Isra and Mi’raj refers to two linked events that took place in a single night: the Isra, the Prophet’s miraculous journey from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to the Furthest Mosque (al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem; and the Mi’raj, his ascension through the heavens, where he met previous prophets and was given the gift of the five daily prayers. The traditional date is the 27th of Rajab, though the exact date is not definitively established in the hadith literature.

The Qur’an opens Surah al-Isra with a clear statement of the Night Journey: “Glory be to the One Who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs.” (Surah al-Isra 17:1). The Mi’raj is alluded to in the opening verses of Surah an-Najm: “He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.” (Surah an-Najm 53:18).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) described being carried on the Buraq, leading the previous prophets in prayer at al-Aqsa, then ascending through the seven heavens, meeting Adam, Isa, Yahya, Yusuf, Idris, Harun, Musa, and Ibrahim at the various levels. At the Lote Tree of the Furthest Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha), Allah enjoined fifty daily prayers, which were reduced through the intercession of Musa to the five we observe today. The full narrative is preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari 3887.

For Muslims, the most enduring legacy of this night is the obligation of the five daily prayers, established not on earth but in the heavens. The Mi’raj also confirms the spiritual centrality of al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam, and the linkage between all the prophets in a single chain of revelation.

There is no specific fast or formal worship that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prescribed for the night of the 27th of Rajab itself. Many believers mark the occasion by reading the relevant chapters of the Qur’an, studying the biography, and increasing voluntary prayer. The hadith literature does encourage extra worship during the sacred month of Rajab generally, as it is one of the four sacred months named in Surah at-Tawbah 9:36.