The Israa and Miraj refer to two parts of literally a miraculous journey that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) took in one night from Makkah to Jerusalem and then an ascension to the heavens. We will explain it to them along with the background story of the Taif in the most simplified way.
Background (Taif)
After a decade of preaching in Makkah, the Prophet (ﷺ) had lost his uncle and his wife KHADIJA and was still rejected by tribesmen. In an attempt to find a more receptive audience, the Prophet (ﷺ) traveled to Taif, hoping that his message would find a home in the oasis city. Instead, he was rudely insulted by the city leaders and then pelted with stones by the tribe members. Bruised and rejected, with his blood clotting as it leaked onto his sandals, he made the following du’a:
To You, my Lord,
I complain of my weakness,
lack of support, and the humiliation I am made to receive.
Most Compassionate and Merciful!
You are the Lord of the weak,
And you are my Lord.
To whom do You leave me?
To a distant person who receives me with hostility?
Related:
Or to an enemy You have given power over me?
As long as you are not displeased with me,
I do not care what I face.
I would, however,
Be much happier with Your mercy.
I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which
all darkness is dispelled and both this life and the life to come
are put in their right course against incurring your wrath
or being the subject of your anger.
To You I submit,
until I earn Your pleasure.
Everything is powerless without your support.
Prophet ﷺ said, ‘I saw a cloud hovering above me, and lo and behold, I saw Jibreel (Angel Gabriel) come down from that cloud, and besides him was an angel that I had never seen before.’ And Jibreel said to ‘O Muhammad (ﷺ), if you want, command me, and I will cause the two mountains of Taif to collapse upon them.
The Prophet (ﷺ), still bleeding and his shoes still wet with blood, says, ‘No! Rather, I pray that Allah blesses their children to be Muslims and worship Allah alone. Even if they have rejected Islam, I pray that Allah (S.W.T) blesses their progeny to be Muslim.’ SubhanAllah!
Al-Israa
Israa, which is an Arabic word that refers to the 1st half of the night journey when Jibrael came to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and then On burq, which is described as larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. He traveled from Makkah (Masjid al Haram) to Al-Aqsa Mosque. The same trip would currently take 2 hours by plane and cover around +1000km.
“Holy 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 1. Indeed He alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing”.
(Quran 17:1)
Al-Mi’raj
Miraj is the 2nd part of the night journey when Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), along with angel Gabriel, traveled to the 7th heaven, and on each heaven, he met the following prophets
- 1st Heaven met Adam (AS)
- 2nd Heaven met Isa (AS) and Yahya (AS)
- 3rd Heaven met Yusuf (AS)
- 4th Heaven met Idris (AS)
- 6th Heaven met Haroon (AS)
- 6th Heaven met Musa (AS)
- 7th Heaven met Ibrahim (AS)
Baitul Ma’mur
Then He (ﷺ) continued without angel Gabriel until he reached Baitul Ma’mur, which is a house, which is located in the 7th heaven, directly above the Kaaba (Allah’s house). Angels perform the tawaf of this house as we do around the Kaaba during Hajj and Umrah; the Kaaba on earth is a replica of it. The 70,000 angels visit this house daily and say their prayers, and it will continue until the day of Judgement. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3207 and Sahih Muslim 164)
Sidrat al-Muntahā
And finally reaching (Sidrat al-Muntahā), a Lote tree, and it is the end of the 7th heaven. It is the boundary that no one ever passed except our Prophet (PBUH). Where Allah cuts down 50 prayers to 5 upon the request of Muhammad (ﷺ)
