Lailat al Miraj is a Muslim holiday that commemorates the Prophet Muhammad's nighttime journey from Mecca to the Farthest Mosque known as Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem where he ascended to heaven where He was given instructions for Muslims to pray 5 times daily. It is believed that on this night, an angel visited the Prophet and purified him by Zamzam water then filled his heart with wisdom and belief.
On the Islamic calendar, Lailat al Miraj (also known as Isra and Mi'raj, Al Isra'wal Miraj or Laylatul Miraj) is generally observed on the 27th day of the month of Rajab.
The story of Lailat al Miraj consists of two major parts. The first part of the story begins with the Prophet Muhammad at the Kabaa in Mecca. He was visited by two archangels who provide him with a mythical winged steed called Buraq. Buraq carried the Prophet to the Farthest Mosque,' believed by Muslims to be the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, where Prophet Muhammad joined past prophets in prayer.
The Prophet then ascended to heaven where he was told by Allah of the duty for Muslims to pray five times daily (Salat). This second part of the journey is commonly referred to as the Miraj, an Arabic word meaning "ladder".
The events of Lailat al Miraj are described briefly in chapter 17 of the Quran, which is named "Sura Al-Isra" after the Prophet's ascension to heaven. Many of the details of the story are filled in by Hadith, supplemental writings about the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
Today Lailat al Miraj is observed by Muslims as one of the most important events in the history of Islam. Muslims may attend special prayer services at a mosque, or they may commemorate the holiday privately at home by telling the story to children or reciting special nighttime prayers.
Lailat al Miraj Facts & Quotes
Muslims believe that there are several levels in heaven. Prophet Muhammad was taken to each one by Angel Jibril (Gabriel). At each heaven, a gate-keeper asked both the angel and Prophet Muhammad to identify themselves before proceeding.
Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad saw "Al-Bait-al-Mamur" (God's house). Jibril told Prophet Muhammad that every day since the beginning of creation, 70,000 different angels pray there daily.
Prophet Muhammad is also believed to have seen "Sidrat al-Muntaha" (a tree) in the seventh heaven. Its leaves resembled elephant ears, its fruits resembled clay jugs, and from it originated four rivers. Two of them were hidden in heaven, while the other two were made apparent to man in the forms of the Nile and the Euphrates.
Muslims believe that Allah had originally assigned fifty daily prayers. Prophet Musa (Moses), upon hearing about this from Prophet Muhammad, is reported to have encouraged Prophet Muhammad to negotiate and reduce the number of prayers Allah assigned, which He graciously reduced to five daily prayers. (Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 4, Book 54, Hadith number 429)
On the night Prophet Muhammad was taken on a night journey two cups, one containing wine and the other milk, were presented to him at Jerusalem. He looked at it and took the cup of milk. Gabriel said, 'Praise be to Allah Who guided you to the right path; if you had taken the cup of wine, your nation would have gone astray.' - Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 69, Number 482). This incidence is used to explain the fact that wine is forbidden to Muslims.
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