The night journey (isra') and ascension to heaven (mi'raj) is a singularly auspicious event in the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, and is one of the most popular religious narratives in Islam. Among other things, it is seen to confirm the Prophet as the final prophet, to explain how the five daily prayers were introduced to the Muslim community as a religious duty, and to give an early explanation of the concepts of heaven and hell. The night journey and ascension are, moreover, the greatest of miracles ascribed to Muhammad. Here, Ron Buckley explores how the Islamic understanding...