A Metaphysical Analyis of Ascension [Mai'raj]

It is first important to construct a metaphysical understanding of ascension.That which is material cannot transcend into the higher immaterial or semi-immaterial realms, in so far as it is material, because the intermediate realm [alam-e-barzakh] is devoid of matter but is not devoid of material properties such as color, taste, smell and dimensions; and the intelligible world [alam-e-aql] is an absolutely immaterial realm devoid both of matter and material attributes, therefore it is impossible for anything material to transcend to the immaterial or semi-immaterial worlds in as much as it is material.

Secondly it is also important to understand that a body which is defined as a three dimensional substance does not necessarily have to be material, in fact one can visualize or conceive of the corporeal form [surat-e-jismania] without conceptualizing matter, as is the case with the mind's conceptualizing of the mathematical bodies [jism-e-ta'limi]; therefore a body in so far as it is a body need not be material. Now we know that existence is a gradational [tashkiki] reality such that there are various levels of existence each differing from the other in terms of intensity and weakness, perfection and imperfection, priority and posteriority, such that every level has its distinct essence and existential properties. It is due to this that existents when they move up the existential ladder through the arc of ascent [qaus-e-saudi] so they assume the form suitable to and commensurate with that level of being such that when a being is here in the lower world of sense and hue, so it assumes a material form, when in the semi-immaterial realm so it assumes a form that lacks matter but not material attributes and finally in the intelligible world it assumes an intelligible form.

Now according to the philosophers it is perfectly possible for a being to possess a natural body [jism-e-tabi'yi] and therefore by reason of being corporeal or material, be a resident of this sensible world, and at the same time be able to transcend to the higher semi-immaterial and immaterial worlds by virtue of its soul, and according to the philosophers this is exactly what happened in the ascension [mairaj] in that Rasul Allah (as) as far as his material body was concerned never left the sensible world, because as has been mentioned earlier that it is impossible for a material body that exists in a spatial-temporal paradigm to transcend to the immaterial worlds that are free from the fetters of both time [zaman] and space [makan]. But having said that this does not mean that the said ascension was not bodily, because as has been explained it is not necessary for the body to be a material or a natural body [jism-e-tabi'yi] and therefore it could even be a "mithali-jism", and Rasul Allah (as) experienced the ascension in his mithali jism as far as the intermediate realm of barzakh is concerned and then experienced it further in an intelligible body [jism-e-aqli] in the intelligible world.