Tonight marks the Islamic holiday Lailat al Mi’raj. Lailat al Mi’raj commemorates the ascension of the Prophet (may peace be upon him) to heaven in his famous night journey around 621 CE.
The Mi’raj marks the second portion of Muhammad’s journey which was a spiritual trip to heaven after his physical trip from Mecca to Jerusalem. Mi’raj literally means ladder in Arabic. In this spiritual journey, after the archangels purified his soul and filled him with wisdom, Muhammad rode Buraq, the traditional divine-spirited horse of the prophets, up into the skies.
Muhammad then explored the seven stages of heaven and interacted with the prophets before him such as Isa (Jesus), Musa (Moses), ʾIbrāhīm (Abraham) and Yaḥyā ibn Zakarīyā (John the Baptist). It is also said that Muhammad went beyond the sacred tree Sidrat al-Muntaha and the end of the seventh heaven where he met with Allah. It is here that Allah instructed him on the recitation of salat, the five daily prayers 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. Some also celebrate through lighting up cities and neighborhoods at night.
May Allah's blessings be upon all who are celebrating Lailat al-Miraj tonight.
“Lailat al Miraj.” Vanderbilt University. 2022.
Nguyen, Gary. “The Story of Laylat al-Miraj.” World Religion News. April 24, 2017.
“Resilience: Multifaith Calendar 2022.” Multifaith Action Society. 2022.
