الإسراء والمعراج
The Night Journey and Ascension (Isra wal Mi'raj)
Rajab (according to many scholars), 1.5-2 BH (~620-621 CE)
From Makkah to Jerusalem to the Heavens من مكة إلى بيت المقدس إلى السماوات
In one night, the Prophet ﷺ was transported from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (al-Isra), where he led all the prophets in prayer. He was then ascended through the seven heavens (al-Mi'raj), meeting various prophets at each level, until he reached the Sidrat al-Muntaha — the farthest boundary — and was granted audience with Allah, where the five daily prayers were prescribed.
Why this matters
This miraculous journey came at the Prophet's ﷺ lowest point — after the Year of Sorrow and the rejection at Ta'if — as a divine consolation and elevation. The prescription of the five daily prayers (initially fifty, reduced to five through Musa's advice and the Prophet's ﷺ return to Allah) became the pillar of Muslim worship. Abu Bakr earned the title 'As-Siddiq' (The Confirmer of Truth) for his immediate belief in this journey.
Quran references
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا
Surah Al-Isra, 1
Glory be to the One Who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque.
وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ
Surah An-Najm, 13-18
And he certainly saw him in another descent, at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary.
Hadith references
Sahih al-Bukhari, #349
Narrated by: Anas ibn Malik
“The Prophet ﷺ was brought the Buraq and he rode it until he arrived at Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He tied the Buraq to the ring used by the prophets. Then he entered the Mosque and prayed two rak'at, then he was taken to the heavens...”