Is celebrating the night of Miaraj/Israa a biddah?
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
asalam
o alikum warehmatullah a hewabarakatunhoo
Is
celebrating the night of Miaraj/Israa a biddah? are there any particular form
of worship to be done on that night?
Sallam
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errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions,
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Answer:
Celebrating
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Your Question: Is
celebrating the night of Miaraj/Israa a biddah? are there any particular form
of worship to be done on that night?
Beloved sister in Islam, for any act, or worship, or
celebration, or rite or ritual to be considered a part of the deen of Islam,
the absolutely first things one needs to ask or determine is whether this act
or worship was:
Dear and Beloved sister in Islam, it is the solemn belief
of every true believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, that there
was, is, or never will be anyone in the annuls of creation who loved, obeyed,
and worshipped Allah Subhanah more or better than the Noble Last and Final
Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws)!
If one finds or determines that the act, or worship, or
celebration, or commemoration, or rite or ritual was commanded by Allah, or
performed and endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), then one should
wholeheartedly strive to follow the example of the Prophet (saws), and indulge
in the worship with the conviction that this act of worship is a part of Islam
and acceptable to Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah
Ahzab verse 21:
There is indeed the best example
for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks
forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.
To the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely not even
an iota of evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah or tradition of the
Noble Prophet (saws) that he (saws) would make a particular gathering, or a
specific prayer, or a specific fast, or do or organize any sort of celebration
or commemoration for the night of Mairaaj!
When the Messenger of Allah (saws) did not perform nor
endorse any rite or ritual or commemoration for the night of Mairaaj, then it
is absolutely evident that any specific rite or ritual or celebration or
commemoration one were to do would be a manifest ‘bida’ (innovation), which
neither forms part of the deen, nor is it acceptable as worship to Allah
Subhanah.
If anyone ever comes up with any act of worship like a celebration,
or a commemoration, or prescribes importance to any prayer, or fast, or night
or day, or invents, innovates, or claims anything to be a part of the deen of
Islam which is not endorsed by the Noble Prophet (saws), then it implies one of
three things:
Allah is our witness sister, if anyone in the annuls of
creation ever claims to have any of the above three qualities is nothing more
than a confirmed and manifest liar!; for Allah is our witness, no man in the
annuls of creation loved or worshipped their Lord more than Prophet Mohamed
(saws), no man in the annuls of creation had more knowledge of the Truth than
the Noble Prophet Mohamed (saws), and Allah is our witness, the Last and Final
Revelations of The Lord Most Majestic were revealed on Prophet Mohamed (saws),
and there is none who will or can receive revelations after him (saws)!
If one brings, invents, adds or innovates any act or deed
in religion which has not been specifically endorsed by Allah and His Messenger
(saws), then it has to be a ‘bida’ (an innovation in the religion after the
deen was completed on Prophet Mohamed (saws)), and Allah is our witness, every
innovation in the deen of Islam is an error in the Sight of Allah Subhanah!
Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by
That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a
sermon: “The best speech is that which
is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran;
and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the
innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by
That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If
anyone introduces an innovation (bida in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation (bida) or
gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (bida), he is cursed by
Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people!”
The honor that our Lord Most Gracious bestowed on His
Messenger (saws) on his Night Journey and Ascension is something which a true
believer should cherish every living moment of his life. But to invent or commemorate or celebrate
this occasion with any specific prayer, or rite or ritual when the Messenger of
Allah (saws) himself did not perform nor endorse it would be a manifest ‘bida’,
and thus not acceptable to Allah Subhanah, The Lord and Creator of the
Universe.
The Prophet (saws) said: ‘The most evil
affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida)
is an error’; thus
every believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day must stay clear
and abstain from ever practicing or indulging in any innovation in this pure
and perfect deen of Al-Islam.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in
Islam,
Burhan
