Is the Islamic Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj) a credible divine event or a patched-up legend?

 By Dr. Maxwell Shimba — Shimba Theological Institute

Debate Topic: Is the Islamic Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj) a credible divine event or a patched-up legend?

Muslim Claim:
Muslims assert that Muhammad was miraculously taken from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascended to heaven in a single night, encountering prophets and receiving commands, including the five daily prayers.

Theological Problem:
According to Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 7517, the Night Journey is said to have occurred before the Divine Inspiration was revealed to him. That alone disqualifies the event’s divine legitimacy — how could a man not yet declared a prophet be taken on a prophetic journey?

Islamic scholars themselves scrambled to fix this blunder. Notice the highlighted addition: “i.e. after The Divine Inspiration was revealed to him” — clearly a later correction to mask the inconsistency.

Biblical Standard:
In Scripture, prophetic missions and heavenly encounters occur after divine calling and commissioning — Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), Isaiah’s heavenly vision (Isaiah 6), and Paul’s Damascus encounter (Acts 9). No man entered God’s council chambers without first being appointed and sanctified.

Logical Flaw:
If Muhammad wasn’t yet commissioned by God, who took him? By whose authority did he ascend? In 1 Kings 22:19-23, even lying spirits need permission from Yahweh. The unverified timing in Hadith 7517 reveals this was no divine mission but a crafted legend, later corrected to avoid theological embarrassment.

Christian Response:
God operates with order and clarity, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). The Night Journey contradicts both biblical patterns and its own sources. The absence of prophetic commissioning prior to such an event makes it void by divine law and biblical precedent.

Closing Argument:
The so-called Night Journey stands as an artificial narrative, inconsistent with both scriptural authority and Islamic authenticity. It’s another case of retrofitting doctrine to fix doctrinal fractures.

To those in pursuit of truth — Yahweh’s ways are transparent, His Word unchanging, and His Son the only true Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). No fabricated tales or retroactive edits can substitute the eternal gospel.

Caption suggestion:
“The Night Journey: A Legend Built on Contradiction. Truth doesn’t need fixing.”