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

Year 2018, Issue: 5, 99 - 114, 07.10.2018

Shumeila Majeed Amjad Waheed

Abstract

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). 

Keywords

Ascension, Supreme Miracle, Sainthood, Prophetic Consciousness

References

• Afzaal, Ahmed. “Iqbal’s approach to the Quran.” Muhammad Iqbal A Contemporary 49, no.4 (2008) http://www.allamaiqbal.com/publications/journals/review/ oct08/2.htm#_edn2
• Iqbal, Muhammad. “A Plea for a Deeper Study of Muslim Scientists.” Islamic Culture3, no.2 (1929): 210-229.
• Iqbal, Muhammad, Kulliyat-i-Iqbal. Lahore: Iqbal Academy Pakistan, 2000.
• Iqbal, Muhammad. The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Lahore: Iqbal Academy Pakistan, 1989.
• Jalalizade, Jalal. “A Comparison of the Thought of Bediuzzaman and Muhammad Iqbal.” In Third International Symposium on Bediuzzaman Said Nursi the Reconstruction of Islamic Thought in the Twentieth Century and Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. Istanbul: Sozler Publications, 1995. http://www.iikv.org/academy/index.php/sympeng/article/ view/908
• Khalil, Imaduddin. “God’s Messenger (pbuh) in The Risale-I Nur.” In Third International Symposium on Bediuzzaman Said Nursi the Reconstruction of Islamic Thought in the Twentieth Century and Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. Istanbul: Sozler Publications, 1995. http://www.iikv.org/academy/index.php/sympeng/article/view/887
• Riaz, Muhammad.“Glimpses of Iqbal’s Gennius in the Javid Namah.” Iqbal Review18, no.4 (1978), 171-182.
• Sherwani, Latif Ahmed. Speeches, Writings, and Statements of Iqbal. Lahore: Iqbal Academy, 1977.
• Sil’u ,Yusuf Muhammad Eid. “The Wisdom of Prophethood and its Neccessity.” The Pen, Nov 24, 2012. http://www.thepenmagazine.net/the-wisdom-of-prophethood-and-its-necessity/
• Markham, Ian & Birinci, Suendam. An Introduction to Said Nursi, Life, Thought and Writings.UK: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2011. Mohammad, Yasien. “Predestination and Free Will in the view of Iqbal and Nursi.” In International Symposium on Bediuzzaman Said Nursi The Qur’anic View of Man, According to the Risale-I Nur. Istanbul: Sozler, 2000. http://www.iikv.org/ academy/index.php/sympeng/article/view/1003
• Nursi, Bediuzzaman, Said. The Letters. Translated by Sukran Vahide. Istanbul:- Sozler Nesriyat, 2010.
• Nursi, Bediuzzaman, Said. The Words. Translated by Sukran Vahide. Istanbul: Sozler Nesriyat, 2008.
• Vahide, Sukran. “Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and the Risale-i Nur.” In Globalization, Ethics and Islam: The Case of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, edited by Ian Markham and Ibrahim Ozdemir. England: Ashgate, 2005.
• Vahide, Sukran. Islam in Modern Turkey An Intellectual Biography of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005.
• Zaman, S.M. “Iqbal and The Fundamentals of Islam.” Iqbal Review 36, no.3 (1995): 105-113.