If you read carefully the narrations about the Mi'raaj and reflect upon them you will understand that it was an ascension of the soul and occurred not in this world but in the Aalam al-Mithaal. Take for instance the fact that the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam saw an old, decrepit woman decked with jewelry. She was the Dunya, her extreme old age signifying that she is about to die, he jewelry signifying her attempt to allure despite actually being repulsive, etc.
The Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam was presented with a bowl of milk and a bowl of wine. He took the milk signifying his Ummah will be upon the way of the Fitra of Islam; had he taken the wine it would have meant his followers would go astray.
I believe that the strongest evidence, that Prophet(saws) went with body and soul on Isra and Mira'aj was the fact that, the disbelievers of Quraysh, found it impossible, and they understood the claim of Prophet(saws) very well and Prophet(saws) have explained them in the best way. And they understood it to mean that Prophet(saws) went physically, that is why they said it was impossible to travel Masjid al-Aqsa in one night, however if Prophet(saws) claimed that it was a vision, then wouldn't have compared and judged in it physical sense. Nor would have some people apostated.
(i). Mustadrak al-Hakim:
أَخْبَرَنِي مُكْرَمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْقَاضِي، ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْهَيْثَمِ الْبَلَدِيُّ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ، ثنا مَعْمَرُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ: " لَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى أَصْبَحَ يَتَحَدَّثُ النَّاسُ بِذَلِكَ، فَارْتَدَّ نَاسٌ فَمَنْ كَانَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَصَدَّقُوهُ، وَسَمِعُوا بِذَلِكَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، فَقَالُوا: هَلْ لَكَ إِلَى صَاحِبِكَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، قَالَ: أَوَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: لَئِنْ كَانَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ لَقَدْ صَدَقَ، قَالُوا: أَوَ تُصَدِّقُهُ أَنَّهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّيْلَةَ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَجَاءَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصْبِحَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، إِنِّي لأَصُدِّقُهُ فِيمَا هُوَ أَبْعَدُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أُصَدِّقُهُ بِخَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ فِي غُدْوَةٍ أَوْ رَوْحَةٍ، فَلِذَلِكَ سُمَيَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقَ
[`A’ishah narrated: When the Prophet (saw) was transported (during Isra’) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, people started to talk about it and
some of those who had previously believed him apostated and went to Abu Bakr saying: “Look at your companion, he now claims that he was transported last night to Bayt-ul-Maqdis(Jerusalem).” Abu Bakr said: “Did he say so?” They said: “Yes!” Abu Bakr replied: “If he had said it then he is truthful.”
They said: “Do you believe that he went to Bayt-ul-Maqdis this night and returned before morning!?” Abu Bakr said: “Yes, I believe him in what is even further; I believe that he receives the news of the heavens in mornings and evenings.” That is why Abu Bakr is called al-Siddiq.]
You see, they understood the claim of Prophet(saws) in a physical sense, hence they disbelieved that it could occur in a night, but if it was a vision, they wouldn't have raised this argument.
Shaykh Haafiz al-Hakami said in Ma‘aarij al-Qubool (3/1067):
ولو كان الإسراء والمعراج بروحه في المنام لم تكن معجزة ، ولا كان لتكذيب قريش بها وقولهم : كنا نضرب أكباد الإبل إلى بيت المقدس ، شهرا ذهابا وشهرا إيابا ، ومحمد يزعم أنه أسرى به اللية وأصبح فينا إلى آخر تكذيبهم واستهزاءهم به صلى الله عليه وسلم لو كان ذلك رؤيا مناما لم يستبعدوه ولم يكن لردهم عليه معنى ؛ لأن الإنسان قد يرى في منامه ما هو أبعد من بيت المقدس ولا يكذبه أحد استبعاد لرؤياه ، وإنما قص عليهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مسرى حقيقة يقظة لا مناما فكذبوه واستهزؤوا به استبعاد لذالك واستعظاما له مع نوع مكابرة لقلة علمهم بقدرة الله عز وجل وأن الله يفعل ما يريد ولهذا لما قالوا للصديق وأخبروه الخبر قال : إن كان قال ذلك لقد صدق . قالوا وتصدقه بذلك ؟ قال : نعم إني لأصدقه فيما هو أبعد من ذلك في خبر السماء يأتيه بكرة وعشيا أو كما قال
If the Isra’ and Mi‘raaj had to do with the soul in a dream,
Quraysh would not have rejected it and they would not have said, It takes us a month by camel to reach Jerusalem and a month to come back, but Muhammad claims that he was taken there last night and was back here with us this morning…! And they ridiculed him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). If that had been a dream, they would not have found it so far-fetched and there would have been no meaning in their rejecting it, because a person may see in his dream things that are farther away than Jerusalem, and no one will disbelieve his dream or find it far-fetched. But the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them about a night journey that was real and had happened when he was awake, not in a dream, so they rejected it and ridiculed him, as they found it far-fetched and outrageous, and also out of stubbornness, because they had little knowledge of the might and power of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and they did not realise that Allah does whatever He wills. Hence when they told Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq about it, he said: If he said it, then it is true. They said: Do you really believe him? He said: Yes, and I believe him in something even more extraordinary than that, that news from heaven comes to him in the morning or in the afternoon – or words that effect.
(ii). Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer (3/33):
ثم اختلف الناس : هل كان الإسراء ببدنه عليه السلام وروحه ، أو بروحه فقط ؟ على قولين ، فالأكثرون من العلماء على أنه أسري ببدنه وروحه يقظة لا مناماً ، ولا ينكرون أن يكون رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رأى قبل ذلك مناماً ، ثم رآه بعد يقظة ، لأنه كان عليه السلام لا يرى رؤيا إلا جاءت مثل فلق الصبح ، والدليل على هذا قوله تعالى : ( سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ ) الاسراء/ 1، فالتسبيح إنما يكون عند الأمور العظام ، فلو كان مناماً لم يكن فيه كبير شيء ، ولم يكن مستعظماً ، ولما بادرت كفار قريش إلى تكذبيه ، ولما ارتدت جماعة ممن كان قد أسلم ، وأيضاً فإن العبد عبارة عن مجموع الروح والجسد ، وقال تعالى : ( أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً ) وقال تعالى : ( وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ ) الاسراء /60، قال ابن عباس : هي رؤيا عين أريها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة أسري به ، والشجرة الملعونة هي شجرة الزقوم ، رواه البخاري [ 2885 ] ، وقال تعالى :
( مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى ) النجم/17 ، والبصر من آلات الذات لا الروح .
وأيضاً فإنه حمل على البراق ، وهو دابة بيضاء براقة لها لمعان ، وإنما يكون هذا للبدن ، لا للروح لأنها لا تحتاج في حركتها إلى مركب تركب عليه ، والله أعلم
Then the people differed as to whether the Isra’ involved both body and soul, or only his soul. There are two views;
the majority of scholars are of the view that he was taken on the night journey both body and soul, when he was awake, and not in a dream, although they do not reject the idea that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) may have seen a dream before that, then seen those things after that when he was awake,
because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never saw a dream but it came true like the breaking of dawn. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) (above all that (evil) they associate with Him),Who took His slave (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed” [al-Isra’ 17:1].
Tasbeeh [the phrase “Subhaan Allah (Glory be to Allah or Glorified be Allah)] is used in the case of matters of great significance. If it had been a dream, there would have been nothing great about it and it would not have been regarded as being of such great significance; the disbelievers of Quraysh would not have hastened to disbelieve him and a number of those who had previously become Muslim would not have apostatised.
Moreover, the word “slave” refers to both soul and body together, and Allah, may He be exalted, said “Who took His slave (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) for a journey by night”, and He, may He be exalted, also said (interpretation of the meaning): “And We made not the vision which we showed you but a trial for mankind, and likewise the accursed tree” [al-Isra’ 17:60]. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: This was something that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw with his own eyes on the night in which he was taken on the night journey, and the accursed tree is the tree of az-zaqqoom. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2885). Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “The sight (of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) turned not aside (right or left), nor it transgressed beyond (the) limit (ordained for it)” [an-Najm 53:17]; sight is one of the physical faculties, not part of the soul.
Moreover, he was carried on al-Buraaq, which was a shining white animal; this can only refer to the body, not the soul, because to move the soul there is no need for a mount to carry it. And Allah knows best. -End quote-
(iii). Also to add proof that it was physical journey of Prophet(saws), we find a report which states that while his journey to Jerusalam Prophet(saws) saw a caravan of Quraysh, He made a Salam to them, and they heard his voice. In a vision a person cannot make others hears him, it has to be physical
. See, Seerat-e-Nabvi, vol 1, page 381, by Dr. Mahdi Rizqullah Ahmad.
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The Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam saw people being punished in Hell despite the fact that from our perspective Judgment Day hasn't occurred yet. All of these and many other factors point to the reality of the Israa and Mi'raaj being a powerful vision that was in the Aalam-al-Mithaal.[/size][/font]
These events were displayed to Prophet(saws), people being punished in hell didn't happen in real but what he saw was a display of those events, while He was physically present in heaven, just as Masjid al-Aqsa was displayed to Prophet(saws) while he was awake in presence of disbelievers from Quraysh.
Let me quote the Scholarly explanation given to this issue from Islamqa website. We read:
No one will enter Paradise or Hell until after this reckoning. Some people will have an easy reckoning, and some will have a difficult reckoning. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will be the first one to enter Paradise in the full and real sense in the Hereafter.
It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I will come to the gate of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection and will ask for it to be opened. The keeper will say: ‘Who are you?’ I will say, ‘Muhammad.’ He will say: ‘I was commanded not to open it for anyone before you.’” Narrated by Muslim (193).
Secondly:
With regard to the ahaadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that he saw someone in Paradise or in Hell, these are of two types:
1 – Either they were dreams, as in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Bilaal at the time of Fajr prayer: “O Bilaal, tell me of the best deed you have done in Islam, for I heard the sound of your sandals in front of me in Paradise.”
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (3/35):
Al-Karmaani said: The apparent meaning of the hadeeth is that the hearing mentioned happened in a dream, because no one can enter Paradise except after death. The idea that it happened in a dream is supported by that which is quoted in the first part of (the chapter on) the virtues of ‘Umar from the marfoo’ hadeeth of Jaabir: “I saw myself entering Paradise and I heard footsteps, and it was said: This is Bilaal. And I saw a palace in the courtyard of which there was a girl, and it was said: This is for ‘Umar. …” After this hadeeth is the marfoo’ hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah: “Whilst I was sleeping I saw myself in Paradise, and I saw a woman doing wudoo’ beside a palace, and it was said: This is for ‘Umar. …” So it is known that this happened in a dream. This affirmed the virtue of Bilaal, because the dreams of the Prophets are wahy (Revelation), hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) affirmed that for him. End quote.
2 – Or Allaah showed His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) what would happen in the Hereafter, so that he saw it with his own eyes or in his heart. That includes things that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw on the night of the Mi’raaj of things that would happen in Paradise or in Hell. Al-Haafiz al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim (6/207):
al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad said: The scholars said: It may be understood as meaning that he saw it with his own eyes, as Allaah showed it to him and lifted the barrier between him and it, as He showed him al-Masjid al-Aqsa when he described it.
They said: Or it may be understood as meaning that he saw it by way of knowledge and revelation, so he saw it and learned of it in details that he had not known before that.
Al-Qaadi said: The first interpretation is more likely and is closer to the wording of the hadeeth, because it contains things that point to seeing with the eyes, such as his reaching out to take the bunch of grapes, and his stepping back in fear lest the heat of Hell reach him. End quote.
Source:
https://islamqa.info/en/89813