Isra and Mi'raj

Isra and Mi'raj, observed on the twenty-seventh night of the Islamic month of Rajab, commemorates two miraculous journeys of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that occurred in a single night during the eleventh year of his prophethood. The Isra was the Prophet's nocturnal journey from the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca to the Farthest Mosque (al-Masjid al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem aboard the celestial mount Buraq. The Mi'raj was his ascension through the seven heavens, where he met previous prophets including Adam, Yahya (John the Baptist), Isa (Jesus), Yusuf (Joseph), Idris (Enoch), Harun (Aaron), Musa (Moses), and Ibrahim (Abraham), and finally received the divine command to establish the five daily prayers as a perpetual obligation upon the Muslim community.

Many mosques host nightlong vigils with extended Qiyam al-Layl prayers, recitations of Surah al-Isra (Qur'an 17), and lectures detailing the journey. Voluntary fasting on the day is widely practiced. In several Muslim countries the night is marked by mosque illuminations and the chanting of devotional poetry. Families gather to share traditional sweets and read aloud the early Sirah literature describing the journey, especially Ibn Hisham's account and the renowned poetic narration of the Mi'raj by Imam al-Busiri.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, the holiday is called Isra Mi'raj Nabi Muhammad and is an officially recognized public holiday, marked with neighborhood-level lectures and community feasts. Egyptian, Moroccan, and Algerian Sufi orders host all-night dhikr circles. Turkish Miraç Kandili is one of the five Kandil holy nights observed with the chanting of mahyas suspended between minarets. Jerusalem's al-Aqsa compound — the destination of the Isra — receives elevated visitor numbers throughout Rajab, and Palestinian families read the Qur'an by candlelight in the Dome of the Rock plaza on the night itself.