The Night Journey (Al-Isra)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ 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 you, the offspring of those We bore (in the ark) with Noah, he was indeed a grateful votary. 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 time of the first prediction came, We sent against you Our creatures full of martial might, who ransacked your cities; and the prediction was fulfilled. 5 Then We gave you once again, a return of victory over them. And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in man power. 6 'If you do good, it is your own souls you do good to, and if you do evil it is to them likewise.' Then, when the promise of the second came to pass, We sent against you Our servants to discountenance you, and to enter the Temple, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy utterly that which they ascended to. 7 Your Sustainer may well show mercy unto you; but if you revert [to sinning,] We shall revert [to chastising you]. And [remember this:] We have ordained that [in the hereafter] hell shall close upon all who deny the truth. 8 Surely, this Quran guides to the most upright way and gives good news to the believers who do good deeds, so that they will have a great reward 9 And that (as for) those who do not believe in the hereafter, We have prepared for them a painful chastisement. 10