Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 1

Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding Surah Bani Isra’il, Surah Kahf, and Surah Maryam: [ إِنَّهُنَّ مِنَ الْعِتَاقِ الْأُوَلِ، وَ هُنَّ مِنْ تِلاَدِيْ ] [ بخاری، التفسیر، سورۃ بني إسرائیل : ۴۷۰۸ ] “These are among the earliest ancient surahs, and they are from my old treasures.” From this, it is known that this surah is Makki. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surah Bani Isra’il and Surah Zumar every night. [ مسند أحمد : 68/6، ح : ۲۴۴۴۲، عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنہا ۔ ترمذی : ۲۹۲۰، و صححہ الألباني ]

(Ayah 1) ➊ {سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْۤ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ: } The surah begins by declaring Allah free from every such thing that does not befit His majesty, as He said: « سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْۤ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ» Tantawi said, the best grammatical construction is that {’’ سُبْحٰنَ ‘‘} is a verbal noun and the omitted verb is {’’ سَبَّحْتُ ‘‘} or {’’ اُسَبِّحُ ‘‘ } as the absolute object, and it is annexed to {’’ الَّذِيْۤ ‘‘}, meaning: I declare Him (Allah) free from every defect and deficiency who... (Al-Tafsir Al-Wasit). It is understood that an act is about to be mentioned which is beyond human capability, so the discourse begins here by declaring Allah free from all defects, weaknesses, and shortcomings found in creation, and that He is capable of those acts which none but He can accomplish.

➋ { اَسْرٰى:} Shaykh Sulaiman Al-Jamal said: {’’ اَسْرٰى ‘‘} and {’’سَرٰی‘‘} both mean “he traveled at night,” both verbs are intransitive, the verbal noun of the first is {’’اَلْإِسْرَاءُ‘‘} and of the second is {’’اَلسُّرٰي‘‘} on the pattern of {’’ اَلْهُدٰي‘‘}, so to make it transitive, the preposition باء is brought in {’’ بِعَبْدِهٖ ‘‘ }, thus the meaning changes from “he traveled at night” to “He made (His servant) travel at night.” This also proves the virtue of the night; the standing, supplications, Isra and Mi’raj, and night journeys of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) are all evidence of this.

➌ {بِعَبْدِهٖ:} The phrase “His servant” is used to express the love and connection that Allah has with His last Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The scholars say that if there were a word more suitable here to express love, affection, and his greatness and status, Allah would have mentioned it. The word {’’عَبْدٌ‘‘ } was chosen because the highest and greatest attribute among all the attributes of creation is servitude and worship to Allah, and then by attributing it specifically to Himself, the rank was further elevated.

In declaring the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as His servant (slave, bondsman), there is also an indication that the Owner and Deity is only Allah, and all others are His servants, slaves, humble and obedient before Him, because {’’ عَبْدٌ ‘‘} means this, as He said: «اِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا» [ مریم : ۹۳ ] “Whoever is in the heavens and the earth will come to the Most Merciful as a servant.” The purpose is that the distinction between servitude and divinity, i.e., the status of worship and godhood, should be absolutely clear, and they should not be considered one and the same, as happened in Christianity, where they considered Allah, ‘Isa (peace be upon him), and his mother as one deity, not understanding the difference between servitude and divinity. Some false Muslims also equated Ahad and Ahmad. This verse clearly refutes them. Allamah Qasimi quoted from Imam Ibn Qayyim’s book {’’طَرِيْقُ الْهِجْرَتَيْنِ‘‘} that among all creation, the most perfect is the one who is most perfect in servitude to Allah, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the closest and highest in rank to Allah among all creation. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: [ وَاللّٰهِ! مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَرْفَعُوْنِيْ فَوْقَ مَنْزِلَتِيَ الَّتِيْ أَنْزَلَنِيَ اللّٰهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ ] [ مسند أحمد : 153/3: ۱۲۵۵۸، سلسلۃ الأحادیث الصحیحۃ : ۱۰۹۷، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ] “By Allah! O people! I do not like that you raise me above the rank which Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has granted me.” And he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: [ لَا تُطْرُوْنِيْ كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَي ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدُهُ فَقُوْلُوْا عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ ] [ بخاری، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب قول اللّٰہ تعالٰی : « واذکر فی الکتاب مریم…» : ۳۴۴۵ ] “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Mary. I am only His servant, so say: Allah’s servant and His Messenger.” Allah mentioned him by the name of servitude at his highest station of Isra and Mi’raj, as He said: « سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْۤ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ» and at the station of invitation He said: «وَ اَنَّهٗ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ يَدْعُوْهُ » [ الجن : ۱۹ ] and at the station of challenge He said: «وَ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِيْ رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلٰى عَبْدِنَا » [ البقرۃ : ۲۳ ]

➍ { لَيْلًا:} Zamakhshari said: If you say that {’’ إِسْرَاءٌ‘‘} itself means to travel at night, then what is the purpose of saying {’’ لَيْلًا ‘‘}? I say that by bringing the word {’’ لَيْلًا ‘‘} in the indefinite form, the intention is to indicate that the duration of the night in which the journey took place was short, that Allah made you cover the forty-night distance from Makkah to Shaam in a small part of the night, because the indefiniteness here gives the meaning of “some” (and according to some, of “fewness and insignificance”) (this has also been considered in the translation). Note: The journey of forty nights or more than a month is one way; for a round trip, consider it double.

➎ { مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ اِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْاَقْصَا:} Masjid al-Haram is the mosque around the Ka’bah, because it has several kinds of sanctity. Some scholars call the entire Haram “Masjid al-Haram.” On the night this journey took place, you (peace and blessings be upon him) were sleeping in the house of Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her). From there, you were brought to Hatim of the Ka’bah, and then from Hatim you mounted Buraq and reached Masjid al-Aqsa (the farthest mosque), i.e., Bayt al-Maqdis, which at that time was the farthest mosque from Makkah. Since the journey began from Hatim, many scholars consider only that part of the mosque to be Masjid al-Haram. From Bayt al-Maqdis, you ascended through the Mi’raj (ladder) above the seven heavens to Sidrat al-Muntaha, met many great prophets (peace be upon them) on the way, witnessed Paradise and Hell, saw Jibril (peace be upon him) in his true form near Sidrah, and there you were first commanded fifty prayers and finally five daily prayers. Then you returned to Bayt al-Maqdis and led all the prophets (peace be upon them) in prayer as Imam. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) preferred this, but Qadi ‘Iyad and others believe that the leadership of the prophets was done on the way to Mi’raj, not on the return. In any case, after that, you returned to Masjid al-Haram. For details of the Isra and Mi’raj incident, study Tafsir Ibn Kathir and the books of hadith. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has collected the narrations in great detail, order, and elegance.

➏ The journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa is called “Isra,” which is mentioned here, and the journey from there to Sidrat al-Muntaha is called “Mi’raj.” Its mention is in Surah Najm and the books of hadith. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned many hadiths with chains in the commentary of this verse, and in some of these narrations, he said at the end that Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The wording of this hadith is evidence that the Mi’raj took place on the same night when you went from Makkah to Bayt al-Maqdis, and this is the truth in which there is no doubt.”

➐ Qurtubi said that the incident of Isra is established in all the books of hadith and is narrated from the Companions in all the lands under Islam, so in this respect, it is mutawatir. Naqqash mentioned twenty Companions who narrated it. Although there is disagreement in some details, the main event is undoubtedly established. (Qurtubi)

➑ The belief of the scholars of the Salaf and Khalaf (may Allah have mercy on them) is that this incident occurred while awake, with both soul and body, and the word {’’بِعَبْدِهٖ ‘‘} in the Qur’an also testifies to this, because “servant” does not refer to the soul alone, but to the soul with the body. If this had been a dream, the disbelievers of Quraysh would not have denied it, because everyone sees strange things in dreams, nor would the Qur’an have mentioned it with the preamble {’’ سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْۤ ‘‘}, because these introductory words indicate that something important and extraordinary is being mentioned. Then in {’’ لِنُرِيَهٗ مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا ‘‘} and {’’ مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَ مَا طَغٰى ‘‘} (Najm: 17), seeing with the physical eyes is also mentioned, and riding Buraq is also evidence of a physical Mi’raj. Some scholars have argued from the verse: «وَ مَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِيْۤ اَرَيْنٰكَ اِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ » [ بنی إسرائیل : ۶۰ ] with the word {’’ الرُّءْيَا ‘‘} that this was a dream, but the scholarly researchers of language have stated that the word {’’ الرُّءْيَا ‘‘ } (which is the verbal noun of {’’رَأَي يَرَي‘‘}) is also used for seeing with the eyes while awake, and here this is what is meant. Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) explicitly said: [ هِيَ رُؤْيَا عَيْنٍ أُرِيَهَا رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ إِلٰی بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ ] [ بخاری، مناقب الأنصار، باب المعراج : ۳۸۸۸ ] “This was the seeing of the eyes which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was shown on the night he was taken to Bayt al-Maqdis.” It is clear that the argument of those scholars from this verse is not correct; all the Companions, both in narration and understanding, agree that the Mi’raj happened while awake and with the body. Only ‘A’ishah and Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with them both) are reported to have said that the Mi’raj was in a dream, but this narration is disconnected in chain, and it is their own opinion and argument from the verse «وَ مَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِيْۤ اَرَيْنٰكَ » [ بنی إسرائیل : ۶۰ ], which is not worthy of attention compared to the consensus of the Companions. (Shawkani, Ibn Kathir)

➒ The summary of Allamah Jamaluddin Qasimi’s statement is that most scholars say that Isra happened after the Prophethood and that it was one year before the Hijrah. This is the view of Zuhri, Ibn Sa’d, and others; Imam Nawawi also stated this with certainty. Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) even exaggerated and reported consensus on this, and said that this (Isra and Mi’raj) happened in Rajab, 12 Nabawi. The mind is satisfied that the events of Isra and Mi’raj occurred after the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), because during that period the persecution of the polytheists greatly increased, so Allah granted you this favor to console you for the harm from them and to honor and elevate you. In Ashraf al-Hawashi it is stated that according to most narrations, this incident was one year before the Hijrah. Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) reported consensus on this, and Mulla Amin ‘Umari declared it definitive. In some narrations, three years before is also mentioned.

Allamah Shanqiti (may Allah have mercy on him) said that what is mentioned in the Sahihayn from the chain “Sharik from Anas” that the Isra occurred in a dream, is not contrary to the clear texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah and the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah (that Isra and Mi’raj happened physically while awake), because it is quite possible that all this was first shown to you in a dream and then confirmed in wakefulness, just as you (peace and blessings be upon him) saw in a dream: «لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ اِنْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ اٰمِنِيْنَ مُحَلِّقِيْنَ رُءُوْسَكُمْ وَ مُقَصِّرِيْنَ » [ الفتح : ۲۷ ] “You will surely enter Masjid al-Haram, if Allah wills, in security, with your heads shaved and hair cut short.” Then this was actually fulfilled in wakefulness. This is also confirmed by the hadith of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that whatever you saw in a dream would appear before you in the day as clearly as the rising of the morning. Moreover, many huffaz besides Sharik have narrated this hadith from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), but none of them mentioned the words about seeing in a dream. A group of scholars said that Sharik bin ‘Abdullah bin Abi Numayr did not remember this narration from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) correctly. Imam Muslim said that Sharik narrated this hadith like Thabit Banani (student of Anas), but he mixed up some things and added or omitted some. The narration of all the other huffaz is correct and does not contain Sharik’s words.

➓ Some people make special arrangements for standing in prayer, recitation, and remembrance on the night of Mi’raj like Laylat al-Qadr. If there were any reality to this, then at least the month and day in which this incident occurred would have been known with an authentic chain, and the Companions would have observed it on that night. Whereas there is no authentic narration about the 27th of Rajab, nor is there any mention of special worship on this night from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or the Companions. As for fireworks and illuminations, they are an imitation of fire-worshippers and must be avoided.

⓫ Whether the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Allah on this occasion or not, this discussion will come in Surah Najm (9) «فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ اَوْ اَدْنٰى », and the incident of Mi’raj will also be mentioned there as needed. (InshaAllah)

⓬ { الَّذِيْ بٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهٗ:} That is, there are apparent and material blessings there, such as abundance of springs, rivers, all kinds of grains and fruits, and in terms of spiritual and inner blessings, that region is blessed because all four sacred books were recited in Bayt al-Maqdis, many prophets and messengers were sent there, and it is the second mosque built in the world after the Ka’bah, which is among the three mosques besides which it is forbidden to undertake a journey to any other place with the intention of reward. In several places in the Qur’an, this term refers to Bayt al-Maqdis and Shaam, as He said: «وَ نَجَّيْنٰهُ وَ لُوْطًا اِلَى الْاَرْضِ الَّتِيْ بٰرَكْنَا فِيْهَا لِلْعٰلَمِيْنَ» [ الأنبیاء : ۷۱] “And We delivered him and Lot to the land which We had blessed for the worlds.” And He said: «وَ لِسُلَيْمٰنَ الرِّيْحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِيْ بِاَمْرِهٖۤ اِلَى الْاَرْضِ الَّتِيْ بٰرَكْنَا فِيْهَا» [ الأنبیاء : ۸۱ ] “And for Solomon, the wind (was subjected), blowing forcefully, proceeding by his command toward the land which We had blessed.” All these verses refer to the land of Shaam.

⓭ { لِنُرِيَهٗ مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا:} The signs that appeared during Isra, such as the roof of your house being opened, Jibril (peace be upon him) opening your blessed chest, washing your heart with Zamzam, filling it with faith and wisdom, then sealing it again, riding Buraq whose step reached the horizon, covering months of journey in moments, being presented with milk and wine in Bayt al-Maqdis and your preference for milk, meeting and leading the prophets (peace be upon them), and many other signs of the journey of Mi’raj, about which He said: «لَقَدْ رَاٰى مِنْ اٰيٰتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرٰى » [ النجم : ۱۸ ] “Indeed, he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.”

⓮ {اِنَّهٗ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْبَصِيْرُ:} In this verse, Allah first mentioned Himself in the third person in {’’ سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْۤ اَسْرٰى ‘‘}, then in {’’ بٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهٗ ‘‘} and {’’ لِنُرِيَهٗ مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا ‘‘} three times in the first person plural for majesty, then at the end of this verse again in the third person {’’اِنَّهٗ هُوَ ‘‘}, and in the next verse again in the first person plural. Yet, there is no confusion in understanding, rather it adds to the beauty. This style of speech is the height of eloquence, called “iltifat” in Arabic. The purpose is that after hearing the incident of Isra, the acceptance of it by the believers and the denial by the disbelievers, and whatever both said and did regarding it, surely He (Allah) is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, and deals with everyone accordingly and gives reward and punishment.

1. Exalted is (1) that Allah who took His servant (2) by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (3), whose surroundings We have blessed (4), so that We might show him some of Our signs of power (5). Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

1. Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram [1] to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed [2], so that We might show him some of Our signs [3]. Surely, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

[1]
Proofs of the Physical Nature of the Mi'raj Incident:

This incident occurred approximately one year before the Prophet’s migration. There are two parts to this event. The journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa is called "Isra," and only the incident of Isra is mentioned in the Quran. The second part, the journey from Masjid al-Aqsa to the heavens and back, is called "Mi'raj," and the incident of Mi'raj is mentioned in many hadiths—even the number of Companions who narrated the event exceeds twenty-five. The consensus of the Ummah is that this journey was physical, not merely spiritual (like in a dream) or visionary. However, some people also consider it spiritual, and the deniers of hadith reject the incident of Mi'raj altogether. Since the incident of Isra is mentioned in the Quran, they make incorrect interpretations of it. In our view, this incident was a physical journey, and the reasons are as follows:
1. The incident begins with emphatic words like ﴿سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي﴾, and this word is generally used at places of wonder and amazement and to manifest the power of Allah. If this incident were merely a dream or a vision, there would have been no need to use such words at the beginning.
2. The word "abd" (servant) refers to the combination of body and soul. This word is not used solely for the body or solely for the soul.
3. If, after the incident, the denial of the disbelievers is established, then it is an extraordinary event or a miracle. Thus, Allah says: ﴿وَاِنْ يَّرَوْا ايَٰةً يُّعْرِضُوْا وَيَقُوْلُوْا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ﴾ [3: 54] "And when these (disbelievers) see any sign or miracle, they say, 'This is nothing but passing magic.'"
And this is proven by authentic hadiths that when you ﷺ narrated this incident in the morning, the disbelievers mocked it, saying that the journey from Makkah to Bayt al-Maqdis takes forty days, and the round trip takes eighty days—how could this be possible in a single night? And (God forbid) they attributed it to your ﷺ insanity. It reached the point that those who used to travel to Bayt al-Maqdis began to ask questions. At that time, you were standing in Hatim. Allah removed all the veils, so you saw Masjid al-Aqsa before you and answered the disbelievers' questions as they asked, as is clear from the hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari mentioned ahead. And those who considered it a dream base their argument on the following words of verse 60 of this Surah: ﴿وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِيْٓ اَرَيْنٰكَ اِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ﴾ [40: 17] "And this (incident) which We showed you, We made it only as a trial for the people."

Refutation of Those Who Consider It a Spiritual Journey:

In this verse, since the word "ru'ya" is also used for a dream, those people were led to the misunderstanding of a spiritual journey. There are three reasons for the weakness of this view:
1. Linguistically, the word "ru'ya" can be applied to any incident seen with the eyes, whether seen in a state of wakefulness or in sleep.
2. If this incident were merely a dream, there would be no trial for the people in it. Anyone can see such a dream.
3. This view is rare compared to the consensus of the Ummah.

Interpretations of the Deniers of Hadith and Their Refutation:

And the deniers of hadith interpret the verse to mean that Isra refers to your migration, which began at night, and Masjid al-Aqsa refers to the distant mosque, i.e., 'Masjid Nabawi.' This interpretation is wrong for several reasons, for example:
1. According to the authentic narration of Bukhari, the migration journey began from the house of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ, whereas this incident began from Masjid al-Haram.
2. According to Bukhari's narration, the migration incident occurred in the scorching heat of midday when people were resting, whereas the Mi'raj began at night.
3. The migration incident did not occur in a single night or overnight; rather, the journey took fifteen days and fifteen nights, whereas the Mi'raj occurred in a single night.
4. Abandoning the conventional meaning of Masjid al-Aqsa and taking its literal meaning as "distant mosque" is against custom and therefore invalid.
5. Masjid Nabawi was built much later, so how could it be the final destination of your journey? And the incident of Mi'raj is denied on the basis that it assigns a direction to Allah, whereas Allah is present everywhere. This is actually the discussion of "Istiwa 'ala al-'Arsh" and is lengthy, which cannot be covered here. [تفصيل كے ليے ديكهئے ميري تصنيف آئينه پرويزيت]
Now we present some hadiths regarding Isra and Mi'raj so that the details of this incident become clear.
1. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The night I was taken to Bayt al-Maqdis, two bowls were brought before me—one of milk and the other of wine. I looked at both, then took the bowl of milk. At that time, Jibril said, 'All praise is due to Allah who guided you to the natural way (i.e., Islam). If you had taken the bowl of wine, your Ummah would have gone astray.'"
2. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ narrates that on the night of Mi'raj, Buraq was brought to the Prophet ﷺ, which was bridled and saddled. It acted restlessly, so Jibril ؑ said, "Are you being restless before Muhammad ﷺ, whereas there is no one more honored by Allah who has ridden you?" The narrator says that then Buraq began to sweat. [ترمذي، كتاب التفسير]
3. Sayyiduna Buraydah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "On the night of Mi'raj, when we reached Bayt al-Maqdis, Jibril ؑ pointed with his finger and split a stone, then tied Buraq to it." [ترمذي۔ ايضاً]
4. Sayyiduna Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When the disbelievers of Quraysh denied me, I was standing in the Hijr (Hatim). Allah brought Bayt al-Maqdis before me, and whatever signs they asked me about, I would see and inform them." [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]
5. Sayyiduna Abu Dharr Ghifari ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The roof of my house was opened while I was in Makkah. Jibril ؑ descended. He split open my chest, washed it with Zamzam water, then brought a golden tray filled with faith and wisdom and poured it into my chest, then closed it up. Then Jibril ؑ took my hand and ascended with me towards the sky. When I reached the first heaven, Jibril ؑ said to the gatekeeper, 'Open the door.' He asked, 'Who is it?' Jibril replied, 'It is I, Jibril.' He asked, 'Is there anyone with you?' Jibril ؑ said, 'Yes, Muhammad ﷺ is with me.' He asked, 'Has he been called?' Jibril ؑ said, 'Yes.' Then the gatekeeper opened the door, and we ascended to the lowest heaven (the first heaven). There was a man sitting there, with a group on his right and a group on his left. When he looked to his right, he laughed, and when he looked to his left, he wept. He said, 'Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous son.' I asked Jibril ؑ, 'Who are these people?' Jibril ؑ said, 'This is Adam. On his right are the people of Paradise, and on his left are the people of Hell. When he looks to his right, he laughs, and when he looks to his left, he weeps.' Then Jibril ؑ ascended with me to the second heaven and said to the gatekeeper, 'Open the door.' He said the same as the first. Then you saw Adam ؑ, Idris ؑ, Musa ؑ, Isa ؑ, and Ibrahim ؑ in the heavens, but their stations were not described. However, it was mentioned that Adam ؑ was on the first heaven and Ibrahim ؑ on the sixth. When we passed by Prophet Idris, he said to me, 'Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous brother.' I asked Jibril, 'Who is this?' Jibril said, 'This is Idris.' Then I passed by Musa ؑ, and he said the same. I asked Jibril ؑ, 'Who is this?' Jibril ؑ said, 'This is Musa.' Then I passed by Isa ؑ, and he said the same. I asked Jibril ؑ, and he said, 'This is Isa.' Then I passed by Ibrahim ؑ, and he said the same. I asked Jibril, and he said, 'This is Ibrahim.' Then Jibril ؑ ascended with me until I reached a high, level place where I heard the sound of pens moving. Then Allah made fifty prayers obligatory upon my Ummah. I returned with this command. When I reached Musa ؑ, he said, 'Return to your Lord, for your Ummah will not be able to bear this.' I returned, and Allah reduced it somewhat. Then I came to Musa ؑ, and he said, 'Return to your Lord, for your Ummah will not be able to bear this.' I returned again (and this happened several times). These five prayers are actually fifty (in reward), and My word does not change. Then I came to Musa again, and he said the same. I said, 'Now I feel shy to return to my Lord.' Then Jibril ؑ took me, and we reached Sidrat al-Muntaha. It was covered with many kinds of colors—I do not know what they were. Then I was taken to Paradise. There I saw that its domes were of pearls and its soil was musk." [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوٰة۔ باب كيف فرضت الصلوة نيز كتاب بدأ الخلق۔ باب ادريسؑ]
6. Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqa ؓ says that when Allah made prayer obligatory (on the night of Mi'raj), two rak'ahs were made obligatory for each prayer, whether in travel or at home. Later, the prayer in travel remained two rak'ahs, and the prayer at home was increased. [حواله ايضاً]
7. Malik bin Sa'sa'ah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Once I was sitting near the Ka'bah in a state between sleep and wakefulness, and the middle one of three men split open my chest and filled it with faith and wisdom. Then Buraq was brought to me, which was slightly smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey. Then I reached the first heaven with Jibril ؑ (the conversation is the same as in the previous narration), where I met Adam. On the second, I met Isa ؑ and Yahya ؑ; on the third, Yusuf ؑ; on the fourth, Idris ؑ; on the fifth, Harun ؑ; on the sixth, Musa ؑ; and on the seventh, Ibrahim ؑ. Then I was shown Bayt al-Ma'mur (the Ka'bah of the angels). I asked Jibril ؑ about it, and he said that every day seventy thousand angels pray here, and when they leave, they never return. Then I was shown Sidrat al-Muntaha, whose berries are like the jars of Hajar and whose leaves are like elephant ears. Four rivers flow from its root—two hidden and two visible. The hidden ones go to Paradise (Salsabil and Kawthar), and the visible ones are the Nile and the Euphrates. Then fifty prayers were made obligatory upon me. I passed by Musa ؑ, and he said (I know the people better than you, and I have tried greatly with Bani Israel, so go back). Thus, ten prayers were reduced (as in the previous narration), then thirty, then twenty, then ten, and then five. When Musa ؑ told me to go again, I said, 'I have accepted them well.' Then a call came from Allah: 'I have fulfilled My obligation and have given relief to My servants. For every good deed (prayer), I will give tenfold reward.'" [بخاري۔ كتاب بدأ الخلق۔ باب ذكر الملائكه بخاري۔ كتاب المناقب، باب المعراج]
Most of the details of this incident have come in these hadiths; however, some details are also mentioned in other hadiths, and the noteworthy headings of those details are as follows:
1. The gathering of all previous prophets in Bayt al-Maqdis, Jibril ؑ advancing you to lead, and your ﷺ leading the prayer, which proves your superiority over all the prophets.
2. Your meeting with some of the resolute messengers on different heavens, which shows the ranks of these messengers.
3. The obligation of five prayers or the gift of Mi'raj, after which prayers began to be performed at five times.
4. The journey above the seven heavens to Sidrat al-Muntaha, witnessing the wonders of Allah, seeing Paradise and Hell, and witnessing the exemplary punishments for some crimes, etc. Where did this journey begin? One remaining discussion about this incident is: Where did the journey of Isra begin? According to the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr Ghifari ؓ, it began from your ﷺ house. According to the narration of Malik bin Sa'sa'ah ؓ, it began from the Ka'bah. And according to a third narration, it began from the house of Umm Hani ؓ. The decisive statement in this matter is that it began from Masjid al-Haram, and the Quran supports this. As for the other narrations, two ways of reconciliation are mentioned: one is that the whole of Makkah is considered Masjid al-Haram, and there are proofs for this. The second way is that wherever you were, you were first brought to Masjid al-Haram, and then the journey to Masjid al-Aqsa began.

[2] That is, outwardly, this region is fertile, lush, and green, and spiritually, it has been the center of preaching, residence, and burial of many prophets. Therefore, blessings from Allah continue to descend there at all times, and by this is meant the region of Syria and Palestine.

[3] These words also support the incident of Mi'raj, and the purpose was to show you the "Malakut al-Samawat wal-Ard" (the dominion of the heavens and the earth). Even the scenes of Paradise and Hell were shown to you ﷺ. And all resolute prophets are shown such things so that they can invite people with full conviction to those unseen matters which they have witnessed with their own eyes.