In verse 60 of Surah Al-Isra, the phrase Fitnatan lilnās (a trial for the people) has been used as a rationale to endorse the physical nature of the journey. The reasoning is that only an incident which is extremely perplexing and whose belief appears implausible can become a source of trial or tribulation. Since witnessing extraordinary events in dreams is a common human occurrence and such occurrences are often dismissed as mere dreamlike imaginings, with their authenticity easily accepted. As a result, they do not become a cause of trial or a test of belief for people. However, if a similar extraordinary event occurs in a state of wakefulness, people become skeptical about its authenticity and are subjected to a test in terms of their acceptance or rejection of it. This is a well-established human experience. Hence, the event of Isra could only serve as a trial and test for people if it occurred in a state of wakefulness and if the Prophet (PBUH) described it as such. Otherwise, it could neither cause a trial for the people nor could the words Fitnatan lilnās apply to it. In our opinion, this argument is flawed, for the foundational reasons outlined below:
Firstly, it presumes that the disbelievers of Quraysh deemed any perplexing event associated with a human or the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as impossible. This is not accurate. Due to their myths and beliefs, they were predisposed to believe in all forms of supernatural occurrences linked to their ancestors and deities. Consequently, they had concocted the notion of deeming the Prophet (God forbid) a sorcerer and a magician. Thus, whenever a statement that inspired faith emerged from him or an astonishing event unfolded, they would employ this excuse to dismiss his prophecy. This indicated that they were inclined to anticipate supernatural occurrences from his noble person.
Furthermore, a profound supernatural miracle was occurring before their eyes daily, which was the Divine Speech that was being uttered through the blessed tongue of the Prophet. Its unique and unparalleled mode of articulation was enough for them to concede that the speech could not have been human-made. Even more so, relating it to the Prophet was unfathomable, given that for the first forty years of his life he had never participated in poets’ assemblies nor learned the craft of poetry and literature, nor had he created poetry or shown any eloquence. Then, all of a sudden, such words emanated from him that rendered their esteemed poets and literati speechless, forcing them to acknowledge that such speech could not come from a human source. For them, this reality was as astonishing as a celestial ascent.
It becomes evident that the nature of an occurrence being supernatural or astonishing was not a cause for confusion or difficulty for them.
Secondly, when the Prophet (PBUH) informed the gathering the next morning about the details of the structure of Masjid Al-Aqsa—which in itself was an extraordinary miracle, unfolding before the people’s very eyes—any doubts they had should have been dispelled at that moment. Yet, this did not happen, and they persisted in denying the event. This also demonstrates that the connection between the event being extraordinary or not and its being a Fitnatan lilnās (a trial for the people) is not absolute.
Thirdly, the aforementioned argument leads to the acceptance of the excuse presented by the disbelievers of Quraysh, which neither the words of the verse support nor historical facts validate. This would imply that if Abu Jahl had witnessed the event and seen the Prophet (PBUH) ascending to the heights of the heavens, the event would no longer have been a trial for him. However, the reality is that despite witnessing numerous miracles, he did not believe. In fact, it must be understood that a trial or test arises only from something whose authenticity is certain. Something whose occurrence is uncertain or is beyond comprehension and perception cannot become a trial. In such cases, uncertainty or lack of comprehension becomes an excuse and is considered justifiable both in the eyes of people and before Allah.
Additionally, the solitary experience and testimony of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whether in dreams or wakefulness, were simply his narrations to the people, holding equal credibility for them. The transgression of the Quraysh was that they rejected his prophethood out of sheer defiance and obstinacy, even though they considered him reliable and honest in all other respects. Thus, whether the event was a vision or an actual experience, they opted to dismiss it as false. Even had they been eyewitnesses, their denial would persist as Pharaoh rejected Moses’s (PBUH) prophecy despite the sorcerers’ defeat and their subsequent belief.
Fourthly, Allah has clarified fitnah (trial) for the people in the conclusion of verse 60, leaving no room for ambiguity or for pushing any contrived interpretations. The verse explicates:
وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيْدُهُمْ اِلَّا طُغْيَانًا كَبِيْرًا.
We are only frightening them of their fate, but this thing is merely increasing them in their extreme rebelliousness.
This means that the cause of the trial (fitnah) was not the extraordinary or non-extraordinary nature of the event; rather, it was the warning of the impending outcome. The words nukhawwifuhum (We frighten them) serve as conclusive evidence for this. The intended meaning is that this warning and forewarning should have caused them to take heed and work toward self-correction. However, they adopted an attitude of defiance and turned the warning—manifested in the event of Isra as a clear indication that their removal from authority had been decreed and that their religion and kingdom were about to be overturned—into a trial and test for themselves. Thus, it is stated in Al-Bayan:
The issue is not whether a sign is demonstrated to elicit belief. The affliction they suffer from is the malaise of obstinance and defiance. All of this served as a warning and a scare tactic, yet what was the outcome? These three instances only reveal an escalation in their rebellion, just as the Thamud did with the she-camel. (3/95)
Abu Bakr al-Jassas quotes a statement reflecting similar sentiments from Ibn Abbas (RA):
What does this vision imply? The Exalted says: Wa mā Ja‘alnā al-ru’yā allatī araynāka illā Fitnatan lilnās (And the vision We showed you was only a trial for the people). According to the narration from Said ibn Jubair on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, as well as reports from Qatadah, Hasan, Abraham, Mujahid, and Dahhak, this vision is different from the night journey to Jerusalem, that is, Isra. When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) mentioned it to the polytheists, they denied him. Ibn Abbas (RA) also reported that this vision indicated that the Prophet (PBUH) was shown that he would soon enter Makkah as a victor. (Ahkam Al-Qur’an 5/30)
At the conclusion of the discussion, it should be understood purely as an academic point that being a trial or tribulation does not necessarily mean that we should take it as something difficult or alien to the comprehension and perception of people. The Qur’an explicitly refutes this idea. Consider verse 20 of Surah Al-Furqan, where the command is stated:
وَمَا٘ اَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ اِلَّا٘ اِنَّهُمْ لَيَاْكُلُوْنَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُوْنَ فِيالْاَسْوَاقِﵧ وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً ...
Whichever messengers We sent before you also, all ate food and roamed about in markets. [Believers!] We have made you a trial for one another;…
In the explanation of this verse, Tafsir Ibn Kathir writes:
If Allah Almighty were to grant His prophets abundant worldly wealth and resources, most people would refrain from opposing them out of greed for those benefits. However, since Allah’s intent is to test people, He generally keeps His prophets in modest conditions so that they may serve as a trial for others.
It is stated in Sahih Muslim (No. 2865): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah Almighty has declared, ‘I will test you, and I will test others through you.’
Maulana Maududi writes in the interpretation of this verse:
That is to say, the disbelievers are a trial for the Messenger and the believers, and conversely, the Messenger and the believers are a trial for the disbelievers. The furnace of oppression and ignorant animosity that the disbelievers had heated up is precisely the means by which it will be proved that the Messenger and his true believers are pure gold. On the other hand, for the disbelievers, the Messenger and the companions of the Messenger are a severe trial. An ordinary person being suddenly proclaimed a Prophet among his community, with no army, wealth, or wondrous attribute other than divine revelation and a pure life, and the inclusion of mostly the poor, slaves, and young people among his early followers, and Allah Almighty leaving those few handfuls of people unprotected among wolves, this is the sieve that prevents the wrong kind of people from approaching the faith and only filters through those who recognize the truth and accept righteousness. (Tafheem al-Qur’an 3/444-445)
Al-Bayan states:
That is to say, your humble state is made a trial for them, and their mocking attitude a trial for you. Because of this, they are denying the truth by saying that if this were the religion of God, then the leaders and nobles of Mecca and Taif would have benefited from it, not these impoverished Muslims. (3/472)