And he actually saw with his own eyes the greatest signs of his Lord. In that very sūrah Allah mentioned the Night-Journey, because the Prophet was able to furnish clear proof of it. When he told the people about it, those who denied him rejected his claim and marveled at it. They asked him about its features and details; he described it for them without overlooking a single point, and he informed them about their caravan that was then on the road. His truthfulness thus became evident to them, and his veracity in this matter served as a sign of his truthfulness concerning what lay beyond their sight.

His traversing a vast distance in so brief a time was on account of the signs he was shown—signs whose very vision is reserved for the prophets. In this he is set apart from one who covers such a distance as a miracle granted to a saint, or by harnessing the jinn, as in the story of Bilqīs where:

“An ʿifrīt from among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your seat; indeed, I am strong and trustworthy for this task.’” (al-Naml 27:39) (39)

“But the one who possessed knowledge of the Scripture said, ‘I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.’” (al-Naml 27:40) (40)