The Heavenly Journey of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ with Body and Soul
Ascending from the earth to the Divine Throne is a miracle,
And returning back to the earth is also a miracle.
The Date of Mi‘raj
It was the eleventh year of Prophethood, the blessed and luminous 27th night of the sacred month of Rajab. The whole world was asleep, but the house of Hazrat Umm Hani (رضي الله عنها) had become a center of divine light, because on this night the Master of both worlds, the Mercy for all creation, the embodied light, the Leader of all Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad ﷺ, was resting there.
The house of Hazrat Umm Hani was only a few steps away from the Sacred Ka‘bah. Later, this place was included within Masjid al-Haram. At the spot where her house once stood, a special pillar was built by the Ottomans, and a plaque was installed to inform people that this was the place from where the Beloved Prophet ﷺ departed for the Mi‘raj. However, this plaque was later removed so that people might not benefit from visiting this blessed location.
Half the night had passed. The Beloved Prophet ﷺ was in rest, and Hazrat Umm Hani was also asleep. But in the heavens, there was great excitement. Everywhere the same announcement was echoing: this was the night when the Beloved would meet His Beloved Lord. From the heavens descended the leader of the angels, Hazrat Jibril (عليه السلام), accompanied by a procession of angels, bringing heavenly garments and the Buraq.
When he arrived, he found the Beloved Prophet ﷺ resting, apparently in sleep. With utmost respect and reverence, Hazrat Jibril gently awakened the Beloved of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ awoke, but soon returned to rest. Glory be to Allah!
The Beloved ﷺ, who would spend entire nights awake shedding tears for his sinful Ummah, who worshipped so intensely that Allah Himself addressed him saying: “O you wrapped in a cloak, you stand in prayer at night, but only a little…”—that very Beloved was now resting in complete serenity. Hazrat Jibril was thoughtful: on one side was the command of the Lord of the worlds to bring the Beloved, and on the other side was the demand of mercy not to disturb his rest.
At that moment, Hazrat Jibril placed his lips upon the blessed feet of the Prophet ﷺ. The Mercy of the worlds was moved by this love and opened his eyes. Hazrat Jibril immediately conveyed the Divine message and requested that the Prophet ﷺ proceed to the Sacred Ka‘bah.
The Leader of both worlds appeared at the Ka‘bah. Hazrat Jibril and Hazrat Mika’il performed the opening of the blessed chest (Shaqq al-Sadr). The noble heart was taken out, washed with the water of Zamzam, and then returned to its place, with the chest restored—without any instrument and without the flow of blood.
Some ignorant people, afflicted with hatred for the Messenger, objected, questioning how the chest could be opened without blood and how the heart could be removed without death. But modern science itself has proven such objections false, as surgeries today can be performed without blood loss, and hearts can be kept alive by machines and placed back after treatment. The washing of the blessed heart was not for purification, but to further strengthen it for the manifestation of Divine Majesty.
Hazrat Jibril then brought the Buraq, whose speed was such that its step reached as far as the eye could see. This very speed inspired humanity toward flight. When the Buraq realized who was to ride upon it, it trembled with joy and humility. Upon hearing the blessed name of the Prophet ﷺ, it bowed respectfully. The Prophet ﷺ mounted it, angels followed in procession, and the air echoed with salutations and peace.
The Prophet ﷺ traveled, offering prayers at sacred places, until he reached Bayt al-Maqdis (Masjid al-Aqsa), where the Buraq was tied. There, all the Prophets from Adam to Jesus (peace be upon them all) were present to welcome their Imam. At their request, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ led them all in prayer.
This gathering was not for an Eid prayer, but to manifest the supreme status of the Imam of all Prophets. From there, the luminous journey continued through the heavens. The Prophet ﷺ was shown Bayt al-Ma‘mur, the heavenly Ka‘bah, visited daily by seventy thousand angels.
Finally, the journey reached Sidrat al-Muntaha. Hazrat Jibril stopped there, saying he could go no further. From this point, the Beloved of Allah ﷺ proceeded alone, crossing seventy thousand veils of light, each separated by a distance of five hundred years.
Allah called out: “Come closer, O Muhammad, come closer, O Ahmad.” The Prophet ﷺ attained the ultimate closeness described in the Qur’an: “Then he drew near and came down, until he was at a distance of two bow-lengths or even nearer.”
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ pleaded for mercy for his Ummah. Allah promised forgiveness, mercy, the transformation of sins into good deeds, acceptance of prayers, and granted the Prophet ﷺ the right of intercession.
After receiving countless divine gifts—beyond description—the Prophet ﷺ returned. Though the journey encompassed what would be twenty-seven years, it all occurred in a single moment.
Upon narrating the event, the disbelievers denied it. They went to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (رضي الله عنه), who immediately affirmed the truth, saying that if the Prophet ﷺ said it, it was true—earning the title Siddiq. The Prophet ﷺ then described the signs of Bayt al-Maqdis in detail, leading some to embrace faith.
From this event, three truths are clear:
- Narrating the event of Mi‘raj is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Listening with love and believing in it is the Sunnah of the Companions.
- Denying it or reducing it to a mere spiritual journey is the way of disbelievers.
Reason itself testifies to this, for had it been a dream, the disbelievers would not have objected. Their denial proves that the Mi‘raj was physical as well as spiritual.
The incident of Mi‘raj has been narrated briefly here; otherwise, its greatness, blessings, and secrets are beyond human capacity to describe.
May Allah grant us the blessings and spiritual benefits of Mi‘raj and enable us to deserve the glad tidings given to the Ummah on this blessed night.
Ameen.
Humbly requesting prayers,
Sayyid Muhammad Intisab Husain Qadiri Ashrafi Madari
Administrator, Markaz-e-Ahle Sunnat Jamia Qadiria
Sajjada-Nashin, Astana-e-Qadiria
Huzoor Mujaddid Muradabadi, Muradabad Sharif
