Lailat al-Miraj Message of the President of Religious Affairs Erbaş

Dear brothers,

Tonight, we shall attain the Lailat al-Miraj when Prophet Muhammad (saw) ascended from Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsa and from there to the heavens, Insha Allah.

The Miraj which contains many wisdom expresses the profound, miraculous and wise-filled journey where the infinite might and verses of Allah (swt) were shown to our Prophet.

Despite all the negativity and difficulties, the Miraj is a divine gift that shows that those who live as they believe in tawhid, worship, patience and direction will never be left alone and helpless. As a matter of fact, during the Mecca period of the Risalet (Mediation), the miracle of the Miraj took place as a grace of Allah (swt) in an extremely harsh and sad time with the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the first Muslims and it was a great consolation and divine support for the Messenger of Allah (swt) and the believer hearts.

The equivalent of the Miraj which was manifested in the person of our Prophet before all believers is the prayer. Because the prayer five times a day which was one of the most important results of the miracle of the Miraj is the only way for us to rise to the lofty feelings by cleansing our mundane and mystical desires that narrow our soul. Prayer is to reach the infinite mercy and forgiveness of Allah (swt) by transcending the limits of the physical world.

In short, the Miraj is the gospel of a peaceful heart in the safety of faith in Allah (swt), a rightful life in the line of loyalty to the Messenger of Allah (swt) and a bright future in the joy of loving to prayer. Therefore, we must further reinforce our iman in Allah (swt), our loyalty to our Prophet and our love in prayer in the Lailat al-Miraj which is one of the most important stops of our limited life.

On the other hand, tonight also imposes the responsibility of protecting the honor of Masjid al-Aqsa which is the shrine of the Miraj. Today, our first qibla, Masjid al-Aqsa and Jerusalem are oppressed and in sorrow. We cannot save ourselves from the responsibility that the Miraj has placed on us without embracing and liberating the Masjid al-Aqsa as a legacy of the Prophets and our ancient civilization. The only way to save the shrine of the Miraj from invasion and persecution is to move away from all kinds of actions and discourses that disturb our union of Ummah and to act in unity. Our aim is to be a hope for the rise of the Islamic Ummah with the determination, will and diligence we will equip for this purpose.

Another point that I would like to remind our nation on the occasion of this blessed night is that it is necessary to fight together against the new type of Coronavirus epidemic which has turned into a global danger and has caused thousands of deaths because it has not yet been cured. Because our religion which considers cleanliness as the half of the iman keeps human life and health above everything else. For this reason, it should be our primary duty to comply with the measures announced by the competent bodies of our state.

In addition to this, we should seek the help of Allah (swt) for the Islamic world and the rest of the world and our people with patience and prayer, by opening our hands to the vast mercy of the Almighty Allah (swt) by acting with the wish in these days of trial. We must know that the key to every worldly hardship and trouble is in the power of Allah (swt). Without doubt “Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.”

With these feelings and thoughts, I congratulate the Lailat al-Miraj of our saint nation and the entire Islamic world and I request my Almighty Allah (swt) that this blessed night be instrumental in the salvation from the all sorrows and guidance of the Islamic world and all humanity.

Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş

The President of Religious Affairs