The Night Journey (Al-Isra)
In the Name of God, 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 [thus, too,] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and made it a [source of] guidance for the children of Israel, [commanding them:] "Do not ascribe to any but Me the power to determine your fate, 2 O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant. 3 And We decreed unto the Children of Isra'il in the Book; ye will surely cause corruption in the land twice, and ye will surely rise to a great height. 4 So, when the promise came for the first of the two, We sent against you slaves of Ours given to terrible warfare. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes. And it was a promise (completely) fulfilled. 5 Thereafter We gave you a return of victory over them, and We supported you with riches and children, and We made you a numerous concourse. 6 (And We said): "If you do good, you do good for your ownselves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves." Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands. 7 It is likely that your Lord may have mercy on you; and if you repeat the mischief, We will repeat the punishment; and We have made hell a prison for the disbelievers. 8 Indeed this Qur’an guides to the most Straight Path, and gives glad tidings to the believers who do good deeds, that for them is a great reward. 9 and that those who do not believe in the world to come -- we have prepared for them a painful chastisement. 10