Prophet (pbuh)'s Ascension to Heaven

In terms of being a creation, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a normal human being like any other human beings and, therefore, we have no reason to believe that his physical characteristics were any different than other human beings. Therefore, it is only reasonable that he had a shadow like any other human.

There are two opinions with regard to the Prophet (pbuh)’s ascension to the heavens. The first is that it was a physical journey and his experiences were physical in nature. Therefore, it is argued, that he actually physically traveled to Jerusalem and from there he visited the heavens.

The second opinion, which I find far more convincing, is that it was in fact a divine vision. This is explained in the following verse:

This verse is referring to the Prophet (pbuh)’s journey to heavens mentioned in the very first verse of this Surah:

In addition, we do not find any reliable reference that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) saw God, whether phyisically or in a vision. In fact, Quran states that no vision can grasp Him!1

However, these visions of the prophets are no ordinary visions rather they are as real as ordinary physical experiences – these visions are in fact even more profound and they are one of the forms of revelation from God. Prophet Abraham (pbuh)’s dream was one such vision in which he sacrificed his son to God.