The Mi‘raj: The Prophet’s Bodily and Spiritual Ascent Through the Heavens

The Mi‘raj was not an ordinary dream or a symbolic spiritual experience in the understanding of the majority of the classical hadith scholars. Ibn Hajar records that the Isra and Mi‘raj occurred in one night, in wakefulness, with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taken with both body and soul. The sahih narrations themselves describe concrete preparation and movement: his chest was opened and washed with Zamzam, Jibril عليه السلام accompanied him, the gates of the heavens were opened one after another, and he was welcomed as the Messenger who had been summoned.

The ascent then unfolded heaven by heaven. In the first heaven he met Adam عليه السلام. In the second he met Isa and Yahya عليهما السلام; in the third Yusuf عليه السلام; in the fourth Idris عليه السلام; in the fifth Harun عليه السلام; in the sixth Musa عليه السلام; and in the seventh Ibrahim عليه السلام. The repeated opening of the heavenly gates and these meetings turn the event into a living encounter with the long chain of prophethood rather than a vague description of going upward.

Beyond the prophet encounters, the Prophet ﷺ was shown extraordinary realities of the unseen. He saw al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur, where seventy thousand angels enter each day for worship and do not return to it again. He reached Sidrat al-Muntaha, whose vast leaves and fruits are described in the sahih reports, and the Qur’an speaks of Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Garden of Refuge and the Prophet seeing some of the greatest signs of his Lord.

The sahih reports also preserve afterlife scenes. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Adam is shown with souls on his right and left, identified as people of Paradise and people of Hell. The Prophet ﷺ was then admitted into Paradise and saw structures of pearl and earth with the fragrance of musk. Sahih Muslim also states that Malik, the keeper of the Fire, was shown to him among the signs Allah displayed. These reports establish genuine witnessing of realities connected with Paradise and Hell without needing later popular stories of uncertain authenticity.

At the supreme stage of the journey, Allah تعالى revealed to His Prophet ﷺ what He willed and prescribed fifty prayers for the Ummah. When the Prophet ﷺ descended, Musa عليه السلام advised him to ask for reduction. The Prophet ﷺ repeatedly returned to his Lord until the obligation became five daily prayers. Yet the divine reward remained equal to fifty.

The Mi‘raj therefore stands as a complete prophetic miracle: bodily and spiritual ascent beyond the ordinary human world, entry through the heavens, meetings with prophets, witnessing of Paradise and signs related to Hell, arrival at Sidrat al-Muntaha, direct divine revelation, and the gift of the five daily prayers. Its greatness does not depend on uncertain embellishments; the sahih core itself is extraordinary.