Table of Contents
Introduction
The journey of Isra and Miʿraj was one of the greatest miracles given to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It came in a time of deep pain after the Year of Sorrow and the rejection at Taʾif. In this chapter we will focus on what is specific to this event, how it happened, what the Prophet ﷺ experienced, and the special gift that came from it, which is the five daily prayers.
This journey is firmly established in the Quran and authentic Sunnah. It was both a physical and spiritual journey in one night, from Makkah to Jerusalem, and then from Jerusalem through the heavens.
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى
"Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa..."
(Surah Al Isra 17:1)
This verse describes the first part of the journey, Isra. Other parts of the Quran and many hadiths explain the second part, Miʿraj, the ascension to the heavens.
The journey of Isra and Miʿraj was a real, physical and spiritual event in a single night, not a dream, and it is proven by clear texts of the Quran and authentic hadith.
The Night Journey (Isra)
The night of Isra and Miʿraj took place after the Year of Sorrow, while the Prophet ﷺ was still in Makkah and facing strong opposition from Quraysh. Allah honored him and comforted him with this great miracle.
The Prophet ﷺ described that he was in Makkah when Jibril عليه السلام came to him and brought an animal called al-Buraq. It was a white animal, bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, that moved extremely fast.
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said as reported by Muslim:
أُتِيتُ بِالْبُرَاقِ، وَهُوَ دَابَّةٌ أَبْيَضُ، فَوْقَ الْحِمَارِ وَدُونَ الْبَغْلِ، يَضَعُ حَافِرَهُ عِنْدَ مُنْتَهَى طَرْفِهِ
"I was brought al-Buraq, which is a white beast, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, it would place its hoof at a distance equal to the range of its vision."
(Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet ﷺ mounted al-Buraq and Jibril عليه السلام accompanied him. In one night he was taken from al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. The Quran points to this:
الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ
"...to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed..."
(Surah Al Isra 17:1)
At al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the Prophet ﷺ tied al-Buraq at the place where the prophets would tie their mounts. This detail appears in authentic reports and shows the continuity of prophethood and the link between the sacred places.
Leading the Prophets in Prayer
One of the most special events during the night of Isra was that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ led the earlier prophets in prayer at al-Masjid al-Aqsa. This is mentioned in several narrations.
He ﷺ said, as reported with sound chains:
فَجُمِعَ لِيَ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، فَقَدَّمَنِي جِبْرِيلُ حَتَّى أَمَمْتُهُمْ
"The prophets were gathered for me, then Jibril brought me forward until I led them in prayer."
This gathering was not only a miracle, but also a sign that Muhammad ﷺ is the final prophet and imam of all the prophets. It also shows the close connection between Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.
By leading all previous prophets in prayer at al-Masjid al-Aqsa, Muhammad ﷺ was shown as the final and leading messenger for all humanity.
After this prayer in Jerusalem, the Miʿraj, the ascension into the heavens, began.
The Ascension to the Heavens (Miʿraj)
From al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the Prophet ﷺ was taken up through the heavens. The word Miʿraj refers to this ascension. The details of Miʿraj are narrated in many authentic hadith, especially in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Jibril عليه السلام accompanied the Prophet ﷺ as they ascended from one heaven to the next. At each gate of a heaven, Jibril would ask permission to enter, and the gatekeeper would ask, "Who is this?" When Jibril answered and said, "It is Jibril," he would then be asked, "Who is with you?" He would say, "Muhammad." Then permission was granted.
This repeated at each level, which shows the honor of the Prophet ﷺ and that his coming was known and welcomed in the heavens.
The Quran mentions this ascension in a general form:
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ * عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ
"And indeed he saw him another time, near Sidrat al Muntaha..."
(Surah An Najm 53:13–14)
The phrase "another time" refers to a vision during Miʿraj, distinct from an earlier vision mentioned in the same surah.
Meeting the Prophets in the Heavens
During Miʿraj, the Prophet ﷺ met different prophets at various levels of the heavens. Although exact placement is taken from detailed hadith, what is important here is to understand that each meeting affirmed brotherhood, respect, and continuity among the messengers.
In the first heaven he met Adam عليه السلام, the father of humanity. In a long hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim, he describes how he saw Adam with people on his right and left, and those on his right were the people of Paradise, and those on his left were the people of the Fire.
In other heavens he met prophets such as Isa ibn Maryam, Yahya, Yusuf, Idris, Harun, and Musa عليهم السلام. Each prophet welcomed him and acknowledged his status. One of them would say, "Welcome to the righteous prophet and righteous brother," and Ibrahim عليه السلام said, "Welcome to the righteous prophet and righteous son."
These meetings show that the message of Islam is in harmony with the pure teachings of all earlier prophets, and that they were united in belief in one God.
Sidrat al Muntaha and the Highest Realms
The journey continued until the Prophet ﷺ reached Sidrat al Muntaha, which is described in the Quran. It is a great tree at the furthest boundary of the created heavens. Beyond it is a realm of knowledge and matters that only Allah knows.
Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ
"And indeed he saw him another time, near Sidrat al Muntaha. Near it is the Garden of Refuge."
(Surah An Najm 53:13–15)
The Prophet ﷺ described in hadith that the leaves of Sidrat al Muntaha were like elephants’ ears and its fruits like large vessels, and that it was covered by colors and lights that he could not describe. This shows the greatness and beauty of what he was allowed to witness.
At this point, Jibril عليه السلام stopped and said he could go no further, and that if he went beyond this point he would burn. Only the Prophet ﷺ was permitted to advance, which shows his special honor.
The Gift of Salah
The greatest gift given to the Prophet ﷺ and to his Ummah during Miʿraj was the obligation of Salah, the five daily prayers. Unlike other commands which were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ on earth, the prayer was given to him above the heavens. This shows its special status in Islam.
In an authentic hadith in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ narrated that Allah initially obligated fifty prayers each day on his Ummah. As he was returning, he met Musa عليه السلام who asked him what his Lord had enjoined upon his Ummah. The Prophet ﷺ replied that fifty prayers had been prescribed.
Musa عليه السلام, having experience with his own people, told him that his Ummah would not be able to bear that number and advised him to return and ask Allah for a reduction. The Prophet ﷺ returned to his Lord and asked for a reduction, and Allah reduced the number. This going back and forth continued until the number of daily prayers became five.
Then it was said, as in the narration:
هِيَ خَمْسٌ، وَهِيَ خَمْسُونَ، لَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَيَّ
"They are five, yet they are fifty, My word does not change with Me."
(Sahih Muslim)
This means that praying these five prayers will earn the reward of fifty, and that the mercy of Allah reduced the burden but kept the full reward.
The five daily prayers were obligated during Miʿraj, and performing them brings the reward of fifty prayers. Salah is the greatest practical pillar after the testimony of faith.
This event also shows the concern of Musa عليه السلام for this Ummah, and how the messengers cared for people’s ability to worship.
Other Scenes and Lessons from Miʿraj
During the journey of Miʿraj, the Prophet ﷺ was shown signs of Paradise and Hell, and some scenes of reward and punishment. In various authentic narrations, he saw people punished for specific sins, such as those who consumed usury, those who spread slander, and those who neglected major duties. He also saw some of the pleasures of Paradise.
Allah says:
لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا
"...so that We might show him some of Our signs."
(Surah Al Isra 17:1)
These visions were not only to honor the Prophet ﷺ but also to teach the Ummah through him. They confirm that the unseen world of the Hereafter is real, and that actions in this life have clear consequences.
Miʿraj also highlights the special station of the Prophet ﷺ in nearness to Allah in a way that befits His Majesty and is unlike any other prophet’s experience. However, the exact nature of this nearness is from the matters of the unseen, and a Muslim accepts it without going into speculation about how.
Return to Makkah in the Same Night
After the completion of Isra and Miʿraj, the Prophet ﷺ was returned to Makkah the same night. In the morning, he informed Quraysh of what had happened. The journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and back, plus an ascension to the heavens and return, all in one night, appeared impossible to many of them who did not believe.
They mocked and tested him. They asked him to describe Masjid al Aqsa, although he had not traveled there before by normal means. In an authentic report, the Prophet ﷺ said that when they questioned him, Allah brought the image of Masjid al Aqsa before him so he could describe it accurately, detail by detail.
He also told them about a caravan he had seen on the way, and its details, and those later events matched exactly as he had described. These confirmations were proofs of his truthfulness, even though many still refused to believe.
This event revealed the difference between those whose faith is firm and those who doubt. It was at this time that Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه earned the title "As Siddiq" in full, because when people told him what Muhammad ﷺ claimed about the night journey, he replied that if Muhammad ﷺ said it, then it was true, and that he believed something even more amazing, that revelation came to him from the sky.
Reactions of the People
The Quran hints at the denial and mockery of many, while the hadith literature records their reactions in more detail. Some people who had weak faith turned away, while others became stronger in faith.
Allah says about the Prophet ﷺ in another context:
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ
"And We did not make the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people..."
(Surah Al Isra 17:60)
Many scholars explained that this includes the vision of Isra and Miʿraj, meaning that this event was a test. Some people were guided by it and others were driven further into denial.
For the believers, the Isra and Miʿraj increased them in certainty that Allah is All Powerful and that the Prophet ﷺ truly receives revelation. For the disbelievers, it became another excuse for mockery and rejection.
Spiritual Meaning and Connection
Isra and Miʿraj created a special link between Makkah, Jerusalem, and the heavens. It showed that Allah’s message is not limited to one land, tribe, or people, but connects all places and nations that received prophets.
It also established the place of Salah in the life of a Muslim. The fact that it was given above the heavens shows that Salah is the main daily link between the servant and his Lord. Some scholars described Salah as the believer’s "Miʿraj", meaning his way of spiritually ascending, by his heart, to remember and stand humbly before Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
جُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ
"The coolness of my eyes has been placed in the prayer."
(Sunan An Nasai, authentic)
This connection between Miʿraj and Salah teaches that the daily prayers are not a burden but an honor and a gift.
Conclusion
Isra and Miʿraj is one of the central miracles in the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. In one blessed night he traveled from Makkah to Jerusalem and then ascended through the heavens, met many prophets, reached Sidrat al Muntaha, and received the command of the five daily prayers.
The event came after a period of deep sorrow, so it was a sign of comfort and elevation from Allah. It confirmed his status as the final messenger and imam of all prophets, connected the sacred lands of Makkah and Jerusalem, and clearly established the importance of Salah.
For Muslims, Isra and Miʿraj is a reminder of Allah’s power, the reality of the unseen, the honor of the Prophet ﷺ, and the central place of prayer in their lives.