Source: Fatāwā of the Scholars of Hadith, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Volume 1
The Isrā and Miʿrāj is a magnificent event in which Allah ﷻ showed the Noble Prophet ﷺ signs of His divine power. This event is a testimony to the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ and his exalted status in the sight of Allah ﷻ. The Qur’ān mentions this event as follows:
"سُبْحَانَ ٱلَّذِى أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَى ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ"
(Sūrah al-Isrā: 1)
Translation: Glorified is He who took His servant by night from Masjid al-Ḥarām to Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We might show him of Our signs. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
The incident of the Prophet’s ﷺ ascension to the heavens (Miʿrāj) is established through mutawātir (mass-transmitted) Ahādīth. On that night, the Prophet ﷺ was taken above the seven heavens, where his Lord spoke to him and made the prayer (Ṣalāh) obligatory. Initially, fifty prayers were prescribed, but upon the Prophet’s ﷺ supplication, Allah reduced them to five, while maintaining the reward equal to fifty.
There is no authentic narration that definitively establishes the date on which Miʿrāj occurred. Hadith scholars have declared all narrations regarding its exact date to be weak. Allah ﷻ has concealed this date from the minds of people, and great wisdom lies in this concealment.
Although Miʿrāj is a momentous event, neither the Prophet ﷺ nor his noble Companions ever commemorated this night with special acts of worship or celebratory gatherings. Had celebrating the night of Miʿrāj been a part of Islam, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions would certainly have observed it and clarified its observance to the Ummah.
Dedicating the night of Miʿrāj for specific acts of worship or celebration falls under the category of bidʿah (innovation), because there is no precedent for such in the religion of Islam. Numerous Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ strongly condemn innovations and urge Muslims to avoid them.
"مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ"
Translation: Whoever introduces into our religion something which is not from it, it will be rejected.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
"مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ"
Translation: Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our religion, it is rejected.
"أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ، هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ"
Translation: Verily, the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of matters are the newly introduced ones; every innovation is misguidance.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Allah ﷻ has clearly declared the completion of religion in the Qur’ān:
"ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًۭا"
(Sūrah al-Mā'idah: 3)
Translation: Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam for you as your religion.
The Prophet ﷺ commanded his Ummah to adhere strictly to the religion and avoid innovations. In one narration, he said:
"فَعَلَيْكُم بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ، تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ، فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ"
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī)
Translation: You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. Hold on to it firmly, bite onto it with your molars. Beware of newly invented matters, for every innovation is misguidance.
Engaging in innovations equates to altering the religion by adding new rulings that are not from Allah. This contradicts the completion of the religion and resembles the actions of Jews and Christians who incorporated foreign elements into their religion.
Celebrating the night of Miʿrāj or assigning specific acts of worship to it has no basis in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions never observed this night with any specific gatherings or rituals. The evidence presented here against celebrating the night of Miʿrāj suffices for any seeker of truth.
(Fatwa: Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz رحمه الله)
❀ The Incident of Isrā and Miʿrāj
The Isrā and Miʿrāj is a magnificent event in which Allah ﷻ showed the Noble Prophet ﷺ signs of His divine power. This event is a testimony to the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ and his exalted status in the sight of Allah ﷻ. The Qur’ān mentions this event as follows:
"سُبْحَانَ ٱلَّذِى أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَى ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ"
(Sūrah al-Isrā: 1)
Translation: Glorified is He who took His servant by night from Masjid al-Ḥarām to Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We might show him of Our signs. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
❀ The Reality and Significance of Miʿrāj
The incident of the Prophet’s ﷺ ascension to the heavens (Miʿrāj) is established through mutawātir (mass-transmitted) Ahādīth. On that night, the Prophet ﷺ was taken above the seven heavens, where his Lord spoke to him and made the prayer (Ṣalāh) obligatory. Initially, fifty prayers were prescribed, but upon the Prophet’s ﷺ supplication, Allah reduced them to five, while maintaining the reward equal to fifty.
❀ Reports Regarding the Date of Miʿrāj
There is no authentic narration that definitively establishes the date on which Miʿrāj occurred. Hadith scholars have declared all narrations regarding its exact date to be weak. Allah ﷻ has concealed this date from the minds of people, and great wisdom lies in this concealment.
❀ The Ruling on Celebrating the Night of Miʿrāj
Although Miʿrāj is a momentous event, neither the Prophet ﷺ nor his noble Companions ever commemorated this night with special acts of worship or celebratory gatherings. Had celebrating the night of Miʿrāj been a part of Islam, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions would certainly have observed it and clarified its observance to the Ummah.
❀ Prohibition of Innovations in Religion
Dedicating the night of Miʿrāj for specific acts of worship or celebration falls under the category of bidʿah (innovation), because there is no precedent for such in the religion of Islam. Numerous Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ strongly condemn innovations and urge Muslims to avoid them.
✔ Hadith from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
"مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ"
Translation: Whoever introduces into our religion something which is not from it, it will be rejected.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
✔ Another Hadith from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
"مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ"
Translation: Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our religion, it is rejected.
❀ Sermon of the Prophet ﷺ During Jumuʿah:
"أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ، هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ"
Translation: Verily, the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of matters are the newly introduced ones; every innovation is misguidance.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
❀ Completion of Religion
Allah ﷻ has clearly declared the completion of religion in the Qur’ān:
"ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًۭا"
(Sūrah al-Mā'idah: 3)
Translation: Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam for you as your religion.
❀ Advice to the Ummah
The Prophet ﷺ commanded his Ummah to adhere strictly to the religion and avoid innovations. In one narration, he said:
"فَعَلَيْكُم بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ، تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ، فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ"
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī)
Translation: You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. Hold on to it firmly, bite onto it with your molars. Beware of newly invented matters, for every innovation is misguidance.
❀ Dangers of Innovations
Engaging in innovations equates to altering the religion by adding new rulings that are not from Allah. This contradicts the completion of the religion and resembles the actions of Jews and Christians who incorporated foreign elements into their religion.
✿ Summary
Celebrating the night of Miʿrāj or assigning specific acts of worship to it has no basis in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions never observed this night with any specific gatherings or rituals. The evidence presented here against celebrating the night of Miʿrāj suffices for any seeker of truth.
(Fatwa: Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz رحمه الله)
