What did Ibn Kathir say about the Night Journey and Ascension?
The night when the Prophet ﷺ was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem to the highest heaven. Ibn Kathir's treatment gathers the authentic narrations and addresses the scholarly debates on detail.
10 passages from 9 books in the library
Ibn Kathir treats the Night Journey (Isrāʾ) and Ascension (Miʿrāj) as the night the Prophet ﷺ was carried from Makkah to Jerusalem and up to the highest heaven, gathering the authentic narrations and weighing the scholarly debates over the details. He notes the report is agreed upon, confirmed in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from the narration of Anas, and that the Prophet reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary and passed the prophets, including "the sons of my maternal aunt," Yaḥyā and ʿĪsā. Ibn Kathir cautions that some elaborations come from Isrāʾīliyyāt, which can be neither confirmed nor denied.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 9 books by Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, and Ibn Battuta — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"shared an experience from his night journey. One night, while I was led on my night journey,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The Hadith of the Isra, or night journey, is agreed upon from the narration of Anas,"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"In the two Sahihs, it is confirmed in the narrations of the Isra, the night journey,"
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"and blessings be upon him, is superior to both, as his honor was evident on the night of the Isra"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"night journey, Isra, the messenger of God, peace be upon him, reached the Lota tree"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"of the Isra, night journey, is, I passed by the sons of my maternal aunt, John the"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"Many spoke against this action. The Sultan's cousin's daughters visited Banju to congratulate her on her ascension to the throne, sprinkling ashes on their arms and leaving their heads unadorned."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"These accounts are from Isra'iliyat, the traditions of the children of Israel, which neither confirm"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"On the night of my ascent, Miraj, I passed by people scratching their faces with their fingernails,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"comprehension, removing obstacles to understanding, specification, emotional influence, ascension,"
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