The Utmost Boundary: Sidhrat al-Muntaha – Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (radiyallahu anhu) “When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was taken for the Night Journey, he was taken to Sidrat al-Muntaha, where terminates everything that ascends from the Earth and is held there, and where terminates everything that descends from above it and is held there…” [Saheeh Muslim no: 329] The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “Then I was taken to Sidhrat al-Muntaha, whose leaves were like the ears of an elephant and its fruit like big earthen vessels. And when it was covered by the Command of Allah, it underwent such a change that none amongst the creation has the power to praise its beauty.”
[Saheeh Muslim]
In another narration: “Then I was made to ascend to Sidhrat al-Muntaha. Behold it’s fruits were like the jars of Hajr (place near Madinah) and its leaves were as big as the ears of an elephant. Jibreel said: “This is the lote tree of the farthest limit.” Behold there ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible. I asked: “What are these two kinds of rivers, Jibreel (alaihis-salaam)?” He replied: “As for the hidden rivers, the are two rivers in Paradise and the two visible are the Nile and Euphrates.”
This Hadeeth does not mean that these two rivers well up from the Paradise, but it symbolically describe the areas, where the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) will settle, and the people whereof will always remain adherent bearers of Islam, which will be passed on to generations. [ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom]
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) also said: “…Then Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) took me until we reached Sidhrat al-Muntaha (lote tree of the utmost boundary), which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents) or walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk.”
[Saheeh al-Bukharee v: 1, no: 345]
“While I was walking in Paradise (on the night of Miraaj), I saw a river, on the two banks of which there were tents made of hollow pearls. I asked, 'What is this, O Jibreel?' He said, 'That is the Kauthar, which Your Lord has given to you.” Behold! Its scent or its mud was sharp smelling musk!”
(The sub-narrator, Hudba is in doubt as to the correct expression.) [Saheeh al-Bukharee v: 8, no: 583]
“On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven… I also saw Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire and Ad-Dajjal amongst the Signs which Allah showed me.”
[The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) then recited]: “So be not you in doubt of meeting him when you met Moosa during the night of Miraaj over the Heavens.”
[(32): 23] [Saheeh al-Bukharee v: 4, no: 462]
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu anhu): “The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “When I was taken up to heaven I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their faces and their breasts. I said: Who are these people, Jibreel? He replied: They are those who used to backbite and who slander people's honor.”
[Sunan of Abu-Dawood no: 4860]
Narrated Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu anhu): “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “On the night when I was taken up to Heaven I came upon people whose bellies were like houses and contained snakes which could be seen from outside their bellies. I asked Jibreel who they were and he told me that they were people who had practiced usury (dealing with interest).”
[Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhee 2828]
Narrated Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu anhu): “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “On the night when I was taken up to Heaven, I passed by people whose lips were being cut by scissors of fire. I asked Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) who they were and he told me they were the preachers among my people, who said what they did not do.”
[at-Tirmidhee (gharib) no: 4801]
Buraydah ibn al-Hasib (radiyallahu anhu) narrated, how one morning Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) called Bilal and said: “What did you do to get to Paradise before me? I have never entered Paradise without hearing the rustling of your garments in front of me.” He (radiyallahu anhu) replied: "O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)! I have never called the Adhaan without praying two raka’hs, and no impurity has ever happened to me without my performing ablution on the spot and thinking that I owed Allah two raka’hs." Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: "It is because of them." [at-Tirmidhee , no: 326]
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah (radiyallahu anhu): The Prophet said: “I saw myself entering Paradise, and behold! I saw Ar-Rumaisa, Abu Talha's wife. I heard footsteps. I asked: “Who is it?” Somebody said: “It is Bilal” Then I saw a palace and a lady sitting in its courtyard. I asked: “For whom is this palace?” Somebody replied: “It is for 'Umar.” I intended to enter it and see it, but I thought of your (Umar's) Gheerah (and gave up the attempt)."
Umar said: “Let my parents be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)! How dare I think of my Gheerah (self-respect) being offended by you? [Saheeh al-Bukharee vol: 5, no: 28]
Here we see the great character of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam); he did not only teach manners but also set forth a practical example by his actions. He taught: “If anyone peeps into the house of a people without their permission and he (the owner of the house) knocks out his eye, no responsibility is incurred for his eye.”
[Sunan of Abu-Dawood no: 5153] because one who peeps into people’s house has committed theft by harming the privacy of the recipient and therefore Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) has prescribed very harsh punishment for the thieves: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “The hand of a thief should be cut off for (even) stealing a quarter of a Deenar."
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol: 8, no: 781]
Meeting with Allah - Did the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) see His Lord?
“While he was in the highest part of the horizon. Then he (alaihis-salaam) approached and came closer, and was at a distance of two bows length or (even) nearer. So, did Allah convey the Inspiration to His slave. The (Prophet’s) heart lied not (in seeing) what he (Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw (Ruya). Will you then dispute with him (Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) about what he saw. And indeed he (Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw him at a second descent. Near Sidhrat al-Muntaha. Near it is the Paradise of Abode. When that covered the lote-tree which did cover it! The sight (of Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) turned not aside, not it transgressed beyond (the) limit (ordained for it). Indeed, he (Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) did see, of the Greatest Signs of his Lord (Allah).”
[Soorah an-Najm (53): 8-18] [Refer to Saheeh al-Bukharee v: 9, no: 608]
The pious predecessors (Salaf as-Saalih) disagree whether the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) see his Lord with his physical eye or not.
Umm al-Mumineen, Aa'ishah (radhi allahu anha), Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu anhu) and Ibn Mas’ood (radiyallahu anhu) reject that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw Allah with his physical eyes. It is reported in Ibn Abi Hatim that Ibn Mas'ood (radiyallahu anhu) explained the above mentioned verse [(53): 8-18] saying: “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) twice in his real form, once with his wish Angel Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) appeared in his real form in front of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and all the horizons were covered by his body. The second time was when Angel Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) took the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) to the Heavens.” And this is the meaning of the saying: “While he was in the highest part of the horizon…” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer] Thus, this verse signifies that Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) approached and came closer to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). [Fateh al-Baree Page 263, 264, Vol. 17]
Narrated Masruq (radiyallahu anhu): “I asked Aa’ishah (radhi allahu anha): “O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) see his Lord?” Aa’ishah (radhi allahu anha) said: “What you have said makes my hair stand on end! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: ‘Whoever tells you that Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw his Lord, is a liar.” Then Aa’ishah recited the Verse: “No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Courteous Well-Acquainted with all things.” [(6): 103] “It is not fitting for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil.” [(42): 51] Aa’ishah further said: “And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar.” She then recited: “No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.” [(31): 34] She added: “And whoever tells you that he (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) concealed (some of Allah's orders), is a liar.” Then she recited:“O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord...”
[(5): 67] Aa’ishah added: “But the Prophet saw Jibraeel in his true form twice.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee vol: 6, no: 378]
On the other hand, Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) affirmed the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) seeing His Lord, he (radiyallahu anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw his Lord twice. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr (rahimahullah) said: “The narrations from Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) have come unrestricted (i.e. he does not mention whether the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) see His Lord with his physical eye or not) and the others are restricted (i.e. they indicate that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) did not see His Lord with his physical eyes)…. It is possible to reconcile between the affirmation of Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) and the denial of Aa'ishah (radhi allahu anha) in that the denial can be taken to be the denial of the vision of the (physical) eyes and its affirmation to be the affirmation of the heart…” [Fath al-Baaree (8/608)]
Secondly, it can also reconcile between the two sayings of Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) and Aa’ishah (radhi allahu anha) in another way and that is that Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) speaks about the affirmation of the vision for the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) basing this upon the possibility that he saw his Lord in his sleep, and this is also a true vision. And it is not that he saw him in the Night of Ascent and Aa’ishah (radhi allahu anha) denied the Prophet’s vision of his Lord on the Night of Ascent only, not the seeing of his Lord while he was awake and that she does not deny that he saw Allah in his sleep. Rather, she just negates that he saw Allah while he was awake.
Those who claim that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw his Lord with his physical eyes bring forth a Daef Hadeeth, no authentic (Saheeh) traditions are found in accordance to their claim. They bring forth the tradition of at-Tirmidhee where Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw his Lord. Ikrima asked him: “Then what about the verse in which Allah says: ‘No vision can grasp Him’ he replied it is when Allah is surrounded with His Noor (light), otherwise Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw His Lord twice. “This Hadeeth is Daef.”
Thus, according to this, there remains no contradiction and Allah knows best.
[Sharah Usool al-Itiqaad of al-Lailaka'ee, 93/512 as-Sunnah, 1/181 and Sifaat al-Maqdisee pp. 109-111]
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