Laylat al-Mi'raj (The Night of Ascension)

Laylat al-Mi'raj (Arabic: ليلة المعراج) is the night when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) undertook his miraculous nocturnal journey (Isra') from Masjid al-Haram in Mecca to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, and then his ascension (Mi'raj) through the seven heavens to Allah's presence. This event took place on the 27th of Rajab.

The Quran refers to this event: "Glorified is He who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs" (Surah Al-Isra 17:1). During the Mi'raj, the Prophet received the gift of the five daily prayers — originally they were 50, but were reduced to five after Moses' (peace be upon him) advice.

According to Shia narrations, the Prophet saw many signs and wonders during the Mi'raj. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated that the Prophet said: "When I was taken up to the heavens, I saw written on the gate of Paradise: 'There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is Allah's messenger, Ali ibn Abi Talib is the commander of the believers'" (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18). This shows that wilayah (Imam Ali's leadership) was affirmed during the Mi'raj.

Laylat al-Mi'raj is particularly significant for prayer, as it was this night that the five daily prayers were made obligatory. The Prophet said: "Prayer is the believer's Mi'raj" — a hadith suggesting that every prayer is a spiritual ascension for the worshipper. For Shia Muslims, the night of the 27th of Rajab is a night for extra worship, including ghusl, two rak'ah prayer, and recitation of specific du'as from Mafatih al-Jinan.