THE MIRACLE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S (PBUH) ASCENSION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE VIEWS OF BEDIUZZAMAN SAID NURSI AND DR. ALLAMA IQBAL

In his yearning for truth Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) reached the highest heavens. This miraculous journey tells that among all the creatures of Allah, humans are the best and the superior creation. The Ascension of Prophet (Mi’raj) is a very important topic discussed in ‘Risale-i Nur’. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi pointed out that the profound truth of Ascension (Mi’raj) was a supreme miracle of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in the world of the inner dimensions of things. Through this clear wonder, the sainthood of his prophethood was proved. This topic has also been discussed in detail in Allama Muhamma Iqbal’s ‘Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’ and ‘Javed Nama’. He learns from the miracle of Ascension (Mi’raj) of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that “Heaven” is within the reach of mankind. According to him, return of the Prophet from highest heavens discloses the psychological difference between the prophetic and the mystic types of consciousness. The aim of this paper is to compare the views of these two most influential figures of twentieth century Muslim scholarship about the significance of the miracle of Ascension (Mi’raj). 

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