What is the night journey in Islam?

Answer 1

The night time journey of Prophet Muhammad pbuh is referred to as the "Isra' and mi'raj". Allah commanded the archangel Gabriel to take and accompany Muhammad on a journey from Mecca to the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and then on the Heavens to meet Allah. He travelled on the Buraq with Gabriel on his side. It was during this journey that Muhammad was entrusted with Allah's command for him and his followers to perform the 5 daily prayers, as one of the five pillars of Islam. During this night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem Muhammad was depicted various enacted scenes of Allah's punishments to those who disobey Allah's commandments, and the scenes were individually explained by Gabriel as to why those individuals were punished as such. When he was as the Aqsa mosque he performed a special prayer together with the souls of the various earlier prophets, with him as the Imam (leading the prayer). During his sscend to the Heavens he met various earlier prophets like Moses, Jesus, Abraham,and Noah who greeted him all along before he finally reached Sidratul Muntaha, Allah Almighty's throne to seek His audience, grace and commands directly. He was finally brought back to earth by Buraq and Gabriel before the fajr prayer, i.e. before 4.00am approximately. Of course he was rediculed by the people of Mecca at that time as they regarded his night time journey story as being absurd and impossible. But Allah is Great, and He is capable of anything that He wills, especially to His last Messenger Muhammad. This night time story is in the Holy Quran: 17:1 which translates as: "Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant for Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose precincts We did bless― in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the one Who heareth and seeth (all things)." (1)

Answer 2

This night journey was from AlMasjid AlHaram (the Grand Mosque in Mecca that surrounds Kaaba) in the Current Saudi Arabia to AlMasjid AlAqsa (in AlQods or east Jerusalem) in the Palestinian Territories.

Answer 3

This is a reference to the mira'aj, which is the night journey that Muhammad is believed to have taken from Medina to Jerusalem astride a buraq (a flying centaur-like creature).