Sidrat al Muntaha/ Lote Tree:-
This is the Arabic name given to the Lote Tree that marks the end of the Seventh Heaven, the boundary beyond which no creation can pass according to Muhammadan Muslim beliefs.
According to their belief, Muhammad was the only creature that was allowed to reach this level, considered to be the state of ultimate perfection.
34: 16 But they turned away (from Allah) and We sent against them the flood (released) from the Dams and We converted their two Garden (rows) into "gardens" producing bitter fruit and tamarisks and some few (stunted) Lote trees [Sidri].
# 3814 The flourishing "Garden of Arabia" was converted into a waste. The luscious fruit trees became wild, or gave place to wild plants with bitter fruit. The feathery leaved tamarisk, which is only good for twigs and wattle-work, replaced the fragrant plants and flowers. Wild and stunted kinds of thorny bushes, like the wild Lote-tree, which were good for neither fruit nor shade, grew in place of the pomegranates, the date-palms and the grape-vines. The Lote-tree belongs to the family Rhamnaceae, Zizyphus Spina Christi, of which (it is supposed) Christ's crown of thorns was made, allied to the Zizyphus Jujuba, or ber tree of India. Wild, it is shrubby, thorny and useless. In cultivation it bears good fruit, and some shade, and can be thornless, thus becoming a symbol of heavenly bliss: lvi. 28 #
53: 14 Near the Lote-tree [Sidrati'i Muntaha] beyond which none may pass:
# 5093 For the Lote-tree in its literal meaning, see n. 3814 to xxxiv. 16. The wild Lote is thorny; under cultivation it yields good fruit and shade, and is symbolic of heavenly bliss, as here and in lvi. 28 #
15 Near it is the Garden of Abode.
# 5094 The "Garden of Abode" (Jannat al-Mawa) lies close to the Lote-Tree and, in the opinion of some authorities, is so called because the souls of believers will find their abode therein #
16 Behold the Lote-tree [al Sidrata] was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable!)
17 (His) sight never swerved nor did it go wrong!
18 For truly did he see of the Signs of his Lord the Greatest!
19 Have ye seen Lat an Uzza
# 5095 From the heights of divine Glory, we come back again to this sorry earth, with its base idolatries. We are asked to "look at this picture, and at that!" The three principal idols of Pagan Arab Idolatry were the goddesses Lat, Uzza, and Manat. Opinions differ as to their exact forms: one version is that Lat was in human shape, Uzza had its origin in a sacred tree, and Manat in a white stone#
*** The reader should be made aware that verses 18 to 21 above are the ABROGATED version of the SATANIC VERSES that Muhammad uttered and then regretted ***
20 And another the third (goddess) Manat?
21 What! for you the male sex and for Him the female?
22 Behold such would be indeed a division most unfair!
23 These are nothing but names which ye have devised ye and your fathers for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire! Even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord!
56: 27 The Companions of the Right Hand what will be the Companions of the Right Hand?
28 (They will be) among lote trees [Sidri] without thorns
# 5237 Lote-trees: see xxxiv. 16 n. 3814 #
29 Among Talh trees with flowers (or fruits) piled one above another
# 5238 Talh: some understand by this the plantain or banana tree, of which the fruit is borne in bunches, one tier above another; but the banana tree does not grow in Arabia and its ordinary Arabic name is Mauz; perhaps it is better to understand a special kind of Acacia tree, which flowers profusely, the flowers appearing in tiers one above another#
56: 52 "Ye will surely taste of the Tree of Zaqqum.
# 5247 This is the Cursed Tree mentioned in xvii, 60, where see n. 2250. Cf. also xxxvii. 62, n. 4072; and xliv. 43-46 and n. 4722#
56: 72 Is it ye who grow the tree which feeds the fire or do We grow it?
Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 329 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Mas'ud
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was taken for the Night Journey, he was taken to Sidrat al-Muntaha, which is situated on the sixth heaven, where terminates everything that ascends from the earth and is held there, and where terminates everything that descends from above it and is held there. (It is with reference to this that) Allah said: "When that which covers covered the lote-tree" (al-Qur'an, Illl.16). He (the narrator) said: (It was) gold moths. He (the narrator further) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was given three (things): he was given five prayers, he was given the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah, and remission of serious sins for those among his Ummah who associate not anything with Allah.
*** What happened to the Seventh Heaven where he met Abraham as in Bukhari 5.227 or Moses as in 9.608?
Which version is telling the truth, if any ? ***
Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 517 Narrated byAnas ibn Malik
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered an enclosure while a servant was following him with a jar of water and he was the youngest among us and he placed it by the side of a lote-tree. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) relieved himself, he came out and had cleansed himself with water.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 355 Narrated byQays ibn Asim
I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the intention of embracing Islam. He commanded me to take a bath with water (boiled with) the leaves of the lote-tree.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 363 Narrated byUmm Qays daughter of Mihsan
I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the blood of menstruation on the clothe. He said: Erase it off with a piece of wood and then wash it away with water and the leaves of the lote-tree.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2027 Narrated byAz-Zubayr
When we came along with the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) from Liyyah and we were beside the lote tree, the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) stopped at the end of al-Qarn al-Aswad opposite to it. He then looked at Nakhb or at its valley. He stopped and all the people stopped. He then said: The game of Wajj and its thorny trees are unlawful made unlawful for Allah. This was before he alighted at at-Ta'if and its fortress for Thaqif.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2298 Narrated byUmm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin
Umm Hakim, daughter of Usayd, reported on the authority of her mother that her husband died and she was suffering from sore eyes. She therefore applied collyrium (jala'). Ahmad said: The correct version is "glittering collyrium (kuhl al-jala'). She sent her slave-girl to Umm Salamah, and she asked her about the use of glittering collyrium (kuhl al-jala'). She said: Do not apply it except in the case of dire need which is troubling you. In that case you can use it at night, but you should remove it in the daytime. Then Umm Salamah said: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) came to visit me when AbuSalamah died, and I had put the juice of aloes in my eye. He asked : What is this, Umm Salamah? I replied: It is only the juice of aloes and contains no perfume. He said: It gives the face a glow, so apply it only at night and remove it in daytime, and do not comb yourself with scent or henna, for it is a dye. I asked: What should I use when I comb myself, Apostle of Allah? He said: Use lote-tree leaves and smear your head copiously with them.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 5220 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Habashi
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If anyone cuts the lote-tree, Allah brings him headlong into Hell.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 5221 Narrated byHassan ibn Ibrahim
I asked Hisham ibn Urwah about the cutting of a lote-tree when he was leaning against the house of Urwah. He said: Do you not see these doors and leaves? These were made of the lote-tree of Urwah which Urwah used to cut from his hand? He said: There is no harm in it. Humayd's version adds: You have brought an innovation, O Iraqi! He said: The innovation is from you. I heard someone say at Mecca: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) cursed him who cuts a lote-tree. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect.
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.345 Narrated byAbu Dhar
{cut out the irrelevant beginning}
Anas said: "Abu Dhar added that the Prophet met Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus and Abraham, he (Abu Dhar) did not mention on which heaven they were but he mentioned that he (the Prophet) met Adam on the nearest heaven and Abraham on the sixth heaven.
Then I passed by Abraham and he said, "Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son."I asked Gabriel, "Who is he?"Gabriel replied, "He is Abraham."
The Prophet added, "Then Gabriel ascended with me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens." Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said: The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers. When I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.'....
Then Gabriel took me till we reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (Lote tree of the utmost boundary) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk."
*** If Abraham was in the Sixth Heaven, then Gabriel must have 'ascended' Muhammad to the Seventh Heaven where he heard the creaking of pens and where Allah enjoined 50 prayers upon him.
After having negotiated down the prayers with Allah to only FIVE per day
- as advised to Muhammad by Moses - Muhammad was taken to a FURTHER level where he reached Sidratal Muntaha and then furthermore, to Paradise.
This Hadith - as usual in both the Quran and the other Hadiths - contradicts the others as well as being very UNCERTAIN regarding to which Heaven or Level Muhammad was taken.
Since the Hadiths are considered to be 'divinely inspired' also - like the Quran - then whichever divinity was inspiring Muhammad, was very uncertain, inconsistent and unsure of its stories, rendering it FALLIBLE and hence could not have been Godly ***
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 5.227 Narrated byAbbas bin Malik
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Apostle described to them his Night Journey .....
Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud asked, "Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, "The animal's step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal's sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven....The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.'
Then Gabriel ascended with me till we reached the second heaven...
Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven...
Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened.
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is your father; pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.'
Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary.' Behold! There ran four rivers; two were hidden and two were visible. I asked, 'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied, 'As for the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.'
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked, 'This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.' Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day.
*** According to this - yet another - version of the SAME story, Sidrat al Muntaha is NOT in the Seventh Heaven, but BEYOND ***
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.514 Narrated byIbn Abbas
Allah's Apostle drank milk and then rinsed his mouth and said, "It contains fat." The Prophet added: -I was raised to the Lote Tree and saw four rivers, two of which were coming out and two going in. Those which were coming out were the Nile and the Euphrates, and those which were going in were two rivers in paradise. Then I was given three bowls, one containing milk, and another containing honey, and a third containing wine. I took the bowl containing milk and drank it. It was said to me, "You and your followers will be on the right path (of Islam)."
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 5640 Narrated byAsma', daughter of AbuBakr
Asma' heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) say when the lote-tree of the boundary was mentioned to him, "A rider can travel in the shade of a branch of it for a hundred years," or "a hundred riders can take shelter in its shade (the transmitter being in doubt); in it there are golden butterflies and its fruit looks like earthenware jars."
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.
*** Why should an EARTHLY TREE such as the LOTE TREE be considered so 'divine' ? ***
