Overview

This is a translation of Qissah Mir’aj al-Nabi (Story of the Prophet Muhammad’s mi’raj) by al-Najm al-Din al-Ghayti (d. 909/1504), which relates the story of the isra and the mir’aj, the Prophet Muḥammad’s journey by night from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven.  It also contains, in the margins, part of a commentary by Ahmad Shahab al-Din al-Qalyubi (d. 1068/1658) referencing al-Ghayti’s original text, which relates information regarding the life of the Prophet Muḥammad and other prophets.  There are also graphic descriptions of the inhabitants of heaven and hell.  The work concludes with the special prayers which may be said after reciting the story of the Prophet Muḥammad’s ascent into heaven.  In the colophon, Shaykh Daud al-Fatani acknowledges his Arabic sources, including a Shaykh Nur al-Din, who may well be Shaykh Nur al-Din al-Raniri of Aceh. This is a work of sira (biography), but also possesses broad implications for students of eschatology and mysticism as well.

Authorship

Completed “antara waktu zuhur dan waktu asar hari Selasa, 27 Muharram 1224 AH” [14 Mar 1809] by Shaykh Daud b. ‘Abd Allah al-Fatani in Mecca.

Manuscripts

This text is among the more commonly copied works of Shaykh Daud al-Fatani, gaining significant popularity in the 1840s and maintained into the early decades of the twentieth century. It was only rarely included in manuscript compilations that included Shaykh Daud al-Fatani’s other works such as Al-Bahja al-Mardiyya fi ‘Udhr Takhalluf al-Ma‘mum ‘an al-Imam, Diya al-Murid fi Ma‘rifat Kalimat al-Tawhid, Munyat al-Musalli, or with works by other scholars of the Patani network.

52 known manuscript copies

Dated Manuscripts (8):

1. 30 Sep 1811. Copied “antara zuhur 12 Ramadan 1226 AH.” Mentionied as the source of IAM 582A, no longer extant.
2. 29 Nov 1841. Copied 14 Shawwal 1257 AH in Mecca. PNM 2516: 21 ff., double orange-red frame, incomplete.
3. 1847/8. Copied by Muhammad Salih b. al-marhum Wan Abu Samah negeri Patani, “kepada tahun kera pada hijrah nabi 1264 AH,” in Mecca. IAM 582A: 44 pp., incomplete.
4. 1872/3. Copied by Ibrahim, “hari Sabtu 1289 AH.” PNM 473: 8 ff., double red frame, incomplete.
5. 22 May 1874. Copied by Wan ‘Abd al-Rahman b. al-marhum Wan ‘Abd al-Ghafur Fatani, 5 Rabi ‘al-akhir 1291, in Mecca. PNM 484: 50 ff.; one of the most colorful manuscripts in the entire Patani catalog.
6. 1878/9. Copied by Haji Samsudis b. Lebai Din Kedah, 1296 AH. Private collection.
7. 13 Sep 1880. Copied by Muhammad Salleh b. Zayn al-Abidin Fatani Kuala Bangkat, “hari Khamis 8 Shawwal 1297 AH.” PNM 928: 27 ff., double orange frame, bound in a dark red and brown fine plaid cloth cover.
   
8. 22 Dec 1904. Copied by Wan b. Tuan Haji Ismail Pusin, “waktu isyak malam Khamis 14 Shawwal 1322.” PNM 2786: 18 ff., single red frame.
   

Manuscripts with undated colophons (5):

1. Copied by Muhammad Salih b. ‘Abd al-Samad. IAM 588: 73 pp., incomplete.
2. Copied by ‘Abd al-Rahim “hari Selasa 9 Jumada al-akhir.” PNM 319: 29 ff., bound in a brittle brown/black cloth cover.
   
3. Copied by Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman “di Kampung Lubang Baqa, negeri Jerian.” PNM 684: 17 ff., gray/black and orange ink, incomplete.
4. Copied “hari Sabtu.” PNM 892: 21 ff., double lavender frame.
   
5. Copied by Idris al-Fatani “waktu asar, bulan Zulkaedah” in Mecca. PNM 1498: 19 ff., double pink frame.
   

Manuscripts without colophons (39):

1. CD 4 [B], 157 pp.
2. IAM 134: 47 pp., good condition.
3. IAM 324: 8 pp., incomplete.
4. IAM x442 – 34 ff., incomplete (now lost).
5. IAM 507: 11 pp., incomplete; poor condition (missing many pages).
6. IAM 583: 28 pp., incomplete.
7. IAM x613: 53 ff., incomplete (now lost).
8. IAM622D: 7 pp., 24.5 x 17 cm; included with 622A – Muniyat al-Musalli, 622B – [Kitab tawhid], 622C – [Kitab tajwid], 622D – Kifayat al-muhtaj, 622 E – Diya al-murid – 622F – Zuhrat al-murid.
9. IAM 674: dated “Selasa antara zuhur dan ‘asar, 27 Muharram 1204 AH” [erroneous for 1224], in Mecca; 44 pp., incomplete.
10. IAM 696: 37 pp., double red frame; incomplete.
11. IAM 746: 34 pp.
    
12. MLI 8: 48 ff.
13. MSM 8
14. PNM 172: 25 ff.
15. PNM 176: 25 ff., incomplete
16. PNM 514: 46 ff., incomplete
17. PNM 558(1): 11 ff., incomplete
18. PNM 899: 10 ff., incomplete
19. PNM 1218(2): 8 ff., incomplete
20. PNM 1238: 11 ff., incomplete
21. PNM 1369(1): 10 ff., incomplete
22. PNM 1660B: 41 ff., included with 1660A – [Fragmen Pelbagai Petua dan Kitab] – 9 ff., 1660C – Fasal pada Menyatakan Lapar dan Beberapa Kebinasaan – 5 ff., 1660D – [Fragmen Kitab Fikah, Petua Binatang Buas] – 10 ff., 1660E – Tariqat Naqsyabandiyah – 20 ff., 1660F – Adap Seloka – 7 ff., and 1660G – Jalan Kepada Allah – 6 ff.
23. PNM 1984: 102 ff., incomplete
24. PNM 2015: 44 ff.
25. PNM 2025: 48 ff., incomplete
26. PNM 2110: 19 ff., incomplete
27. PNM 2150: 44 ff., incomplete
28. PNM 2315: 17 ff., incomplete
29. PNM 2318: 27 ff., incomplete
30. PNM 2373: 21 ff.
31. PNM 2386D: 7 ff., incomplete
32. PNM 2413: 32 ff., incomplete
33. PNM 2429: 18 ff.
34. PNM 2435(2): 8 ff., incomplete
35. PNM 2546: 21 ff., incomplete
36. PNM 2562: 25 ff.
37. PNM 2661: 21 ff.
38. PNM 2890: 12 ff., incomplete
39. PNM 2958: 11 ff., incomplete; owned by ‘Abd Allah Fatani dari Kampung Dusun Panjang

Published Editions

1. 1880/1. Bombay, 1298 AH. 104 pp. Holding: ULL.
2. 1911/12. Mecca: al-Matba’ah al-Miriyya al-Kayna, 1330 AH. Holding: PNM.
3. c. 1912. Cairo: Dar Ihya al-Kutub al-Arabiyya.
4. c. 1920s. Cairo: Dar al-Thibaat. Holding: PIM.
5. 1929. Singapore: Matba‘ah Dar al-Mirza Press. Holding: UM.
6. 1937. Penang: Persama Press. Holding: PNM.
7. Undated. Singapore: Dar al-Thabaah al-Misriyah, 28 pp. Holding: KITLV.
8. Undated. Penang: Dar al-Ma‘arif, based on 1st Cairo ed. (#3 above), 28 pp. Holding: UKM.
9. Undated. Bangkok: Muhammad al-Nahdi.
10. Undated. Surabaya: al-Saqafiyya Press, based on 1st Cairo ed., 28 pp.