The Thirty-First Word

The Thirty-First Word

On the Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad

(Upon whom be blessings and peace)

[NOTE: The Ascension is a question that results from the fundamentals and pillars of belief and follows on after them; it is a light that draws strength from the lights of the pillars of belief. For which reason the Ascension cannot be proved independently to irreligious atheists who do not accept the pillars of belief, because it cannot be discussed with people who neither know God, nor recognize the Prophet (UWBP), nor accept the angels, and who deny the existence of the heavens. Those pillars must first be proved. This being the case, we shall address the discussion to a believer who, since he considers it unlikely, has misgivings about the Ascension; we shall explain it to him. However, from time to time we shall take into account the atheist who is the position of listener and address the matter to him. Some flashes of the truth of the Ascension have been mentioned in others of the other Words. Here, at the insistence of my brothers, we seek grace from Almighty God that we may unite all those different flashes with the essence of the truth, and with them form a mirror to the beauty of Muhammad’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) perfections and attainments.]

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Limitless in His glory is He Who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship to the Remote House of Worship, the environs of which We had blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs: for, indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.(17:1)

It is no less than inspiration sent down to him; ∗ He was taught by one mighty in power, ∗ Endued with wisdom: for he appeared in [stately form] ∗ While he was in the horizon’s loftiest part. ∗ Then he