“Kitab al-Miraj” in Comparative Context

Abstract

This essay shows the significance of the Arabic text Kitab al-Miraj (The night journey of prophet Mohammad), which had been translated through centuries to old-Castilian, old-French and then, through Latin, it came to us. The text explores a connection to other oriental and world literature works as well as Islamic symbolism of work. In Kitab al-Miraj one can observe multilayered and symbolic characters of the book, as well as a connection with the symbolism of other great works of oriental literature. Thus, it can be assumed that this book, which describes the ascension (miraj) of God’s messenger thoroughly, could have affected or could have been used as inspiration to some later literarily-philosophical works within the Islamic world. Apart from the wellknown, direct or indirect, influence of the book on Dante, it could also have influenced other works of world literature and many other contemporary authors.