7.3.1 The Night Journey

Setting the Scene of the Night Journey

The Night Journey, known in Arabic as Al Isra, was one of the greatest miracles granted to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It came soon after a period of intense personal pain and outward hardship. The deaths of Abu Talib and Khadijah رضي الله عنها, followed by the rejection at Taif, made this a time of deep sorrow. In this context, Allah honored His Messenger ﷺ with a journey unlike any other, a journey that began from Makkah during the night and reached all the way to Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem.

This event is mentioned clearly in the Quran and explained in the authentic Sunnah. It is part of the same grand miracle that includes the Ascension to the heavens, Al Mi‘raj. In this chapter we focus on the first part, the Night Journey from Masjid al Haram in Makkah to Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem and what happened there.

Quranic Basis of Al Isra

The foundation for believing in Al Isra is in the very first verse of Surah Al Isra, also known as Surah Bani Isra’il. Allah, the Exalted, says:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

“Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al Masjid al Haram to al Masjid al Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”
(Quran 17:1)

This verse clearly affirms that Allah Himself took “His servant,” Muhammad ﷺ, by night. The word “His servant” here includes both soul and body, so the majority of scholars understood that this was a real physical journey, not just a dream. The verse describes the journey as being “by night” and connects it between two specific sanctuaries, Makkah and Jerusalem, both of which have a special place in Islam.

The purpose is clearly stated: “to show him of Our signs.” The Night Journey was not for tourism or entertainment. It was a divine lesson, a spiritual vision of Allah’s signs, and a preparation for what would follow in Al Mi‘raj and in the future mission of the Prophet ﷺ.

From the Ka‘bah to Masjid al Aqsa

Authentic narrations describe how the Night Journey began. The Prophet ﷺ was in Makkah, and during the night, Angel Jibril عليه السلام came to him. In the hadith of Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه in Sahih al Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ said:

بَيْنَا أَنَا فِي الْحَطِيمِ، أُضْطَجَعُ، إِذْ أَتَانِي آتٍ فَقَدَّ شِقَ مَا بَيْنَ هَذِهِ إِلَى هَذِهِ

“While I was in the Hatim, lying down, someone came to me and split what was between this and this…”
(Sahih al Bukhari)

The hadith continues with details that connect to the Opening of the Chest which was part of his preparation. Here we focus on the movement itself from Makkah to Jerusalem.

Jibril عليه السلام brought an animal called Al Buraq. In another narration in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ described it:

أُتِيتُ بِالْبُرَاقِ، وَهُوَ دَابَّةٌ أَبْيَضُ، فَوْقَ الْحِمَارِ، وَدُونَ الْبَغْلِ، يَضَعُ حَافِرَهُ عِنْدَ مُنْتَهَى طَرْفِهِ

“I was brought al Buraq, which is a white animal, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, it would place its hoof at the distance of its vision.”
(Sahih Muslim)

This description shows that Al Buraq was a special creation, not a normal animal. It moved with amazing speed. Every step covered the distance that its sight could reach. By this means, the Prophet ﷺ was taken swiftly from Makkah to Masjid al Aqsa in a single part of the night.

The Prophet ﷺ rode Al Buraq from the area of the Ka‘bah and traveled across the land toward the north. He crossed areas that later Muslims would recognize between the Arabian Peninsula and the land of Sham, passing through what is today the route between Hijaz and Palestine. This was miraculous not only for its speed, but also because it occurred in a time when such a journey would normally take many days or weeks.

Arrival in Jerusalem

The hadith tradition describes the Prophet’s arrival at the “farthest mosque,” Masjid al Aqsa. Although at that time the exact structure was not like the buildings we see today, the place itself had long been a sacred site for the prophets and the believers who came before.

In the narration from Anas رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:

فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ نَخْتَرِقُ السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا … حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ

“Then I went with him, passing along, until we came to Bayt al Maqdis (Jerusalem).”
(Part of a longer hadith, reported in meaning in Sahih Muslim)

In other reports, he ﷺ mentioned that when he reached Bayt al Maqdis, he tied Al Buraq.

فَرَبَطْتُهُ بِالْحَلْقَةِ الَّتِي يَرْبِطُ بِهِ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ

“So I tied it (Al Buraq) to the ring to which the prophets tie (their animals).”
(Sahih Muslim)

This small detail is very significant. It connects the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ directly to the line of earlier prophets who visited or resided in that same blessed place. It shows that Masjid al Aqsa is not only linked to one prophet but is a gathering point for the missions of many prophets throughout history.

The Quran describes Masjid al Aqsa and its surroundings as blessed:

الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ

“whose surroundings We have blessed”
(Quran 17:1)

This blessing includes spiritual blessing, the presence of revelation, the history of prophets, and the future role of that land in the story of faith. The fact that Allah chose this site as the destination of the Night Journey highlights its central place in the faith of Islam.

Leading the Prophets in Prayer

One of the most important events of the Night Journey happened inside Masjid al Aqsa. The Prophet ﷺ entered and found a unique gathering. The hadith in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه and other narrations state that the Prophet ﷺ was brought to a congregation of previous prophets.

In a famous narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, as reported in meaning by several companions:

فَجُمِعَ لِيَ الأَنْبِيَاءُ، فَقَدَّمَنِي جِبْرِيلُ حَتَّى أَمَمْتُهُمْ

“The prophets were assembled for me, and Jibril brought me forward until I led them (in prayer).”

Although wordings differ slightly between narrations, the meaning is the same. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ served as the imam, and the earlier prophets prayed behind him.

This event at Masjid al Aqsa symbolizes his role as the final and greatest prophet. All the prophets called to the worship of one God. Now the last Messenger ﷺ leads them, which shows that his message confirms and completes what came before.

This prayer also links the three sacred mosques in Islam: Masjid al Haram in Makkah, Masjid al Nabawi in Madinah (which would be established later), and Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem. Two of these are mentioned directly in the story of Al Isra. The connection among them is spiritual and historical. For a time, Masjid al Aqsa was the first qiblah of the Muslims before it was changed to the Ka‘bah. All of this underscores how central this land is in the story of Islamic worship.

The Night Journey as a Test of Faith

After the Night Journey and what followed in Al Mi‘raj, the Prophet ﷺ returned to Makkah by morning. For those who would listen, he began to share what had happened. This part of the story belongs more fully to the wider event, but here it is important to see how Al Isra itself became an immediate test.

For the Quraysh, the claim that he had been taken in a single night from Makkah to Jerusalem and back was something they viewed as impossible. Travel between these two regions by caravan usually took many days. They used this as an argument to mock and to shake the believers.

However, the Prophet ﷺ did not present it as something ordinary or by his own power. It was clearly a miracle from Allah. When they questioned him, he described details of Masjid al Aqsa, even though he had never traveled there before in his lifetime prior to that night. According to reports, Allah showed him the image of the mosque in front of him so that he could describe it accurately when the Quraysh asked.

The Night Journey therefore became a clear separation between those who believed in Allah’s power and in the truthfulness of His Messenger, and those who refused. Those who had faith accepted that the One who created the heavens and the earth could easily take His servant from Makkah to Jerusalem in a single night.

The Special Status of Masjid al Aqsa

Because the Night Journey ended at Masjid al Aqsa, this mosque gained a special mention in the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ. In a narration in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said:

لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ، الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِي هَذَا، وَالْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى

“Mounts are not saddled (for a special journey) except to three mosques, the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al Haram), this mosque of mine, and al Masjid al Aqsa.”
(Sahih al Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

This hadith, along with the verse of Surah Al Isra, shows that Masjid al Aqsa is one of the three most honored mosques in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ and the early Muslims respected it, prayed toward it for a time, and remembered it as the place of Al Isra.

The phrase “whose surroundings We have blessed” in the Quran also points to the wider area around the mosque, often referred to as the land of Sham. Much of the history of the prophets of Bani Isra’il is connected to this land. When Muslims think of the Night Journey, they are reminded that Islam is not cut off from the earlier scriptures and earlier prophets. Rather, it confirms their original message and reconnects the believer to that long chain.

Spiritual Meanings of the Night Journey

The Night Journey is not just a historical incident. It carries deep spiritual meanings. It occurred at a time when the Prophet ﷺ had experienced great loss and pain. In that dark period, Allah opened for him a different kind of “night”: a night of nearness, of witnessing divine signs, of being honored and strengthened.

The verse says:

لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا

“to show him of Our signs”
(Quran 17:1)

The wording “Our signs” is general and wide. It includes the miraculous speed of the journey, the presence of Jibril عليه السلام, the connection with the prophets, and the blessings of Masjid al Aqsa and its surroundings. The Prophet ﷺ saw, in a single night, how wide and interconnected the world of guidance truly is.

For believers, the Night Journey shows that Allah can bring ease after hardship in ways that are beyond what we can imagine. It reminds us that the earth is small compared to the power of Allah, and that place and distance do not limit Him. It also shows that the message of Islam is part of a global and historical story of faith that stretches from Makkah to Jerusalem and beyond.

Finally, Al Isra prepared the Prophet ﷺ for what would come next in Al Mi‘raj, where he would be taken up through the heavens, and where the gift of Salah would be given in its final form. That second part of the journey belongs to the next chapter. Here, it is enough to remember that the Night Journey began from the Sacred House in Makkah, travelled miraculously to the Blessed House in Jerusalem, joined the prophets in prayer, and became a lasting sign of Allah’s honor for His final Messenger ﷺ.