Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The event of Isra and Miraj is a reward, a great favour, an unmatched gift and a divine miracle from Allah (swt) to His beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). At the same time, Isra and Miraj served as a test of the believers’ faith in the Prophet (saw). It was the most magnificent testimony of our Prophet Muhammad (saw) to the greatness and infinite power of Allah. Through this testimony, Allah (swt) once again demonstrated to humanity that true greatness belongs to Him alone. Additionally, He taught the ways of purification, elevation and reaching the peak of servitude. While Allah (swt) honoured the Blessed Prophet, who is a symbol of submission, loyalty, truthfulness and honesty, through Isra and Miraj, He also conveyed messages to us. In the Quran it is stated: “Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”[1] Therefore, Isra and Miraj, on one hand, signify reaching Allah and on the other hand, abandoning what He has forbidden.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Our Prophet Muhammad (saw) completed this blessed journey and returned home the same night. As soon as he arrived, he described the events to his family. His family and close companions believed him; however, some of the Meccans were astonished when they heard about the incident. They rushed to Abu Bakr (ra) and informed him of what the Prophet (saw) had said. Abu Bakr responded, “I have believed in Muhammad’s (saw) truthfulness, and even more than that, I believe that angels bring news from the heavens to him.” Because of this unwavering belief, Abu Bakr was given the title “As-Siddiq” (the Truthful).

Dear Jama’ah!
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (ra) said: “When the event of Isra took place, three things were given to the Messenger of Allah (saw): The five daily prayers, the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah and the forgiveness of major sins for those in his ummah who do not associate partners with Allah.”[2] These three great blessings highlight the profound significance of the Miraj event for Muslims. One of the most important outcomes of Miraj for Muslims is the prayer (salah), which is the pillar of Islam and a special gift to believers. Another glad tiding of Miraj is the promise that those from the Prophet’s ummah who do not associate partners with Allah may be forgiven. The third blessing is the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, known as Amana Rasul. In these verses, we renew our pledge of servitude to Allah (swt) by declaring, “We have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers.” Through the verse, “We hear and obey. Our Lord, grant us Your forgiveness. To You is our final return,” we express our submission to Allah. The statement, “Each soul will be recompensed for what it earns, and none will bear the burden of another,” reinforces our sense of responsibility. Additionally, we acknowledge that all our actions in this world have a reckoning and a consequence, affirming the existence of the Hereafter

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
On the night connecting next Sunday to Monday, we will, insha’Allah, observe the blessed night of Isra and Miraj. Let us participate in the programs to be held in our mosques with our families. Let us conclude our khutba with the following dua, which is one of the gifts of Miraj: “O Allah! Do not hold us accountable if we forget or make mistakes. O Allah! Do not place upon us a burden as You placed on those before us. O Allah! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelievers.”

May our Jumah and the blessed night of Isra and Miraj bring goodness to Islam and humanity. Ameen

[1] Surah Al-Isra 17:1

[2] Müslim, Îmân, 279

Khutba: The Gifts of Mi’raj: Surah Al-Baqarah, Verses 285-286