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### The Ascension (Miʿraj) of the Noble Prophet
*(May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace)*
Reflecting upon the Night Journey (*Isra*) of the Prophet from the Sacred Mosque (*al‑Masjid al‑Haram*) to the Furthest Mosque (*al‑Masjid al‑Aqsa*), and his ascension from there to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (*Sidrat al‑Muntaha*), is to reflect upon one of his miracles and divine honors which the Holy Qur’an affirms in Surahs *Al‑Isra* and *An‑Najm*. Explaining the details of the signs that were shown to him during this journey requires referring to how the Qur’an itself describes them. Regarding the *Isra*, Allah says:
“Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All‑Hearing, the All‑Seeing.”
(Qur’an 17:1)
**1. “Glory be to Him” (Subḥān):**
God begins this verse with glorification and transcendence. The word *Subḥān* is a declaration that Allah, Exalted is His Name, is free from any attribute unworthy of Him. Although it may sometimes convey amazement, the more apparent meaning here is transcendence.
Perhaps the reason for beginning with this declaration is to affirm God’s freedom from any incapacity, in view of what follows: the Night Journey of His servant from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque within a very short span of time. It may also serve to declare His transcendence from corporeality, direction, physical vision, or anything inconsistent with His majesty and perfection, so that no one imagines that the purpose of the Ascension was to see God—Blessed and Exalted—in the realm of His throne and dominion. The first interpretation, however, appears more likely.
**2. The meaning of “Isra”:**
Linguistically, *Isra* means traveling at night. One may say *sarā* (he traveled by night) or *asrā*, both with the same meaning. The reason for explicitly adding the word “by night” (*laylan*) despite it already being implied will be clarified below.
**3. “With His servant” (bi‑ʿabdihi):**
This phrase indicates that the Night Journey occurred with both body and soul together, in a waking state and not in a dream. In the Qur’an the word *ʿabd* (servant) is never used except to refer to the complete human being—body and soul together. For example:
“The free for the free and the slave for the slave.” (Qur’an 2:178)
“A believing slave is better than a polytheist.” (Qur’an 2:221)
There are many other verses—nearly twenty‑eight—in which the word *servant* appears in this sense. This is further supported by the fact that the surah begins with the declaration: “Glory be to Him who took His servant…” Especially if the phrase carries the sense of wonder, it refers to a tremendous and extraordinary event. If the journey had occurred merely in the form of a dream of the soul, it would not have been such a remarkable matter.
Reports attributed to figures such as Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān claiming that it was merely a true vision are rejected, since he was at that time still among the polytheists, whose testimony on such matters cannot be accepted. Likewise, what is attributed to ʿĀʾishah—that the Prophet’s body was not absent but that his soul was taken—is also rejected, because she was very young at the time and had not yet married the Prophet, and according to some opinions may not even have been born yet.
Abu Jaʿfar al‑Tabari states in his Qur’anic commentary:
“The correct opinion, in our view, is that Allah took His servant Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque, as Allah informed His servants in the Qur’an and as the reports from the Messenger of Allah consistently affirm. Allah carried him on the creature known as al‑Buraq until he reached there, where he prayed with the prophets and messengers and was shown the signs that he was shown. There is no meaning in the claim that the journey occurred only with his soul, because such an event would not constitute proof of his prophethood or evidence of his mission. Moreover, those among the polytheists who denied the event did not deny it as a dream—for no one among people of sound nature denies that one may see in a dream what lies a year’s journey away, let alone a month’s journey or less. Furthermore, Allah says He took His servant, not merely the soul of His servant. It is not permissible for anyone to go beyond what Allah has stated. In addition, the clear reports state that he was carried upon the mount called al‑Buraq; and if the journey had been only with the soul, it would not have been carried upon a mount, since animals carry bodies, not souls.”
**4. “By night” (laylan):**
This indicates that the journey took place during a *portion* of the night. The indefiniteness of the word suggests this partial meaning, whereas the word *Isra* alone simply indicates that the journey occurred at night.
Al‑Zamakhshari explained that the indefinite form implies that he was taken during only part of the night, although the distance between Mecca and the Levant would normally take forty nights to travel. The Qur’an itself shows that movement of extraordinary speed is possible. For instance, the winds carried Prophet Solomon swiftly to distant lands. Likewise, the Qur’an narrates that a man “who had knowledge of the Book” brought the throne of the Queen of Sheba from the farthest part of Yemen to the Levant in the blink of an eye:
“One who had knowledge of the Book said: ‘I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.’ And when he saw it set before him, he said: ‘This is from the grace of my Lord.’” (Qur’an 27:40)
If such an event was possible for people before, then it is certainly possible for the Prophet. Even today we witness technological inventions in transportation that enable people to cross vast distances—oceans and continents—within only a few hours. This makes it easier to understand that such a journey, though extraordinary, is not impossible. If human beings with their limited power can accomplish such feats, then Allah—Who created them weak—has far greater power over all things. As the Qur’an says: “They have not estimated Allah with the estimation due to Him.”
**5. “From the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque”:**
This phrase defines the beginning and the end of the journey: it began at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and ended at the Furthest Mosque in Jerusalem, as indicated by the phrase “whose surroundings We have blessed.” It was called *al‑Aqsa* (“the farthest”) because it was the most distant mosque relative to Mecca, where the Prophet and his audience lived.
Most commentators hold that the Prophet was taken from the house of Umm Hani, the sister of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, whose husband was Hubayrah ibn Abi Lahab al‑Makhzumi. The Prophet had been sleeping there that night, and “the Sacred Mosque” here is understood to mean the entire sanctuary of Mecca.
Others say that the journey began from the valley of Abu Talib.
The first opinion better corresponds with the apparent meaning of the Qur’an, though the other two views may also be reconciled. One explanation is that a famous sacred place may give its name to the surrounding area—just as “Masjid al‑Shajarah” refers to the entire area of Dhu al‑Hulayfah, or the shrine of Imam ʿAli refers to the whole city of Najaf. Thus the Sacred Mosque may refer to the entire sanctuary of Mecca, including the house from which the Prophet departed or the valley where he had once taken refuge.
Another possibility is that the Night Journey occurred twice—once from the Sacred Mosque and once from the house of Umm Hani or from the valley. This is supported by a narration reported by al‑Kulaynī in which Abu Basir asked Imam Jaʿfar al‑Sadiq how many times the Prophet ascended to heaven, and he replied: “Twice.”
**6. “Whose surroundings We have blessed”:**
This means that Allah placed blessings in its surroundings—trees, fruits, vegetation, security, and abundance—so that its inhabitants would not need provisions from elsewhere. In addition, God made it the dwelling place of prophets and the descent point of angels, gathering there the blessings of both religion and worldly life.
**7. “So that We might show him some of Our signs”:**
This phrase explains the purpose of the Night Journey: to show the Prophet the wonders of divine signs and the marvels of creation. Among these signs was the very journey itself from Mecca to Jerusalem within a single night—an extraordinary event beyond ordinary experience.
If the Furthest Mosque were the final point of the journey, then the signs shown to him would include what he saw on the way there, as well as the places associated with the prophets and their graves. But if the ascent to heaven followed this journey—as many reports indicate—then the scope of those signs becomes far greater.
The wording also suggests the greatness of the signs revealed to him, since God says “some of Our signs,” not all of them. The purpose was that the Prophet would return from this journey with a heart expanded and illuminated by the manifestations of divine majesty and beauty.
As for the claim that the purpose was to see God Himself, this is an idea fabricated through distortion and false interpretation. Traditions reported from the Imams of the Prophet’s Household strongly reject this notion. Al‑Saduq narrates in *ʿIlal al‑Shara’iʿ* that Thabit ibn Dinar asked Imam ʿAli Zayn al‑ʿAbidin whether God can be described by place. The Imam replied: “Exalted is He above that.” When asked why the Prophet was taken to heaven, he said: “So that He might show him the kingdom of the heavens and the wonders of His creation.”
In another narration, Yunus ibn ʿAbd al‑Rahman asked Imam Musa ibn Jaʿfar why Allah raised the Prophet to the heavens, then to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary and beyond the veils of light where He spoke with him—while God cannot be described by place. The Imam replied:
“Allah, Blessed and Exalted, cannot be described by place nor does time apply to Him. Rather, He intended to honor the angels and the inhabitants of the heavens by allowing them to witness His Prophet, and to show him the marvels of His greatness so that he might inform people after returning. It is not as the anthropomorphists claim. Glory be to Allah, exalted above what they associate with Him.”
**8. “Indeed, He is the All‑Hearing, the All‑Seeing”:**
This statement explains the wisdom behind showing the Prophet these signs. It means that God hears the words of His servants and sees their actions—He hears those who believe in the Prophet and those who deny him, and He sees all that they do.
