Tarikh (al-Tabari) 820
The Night Journey and the Ascension
فِصَلٌ وَقَدْ نَقَلَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ عائشة ومعاوية أَنَّهُمَا قَالَا: إِنَّمَا كَانَ الْإِسْرَاءُ بِرُوحِهِ، وَلَمْ يَفْقِدْ جَسَدَهُ، وَنُقِلَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنْ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعْلَمَ الْفَرْقُ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: كَانَ الْإِسْرَاءُ مَنَامًا، وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يُقَالَ كَانَ بِرُوحِهِ دُونَ جَسَدِهِ ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا فَرْقٌ عَظِيمٌ، وعائشة ومعاوية لَمْ يَقُولَا: كَانَ مَنَامًا، وَإِنَّمَا قَالَا: أُسْرِيَ بِرُوحِهِ، وَلَمْ يَفْقِدْ جَسَدَهُ، وَفَرْقٌ بَيْنَ الْأَمْرَيْنِ، فَإِنَّ مَا يَرَاهُ النَّائِمُ قَدْ يَكُونُ أَمْثَالًا مَضْرُوبَةً لِلْمَعْلُومِ فِي الصُّوَرِ الْمَحْسُوسَةِ، فَيَرَى كَأَنَّهُ قَدْ عُرِجَ بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، أَوْ ذُهِبَ بِهِ إِلَى مَكَّةَ وَأَقْطَارِ الْأَرْضِ، وَرُوحُهُ لَمْ تَصْعَدْ وَلَمْ تَذْهَبْ، وَإِنَّمَا مَلَكُ الرُّؤْيَا ضَرَبَ لَهُ الْمِثَالَ، وَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا: عُرِجَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ طَائِفَتَانِ: طَائِفَةٌ قَالَتْ: عُرِجَ بِرُوحِهِ وَبَدَنِهِ، وَطَائِفَةٌ قَالَتْ: عُرِجَ بِرُوحِهِ وَلَمْ يَفْقِدْ بَدَنَهُ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ لَمْ يُرِيدُوا أَنَّ الْمِعْرَاجَ كَانَ مَنَامًا، وَإِنَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنَّ الرُّوحَ ذَاتَهَا أُسْرِيَ بِهَا وَعُرِجَ بِهَا حَقِيقَةً، وَبَاشَرَتْ مِنْ جِنْسِ مَا تُبَاشِرُ بَعْدَ الْمُفَارَقَةِ، وَكَانَ حَالُهَا فِي ذَلِكَ كَحَالِهَا بَعْدَ الْمُفَارَقَةِ فِي صُعُودِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ سَمَاءً سَمَاءً حَتَّى يُنْتَهَى بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ، فَتَقِفُ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَيَأْمُرُ فِيهَا بِمَا يَشَاءُ، ثُمَّ تَنْزِلُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ، وَالَّذِي كَانَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةَ الْإِسْرَاءِ أَكْمَلُ مِمَّا يَحْصُلُ لِلرُّوحِ عِنْدَ الْمُفَارَقَةِ. وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ هَذَا أَمْرٌ فَوْقَ مَا يَرَاهُ النَّائِمُ، لَكِنْ لَمَّا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي مَقَامِ خَرْقِ الْعَوَائِدِ حَتَّى شُقَّ بَطْنُهُ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لَا يَتَأَلَّمُ بِذَلِكَ عُرِجَ بِذَاتِ رُوحِهِ الْمُقَدَّسَةِ حَقِيقَةً مِنْ غَيْرِ إِمَاتَةٍ، وَمَنْ سِوَاهُ لَا يَنَالُ بِذَاتِ رُوحِهِ الصُّعُودَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمُفَارَقَةِ، فَالْأَنْبِيَاءُ إِنَّمَا اسْتَقَرَّتْ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ هُنَاكَ بَعْدَ مُفَارَقَةِ الْأَبْدَانِ، وَرُوحُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَعِدَتْ إِلَى هُنَاكَ فِي حَالِ الْحَيَاةِ ثُمَّ عَادَتْ، وَبَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ اسْتَقَرَّتْ فِي الرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى مَعَ أَرْوَاحِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ - عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَهَا إِشْرَافٌ عَلَى الْبَدَنِ وَإِشْرَاقٌ وَتَعَلُّقٌ بِهِ، بِحَيْثُ يَرُدُّ السَّلَامَ عَلَى مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَبِهَذَا التَّعَلُّقِ رَأَى مُوسَى قَائِمًا يُصَلِّي فِي قَبْرِهِ، وَرَآهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ. وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُعْرَجْ بِمُوسَى مِنْ قَبْرِهِ، ثُمَّ رُدَّ إِلَيْهِ، وَإِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ مَقَامُ رُوحِهِ وَاسْتِقْرَارِهَا، وَقَبْرُهُ مَقَامُ بَدَنِهِ وَاسْتِقْرَارُهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ مَعَادِ الْأَرْوَاحِ إِلَى أَجْسَادِهَا، فَرَآهُ يُصَلِّي فِي قَبْرِهِ، وَرَآهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ، كَمَا أَنَّهُ ﷺ فِي أَرْفَعِ مَكَانٍ فِي الرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى مُسْتَقَرًّا هُنَاكَ، وَبَدَنُهُ فِي ضَرِيحِهِ غَيْرُ مَفْقُودٍ، وَإِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُسَلِّمُ رَدَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ رُوحَهُ حَتَّى يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامَ، وَلَمْ يُفَارِقِ الْمَلَأُ الْأَعْلَى، وَمَنْ كَثُفَ إِدْرَاكُهُ وَغَلُظَتْ طِبَاعُهُ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ هَذَا فَلْيُنْظَرْ إِلَى الشَّمْسِ فِي عُلُوِّ مَحِلِّهَا، وَتَعَلُّقِهَا وَتَأْثِيرِهَا فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَحَيَاةِ النَّبَاتِ وَالْحَيَوَانِ بِهَا، هَذَا وَشَأْنُ الرُّوحِ فَوْقَ هَذَا فَلَهَا شَأْنٌ، وَلِلْأَبْدَانِ شَأْنٌ، وَهَذِهِ النَّارُ تَكُونُ فِي مَحِلِّهَا وَحَرَارَتُهَا تُؤَثِّرُ فِي الْجِسْمِ الْبَعِيدِ عَنْهَا، مَعَ أَنَّ الِارْتِبَاطَ وَالتَّعَلُّقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ الرُّوحِ وَالْبَدَنِ أَقْوَى وَأَكْمَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَتَمُّ، فَشَأْنُ الرُّوحِ أَعْلَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَلْطَفُ. فَقُلْ لِلْعُيُونِ الرُّمْدِ إِيَّاكِ أَنْ تَرَيْ سَنَا الشَّمْسِ فَاسْتَغْشِي ظَلَامَ اللَّيَالِيَا فَصْلٌ قَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ: عُرِجَ بِرُوحِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَإِلَى السَّمَاءِ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ بِسَنَةٍ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ وَغَيْرُهُ: كَانَ بَيْنَ الْإِسْرَاءِ وَالْهِجْرَةِ سَنَةٌ وَشَهْرَانِ انْتَهَى. وَكَانَ الْإِسْرَاءُ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً. وَقِيلَ: مَرَّتَيْنِ: مَرَّةً يَقَظَةً، وَمَرَّةً مَنَامًا، وَأَرْبَابُ هَذَا الْقَوْلِ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ حَدِيثِ شريك، وَقَوْلِهِ: ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْتُ، وَبَيْنَ سَائِرِ الرِّوَايَاتِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: بَلْ كَانَ هَذَا مَرَّتَيْنِ، مَرَّةً قَبْلَ الْوَحْيِ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ فِي حَدِيثِ شريك: " وَذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ "، وَمَرَّةً بَعْدَ الْوَحْيِ، كَمَا دَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ سَائِرُ الْأَحَادِيثِ. مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: بَلْ ثَلَاثُ مَرَّاتٍ: مَرَّةً قَبْلَ الْوَحْيِ، وَمَرَّتَيْنِ بَعْدَهُ، وَكُلُّ هَذَا خَبْطٌ، وَهَذِهِ طَرِيقَةُ ضُعَفَاءِ الظَّاهِرِيَّةِ مِنْ أَرْبَابِ النَّقْلِ الَّذِينَ إِذَا رَأَوْا فِي الْقِصَّةِ لَفْظَةً تُخَالِفُ سِيَاقَ بَعْضِ الرِّوَايَاتِ جَعَلُوهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، فَكُلَّمَا اخْتَلَفَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّوَايَاتُ عَدَّدُوا الْوَقَائِعَ، وَالصَّوَابُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ أَئِمَّةُ النَّقْلِ أَنَّ الْإِسْرَاءِ كَانَ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً بِمَكَّةَ بَعْدَ الْبَعْثَةِ. وَيَا عَجَبًا لِهَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُ مِرَارًا، كَيْفَ سَاغَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَظُنُّوا أَنَّهُ فِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ تُفْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ الصّلَاةُ خَمْسِينَ، ثُمَّ يَتَرَدَّدُ بَيْنَ رَبِّهِ وَبَيْنَ مُوسَى حَتَّى تَصِيرَ خَمْسًا، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: " أَمْضَيْتُ فَرِيضَتِي، وَخَفَّفْتُ عَنْ عِبَادِي "، ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهَا فِي الْمَرَّةِ الثَّانِيَةِ إِلَى خَمْسِينَ، ثُمَّ يَحُطُّهَا عَشْرًا عَشْرًا، وَقَدْ غَلَّطَ الْحُفُّاظُ شريكا فِي أَلْفَاظٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْإِسْرَاءِ، ومسلم أَوْرَدَ الْمُسْنَدَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: فَقَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ وَزَادَ وَنَقَصَ، وَلَمْ يَسْرُدِ الْحَدِيثَ، فَأَجَادَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ.
Translation
✧ Section Ibn Isḥāq transmitted from ʿĀʾishah and Muʿāwiyah that they said: The Night Journey was only with his spirit, and he did not lose his body. Something similar was transmitted from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī. However, one should know the difference between saying that the Night Journey was a dream, and saying that it was with his spirit without his body; between the two there is a great difference. ʿĀʾishah and Muʿāwiyah did not say it was a dream; they said he was taken on the Night Journey with his spirit, and he did not lose his body. There is a difference between the two matters, for what the sleeper sees may be examples struck for knowledge in sensory forms, so he sees as if he had been ascended to heaven or taken to Makkah and the regions of the earth, while his spirit did not ascend or go; rather, the angel of the dream struck an example for him. Those who said the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ascended are two groups: one group said he was ascended with his spirit and his body, and another group said he was ascended with his spirit and did not lose his body. These did not mean that the Ascension was a dream; they meant that the spirit itself was taken on the Night Journey and ascended truly, and it directly experienced of the kind what it experiences after separation. Its state in that was like its state after separation in its ascent to the heavens, heaven by heaven, until it is taken to the seventh heaven, where it stands before Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and He commands concerning it what He wills, then it descends to the earth. What happened to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Night of the Journey was more complete than what happens to the spirit at separation. It is known that this is a matter above what the sleeper sees. But since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in the station of breaking the customary, to the point that his belly was split while he was alive without feeling pain from that, his sanctified spirit itself was ascended truly without death. Others cannot attain with their spirits the ascent to heaven except after death and separation. The prophets' spirits settled there only after separation from their bodies, while the spirit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ascended there in the state of life and then returned. After his death it settled in the highest company with the spirits of the prophets (peace be upon them). Along with this, it has an oversight over the body, an illumination, and an attachment to it, such that he returns the greeting to whoever greets him. By this attachment he saw Mūsā standing praying in his grave, and he saw him in the sixth heaven. It is known that Mūsā was not ascended from his grave and then returned to it; rather, that is the station of his spirit and its settling, and his grave is the station of his body and its settling until the day of the return of spirits to their bodies. So he saw him praying in his grave and saw him in the sixth heaven, just as he ﷺ is in the highest place in the highest company, settled there, and his body is in his tomb, not missing. When a greeter greets him, Allah returns his spirit to him so that he returns the greeting, and he did not depart from the highest assembly. Whoever's perception is dense and whose nature is coarse to perceive this, let him look at the sun in the height of its place, its attachment and its effect on the earth, and the life of plants and animals by it. This, while the affair of the spirit is above this; the spirit has an affair and bodies have an affair. This fire is in its place and its heat affects a body far from it, while the connection and attachment between the spirit and the body is stronger, more complete, and more perfect than that. The affair of the spirit is higher than that and more subtle. Say to the sore eyes: beware lest you see the brilliance of the sun; so you cover yourself with the darkness of nights. Section Mūsā b. ʿUqbah said from al-Zuhrī: The spirit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ascended to Jerusalem and to heaven one year before his departure to Madinah. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr and others said: Between the Night Journey and the Hijrah was one year and two months. End quote. The Night Journey occurred once. It was said: twice: once awake and once in sleep. The proponents of this view seem to have wanted to reconcile the ḥadīth of Sharīk, with his saying: "Then I woke up," and the rest of the narrations. Among them are those who said: rather it was twice: once before the revelation, because of his saying in the ḥadīth of Sharīk: "That was before revelation came to him," and once after the revelation, as the rest of the ḥadīths indicate. Among them are those who said: rather three times: once before the revelation and twice after it. All of this is confusion. This is the method of the weak literalists among the transmitters, who, when they see in the story a word that contradicts the context of some narrations, make it another occurrence. Whenever narrations differ for them, they multiply the events. The correct view, which the imams of transmission hold, is that the Night Journey occurred once in Makkah after the sending. How strange for those who claimed it was multiple times! How could they allow themselves to think that each time the prayer was made obligatory as fifty, then he went back and forth between his Lord and Mūsā until it became five, then he said: "I have carried out my obligation and lightened things for my servants," then it was returned in the second occurrence to fifty, then reduced by ten at a time? The ḥuffāẓ have deemed Sharīk mistaken in certain words of the ḥadīth of the Night Journey. Muslim cited the musnad from him, then said: He brought forward, delayed, added, and subtracted, and did not recount the ḥadīth in order; he did well, may Allah have mercy on him.
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