of the splitting of the moon is mutawatir, just like the running of water from the fingers of the Prophet (ASW) and the drinking of a whole army from it, the weeping of a wooden pillar, against which the Prophet (ASW) would lean when delivering sermons, at the Prophet's separation and its being heard by a vast audience. This has been transmitted by one truthful group of people to another, forming together so vast a community as its collusion to lie is inconceivable. It is as certain as a famous comet having been seen a thousand years ago, or as the existence of the island of Ceylon that we have not seen." To express doubts about such certain and witnessed occurrences is unreasonable. For their not being impossible is enough reason for their acceptability; as for the splitting of the moon, it is quite as possible as a mountain's splitting with a volcanic eruption.
Third Point: Miracles take place in order to prove the claim of prophethood, to convince deniers, but not to force them to believe. This miracle was needed to convince those who had already heard of the prophethood of Muhammad (ASW). To let it be seen from other parts of the world, or to demonstrate it in an undeniably obvious way, therefore, would have been contrary both to the wisdom of the All-Wise Creator and to the purpose of man's function in the universe, which is to open the way for the mind without disabling the free will. If the All-Wise Creator had, in accordance with the whims of materialist philosophers, left the moon in the same condition for a few hours to show it to the entire world, and if this fact had thereby been recorded by all historians, it would have been treated among other astronomical incidents, without being restricted to the messengership of Muhammad (ASW) and without being considered a proof of his prophethood. Or, it would have been such an obvious miracle that it would have forced the minds to believe and deprived it of the free will. As a consequence, coal and diamonds (or Abu Jahl and Abu Bakr (RA)) would have been the same -the purpose of man's function in the universe would have been lost. This may have been the reason why this miracle was not shown to the entire world to be recorded in all books of history.
Fourth Point: Since this event took place instantaneously and at night time when people were asleep, it would not, of course, have been seen everywhere. Even if some people had seen it, they would not have believed their eyes; even if they had, such individual reports would not have constituted an inexhaustible theme for historians. Furthermore, and in addition to some other obstacles, it was sunset in Spain and England (which were then under the clouds of ignorance) when this incident happened, daytime in America, and morning in China and Japan; so it could not be observed in other parts of the world. Yet thoughtless rejectors say, "It did not occur, as it is not mentioned in the histories of such people as the Chinese, Japanese, and Americans." A thousand curses upon such bootlickers of the Western philosophers! On the other hand, the fabricated claim that the moon came down to earth after it had split into two parts has been rejected by scholars of consensus. It has been suggested that this claim is probably the work of a hypocrite, aimed at reducing the value of this manifest miracle.
Fifth Point: The splitting of the moon was not a product of chance, nor did it occur as a result of natural causes; the ordinary laws of creation are hence inapplicable to this case. In fact, the All-Wise Creator of the sun and the moon wonderfully brought it about as evidence to uphold the prophethood of His Messenger (ASW) and to throw greater light upon his course. The purpose of human obligation, the mystery of guidance and the wisdom of the prophetic message required its demonstration to certain people defined by Allah's wisdom. Those who were not intended and who had not yet heard about the message of Muhammad (ASW) were prevented from seeing this occurrence by means of many obstacles such as clouds, fog, and time differences. If it had been shown to all alike as a miracle of the Prophet (ASW), his prophethood would have been so manifest that everyone would have been compelled to accept it; nothing would have been left to the mind -whereas belief is to be acquired by the choice of the mind- and the motive of human obligation would have been lost. If, on the other hand, it had been shown to others as an astronomical incident, it would have had no peculiarity to and no relationship with the message of Muhammad (ASW). As the possibility of the happening of the splitting of the moon has clearly been demonstrated, and there remains no doubt about it, we will now point out six evidences of its occurrence out of many.
The concurrence of the Companions of the Prophet (ASW), who are all men of justice,
The agreement of all discerning interpreters on the explanation of the verse, "And the moon split,"
Its having been narrated by all truthful narration scholars through various authentic channels,
The testimony of all the men of truth and piety (awliya) -the men of inspiration and spiritual discovery (ahl-i kashf),
The confirmation of theologians who widely vary in their outlooks and of profound scholars,
The concurrence of the umma of Muhammad (ASW), who, as established by authentic narration, "never agree on error."
These are the six evidences that prove the splitting of the moon as brightly as the sun.
To conclude, our words up to now have been aimed at providing the occurrence of the miracle and the refutation of the objections to it. The words henceforth will be on behalf of truth and in the name of faith. So much for the proof; now the truth speaks:
The Seal of the Prophets and the brilliant moon in the heaven of messengership (ASW) showed through his Ascension the greatest wonder and the supreme miracle of his personal position of piety and devotion (wali-ness), one at the degree of the best beloved servant of Allah (SWT). This miracle was to conduct an earthly being through the heavens and show the inhabitants of the heavens and of the highest abodes his superiority to them and his belovedness of Allah. Similarly, such a miracle was demonstrated to the inhabitants of the earth as evidence of his messengership that the moon, which is set in the sky and bound to the earth, split into two upon the gesture of an earthly being. These two miracles of his messengership acting as two luminous wings -like the two luminous wings of the moon split into two- he flew to the heaven of perfection, to the Distance of Two Bowstrings, and became the glory of both the inhabitants of the earth and those of the heavens.
So many peace and blessings be upon him and his Family as to fill the earth and heavens. Glory be unto You! We have no knowledge save that which You have taught us: verily You are All-Knowing, All-Wise.
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