In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most MercifulHoly is He Who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque (in Makka) to the farther Mosque (in Jerusalem) - whose surroundings We have blessed - that We might show him some of Our signs . Indeed He alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Quran 17:1)
Detailed reports about it are found in the works of
Hadith and
Sirah and have been narrated from as many as twenty-five Companions. The most exhaustive reports are those from Anas ibn Malik, Malik ibn Sa'sa'ah, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Abu Hurayrah. Some other details have been narrated by 'Umar, 'Ali, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, 'Abd Allah ibn Abbas, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, and 'A'ishah among other Companions of the Prophet
Isra and Mi'raj, also known as Al Isra' wal Miraj, is observed on the 27th day of the month of Rajab, the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. This event marks the night that Allah (God) took Mohammad (also known as Mohamed or Muhammed) on a journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to heaven.
Background
The Prophet Mohammad (also written as Muhammad) lived in and around the area that is now Saudi Arabia in the years 570 CE to 632 CE in the Gregorian calendar. According to Islamic belief, God (Allah) took him on a
two-part journey sometime around the year 620 CE. The
first part of the journey,
known as Isra, was from Mecca to the "furthest" mosque. There is some debate about the "furthest" mosque's location. Some Muslims believe that it signifies a mosque that was far away from Mecca, while others believe that is was the Dome of the Rock (Masjid Qubbat As-Sakhrah) on the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) in Jerusalem.
It is believed that
Mohammad was shown heaven and hell in the second part of the journey, known as Mi'raj. He talked with many prophets, including Jesus and Moses, in heaven. He also received instructions on Islamic prayer. Mohammad returned to Mecca before the end of the night. Some Islamic scholars regard Mohammed's journey as a spiritual experience while others see it as a physical journey.
His journey is remembered and commemorated on Isra and Mi'raj.
