Allaah Almighty says, “Glorious is He Who made his servant travel by night”
LAIELLAN, means within the short part of the night. From Masjid ul Haram to
Masjid Aqsa. Which Masjid Aqsa, that Masjid Aqsa whose environs have been
blessed by Allaah Kareem.

Why did Allaah made prophet to visit, in order to show His signs that belong to
vision. No doubt Allaah is All Hearing and All Watching. In this verse Arabic
word INNAHU there is zameer which according to some scholars points towards
Allaah that He made his servant visit while others say it is pointing towards
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ i.e. he was made to visit. I accept both versions that Allaah
is watching and hearing Prophet and Prophet watching n hearing Allah; so
dispute got solved. This verse started with the word SUBHAAN, which means
devoid or free from all objections and shortcomings. By starting with the word
Subhaan, Allaah Ta’aalaa has shunned all the objections. Those people who say
how a human being visited heavens, how he lived without oxygen, on this earth one
may stay on one leg but cannot raise both legs how prophet went at such height,
there are two zones in the atmosphere one is so much cold other is so much hot
how he passed from there, how he completed such a long journey in a small part
of the night. Allaah has answered all objections by saying that Great is that
Who took prophet on that journey. We all know that Allaah can do whatever He
likes, He has no limits or weakness; we cannot think of His any Weakness or
limit. If Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had made such claim
that he visited  Masjid Aqsa, Heavens and beyond that in a short part of
night Muslims would have accepted and ratified it. But Allaah Kareem was aware
that there will be such persons who would raise objections, Allaah Ta’aalaa did
not want to have objections over His beloved Prophet, [Salal Laahu Alaiehi Wa
Sallam] therefore Allaah Kareem said I took him on that journey so whoever has
any objection he may Object Me Allaah not prophet as whoever objects Allaah,
people will come to know that he does not believe in the powers of Allaah
Ta’aalaa. Therefore Allaah Kareem did not ask prophet to claim but claimed
Himself that He took prophet to that journey.
excerpt-speech translated-Allamah Kaukab Noorani Okarvi