(Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place of Worship the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Nearer, the Seer.) (Al-Israa’ 17:1)
On 27 Rajab Muslims remember Israa’ and Mi’raj, the miraculous Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The exact date of the event is uncertain, but the majority of scholars place it at 12 to 16 months before the Hijrah, the Prophet’s migration to Madinah.
One night Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sleeping near the Kaaba in Makkah when the Angel Jibreel alaihis salam (Gabriel) came to him, woke him up, and, taking him by the arm, led him to Al-Buraq, a beast resembling a horse with two huge wings springing from its back. From Makkah, Al-Buraq took off toward Jerusalem. There, the Prophet was met by all the other prophets. He (peace and blessings be upon him) dismounted, tethered Al-Buraq to a ring in the gate of Jerusalem, and led them in Prayers.
Two vessels were then brought to him, one containing milk, the other wine. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) drank the milk. Jibreel alaihis salam said, “O Muhammad, you enjoy what is pure. Surely you will guide your people to the right path.” This journey demonstrates God’s might and ability to make possible the impossible. The concepts of time and space as we understand them do not apply, and what applies cannot be perceived by our limited faculties.