The significance of Jerusalem in Islamic tradition is emphasized in the Qur'anic rendering of Muhammad's nocturnal journey (Chapter 17):

“Glory be to him, who carries his servant by night from the Holy Mosque [the Ka'ba in Mecca] to the Further Mosque [Al-Aqsa] the precincts of which We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.”

Tradition identifies the Farther Mosque with the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The angel Gabriel accompanied Muhammad on his journey, riding al-Buraq, the winged beast, from Mecca to Jerusalem. The animal was tied to a large iron hoop beside the Temple Mount, and Muhammad ascended the Temple Mount to pray in the company of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the other prophets. Another tradition related to Muhammad's nocturnal journey is that of his ascent to heaven (Mi'raj).