سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ 1
Translations
Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
Transliteration
Subhana alladhee asra bi-abdihi laylan mina al-masjidi al-harami ila al-masjidi al-aqsa alladhee baraknaa hawlahu li-nuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa as-sameeyu al-baseer
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the miraculous Night Journey (Isra) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this journey occurred in one night and was a sign of Allah's power and the Prophet's elevated status. The phrase 'those upon whom We have bestowed blessings' refers to the prophets and righteous people at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the journey itself was meant to show the Prophet divine signs and prepare him for the subsequent ascension (Mi'raj) to the heavens.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense persecution of Muslims. The ayah opens the surah and immediately establishes the miraculous nature of the Islamic message, occurring after the Battle of the Elephant and preceding the Hijrah. The Night Journey served as a consolation to the Prophet and Muslims during their trials, demonstrating Allah's protection and the continuity of the prophetic tradition from Abraham through the prophets at Al-Aqsa.
Related Hadiths
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, 'The most truthful vision is that of the Night Journey' (Sahih Bukhari 5981). Additionally, multiple detailed narrations of the Isra and Mi'raj appear in Sahih Muslim and other hadith collections, with Jabir ibn Abdullah providing extensive accounts of this miraculous event.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Allah's power transcends natural laws and that extraordinary divine signs confirm the truth of the message, even when circumstances appear difficult. For contemporary Muslims, it reinforces the importance of unwavering faith in Allah's promises and the spiritual significance of Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) in Islamic heritage.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
وَقُلْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ لِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًا
And We said after him [i.e., Pharaoh] to the Children of Israel, "Dwell in the land, and when there comes the promise [i.e., appointment] of the Hereafter, We will bring you forth in [one] gathering."
أَفَأَصْفَىٰكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱتَّخَذَ مِنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنَـٰثًا ۚ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَقُولُونَ قَوْلًا عَظِيمًا
Then, has your Lord chosen you for [having] sons and taken [i.e., adopted] from among the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave saying.
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ ٱلضُّرِّ عَنكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا
Say, "Invoke those you have claimed [as gods] besides Him, for they do not possess the [ability for] removal of adversity from you or [for its] transfer [to someone else]."