The miraculous journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, and then an ascent through the sphere of the heavens where the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam met the company of Prophets and angels, beyond where even Jibraa’eel could not ascend, until finally he reached the presence of the Almighty Allah. All this took place in a very short space of Time. This is known as Israa'a and Me'raaj.
Israa'a literally means 'to travel by night'. This refers to the journey of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam from Makkah to Masjid-ul-Aqsaa in Jerusalem.
Me'raaj literally means 'ascent' or 'ascension' and it refers to the ascension of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam from Masjid-ul-Aqsaa to the heavens and beyond.
The Israa'a is dearly mentioned in Surah Bane Israa'eel. Allah
says:
Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the inviolable
place of worship (Makkah) to the
far distant place of worship (Jerusalem). (17:1)
Hence if anybody rejects the Israa'a, he ceases to be a believer since a rejector of any verse of the Qur'aan cannot be a Muslim.
The Me'raaj has been narrated in a number of authentic Ahaadeeth. Allaamah Ibne Katheer has recorded the incident of Me'raaj from twenty five Sahaabah radhiyallahu annum. (Tafseer Ibne Katheer).
The
person who rejects Me'raaj cannot
be termed as a kaafir (unbeliever) but he is definitely a Faasiq
(A flagrant violator of the Sharee'ah.)