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We wonder about the journey of man to outer space, and life on Mars in future, but thousands of years ago Prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)travelled to Jerusalem and heavens. It was an extraordinary event which took place by dint of the infinite power of God so that truth could be revealed to him (pbuh) .Here is a list of spiritually exalting experiences that he went through.
1. The journey itself!
Al Isra' wal Miraj, is observed on the 27th day of the month of Rajab, the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. There are two parts of this miraculous journey: Israa night journey from Makka to Jerusalem and Mi’raj, his ascension to heaven..
2. How Quran mentions this journey?
The miracle of al-Isra' is confirmed in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Isra', Ayah 1, Allah said:
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)
3. Start of the journey!
Before the start of journey , Angel Gabriel/Jibril filled the heart of Prophet (pbuh) with Allah‘s Noor (Divine light ) so that his being is empowered with wisdom and strength .Then he took the Prophet (pbuh) at night from the Ka’bah to the mosque in Jerusalem on a white animal, slightly larger than a donkey yet smaller than a mule. This animal was the buraq,--one of the animals of Paradise. Jibril held the buraq by his ear and told the Prophet to mount it. When the buraq was mounted, the Prophet set forth.
4. Prayer at Jerusalem !
On reaching Jerusalem the Prophet (pbuh) was met by a group of prophets among which there were Jesus (Isa), Moses (Musa) and Abraham (Ibrahim) . Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) led the other prophets in a prayer of two-rak’ahs.
5. Travel through heaven!
Gabriel then took him to the heaven and the Prophet (pbuh)met several great Prophets in different heavenly spheres. Many astounding events took place during this heavenly journey.
Meeting with Prophets :
Meeting with Prophets :
He stopped by all of the layers of the sky.He met the prophets Adam, Yahya (John), Isa, Yusuf, Idris (Enoch), Harun (Aaron) Musa and Ibrahim (peace be upon them all) respectively; they said to him,“Welcome!” and congratulated him.
· Glimpses of Paradise and Hell
The Prophet (pbuh) was shown some amazing sights including Heaven and Hell. He saw the people that were getting punished for the bad actions they had done in their lives on Earth. These people would suffer many hardships in Hell and would remain in Hell forever suffering these punishments (unless Allah forgave them). In Hell, the punishments were indeed very severe and different type of evil deeds had different punishments.
· Visit to Bayt al-Mamur
Then, he visited Bayt al-Mamur (the much frequented house), which is being visited by seventy thousand angels. Al-Bayt-ul-Ma`mur is a place in the seventh heaven. It is located exactly above the Kaaba and is identical to it. We perform Tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba) on earth, and right above us, the angels perform Tawaf around Al-Bayt-ul-Ma`mur. Above both of these is Allah’s throne. Those who visit Makkah for Hajj or Umrah feel this. The Kaaba is the holiest place on earth and a point directly connected to the holiest of places ever.
· Visit to Sidra al-Muntaha
After that, he went to Sidra al-Muntaha (Lote Tree of the Extremity) together with Jibril. Sidra al-Muntaha is a tree whose root is in the sixth layer of the sky and whose branches are over the seventh layer of the sky; it casts a shadow that covers the whole sky and Paradise; its leaves are like elephant ears and its fruits are like large jars.
6.Meeting with the Allah Almighty!
Finally, he reached the highest point in the heavens and was graced with an experience of the Divine Presence. On that occasion the Prophet 
received a number of directives including that Prayers were obligatory five times a day.
received a number of directives including that Prayers were obligatory five times a day.
Things that were Given to the Prophet in Ascension
The Prophet (pbuh) was given three things as a result of the encounter in Miraj:
· Five daily prayers equal to the reward of fifty daily prayers.
· The last two verses of the chapter al-Baqara.
· The muqhimat (major sins) of the people from the ummah of Muhammad were forgiven except those who associated partners with Allah.
7.From Heavens back to Makka!
Thereafter, the Prophet (pbuh) returned from the heavens to Jerusalem, and from there to the Holy Mosque in Makka.
The journey of Al-Isra’ and Al-Miraj was a bounty and honor bestowed on Prophet Muhammad by Almighty Allah. This journey shows that the system of the space and time is at the command of Allah the Almighty. On that night, the time and space were bridged for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as he traveled this auspicious journey to the heavens by the will of Allah the Almighty.
References:
Detailed reports about it are found in the works of Hadith and Sirah and have been narrated from as many as twenty-five Companions. The most exhaustive reports are those from Anas ibn Malik, Malik ibn Sa’sa’ah, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Abu Hurayrah. Some other details have been narrated by ‘Umar, ‘Ali, ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud, ‘Abd Allah ibn Abbas, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, and ‘A’ishah among other Companions of the Prophet .(Al-Nasa’i, Sunan, K. al-Salah, ‘Bab Fard al-Salah wa Dhikr Ikhtilaf al-Naqilin…’ -Ed.) Al-Bukhari, K. Manaqib al -Ansar, ‘Bab al-Mi’raj ; K. al-Tawhid, ‘Bab Kallama Musa Taklima‘ – Ed.) . (Al-Bukhari, K. al_Salah, ‘Bab Kayfa Furidat al-Salah fi al-Isra‘ and Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. I, p. 404 – Ed.)
.(Al-Nasa’i, Sunan, K. al-Salah, ‘Bab Fard al-Salah wa Dhikr Ikhtilaf al-Naqilin…’ -Ed.) Al-Bukhari, K. Manaqib al -Ansar, ‘Bab al-Mi’raj ; K. al-Tawhid, ‘Bab Kallama Musa Taklima‘ – Ed.) . (Al-Bukhari, K. al_Salah, ‘Bab Kayfa Furidat al-Salah fi al-Isra‘ and Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. I, p. 404 – Ed.)
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