The Illustrious Sahaabah The Illustrious Sahaabah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) departed from Makkah Mukarramah, mounted on the buraaq, accompanied by Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) and Hazrat Meekaa’eel (‘alaihis salaam). During the journey, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) stopped at certain places to perform salaah while on the way to Baytul Muqaddas.
In the narration of Hazrat Shaddaad bin Aws (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:
While traveling (on the buraaq from Makkah Mukarramah), we passed by a land which contained many date palms. As we came to this land, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said to me, “Dismount from the buraaq and perform some nafl salaah here.” I thus dismounted and performed some nafl salaah.
Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) then asked me, “Do you know which land this is wherein you have performed salaah?” I replied, “No, I do not know.” Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said, “You performed salaah in Yathrib (i.e. Madinah Munawwarah), and this is the land to which you will perform hijrah.”
We then continued the journey, and on coming to a certain land, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) again told me to dismount and perform nafl salaah in that place. After I dismounted and performed some nafl salaah, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said to me, “You have performed salaah in the valley of Seenaa, close to the tree of Nabi Musa (‘alaihis salaam), the place where Allah Ta‘ala conversed with him.”
We then continued on the journey, and on coming to a certain land, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) again told me to dismount and perform some salaah. I thus dismounted and performed some nafl salaah, after which Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said, “You have performed salaah in Madyan (the land in which Nabi Shu’aib (‘alaihis salaam) resided).”
We then departed from there and continued the journey, until we came to a certain place where Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) told me to dismount and perform some nafl salaah. After I had dismounted and performed some nafl salaah, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said to me, “This place is Bayt-ul-Lahm (Bethlehem), the place where Nabi Isa (‘alaihis salaam) was born.” (Musnadul Bazzaar #3484, Sunan Nasaai #450, Tafseer Ibnu Katheer 3/15, Fat-hul Baari 7/229 & Sharhuz Zurqaani 8/83)
Various People Calling Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) on the Way
While Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was traveling on the buraaq, he passed by an old woman. The old woman called out to him, but Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said to him, “Continue traveling, and do not any pay attention to her.”
As they continued, they passed by an old man, and he also called out to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). However, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) again said to him, “Continue traveling, and do not any pay attention to him.”
As they proceeded, they next passed by a group of people who greeted Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in the following words:
السلام عليك يا أول السلام عليك يا آخر السلام عليك يا حاشر
Peace be upon you, O the one who was first (decreed as the prophet of Allah Ta‘ala)! Peace be upon you, O the one who is last (to be sent to this world from all the Ambiyaa [‘alaihimus salaam])! Peace be upon you, O the one who will be resurrected first!
On passing by this group, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) told Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to reply to their salaam. Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) thereafter explained the various scenes they had passed saying, “The old woman you saw standing on the side of the road was actually the dunya (the world). The time for which this world will remain is now very little, equivalent to the period that remains from this old woman’s life. The old man you saw was actually shaitaan. Both the dunya and shaitaan had called out to you, hoping to attract your attention. As for the group of people who greeted you with salaam, and you replied to their salaam, then they were Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam), Nabi Musa (‘alaihis salaam) and Nabi Isa (‘alaihis salaam).” (Tafseer Ibnu Katheer 3/6, Fat-hul Baari 7/229 & Sharhuz Zurqaani 8/84-85)
Passing by the Grave of Nabi Musa (‘alaihis salaam)
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “On the night of Israa, I passed Musa (‘alaihis salaam) by the heap of red sand while he was standing and performing salaah in his grave.” (Saheeh Muslim #2375)
The Ifreet Jinn Chasing After Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
It is reported in Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) that during the Israa, an Ifreet Jinn followed Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) with a flame of fire, trying to harm him. Whenever Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would turn around, he would see this jinn following him.
Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said to him, “Shall I not teach you some words of dua which are such that if you recite them, his flame will be extinguished and he will fall on his face?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Yes, teach it to me.” Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) then taught Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) the following dua:
أَعُوْذُ بِوَجْهِ اللهِ الْكَرِيْم وَبِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّاتِ الَّتِيْ لَا يُجَاوِزُهُنَّ بَرٌّ وَلَا فَاجِرٌ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَشَرِّ مَا يَعْرُجُ فِيْهَا وَشَرِّ مَا ذَرَأَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَشَرِّ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ فِتَنِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمِنْ طَوَارِقِ اللَّيْلِ إِلَّا طَارِقًا يَطْرُقُ بِخَيْرٍ يَا رَحْمٰنُ
I seek protection through the Most Noble Countenance of Allah, and through the complete words of Allah, which neither a pious person nor a sinner can surpass; from the evil of that which descends from the sky and the evil of that which ascends in it, and from the evil of that which He created in the earth and the evil of that which comes out of it, and from the evil of the trials of the night and the day, and from the evil of those creations that come out during the night, except for those that come with good, O the Most Merciful.
(Muwatta Maalik #3500)
