The topic of elaboration is the topic of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi’raj, and understandably, right away, there are some in who reacting in saying, BID’AH. The intention here is not to celebrate the night of Israa’ and Mi’raj, it’s simply the exploration the Seerah. Those are two different things. To every saying, has its decree.
This event that happened to our prophet Muhammad SAW needs one thing and one thing only. It needs iman. It needs faith. When our messenger was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and then beyond the seven heavens, he had no witnesses from any human beings, rather he had witnesses from the unseen realm. So to those who don’t have any belief or faith within them, this account is questionable. However, in two chapters of the Quranic scripture, Allah SWT describes in detail what happened on this great journey that Muhammad SAW endured upon.
Surah- 17, The Chapter of The Night Journey (Al-Israa)
Surah- 53, The Chapter Of The Star (Al-Najm)
These two chapters are very beautifully interlocked with each other, in terms of theme, structure, style and forth going, anyone studying the Quranic scripture also reaches that conclusion.
Surat Al-Israa’, also known as the chapter of the people of Israel has certain distinct qualities. One, being that it sums up the Jewish history, up until the Messenger SAW, which is roughly 2000 years of history, is summed up in four ayat. What can be extracted from that, is the entire career of the Israelites went through four major phases, and all four are highlighted in each of these four ayat. Which to someone who studies and internalizes the Quranic teachings, it begs the question, ‘Why?’ And so, moving forth, it will be clear that Jewish history is actually inseparable from Muslim history.
The first verse of Surat Al-Israa’ :
“How perfect is the one who took his slave in the middle of the night from the Sacred Mosque to the Mosque of Jerusalem the one whose surroundings we have made full of blessings in order to show him some of our miraculous signs, undoubtedly, he is all seeing, all hearing.”
[Quran 17:1]
This verse explains in detail the journey from Makkah to Jerusalem that the prophet had endured upon within a small portion of the night. That is the first part of the topic… is the night journey. Getting into literal translation, the first part of this Aya, ‘How perfect is the one who took his slave in the middle of the night’. So here, the reader can see that Muhammad SAW, is not only declared in the Quran as the leader of the Muslims in Makkah, but now, he’s being declared as the leader of Jerusalem as well, because as the Muslims believe, he had lead the prayer to all of the previous messengers sent by Allah SWT, i.e., Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, John, Adam, Joseph, etc.
The reason this is highlighted is that not only does that make Muhammad the leader of Makkah and Jerusalem, but also the Imam to all the prophets that were sent before him. The next part of this Aya, ‘The one whose surroundings we have made full of blessings’ can be taken in a literal term and a metaphysical term. The literal meaning can be taken as its very lush, very green, very rich in vegetation, but additionally, Allah SWT blessed it with riches, profits, revelation, as we know, it is one of the places that Abraham set foot in. It’s also the birthplace of Jesus, the son of Mary.
As the Muslim and the Jewish traditions both very well know, that Abraham left one of his kids in Jerusalem, (Isaac) and the other in Makkah, (Ishmael). Both of which carried on their legacies in each of their places. Now, one of the children of those two legacies, of Isaac and Ishmael, is going to unify the two people, and here, it’s being confirmed by the Quran that it is Muhammad SAW. The next part of this Aya, ‘So we can show him, some of our miraculous signs, undoubtedly, he is all hearing, all seeing.’
When this incredible account happened, the prophet had informed the people on what had occurred, firstly, to Jerusalem, then to the heavens, and then back. Back in those days, the journey from Makkah to Jerusalem was ventured over the span of a month. Some of the eyewitnesses that were there said that the hook lock on the door was still swinging by the time he got back. So that’s one of the accounts of miraculous signs, in which, Allah had literally taken Muhammad out of the realm of time, and brought him back is just a small encounter of the endless miracles in this whole encounter is a series of miraculous revelations.
Moving on to the actual events of this miraculous journey, because there is quite a bit to cover. This article is not going to cover every single detail of every single account of what happened in this incredible journey, however, it will express the ones that few, know about, most don’t know about. As all of the previous religious traditions believe, the most severely tested have always been the prophets, vilified and attacked by proud disbelievers and rejecters of faith that wallow in sin. As Muslims very well know, Muhammad SAW had suffered immensely.
After 12 years of calling the people of Makkah to reject false idols and to worship the one God, Muhammad SAW was sorely tested by the year of grief, which was a series of unfortunate events for him. His uncle and caretaker, Abu Talib, whose kinship and protection had shielded him from the leaders of Makkah. That year, the pagans imposed severe sanctions on his tribe of Bani Hashem, by starving them, and making them social outcasts by expelling them from society.
In that same year, prior to the migration or hijra as the Muslims say, following the death of his uncle, Muhammad was devastated by the death of his wife for 24 years, Khadijah RAA. While the Meccans had closed all doors on Muhammad, Allah SWT assures Muhammad SAW that he didn’t forsake him, rather he had opened up the doors of Paradise to him and ultimately resulting in the victory of Islam.
Allah SWT expresses in Surat Al-Israa’, “indeed with hardship comes ease”. By that, it is acknowledged that Muhammad SAW went through the most traumatic time of his life, and that event was followed by the most incredible accounts from his entire experience in the world.
Muhammad SAW said, “While I was in Al – Hateem, [Semi-circle next to the Kaaba (Ancient house built by Abraham) which is part of the Kaaba], I received a visitor. An angel who came and opened my abdomen and extracted my heart, then my heart was placed in a golden basin filled with faith and was washed in it, then it was stuffed and put back in. I was then presented with an animal smaller than a horse, larger than a donkey”. Sahih Al- Bukhari, and Sahih Muslim, and many other solid narrations.
This animal is Al-Buraq. The Pegasus. Muhammad SAW said, “This animal would take a stride as long as it can see with one leap. This animal would place its hooves in the place of its sight.” Therein, it’s understood that it’s an extremely fast being. This is one account of one of the miracles of this night. “Gabriel told me to mount this animal, and then he would guide me to Jerusalem, (Al-Aqsa).” This narration is in Sahih Muslim, although bits and pieces of it are found in Bukhari as well. When he was in Al-Aqsa (Jerusalem), he prayed two Rakaat, (prostrations) and it states that he was the imam, or leader of the prayer, and the people that were following him were the prophets.
Following this, the messenger states, “I was then lead by Gibreal (Gabriel) to the heavens. We made it all the way to the gates of the lowest heaven. Gibreal then knocked on the gates and the gate keeper asked, ‘who is it?’ to which Gibreal replied, ‘its Gibreal’ and to that, the gate keeper asked, ‘and who is with you?’ To which Gibreal replied, ‘Muhammad’. To which, the gate keeper asked, ‘Was he given his mission?’ to that, Gibreal responded, ‘Yes’. They responded by saying, he is welcome, and his arrival is a pleasure, and they opened the gates.
So by this, it’s realized that nobody can make it through unless they have the permission, rather, they have clearance to enter. Gabriel, being the arch angel, the messenger and teacher to Muhammad SAW, ascending and descending between the heavenly canopy to the earthly canopy with revelations, told the gate keeping angels, “I am Gabriel” so that he can go through, and that Muhammad SAW was with him to that, they asked, ‘Was he given the mission?’. From that, its extracted that they didn’t know yet that Muhammad SAW was already a prophet. As soon as they found out, they allowed them in.
Moving forth with the narration, the messenger of Allah SAWT said, “I went in and found therein my father, Adam (AS). Gabriel introduced me to Adam and said, ‘This is your father Adam. Greet him.’ So I said, Alsalaamu Alaikom. Adam saluted me in return and said, ‘Wa Aleikom Al Salaam, welcome my pure son’. When this encounter is pondered upon, conceptualized is the pleasure and happiness that both of the prophets had. So imagine, Adam AS is meeting the brightest and greatest of all his children, Muhammad SAW. He’s meeting him for the first time after thousands of years. Now Adam AS has a chance to meet his greatest son. In retrospect, imagine the feeling that must be going through Muhammad SAW meeting his father, and meeting him for the first time. It’s an immense pleasure. They may have wished to sit together and have a conversation, but also internalize that Muhammad SAW is on a journey and is on a tight schedule. He has a lot in front of him.
So then, Gabriel carried Muhammad SAW and they ascended to the second paradise. They knocked. Same thing, they asked, “Who is it?” “Muhammad is with me”, “is he a nabi? Has he been given the message”? They open the gates, and they went in. This is where Muhammad SAW said, “I met Jesus and John.” (Isa and Yahiya) to the readers who are unfamiliar with Yahiya or John, he is referred to as John the Baptist in the Catholic tradition. And Muhammad SAW and the two cousins had exchanged greetings. In Islam, Al Salaam Alaikom, Peace Be Upon You. That is the greeting.
“Then we went forth to the third heaven, knocked on the gates, went through, and met Joseph. (Yusuf) And he was given half of the beauty. We made it to the fourth heaven, and I met with Idris AS. We ascended to the fifth heaven, and therein, I met with Aaron (Harun) AS. Then, we ascended to the sixth heaven, and I met Musa (Moses) AS.”
His encounter with Musa was an eventful one. It’s quite fascinating because Musa AS always has great events happening around him. Not just in the Jewish tradition, but also, in the Quran, Musa AS is the most talked about the prophet in this Holy Scripture. One of the scholars said, “The Quran was almost about to be the story of Musa.” He is mentioned about 73 or so times within the Quran. Studying the life and personality of Musa AS, you’d fall in love with his outstanding behaviour.
When Muhammad SAW passed by Musa AS, Musa began to weep. After they had greeted each other, and Musa had welcomed Muhammad SAW, as he wept, he was asked, “What is the cause of your weeping?” Musa AS’s response was quite emotional if one ponders of it. His response was, “A young man was given prophet hood after me and he will have more of his followers enter paradise than mine.”
Up until that moment, Musa AS had the most amount of followers of any prophet that came before him. The children of Israel were the largest monotheistic religious tradition, and now, Musa AS is emotional because there is a new world record held by the nation of Muhammad SAW. From that, it’s clearly understood that there is competition amongst the prophets. Not a competition of jealousy and envy, rather a competition of compassion.
Muhammad SAW then said, “I then ascended to the seventh heaven, and I went in, and I met my father Abraham AS and I exchanged my Salaams with him. I was then presented with, Al-Bait Al Ma’mour.” Al-Bait Al Ma’mour is the Kaaba that Abraham built on earth with his son. Muslims believe that there is another one exactly like it in the seventh heaven. The proof of this is mentioned in the Holy Quran. [52:1-4] within these verses, Allah SWT is making an oath in this established house. Just as Muslims make the Tawaf around the Kaaba (Seven circuits around) in repentance, and as history would testify, it is the first house built on earth to establish worship to Allah SWT. So as Muslims would visit Al –Kaaba, the house built on earth, Angels visit, Al-Bait Al Ma’mour.
Muhammad SAW says, “Al-Bait Al Ma’mour is visited by 70,000 angels every day, and they never come back to it again.” If we were to think about the magnitude of this, that 70 000 angels visit it once and never return to it again, spanning over billions of years, the resulting number is infinite. The prophet said, “The heavens above you are mourning and they are justified to mourn.” As the Muslims believe, in every space equivalent to the space of four fingers, there is an angel bowing down (in Ruku’) or prostrating (in sujud) to Allah SWT. Compared to the physical realm, that makes human beings seem insignificant. In one narration, it states that Abraham actually had his back kneeling towards this sanctified house, (Bait Al-Ma’mour). It is symbolic to have Abraham AS in that position. After he passes, when he is recalled, he is put to rest next to this holy house that he had built on earth.
Following this, Muhammad SAW said, “I travelled further and I reached to Sidrat Al-Muntahaa.” Sidrat Al-Muntahaa is a tree. However, it is known as a marker that marks the end of the heavens. So the seven heavens are stacked upon one another in rank. After the seven heavens, there is Sidrat Al-Muntahaa, and then it is ultimately a different realm.
When the prophet SAW reached that Sidra, he saw four rivers emanating from it. He asked Gabriel what those four rivers were, and Gabriel responded, “Two of those are apparent, and two of them are hidden. The apparent ones are the Nile, and one of them is the Euphrates, and the hidden ones are the two rivers of Paradise.” What is meant by that, is because these two rivers are so significant and blessed in the earthly canopy, there is an equivalent of them up in the unseen realm.
To conceptualize this, there is the seven levels of heaven, one on top of the other. After that, there is Al-Bait Al-Ma’mour, which is in the seventh heaven. Beyond that, there is Sidrat Al-Muntahaa and beyond that is the realm of Paradise.
In terms of size, the lowest heaven which we are in, in comparison to the heaven above it is like a ring in a desert. The second heaven compared to the third is like a ring in a desert. The third compared to the fourth is like a ring in a desert. The fourth compared to the fifth is like a ring in a desert. The fifth compared to the sixth is like a ring in a desert and the sixth compared to the seventh is like a ring in a desert. Finally, the seventh heaven, compared to the Kursi (throne) of Allah SWT is like a ring in a desert.
Now, the lowest heaven in which we are in, in terms of size, we wouldn’t even be able to conceptualize how vast it is. Even NASA and the resources that human beings have, cannot reach an end to how vast this universe is. This is all within the lowest heaven.
Allah SWT says, “We have adorned the lowest heaven with stars” [Quran 67-5]
Therefore, all of the stars that we see and still haven’t discovered are within the lowest heaven. It’s a vast and awesome creation that the prophet journeyed through. After Muhammad SAW had passed the tree that marks the ends of heavens, he went further up, all the way until he met with Allah SWT. That was the affair of this trip. He reaches to the heights, and he speaks with Allah SWT directly.
Allah SWT prescribed on Muhammad SAW 50 daily prayers. Muhammad SAW said, “I then descended and I passed by Musa, who then asked me, ‘What did Allah tell you?’ to which I responded, ‘Allah has prescribed 50 daily prayers upon my nation.’ To which Musa responded, ‘Your people will not be able to handle that. I have tested people before you and I have experienced the people of Israel for a long time. Go back to your lord and tell him to reduce it. Tell him to relieve you.’”
Muhammad SAW then took this senior advice, went back to Allah SWT and said, “Relieve me of some of the prayers”
Allah SWT reduced it by 10. Muhammad SAW then descended. Musa AS asked what happened, Musa AS said “Go back. Ask Allah SWT to give you a further reduction.” Muhammad SAW ascended again, 10 were reduced and descended again, asked again by Musa AS, told Musa AS what happened, Allah SWT reduced it to 30. “Go back again.”
Muhammad SAW goes back another time, and they are reduced from 30 to 20. Musa AS tells him to go back again. They were reduced from 20 to 10. Musa told him to go back again. Muhammad SAW goes back again, and now it’s reduced to five. He descends, reports it to Musa AS, and Musa AS says, “Oh Muhammad, I know people. I have experience, and I have dealt with the people of Israel. Your nation will not be able to handle it. Go back and ask Allah to reduce them further.” Muhammad SAW then replied, “I am so ashamed to go back to Allah and ask him for further reduction, I cannot.”
So here, we can see the difference between the personality of Musa AS and Muhammad SAW. Musa AS wouldn’t have minded arguing with Allah SWT further. Musa AS was the one who asked Allah SWT, “I want to see you”. As in the Muslim and Judaic traditions, Allah SWT has already given Musa AS the favour of speaking to him, however, Musa AS wanted more. Musa AS asked Allah SWT, “Oh Allah, I want to see you”, and as per the Judaic and Muslim tradition again, we know that Musa AS collapsed. Musa AS is the one who punched the angel of death and knocked his eye out. So there is no doubt, Musa AS was a very strong man, and had a personality that matched. Here, we learn that all of the messengers of Allah SWT are all familiar in their story of calling people to Allah SWT, but their personalities are different.
Therefore, Muhammad SAW did not go back, and he heard a voice say, “The prescription on you is the five daily prayers, but the reward of them will be in the same magnitude of 50”.
Muhammad SAW made it back to the world, that same night. When he made it back, he went to Um Ayman, and told her what happened. “I’ve been to Jerusalem and back in this night,” She said, “Oh messenger of Allah, don’t tell anyone about this. Nobody will believe it. It’s impossible.” What’s interesting here, is Um Ayman believed it, but said that the people will not.
The people of Quraish, (Mekkan tribe of pagans) used to make a mockery of Muhammad SAW saying that he was crazy, he’d practice the dark arts, and said many more denigrating things about him. So Um Ayman realized the type of hardships that would inflict, not only the prophet, SAW, but also the small Muslim community at the time. That this would give them the ammunition they were looking for to prove that he is in fact crazy, according to the Mekkans.
Muhammad SAW said, “I will tell them about it. Regardless of what the people will say, it’s part of my mission, I must tell them what happened.”
(Quran 5-19)
The journey to Jerusalem used to take one month. Muhammad SAW made it within one night. Not only did he travel to Jerusalem, but to Jerusalem, to all of the heavens, spoke to Allah SWT, then back to earth all in one night.
The messenger of Allah SWT obviously understood the weight of this news and how difficult it would be to convey, so he went out, in a quiet and somber mood. He began to speak to some people and the news reached Abu Jahl, one of the higher leaders of Mekkah and one of the biggest tyrants against Islam.
Muhammad SAW was sitting in the mosque quietly and concerned about the consequences of the news. So Abu Jahl then came to Muhammad SAW and asked mockingly, “Oh Muhammad, anything new?” Muhammad SAW then responded, “Yes” to which Abu Jahl Asked, “What?”
Muhammad SAW said, “This night, I visited Jerusalem and came back.”
Abu Jahl asked, “Jerusalem?” Muhammad SAW responded, “Yes.”
Abu Jahl then said, excitedly, “Oh Muhammad, if I were to call your people right now and bring them here, would you tell them the same thing you just told me now?”
Muhammad SAW then responded, “Yes, I would”. Abu Jahl, pleased and excited, crying out to the Mekkans, “Oh Quraish, come here!” So therefore, he gathered them and when they were all present, he said to Muhammad SAW and said, “Oh Muhammad, can you please tell your people what you just told me a moment ago?”
Muhammad SAW then, without hesitation then got up and said, “I have been to Jerusalem and back the previous night”
The narrator of the hadith said said that people started clapping, whistling, laughing, falling on each other and continued to make a big joke about it. Some of the seasonal travelers that were among them, that used to frequent Jerusalem, asked Muhammad SAW to describe the mosque to them. The messenger SAW then began describing it, but said, “…then I became vexed.” Surely, he did not spend a lot of time there to recall every single detail of the place. There, Muhammad SAW said, “Allah SWT showed me the mosque of Jerusalem right in front of my eyes and I began describing it stone by stone, brick by brick.” The frequents then said, “He has given an accurate and excellent description.”
There is also another occurrence by another narration, by Ibn Ishaaq, that when Muhammad SAW was on his way back to Jerusalem from Makkah, he passed by a caravan belonging to the people of Quraish at night and that they have lost a camel of theirs and Muhammad SAW saw it because he was up in the air. So he called them, from up in the air and said, “Your camel is in this place.”
Now they didn’t know where this voice was coming from. And he also drank some of their water, and he also remembered the description of this caravan. So he told the people of Quraish, this camel from this caravan belonging to you had lost a camel, and I gave them directions to it, so you can ask them about it, and I also drank some of their water, from such and such container, and the caravan is headed by such and such camel, and described the camel, and the load that the camel had.
They immediately sent out somebody to go and meet the caravan before they get to Makkah, and the person concluded that the descriptions were accurate, that they did lose a camel, and that they found it because they heard a voice coming from the sky, and also that they missed some of their water. These were all signs and truths that were confirmed, but that wasn’t sufficient enough for them to believe.
This immense happening of Israa’ and Mi’raaj, was so intense, it caused some weak Muslims to apostate.
Lessons to be extracted from Israa’ and Mi’raaj.
- The event of Muhammad SAWs chest being opened and his heart being removed and cleansed happened more than once. It occurred when he was a child, with Halimah Sa’diyah and it occurred again right before the journey of Al Israa’ and Al Mi’raaj. By the way, just so that it’s clear, the definition of Israa’ in Arabic, is Night journey and the meaning of Mi’raaj, is Ascending. So, Israa’ is the journey of Muhammad SAW from Makkah to Jerusalem, and Mi’raaj is the ascending from Jerusalem to the heavens anon.
- When Allah SWT prescribed the 50 daily prayers upon Muhammad SAW, Muhammad accepted it.
- When Muhammad SAW descended and spoke to Musa AS, Musa AS told him that his nation would not be able to handle it. He spoke out of experience. We learn here, that sometimes, knowledge does not suffice. In addition to knowledge, we must have experience in some cases.
[Quran 20:82-84]
In the verses that follow; “Your people have went astray and have deviated as a result of the Samerei.”
[Quran 20:84-85] The Samerei is one of the people of the Israelites that worshipped the cow. He made a cow out of gold for the Israelites and had led them astray while Musa AS was on the 40 day journey. At this point, Musa AS had just received from Allah SWT the 10 tablets. He was told by Allah SWT explicitly, ‘Your people have deviated.’ However, when Musa AS went back and he saw first account that his people were worshipping the cow. Musa AS was so shocked, that he dropped the tablets from his hands. This is begs the question, ‘If Musa AS already knew that his people are deviating, why was his response different when he saw it from when he heard it?’
The answer to this, in leading sociologist’s opinion, is seeing something first hand has a different effect on the human psyche. When Musa AS told Muhammad SAW that his people are not going to be able to handle it, he was right. The result of the 50 daily prayers that were deduced to five, were a direct consequence of Musa AS’s experiences with his tribes of Bani Israel.
The reason this point is being stated here, is because, as many would testify, Musa AS was right. Many Muslims, neglect this prescription of the five daily prayers. Some lapse, some would pray some, miss some and some miss others. This isn’t a reprimand statement, rather a reminder of the blessing that we as Muslims tend to neglect from time to time. The blessing of 50 prayers remains the same if we pray the 5 daily prayers that was prescribed for us. It’s an immense blessing.
In addition, when was stated earlier in this essay that the competition between the prophets was a compassionate competition, even though Musa AS wept when he knew that Muhammad SAW had a larger following than his, it didn’t barrier him from advising Muhammad SAW to request from Allah SWT to reduce the prayers. Here, we witness how eager Musa AS was to help the Muslims. We also see, how much the prophets loved each other.
- The Importance of Prayer.
- There is no command, whatsoever, that was prescribed on us in the heavens except the command of Salah. Every other ritual that Muslims practice was revealed by Gibreal upon Muhammad SAW on earth. Therefore, we can extract the importance of Salah, that it’s bestowed through a direct conversation that took place above all the heavens. Not only was it prescribed in a direct conversation from Allah SWT to Muhammad SAW, but it was also prescribed in a similar fashion to Musa AS and the people of Israel. Allah SWT prescribed Salah to Musa AS in a direct conversation that took place in the mountain of Al-Tur.
[“Indeed I am the God that there is none other but I and worship me by establishing Salaah for my remembrance” Quran 20:13-14]
As the Jews and Muslims understand, that is the moment that Musa AS became a prophet. He was given the command of prayer immediately when he was officially a prophet. First, he was told that there is no God but God, secondly, was commanded to pray. Prayer is the act of worship in which Muhammad SAW said, “If the Muslim does not establish prayer, they have left Islam.”
Not only is Salaah important, but also, playing around with the times and not praying within the intervals that were given is also a major sin that requires a specific type of repentance.
“And people have followed after them and have lost their prayers and followed their appetites and so they will find a severe punishment of a valley in hell fire”
[Quran 19:58-59]
- The Importance of the Holy Land of Jerusalem.
- As was affirmed in Surat Al-Israa’,
“How perfect is the one who took his slave in the middle of the night from the Sacred mosque to the Mosque of Jerusalem the one whose surroundings we have made full of blessings in order to show him some of our miraculous signs, undoubtedly, he is all seeing, all hearing.”
[Quran 17:1]
- Jerusalem was promised to the believers. Abraham AS was given the promise that from his descendants, the believers among them will be the guardians of the holy land. That was the promise that was fulfilled through the prophets of the children of Israel. Allah SWT also promised Jerusalem to Musa AS. Even though Musa AS did not see the result of that promise fulfilled in his lifetime, it was fulfilled in the lifetime of his successor, Yushua, (Joshua). Therefore, the children of Israel remained in that land as long as they were the bearers of truth.
However, when they deviated from the true message of Allah SWT and fought the prophets, attempted to kill Jesus AS and killed other prophets, Allah SWT stripped away that land from them and gave that land to the descendants of Ishmael AS. Allah SWT gave that land to Muhammad SAW and his nation because according to the Quran, it is Muhammad SAW and his nation that now bare the torch of truth. In that, that land is promised to the believers. Even though Muhammad SAW will not open Jerusalem in his lifetime, he must visit and receive the keys.
The symbolism in this journey of Muhammad SAW going to the mosque of Jerusalem (Masjid Al-Aqsa) and leading the prayer of the prophets, is to confirm that now, Muhammad SAW is the inheritor of the message of the prophets. Furthermore, he is the leader of the sons of Adam AS. Ultimately, the land that was under the custodianship of the prophets of the children of Israel is now transferred to the followers of Muhammad SAW.
Just as Musa AS did not see it in his lifetime rather it took place in the time of his successor Joshua AS, Muhammad SAW didn’t see it in his lifetime, and it happened in the lifetime of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab RAA. The man whom Muhammad SAW said, “If there is a prophet after me, it would be Omar.” Therefore, that was a blessing that Allah SWT reserved for Omar RAA.
What is flabbergasting is, when the Muslims reached the gates of Jerusalem, although the religious and political leadership of Jerusalem count not fight the Muslims, they had to give it up, they said, “We will surrender, but we cannot surrender to anyone but the caliph of the Muslims. He must come here and receive it with his own hands.”
Therefore, according to this history, Muslims are the ones who have the promise of Allah SWT of the holy land of Jerusalem.
In that wisdom, we learn that we never know what Allah SWT is hiding for any of us. This is a Metaphysical equation that is as true as the Newtonian physics that we all learned in high school. With hardship is ease. Believe in that promise with every difficulty that you go through. Allah SWT is reserving something for you, whether in this life, or in the afterlife.
Salaam Alaikom Wa Rahmat Allah Wa Barakatuhu.