The issue of the splitting of the Blessed Chest before the Mer'aj

[Noori]

In the Sahih Muslim it is stated that the angels split opened the chest of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم from the top to the bottom and removed his blessed heart. They then split open his blessed heart and threw away a drop of blood from it. They then said,

 

This was a piece of the Satan.

Was it a drop of blood or was it a piece of the Satan?

Imam Taqiuddin Subki رضي الله عنه describes that Almighty Allah has created this drop of blood in every human. The purpose of this drop is to listen and obey the command of the Satan. (This is similar to the purpose of the eyes or the ears etc). When this drop of blood was removed from the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم; there now remained no part of his blessed body which would obey and listen to the evil whisperings of the Satan.

 

If there are certain people who inquire as to why was this drop of blood was created in the blessed body of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم in the first place, the answer is that this is also a part of the human body, and if this was not created, then the body of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم would have been considered as incomplete.

 

Mullah Ali Qari رضي الله عنه describes that this piece of blood can be considered as those parts of the human body which are sometimes removed from a human which serves no purpose. Take for example the hair on one’s moustache or the nails on one’s toes or fingers. Even though this is part of the human body, yet, removing it later on is proof of purity and cleanliness! In brief, creating it in the first place is to complete human creation or to complete human anatomy and removing it later on is proof of human cleanliness and purity.

 

(Sharah Shifaa – Mullah Ali Qari, Vol 1, Page 374)

 

Allama Shahaabudeen Khafaji رضي الله عنه in the Naseemur Riyadh further explains that this could be compared to the seeds in grapes and other similar fruits or vegetables. When they are removed, people don’t go around asking as to why was it removed or why was it kept there in the first place or even why was it created in the first place!

 

As to the question of why did the Angels inform the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم that this is a place for the Satan. In other words, did the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم have something Satanic within him, (Allah forbid)? No and certainly not! There is no doubt that every atom in the blessed body of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم, every particle in his body is pure and unblemished. There is nothing in his blessed body which could even be termed as impure. When the Angels informed him that this was part of the Satan, they were actually meaning that,

 

If there were any part of the body in which the Satan could hold on to, or adopt as his centre of mischief within the human body, then, it would have been this part of the body.

And since, this part has been completely removed, therefore, there is nothing within the blessed body of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم which can even remotely be connected to the Satan.

 

After the blessed chest was opened, it was then filled with wisdom and Imaan. Even though in normal circumstances, wisdom and faith cannot be considered as physical entities, yet, it is the Infinite Power of the Almighty that if He wishes, he can transform a non-physical entity into a physical entity. This also goes to prove the immense stature of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم.

 

There are many reasons to the splitting of the chest

Even though there are many reasons for this, we can also safely say that one of the main reasons for the splitting of the blessed chest is to prepare it for the greatest vision ever experienced by a human and to create in it the capacity to be able travel on an amazing journey and ultimately to be able to see the Creator Himself.

 

The proof that our Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم is alive

This incident also proved beyond a shadow of doubt to the companions (RadiAllahu Anhuma ajma'een) and all those who would come later on, that our Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم is certainly a living Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم. We see that even though the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم was removed, yet he still remained conscious and was able to report and see whatever was happening to him. We also know that the heart is a station of life and a place where in the soul rests and when this is removed, a person is considered as dead. Yet, even though his heart was removed, the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم was still alive. This further goes to prove that if his soul is removed like when he passed away, how can we consider him dead when he was still alive when his heart and the resting place of his soul was removed during the occasion of Me'raj? This clearly indicates that our Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم is still alive!

 

There were eyes and ears found in the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم

It is reported that when Sayyiduna Jibraeel Al-Ameen (Alaihi Salaam) had placed the heart of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم in the water of Zam Zam, he stated,

 

The blessed heart was free of all defect and fault. In it, there were two eyes which looked and two ears which listened.

(Fathul Bari vol 13, Page 410)

 

These were those special and unique eyes and ears which saw those things which no ordinary human could see. It is for this reason that the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم has stated that,

 

I can see that which you cannot see and I can hear that which you cannot hear.

The splitting of the chest and the fact that the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم is Noor

There are some people who incorrectly declare that since the Holy Prophet's صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم chest was split open, therefore he is not Noor. This is a mistake and totally incorrect. Firstly, when his blessed chest was split, at that time, no blood was seen. Is this possible for a normal human? This has been referred to in Tafseer Ruhul Bayaan. The Ulama have stated that even though he is both human and Noor at the same time, there are certain occasions when each of his divinely bestowed attributes are more visible than the other. He is certainly a creation which has been created from Noor and his physical attributes is the outer clothing. It has also been mentioned in Tafseer Roohul Bayaan that the chest was split open without any instruments. How is this possible for a being that is only physical in attribute? Therefore, by the virtue of there being no instrument, this suffices as a proof that he is Noor.

 

If at times, there was blood which became visible like in the battle of Uhud, at that time, the Almighty made his Prophet's صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم physical attribute appear as the dominant and when there was no blood, like during the occasion when his blessed chest was split open, at that moment, the Almighty made His Prophet's صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم Noor a more over powering attribute.

 

We have already explained that during the journey of Me'raj, the three inner states of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم were displayed and became visible in each different state of the Me'raj. It is sad that many people cannot understand something as simple as this.

 

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