The Isra, also known as Night Journey, is one of the key beliefs in Islam that point towards the truthfulness of the messengership of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It is an expression and a sign indicating greatness of his status before Allah.
The Prophets are endowed with miracles as they are among the proofs of the great might and power of Allah and of His highness above all of His creation.
This is one of such great miracles of the Prophet (pbuh) that happened at a time when he was undergoing a great worldly distress. He had lost his supporting uncle & even his beloved wife.
The Quran minutely mentions about the details of this exalted ascension to heavens as:
“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah), Who took His slave for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him of our Ayat signs. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer [al-Isra’ 17:1].
Even the hadith literature authenticates the details of this incident as narrated from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) that he was taken up to the heavens and that the gates of the heavens were opened for him, until he passed beyond the seventh heaven, where his Lord, may He be glorified, spoke to him as He willed and enjoined upon him the five daily prayers. Allah, may He be glorified, initially enjoined them as fifty prayers, but our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) kept asking Him to reduce it until He made it five, so they are five in terms of the obligation but fifty in terms of reward, because each good deed brings a tenfold reward. To Allah be praise and thanks for all His blessings.
But people differed concerning the Isra’ and Mi‘raaj. Some of them said that it was a dream, but the correct view is that he was taken on the night journey (Isra’) and taken up into the heavens (Mi‘raaj) when he was awake, because of an abundance of evidence.
Famous scholar Imam At-Tahhaawi has been reported to have said that Mi‘raaj is true. The Prophet was taken on a journey by night and was taken up to heaven himself when he was awake, then he was taken as high up as Allah willed, and Allah honoured him with whatever He willed, and revealed to him what He revealed.
“The (Prophet’s) heart lied not (in seeing) what he saw” [an-Najm 53:11]
Even from the text of numerous hadith it is known that he was taken on the night journey in a physical sense when he was awake, according to the correct opinion, from al-Masjid al-Haraam to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, riding on al-Buraaq, in the company of Jibreel (peace be upon him).
