Vision and Ascension

Sūr at al-Najm and its Relationship with Muḥammad's mi[unk]rāj 1

Bibliographic Data

ID22318920
AuthorsJosef van Ess (corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume1
Issue1
Pages47-62
Publication date1999-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Qur'anic Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1465-3591 • E-ISSN: 1755-1730
PublisherEdinburgh University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3366/jqs.1999.1.1.47
OpenAlexW2158497590
LanguageEN
Citations received6

In modern Muslim exegesis the two visions mentioned in the beginning of sūrat al-Najm are normally interpreted as events where the Prophet saw an angel, i.e., Gabriel who brought him his first message. However, the mi c raj stories which are found in ḥadīth tend to incorporate them into their own context; here the visions are taken to allude to an audience the Prophet had with God after he had traversed the seven spheres where he met with his predecessors. Early commentators such as Ibn c Abbās assumed that Muḥammad had seen God on this occasion. This, however, caused problems with regard to the tashbīh (anthropomorphism) involved. The discussion seems to have started already in the generation of the ṣaḥāba. The anti-tashbīh faction got strong support from the Mu c tazilites, but also from Jahmites, Khārijites etc. In spite of this, the concept of mi c rāj survived, although with some attenuation and in art rather than in theology proper

Art · Exegesis · Literature · Theology · Vision · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Islamic Studies and History · Philosophy · Religious studies

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