—which would ordinarily take a month or even longer to traverse—yet the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, covered it in a single night.

As for the miʿrāj, the word itself denotes the instrument of ascent, for ʿaraja means “to rise,” as in the verse, “The angels and the Spirit ascend (taʿruju) to Him” (Q 70:4); that is, they rise upward. Hence al-ʿurūj is ascent, and al-miʿrāj is the means by which one ascends.

Both events are firmly established for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him.⦗1⦘

The isrāʾ carried him from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whereas the miʿrāj was from the earth to the heavens. All of this took place in a single night: he was transported to Jerusalem, led the prophets in prayer there, was then taken up through the heavens, passed beyond the seven firmaments, and Allah showed him of His greatest signs. He then descended to the earth, after which Gabriel returned him to the very spot from which he had been taken—all in that one night.

The isrāʾ is mentioned in Sūrah al-Isrāʾ, while the miʿrāj is mentioned in Sūrah al-Najm: “By the star when it descends; your companion has neither strayed nor erred. Nor does he speak from whim; it is but a revelation sent down, taught to him by one mighty in power” (Q 53:1–5)—meaning Gabriel—“possessed of steadfast strength; and he took his true form while he was on the highest horizon” (Q 53:6–7).