Night of the Miraj: the meaning of the holiday, history and traditions

The night of Mi’raj or al-Isra wal-Miraj is one of the main dates of the year for devout Muslims. That night, the miracle of the lifetime ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven happened.

According to legend, one day God called his chosen one to himself. In the twinkling of an eye, the prophet first moved from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then ascended the pearl staircase of angels (miraj) with golden and silver steps to the seventh heaven, to the heavenly throne of Allah.

About the history, traditions and significance of the holiday for Muslims – in the material REN TV.

When is the night of Miraj celebrated in 2023

All Muslim holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar. According to Islamic tradition, Miraj should be celebrated on the night of the 26th to the 27th day of the month of Rajab. In 2023, this date falls on the night of February 17-18.

Preparations for the Night of the Miraj should begin as early as February 17: spend the night itself in vigil, and on February 18, do not forget to read the obligatory prayers.

History of the Night Miraj

Muslims believe that two miracles happened to the Prophet Muhammad that night. That is why the holiday has two names – “al-Isra” and “al-Miraj”. The first miracle is connected with the journey of the prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.

The second name of this date, al-Mi’raj, is associated with another miracle that also happened to the Prophet Muhammad on that night. Immediately after the prayer in Jerusalem, the angel Jibril appeared to him and offered him a choice of drinking milk or wine. Muhammad chose milk, and for this an angel took him up to heaven. Many Muslim ideas about Heaven and Hell are associated with this journey. This ascension is mentioned in Surah An-Najm (The Star).

Al-Isra Events (Night Journey)

According to legend, in the evening after prayer, the Prophet Muhammad was resting next to the northern wall of the Kaaba, the forbidden mosque in Mecca, and then the angel Jibril appeared to him. Without any pain and blood, he cut the prophet’s chest, took out the heart, washed it in a golden basin filled with faith, and thus filled the heart with the good light of faith and returned it to its place.

After that, a winged horse named Burak, smaller than a horse, but larger than a donkey, was brought to the prophet Muhammad. The horse is described as an incredibly fast animal, capable of covering a huge distance in one leap. The angel Jibril ordered Buraq to be saddled and together they went to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Here, famous Muslim stories appear in the history of the holiday, because the prophet Muhammad stopped to pray every time his heart prompted him.

So, theologians claim that the prophet stayed in Medina, as well as in the homeland of Isa, known in Christianity as Jesus. Already in Jerusalem, Muhammad performed a two-rakah prayer with other prophets.

Events of Al Miraj (heavenly ascension)

When the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, he went through 7 heavens, in each of them he met with other prophets.

In the lowest heaven, Muhammad met Adam, the first man on earth. In the next heaven, the prophet saw the prophet Yahya (John), the son of the prophet Zakariya (Zechariah), and the prophet Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary). And in the third heaven he met the prophet Yusuf (Joseph) – the son of the prophet Yakub (Jacob), the grandson of the prophet Ishak (Isaac) and the great-grandson of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).

In the fourth heaven, Muhammad saw the prophet Idris (Enoch), in the fifth – the prophet Harun (Aaron), the brother of the prophet Musa (Moses). In the sixth heaven, Muhammad saw Musa himself. Finally, in the seventh heaven was the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) – the ancestor of all the prophets.

After traveling through all the seven heavens, the prophet Muhammad met with Allah and talked with him. Allah gave Muhammad an order to read 50 prayers a day, but when the prophet returned back, the prophet Musa asked him to return to God and ask him to soften the requirements.

Muslims believe that the Almighty then had mercy and allowed to read 5 prayers, grace for each of which is multiplied ten times. It is from here that the tradition of praying 5 times a day originates.

When Muhammad was shown Paradise and Hell, he saw how people smashed their heads against stones, then came to life and smashed again. It was a punishment for missed prayers. I saw people who eat rotten meat, although good meat lies nearby – these were adulterers who cheated on their wives. Here in Hell, sinners suffered, who did not pay zakat and were stingy, not giving alms.

Return of the Prophet Muhammad to Mecca

Upon returning home, Muhammad told the people about his wonderful journey, and his story caused a great commotion among the people of Mecca. Even some Muslims fell into doubt, and the unbelievers began to laugh at the prophet, saying:

“Usually people go this way in a month, and you say you did it in just one night.”

Then the people decided to turn to Abu Bakr, who was famous for his meek disposition and enjoyed great respect in the city.

Abu Bakr at first did not believe those who came, but when they said that Muhammad was talking right now about his journey to Jerusalem and heaven in the mosque, he replied that he believed Muhammad and considered all his words to be true.

After that, Abu Bakr went with the others to the mosque. There he asked the prophet to tell about Jerusalem: Abu Bakr had been there and could have caught Muhammad in a lie if the description had turned out to be wrong. But everything turned out to be correct, and Abu Bakr confirmed this, for which Muhammad called him as-Siddiq – the Truthful. This nickname stuck to Abu Bakr.

Meaning of the Night of the Miraj for Muslims

Thanks to the Night of the Miraj, most of the Islamic traditions appeared and a special attitude of Muslims towards certain actions developed.

Belief in this event is an integral part of the beliefs of every Muslim. Miraj is proof that Allah is capable of every thing, although the believers do not need proof of this.

Miraj Night Traditions

Muslims spend the night of Miraj in vigil, read the Koran, pray and retell the legend about the miraculous ascension of the prophet.

On the day of the holiday, everyone visits the mosque to pray together and listen to the sermon of the imam dedicated to this event.

The day after the Night of the Miraj, many believers fast. It is believed that fasting in the Miraj is ritually equal to one hundred nights of fasting.

What to do on the night of the Miraj

On this night, it is necessary to read the Quran and comprehend what is read. At the same time, you can prepare a treat and invite relatives and friends to read the Qur’an. Thus, it will be an occasion to show love, respect and affection for the words of the Almighty.

In addition, theologians give other tips on how to spend the Night of the Miraj:

• You can make up for missed prayers and perform additional prayers.
• On this day, a person should think deeply about who he is, where he is moving, what the Almighty wants from him.
• You should repent of your sins. Muslims believe that on this, as on other sacred nights of the year, Allah hears people especially well.
• If there were mutual insults and quarrels, it is necessary to forgive each other.
• On this day, prayers should be read for loved ones, relatives and friends, preferably pronouncing the names of those for whom the dua is being made (a personal prayer to the Almighty).
• The night of Miraj is another reason to help the poor, orphans, sick and disabled people – to show their love and compassion, give gifts, give alms.
• On the day preceding the Night of the Miraj, you need to visit your relatives and congratulate them on the onset of the holiday.

What not to do on the night of the Miraj

The general prohibitions of Islam also apply on the Night of the Miraj:

• In no case should you drink alcohol, because it was on this night that the prophet Muhammad refused wine in favor of milk.
• The holiday should not be overly noisy. This night is for meek prayers and forgiveness of offenses, and not for noisy feasts.
• Absolutely, one should not swear on this night, because on the sacred night any swearing is only harmful, Muslims believe.