Encounters during the Mi’raj: The Birds of al-Kawtsar

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

During the night of the Mi’raj, the Prophet (s.a.w.) was Raised up to the Lote Tree of the Farthest Limit.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) continued to travel until he reached rivers of milk whose taste does not change, and rivers of wine which bring only pleasure to those who drink it, and rivers of honey purified, and overhanging those rivers were domes of hollowed pearl whose circumference is like the Aquarius star. 

Another narration said above the rivers were pommels resembling the hides of the humped camels.  Its birds were like the Bactrian camel.  Upon hearing this, Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) said, “O Messenger of Allah, they are certainly delicate!” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, “And daintier to eat yet, and certainly I hope that you shall eat from them.” 

This is an indication of the rank of Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r.a.) in Paradise, as the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) hope, like his petition, is Granted.  Shaykh Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki, (q.s.) said, “From all this, it can be known that Paradise and the Fire exist already, that the Lote Tree of the Farthest Boundary is outside Paradise.”  The Prophet (s.a.w.) then saw al-Kawtsar and on its banks, were domes of hollowed pearl.  The soil of its banks was over-fragrant musk.