Al-Raf'
Definition
Al-raf' — the raising — refers to Allah's elevation of Isa to the heavens before or during the apparent crucifixion, established by the Quranic statement: 'They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them.' Ibn Kathir reviews the scholarly opinions about the mechanism — the dominant classical view being that another person was miraculously made to resemble Isa in appearance and was crucified in his place while Isa was raised to Allah in a state that transcends ordinary categories of living and dying. The raising preserved Isa for his promised return at the end of history, and Ibn Kathir treats the raising as both a divine act of protection and the beginning of Isa's unfinished prophetic chapter.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Al-Raf'.
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"The prophet, peace be upon him, then mentioned a man who prolongs his travels, disheveled and dusty, raising his hands to the sky, O Lord, O Lord, while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully. How then will his supplication be answered? Chapter Supplication as One of the Most Beneficial Remedies Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad, shared a story from the book of Asceticism by his father. The children of Israel faced a calamity and sought relief. God revealed to their prophet to tell them, You go to the plains with impure bodies, raising hands stained with blood and filled with unlawful gain in your homes."
— Ibn al-Qayyim, The Disease and The Cure
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"Abd al-Razzaq narrated that Sulaiman, peace be upon him, went out with his companions to seek rain. He saw an ant standing on one leg, raising it to the sky seeking rain. He told his companions, Return, for you have been granted rain. This ant has sought rain, and it has been answered. A similar narration is reported about a prophet who saw an ant raising its leg to the sky, and he told the people, Return, for you have been answered because of this ant. Al-Sudi mentioned that during a drought in Sulaiman's time, he commanded the people to go out, and they saw an ant praying for rain. Then Allah poured rain upon them. Ibn Ishaq mentioned in his Sirah the story"
— Ibn Kathir, Volume 3 — The Sīrah: From the First Revelation to Badr
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"after invoking blessings upon the Prophet in the final Tashahud, the Kunut in Witr, and the second Taslim in a weak narration. The postures are 25, raising the hands at the opening in bowing, and when rising from it, with the palms at shoulder level, thumbs at the earlobes, and fingertips at the tops of the ears, then letting them fall after raising, placing the right hand over the left below the navel, looking at the place of prostration, reciting aloud and saying, Ameen, reciting silently, placing the hands on the knees in bowing, straightening the back, keeping the arms away from the sides in bowing, starting with the knees, then the hands in prostration,"
— Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Al-Ghunya li-Ṭālibī Ṭarīq al-Ḥaqq — Volume One
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