Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj: The Story of

the Miraculous Night Journey

Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj (the Night Journey & Ascension) is a miracle
second only to the revelation of the Qur’an, and it is therefore
important that we don’t let this night slip by without reflecting on its
lessons and its significance.

Many of us only know the basic story of Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj - that the
Prophet (saw) was transported from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid
al-Aqsa, from where he (saw) ascended to heaven. In fact, there were
many stops along this incredible journey, and the story is packed with
wonders and miracles. This blog will narrate the first half of the
Miraculous Journey and we have included as much detail as we could.
Enjoy!

Context of Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj

Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj took place during a time when the Prophet (saw)

was facing intense hardship and pain. The Quraysh, who were his
tribe and his family, constantly ridiculed, humiliated and oppressed the
Prophet (saw) and his followers. Moreover, the Prophet (saw) had
just faced the Year of Sorrow (’Aam al-Huzn), during which he (saw)
lost his beloved wife Khadijah (ra), and his uncle Abu Talib, who was
his protector and ally.

In addition to all these burdens, when the Prophet (saw) had travelled
to Ta’if to spread the Islamic message, the people of Ta’if had
rejected him in the most cruel way, sending their children into the
streets to stone him until he left the city.

Having gone through so much grief and suffering, the Prophet

Muhammad (saw) was given a truly beautiful and comforting gift. He
was transported not only to the Sacred Sanctuary and through the
skies, but ultimately into the Divine Presence, the source of all comfort
and hope. One of the most important lessons of Al-Isra’ wal-
Mi’raj, therefore, is that ‘with every hardship [there will be] ease’
(The Noble Qur’an, 94: 5).  

Al-Isra’: From the Ka’bah to Al-Aqsa

When the Prophet (saw) was sleeping in the house of Umm Hani (ra)
in Makkah he said, ‘the roof of my house was opened and the Angel
Jibril [as] descended’ (Bukhari). Scholars reconciling between various
narrations, say the Prophet (saw) was then taken to the Hijr, the semi-
circular wall of the Ka‘bah, where the Prophet (saw) said that Jibril (as),
‘opened my chest, and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he
brought a golden tray full of wisdom and faith, and having poured its
contents into my chest, he closed it’. [Bukhari]

The Prophet (saw) continued, ‘I was then brought a white beast which
is called al-Buraq [from the Arabic word barq, meaning lightning],
bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. Its stride was as long
as the eye could reach’. [Muslim]

It is narrated by Anas (ra) that Buraq was, ‘saddled and reined, but he
shied from him (saw). So Jibril [as] said to him, “Is it from Muhammad
[saw] that you do this? For nobody has ridden you who is more
honourable to Allah than him!” He said, “Then he started sweating
profusely”’. [Tirmidhi]

At several points along the journey, Jibra’eel (as) stopped Buraq and
told the Prophet (saw), ‘Dismount and pray’. The first stop was at
‘the place of emigration’ i.e. Madinah - and soon after this night the
Prophet (saw) would meet the Ansar and migrate to Madinah. The
second stop was at Mount Sinai, where Allah (swt) revealed the
Torah to Musa (as). The third stop was at Bethlehem, where ’Isa
(as) was born.
The fourth stop was the grave of Musa (as), ‘I happened to pass by
Musa [as] on the night of my Night journey by the red sandhill whilst he
was standing praying in his grave’ (Muslim). We know that his grave is
located, ‘a stone’s throw’ away from the holy land of the Blessed
Masjid Al-Aqsa (Bukhari). This incident clearly shows us an example of
what the Messenger of Allah (saw) said about Prophets (as) after they
pass away that, ‘The Prophets are alive in their graves praying’ (Abu
Ya‘la).

Arriving at Al-Aqsa

Finally, the Messenger of Allah (saw) arrived in the holy city of Al-Quds
(Jerusalem) and he said, ’When we reached Bait al-Maqdis [literally
‘the holy house’ another name for the Blessed Masjid Al-Aqsa] Jibril
(as) pointed with his finger causing a crack in the rock, and he tied the
Buraq to it [at the western wall of the noble sanctuary]’ (Tirmidhi).
Waiting inside were all 124,000 Prophets (as). Jibra’eel (as) led the
Prophet (saw) to the front, and he (saw) led them all in prayer in this
blessed space.

Some narrations indicate that the Prophet (saw) prayed ‘two units of
prayer’ (Muslim) to greet the Masjid (known as Tahiyyat al-Masjid).
This is one of the first examples of this established Sunnah of the
Prophet (saw). It is also mentioned that Jibril (as) called the Adhan (call
to prayer) before this practice was even established later in Madinah
and that the angels from the heavens descended to pray behind all the
Prophets in this sacred place – Subhan-Allah!

When the Prophet (saw) completed the prayer, he said, ‘someone

said, “Here is Malik (as), the keeper of the Hell, so convey Salams to
him”. So, I turned to him, but he preceded me in Salams’ (Muslim).

The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said, ’The Prophets were

presented to me, and Musa (as) was a thin man, it was as if he was
from the men of Shanu’ah [a Yemeni tribe]. And I saw ’Isa ibn Maryam
(as), and the closest of the people in resemblance to him from those I
have seen, is ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘†d (ra). And I saw Ibrahim (as), and the
closest of the people in resemblance to him, from those I have seen, is
your companion [meaning himself]. And I saw Jibril [as], and the
closest of the people in resemblance to him, from those I have seen, is
Dihyah (ra)’ (Tirmidhi).

Part of what the Prophets (as) discussed after praising Allah was about
‘the Hour’. Both Ibrahim (as) and Musa (as) stated that they ‘did not
have any knowledge of it’. Whilst ’Isa (as) ’mentioned the Dajjal (anti-
Christ) and said,

“I will descend and kill him, then the people will return to their own
lands and will be confronted with Gog and Magog, who will, “swoop
down from every mound” [Qur’an, 21:96]”’. [Ibn Majah]

Following this, the Prophet (saw) said, ‘Then I came out and Jibril (as)
brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. Then I chose the
milk, and Jibril (as) said, “You have chosen the natural state (Fitrah)”’
(Muslim).

The dominant opinion is that the Prophet (saw) alongside Jibril (as)
then proceeded to the Noble Rock (as-Sakhrah al-Musharrafah) that is
currently housed by the holy Dome of the Rock Masjid at the centre of
the noble sanctuary (al-Haram ash-Sharif) of the Blessed Masjid Al-
Aqsa. He (saw) ascended into the heavens for the next part of this
incredible journey, the Mi‘raj, the Ascension!
The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said that, ‘a ladder was brought
to me finer than any I have ever seen. It was that to which the
dying man looks when death approaches’. [The Life of
Muhammad (saw) Ibn Ishaq]

Now let’s see what happened when the Prophet (saw) accompanied
by Jibril (as) ascended into the layers of sky.
The First Sky
Allah ascended the Prophet (saw) from the Dome of the Rock through
the skies, where he not only saw many miraculous sights and
numerous angels, he also met the past Prophets (as). Along the way,
he (saw) was greeted with excitement and delight, as his arrival had
been much-anticipated.

It is hard to imagine how he (saw) must have felt upon meeting his
brothers (as), all of whom had gone through trials and difficulties, as
they met him with the warmth and love his own tribe had isolated him
from. He was greeted with the words, ‘Welcome O pious Prophet and
pious brother!’ (Bukhari). (Adam (as) and Ibrahim (as), however,
welcomed him as a ‘pious son’).

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ’Then he ascended with us to the

heaven [first layer of the sky and end of the known universe]. Jibril [as]
then asked the (gate of heaven) to be opened (by knocking on one of
its doors). [Bukhari]

It was said, “Who are you?” He said, “Jibril [as]“.

It was said, “And who is with you?” He said, “Muhammad [saw]“.

It was said, “Has he been sent for?” He said, “He has indeed been
sent for”.

And it (the door of the heaven) was opened for us and suddenly I was
with (the Prophet) Adam [as]. Then he welcomed me and supplicated
for good for me’. [Muslim]

(In other narrations it mentioned the angelic gatekeepers rejoiced at

the arrival of the beloved Prophet (saw) and proclaimed, ‘Welcome
unto him! What an amazing arrival has come!’ [Muslim] and ‘He is
most welcome and amongst family!’ [Bukhari]).
In other narrations we gain more details of the meeting of the Prophet
(saw) and the Prophet Adam (as):

’There we saw a man sitting with some people on his right and some
on his left. When he looked towards his right, he laughed and when he
looked toward his left he wept. Then he said, ”Welcome O pious
Prophet and pious son!” (or in another narration, ”Welcome you
are amongst family, O my son! What an amazing son you
are!” [Bukhari]).

I asked Jibril [as], “Who is he?” He replied, “He is Adam [as] and the
people on his right and left are the souls of his offspring. Those on his
right are the people of Paradise and those on his left are the people of
Hell and when he looks towards his right he laughs and when he looks
towards his left, he weeps”’. [Bukhari]

The Second to Sixth Sky

Then the Prophet (saw) continued to ascend the layers of sky with
Jibril (as). Again, permission was sought to enter, and the angelic
guards were delighted and welcomed the Messenger of Allah (saw).

At the second sky, he met the maternal cousins, the Prophets Isa (as)
and Yahya (as).

At the third sky, the Prophet (saw) met the Prophet Yusuf (as) whom
he described as having ‘been given half of (world) beauty’ [Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (saw) had himself been blessed with all
beauty, ma sha’ Allah!

At the fourth sky, the Prophet (saw) met the Prophet Idris (as) whose
soul was taken there, and he is praised in the Qur’an: ‘We raised him
to a lofty position’. [The Noble Qur’an, 19:57]
At the fifth sky, he met the Prophet Harun (as); and in the sixth sky, he
met Prophet Harun’s younger brother, the Prophet Musa (as).

Some narrations mention that Musa (as) was seen crying and a voice
was heard saying, ‘What makes you cry?’ He said, ’My Lord, this is a
young man whom You have sent after me (as a Prophet) and his
Ummah will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my Ummah’.
[Muslim]

At each one of these levels, these Prophets (as) welcomed the

Prophet (saw) and supplicated good for him saying, ‘Welcome O
pious Prophet and pious brother!’ [Bukhari]

The Seventh Sky

At the seventh sky, the Prophet (saw) met his greatest ancestor, the
Prophet Ibrahim (as) who was ‘reclining his back against al-Bait al-
Ma‘mur. And there enter into it seventy thousand angels every day,
never to return to it (again)’. [Muslim]

(Bait al-Ma’mur literally means ‘the much-visited House’. It is the

heavenly Ka‘bah directly above the one on earth).

Like Adam (as), Ibrahim (as) greeted the Prophet (saw)

saying, ‘Welcome O pious Prophet and pious son!’ [Bukhari]

In another narration, Ibrahim (as) conveyed his salaams to the

Ummah of the Prophet (saw) and advised us that, ‘Paradise has pure
soil and delicious water, and that it is a flat treeless plain, and that its
seeds are (saying), SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (All
praise belongs to Allah), La ilaaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah),
and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)’. [Tirmidhi]
The Lote Tree
The Prophet (saw) carried on his journey, reaching the Furthest Lote
Tree. The Arabic word for this is Sidrah al-Muntaha [The Noble Qur’an,
53:14]. The Prophet (saw) described this vast tree in great detail!

 ‘[Its] leaves were like elephant ears and its fruit like big
earthenware vessels’. [Muslim]
 ‘Then when it was covered by the Command of Allah, it
underwent such a change that none amongst the creation has
the power to praise its beauty’. [Muslim]
 ‘A rider will travel in the shade of one of its branches for a hundred
years,’ or ‘a hundred riders will seek to shade themselves with its
shade’. [Tirmidhi]
 The tree is surrounded with ‘golden butterflies’. [Tirmidhi]
 He further said: ‘many a colour had covered it which I do not
know (i.e. the colours of this tree were indescribable)’. [Muslim]
 He also stated that, ‘There terminates everything that ascends
from the earth, and everything that descends from above’.
[Tirmidhi]
SubhanAllah, the Prophet (saw) witnessed a truly amazing sign from
Allah!

The Divine Meeting

At the end of this journey, the Prophet (saw) was brought into the
Divine Presence, the ultimate source of strength and relief. It is
impossible to imagine the beauty of this scene, or how loved,
honoured and humbled the Prophet (saw) must have felt.

We do not know a great about what was privately discussed between

Allah and His beloved (saw), with Allah simply stating, ‘Then Allah
revealed to His servant [saw] what He revealed’. [The Noble
Qur’an, 53:10].
The Prophet (saw) mentioned, ‘Then Allah revealed to me what he
revealed to me and then He made obligatory for me fifty prayers
every day and night’. [Muslim]

It was here that Allah gave this Ummah the gift of compulsory Salah, a
daily source of strength to Muslims because it gives us the opportunity
to communicate with Allah and draw closer to Him - it is the believer’s
ascension! We know through the Prophet Musa’s (as) intervention and
advice that fifty prayers were eventually reduced to five, but still
rewarded as fifty, subhanAllah!

As we approach the anniversary of Al-Isra’ wal-Mi‘raj, let us take the

time to deeply appreciate the gift of Salah and increase our voluntary
prayers and night prayers.

Returning Home
Finally, the Prophet (saw) was taken back down to the Blessed Masjid
Al-Aqsa and returned to Makkah on the Buraq.

As he was transported home, he saw various caravans heading

towards Makkah, which he would later describe to the Quraish as
proof that he really had made this miraculous journey. Allah even
displayed Bait al-Maqdis to the Prophet (saw), while the Quraish were
cross-examining him in the Hijr of the Ka‘bah [Bukhari]. The entire
journey had taken place in a small portion of a night, and there
were many who would mock the Prophet (saw) for making such a
claim.

For the Muslims, however, the story was a source of wonder and
hope, as it continues to be for us today. On this night, the best of
creation (saw) was given the honour of travelling to various blessed
places on earth, then ascending the levels of sky and being finally
welcomed into the Divine Presence! All this to honour the beloved
Prophet (saw) and ‘to show him some of Our signs!’ [The Noble
Qur’an, 17:1]