That he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "When the people of Quraish did not believe me (i.e. the story of my Night Journey), I stood up in Al-Hijr and Allah displayed Jerusalem in front of me, and I began describing it to them while I was looking at it."
Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar)
Sahih al-Bukhari - Hadith 3886
Hadith Text
That he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "When the people of Quraish did not believe me (i.e. the story of my Night Journey), I stood up in Al-Hijr and Allah displayed Jerusalem in front of me, and I began describing it to them while I was looking at it."
Commentary on the Miracle
This narration demonstrates one of the manifest miracles granted to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as divine confirmation of his truthfulness. When the Quraysh disbelieved his account of the Night Journey (Isra'), Allah displayed Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) before his eyes while he stood in the Hijr of the Ka'bah, enabling him to describe its precise details despite being physically distant from it.
Significance of Al-Hijr
Al-Hijr is the semicircular area adjacent to the Ka'bah, also known as Hijr Ismail. The Prophet's standing in this sacred precinct while receiving this vision emphasizes the sanctity of the location and connects this miracle to the Abrahamic tradition, as this area is associated with Prophet Ismail and his mother Hajar.
Divine Support for Prophethood
This event served as decisive proof against the disbelievers' skepticism. The detailed description of Jerusalem's features - which many Quraysh were familiar with due to their trade journeys - provided irrefutable evidence that the Prophet's experience was genuine and divinely facilitated, not imaginary or fabricated.
Scholarly Observations
Classical scholars note that this miracle complements the greater miracle of the Night Journey itself. While the Isra' was a physical journey, this vision served as public evidence for those who doubted. It demonstrates Allah's power to make distant things visible and confirms that prophetic miracles are granted according to the needs of the situation.