How to Write Buraq in both English and Arabic

Al-Buraq (Arabic: البُراق‎) literally means. “lightening” is a steed, described as a creature from the heavens which transported the prophets in Islam. The most commonly told story is how in the 7th century, Al-Buraq carried the Muhammad ibn Abdullah saws from Mecca to Jerusalem and back during the Isra and Mi’raj or “Night Journey”, which is the title of one of the chapters (sura), Al-Isra, of the Qur’an.
The Messenger of Allah sws said, “I was brought the Buraq, a long white beast, slightly bigger than a donkey but smaller than a mule which when trotting (ride), would place its next step as far as its eyesight could see. I mounted it until I reached al-Quds, Jerusalem. There I tied it up to the same ring used by the Prophets.
- Bukhari & Muslim
Today, science tells us that light is the fastest traveling entity in the world. It travels at the speed of 700 million miles an hour. Fourteen hundred years ago, when no scientist had even imagined the swiftness of the light or it’s reality, Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) called this fast traveling beast ‘al-Buraq’ on the basis of its fast pace. This is a proof for the truthfulness of the religion of Islaam and the Prophet-hood of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Today, if science testifies to some fact then it is the truthfulness of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam).
The meaning of al-Buraq in the Arabic language is ‘Beam, send out light.
The Messenger of Allah sws said,
Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me.” (On this Al-Jarud asked, “Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?” I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, “The animal’s step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal’s sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
- Bukhari
The creature itself isn’t referred to in the Qur’an yet many ahadith have been related to it regarding this particular journey. The Buraq was also said to transport Ibrahim Alayhis salam when he visited his wife Hajar and son Ishmael. According to tradition, Abraham lived with one wife in Syria, but the Buraq would transport him in the morning to Mecca to see his family there, and take him back in the evening to his Syrian wife. AllahuAlim.
Narrated byAnas ibn Malik:
“On the night when the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was taken up to Heaven, al-Buraq was brought to him, bridled and saddled, but it proved refractory (stubbornness), so Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) said to it: “Is it to Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) you are doing this? No one more honorable in Allah’s Sight has mounted you than he.” It then poured with sweat.”
At-Tirmidhi
Formerly, people objected: ‘where did such a creature appear, which took the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) from one part of the world to the other and through the spheres of the Heavens in one single night?’ Today, we see man-made rockets and missiles traveling miles in minutes. When man, who is a creature of Allah can create such fast traveling machines, then why cannot Allah, the Creator of mankind create a beast, which could travel millions of miles.
We only know about such things as much as Allah chooses to reveal to us, the rest is with Him alone. We stay away from any depictions and imagery of the creature because there is not enough textual evidence to base it on; as well as depictions in Islam themselves are unlawful.
SubhanAllahi wabihamdihi. SubhanAllahi adheem.