Celestial taxis

In answer to the video "Muhammad and Merkabah Mysticism"

During the isra/miraj, the prophet Muhammad was transported, according to tradition on a horse like celestial creature called Al-Buraq. Heavenly creatures transported previous prophets on otherwordly journeys 2Kings2:11, besides the mention of extraordinary celestial creatures by prophets the likes of Ezekiel. Muhammad was transported from the sacred masjid, ie Mecca, to the farthest masjid, ie Jerusalem, then back to Mecca. The event is shortly mentionned in the Quran

17:1"Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing".

The manner and process in which this occured is not precisely stated in the verse, nor did the prophet leave any clear-cut explanation of this experience. What can be gathered is that in one night, he was made to see and experience Jerusalem, the farthest masjid in relation to Mecca at the time, and certain aspects of it, as if he was physically there. This is very similar to the prophet Ezekiel's experience, when

Ezek40:1"the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me there".

Ezekiel here refers to Babylon where he was preaching to the enslaved nation of Israelites, unto Jerusalem, where he would be shown the appearance and measurements of the new temple. This was done in a strong and compulsive way as is so often denoted throughout this book whenever Ezekiel speaks of his revelational experience. Ezekiel continues to relate the event thus

"In the visions of God He brought me to the land of Israel, and He placed me on a very lofty mountain..."

He was thus "transported" in a manner we cannot fathom, through God's vision, from one distant place to another, interracting with the physical features of the area

Ezek47:4"..and he led me through water that reached the loins.."

He spoke there with entities addressing him with terms clearly indicating his presence at that very distant site

Ezek40:4"And the man spoke to me, "Son of man, see with your eyes and with your ears hear, and set your heart to all that I am showing you, because in order to show you, you have been brought here; tell all that you see to the House of Israel".