On
Sunday (July 13), the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) launched a
white paper regarding Twitter usage as part of "The UAE Social Media White
Papers" collection.
The
series of awareness documents are designed specifically to highlight the terms
and conditions of the most popular social networks in use in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE). The latest release focuses on Twitter, which has around 360,000
users in the UAE who share around 2.5 million tweets per day…
The Twitter White Paper says: The laws
of the UAE prohibit the publication of content which is contrary to public
morals, the principles of Islam and the social and moral welfare of the UAE or
any content that contains irreverence towards Islam and any other heavenly
religions.
The
content must also respect the UAE Government, its leadership, political
institutions and ultimately the UAE’s cultural heritage and social norms and
customs.
In
reference to Twitter, the white paper highlights the following information as a
priority for all respective subscribers:
Initially,
users must not publish direct, specific threats of violence against mothers.
This also includes hate speeches, and content that is threatening or contains
graphic or gratuitous violence or any content that is offensive for a nation or
its government. Users should think carefully about the content they are posting.
Users
are responsible for the content they post and should bear this in mind if they
are posting content which they do not own or which contains material that is subject
to someone else’s rights.
Also,
users must not publish other people’s private information without their
consent.
The
social networks included in “The UAE Social Media White Papers”’ collection are
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Yahoo/Flickr, LinkedIn, Gmail, Microsoft
Outlook, Apple Store, Blackberry and Keek.
Today,
July 14, is Malala Day. It is a day to stand up for education and say to the world:
“We are stronger than the enemies of education and stronger than the forces that
threaten girls, boys and women from leading happy and productive lives.”
It
is a day for all children, everywhere, to raise their voices and be heard.
MalalaYousafzai
is an advocate for universal education and girls' rights. The young Pakistani
girl was targeted for her activism. In October 2012, the Taliban boarded her
school bus and shot her and two other girls. But after recovering, Malala was
back at school and continues to campaign for every child’s right to education.
Globally,
one in five girls around the world is denied an education by the daily
realities of poverty, discrimination and violence. Every
day, young girls are missing from education, isolated from their friends,
forced into marriage and subjected to violence.
Not
only is this unjust, it is a waste of potential with serious global
consequences. Supporting girls' education is one of the single best investments
to help end poverty.
I
believe in the power of education as a force for good in the world and the right
for all children to get a good quality education, no matter where they are and
what the circumstances.
I
believe that the most precious gift you can give a child is the capability to
read and write. There is magic in holding a book and reading a story.
I
have seen firsthand how losing the ability to read and write is like giving up on life.
Millions of girls are being denied an education when it has the power to transform their lives and the world
around them. Making it through both primary and secondary education is critical
to girls being able to help break the cycle of poverty.
A girl who makes it through both
high quality primary and secondary education is...
less likely to experience
violence or marry and have children whilst she is still a child,
more likely to be literate,
healthy and survive into adulthood, as are her children,
more likely to reinvest her
income back into her family, community and country, and
more likely to understand her
rights and be a force for change.
Last year, on July
12, 2013 Malala turned 16. To celebrate Malala Day, the global
community came together to highlight the leading role youth can play in
enabling all children to get an education.
Malala
marked the day by giving her first public speech since the shooting dedicated
to the importance of universal education at the United Nations Headquarters in
New York.
"The
terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing
changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength,
power and courage was born... I am not against anyone, neither am I here to
speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist
group. I'm here to speak up for the right of education for every child. I want
education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all terrorists and
extremists," Malala said in her speech.
In
support of the UN Secretary-General’sGlobal Education First Initiative, international
youth leaders convened at the UN and in cities around the world in support of
reaching the goal of having all children, especially girls, in school and
learning by 2015.
Malala also presented the UN chamber with a Youth Resolution of
education demands written by Youth for Youth, in a process coordinated by the UN Global Education First Youth Advocacy Group,telling
her audience:
"Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman,
every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights."
Today, 61 million children and young people are
denied the right to education.
If world leaders, governments, civil
society and the global community do not take decisive action now, the result is
clear: the largest generation of youth in human history will be exposed
to unemployment, poor health, civil unrest and increased vulnerability. We
firmly believe that education is the most effective solution to
poverty. We cannot afford to not educate the future generations of
our planet -- education is a smart investment.
We therefore call on all governments,
individuals, and organizations responsible for policy, planning, financing,
provision, management, delivery and implementation of education to work to:
1. Pass a Security
Council resolution that recognizes the global education crisis and take
concrete steps to address education and security, particularly for girls and in
situations of emergency.
2. Get EVERY child in
school
Work urgently to ensure all children have
access to quality learning, including the 61 million excluded boys and
girls.
Provide at least nine years of quality
education to
every child, where they are equipped with the resources, environment and
professional support they require to learn and thrive.
3. Address the special situation
of girls and other marginalized groups
Guarantee gender equality by
recognizing and respecting the rights and potential of all girls as equals of
boys, and by taking real steps to enable and support all girls to become
active, educated and productive citizens of their country and of the world.
Place particular emphasis on education
for marginalize children [including girls; poorer children; child laborers and
slaves; those living in disadvantaged areas, in informal settlements or on the
street; pregnant girls and girls with their own children; children with
disabilities; indigenous children, lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered young people and children and young people affected by
emergencies and conflict] whose absence from the classroom
has not yet been effectively addressed. Steps they take must tackle
obstructions to their education and cater for their specific needs to guarantee
their learning is worthwhile, fulfilling and contributes to their development.
4. Ensure that we learn to
prepare us for life and work
Support the availability and improvement of
non-formal and vocational education and training. Governments
must recognize the importance of practical training and how this can complement
academic education and sustain existing industries. Governments must ensure
that any vocational education that students receive matches the high standards
expected of academic education, and that it is conducted safely and is properly
documented.
Connect education more directly with the labor
market to
ensure that all children and young people can seek opportunities after
completing their education through, for example, internships, volunteering and
mentorships, as well as being able to gain the formal accreditation and
qualifications they may require for their future. Effective career guidance and
planning should allow children and young people to consider their ambitions and
options, and give them direction on how they can pursue and achieve their goals
for the future.
Develop and promote citizenship education as a way
of educating children and young people on the important realities of life, to
reduce extremism, to promote equality and respect, to ensure children are aware
of their rights and responsibilities, to help them to realize their position as
a citizen of the world and to enhance their emotional and physical well-being.
Recruit and rigorously train teachers who
implement the highest standards of teaching, are in attendance and available to
all of their students, and who protect the rights of every student.
5. Increase education
funding
Donor countries should increase aid allocation
to education. All governments should individually and justly target funding and
resources to
close spending gaps, which put children at a disadvantage because of the location
of their school, conflict and other factors, and must prevent the leakage,
wastage or misdirection of financial resources resulting from inefficiency or
corruption.
6. Guarantee our voice in shaping
education
Meaningfully engage young people in shaping our
own education by facilitating processes and installing
structures which allow youth to contribute their opinions, to influence the
direction of their own education and to have a say in the nature of the school
and the curriculum. Students must have an avenue through which they can
indicate concerns, report inappropriate or unprofessional behavior or seek a
resolution to a grievance without prejudice and in confidence.
We firmly believe that education is the most
effective solution to poverty. We want a world where children and young people
are both in school and are engaging -- where we are both being taught, and are
learning.
We are convinced that these steps will enhance
access to and the quality of education systems, will ensure that no child is
left behind and will make the world a fairer, more just, educated, productive
and better place.
Our future cannot wait.
We have to deliver this promise.
Governments of the world have to deliver this
promise.
* * *
With so many children out of school due to violence
and wars all over the world -- most notably now in Syria and Palestine -- reaching the goal of having all children, especially girls, in
school and learning by 2015 is quite a challenge. But it is one well worth trying to
achieve.
Ahead of "Cutting Season" and Girl Summit 2014, the Muslim Council of
Britain (MCB) last week endorsed a landmark declaration making Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM) unlawful and clarifying it is not supported by religious
doctrine.
The UK’s most prominent
Muslim organization on June 20 denounced FGM as contrary to Islam, adding that
the traditional practice severely violates the human rights of women and girls.
The first Girl Summit,
to be hosted by the UK and UNICEF on July 22, aims to mobilize domestic and
international efforts to end FGM and child early and forced marriage (CEFM) within
a generation.
Girls and women have the right to live free from violence and
discrimination and achieve their potential, but some are being prevented from
doing so by harmful practices such asFGMandCEFM,
which are illegal in the UK, says a statement on the UK government site.
The
summit wants to secure new commitments from the private sector, faith leaders,
other civil society organizations and governments.
Child, early and forced marriage occurs in every part of the
world, affecting millions of girls every year. One in three girls in developing
countries is married by the age of 18, and one in nine by the age of 15. Some
are as young as eight.
Girls who marry young have babies while still children, putting
them at risk of death or suffering for the rest of their lives. They are more
likely to be poor and stay poor. In the UK, hundreds of girls risk being forced
into marriage, violating their human rights. Forced marriage victims can suffer
physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual abuse.
FGMremoves a
girl’s right to have control over her own body. Traditionally considered
essential for marriage and inclusion in the community, it is an extreme and
violent way in which girls and women are controlled and disempowered. It can
result in a lifetime of pain, psychological problems and difficulty in
childbirth. Current trends suggest at least 30 million girls will be at risk
over the next decade -- with more than 20,000 at risk in the United Kingdom
every year, the UK government website adds.
MCB
declaration
The
religious and community leaders that signed the historic declaration condemning
FGM noted, however, there are still barriers to ending the practice in the UK.
The
MCB is one of the UK’s largest and most diverse Muslim umbrella organizations
with over 500 affiliated national, regional and local organizations, mosques,
charities and schools.
The MCB will launch a campaign by distributing leaflets in mosques
and community centers in Britain to support ending the barbaric practice.
It said it was “not true” mutilation was a Muslim requirement
noting that one of the “basic principles” of Islam was not to harm oneself or
others.
The MCB said FGM was bringing Islam “into disrepute” and could
cause severe pain, bleeding, problems in pregnancy and even death, as well
leaving some victims with lasting psychological problems.
The new leaflet states: “FGM is not an Islamic requirement. There
is no reference to it in the Holy Quran that states girls must be circumcised.
Nor is there any authentic reference to this in the Sunnah, the sayings
or traditions of our Prophet. FGM is bringing the religion of Islam into
disrepute.”
The document also warns there is “an increasingly high risk of
being prosecuted” for carrying out mutilation, which has been illegal in the UK
since 1985, and that perpetrators face up to 14 years in prison.
The MCB announcement follows a Home Office summiton June 19 at which other religious organizations, including the
Shia al-Khoei Foundation and the Muslim Women’s Network UK, announced their
support for a government declaration against FGM to be published at the Girl
Summit.
Harmful practice
Three million girls and women are subjected to
FGM worldwide each year. That's 8000 girls per day.
FGM is a harmful practice that is recognized worldwide as a human
rights violation. The practice of FGM violates:
Right to physical and mental integrity
Right to highest attainable standard of health
Right to be free from all forms of discrimination against women
(including violence against women)
Right to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment
Rights of the child, and
In extreme cases, right to life
The European Parliament estimates 500,000 girls and
women living in Europe are suffering with the lifelong
consequences of FGM. It still
affects up to 140 million women and girls worldwide, with an estimated
20,000 girls at risk in the UK.
Increasingly
as migration becomes more common, diaspora communities arriving to Western
nations continue the practice. FGM prevalence is therefore rising among migrant
residents of Norway, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain and the
United States. Migrant families, often traveling with their young daughters in
summer vacations to their native countries, have the procedure performed at
grave risk of infection bleeding and death when non-clinicians perform this
procedure. School holidays become “The Cutting Season.”
FGM tradition
Also
known as female circumcision or simply as “cutting,” FGM/C involves removing
all or part of the clitoris, the surrounding labia (the outer part of the
vagina) and sometimes the sewing up of the vagina, leaving only a small opening
for urine and menstrual blood.
There
are no medical benefits to this tradition. It is carried out for cultural
reasons, often because it demonstrates a girl's virginity on her wedding night.
It seems the practice predates Christianity and Islam. There
is mention made of Egyptian mummies that display characteristics of FGM/C. The
historian Herodotus claims that in the fifth century BC the Phoenicians,
Hittites and Ethiopians practiced circumcision. It is also reported
circumcision rites were practiced in tropical zones of Africa, in the
Philippines, by certain tribes in the Upper Amazon, and in Australia by women
of the Arunta tribe. It also occurred among the early Romans and Arabs.
Many different peoples and societies have followed the FGM/C
practice. It cuts across ages, continents, religions and is performed by
Muslims, Christians, Ethiopian Jews and Copts among others.
The
World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide have been
subjected to one of three types of female genital mutilation. Estimates based
on the most recent prevalence data indicate that 91.5 million girls and women
above the age of nine in Africa are currently living with the consequences of FGM.
There are an estimated three million girls in Africa at risk of undergoing FGM
every year.
Type 1: Excision of
the prepuce, with or without excision of part or the entire clitoris.
Type 2: Excision of
the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora.
Type 3: Excision of
part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal
opening (infibulation) -- sometimes referred to as pharaonic circumcision.
Type 4: Others, such
as pricking, piercing or incising, stretching, burning of the clitoris,
scraping of tissue surrounding the vaginal orifice, cutting of the vagina,
introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina to cause bleeding
or to tighten the opening.
The
removal of, or damage to, healthy, normal genital tissue interferes with the
natural functioning of the body and causes several immediate and long-term
health consequences. For example, babies born to women who have undergone
female genital mutilation suffer a higher rate of neonatal death; end in
stillbirth or spontaneous abortion; and in a further 25%, the newborn has a low
birth weight or serious infection, both of which are associated with an
increased risk of perinatal death.
WHO says FGM/C is nearly always carried out on minors and is
therefore a violation of the rights of the child. It also violates the rights
to health, security and physical integrity of the person, the right to be free
from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life
when the procedure results in death.
In
Egypt, 94% of women arrange for their daughters to undergo this “medicalized”
form of FGM/C, 76% in Yemen, 65% in Mauritania, 48% in Côte d’Ivoire, and 46%
in Kenya. This approach may reduce some of the immediate consequences of the
procedure -- such as pain and bleeding -- but, WHO and UNICEF point out, it
also tends to obscure its human rights aspect and could hinder the development
of long-term solutions for ending the practice.
How
many more generations will it take to eradicate FGM/C? Is the magic word
“education”? Is FGM/C a practice too deep-rooted to overcome? Maybe only time
will tell…
In the meantime, you can take a stand with me against FGM/C and
child and forced marriage bysigning
the pledgeto
show your support in ending these harmful practices forever. Our voices will be
heard at the Girl Summit.
“At first I was
so scared… then I got used to it,” said Ayman, who began fighting with an FSA
brigade in Salqin when he was 15 years old.
“Maybe we’ll
live, and maybe we’ll die,” said Omar, who began fighting at age 14 with Jabhat
al-Nusra.
Non-state
armed groups in Syria have used children as young as 15 to fight in battles,
sometimes recruiting them under the guise of offering education, Human Rights
Watch said in a report released on Monday. The groups have used children as
young as 14 in support roles. Extremist Islamist groups including the Islamic
State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) have specifically recruited children through free
schooling campaigns that include weapons training, and have given them
dangerous tasks, including suicide bombing missions.
The
31-page report “‘Maybe
We Live and Maybe We Die’: Recruitment and Use of Children by Armed Groups in
Syria,” documents the experiences of 25 children and former child soldiers
in Syria’s armed conflict. Human Rights Watch interviewed children who fought
with the Free Syrian Army, the Islamic Front coalition, and the extremist
groups ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, as well as the military
and police forces in Kurdish-controlled areas. The report does not, for
logistical and security reasons, cover all armed groups that allegedly have
used children in Syria, in particular pro-government militias. Using children
in armed conflict violates international law.
“Syrian
armed groups shouldn’t prey on vulnerable children -- who have seen their
relatives killed, schools shelled, and communities destroyed -- by enlisting
them in their forces,” said Priyanka Motaparthy,
Middle East children’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch and author of
the report. “The horrors of Syria’s armed conflict are only made worse by
throwing children into the front lines.”
The
number of children fighting with armed groups in Syria is not known. By June
2014, the Violations Documenting Center, a Syrian monitoring group, had
documented 194 deaths of “non-civilian” male children in Syria since September
2011.
The
children Human Rights Watch interviewed had fought in battles, acted as
snipers, manned checkpoints, spied on hostile forces, treated the wounded on
battlefields, and ferried ammunition and other supplies to front lines while
fighting raged. They said they joined non-state armed groups for various
reasons. Many followed their relatives or friends, while others lived in battle
zones without schooling or other options. Some had participated in public
protests that motivated them to do more, or had personally suffered at the
hands of the government. While all those interviewed were boys, the Kurdish
Democratic Union Party (PYD) police force and armed wing, the People’s
Protection Units, enlisted girls to guard checkpoints and conduct armed patrols
in Kurdish-controlled areas.
Boys have joined armed opposition groups for
various reasons. Many simply followed their relatives or friends. Others lived
in battle zones without open schools, participated in public protests, or had
personally suffered at the hands of the government. Islamist groups such as
ISIS have more aggressively targeted children for recruitment, providing free
lectures and schooling that included weapons and other military training.
“At first I was so scared…then I got used to
it,” said Ayman, who began fighting with an FSA brigade in Salqin when he was
15 years old.
Others interviewed echoed his words. Few had plans
or real hopes for their future beyond the next battle. “Maybe we’ll live, and
maybe we’ll die,” said Omar, who began fighting at age 14 with Jabhat al-Nusra.
International humanitarian law (the laws of
war) and international human rights law ban government forces and non-state
armed groups from recruiting and using children as fighters and in other
support roles. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, which Syria ratified in 2003, bans non-state armies from recruiting or
using children under age 18 in direct hostilities. Conscripting or enlisting
children under 15, including for support roles, is a war crime under the Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Several of the children interviewed said they
fought with two or three different armed groups fighting Syrian government
forces. Some -- like Amr who said he received US$100 a month -- received monthly
salaries of up to $135, while others said they participated without pay. Many
attended training camps where they learned military tactics and had weapons
training.
Children who wished to leave armed groups and
resume a civilian life told Human Rights Watch they had few options to do so.
Saleh, 17, said he fought with the Free Syrian Army at 15 after he was detained
and tortured by government security forces. He later joined Ahrar al-Sham, then
left to join the Jund al-Aqsa, an independent Islamist armed group. “I thought
of leaving [the fighting] a lot,” he said. “I lost my studies, I lost my
future, I lost everything. I looked for work, but there’s no work. This is the
most difficult period for me.”
Some armed groups told Human Rights Watch that
they prohibit child recruitment, or have taken preliminary steps to end the
practice. In March 2014, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and
Opposition Forces, a coalition of opposition groups supported by the Free
Syrian Army, announced that it had implemented “new training for Free Syrian
Army members in International Humanitarian Law to eliminate the recruitment and
participation of children in armed conflict.”
COMMITMENTS
If they have not already done so, armed groups
operating in Syria should publicly commit to end recruitment and use of
children under age 18, and should demobilize all fighters or others under 18
currently in their ranks, Human Rights Watch said in the report.
Those recruited under age 18 but now no longer
children should be free to leave opposition forces. Armed groups should also
work with international agencies specialized in child protection to
rehabilitate and reintegrate these children into civilian life. Finally, they
should ensure that all officers under their command understand the ban on
recruiting or seeking assistance from children, and establish age-verification
procedures they must follow to enforce it. Officers responsible for recruitment
who continue to enlist children should be appropriately disciplined.
To address the practice of children joining
armed groups in Syria, UN bodies should seek public commitments from armed
groups not to recruit or enlist children under age 18 and use age-verification
procedures to ensure that children do not join. The UN Security Council should
refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court to allow
prosecution of war crimes, including the conscripting or enlisting of children
under 15 into armed forces or non-state armed groups or their active
participation in hostilities.
Governments providing aid to armed groups
in Syria should review these groups’ policies on child recruitment, and
should suspend all military sales and assistance, including technical training
and services, to all forces credibly implicated in the widespread or systematic
commission of serious abuses, including the use of child soldiers, until
they stop committing these crimes and take appropriate disciplinary action
against perpetrators. They should also restrict residents of their
countries from providing military support to these groups.
Finally, humanitarian agencies operating in
Syria or assisting refugees in neighboring countries should support efforts to
provide secondary education opportunities for children, and address the
particular needs and vulnerabilities of boys aged 13 to 18 in their child
protection programming.
Journey from the "Sacred Mosque" to the "Farthest Mosque"
Today, Sunday, is a
public holiday in the UAE and most of the Gulf and Middle East.
It isAl-Isra’ wal Mi'raj--الإسراء والمعراج --an important
observance day in the Muslim calendar. It falls on 27 Rajab in the Hijri
calendar, corresponding to May 25 this year.
It also marks the
countdown to the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan, which falls on June 28 or
29.
Al-Isra’ wal Mi'raj marks the two parts of a physical
and spiritual night journey that, according to Muslim tradition, the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) took during a single night circa the year 621.
A brief sketch of the
story comes in Sura 17Al-Israof the Holy Quran.
Other details come from the hadiths or supplemental writings about the life of the Prophet.
Surat Al-Isra’ (The Night Journey), also called Surat Bani Isra'eel (Children of Israel),
is the 17th chapter of the Quran with 111 verses.
According to the hadith, the journey goes like this:
The Prophet Muhammad
travels on the steed Buraq to "the Farthest
Mosque,” where he leads other prophets in prayer. He then ascends to
Heaven where he speaks to God, who gives Muhammad instructions to take
back to the faithful regarding the details of prayer.
The exact location of
"the Farthest Mosque” is not specified, although the first verse refers to
Muhammad being taken from the “Sacred Mosque” to the “Farthest Mosque”:
Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from
the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless -- in
order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth
and seeth (all things).
It is generally
agreed the “Farthest Mosque” refers to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the
“Sacred Mosque” refers to al-Haram in Mecca.
The Sura was revealed in the last year before
the Hijra. Its main theme is salat (daily prayers),
whose number was fixed at five during the Mi’raj that it alludes to. The Sura also forbids adultery, calls for respect for father and mother and
for patience and control in the face of the persecutions the Muslim community
was facing at the time.
According to
traditions, the journey is associated with Lailat al-Mi'raj, one of
the most significant events in the Muslim calendar.
The Night Journey
starts with the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel (who was bringing the
revelation of the Quran). Gabriel leads Muhammad to a white mule with wings
attached to its thighs. This mule had carried other prophets, including
Abraham, and was the Buraq or spirit horse.
Muhammad gets on and goes high into the sky.
He arrives at
Jerusalem where he meets many prophets including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The
Prophet is quoted as saying Abraham “looked like no one else, but also no one
did not look like him.” Moses was “tall, tanned, slim and with a hooked nose
and curly hair.” Jesus was “red skinned of medium height with straight hair and
many moles on his face.” He also looked like “he had come out of a bath. His hair
looked wet although it was not wet.”
Muhammad is asked to
lead them in prayer and did.
Three dishes are
placed in front of Muhammad containing water, wine and milk. Muhammad said he
knew of the prophecy that if he chose water the Muslim community would drown,
if he chose wine they would leave the true path, and if he chose milk they
would follow the true religion of the one God. He chose milk and drank from it.
Gabriel confirmed the prophecy.
Then Muhammad lifts
up to the first gate of Heaven guarded by the Angel Ishmael (first son of
Abraham) who was in charge of 12,000 more and each of those had 12,000 of their
own. All these 144,000,001 angels guarded the one gate. Ishmael asked Gabriel
if Muhammad was the one sent to deliver God's message to humankind and Gabriel
confirmed this, so Muhammad was let through.
Muhammad passes
through seven heavenly realms.
In the First Heaven
he sees Adam being shown the souls of his descendents both good and bad.
In the Second Heaven
he sees Jesus and John, son of Zachariah.
In the Third Heaven
he sees Joseph, son of Jacob.
In the Fourth Heaven
he sees Idris, the prophet from before the flood.
In the Fifth Heaven
he sees Moses' older brother, Harun, with his long white beard.
In the Sixth Heaven
Muhammad meets a tall man with a hooked nose and Gabriel says it is Moses.
In the Seventh Heaven
Muhammad sees an old man seated by the gate to Paradise where 70,000 angels
pass through each day but do not return until Judgment Day. Gabriel identifies
him as Abraham.
Gabriel then takes
Muhammad into Paradise where he speaks to God who tells him the importance of
regular prayers.
On the way back Moses
asks how many prayers have been commanded and Muhammad says 50 a day. Moses
tells him to go back to God and get the number cut. God reduces the number to
10 a day but Moses again says this is too many. Muhammad returns to God and
they are reduced to five times a day. Moses says this is still too many, but
Muhammad tells Moses he is too embarrassed to return to God again.
The Prophet is also
shown Sidrat al-Muntaha (a Lote Tree of the utmost boundary
[Quran 53:14]). He says, “I saw its Nabk fruits which resembled the clay jugs of Hajr (near Medina) and its
leaves were like the ears of elephants and four rivers originated at its root
-- two of them were apparent and two were hidden. I asked Gabriel about those
rivers and he said, 'The two hidden rivers are in Paradise and the apparent
ones are the Nile and the Euphrates’.”
Sidrat al-Muntaha marks the end of the
Seventh Heaven, the boundary where no creation can pass, according to Muslim
beliefs.
Muhammad then returns
to Mecca.
When he describes his
journey to followers, many don’t believe he had gone to Jerusalem in one night,
seen the Seven Heavens and had spoken with God.
Some of the disbelievers
went to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (one of the senior companions -- Sahabi -- father-in-law of Muhammad and the first Muslim
Caliph following Muhammad's death).
Abu Bakr asked the
Prophet to describe Jerusalem. He did and Abu Bakr declared all the details
were accurate and so Muhammad must have been there.
Exalted is He who
took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose
surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the
Hearing, the Seeing.Quran, Chapter
17 (Al-Isra), Verse 1
So today, we
celebrate the miracle of Al-Isra’ wal Mi’raj, the night journey
and ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
