From Arabic, referring to the night journey; the name carries spiritual and religious significance.
Israa (also spelled Isra or Isrā') is an Arabic name of profound Islamic significance. It derives from the Arabic root meaning "to travel by night," and refers directly to the Isra, the miraculous nocturnal journey of the Prophet Muhammad from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, as described in the opening verse of Surah Al-Isra (Chapter 17) of the Quran. The event, commemorated on the 27th of Rajab as the holy night of Laylat al-Mi'raj, is one of the most sacred episodes in Islamic tradition.
By bearing this name, a child is connected to one of Islam's defining theological moments — a journey that transcended ordinary time and space. The name is widely used across the Arab world, in Muslim communities from Morocco to Indonesia, and in diaspora populations throughout Europe and North America. It is given almost exclusively to girls, and carries with it connotations of spiritual elevation, divine blessing, and the mystery of night.
Literarily, the Isra has inspired centuries of Islamic poetry, philosophy, and mystical writing, from Ibn Arabi's visionary prose to modern Arabic verse. The name Israa thus arrives to its bearer already freighted with centuries of devotion, making it one of the most meaningfully chosen names in Islamic naming tradition.