page_title: Muhammad in Mecca
section_title: Isra and Mi'raj
hierarchical_section_title: Muhammad in Mecca / Events leading up to the Hijra / Isra and Mi'raj
caption_attribution_description: Al Jamea Al Qebli in Al Aqsa in Jerusalem Norsk bokmål: Al Jamea Al Qebli i Jerusalem
context_page_description: Muhammad was born and lived in Mecca for the first 52 years of his life time until his hijra. This period of his life is characterized by his early career as a shepherd and merchant, his proclamation of prophethood, and his marriage to Khadija bint Khuwaylid, even though he would also marry Sawda bint Zam'aa after her death.
  Muhammad's father, Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, died before he was even born. His mother would raise him until he was 6 years old, before her death around 577 CE at Abwa'. Muhammad is believed by Muslims to have began receiving revelations at the age of 40; some of his peers respected his words and became his followers, while others, including tribal leaders and some of his relatives, opposed, ridiculed and eventually boycotted his clan, the Banu Hashim, and Muhammad and his followers were harassed, assaulted and forced into exile with two tortured and killed. Several attempts were made on his life. When his uncle and chief protector, Abu Talib, who was the head of the clan of Banu Hashim died, Muhammad migrated to Medina in 622 CE, where he had many followers who agreed to help and assist him.
context_section_description: Some time in 620, Muhammad told his followers that he had experienced the Isra and Miraj, a supernatural journey said to have been accomplished in one night along with the angel Gabriel. In the first part of the journey, the Isra, he is said to have travelled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque" (in Arabic: masjid al-aqsa), which Muslims usually identify with the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In the second part, the Miraj, Muhammad is said to have toured heaven and hell, and spoken with earlier prophets, such as Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa.
   
  Ibn Ishaq, author of first biography of Muhammad, presents this event as a spiritual experience while later historians like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir present it as a physical journey. Some western scholars of Islam hold that the oldest Muslim tradition identified the journey as one traveled through the heavens from the sacred enclosure at Mecca to the celestial Kaʿba (heavenly prototype of the Ka'ba); but later tradition identified Muhammad's journey from Mecca to the abode of sanctuary (bayt al-maqdis) in Jerusalem.
caption: The Al-Aqsa Mosque congregation building, the site from which Muhammad is believed by Muslims to have ascended to heaven.
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