The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 276
Seal of the Prophets - Volume I 276 beneath whose feet it has been decreed that all the nations of the world shall be united. 1 Hence, accept our greetings of peace, and we present our prayers before you, that you may accept them. In addition to the above mentioned superlative intent, which are the purposes of the Mi‘rāj and Isrā’ , these spiritual journeys also possess their own individual objective and explanation. In as much that we have studied, it is that the Mi‘rāj is more so for the manifestation of the spiritual perfections of the Holy Prophet sa , whereas the Isrā’ is to illustrate the physical and worldly achievements of the Holy Prophet sa. For this reason, where the heavens were chosen for the Mi‘rāj , the final point of destination in the Isrā’ was this very world. Similarly, during the Mi‘rāj where the Holy Prophet sa was risen into the heavens without any physical or material means, during the Isrā’ , Burrāq has been used as a means of transport. This indicates that material means would be involved in the worldly and physical accomplishments of the Holy Prophet sa and his following, as signified to in the extraordinary speed of Burrāq. These physical means would merely serve as a veil, but the actual source would be that divine succour, which would stand by the Holy Prophet sa every step of the way. The Holy Prophet’s sa surpassing other prophets during the Mi‘rāj signified that not only was the Holy Prophet sa the most supreme and exalted of all the prophets. Not only was the religious law of the Holy Prophet sa finer and more superior to all other religious laws in its spiritual perfection, but also, that such marvel has been vested in the spiritual munificence of the Holy Prophet sa as no other man has received its likeness. In other words, the true and complete following of the Holy Prophet sa can take an individual to the highest spiritual heights, and there is no spiritual status which an individual cannot acquire by following the Holy Prophet sa. All of the prophets prior to the Holy Prophet sa , undoubtedly, came to their people as an embodiment of mercy and blessing. No doubt, they opened the doors to divine rewards for the ones they left behind, but prior to the Holy Prophet sa no prophet had passed, the following of whom was sufficient enough for one to attain the highest possible perfections. Due to this, it was the custom of Allāh the Exalted that in early communities, through one’s complete obedience to a prophet, if an individual reached the highest spiritual limit that this obedience could have resulted in, and after this, if that individual became capable of further spiritual progress 1 The meaning of Ḥāshir is ‘the one who gathers’. Therefore, the intent is to imply that prior to the Holy Prophet sa for every people and every country a different prophet was commissioned. However, the Holy Prophet sa was commissioned for every nation of the world. (Author)