Salaam,
[Shakir 17:1] Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing
[Shakir 53:13] And certainly he saw him in another descent,[Shakir 53:14] At the farthest lote-tree;[Shakir 53:15] Near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to.[Shakir 53:16] When that which covers covered the lote-tree;[Shakir 53:17] The eye did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the limit.[Shakir 53:18] Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord..
So we got into a philosophical discussion about meraj over the weekend. A teenager asked the question that if Allah is everywhere, why the need to call the Prophet to the edge of creation - Lote-Tree (Sidrat Al-Muntaha).
Shia belief is that it was a spiritual and physical journey. The reason was not to meet Allah but see his ceation (show our signs).
What did the Prophet see?
What did the Prophet do?