About Shab-e-Miraj
Shab-e-Miraj is the night of 27 Rajab, when many Muslims remember the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension through the heavens. In 2027 it is expected to begin at sunset on Tuesday, 5 January 2027, subject to the moon being sighted in India. Many South Asian Muslims spend it in prayer, while others, including many Deobandi scholars, do not treat it as a special night.
On Shab-e-Miraj in Srinagar, people walk to Dargah Hazratbal on the shore of Dal Lake and stay for prayers that run through the night. The next day, the shrine shows the Moi-e-Muqaddas, a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet, briefly after each of the five daily prayers. In 2026 the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board put out volunteers, water tanks and a medical camp for the crowd, and the government gave a holiday the day after.
The story the night remembers
Miraj is Arabic for ascent. As Islamic tradition tells it, the angel Jibril (Gabriel) woke the Prophet Muhammad one night in Mecca. He rode Buraq, a winged mount, to the mosque at Jerusalem, where in some accounts he led the earlier prophets in prayer. That part is the Isra, the Night Journey. He then rose through the seven heavens, met prophets including Adam, Jesus, Joseph, Moses and Abraham, and reached the Sidrat al-Muntaha, the lote tree at the boundary of the seventh heaven.
The best-known part of the story is about prayer. God first asked fifty prayers a day of the Muslims. On Moses' advice, the Prophet went back and asked for less, until the number came down to five. This is why many Muslims call the daily prayers a gift of the Miraj, and why sermons on the night usually turn to keeping them.
Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque.
The Quran mentions the journey in this verse, and many commentators read verses 13 to 18 of Surah An-Najm (53) as describing the ascension. The fuller story comes from hadith collections and biographies of the Prophet.
Why 27 Rajab, and why not everyone marks it
Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The common Sunni view places the journey on the 27th of Rajab, a little over a year before the Prophet's migration to Medina. Early sources do not agree, though. The biographer Ibn Sa'd gave other dates, one in Ramadan and one in Rabi' al-Awwal.
Because the date is uncertain and no special rite for the night comes from the Prophet, many scholars discourage treating it as special. Darul Uloom Deoband's fatwa department has said that no hadith records a special reward for fasting on 27 Rajab or offering extra prayers on the night (fatwa 837/772, 1438 AH). The Pakistani scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani goes further: voluntary night prayer is fine on any night, but a fixed form of worship or a fast kept as a virtue of this day is an innovation (bid'ah).
Many other Indian Muslims, especially in the Barelvi and Sufi shrine traditions, keep the night with devotion. Neither side is fringe. A Muslim colleague may spend the night in prayer, or may see it as an ordinary evening for good religious reasons.
How the night is kept in India
Among those who observe it, the night is spent in nafl (voluntary) prayers, Quran recitation and durood, blessings on the Prophet. Mosques hold talks on the journey and its lessons. Some homes and mosques put up lights, and families gather to pray late into the night. Some people keep a voluntary fast on 27 Rajab, though, as above, scholars disagree on whether it carries any special merit.
Kashmir marks it most visibly. Besides Hazratbal, crowds gather at Jenab Sahab in Soura, Khanqah-e-Moula on the Jhelum and the Aali Masjid at Eidgah. Jammu and Kashmir lists Shab-i-Miraj as a public holiday on the day after the night, which in 2026 was Saturday 17 January. Elsewhere in India it is a working day.
The date follows the sighting of the Rajab moon in India, so it can differ by a day from Gulf calendars. Because the Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, the night moves earlier each year, and in some years it falls twice.
Shab-e-Miraj also starts the countdown to Ramadan. Shab-e-Barat follows about two and a half weeks later, and Ramadan a fortnight after that. Mufti Taqi Usmani recommends using these weeks to get ready for the fast, with the Prophet's prayer on seeing the Rajab moon: "O God, bless us in Rajab and Sha'ban, and bring us to Ramadan."
What to write
"Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak" is the greeting most Indian Muslims who keep the night use. Some prefer to skip the greeting and ask for prayers instead. Either is fine from a friend.
A good message is short and calm. The night's own subject, the gift of prayer, gives you something specific to say. Avoid "Happy Shab-e-Miraj", party images and fireworks.
Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak. On the night the five prayers were given, please remember me in yours. May every sajda you make tonight be accepted.
Ammi, Abbu, Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak. You taught us to pray before we could read. Please keep all of us in your duas tonight.
Wishing you a peaceful Shab-e-Miraj. I hope the night of prayer brings you calm, and the year ahead is kind to you and your family.
Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak from home. The mosque down the road is lit tonight and Abbu has stayed back for the talk. We are praying for you.
Thinking of you on Shab-e-Miraj. May the night bring you some peace, and may your prayers be answered.
Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak. Apni duaon mein humein bhi yaad rakhiyega. (A blessed Night of Ascension. Please remember us in your prayers.)
شبِ معراج مبارک۔ اپنی دعاؤں میں ہمیں بھی یاد رکھیے گا۔ (A blessed Night of Ascension. Please remember us in your prayers.)
Do
- Send a wish only to people you know mark the night; it is fine to ask a close friend.
- Keep it about prayer, peace and closeness to God.
- If a colleague is up late in prayer, go easy on early meetings the next day.
Avoid
- Don't assume every Muslim friend observes it; many follow scholars who don't.
- Don't use "Happy", fireworks or party graphics on a card.
- Don't call it the Prophet's birthday. That is Milad-un-Nabi, in Rabi' al-Awwal.
How to wish someone on Shab-e-Miraj
A Shab-e-Miraj message is quiet and devotional. It can ask for the other person's prayers, mention the gift of the five daily prayers that tradition links to this night, or wish them peace and closeness to God. \"Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak\" is the usual Indian greeting. Send it to people you know mark the night, keep celebration words out of it, and don't press it on anyone who doesn't observe it.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Urdu + Hindi.
Good to know: Not every Muslim marks the night with special prayers or greetings; send it to people you know observe it.
When is Shab-e-Miraj in each year?
Shab-e-Miraj is set by the Islamic lunar (Hijri) calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027may vary by location
- 2028may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
When is Shab-e-Miraj in 2027?
Shab-e-Miraj 2027 falls on Tuesday, 5 January 2027. The exact date can vary by location and local calendar, so confirm with your community.
What happened on the night of Miraj?
According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad was carried in one night from Mecca to Jerusalem and then up through the heavens, where he met earlier prophets. On that night, the tradition holds, the five daily prayers were made obligatory for Muslims.
Why do some Muslims not celebrate Shab-e-Miraj?
The date of the journey is uncertain, and no special prayer or fast for the night comes from the Prophet. For these reasons many scholars, including Darul Uloom Deoband and Mufti Taqi Usmani, say the night should not be treated as specially rewarded, though private voluntary prayer is fine.
Is it correct to say "Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak"?
Yes. "Shab-e-Miraj Mubarak" is the usual greeting in India among Muslims who keep the night. A quieter alternative is to ask the person to remember you in their prayers.
Should Muslims fast on 27 Rajab?
The fast on 27 Rajab is voluntary and not required. Some South Asian Muslims keep it, while Deobandi scholars say no hadith records a special reward for it and advise against treating it as a virtue of that day.
Why does Shab-e-Miraj come twice in 2027?
The Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so 27 Rajab moves earlier every year. In 2027 it falls in early January and again in late December.
Where in India is Shab-e-Miraj a holiday?
Jammu and Kashmir gives a public holiday for Shab-i-Miraj on the day after the night. It is not on the central government's holiday lists, and it is a working day in most other states.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .