If God Is Beyond Direction, How Do We Understand the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Ascent to Him?

Question: If Allah is beyond and direction, how do we understand the Prophet’s ascent to Him on the Night of Miraj (Allah bless him and grant him peace)?

Answer: Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

On the Night of Miraj, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) went to a place where he saw Allah the Most High. This was a place where the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw Him, not a place where He was. Allah is far greater than being contained by any place.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) once said in a prayer to Allah, ‘O Allah, You are The First so there is nothing before You, and You are The Last, so there is nothing after You; You are the Outward, so there is nothing above You; You are the Inward so there is nothing beneath You’ (Muslim).

This hadith is very clear in stating that Allah is far beyond time and space. There is nothing above, below, to the right, or to the left of Allah. All space and time are in His grasp, and He is not in the grasp of anyone or anything.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language