A story exists in Islam about the dream of the Prophet, a dream which was as an initiation in the higher spheres. Many take it literally and discuss it, and afterwards go out by the same door by which they came in. It is by the point of view of a mystic that one can find out the mystery.

It is said that the Prophet was taken from Jerusalem to the Temple of Peace, which means from the outer temple of peace to the inner temple of peace.

A Buraq [donkey] was brought for the Prophet to ride on.

Jibrail accompanied the Prophet on the journey to guide him.

Buraq is said to be an animal of heaven which has wings, the body of a horse and the face of a human being. It signifies the body together with the mind. The wings represent the mind, and the body of the Buraq represents the human body; the head represents perfection. Also this is the picture of the breath. Breath is the Buraq which reaches from the outer world to the inner world in a moment's time.

Jibrail in this story represents reason.

It is said that the Prophet saw on his way Adam, who smiled looking to one side and shed tears looking to the other side. This shows that the human soul when it develops in itself real human sentiment rejoices at the progress of humanity and sorrows over the degeneration of humanity.

The Buraq could not go beyond a certain point, which means that breath takes one a certain distance in the mystical realization, but there comes a stage when the breath cannot accompany one.

When they arrived near the destination Jibrail also retired, which means that reason cannot go any further than its limit.

Then the Prophet arrived near that curtain which stands between the human and the divine, and called aloud the name of God, saying, "None exists save Thou," and the answer came, "True, true."

That was the final initiation, from which dated the blooming of Mohammed's prophetic message.