The Miracle of Miʿrāj: a Spiritual-Anthropological Analysis Based on Turkic Manuscript Heritage in the Context of Contemporary Scientific Paradigms

Abstract

The Qur’an constitutes the worldview foundation of Muslim civilization and represents a unique divine text guiding the understanding of natural laws. Qur’anic verses contain numerous semantic indications related to the categories of time, space, motion, and being. This article analyzes the miracle of the Mi‘raj within the framework of Turkic manuscript traditions, integrating perspectives of spiritual anthropology and contemporary scientific paradigms. The main objective of the study is to examine the role of the Mi‘raj narrative in revealing the transcendental potential of human consciousness, the relative nature of time and space, and the epistemological limits of religious cognition. The research adopts a qualitative methodology based on library research, employing a systematic comparative analysis of classical Qur’anic exegesis, Sufi texts, Turkic manuscript sources, and theoretical works in modern physics. The findings demonstrate that the Mi‘raj experience reflects the non-absolute character of space and time, the ontological significance of motion, and the multi-layered cognitive dimensions of spiritual experience. At the same time, the study substantiates that this miracle cannot be fully explained within purely empirical or physical frameworks, as scientific models are able to describe its metaphysical nature only in a limited manner. Furthermore, encounters with prophets are interpreted as symbolic representations of successive stages of spiritual perfection, while the passage beyond Sidrat al-Muntaha is conceptualized as a metaphysical domain delineating the boundaries of rational cognition. The analysis also highlights the educational, cognitive, and civilizational functions of Mi‘raj narratives in Turkic manuscript heritage, emphasizing prayer as a fundamental institution shaping spiritual formation and anthropological integrity.