Zaid Shakir - The Prophet's Heavenly Ascension (Al Isra Wal Miraj)

Zaid ShakirApril 4, 20190 comments

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Ramadan Seerah Aqeedah Spirituality Quran Tafsir Prayer Fasting

About this lecture

In this lecture, Imam Zaid Shakir explores the spiritual and historical dimensions of Al-Isra Wal Mi'raj — the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ miraculous Night Journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and ascension through the heavens. Drawing on classical Quranic commentary and the works of scholars such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fakhruddin al-Razi, and Imam al-Nawawi, Imam Zaid unpacks key verses from Surah al-Isra, reflecting on themes of divine transcendence, the honor of servitude to Allah, and the spiritual significance of the five daily prayers as the believer's own ascension. The lecture also connects the event to the sacred month of Rajab, practical preparation for Ramadan, the sanctity of Palestine, and the importance of striving for both spiritual and moral excellence in daily life.

Imam Zaid Shakir is an American scholar and co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. Born in Berkeley and raised in housing projects in Georgia and Connecticut, he embraced Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force. He earned degrees in international relations and political science, then studied Arabic and the Islamic sciences for years in Egypt, Syria, and Morocco. A former imam of Masjid Al-Islam in New Haven, he teaches at Zaytuna and lectures nationally on Islamic spirituality, social justice, and the Black American Muslim experience. He is regularly listed among the most influential Muslims in the world.

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