This article is meant to answer questions like i) How was it possible to make the journey in a night’s time? ii)  How did the Prophet (SAWS) cross the hazardous space zones? iii) How did he (SAWS) survive without oxygen? iv) Why wasn’t his (SAWS) body torn out in that high speed travel? Of course, Allah could take care of him (SAWS) in a miraculous way. We know that he (SAWS) had little Prophetic privileges. He (SAWS) lived as a normal human being experiencing what we human beings taste in our lives.

First let us talk about the angel’s pace of work.

1. Examples of Angels’ Terrific Pace

i) Zuhri states referring to Anas bin Maleque that the Angel of death visits every house 5 times daily to find if anyone is due to die ( Bihar al-Anwar vol. 74, pg. 188. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_households). The world has about 1,585,682,383 families. Visiting each family 5 times means visiting once 5 times of these families. If the Angel of death has to finish the work in 12 hours, he visits 200 families in one second, and if he has to finish in 24 hours, he visits 100 families in one second.

ii) About two people die every second. These persons can be from nearby places or from far off places.

iii) Today those who tarnish the image of Islam, kill up to tens of people at same spot.

iv) Out of the Visuvious Volcano’s erruption in the year 79, the remains of 1500 people have been recovered.

v) Americans killed 90,000 to 146,000 people in Hiroshima half of whom died on the first day August 6, 1945. They killed 39,000 to 80,000 people in Nagasaki half of whom died on the first day August 9, 1945.

vi) In 1970, about 200,000 people died in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in a Tsunami.

vii) China earthquake of 1976 killed 242,000 people.

viii) The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami at 00.58:53 UTC on 26 December killed 230,000 – 280,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1. Countries affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami
(www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/File:2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_-_affected_countries.png)

ix) At 8 hour, 50 minutes, 39 seconds on October 8, 2005, at least 87,350 people died in Pakistan from the Kashmir Earthquake.

x) A 16 hour 53 minutes on January 12, 2010, about 160,000 people died in Haiti Earthquake.

From these heavy losses of lives at a time, we have to be convinced that angels work at very short intervals of time which is beyond our sensitivity. If we divide one second into a million part, each part is called a microsecond. And, if we divide into a billion part, each part is called a nano second. One microsecond is 1000 times more than one nanosecond. Further, a division into a trillion part, gives out a picosecond interval.

The day Prophet (SAWS) returned heart-broken and depressed from Taif, a place about 62 miles east of Mecca, Jibrail (AS) appeared in the sky with the angel of mountains, at a place called Qarn Al-Manazil, also known as As-Sail Al-Kabeer (about 52 miles to the east of Mecca). The angel of mountains greeted him and asked his (SAWS) permission to bury Mecca between Al-Akhshabain, the two mountains flanking Mecca. This was also a quick appearance following his (SAWS) du’a. This, too, is an example of angels’ instantaneous appearance.

Turning back to the point of Islamic speed, the world’s current population is about 7.5 billion. If the world is to be destroyed at this time in one second, the Angel of Death has to take about one-tenth of a nanosecond to take out one life.

On the Day the world is demolished, if the global population becomes 100 billion, the Angel of Death has to spend one-hundredth of a nano second to kill the people. Bukharu Hadith #7121 states that the Grand Destruction will be so quick that the food in hand will not reach the mouth. Angels’ pace of work is understood from this promptness. Their timing is beyond our sensing.

Say, “The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned.” (Sura As-Sajda, 32:11)

Al-Bara’ bin Azib narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said that the Angel of Death sits by the head to take out the soul. Angels surround the dying person  ( Imams Ahmed, Abu Dawood and Alhakm).

The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.(Sura Al-Ma’arij, 70:4)

Once the soul is out of the body, other angels take it from him, enclose it in a perfumed cover (for believers) and hurry to ascend to Allah. They ask for opening the sky. Other angels ask about the soul and join them in the ascension to Allah. For us, it would take 50,000 years. We do not know at what speed, if we travelled, would take 50,000 years. The highest speed attainable now with the help of rockets is 36,500 miles in one hour.

Whether it is a normal death, accidental death, or natural or artificial calamities-related death, the Angel of Death can take out souls in a moment’s interval that we cannot imagine.  All these support that angels do their work in intervals of nanoseconds or picoseconds.

Angels are made of Allaah’s Noor (light). They obey Allah. Not material being, they are not affected by the force of gravity of planets and stars. They may have one-sided interaction with us.

Highest speed known is of light – 186,000 miles in one second. Angels may travel at this speed, near this speed, of more than this speed. If they travel near the spped of light, our 50,000 years in our account is like a distance of 50,000 light years. One light year is a distance light travel in one year.

Sun-Earth distance is 93,000,000 miles. One light years is 63,340 times this distance which is 294,531 trillion miles or near 300 hundred thousand trillion miles.

2.  Limited Human Senses

Our eyes are sensitive to only the seven colors. Light is a member of a group of seven -gamma ray, x-ray, ultraviolet ray, light, infrared ray, microwaves, and radio waves. Light has seven colors. Our eyes can sense the seven colors (Fig. 2)  and under special condition the infrared ray.

Fig. 2. Electromagnetic waves (http://www.ces.fau.edu/nasa/module-2/radiation-sun.php)

The other members of the light group radiation are indirectly used to learn invisible things.  The salt grain we use in food has gaps within it which we cannot see (Fig. 3). If our eyes would be sensitive to x-ray, we could possibly see that gap.

The perception of an image in our brain last almost 1/30^th of a second. If changes happens in time intervals that are less than 1/30^th seconds, we fail to detect it. If something fluctuates at intervals of 1/40^th seconds, we will find that thing does not changes its shape. If a sinner’s dead body is crushed and assembled in intervals of 1/40^th seconds when it is in the grave, we will always see the whole deadbody.  Hadith mentions torments in the grave. (Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari by Muhsin Khan (Book of Faith)). After opening the grave we will not be able to see the punishment because the intervals of this torment is beyond our senses.

The time lag between the light hitting the retina and the brain’s recognition of the object identity is about 0.15 seconds.

The fastest speed of our brain’s unrelated image processing is if they are presented in about 0.1 second intervals (Thorpe SJ, et al (1996). Speed of processing in the human visual system. Nature. (http://scholar.google.com/schola…)

Our sense of hearing is the ear. We hear sound. Sound is produced by vibrations. We can hear only those sounds created by vibrations that are between 16  to 16, 000 vibrations in one second. Vibrationds below 16 per second are known as infrasound. We cannot hear that. Sound vibrations above 16000 in one second are ultrasound. This is used in medical investigation and underwater and underground resource exploration.

3. Special Senses of Prophets

i) Prophet Sulaiman (AS) had an army of jinns, men, and birds. He could understand the language of birds and even of ants (An-Naml, 27:15-22).

ii) Our Prophet (SAWS) saw Jibrail (AS) in the form of a human being as well as in his own form (Sura An-Najm, 53:13)

iii) He (SAWS) heard persons in the grave crying in infrasound which every animals other than human being and jinns can hear.

[Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Book 23, Hadith #443]

iv) He (SAWS) choked the Shaitan when the latter tried to divert his (SAWS) mind in prayer (BUKHARI 2.301)

v) He (SAWS) was shown the paradise and hell on the Qibla-facing wall during hi( SAWS) prayer (Bukhari, Book 12, Characteristics of Prayer, Hadith 716 (Vol. 1))

vi) He (SAWS) tried to grab a bunch of fruit from paradise that was shown to him during a prayer of solar eclipse (Bukhari Volume 1, Book 12, Number 715)

vii) He (SAWS) heard the foot steps of Bilal (RA) in paradise while he (SAWS) was in M’raj. It was due to Bilal (RA)’s regular performance Tahiyatul Adu Salah ( Sahih Muslim).

viii) He (SAWS) would hear the crackling noise in the heavens. We can’t hear.

ix) He (SAWS) heard a tree trunk crying on its separation from him (SAWS) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.4, Hadith No. 783).

Our Prophet (SAWS) definitely had the best special senses.

4. ‘Isra and M’raj

‘Isra is the Prophet (SAWS)’s night journey from Hatem or Hijr area of the Holy Qaaba to Al-Aqsa Masjid  (Fig. 4) in Jerusalem by the heavenly carrirer Buraq in the company of Jibrail (AS). The night journey route is shown in Fig. 5. And the Hatem or Hijr area is shown in Fig. 6.

M’raj is the journey from Al-Aqsa Masjid to the deep space in the company of Jibrail (AS) and come back in the same night. Allah planned to show His Messenger the wonders of His creation. The incidence happened one year before his  (SAWS) departure for Madinah and about two years after the deaths of Khadija (RA)and his (SAWS) uncle Abu Talib. It was on 27^th Rajab in the year 619 A. D.

In the first era of Islam, the scholars of Islam described the incidence as a supernatural one. According science and the description of the journey, it happened following the natural laws. He hardly had the Prophetic privileges. He was subjected to natural laws and struggled for his mission.

One hadiths says that Allah descends to lower heaven during the last one-third of every night (Bukhari #1094 and Muslim #758, narrated by Abu Hurairah). We do not know which par of the night this quick trip took place.

(Al-‘Isra, 17:1)

“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.”

Fig. 4. Inside of the Al-Aqsa Masjid (https://www.dawn.com/news/1275123)

Fig. 5. Route to the Al-Aqsa Masjid from the Holy Qaaba
*( https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/151/miracles-of-muhammad-part-2/)

Fig. 6. The semi-circular area attached to the Holy Qaaba is the Hatem or Hijr (http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/kaaba-black-stone-holy-stone-outer-space-003661)

Fig. 7 shows the relative locations of Al-Aqsa Masjid and the Dome of the Rock

Fig. 7. Al-Aqsa Masjid – aerial view (http://www.visitmasjidalaqsa.com/masjid-al-aqsa-travel-tips-information/)

Fig. 8. Entrance to the Al-Aqsa Masjid (https://www.dawn.com/news/1275123)

Fig. 9. Dome of the Rock (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/The_Dome_of_the_Rock.jpeg)

Fig. 10. Inside the Dome of the Rock (https://www.dawn.com/news/1275123)

Fig. 11 Ablution Fountain and the Dome of the Rock (https://photos5.com/photo/17527/Ablution-Fountain-and-Dome-of-the-Rock.html)

1. By the star when it goes down, (or vanishes).
2. Your companion (Muhammad PBUH) has neither gone astray nor has erred.
3. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
4. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired.
5. He has been taught (this Qur’an) by one mighty in power [Jibrael (Gabriel)].
6. Dhu Mirrah(free from any defect in body and mind), Fastawa [then he (Jibrael – Gabriel) rose and became stable]. [Tafsir At-Tabari].
7. While he [Jibrael (Gabriel)] was in the highest part of the horizon,
8. Then he [Jibrael (Gabriel)] approached and came closer,
9. And was at a distance of two bows’ length or (even) nearer,
10. So did (Allah) convey the Inspiration to His slave [Muhammad PBUH through Jibrael (Gabriel)].
11. The (Prophet’s) heart lied not (in seeing) what he (Muhammad PBUH) saw.
12. Will you then dispute with him (Muhammad PBUH) about what he saw [during the Mi’raj: (Ascent of the Prophet over the seven heavens)] .
13. And indeed he (Muhammad PBUH) saw him [Jibrael (Gabriel)] at a second descent (i.e. another time).
14. Near Sidrat-ul-Muntaha [lote-tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass)],
15. Near it is the Paradise of Abode.
16. When that covered the lote-tree which did cover it!
17. The sight (of Prophet Muhammad ) turned not aside (right or left), nor it transgressed beyond (the) limit (ordained for it).
18. Indeed he (Muhammad ) did see, of the Greatest Signs, of his Lord (Allah).

Bukhari (heard from Qatadah from Anas from Malik bin Sa’Sah) hadiths states that the Prophet (SAWS) was in a state of half-asleep and half-awake (proper condition for surgery)  in his home (the state good for surgery) when Jibrail (AS) appeared. In another narration he was near the Hatem or Hijr. Jibrail (AS) cut open his (SAWS) body and took out his (SAWS) heart. A gold tray of Belief was brought to him (SAWS). His (SAWS) heart was washed with Jamjam water and was filled (with Belief). It was then returned to its original place.

How long should we think Jibrail (AS) took to complete the surgery knowing the angelic speed of work? Was it like hours that our surgeons take?

Sensation from touch pressure, pain from cold or touch, thermal pain due to excessive cold or heat, etc.  takes about 0.3 seconds. If surgery can be performed in 0.3 seconds, surgeons do not need anesthetics like nitrous oxide, halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane for general anesthesia.

Then a heavenly creature Buraq was brought in. He (SAWS) was first taken to Al-Aqsa Masjid where he led the prayer with the past prophets. In each step, Buraq was crossing over as far as eye could see. In describing the Buraq speed, what other standard could be used in those days when people did not know the light speed, the fastest speed we now know.

On the question of meeting the dead prophets, let us not forget that Allah took him to show His wonderful signs. Everything he (SAWS) saw during the journey was His signs of wonders.

We can mention verses 73 and 260 from Sura Baqara. Verse 73 talks about making a dead person alive. Verse 260 states turning alive the dead bird killed by Ibraheem (AS).

(2:73)

So, We said, “Strike the slain man with part of it.” Thus does Allah bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.

(2:260)

And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.” [ Allah ] said, “Have you not believed?” He said, “Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied.” [ Allah ] said, “Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them – they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.”

“I create for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with God’s permission.” (Quran 3:49)

“…and I bring to life the dead, by the permission of God.” (Quran 3:49)

Fig. 12. Artist’s drawing of the Buraq (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Al-Buraf_Hafifa.jpg)

He (SAWS) then ascended to the heaven.  In the ascension, Jibrail (AS) and the Prophet (SAWS) had to ask to open the gates of each of the heavens where the Prophet (SAWS) met a past prophet. The Prophet (SAWS) went upto the 7^th heaven.

The Prophet (SAWS) met Adam (AS) in the first heaven, Yahya (AS) and Esa (AS) in the second heaven, Yousuf (AS) in the third heaven, Idris (AS) in the fourth heaven, Harun (AS) in the fifth heaven, Musa (AS) in the sixth heaven, and Ibraheem (AS) in the seventh heaven.

What are these layers in the heaven?  Can we human perceive them?

I think it is only for the angels or those who can fly at the angelic speed. In their nanosecond world, we cannot perceive the layering. We, possibly, could if we would sense that short interval of time and travel that fast. In that case, the presence of many invisible things will be felt. For example, if we take a glass of clear water a lake we may find it crystal clear. However, if we look at the water with a microscopic eye, we’ll find numerous microbes – many obstructions to drink that water.

Let us not forget that in these heavenly layers, guest’s company, hosts, receptionists/gate keepers – all were angels. From Angelic pace, we may imagine how fast they communicated. That was the nanosecond world.

When the Prophet (SAWS) was descending with the gift of 50 times of salah a day (Bukhari, Vol. 4, Hadith # 429) and passing by Musa (AS), did Musa (AS) take time to talk to him about what Allaah told Prophet (SAWS)? There could be some way of quick communication. It is might not be like “Hi Muhammad, come on, sit down and talk. What did Allaah say to you?”

How could he (SAWS) make this long night journey in so short a time?

Whether it is the Isra  ( a trip of 800 miles) or M’raj (unknown distance) trip, the Prophet (SAWS) was in the company of Jibrail (AS). From many instances, we can guess the angelic pace of work. In fast speed travel distance becomes shortened. According to the present knowledge of physics, the shortening depends on how close the speed of light the travel is made.

Light travels 186,000 miles in one second. If we can travel at 99% of the speed of light, 100 mile distance is shortened 14 miles. The distance becomes zero if travel is made at the speed of light. The Prophet (SAWS) mentioned of the extraordinary speed of Buraq. This is human discovered law. When someone discovers a law, he does it based on what he sees as the complete picture. There could be something more that he missed. That is why I say that Allah knows the real law.

(18:109)

Say, “If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement.”

5. Muon Dilemma?

One example of distance shortening is observed in muon flight. Muons are tiny particle that travel 99.8% of the speed of light. They survive a little more than 2 microseconds. Plenty of them are created about 6 miles above us in the atmosphere. In their lifetime, they can travel less than half a mile. They are not supposed to reach on the ground as muons. Application of fast speed travel laws, shows that muons find this 6 mile distance reduced to less than half a mile.

Fig. 13. Swarms of elementary particle created by the interaction of cosmic rays and atmospheric atoms and molecules
(https://astrobites.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/particle_cascade.png)

Steps to Resolve Muon Dilema:

i) Take the ratio of light speed to muon speed. This is 0.998

ii) Square the ration in i). This is 0.996004.

iii) Subtract ii) from 1.00. This is 0.003886

iv) Take the squareroot of iii). This is 0.06234.

v) Take the reciprocal of iv). This is 16.0416.

vi) Divide the 6-mile distance of their creation by v). This is 0.374 mile. This is the distance muons find.

Can Muon Cross this Distance?

vii) Yes

viii) Find 99.8% of light speed 186,000 miles in one second. This is 185,628 miles in one second.

ix) Convert 2.2 mocroseconds, the muon lifetime to seconds. This is 2.3E-6 second (= 0.0000022 second).

x) Multiply viii) and ix). This is (185,628 miles in one second) x (0.0000023 second) = 0.408 mile which is close to 0.374 mile.

6. Space Radiation Hazards

Fig. 14. The Earth’s radiation belts (By Booyabazooka at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1715297)

Our planet is surrounded by two belts of radiation (fig. 19) . These come from the Sun and other stars. (Fig. 20) These are so dangerous that if they could reach the surface of the earth, there could not be any living being. Allaah has given our planet some magnetic characteristics. The magnetic characteristics of the earth does not let the radiation reach the earth’s surface. They are trapped in space. This radiation belt starts from about 400 miles and extends to 6,000 miles. Then there is a gap of about 2,400 miles. The next belt extends from 8,400 miles to 36,000 miles.

Fig. 15. Solar wind interaction with the Earth’s magnetic field and the trapping of solar wind particles (https://www.quora.com/NASA-claims-that-Mars-atmosphere-was-stripped-away-by-solar-winds-Why-hasnt-the-same-fate-occurred-to-earth#!n=12)

That dangerous radiation mutates (changes) our DNA (which carries the genetic instructions for growth, development, functioning and reproduction), rewriting our genetic code promoting cancerous growth of cells.  Radiation poses a long-term danger. If we receive about 1 calorie of energy for every kg of our body mass in matters of a few minutes, too many cells will be damaged to be repaired at once.

Some workers in Japanese Fukushima nuclear plant absorbed about one-sixteenth to one-quarter calorie of energy input each hour from the nuclear radiation,  although they survived in the short-term, their lifetime cancer risk has increased. Every year, we develop 25-thousandth percent of cancer risk from the background radiation from all sources viz., soil uranium, cosmic rays, medical devices, etc. Some has to live 4000 years get get cancer from background radiation (; http://www.livescience.com/34128-limits-human-survival.htmlCaracappa, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, by  Natalie Wolchover | August 9, 2012 03:21pm ET).

The question is how did the Prophet (SAWS) remain safe while crossing the belts? Like ours, his (SAWS) body was flesh and blood like ours. We see astronauts take with them oxygen and themselves are dressed in space suit. Why isn’t any mentions in his (SAWS) trip?

The answer is here. The radiation dose he  (SAWS) received depended on how long he was exposed to this radiation. Say, it downpours – raining like cats and dogs. Image how much we can get wet if we are exposed for 1 second. Very little! If we are exposed for one minute, we’ll get quite wet. The Prophet (SAWS) was in the company Jibrail (AS). We went through several Hadiths at the beginning just to guess the angelic pace of work. The quick crossing through the belt might not put any radiation to him.

7. Oxygen Requirement

Typical human boundaries of survivability are governed by the rule of threes – roughly three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food.

We humans generally start brain damage in about 3 minutes without oxygen. For comparison, humans generally start accumulating serious brain damage after only about 3 minutes without oxygen. Naked mole rats achieve their feat by turning to a molecular trick used by plants: They stop metabolizing glucose and start metabolizing a different sugar, fructose.

We cannot survive without oxygen. We breathe once in every 4/5 seconds. How could the Prophet (SAWS) survive during the trip without oxygen?

We get the answer when we think of the company of the fast moving Jibrail (AS)

14. Near Sidrat-ul-Muntaha [lote-tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass)],
15. Near it is the Paradise of Abode.
16. When that covered the lote-tree which did cover it!
17. The sight (of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)) turned not aside (right or left), nor it transgressed beyond (the) limit (ordained for it).
18. Indeed he (Muhammad (SAWS)) did see, of the Greatest Signs, of his Lord (Allah).

 

In the world of nanosecond, if the Prophet (SAWS) gazed for a microsecond, it would be 1000 times more than Angelic time count. And if he (SAWS) looked for 1 second, it was going to be one billion times more than Angelic time count.

The Prophet (SAWS) had five senses much superior than ours. If the Prophet (SAWS) would be looking at human pace, there would be no justification of his (SAWS) ascension.

8.  How much was he (SAWS) accelerated? 

One G is the force we feel on the planet’s surface. We would feel a force of 14 G if the planet was 14 times as massive. A sideways jerking of 14 G can tear organs from one another.  Head-to-foot motion plunges all blood to the feet. 4 to 8 longitudinal Gs can cause some one knock out.

In essence, the journey was over so short a time that he did not feel any physical change.