Clarification on the status of Laylatul Mi’raaj

The email in question is not from the “other Jamiat”. It is from our Jamiat, the Jamiatul Ulama KZN.

The probable reason for the email upsetting you is that you have been misinformed of or you have misunderstood the true nature of the Mi’raaj. The Mi’raaj was undoubtedly a great occasion in the life of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. It is one of his greatest miracles and a Sign that no other creation enjoyed the proximity and closeness that he had to Allah Ta’ala.

The Mi’raaj, like other great events in the life of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam is part of the Seerah and an integral part of Islamic History. Hence, the event must be remembered and the Ulama should inform their congregations regarding it.

The aspect which the email in question is making reference to is fixing a specific night every year to commemorate the Mi’raaj. This is the issue that the email takes objection to. We are the Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama’aah which means we are followers of the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and of the practice of the Sahaabah, his noble Companions Radhiyallahu Anhum. In the practices of Deen, we take our guidance and direction from them. Any practice that is established from Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and his Sahaabah we hold dear to our hearts and consider it as a part of our Deen. Any practice that did not come from them can obviously not merit the same consideration.

In commemorating the Mi’raaj, we find no precedent in the Sunnah or from the practice of the Sahaabah. This means that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam had never given the command to commemorate the night of Mi’raaj nor did the Sahaabah fix a date for its commemoration. Moreover, even the night when the Mi’raaj took place is an issue of much disagreement amongst the Muslim scholars. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (RA), the famous commentator of Sahih Bukhari has enumerated more than ten different dates on which the Mi’raaj may have occurred. Some scholars like Imam Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Harbi by Ibn Dihya in al-Ibtihaj fi Ahadith al-Mi`raj, Imam Nawawi in his Fatawa, Imam Suyuti in al-Ayat al-Kubra fi Sharh Qissat al-Isra and Allamah Alusi in Tafsir Ruhul Ma`ani have taken a categoric stance that the Mi’raaj occurred on the 27th of Rabi-ul-Awwal, rather than the 27th of Rajab.

The question that we must then ask ourselves is whether we have the right to declare and fix the night of the 27th of Rajab for commemorating the Mi’raaj when Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam did not do so, the Sahaabah Radhiyallahu Anhum did not do so, and the 27th of Rajab itself has not been authenticated to be the night of Mi’raaj?

Our guidance lies in following the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and the practice of the Sahaabah Radhiyallahu Anhum. In this lies our salvation and the protection and preservation of our Deen.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best