The Ascension

This part, the going up to the heavens, is called the Miʿrāj. For as has been said, the Isrāʾ is a night journey; and while the night journey might refer to the whole of it, since all of it happened in the night, and happened very quickly in a worldly sense — very quickly, for all that it is a whole journey — the part from the Masjid al-Aqṣā up to the heavens is generally called the Miʿrāj, particularly because the word Miʿrāj refers to ascension. To speak of ascension is to speak of going up, of being elevated, of climbing up.

So he went upon the Burāq up to where no other human being had ever been. And then he continued to the abode of the angels throughout the seven heavens. And after that he came to one place beyond the seven heavens, after which Jibrīl stopped — Jibrīl (peace be upon him), who was the closest and the greatest of the angels — and said: I cannot go further from here. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then proceeded alone to meet with Allah (swt). And according to the majority view among the Ṣaḥābah as well, he actually saw Allah (swt) that night, and did not merely speak with Him. He actually saw Allah (swt). And upon each of the seven heavens he met with different prophets. All of that may be read in the tafsīrs, and in the hadith, and in the books upon the Miʿrāj.