King, Crown Prince receive well wishes on Al Israa wal Miraj

AMMAN — Jordan, alongside other countries, on Wednesday marked the anniversary of Al Israa wal Miraj, Prophet Mohammad’s nocturnal journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven according to Islamic beliefs.

His Majesty King Abdullah received cables of well wishes from several senior officials and officers on the anniversary of the occasion, according to a Royal Court statement.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein also received similar cables from senior officials and officers.

The Israa, followed by the Miraj, took place on Rajab 27, the seventh month of the Hijri lunar calendar, in the 10th year of Mohammad’s prophethood, according to Muslim beliefs.

Islamic sources say the prophet was carried from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to the Farthest Mosque (Al Aqsa Mosque) in Jerusalem on a creature called the Buraq, and in the company of the archangel Gabriel (known in Arabic as Jibril).

There Prophet Mohammad led a congregational prayer of the prophets of God.

After that, Gabriel took him to the heavens where he met prophets Adam, John, Jesus, Idris, Aaron and Moses. In the seventh heaven, he met Abraham, according to Islam Online, an authoritative Islamic web portal.

During the divine journey, Allah ordered the five daily prayers for the Muslim nation. The prophet then returned to Mecca on the same night.

Senders of the cables praised His Majesty’s efforts in defending Jerusalem and its holy sites at international events, in addition to King Abdullah’s endeavours to preserve the city’s identity and history, referring to the sacrifices of soldiers of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army in defending Jerusalem, the statement added.