The miracle of Al-Isra‘ and Al-Mi^raj

 Allah sent the prophets as mercy to the slaves and supported them with miracles to indicate the truthfulness of their message. Of all the prophets, our Prophet Muhammad was blessed with the most miracles. Al-Isra‘ and al-Mi^raj are among the many miracles of Prophet Muhammad.

The miracle of al-Isra‘ is confirmed in the Qur’an. In Surat al-Isra‘, Ayah 1 means: [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, Muhammad, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, which is surrounded with a blessed land.]

After the Prophet performed the Evening Prayer, Jibril came to him with a white animal. This animal was the buraq, one of the animals of Paradise. Jibril held the buraq by his ear and asked the Prophet to mount it.

The buraq is a very fast animal; the distance travelled with one of the buraq‘s stride is the farthest distance its eye can see. The Prophet and Jibril arrived to a land with palm trees. Jibril told him, “This is Yathrib; this is Taybah.

The buraq continued with the Prophet and Jibril until they reached Tur Sina‘, then Bayt Lahm, where Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) was born, then the buraq continued until they entered the city of Jerusalem. There the Prophet went to Masjid al-Aqsa where all the Prophets from Adam to ^Isa were gathered. Prophet Muhammad moved forward and led them in prayer.

After the Prophet took the night journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, he ascended to the upper heavens. The Prophet ascended to the heaven on stairs, called al-mirqat, with one step made of gold and the next of silver, and so on. The Prophet ascended these stairs until he reached the seventh heaven, and that is where our Messenger saw Prophet Ibrahim. Prophet Ibrahim is the best of the prophets after our prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad saw Prophet Ibrahim with his back against al-Bayt al-Ma^mur. Al-Bayt al-Ma^mur for the inhabitants of the skies is like the Ka^bah for the inhabitants of the earth. Every day 70,000 angels go there; then exit from it, and never return. The next day another 70,000 angels go, come out, and never return. This occurrence will continue until the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet saw the Throne (^Arsh), which is the ceiling of Paradise. The Throne is the largest creation of Allah in size; Allah did not create anything bigger in size than it. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Kursiyy are altogether like a ring thrown in a desert, and the Kursiyy in comparison to the Throne, is like a ring thrown in a desert. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Throne are like a seed of mustard compared to the ocean. Allah created the Throne as a sign of His Power and He did not create the Throne to sit on it.

Allah created the Throne to show His Power. It is carried by four angels, and on the Day of Judgment, it will be carried by eight.

Then the Prophet ascended beyond Paradise. He reached a place where he heard the creaking of the pens used by the angels who are copying from the Preserved Tablet. It is at that location that Prophet Muhammad heard the Kalam of Allah, which is an attribute of the Self of Allah. He heard the Kalam of Allah which does not resemble our speech–so it is not something occurring bit after bit. It is not letter after letter or a word that comes after another word. Rather, it is an attribute of Allah which is eternal and everlasting. It does not resemble our attributes. The Kalam of Allah has neither silence nor interruptions. It is an attribute of Allah, and it does not resemble the attributes of the creation.

The Prophet understood several things from hearing this Kalam of Allah. He understood the obligation of the five Obligatory Prayers.

After witnessing all these events the Prophet returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet’s journey took about one-third of the night.

We ask Allah that we would all die as Muslims. We ask Allah to bestow on us the bounty of entering Paradise without torture.