The Hadith of al-Buraq
The canonical account (Bukhari, Muslim, from Anas ibn Malik and others):
The Prophet: “I was brought al-Buraq — a white animal, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, that placed its hoof at the furthest range of its sight. I was mounted on it and went to Jerusalem. I tied it to the ring where the prophets tied their mounts. Then I entered the mosque [al-Aqsa] and prayed two rak’as in it…”
The key features from hadith:
- White in color
- Intermediate size between donkey and mule
- Stride covers the maximum range of vision (i.e., no point is too distant)
- Used by prophets before Muhammad (when the Prophet arrived at the ring, it was already familiar)
- Led by Jibril (Gabriel)
- At the mosque in Jerusalem, the Prophet led all the prior prophets in prayer — before ascending through the heavens
See also: Isra Wal Miraj, Nubuwwa, Seerah Makkah
Al-Buraq in Later Islamic Art and Literature
The image: In later Islamic art (particularly Persian miniature painting), al-Buraq evolved into a creature of remarkable beauty — typically depicted with a human face (sometimes female), a peacock tail, and angelic wings — an accumulation of symbolic features not in the original hadith but reflecting the spiritual imagination’s elaboration.
The prophetic chain: Because the hadith mentions prophets had tied their mounts at the same ring, al-Buraq is understood as having served Ibrahim before Muhammad — the same mount that carried the friends of Allah. This continuity of prophetic transport mirrors the Ismaili continuity of the Imamate chain.
In poetry: Rumi, Hafiz, and other Persian Sufi poets use al-Buraq as a metaphor for the vehicle of mystical ascent — the state or grace that carries the seeker beyond ordinary consciousness to the direct encounter with the divine.
See also: Imamah, Wali Al Asr, Understanding Walayah
The Ismaili Ta’wil of al-Buraq
In the Ismaili tradition, the Isra’ wa Mi’raj is not only a historical event but the supreme typological template for the soul’s own journey to the divine:
Al-Buraq as the Word of the Imam: The Prophet’s Night Journey was made possible by al-Buraq — a celestial vehicle that exceeded all ordinary means of travel. In ta’wil, al-Buraq represents the kalam (word/teaching) of the Imam or Da’i — the knowledge that carries the seeker beyond the zahir to the batin. Just as al-Buraq’s stride “reaches as far as the eye can see,” the Imam’s teaching closes the distance between the human and the divine in a single revelation.
The seven heavens as the seven hudud: The Mi’raj’s ascent through seven heavens corresponds to the soul’s traversal of the da’wa’s seven levels — from the Da’i at the base through the Imam to the Asas, Natiq, and beyond. The Prophet meeting a prophet at each heaven corresponds to the soul recognizing a hadd (rank-holder) at each level of its ascent.
Jerusalem as barzakh: Al-Aqsa Mosque — where the Prophet led the prior prophets in prayer — functions as the barzakh (isthmus) between the horizontal world of prophetic history and the vertical ascent into the divine’s presence. The Prophet’s leadership of all prior prophets at al-Aqsa is the Ismaili image of the natiq gathering all prior revelations into himself.
See also: Isra Wal Miraj, Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Ismaili Philosophy, Daur Wa Kawr, Nafs The Soul, Akhira And Afterlife
See also: Isra Wal Miraj, Nubuwwa, Seerah Makkah, Imamah, Wali Al Asr, Understanding Walayah, Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Ismaili Philosophy, Daur Wa Kawr, Nafs The Soul, Akhira And Afterlife