The Sultan of the Spheres
"You will not pass beyond the bounds of the heavens and the earth by any power you possess, but only by an authority granted from the One who established their nature, for the ultimate journey is not a conquest of space, but a submission to the will that conceived it."
–Whalid Safodien
The Feather Pen
Of Bounds and Permission: The Physical Nature of Miraculous Journeys in the Quran and the Human Aspiration to Travel Beyond Earth
Throughout history, the human impulse to journey beyond the known world has been a constant, driven by a profound yearning to explore, to understand, and to transcend our earthly limitations. This aspiration finds a deep and complex resonance within the Islamic tradition, particularly in the Quran’s treatment of divinely authorized travel. Two key passages—Surah Al-Isra (17:1), detailing the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey and Ascension, and Surah Ar-Rahman (55:33), a challenge to jinn and mankind—present a profound theological framework for understanding physical travel beyond earthly confines. These verses, when examined through classical exegesis, establish a paradigm where such miraculous journeys are emphatically physical, yet strictly impossible without the explicit permission (sultan) of Allah, demarcating the absolute boundary between divinely granted miracle and unaided human ambition.
The account of the Isra’ and Mi’raj in Surah Al-Isra stands as the quintessential example of a physical journey beyond earth, authorized and orchestrated by divine will. The verse opens with a declaration of Allah’s transcendence: "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa." The language is deliberately concrete. The verb asra denotes a night journey, an event situated in time and space. Crucially, the phrase bi-‘abdihi ("His servant") refers to the Prophet Muhammad in his entirety—body and soul. As affirmed by classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this was not a spiritual vision or a dream; it was a physical translocation. The use of Subhan ("Exalted is He") introduces an act that glorifies Allah by demonstrating His power to suspend the very laws of nature He instituted, an emphasis that would be superfluous for a mere internal, psychological experience.
The purpose of this physical journey—"to show him of Our signs"—was achieved through a sensory, experiential encounter with celestial realities. The Prophet witnessed past prophets in their spiritual abodes, traversed the heavens, and received the commandment of prayer. This physicality was essential to its theological significance: it fortified the Prophet after a period of intense hardship, served as an incontrovertible sign of his unique status, and demonstrated Allah’s absolute power over creation. The immediate historical context further corroborates this interpretation. The disbelief and mockery the report elicited from the Quraysh, and even the apostasy of some weak Muslims, hinges entirely on the event’s incredible, yet literal, physical claim. A mere spiritual vision would not have provoked such a crisis of faith; it was the assertion of a bodily journey to Jerusalem and through the cosmos that tested belief and separated the sincere from the skeptical.
In stark contrast to this divinely enabled journey, Surah Ar-Rahman (55:33) presents a formidable challenge that outlines the limits of unaided creation: "O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority (sultan)." This verse broadens the scope beyond a single prophetic miracle to address all of sentient creation, jinn and humans alike. The challenge is to penetrate the aqtar—the outermost realms, boundaries, or dimensions of the cosmos.
The critical term here is sultan. It does not merely mean power or technology, but rather authorization or permission from Allah. Exegetes like Amin Ahsan Islahi emphasize that no amount of intellectual or technological advancement can overcome this ultimate barrier without divine consent. This has both an eschatological and a cosmic meaning. On the Day of Judgment, this "penetration" symbolizes the futile attempt to escape divine accountability, which no soul can do without Allah’s leave. Simultaneously, it places a permanent ontological limit on exploration itself. While modern space travel—the Moon landings, probes to Mars, and Voyager’s exit from the solar system—may seem to test this verse, traditional scholarship clarifies that these achievements remain trivial within the finite, created universe. The aqtar refers to the absolute boundaries of creation, possibly the realm of the Divine Throne or metaphysical dimensions forever beyond observable physics, guarded by angels who act solely on Allah’s command.
The interplay between these two concepts—the realized miracle and the impossible challenge—reveals a profound cosmology. Both verses underscore that supernatural mobility requires direct divine authorization and is often mediated by angelic agency. The Archangel Jibril was the essential guide and facilitator for the Prophet during the Mi’raj, acting as the embodied manifestation of Allah’s sultan. In this light, sultan functions as a cosmic passport, a key granted solely by its Author. Without it, neither the supernatural cunning of the jinn nor the technological ingenuity of humanity can grant passage. This framework does not stifle scientific inquiry but places it within a hierarchy of submission. It asserts that human progress, however awe-inspiring, is ultimately a form of exploration within Allah’s creation, not an escape from it. The verse is a perpetual antidote to arrogance, a reminder that every launch is enabled by the natural laws Allah established, and that the ultimate frontiers are beyond our reach unless He wills otherwise.
The Quranic narratives of journeying beyond earth present a sophisticated and cohesive doctrine. Surah Al-Isra (17:1) establishes that profound physical travel across cosmic realms is possible, but only as a miraculous sign bestowed upon Allah’s chosen servants to demonstrate His limitless power and affirm prophetic truth. Conversely, Surah Ar-Rahman (55:33) establishes the inviolable rule that governs all creation: such penetration is impossible based on merit, power, or technology alone. It requires sultan—divine permission. Together, these verses beautifully balance wonder with humility. They acknowledge the deep human desire to explore the heavens while defining the theological context of that aspiration. They teach that true transcendence is not ultimately a physical achievement but a spiritual state, granted not by conquering space but by submitting to the will of the One who created it. The greatest journey, therefore, is not outward into the cosmos, but inward toward the Divine.
-Whalid Safodien
The Feather Pen
