Answer
Asalamu Alaikum,
Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question.
Dr. Shabir Ally addresses this question in the video below:
Transcript:
Safiyyah Ally: OK, Brother Shabir, we have a question here about the Prophet Muhammad. And the person is saying there’s a hadith where it says that the Prophet Muhammad was the first to enter Heaven. On the other hand, it seems that Jesus was risen up to God. So, where did he go?
Was he in heaven? And the person also points out that the Prophet, when he was risen up to heaven, he saw other prophets there. So, what’s going on there? Was Prophet Muhammad the first to be risen up to heaven or were there others?
Dr. Shabir Ally: There’s no contradiction between these various statements because the statement that the Prophet (peace be upon him) will be the first to enter paradise is referring to the Day of Judgment after the Judgment is rendered.
After all of the accounting is taken and then the judgment is rendered, then the Prophet (peace be upon him) will be made to enter paradise first. But that does not negate the idea that there are other prophets already in paradise.
Meaning the prophets who’ve died in the past and they are somehow in that world, in that spiritual world, in which we might say that they have been buried in their graves. But at the same time their spirits are in paradise.
And that accounts for the fact too that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) had this night experience, the night journey, and ascension, he saw the spirits of the great prophets already in paradise.
I hope this helps answer your question. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Asalam.
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/about-muhammad/prophets-night-journey-first-started/
https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/in-focus/story-night-journey-journey-like-no-other/