Microsoft Word When the Moon Split Final

 

---

102 
The moon splits in half 
The absence of any spectacular miracle such as they had 
demanded convinced the Quraysh that they had found 
Muhammad’s weakness. Now they asked him to show them any 
sign. If Muhammad couldn’t produce even a small sign, the 
Quraysh believed that it would show everyone that he was a false 
prophet. Muhammad would be silenced at last. 
The Prophet prayed to Allah and asked Him to show the 
Quraysh a sign. Finally, Allah gave the Quraysh clear evidence: 
the moon split in half so that each half appeared on either side of 
Mount Hira. “Be you all witnesses,” the Prophet said. 
At first, the pagans could not believe what they saw. The 
moon had been split in two before their eyes. After the initial 
shock, however, they determined that it was nothing but the 
sorcery of the son of Abu Kabasha. “Maybe he has put a spell on 
us, so let’s wait until some travellers arrive in Makkah and ask 
them if they also saw it.” As soon as some travellers arrived in 
Makkah, the Makkans asked them if they had seen the strange 
sight. The travellers confirmed they too had seen the wonderous 
sight of the cleft moon. Now there was no doubt what they had 
witnessed, but the Quraysh stubornly clutched their disbelief. 
The Night Journey and Ascension 
Perhaps two of the most significant and remarkable events in 
the Prophet’s life were his “Israa” (Night Journey) and “Mi’raaj” 
(Ascension). “Israa” refers to how one night Allah took 
Muhammad from the Ka’bah to Bait Al-Maqdis (the Sacred 
Mosque of Worship, i.e. Solomon’s Temple) in Jerusalem, and 
“Mi’raaj” refers to the Prophet’s actual ascension to heaven from 
Jerusalem. 
The Prophet’s “Israa” is mentioned in the Qur’an in the 
following verse: “Glory to Allah Who took His slave on a journey 
by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose 

---

103 
presincts I did bless, in order that I might show him some of My 
signs. Verily, Allah hears and sees all things.” (17: 1) 
Some sources indicate that the “Mi’raaj” (Ascension) is also 
described in Surah Al-Najm from the seventh to the eighteenth 
verse. There is a difference of opinion concerning when the 
“Israa” and “Mi’raaj” occurred. Some sources place the event in 
the first year of prophethood, or Ramadan 17, during the twelfth 
year of prophethood, or in Muharram or Rabi’ Al-Awwal in the 
thirteenth year of prophethood. 
The story of the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension is 
both beautiful and instructive. It began when the angel Jibreel
descended on the Ka’bah with a “Buraq” – an animal bigger than an 
ass and smaller than a donkey, that could travel to the farthest 
horizon with one stride. The Prophet and Jibreel rode the 
Buraq to the Sacred Mosque of Worship in Jerusalem. Once there, 
the Prophet tethered the animal outside the mosque where 
former prophets had tied their mounts. 
The Prophet entered the mosque to find assembled there 
all the previous prophets, whom he then led in prayer, Jibreel 
brought two vessels to the Prophet, one filled with wine, the 
other with milk. The Prophet chose the second vessel. Jibreel 
commented on the Prophet’s choice: “You chose milk in 
accordance with the purity of your nature. Hence you have 
received guidance and your followers have too. Had you chosen 
the wine, your followers would have been astray.” 
The Prophet was then taken to the first level of heaven, 
which was the first stage of his Ascension. Jibreel asked for the 
door to be opened for the Prophet, and there stood Adam , the 
first man prophet. Adam said, “Peace be upon you,” to which the 
Prophet responded, “And upon you be peace.” Adam then 
testified that Muhammad was the Prophet of Allah. Adam 
looked to his right and smiled, and then looked to his left and 
wept. The Prophet saw two groups of people on either side of 

---

104 
Adam, and the ones he smiled at were the believers, while the 
ones that caused him to weep were the unbelievers. 
The Prophet was then escorted to the second level of 
heaven. Jibreel asked for the door to be opened, and there the 
Prophet saw two cousins, the prophets Yahia bin Zakariya 
(John son of Zechariah) and Isa bin Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary). 
The Prophet greeted them and they returned the greeting, and 
then they testified that Muhammad was Allah’s Prophet. 
On the third level of heaven, the Prophet met Yusuf 
(Joseph) . After an exchange of greetings, Yusuf also testified 
that Muhammad was Allah’s Prophet. 
The Prophet met Idress on the fourth level of heaven. 
Both prophets exchanged greetings, and Idress testified that 
Muhammad was the Prophet of Allah. 
The fifth level of heaven was where the Prophet met 
Haroon (Aaron), who, like all the previous prophets, exchanged 
greetings and testified that Muhammad was Allah’s Prophet. 
Musa (Moses) awaited the Prophet on the sixth level of 
heaven. After greeting the Prophet and testifying that Muhammad 
was indeed a Prophet, Musa began to weep. When he was asked 
why he was weeping, he said, “The reason for my tears is that a 
youth was commissioned as prophet after me, but his followers 
will enter heaven in greater numbers than mine.” 
When the Prophet reached the seventh level of heaven, he 
met Ibraheem (Abraham) resting against Bait Al-Ma’mur, a 
celestial house of worship which seventy thousand different 
angels circumambulate every day. The Prophet Ibraheem returned 
the greeting of his descendant and testified that Muhammad was 
the Prohet of Allah. 
At this point, the Prophet was then led up to Sirat Al-