Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was at al-Masjidul-Aqsa. Then, he rose up to the heavens. He ascended the stairs called al-Mirqat. The Prophet of God ﷺ said about his Ascension,
”We ascended to outside the first heaven and Gabriel asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’
He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked: ‘Was he called for?’
Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
The first heaven was then opened for us. There I saw Adam. He welcomed me and made du^a’ (supplication) for me.

Then, we ascended to the second heaven and Gabriel, peace be upon him, asked for admittance.
It was then said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’
He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked, ‘Was he called for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
It was then opened for us. There I saw the two cousins ^Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary) and Yahya (John), the son of Zakariyya (Zacharias). They welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.

Then, we ascended to the third heaven and Gabriel asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’
He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked, ‘Was he called for?’
Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
It was then opened for us. There, I saw Yusuf (Joseph), who was given great beauty. He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.

Then, we ascended to the fourth heaven and Gabriel, peace be upon him, asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’
He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked, ‘Was he called for?’
Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
It was then opened for us. There I saw Idris (Enoch). He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.

Then, we ascended to the fifth heaven and Gabriel asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, Gabriel.’
He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked, ‘Was he called for?’
Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
It was opened for us. There I saw Harun (Aaron, the brother of Moses). He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.

Then, we ascended to the sixth heaven and Gabriel, peace be upon him, asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’
He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked, ‘Was he called for?’
Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
It was opened for us. There, I saw before me Musa (Moses). He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.

Then, we ascended to the seventh heaven and Gabriel asked for admittance.
It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’
He was asked, ‘Was he called for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’
The door was then opened. There, I saw Ibrahim (Abraham) leaning against al-Baytul-Ma^mur, into which 70,000 angels enter every day, and after they leave it, they never return to it.”

On that night, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ heard the Kalam (Speech) of God as Moses, peace be upon him, before him had. God’s Speech is not a language or sound. It does not start and stop. God speaks without a tongue or lips, for God is not a body or a creation. God does not need a place. He is not a body. He does not occupy spaces. God is clear of any attribute of the creation. Hence, our Prophet ﷺ did not go to a place where God resides. God is majestically clear of residing in a place. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did go to a holy place where no one had ever disobeyed God, and while being in that holy place, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, heard the Kalam (Speech) of God.

God informed the Prophet that five prayers a day were obligatory upon him ﷺ and his followers. God also informed His Prophet that the one whose heart was set to do a good deed, but did not do it, acquired one reward. If one did it, one gained from ten times, up to 700 times the previous reward. On the other hand, the one who hesitated about performing a sin, but did not do it, had nothing written against him. Rather, one earned one reward for refraining from doing it for God’s sake. However, if one did it, one acquired one sin.

Among the wonders the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw during his Ascension were:

1. Malik, the angel who is the keeper of Hellfire. Malik did not smile at the Prophet. So, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ asked Gabriel, ”Why didn’t Malik smile like the others?”
   Gabriel replied, ”Malik has not smiled since God created him; had he smiled at anyone, he would have smiled at you.”
   (Paradise has its own keeper, Angel Ridwan.)
2. Hellfire and signs of who would be punished there in the future. He said that most of the people in Hellfire would be women.
3. Sidratul-Muntaha, a great tree that has beauty that no one can describe. Butterflies made of gold cover it. Its base is in the sixth heaven and it reaches up to the seventh. The Prophet ﷺ saw it in the seventh heaven.
4. God gave our Prophet the honor of entering it and seeing signs of who would be admitted there in the future. Our Prophet ﷺ said that most of its people would be the poor (Muslims). On that night, even our Prophet ﷺ did not see, hear, or imagine certain enjoyments of Paradise, which only God Knows, and has reserved for our Prophet ﷺ and other highly righteous people in the Hereafter.
5. Angel Gabriel, peace be upon him, in his true form again. God gave the Prophet ﷺ the honor of seeing him; this time the Prophet was stronger to see his greatness. Hence, he did not faint.
6. Alla Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw Allah with his heart on that night. Some Muslim scholars said he saw Allah with his eyes, and others said he did not see Allah at all. The last two are not the correct sayings. The correct saying is that Allah empowered the heart of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and he saw Allah with his heart¹. The true saying is that Allah is not seen with the mortal eye. Allah is seen with the everlasting eye of the Muslim in Paradise.

After his trip the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, returned to Earth on the same night and told people of his night journey. Since the blasphemers knew that he had never been to Jerusalem before, they mocked him and asked him to describe Baytul-Maqdis. God made it appear to the Prophet’s eyes and he described it to them. Those who were present there before had to admit that his description was exact.

Some scholars said that the Night Journey of the Prophet to Baytul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), his Ascension to the heavens, and his return to Makkah all occurred during one third of the night. The Prophet ﷺ physically went to these places. It was neither a dream nor a ‘spiritual lift’.

Surely, God has the Power to make this journey occur. Praise is to Him, the One Who has Power over everything.

The Dome of the Rock (part of Al-Aqsa)

¹ We do not say that he saw Allah in his heart. As mentioned repeatedly, the Almighty Allah does not occupy spaces.