Forty Selection from the Jewels of Sacred Hadiths.
Al-Buraq is the most noble mount humanity has ever known.
On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
said in the hadith of the Night Journey (Isra'):
"I was brought al-Buraq,
which is a white animal,
tall, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule,
placing its hoof at the furthest point its sight could reach."
He said:
"So I mounted it until I reached Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)."
Narrated by Muslim.
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
Al-Buraq is derived from *barq* (lightning);
it is a noble creature,
exceptionally fast,
the like of which Allah has not created.
It is larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule.
It is the mount of the prophets,
and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rode it
on the Night of the Night Journey (Isra')
from the Ka'bah to Bayt al-Maqdis in Palestine.
A *dabbah* (beast/animal) refers to anything that crawls or walks upon the earth,
meaning a living creature.
"Larger than a donkey"
means greater than a donkey in physical size.
"Smaller than a mule"
means lesser than a mule in physical size.
"Placing its hoof at the furthest point its sight could reach"
means that a single stride of its
covers the entire distance to the limit of al-Buraq's vision.
"So I mounted it"
means the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rode it
in a literal, physical sense.
Overall Meaning:
The hadith informs us of the miracle of the Night Journey (Isra'),
in which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was taken by night
from Makkah to Al-Aqsa Mosque
upon a blessed mount,
which is al-Buraq.
It is the greatest and fastest means of transportation known to history,
and it is the mount used by the prophets to travel to Bayt al-Maqdis
and throughout their journeys.
On account of its extreme and extraordinary speed,
he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said of it:
"Placing its hoof at the furthest point its sight could reach."
That is, it sets its foot down at the limit of its field of vision,
such that a single step of its
spans as far as its sight can extend.
Sacred Reflections:
Traveling upon the back of al-Buraq
further exalted the noble standing of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him;
it served as an honorific distinction for that blessed night
and a dazzling miracle
that astounded intellects.
It bore witness to the grandeur of Divine Power.
The subjugation of this wondrous creature
to transport the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to Bayt al-Maqdis
represents a supreme honor for Palestine and its people,
as well as a declaration of the profound, intrinsic bond
and the permanent, shared destiny
between the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram) and Al-Aqsa Mosque.