The Night Journey (Al-Isra)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ God is the Exalted One who took His servant one night for a visit from the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) to the Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem). God has blessed the surroundings of the Aqsa Mosque. He took His servant on this visit to show him (miraculous) evidence of His (existence). It is He who is All-hearing and All-aware. 1 We gave Moses the Book, and made it a source of guidance for the Children of Israel, commanding: "Take no other Guardian beside Me." 2 The seed of those We bore with Noah; he was a thankful servant. 3 We made it known to the Israelites through the Torah that they would twice commit evil in the land with great transgression and rebellion. 4 So when the first of those promises came, We sent upon you Our extremely militant bondmen – they therefore entered the cities pursuing you; and this was a promise that had to be fulfilled. 5 Then did We grant you the Return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power. 6 If you do good, you will do good for your own souls, and if you do evil, it shall be for them. So when the second promise came (We raised another people) that they may bring you to grief and that they may enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and that they might destroy whatever they gained ascendancy over with utter destruction. 7 Perhaps Allah will have mercy on you. But if you return, We will return. We have made Gehenna (Hell) a prison for the unbelievers. 8 Lo! this Qur'an guideth unto that which is straightest, and giveth tidings unto the believers who do good works that theirs will be 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