AN ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION
The Qur’an recounts the night journey from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Hadith describe prayer in Jerusalem, the choice of milk as a sign of natural disposition, and the ascent through seven heavens.
Adam. Yahya and Isa. Yusuf. Idris. Harun. Musa. Ibrahim.
The account describes Buraq on the night journey and al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur, the frequented sanctuary, at the encounter with Ibrahim.
At Sidrat al-Muntaha, Muhammad, peace be upon him, witnessed great signs. Fifty daily prayers became five, retaining the reward of fifty.
The concluding verses of al-Baqara and forgiveness for members of his community who associate no partners with God are also reported. This promise does not remove moral responsibility.
Prayer. Mercy. Humility.
Care for one another.
The reflection beside the water is an invitation to contemplation, not an additional reported event.
The golden Dome of the Rock is a present-day symbol of Jerusalem, not a reconstruction of the journey’s setting. Still light marks encounters, not the prophets’ appearances. No light represents God. The unseen is not reconstructed; this is not a scientific model.
The ornaments and their puzzles are artistic devices. They do not change the narrated events or confer spiritual rewards.
The opening uses approximately 621 CE. The exact date of the journey is disputed.
SOURCES
Qur’an 91:9; 17:1; 2:43; 67:3;
53:13–18; 2:238; 2:285–286
Sahih Muslim 162, 172, 173
Sahih al-Bukhari 3887
Diyanet, Kur’an Yolu
TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi
English and Turkish captions are translations of meaning; Arabic shows the Quran text. Additional verses offer thematic reflections on purification, shared prayer, the heavens and mercy. Their pairing with an ornament does not claim that the verse narrates that puzzle or a separate event.
RECITATION
Abdul Basit Abdus Samad
Al-Isra: selected recording, 00:03–01:12, YouTube @abdulbassitabdulsamad, video 6ieiP15Es4s.
An-Najm: MP3Quran.net.
Additional verses: EveryAyah, Abdul Basit Mujawwad. English meanings prepared for this artwork.
Recordings edited with restrained reverberation. No synthetic voice. No music.
MİRAÇ · 2026