Friday, 16 January 2026

A Wisdom of the Night Journey and Ascent



٦ - فِي فَرْضِ الصَّلَاةِ لَيْلَةَ الإِسْرَاءِ وَالمِعْرَاجِ إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى الحِكْمَةِ الَّتِي مِنْ أَجْلِهَا شُرِعَتِ الصَّلَاةُ، فَكَأَنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ لِعِبَادِهِ المُؤْمِنِينَ: إِذَا كَانَ مِعْرَاجُ رَسُولِكُمْ بِجِسْمِهِ وَرُوحِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ مُعْجِزَةً، فَلْيَكُنْ لكُمْ في كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ مِعْرَاجٌ تَعْرُجُ فِيهِ أَرْوَاحُكُمْ وَقُلُوبُكُمْ إِلَيَّ، وَلِيَكُِنْ لَكُمْ عُرُوجٌ رُوحِيٌّ تَتَحَقَّقُونَ بِهِ التَّرَفُّعَ عَنْ أَهْوَائِكُمْ وَشَهَوَاتِكُمْ، وَتَشْهَدُونَ مَا هُوَ مِنْ عَظَمَتِي وَقُدْرَتِي وَوَحْدَانِيَّتِي، مَا يَدْفَعُكُمْ إِلَى السِّيَادَةِ عَلَى الأَرْضِ، لَا عَنْ طَرِيقِ الاسْتِعْبَادِ وَالقَهْرِ وَالغَلَبَةِ، بَلْ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الخَيْرِ وَالسُّمُوِّ، عَنْ طَرِيقِ الطُّهْرِ وَالتَّسَامِي، عَنْ طَرِيقِ الصَّلَاةِ.

6. In the obligation of the alāh on the night of al-Isrāʾ (Night Journey) and al-Miʿrāj (Ascent) is an indication of the wisdom  for which the alāh was legislated, for it is as if Allah is saying to His believing slaves: ‘If the Ascent of your Messenger, in both body and spirit, into the sky was a miracle, let there be for you, five times every day, an ascent in which your spirits and your hearts ascend to Me. Let there be for you a spiritual ascent in which you rise above your passions and desires, and witness of my Sublimity, Power, and Oneness what will push you towards sovereignty on earth, not through the path of enslavement, coercion, and domination, but rather through the path of goodness and loftiness, through the path of purity and transcendence, through the path of the alāh.

  -  Dr Muṣtafa as-Sibāʿī, As-Sīrah an-Nabawiyyah: Durūs wa ʿIbar (Beirut: Dār Ibn     Ḥazm, 1430/2010), 58.

Book Release: The Etiquette of Dialogue in Allah’s Book

 Alhamdulillah, the book is now available from Nawa Books


 


Two Timely Essays by Imam al-Būṭī on Language, Dialogue, and the Qurʾān

In this powerful and timely volume, Imam Muḥammad Saʿīd Ramaḍān al-Būṭī, one of the foremost scholars of our time, presents two profound essays on the Qurʾān’s guidance concerning speech, dialogue, and the preservation of language.

The first essay, The Etiquettes of Dialogue in Allah’s Book, explores how the Qurʾān instructs believers to engage in respectful, wise, and principled dialogue. Drawing directly from Qurʾānic verses, Imam al-Būṭī demonstrates that the believer’s approach to discussion — whether with fellow Muslims or with those who reject faith — must be rooted in clarity, logic, compassion, and ethical integrity. Far from encouraging polemics or verbal conquest, the Qurʾān lays out a framework for inviting others to the truth with sincerity and dignity.

The second essay, Preserving the Arabic Language and Its Literature, is a stirring defence of the Arabic language and its central role in the life of the Muslim ummah. Imam al-Būṭī exposes the ideological agendas — both historical and modern, colonial and internal —  that have sought to weaken or displace Arabic, arguing that such efforts threaten the Ummah’s direct connection to the Qurʾān and thus, by extension, their relationship with Allah Himself.

Both essays are presented with fully vocalised Arabic text alongside precise English translations, offering timeless guidance for seekers of knowledge, Arabic students, educators, those engaged in daʿwah, and all who are committed to preserving the integrity of Islam.

Deeply rooted in love for Allah, His Book, and the language in which it was revealed, this volume is a call to reflection, revival, and action.

The book is also available from Lulu