Greeting Address of Grand Mufti on the occasion of the holy night of Mi’raj

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

On the eve of the night of Mi’raj I turn to you with the wish your dua (supplication) and ibadah (worship) to be accepted from the Almighty Allah.

We call Mi’raj the night when Muhammad (pbuh) travelled the distance from Mecca to Jerusalem after which he was ascended to the heavens in order to fulfill the mission which was given to him. It was the night which was preceded by a very difficult period for the Prophet for he was subjected to persecutions from the Meccans and especially from the leaders of Mecca who saw him as threat for their economic and political situation. They did not agree to abandon their idols which were useless for them but through them they held the society in obedience. They did not accept Muhammad (pbuh) as a Messenger of Allah because this required equality and justice for all the people. When he met the religious delusion and the related fanaticism Muhammad (pbuh) left the Meccans and tried to convey the Command of Allah to the people of Ta’if. The people of Ta’if not only did not welcome him, but they also expelled him stoning at him. After that Muhammad (pbuh) was compelled to go back to Mecca but his situation became even more difficult because the Meccans understood that he was not welcomed in Ta’if. This was the situation of Muhammad (pbuh), he did not has neither strength nor hope except the trust in the Glorified and Exalted Allah. His ascension to the heavens was as a reward given him from the Almighty, which was a good sign that Allah does not abandon those who trust Him.

Today people fall in despair because the persecutions of the Muslims around the world are fact, injustice has gripped the humanity and the materialism got the upper hand over the human values. No one today is a messenger of Allah to ascend to the heavens and get reward from Him. That is why the prayer is the spiritual ascension; the way to get nearer to the Mercy of Allah and also a charge through which to overcome he difficulties which we face every day. 

I do not know what threat is Islam for some of our contemporaries, I do not know what they want from the Muslims, I do not know why the mosques impede them, but I know that the spiritual power springing from the sincere faith and love to each of the creatures of Allah, are the only way to oppose to the hatred towards Islam. Love is characteristic for the believers who are strong, while hatred is characteristic for the weak. As Muhammad (pbuh) did not curse the people of Ta’if when they expelled him stoning at him, so his followers also do not curse anyone and do not hate anyone. Allah gives everyone what he deserves by just. Him only we ask and Him only we trust.