Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) does not only say it was spiritual rather the Qur’an and Ahadith tell us it is spiritual which is why it is spiritual. The reason non Ahmadis try to justify it and make it physical is to try and keep Isa(as) alive as Qur’an states he has died.
Let’s go straight to the Qur’an and see all of the beautiful proofs which show it was indeed a spiritual journey.
The heart of the Prophet was not untrue to that which he saw.(Chapter 53 verse 12)
Allah has clearly told us that the Heart was not untrue to which he saw which shows that it was not physical rather a spiritual journey.
Allah also states:
‘Or thou have a house of gold or thou ascend up into heaven; and we will not believe in thy ascension until thou send down to us a book that we can read.’ Say, ‘Holy is my Lord! I am not but a man sent as a Messenger.’(Chapter 17 verse 94)
This ayah itself has totally rejected the concept of a physical ascension and The Prophet Muhammad(saw) makes it clear that Allah is pure from physically raising earthly bodies to the heavens. It should also be kept in mind that Allah is everywhere and is not confined as proven from the Quran
Allah Has also made it clear in the Qur’an that this Journey was indeed a vision. He States:
And remember the time when We said to thee: ‘Surely, thy Lord has encompassed the people.’ And We made not the vision which We showed thee but as a trial for men, as also the tree cursed in the Qur’an. And We warn them, but it only increases them in great transgression.(Chapter 17 Verse 61)
Allah has made it clear that He is everywhere. Here are a few verses which prove this fact.
And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.’ (Chapter 2 verse 187)
Now Allah makes it clear of how near he is as well in the Qur’an, since He knew what would happen to the Muslims and how even they would become like the Christians and end up confining God like they have. Allah states:
And assuredly, We have created man and We know what his physical self whispers to him, and We are nearer to him than even his jugular vein. (50:17)
Here are some more Ayahs that make it clear that Allah is indeed everywhere:
And He is Allah, the God, both in the heavens and in the earth. He knows your inside and your outside. And He knows what you earn.(Chapter 6 Verse 4)
He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He settled Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it, and what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees all that you do.(Chapter 57 Verse 5)
To Allah belong the East and the West; so withersoever you turn, there will be the face of Allah. Surely, Allah is Bountiful, All- Knowing.(Chapter 2 Verse 116)
Now lets look at the ahadith and read the story of the Miraj narrated in Bukhari.
قَالَ فَاهْبِطْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ. قَالَ وَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَهْوَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ.
On that Gabriel said, “Descend in Allah’s Name.” The Prophet (ﷺ) then woke up while he was in the Sacred Mosque (at Mecca).(Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Hadith #608)
The body was asleep of the Prophet Muhammad(saw) as per the ahadith. The heart was not asleep as hearts do not sleep.Another hadith states:
قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” بَيْنَا أَنَا عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ بَيْنَ النَّائِمِ وَالْيَقْظَانِ
Narrated Malik bin Sasaa: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “While I was at the House in a state midway between sleep and wakefulness(Bukhari, volume 4 book 54 Hadith #429)
It has been clearly stated that the prophet(saw) said he was in a state of midway between sleep and wakefulness.
Hazrat Ayesha(ra) states:
“By God, the body of the Holy Prophet sa did not disappear, but he was raised spiritually. (Tafseer Kashāf)
Another saying is as follows:
To Allah belong the East and the West; so withersoever you turn, there will be the face of Allah. Surely, Allah is Bountiful, All- Knowing.(Chapter 2 Verse 116)
Now lets look at the ahadith and read the story of the Miraj narrated in Bukhari.
قَالَ فَاهْبِطْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ. قَالَ وَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَهْوَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ.
On that Gabriel said, “Descend in Allah’s Name.” The Prophet (ﷺ) then woke up while he was in the Sacred Mosque (at Mecca).(Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Hadith #608)
The body was asleep of the Prophet Muhammad(saw) as per the ahadith. The heart was not asleep as hearts do not sleep.Another hadith states:
قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” بَيْنَا أَنَا عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ بَيْنَ النَّائِمِ وَالْيَقْظَانِ
Narrated Malik bin Sasaa: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “While I was at the House in a state midway between sleep and wakefulness(Bukhari, volume 4 book 54 Hadith #429)
It has been clearly stated that the prophet(saw) said he was in a state of midway between sleep and wakefulness.
Hazrat Ayesha(ra) states:
“By God, the body of the Holy Prophet sa did not disappear, but he was raised spiritually. (Tafseer Kashāf)
Another saying is as follows:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ يَا أُمَّتَاهْ هَلْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَبَّهُ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ قَفَّ شَعَرِي مِمَّا قُلْتَ، أَيْنَ أَنْتَ مِنْ ثَلاَثٍ مَنْ حَدَّثَكَهُنَّ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ، مَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى رَبَّهُ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ. ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ {لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ} {وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ} وَمَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ {وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا} وَمَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّهُ كَتَمَ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ {يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ} الآيَةَ، وَلَكِنَّهُ رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ فِي صُورَتِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ.
Narrated Masruq:
I said to `Aisha, “O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad see his Lord?” Aisha said, “What you have said makes my hair stand on end ! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, is a liar.(Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Hadith #378)
Now here are some questions which arise if one wants to misinterpret the miraj and turn it into a physical journey. Saying the Kuffar would not have accused it is a extremely weak point. What did the kuffar not accuse? They were not ready to accept anything, not even revelation of the prophet Muhammad(saw) so this falls under the same category. This vision and journey of the Prophet(saw) was indeed miraculous and the kuffar questioned everything including the entire claim of Muhammad(saw).
If this was a physical journey, how did all other prophets come to Jerusalem? Were they in physical or spiritual form? If physical then that would mean that their bodies were resurrected before qiyamah? Was Isa(as) also resurrected since he was seen during the mirah? How can all 124,000 prophets fit in such a small mosque? Masjid Aqsa was in pieces during this time and was hardly in its proper form so how did they fit? Since prayers were lead which namaaz was it? Who lead Adhan or Ikamat? Which prophet knew the adhan? When was he taught the adhan? Why did Allah need security? Is he not powerful enough according to the ones who take this as a physical journey? These are some questions which come up and in reality taking the miraj physical only mocks at the Seal of the Prophets(saw) and Allah as well Who has Clearly rejected the idea of a physical ascension in the Qur’an and Has shown us that He is not confined, and Is Indeed Everywhere.
Now the non Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Miraj was a physical journey and also believe that Jesus(as) was alive in the heavens during the Miraj. So a question which arises is that if Jesus(as) was alive during that time in his physical body, and the Holy Prophet(saw) lead the prayers where all prophets read behind him, did Isa(as) come down in his physical body to pray with the Prophet(saw) as well? Do they now believe Isa(as) already came once and left the world again and was once again raised to the heavens? These are questions they cannot answer.
We also need to keep in mind that Allah the Almighty is not confined to the heavens.
Where is Allah is a question which many Salafi Muslims today bring up. The reason to this is not really known but it seems as if they have confined Allah and now are on a mission to make others also confine Allah, God Forbid. The omnipotence and omnipresence of Allah is clear from the Qur’an. Allah has no direction and is not confined to a single area. Let us look at the countless proofs from the Holy Qur’an.
Let us first look at what the Quran says in regards to when someone asks where is Allah. Allah has stated in chapter 2 verse 187:
And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.’(Chapter 2 Verse 187)
Now Allah makes it clear of how near he is as well in the Qur’an as well. Allah States:
And assuredly, We have created man and We know what his physical self whispers to him, and We are nearer to him than even his jugular vein.(Chapter 50 Verse 17)
One might now say that Allah is only referring to knowledge but then Allah would not need to use jugular vein and nor has He used the word knowledge anywhere in this Ayahs. Allah is clearly referring to his omnipotence and omnipresence.
There are countless of more verses which prove to us that Allah is omnipresent and is not confined to a specific spot. Here are some clear verses which show us the omnipresence of Allah which we should not question as Muslims:
And He is Allah, the God, both in the heavens and in the earth. He knows your inside and your outside. And He knows what you earn.(Chapter 6 Verse 4)
He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He settled Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it, and what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees all that you do.(Chapter 57 Verse 5)
Dost thou not see that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? There is no secret counsel of three, but He is their fourth, nor of five, but He is their sixth, nor of less than that, nor of more, but He is with them wheresoever they may be. Then on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Surely, Allah knows all things full well.(Chapter 58 Verse 8)
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as alustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from a blessed tree — an olive — neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not. Light upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He will. And Allah sets forth parables to men, and Allah knows all things full well.(Chapter 24 Verse 36)
All that is on it (earth) will pass away.And there will remain only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour(Chapter 55 Verses 27-28)
To Allah belong the East and the West; so withersoever you turn, there will be the face of Allah. Surely, Allah is Bountiful, All- Knowing.(Chapter 2 Verse 116)
Now I have provided countless of proofs from the Holy Qur’an to show that Allah is indeed omnipresent and is not confined to a physical throne as some try to claim.
The only argument the salafis have is that a slave girl was asked by Muhammad (Saw) where is Allah, and she said above the sky. The reason is clear that the slave girl was from the idolaters and the Prophet(Saw) was trying to see if she differentiates with their beliefs and whether she believed in Allah or other gods, and when she said the heavens it was made clear that she believes Allah is the most high
Allah has stated 8 times that He has turned to the arsh. Istiwa does not mean sitting rather to turn to. This is always stated after Allah has Stated He has created the heavens and the earth.All eight times Allah refers to turning to the throne is after He speaks of creating the Heavens and the Earth.
I am here and only here. I cannot be on a chair and a sofa at the same time. Nor can I be in UK and USA at the same time. This is a clear weakness of a human being and we cannot attribute such a weakness to Allah.
People say when Allah says He is near He refers to his knowledge. Muhammad (Saw) never said this nor did Allah. This is only what people have said. Allah says I am near. We have limits in space and time because of our dimensions. Allah has no dimensions. If Allah is on the throne and not here, that states Allah has dimensions which is contradicting what Qur’an states that There is nothing like Him.
The Arabic clearly states He is with you. Nowhere does He say His knowledge. Allah states that wherever you turn your face, Allah is There and you will find His face. Now there are 7 billion people. I can turn to the right, you can turn to your left and other 7 billion people can turn their faces to other directions. Does this mean that He has 7 billion faces now? God forbid of course not. It’s clear that He is omnipresent and everywhere.
Now people ask is Allah in the toilet? How can you ask this question as a Muslim? This is said to confuse people and you should have respect for Allah then to ask such things about him. It’s even in human nature that Allah is with you wherever you are. When you go to the toilet can Allah see you or not? Of course He can! Can He hear you? Of course He can! Are you in His vision? Of course you are. Allah states in the Qur’an clearly that He is all seeing and is always watching. Allah sees everything and hears everything. Allah can clearly see what you are doing in the toilet and also wherever else you are. If Allah can see you there and is aware of what you do there, then of course He is there.
Now some people always say Allah is up. Are they aware that the earth is round? If you believe that Allah is up, than would you believe that Allah is below the people on the opposite side of the earth from where we live?
It just refers to Allah being High, He is most High in terms of Honor. This refers to in terms of dignity, not physical presence. Allah is not physically described nor is He confined.
The arsh (throne) is not something that has been created or something material rather is the name of the transcendental station which is beyond the beyond. Its not a physical throne where God is sitting rather a station which is beyond from creation and is a station of transcendence and holiness.