Holy Shab-e-Meraj on March 11

The holy Shab-e-Meraj will be observed across the country at night on March 11 next.

The National Moon Sighting Committee took the decision on Friday evening at a meeting held at the Islamic Foundation office at Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka, said Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, additional secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

At night of 26th Rajab every year, Muslims observe Shab-e-Meraj marking the special journey of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with the Archangel Hazrat Jibreel (Gabriel) from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to heaven by Buraq.

The Prophet (pbuh) then ascended to the second sky and there, he (pbuh) met Prophet Yahya (pbuh) (John, the Baptist) and Prophet Jesus (pbuh), then with Prophet Joseph (pbuh) in the third sky, with Prophet Idris (pbuh) (Enoch) in the fourth sky, with Prophet Aaron (pbuh) in the fifth sky and with Prophet Moses (pbuh) in the sixth sky.

The Prophet (pbuh) then ascended to the seventh sky and met Allah there.

In the middle of the way, the Prophet (pbuh) stopped in Medina, mosque of Kufa, Tur Sina and Bethlehem which is the birthplace of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and prayed there. He (pbuh) then entered al-Aqsa Mosque and prayed there too.

The Muslim devotees offer special prayers all the night in mosques and homes seeking blessings of Allah for the welfare of the entire nation and the Muslim Ummah.