The Night Journey (Al-Isra)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ Purity is to Him Who took His bondman in a part of the night from the Sacred Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque around which We have placed blessings, in order that We may show him Our great signs; indeed he is the listener, the beholder. (This verse refers to the physical journey of Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – to Al Aqsa Mosque and from there to the heavens and beyond. The entire journey back to Mecca was completed within a small part of the night.) 1 And We gave Musa the Book and made it a guidance to the children of Israel, saying: Do not take a protector besides Me; 2 you who are the descendants of those whom We carried in the Ark with Noah. He was a truly thankful servant." 3 We made it known to the Israelites through the Torah that they would twice commit evil in the land with great transgression and rebellion. 4 (We told them) during your first uprising of evil We shall send to you Our mighty servants, who will chase you from house to house. This is a decree already ordained. 5 Then We granted you an upper hand against them, and strengthened you with wealth and children, and multiplied your numbers. 6 'If you do good, it is your own souls you do good to, and if you do evil it is to them likewise.' Then, when the promise of the second came to pass, We sent against you Our servants to discountenance you, and to enter the Temple, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy utterly that which they ascended to. 7 It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if ye repeat (the crime) We shall repeat (the punishment), and We have appointed hell a dungeon for the disbelievers. 8 VERILY, this Qur'an shows the way to all that is most upright, and gives the believers who do good deeds the glad tiding that theirs will be a great reward; 9 and warns those who do not believe in the Hereafter that We have prepared for them a grievous chastisement. 10