Isra wal Miraj (الإسراء والمعراج) was the miraculous night journey of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in which he was transported from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (the Isra), and then ascended through the seven heavens to the presence of Allah (the Miraj). It is one of the most profound miracles in Islam and is directly referenced in the Qur'an.
Exalted is the One 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.
When did Isra wal Miraj take place?
Scholars differ on the exact date, but the most commonly cited view is that Isra wal Miraj occurred on the 27th of Rajab, approximately one year before the Hijra (migration to Madinah) — so around 621 CE. It took place during the Year of Sadness ('Am al-Huzn), when the Prophet ﷺ had lost both his wife Khadijah (RA) and his uncle Abu Talib within a short period. The night journey was a divine consolation and elevation at the lowest point of the Prophet's earthly experience.
The Isra — the Night Journey from Makkah to Jerusalem
The journey began at the Kaaba (or, in some narrations, at the house of Umm Hani in Makkah). The angel Jibreel (Gabriel, AS) came to the Prophet ﷺ and opened his chest, washing his heart with Zamzam water and filling it with faith and wisdom — an event that had occurred previously in his childhood. The Prophet ﷺ was then mounted on the Buraq — a white creature larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, each stride as far as the eye can see — and transported to Jerusalem in an instant.
In Jerusalem, at Masjid al-Aqsa, the Prophet ﷺ led all the Prophets — including Ibrahim, Musa, Isa (AS) and others — in prayer. This act signified that Muhammad ﷺ is the Imam (leader) and seal of all prophethood. It also established the spiritual link between the three great mosques of Islam: Masjid al-Haram (Makkah), Masjid an-Nabawi (Madinah) and Masjid al-Aqsa (Jerusalem).
The Miraj — the Ascension through the Seven Heavens
From Masjid al-Aqsa, the Prophet ﷺ ascended to the heavens on the Miraj (a ladder or staircase). In each heaven he met one of the great Prophets:
- First Heaven: Adam (AS) — the father of humanity.
- Second Heaven: Yahya (John) and Isa (Jesus, AS).
- Third Heaven: Yusuf (Joseph, AS) — given half of all beauty.
- Fourth Heaven: Idris (Enoch, AS) — raised to a high station.
- Fifth Heaven: Harun (Aaron, AS) — brother of Musa.
- Sixth Heaven: Musa (Moses, AS) — who would later advise the Prophet to return and reduce the number of prayers.
- Seventh Heaven: Ibrahim (Abraham, AS) — the Khalilullah (Friend of Allah), leaning against the Bayt al-Ma'mur (the heavenly counterpart of the Kaaba, visited by 70,000 angels daily).
Beyond the seventh heaven, the Prophet ﷺ was brought to the Sidrat al-Muntaha — the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary — which marks the limit of all created knowledge. Jibreel (AS) stopped here, unable to proceed further. The Prophet ﷺ alone continued to the presence of Allah, where he was given three gifts: the final verses of Surah al-Baqarah, forgiveness for his ummah who do not commit shirk, and the five daily prayers.
The gift of the five daily prayers
Allah initially commanded fifty prayers per day. On his descent, the Prophet ﷺ passed Musa (AS) in the sixth heaven. Musa advised him to return and ask for a reduction, as he had experience with the Children of Israel and knew people could not sustain fifty prayers. The Prophet ﷺ returned to Allah multiple times, each time receiving a reduction of five, until the prayers were brought to five per day — but with the reward of fifty recorded for those who prayed them sincerely.
They are five prayers, but in reward they are fifty, for My word does not change.
The reaction of the Quraysh
When the Prophet ﷺ returned to Makkah and told the Quraysh of his journey, most mocked him and called it impossible. Some Muslims who had previously believed wavered. Abu Bakr (RA) — when asked whether he believed it — said: 'If he says so, then I believe him. I believe him in things greater than that — revelations from Allah.' This earned Abu Bakr the title 'as-Siddiq' (the Truthful).
The spiritual significance of Isra wal Miraj
- It affirmed the Prophet ﷺ as the leader and seal of all Prophets.
- It established the link between Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem as Islam's three holiest sites.
- It gave the ummah the five daily prayers — the most important pillar of Islamic practice after the Shahada.
- It was a mercy to the Prophet ﷺ at a time of personal grief and communal rejection.
- It demonstrated Allah's omnipotence — distance, time and the laws of physics are subject to His will.
Frequently asked questions about Isra wal Miraj
When is Isra wal Miraj celebrated?
Isra wal Miraj is commemorated on the 27th of Rajab (the seventh month of the Islamic calendar). The date shifts each year in the Gregorian calendar. While many Muslims hold lectures, night prayers and gatherings on this night, it should be noted that there is no specific prayer or ritual mandated for this night in the Sunnah — any extra worship should be done out of general devotion, not as an invented obligation.
Was Isra wal Miraj physical or spiritual?
The mainstream position of Islamic scholars (Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama'ah), based on the Qur'anic phrase 'took His servant by night' — using 'abd (servant/body, not just soul) — is that the journey was both physical and spiritual. The fact that the Quraysh disbelieved it (they would not have been surprised if it were merely a dream) further supports that it was a bodily journey.
What is the Buraq?
The Buraq is a creature from the unseen (ghayb) described as white, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, with each step covering the full extent of its vision. It was the conveyance used for both the Isra (Makkah to Jerusalem) and had been used by previous prophets including Ibrahim (AS).