Ancient miracle inspires Muslims to meet challenges

After sunset today, in Mosques around the world, Muslims will be reminded of the Prophet Muhammad's miraculous holy nighttime journey known as "Isra and Miraj." The celebration recalls Prophet Muhammad's trip from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night — a feat no mere mortal could possibly accomplish at the time — and it reinforces Muslims' ties to the holy city of Jerusalem

All of the Abrahamic faiths tell miraculous stories involving God's prophets and messengers during historic periods of great challenge. They serve to enhance our faith by showing God's infinite power, mercy and compassion.

Muslims share a belief in many Bible stories: Jesus' power to restore life to the dead, for example, or Moses' staff becoming a snake before Egypt's pharaoh. These stories and others are recounted in the Quran with credit for them given to God alone.

Isra and Miraj is such a miraculous story. The trip was witnessed by no one and consequently required the faithful of the time to believe in the unseen. Believing the story of Isra and Miraj today still requires an act of faith — faith that is paramount in Islam because it recognizes God's ability to make possible the impossible.

This scripture is infallible; a beacon for the righteous; who (those who fear God) believe in the unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.

Quran 2:3

Muslims believe that during Prophet Muhammad's brief stay in Jerusalem in A.D. 621, he met all God's past prophets and led prayer at a holy site. The story demonstrates the unity of humanity through prayer, and for Muslims, it confirms Islam as an Abrahamic religion and Muhammad as God's last messenger.

Muhammad is not the father of any male among you, but he is the messenger of God and the seal of the prophets; and God is aware of all things.

Quran 33:40

The place Prophet Muhammad visited in Jerusalem, al-Haram ash-Sharif, remains today extremely significant to Muslims around the world. It includes the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. Other faiths refer to this sacred place as the Temple Mount.

Jerusalem was originally chosen by God as the first qiblah (direction) for Muslims to face in prayer, so we have a very strong bond to the city. Muslims believe Jerusalem must always be a place to visit and worship freely.

I was drawn to Jerusalem early in my life and recall with pleasure my first visit in 1980. I saw Muslims, Christian pilgrims and Orthodox Jews all worshipping within yards of one another. It was amazing and also provided reassurance that peace is, indeed, possible.

Rich in religious tradition and history, Jerusalem abounds in holy places and holds more religious significance for the three Abrahamic faiths than any other city. Muslims, like other faiths, feel the call of Jerusalem.

Around the world, Muslims still look to Isra and Miraj as a spiritually gratifying event. And it still summons our faith in God's infinite power.

Such strong faith may be hard to imagine in our cynical, secular world, but it can and does exist, and ultimately, it is the inspiration we all need to face life's challenges with confidence.

Aziz Junejo is host of "Focus on Islam," a weekly cable-television show, and a frequent speaker on Islam. Readers may send feedback to faithcolumns@seattletimes.com