Buraq

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Al-Burāq (Arabic: البُراق‎ al-Burāq "lightning") is a miraculous steed, described as a creature from the heavens which transported the prophets. The most commonly told story is how in the 7th century, the Buraq carried the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and back during the Isra and Mi'raj or "Night Journey", which is the title of one of the chapters of the Qur'an.

Description

An excerpt from a translation of Sahih Bukhari describes a buraq:

I was brought by the Buraq, which is an animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, who would place its hoof at a distance equal to the range of vision.^[1]

Another description of the Buraq:

Then he [Gabriel] brought the Buraq, handsome-faced and bridled, a tall, white beast, bigger than the donkey but smaller than the mule. He could place his hooves at the farthest boundary of his gaze. He had long ears. Whenever he faced a mountain his hind legs would extend, and whenever he went downhill his front legs would extend. He had two wings on his thighs which lent strength to his legs.

He bucked when the Prophet came to mount him. Jibril put his hand on his mane and said: "Are you not ashamed, O Buraq? By Allah, no-one has ridden you in all creation more dear to Allah than he is." Hearing this he was so ashamed that he sweated until he became soaked, and he stood still so that the Prophet mounted him.^[2]

The journey to the Seventh Heaven

According to Islam, the Night Journey took place 12 years after Muhammad became a prophet, during the 7th century. Muhammad had been in his home city of Mecca, at his cousin's home (the house of Ummu Hani' binti Abu Thalib's) in Isha'a prayer. Afterwards, Muhammad went to the Masjid Al-Haram mosque. While he was resting between Baitullah and Hijir Ismail, suddenly the angel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared to him. After this, the Buraq arrived. Muhammad mounted the beast, and in the company of Gabriel, they traveled to the "farthest mosque". The location of this mosque was not explicitly stated, but is generally accepted to mean Jerusalem. At this location, Muhammad dismounted from the Buraq, prayed, and then once again mounted the Buraq and was taken to the various heavens, to meet Allah. Muhammad was instructed to tell his followers 5 times per day that they were to offer prayers. The Buraq then transported Muhammad back to Mecca.^[3]

In Quran's sura, Muhammad mystic travel to Heavens is quoted as: "... (benedictus) was the one who travelled from the most faster mosque to the most sacred mosque..." all the additions: Buraq, time contraction, the angel, etc. comes from traditions, theological justifications and bonfires tales after Muhammad death. Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges collected in his El libro de los seres maravillosos -'The Marvellous Beings Book'- when Muhammad rode on Buraq he accidentally pushed off a table a jar or glass filled with water, when in Heaven Muhammad talked and discussed with prophets, Mosses, Jessus etc. by years and even saw Allah (God) face... But when he returned to his house, Muhammad was in time to catch in the air the same jarr or glass he pushed off when departured years ago, avoiding not nothing of the water falled to earth: so, the hearings must learn years in Heavens time are equal to not a single second in earth -or in Mankind time. The whole tale is crearly an addition, belonging to the 'contraction or expansion of time' folk tales category as the Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle and many others. Is noted Quran sura and the additional folk story says nothing over al Aksha or Jerusalem, even not about al Quds -as Jerusalem is named in Quran- but tradition says al Aqsa was the faster mosque, was located in Jerusalem and Heaven is the most sacred mosque, so Muhamamad rode Buraq from Medina (or Meccah) to al Quds and to Heaven and returned earth lasting less a second. Controversy borned between early muslims much closer to Muhammed -knows as 'the defenders ones'- about if Muhammad really did the voyage phisically or he just 'dreamed' mistically meanwhile sleeping, controversy was finished when 4th Muhammad wife Aixa stated that "Yes Muhammed was sleeping when that, but he was not dreaming or dreamed this, he really made the voyage"

Abraham

The Buraq was also said to transport Abraham when he visited his wife Hagar and son Ishmael. According to tradition, Abraham lived with one wife in Syria, but the Buraq would transport him in the morning to Mecca to see his family there, and take him back in the evening to his Syrian wife.^[4]

Western Wall

In the 1920's, part of the Western Wall, which the Jews claim to be the only remaining part of the Second Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem, began being referred to as the Al-Buraq Wall. It had that name because it was said that Muhammad had tied the Buraq to that wall during the Night Journey.^[5][6]

Cultural impact

• In Turkey and Bosnia, Burak is a common name given to male children. Burak is also a surname in both countries.
• Two airlines have been named after the Buraq: Buraq Air of Libya, and the former Bouraq Indonesia Airlines of Indonesia (closed in 2006).

See also

• Pegasus

Notes

References

• Firestone, Reuven (1990). Journeys in Holy Lands. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780781403310. 
• Rogerson, Barnaby (2003). The Prophet Muhammad. Hidden Spring. ISBN 9781587680298. 
• Cobb, Gary L. (2007). Three Religions One Temple Mount. Xulon Press. ISBN 9781602665583. 
• El-Shamy, Hasan M. (1982). Folktales of Egypt. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226206257. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Buraq

• Complete report from the Sahih Bukhari, which includes a quotation similar to the above.
• Contemporary photo of a Pakistani truck decorated with a picture of the buraq.
• see legendary flight of Muhammad on burak