The Night Journey (Al-Isra)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most 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 The descendants of those whom We boarded along with Nooh; he was indeed a grateful bondman. 3 We announced to the children of Israel in the Book: "You will surely create disorder twice in the land, and become exceedingly arrogant." 4 When the time of the first of these warnings came, We sent against you servants of Ours, of great might, who ravaged your homes. So the warning was fulfilled, 5 Then We gave back to you a return victory over them. And We reinforced you with wealth and sons and made you more numerous in manpower 6 [We said], "If you persevere in doing good, you will be doing good to yourselves; but if you do evil, it will go against you." When the time of the second warning came, [We roused against you others] to disgrace you utterly and to enter the place of worship as they had entered it before, utterly destroying all that they laid their hands on. 7 [Then Allah said], "It is expected, [if you repent], that your Lord will have mercy upon you. But if you return [to sin], We will return [to punishment]. And We have made Hell, for the disbelievers, a prison-bed." 8 Surely this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a great reward. 9 And those who do not believe in the Hereafter – We have kept prepared for them a punishment, most painful. 10