Mi'raaj: A Scientific Miracle

With the arrival of Rajab, our year’s seventh month, memories of the Miraj are once again rekindled. This article provides some important information on this great event, one that could aptly be described as a “scientific miracle”. There are two terms used for this event. One is israa, the other is mi’raj. Israa means to journey by night, and thus refers to the journey Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) undertook from Makka to Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem).

Mi’raj means to ascend, and refers to the ascension of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) from Baitul-Maqdis up to the seven heavens and beyond. All this occurred, not in one night, but in a small portion of the night. Ponder the verse in which israa is mentioned: “Glory be to That Being Who took his slave on a journey during a portion of the night, from Musjidul-Haraam to Musjidul-Aqsaa...” (Surah 17, aayat 1) The Holy Quran uses the term ‘a portion of the night’, but does not define the duration of that ‘portion of the night’. Reason for this is that the miraculous journey was completed within an infinitesimal portion of the night.

Why do we call it a scientific miracle? A miracle is something that defies the law of nature; a happening that goes against logic and reasoning. The mi’raj in that sense, is undoubtedly a miracle, because the human mind cannot fathom how the physical body is able to ascend to immeasurable heights in such an infinitesimal duration of time. Being scientific implies that it is related to science, for transcending the boundaries of the earth’s atmosphere in today’s times is most definitely a scientific event. This epic journey is a miracle because it confounds every theory in science and logic, and that is what miracles are intended to do; to defy reason, to confound critics, to silence sceptics, and to compel the observer towards acceptance of a greater force. If a miracle conforms to scientific reasoning and logic, I believe it ceases to remain a miracle. There is a saying in arabic which translates: “When the reason is known, amazement ceases.” If one hears that a certain man flew through the skies, the initial reaction to such news is one of incredulity. Even in this modern day and age, people will respond with scepticism to such a bold claim. But if it is explained that the man was seated in an aeroplane or an airship, all disbelief and amazement ceases, for people accept that this is logically and scientifically possible.

As long as we maintain that this happening was miraculous in nature, it cannot be interpreted in a scientific light or else it loses its Divine Weight. The night after Mi’raj, when Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) broke the news this journey to the people of Makka., the initial reaction was one of disbelief. Had this been considered a dream or a purely spiritual transportation, the kuffar of Makka would not have reacted to this information with rejection and disbelief. This in itself proves that one, Mi’raj was a physical journey, and two, that it happened in a miraculous way, confuting the logic and reasoning of man.

The Mi’raaj was a physical and spiritual journey, hence the reason for the kuffar of Makka rejecting this episode.

On this night one of the greatest gifts of Allah Ta’ala was granted to the Ummah, and that is the five daily salah. May Allah Ta’ala make every Muslim a regular and punctual Namaazi, aameen.