The questioner has asked me, Mr. Ismail from Ghana, that in the incident of Miraj, where it has been quoted in the Holy Quran, the ascent of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam to a station which was closest to Allah ever attained by any creation, that is to which he is referring, that incident. And he says that there we see the mention of a lot tree, right there on the top. What was he doing there? What is the significance of that lot tree? This was a bodily ascent into heaven in space, somewhere. And among other things, I tell them that the presence of lot tree positively declares that it was not a bodily and material experience. It was something else, a language which was to be interpreted and a significance had to be discovered of all those symbols.
So that was a vision of a very high quality which spoke in the terms of symbols and gave messages to Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and the rest of humanity. If we agree with this, then the lot tree can be interpreted. If we do not agree with this view and consider the lot tree, lotus tree, not lot, in fact it is lotus tree, lotus tree to be a real material lotus tree, then you simply fail to understand the presence of that lone lotus tree. What was it doing where even Jibrail could not reach? You know where only Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam could reach and already there was a lotus tree. And was Allah in the habit of eating lotus fruit? There is no significance if you consider this thing to be a material experience, a physical experience.
According to our explanation, it carries a very important significance. Lotus trees are used to demark the boundaries of landlords. Here your boundary ends and here my begins. This was a practice in Arabia as well as in our country. Lotus tree is a good fencing plant which is used as an effective fence and where the lotus tree begins of one farmer, there the other farmers land ends. So that is a symbol. It shows that beyond this spot, it is Allah and no creature can step hither because it is totally entirely the domain of God. The domain of creation ends and the domain of God begins which shows that Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has reached that highest spot beyond which human beings or any being cannot go because then it is purely Allah and nothing else.
So this is the par excellence which was attained by Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam which was depicted in the form of that lotus tree telling us the boundary of man ends and the boundary of Allah begins.
