The Future For Islam

70 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

This will also be suggested in rhe hadith from %'isha, God bless her, when the

Messenger of God (SAAS) went to Ta'if but they disbelieved him. (In it) he

said, "I returned in a state of depression, and I only came out of it at Qarn

al-Tha$lib."

Also there is the hadith of Abo Usayd, when he brought his son to the

Messenger of God (SAAS) for the tahnik ceremony." He placed hi in the lap

of the Messenger of Cod (SAAS) who was engaged in conversation with the

people. So Abii Usayd lifted his son up. Then the Messenger of God (SAAS),

lstayqaza, he "awoke or became aware", and did not find the boy there. He asked

about him, and they said he had been lifted off; and so he named the boy

al-Mundhlr, the rooster or awakener.

This interpretation is preferable to considering it an error. But Gad knows

best.

Ibn Ishaq related as follows, "A member of Aba Bakr's family related to me that
'A'isha, "mother of the believers", used to say, 'The body of the Messenger of
God (SAAS), was never found to be missing, but God did journey away with his
spirit."'
He also said, "Ya'qab b. Wtba related to me as follows, 'When he was asked
about the night journeys of the Messenger of God (SAAS), Mucawiya would say,
"These were true visions from God.""'
Ibn Ishaq stated, "That is not refuted by the statement of both these authorities,
according to the words of al-Hasan, to the effect that, 'The following verse was
revealed on that subject: "and We only made the signs We have shown you as a
test for the people."'"
Similarly Abraham, peace be upon him, said, "0 my son, I see in my sleep that
I am sacrificing you" (swat al-Sdffdt; XXXVII, v.102). And in the hadith literature
there is the statement: "My eyes are asleep while my heart is awake."
Ibn Ishaq stated, "God knows best which of that it was. He did go there and
did see there what he saw of God Almighty, whether he was asleep or awake. All
of that is, however, factual and true."

My own comment is that Ibn Ishnq stopped at that point, having combined both
possibilities in one whole. But one thing beyond doubt or disagreement is that he
was certainly awake, for all the reasons given above.
It is not necessary to interpret the words of'ii'isha, God bless her, that it was
not his body, but his spirit that made the journey, as implying that he was
asleep, as Ibn Ishaq understood it. The journey might well have in fact occurred
for his soul while he was awake and not asleep; he could have ridden al-Buraq,
gone to Jerusalem, ascended into heaven and seen all he did while awake and not
asleep.

11. This is an ancient Islamic custom of blessing a new-born by chewing dates and rubbing
    therewith the palate of the baby.