The event of Isra wal Miraj is the greatest miracle of the Prophet ﷺ after the Quran. This miraculous journey is mentioned in multiple verses of the Quran and several authentic Hadiths. This blessed journey took place on the 27th of Rajab, during the 12th year of Prophethood. The term Isra means “traveling at night,” while Miraj originates from the word “Urooj,” which means “elevation” or “ascension.” Thus, Isra wal Miraj refers to the night journey and the elevated ascension of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
In this article, we will discuss the event of Isra wal Miraj in detail—what the Prophet ﷺ witnessed on this night, which verses were revealed, the gifts bestowed upon him, and what lessons we can derive from this sacred journey. We will also analyze the significance of this miraculous event for us as believers.
The stages of Isra wal Miraj are as follows:
The journey from Masjid-e-Haram to Masjid-e-Aqsa
is proven from the Quran. Denying this is an act of disbelief, as rejecting something explicitly mentioned in the Quran is kufr. Anyone who claims not to believe in Miraj is expelled from the fold of Islam because it is Quranically established.
The second stage is the journey through the heavens,
which is proven through authentic Ahadith. These narrations are so numerous that they have reached the level of Tawatur (mass transmission). Denying this renders a person misguided.
The third stage is the journey to La-Makan (the realm beyond space and time).
This is also established through Ahadith. Rejecting this makes a person sinful and at fault.
Combining these stages, I will now begin detailing the story of Isra wal Miraj as a complete narrative based on the Quran and authentic Ahadith.
Isra wal Miraj
This verse mentions the Isra (Night Journey), when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was taken from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَىٰ الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
“Glory be to the One who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque—whose surroundings We have blessed—so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”
Allah Almighty took the Prophet ﷺ on a journey from Masjid-e-Haram to Masjid-e-Aqsa in a short portion of the night. At that time, the distance between Masjid-e-Haram and Masjid-e-Aqsa was equivalent to a month’s travel. It used to take one month to complete this journey, but Allah made it possible for the Prophet ﷺ to cover this distance in just a small part of the night.
A Time of Great Hardship for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
This incident occurred at a time when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was facing severe trials from the Quraysh. His followers were being tormented, and he endured the loss of his beloved wife, Hazrat Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), who supported him through every difficulty and helped him in every possible way. That same year, his uncle, Hazrat Abu Talib, who stood as a shield protecting him from the disbelievers, also passed away. After enduring such immense sorrow, the Prophet ﷺ went to Ta’if for the purpose of delivering the message of Islam, but he faced heart-wrenching persecution there. Stones were hurled at him, young men mocked him, and his blessed sandals became soaked with blood. After leaving Ta’if, Allah granted him the great honor of bringing him into His special proximity to soothe the heart of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with this magnificent gift.
isra from kabah to masjid al-aqsa
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was resting in the house of Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her) in Makkah, he narrated: “The roof of my house was opened, and Angel Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) descended” (Bukhari). According to various narrations, the Prophet ﷺ was then taken to the Hijr (the semi-circular wall of the Ka‘bah). He said that Jibril (peace be upon him) “opened my chest, washed it with Zamzam water, then brought a golden tray filled with wisdom and faith. He poured its contents into my chest and then closed it” (Bukhari).
The Prophet ﷺ further described: “Then a white animal was brought to me, called Buraq (derived from the Arabic word barq, meaning lightning), which was larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule. Its stride was as far as the eye could see” (Muslim).
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Buraq was “already saddled and ready, but it shied away from the Prophet ﷺ. Jibril (peace be upon him) said to it: ‘Are you acting this way with Muhammad ﷺ? No one more honorable to Allah has ever ridden you!’ Hearing this, Buraq began to sweat profusely” (Tirmidhi).
The Prophet ﷺ arrived at Masjid Al-Aqsa and tied Buraq at the spot where the previous prophets used to tie their animals. Inside Masjid Al-Aqsa, all the prophets were present, and it was requested of the Prophet ﷺ to lead them in prayer. The Prophet ﷺ led all of them in prayer, and from there, he ascended toward the heavens.
The Journey Through the Heavens and Meeting with the Prophets (علیہِم السَّلام)
It is narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“I was taken up to the heavens, and Jibra’eel (peace be upon him) ascended with me. When we reached the first heaven, Jibra’eel asked for the gate to be opened. It was said, ‘Who is it?’ He said, ‘Jibra’eel.’ It was then asked, ‘Who is with you?’ He replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was said, ‘Has he been sent for?’ Jibra’eel replied, ‘Yes.’ So, the gate was opened for us, and I met Adam (peace be upon him). Jibra’eel said to me, ‘This is your father, Adam; greet him.’ I greeted him, and he returned the greeting and said, ‘Welcome, O pious son and pious Prophet.’”
The Prophet ﷺ continued, narrating that he met the following prophets on each heaven:
- Second heaven: He met Prophet Yahya (John) and Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus), peace be upon them.
- Third heaven: He met Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him.
- Fourth heaven: He met Prophet Idris (Enoch), peace be upon him.
- Fifth heaven: He met Prophet Harun (Aaron), peace be upon him.
- Sixth heaven: He met Prophet Musa (Moses), peace be upon him.
- Seventh heaven: He met Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, who was leaning against the Bayt al-Ma’mur (the Heavenly House of Worship).
(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 3207; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 162)
This hadith beautifully illustrates the Prophet ﷺ meeting his predecessors and the respect and welcome they showed him during this miraculous journey.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ further said: “The Prophets were presented to me, and Musa (peace be upon him) was a slender man, as if he were from the people of Shanu’ah [a Yemeni tribe]. And I saw ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), and the one most resembling him of those I have seen was ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him). And I saw Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and the one most resembling him of those I have seen was your companion [meaning myself]. And I saw Jibril (peace be upon him), and the one most resembling him of those I have seen was Dihyah (may Allah be pleased with him)” (Tirmidhi).
The Prophet ﷺ also said: “Then I came out, and Jibril (peace be upon him) brought before me a vessel with wine and a vessel with milk. I chose the milk, and Jibril (peace be upon him) said, ‘You have chosen the natural state (Fitrah)'” (Muslim).
The gifts granted to the Ummah during Isra and Mi’raj
During the journey, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was granted 50 prayers. On the way, he met Musa (عليه السلام), who asked him, “What gift did you receive?” The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied, “50 prayers.” Musa (عليه السلام) advised him to ask his Lord for a reduction, as his Ummah would not be able to pray 50 times. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) went back and asked Allah to reduce the number of prayers, and 5 prayers were reduced. When he passed by Musa (عليه السلام) again, Musa (عليه السلام) repeated the same request, suggesting that his Ummah would still not be able to pray that many times. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) went back to Allah again, and this time, the number of prayers was reduced further. After going back and forth 9 times, the number of prayers was reduced to 5, and Musa (عليه السلام) said, “These 5 prayers are for you and your Ummah, but the reward will be equivalent to 50.” That is why the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Prayer is the ascension of the believer.”
In isra and Mi’raj, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was granted two lights
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“I have been given two lights that were not given to any prophet before me, nor will they be given to any prophet after me: one is Surah Al-Fatiha and the other is the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah.” (Sahih Muslim)
The lessons that can be derived from Isra and Mi’raj are:
- Allah granted the Prophet ﷺ knowledge of the unseen, including witnessing Paradise, Hell, and many other things. Most importantly, he was blessed with the sight of Allah’s presence.
- During this journey, the Prophet ﷺ prayed in various places and was gifted with the gift of prayer. We should pray with sincerity, as it brings the well-being of both our religion and our worldly life.
- The Prophet ﷺ led the Prophets in prayer on Earth and also led the angels in prayer at Bayt al-Ma’mur in the heavens. He ﷺ is the leader of both the inhabitants of the Earth and the heavens.
- The Prophets are alive, as the Prophet ﷺ saw Musa (AS) praying during the night of Mi’raj.
special supplication for Isra Wal Mi’raj
1 salat ut tasbeeh (صلاة التسبيح)
During the night of Mi’raj, it is highly virtuous to recite salat ut tasbeeh (صلاة التسبيح). The method is as follows: recite 4 rakat after reciting Sana, read the Tasbeeh ” سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ ” 15 times. After reciting Surah Fatiha and the Surah, repeat the same Tasbeeh 10 times. After the Tasbeeh in Ruku, recite the Tasbeeh 10 times. Then, after standing, recite it 10 times again. In each Sajda, recite the Tasbeeh 10 times, and in the sitting position between the two Sajdas, recite it 10 times as well. In the third Rak’ah, recite 15 time this tasbeeh and after reciting Surah Fatiha and the following Surah, repeat the Tasbeeh 10 times. After completing all four Rak’ahs, when you finish your prayer, make Dua, and InshaAllah, it will be accepted.
Dua for isra wal mi’raj
“اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بَرَاءَتَكَ مِنْ النَّارِ وَفَوزَكِ بِالْجَنَّةِ وَالْجَزَاءَ فِي رَحْمَتِكَ”
(O Allah! I ask You for protection from the Hellfire, success in Paradise, and reward in Your mercy.)
Recite Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening) once.
Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (The Purity) 11 times.
Recite Salawat (sending blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (SAW)) 100 times.
Recite the following dua (supplication) 7 times:
اللهم صل وسلم على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم
(O Allah, send peace and blessings upon our Master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions)
- After completing the above steps, make dua (supplication) to Allah, asking for your desires to be fulfilled, forgiveness for your sins, and for the welfare of all Muslims.
Fasting for isra wal mi’raj
If possible, fast on this day. Fasting is one of the best ways to worship on this blessed day.
Giving Charity:
Giving charity on the night of Mi’raj also holds great virtue. Charity given in the way of Allah brings additional rewards during the worship of this night.
These acts of worship and supplications increase the virtues of the night of Mi’raj and serve as a means of attaining Allah’s pleasure.
