Buraq
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Al-Burāq (Arabic: البُراق al-Burāq "lightning") is a miraculous steed, described as a creature from the heavens which transported the prophets. The most commonly told story is how in the 7th century, the Buraq carried the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and back during the Isra and Mi'raj or "Night Journey", which is the title of one of the chapters of the Qur'an.
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[edit] Description
An excerpt from a translation of Sahih Bukhari describes a buraq:
Another description of the Buraq:
Then he [Gabriel] brought the Buraq, handsome-faced and bridled, a tall, white beast, bigger than the donkey but smaller than the mule. He could place his hooves at the farthest boundary of his gaze. He had long ears. Whenever he faced a mountain his hind legs would extend, and whenever he went downhill his front legs would extend. He had two wings on his thighs which lent strength to his legs.
He bucked when the Prophet came to mount him. Jibril put his hand on his mane and said: "Are you not ashamed, O Buraq? By Allah, no-one has ridden you in all creation more dear to Allah than he is." Hearing this he was so ashamed that he sweated until he became soaked, and he stood still so that the Prophet mounted him.[2]
[edit] The journey to the Seventh Heaven
According to Islam, the Night Journey took place 12 years after Muhammad became a prophet, during the 7th century. Muhammad had been in his home city of Mecca, at his cousin's home (the house of Ummu Hani' binti Abu Thalib's) in Isha'a prayer. Afterwards, Muhammad went to the Masjid Al-Haram mosque. While he was resting between Baitullah and Hijir Ismail, suddenly the angel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared to him. After this, the Buraq arrived. Muhammad mounted the beast, and in the company of Gabriel, they traveled to the "farthest mosque". The location of this mosque was not explicitly stated, but is generally accepted to mean Jerusalem. At this location, Muhammad dismounted from the Buraq, prayed, and then once again mounted the Buraq and was taken to the various heavens, to meet Allah. Muhammad was instructed to tell his followers how many times per day that they were to offer prayers. The Buraq then transported Muhammad(SAW) back to Mecca.[3]
[edit] Abraham
The Buraq was also said to transport Abraham when he visited his wife Hagar and son Ishmael. According to tradition, Abraham lived with one wife in Syria, but the Buraq would transport him in the morning to Mecca to see his family there, and take him back in the evening to his Syrian wife.[4]
[edit] Western Wall
In the 1920's, part of the Western Wall, the only remaining part of the Second Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem, began being referred to as the Al-Buraq Wall. It had that name because it was said that Muhammad had tied the Buraq to that wall during the Night Journey.[5][6]
[edit] Cultural impact
- In Turkey, Burak is a common name given to male children.
- Two airlines have been named after the Buraq: Buraq Air of Libya, and the former Bouraq Indonesia Airlines of Indonesia (closed in 2006).
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sahih Bukhari 5, 58, 227
- ^ Muhammad al-Alawi al-Maliki, al-Anwar al Bahiyya min Isra wa l-Mi'raj Khayr al-Bariyyah
- ^ Sullivan, Leah. "Jerusalem: The Three Religions of the Template Mount". stanford.edu. http://water.stanford.edu/nur/GP50/leah.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-12-06.
- ^ Journeys in Holy Lands p. 117
- ^ Cobb, p. 14
- ^ Halkin, Hillel (January 12, 2001). "“Western Wall” or “Wailing Wall”?". Jewish Virtual Library. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/wallname.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
[edit] References
- Firestone, Reuven (1990). Journeys in Holy Lands. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780781403310.
- Rogerson, Barnaby (2003). The Prophet Muhammad. Hidden Spring. ISBN 9781587680298.
- Cobb, Gary L. (2007). Three Religions One Temple Mount. Xulon Press. ISBN 9781602665583.
- El-Shamy, Hasan M. (1982). Folktales of Egypt. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226206257.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Buraq |
- Complete report from the Sahih Bukhari, which includes a quotation similar to the above.
- Contemporary photo of a Pakistani truck decorated with a picture of the buraq.
- see legendary flight of Muhammad on burak
