Sidrat al-Muntaha


The Sidraṫ al-Munṫahā is a large enigmatic lote tree or Sidr tree that marks the end of the seventh heaven, the boundary which no creation can pass, according to Islamic beliefs. During the Isra and Mi'raj, Muhammad, being the only one allowed, traveled with the archangel Gabriel to the tree beyond which it is said that God assigned the five daily prayers.

Quran

, "An-Najm", verses 10-18 reads:
The tree is also referred to in Sura 34, verse 16 and Sura 56, verse 28.

Meaning

A Qur'an commentary entitled Tafsīr al-karīm al-raḥman fī tafsīr kalām al-manān by Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di, while commenting on, the Sidrat al-Muntahā, explained:
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, whose is among the most widely known English versions of the Qur'an, explained that this tree "marked the bounds of heavenly knowledge as revealed to men, beyond which neither Angels nor men could pass."
George Sale, the 18th century English scholar, has "beyond which Angels themselves must not pass; or, as some rather imagine, beyond which no creature's knowledge can extend." Sale also notes that one commentator states that line 16 refers to the "host of angels worshipping" around the tree and another that it is about the birds which sit on its branches.
The 19th century English explorer, Richard Burton reported seeing an ancient Sidr tree in the mosque containing Muhammad's tomb in Medina. It was in a garden dedicated to Muhammad's daughter Fatimah. The fruit from the tree was being sold to pilgrims and its leaves used for washing dead bodies.

In other religions

The Sidrat al-Muntahā is a metaphor for the Manifestation of God.

Use as a symbol

The lote-tree is used as a symbol, for example, by the Qatar Foundation: "The Sidra tree, growing strong and proud in the harshest of environments, has been a symbol of perseverance and nourishment across the borders of the Arab world. What is the significance of this glorious tree? With its roots bound in the soil of this world and its branches reaching upwards toward perfection, it is a symbol of solidarity and determination; it reminds us that the goals of this world are not incompatible with the goals of the spirit." The evergreen tree Ziziphus spina-christi represents this symbol in natural form.