King, Crown Prince receive cables on occasion of Al Israa wal Miraj

AMMAN — Jordan, alongside other world countries, on Saturday 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 on Friday received cables of good 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 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 Al 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 stressed that Jordan, under His Majesty's role as custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, will remain the first defender of Al Aqsa Mosque, and will continue to be a safe haven for all Arabs and Muslims.

They also praised King Abdullah's stances in preserving and reconstructing Islamic holy sites, and his endeavours to reach a just solution to the Palestinian cause in general, and Jerusalem in particular.