Lailat al Miraj is an Muslim celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night on a winged creature called Buraq and his ascended to heaven (temporarily).

The Buraq
A white beast with the face of a woman and the tail of a peacock.

Who was Muhammad?

The Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is often regarded as the founder of Islam. In 610, while meditating in a cave, the angel Gabriel came to him and told him to recite the words of God. Those words were eventually written down in the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book.

The story behind Lailat al Miraj and why Mulsims pray five times a day

The Prophet Muhammad was visited by two angels whilst he was asleep in Mecca. He then travelled to Jerusalem to Jerusalem in a single night on a strange winged creature called Buraq. From the Temple Mount (the past site of the Jewish temple, the place where Jesus overturned tables, and the current site of the Dome of the Rock), Muhammad ascended into heaven, where he met the earlier prophets, and eventually God.

During his time in heaven Muhammad was told of the duty of Muslims to recite Salat (ritual prayer) five times a day.

Further information

Discover more about the religion of Islam
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/religion/Islam.htm