This Seerah lecture takes us through the miraculous night journey of Isra and Miraj, exploring the extraordinary events the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) witnessed during his ascent through the heavens. Among the most powerful accounts is the story of Pharaoh’s daughter’s hairdresser — an unnamed woman whose courage and faith left a fragrance so strong that the Prophet could smell it centuries later during his heavenly journey.
The Hairdresser Who Defied a Tyrant
When this enslaved woman accidentally dropped her comb and said “Bismillah,” Pharaoh’s daughter reported her. Brought before Pharaoh himself, the woman declared with unwavering conviction: “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.” Pharaoh ordered her to throw her own children one by one into a boiling cauldron — or deny her faith. She watched each child perish rather than commit shirk, until only her nursing baby remained. In that moment of hesitation, the infant spoke: “Go forth, mother, for the punishment of this world is nothing compared to the punishment of the next.”
“We do not even know her name, but the Prophet recorded her plight and narrated it to the Ummah. Her sacrifice would be remembered and mentioned by the greatest nation — she would become a role model for all future Muslim generations.”
Lessons from the Night Journey
- The five daily prayers were prescribed during the Miraj — originally fifty, reduced to five through the Prophet Musa’s advice, yet carrying the reward of fifty
- It is permissible and encouraged to give sincere advice to others even when not asked — as Musa did for our Prophet
- Night travel is preferred over day travel according to prophetic tradition
- The story of this unnamed woman teaches that true faith means standing firm even when the cost is everything
“Allah preserved this story — the people of Pharaoh might not have known of her sacrifice, but it would be remembered by the greatest Ummah and the world would know of her story.”
