Al-Burāq
Overview
Al-Burāq is the celestial steed of Islamic tradition that, according to Hadith narrations, carried the Prophet Muhammad on the Isra and Mi'raj — the night journey from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the subsequent ascent through the seven heavens.
Details
- Origin:
- A single mythological figure of universal scope within Islamic tradition. The narrative geography of the night journey runs from Mecca (al-Masjid al-Haram) to Jerusalem (al-Masjid al-Aqsa) and through the seven heavens.
- Regions:
- Hejaz, Levant, Jerusalem (Haram al-Sharif)
- First Reported:
- c. 621 CE
Full Account
Al-Burāq (Arabic: البُراق, 'the lightning' or 'the bright one') is a sacred celestial steed in Islamic tradition. According to Hadith narrations transmitted in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and other canonical collections, Al-Burāq was sent by the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) to carry the Prophet Muhammad on the Isra and Mi'raj — the miraculous night journey from al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Mecca) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (the Furthest Mosque, identified with the site in Jerusalem), and then the celestial ascent (mi'raj) through the seven heavens to the divine presence. Hadith descriptions of Al-Burāq are concise: 'a white animal, smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey,' whose stride covers as far as the eye can see. Some traditions also relate that Al-Burāq carried the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) between Mecca and Canaan. The Quran refers to the night journey in Surah al-Isra (17:1) without naming the steed; the name Al-Burāq comes from the Hadith literature. Visual depictions, especially in Persian, Mughal, and Ottoman manuscript painting from roughly the 14th century onward, often portray Al-Burāq as a winged equine with a human (frequently feminine) face — a feature not present in early textual descriptions but widely diffused through Islamic devotional art. Sites in Jerusalem associated with the journey — the Buraq Wall (the western wall of the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, where tradition holds Al-Burāq was tethered) and the Buraq Mosque — remain places of religious significance and political contestation.
Also Known As
- البُراق (Arabic)
- Burāq (Arabic)
- Borāq (Persian)
Etymology
- Origin:
- From the Arabic root b-r-q (برق) meaning 'lightning' or 'to flash'. Some scholars (e.g., the Encyclopædia Iranica) note possible cross-influence with Middle Persian terms for a riding beast.
- Meaning:
- 'The lightning one' — a reference to extraordinary speed.
- First Use:
- Attested in Hadith collections of the 9th century CE; the night journey itself is traditionally dated to c. 621 CE.
Timeline
- c. 621 — Traditional date of the Isra and Mi'raj, in which Al-Burāq carries the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and through the seven heavens (Defining narrative event of the tradition)
- 9th century — Hadith collections of al-Bukhari (d. 870) and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 875) record narrations describing Al-Burāq (Canonical written documentation of the steed)
- 1436 — Mi'rajnama (Persian, Timurid period) produced in Herat, with elaborate paintings of Al-Burāq (Major milestone in the visual tradition)
- 1929 — Buraq Wall riots in Jerusalem (Modern political crystallisation of the religious significance of the Buraq Wall)
Sightings & Evidence
Cultural Significance
Lailat al-Mi'raj is observed annually on 27 Rajab in many Muslim communities, commemorating the night journey on which Al-Burāq carried the Prophet.
Related Phenomena
- Pegasus — Greek winged horse with celestial associations
- Tianma (天馬) — Chinese 'heavenly horse', a celestial steed motif
- Sleipnir — Norse eight-legged steed of Odin used to travel between worlds