The journey of Isra and Mi'raj occurred while the Prophet ﷺ was fully awake, with both his body and soul. Therefore, it was a miracle and an honor bestowed upon the Prophet ﷺ. If it had been a dream or only with the soul without the body, there would have been no miraculous aspect to it! Every person sees wondrous and strange things in their dreams, and the Quraysh would not have denied the event. Nor would the event have become a trial for some of those who had embraced Islam. The immediate belief of Abu Bakr (without hesitation) would not have been a distinguishing merit for him.
The Power of Allah in Isra and Mi'raj
A believing servant acknowledges that all matters are equal before Allah. In the journey of Isra and Mi'raj, a believer understands that it is the same for Allah whether it occurred with the body, the soul, or in a dream. His power is not limited by anything; He does as He wills. Those who denied or interpreted the event differently did so because they made their intellect the judge over Allah's power. They did not appreciate Allah's power as it deserves, failing to comprehend that His power is limitless. Thus, some denied it, while others interpreted it as merely a dream or a spiritual journey to fit the event within the limits of their intellect, which cannot grasp that Allah's power has no bounds. He does as He wills.
Isra and Mi'raj: With Body and Soul
The journey of Isra and Mi'raj occurred in a single night, and it took place while the Prophet ﷺ was awake, with both his body and soul. Therefore, it was a miracle and an honor for the Prophet ﷺ. If it had been a dream or only with the soul without the body, it would not have been a miracle. Evidence for this includes:
- Allah says: " Glory be to the One Who took His servant ˹Muḥammad˺ by night." (Surah Al-Isra, 17:1). The phrase "His servant" refers to the complete human being, both body and soul.
- Numerous authentic and widely transmitted (mutawatir) hadiths confirm this.
- The Quraysh would not have denied the event if it were a dream, as every person sees wondrous things in their dreams.
- The event would not have become a trial for some of those who had embraced Islam.
- Abu Bakr's immediate belief without hesitation would not have been a distinguishing merit for him.
Al-Tabari said in his Tafsir (14/446): "There is no meaning to the claim of those who say that the journey was with his soul and not his body, for if that were the case, it would not have been evidence of his prophethood or proof of his message. Nor would the polytheists have denied its reality, as it would not have been something extraordinary for them or for any person with sound intuition to see in a dream something that takes a year to travel, let alone a month or less. Moreover, Allah informed us in His Book that He took His servant by night, and He did not say that He took the soul of His servant. It is not permissible for anyone to go beyond what Allah has said."
Al-Shanqiti said in Adwa' al-Bayan (3/3) regarding Allah's statement: " Glory be to the One Who took His servant ˹Muḥammad˺ by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque." (Surah Al-Isra, 17:1): "Know that some scholars claimed that this journey was with his soul ﷺ and not his body, suggesting it was a dream, because the dreams of the prophets are revelation. Others claimed that the Isra was with the body, while the Mi'raj was with the soul and not the body. However, the apparent meaning of the Quran indicates that it was with both his soul and body ﷺ while he was awake, not in a dream. This is because Allah said: 'His servant,' and the servant refers to the combination of the soul and body. Additionally, Allah said: Glory be to the One Who,' and glory is only used for great matters. If it were a dream, it would not have been a significant event to warrant such exaltation."
Evidence from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)
The Isra and Mi'raj are among the miracles of the Prophet ﷺ that puzzled the minds of those who did not appreciate Allah's power as it deserves. Some claimed it was a dream or only with the soul without the body, citing a narration attributed to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) regarding Isra and Mi'raj, in which she said: "I did not miss the body of the Messenger of Allah, but his soul was taken." However, this narration is not authentic and has been judged by some scholars to be fabricated. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was not yet married to the Prophet ﷺ during the blessed journey; she was still young.
Similarly, some used certain hadith narrations to argue that Isra and Mi'raj was a dream, such as the narration of Shariq: "While he was asleep," and another narration where the Prophet ﷺ said: "I was near the Ka'bah, between sleep and wakefulness."
Al-Qadi Iyad said in Ikmal al-Mu'lim (1/499): "As for the statement in Shariq's narration: 'While he was asleep,' and the statement in another narration: 'I was near the Ka'bah, between sleep and wakefulness,' some may use this as evidence to claim it was a dream. However, there is no proof in this, as it could refer to the initial state when the angel first came to him. There is nothing in the hadith that indicates he was asleep throughout the entire event."
Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Bari (7/204): "The phrase 'between sleep and wakefulness' refers to the initial state. Then, when he was taken to the door of the mosque and mounted on the Buraq, he remained awake."
