Miraciye is defined as the general name of the studies and works in Islamic literature and arts about the Prophet Muhammed's Miraç (ascension). His journey from the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca to Jerusalem and from there to the heavenly realms is called Miraj. Miraj, which literally means "ladder or ascention", is considered one of the most important events through which belief and faith in the Prophet is tested. On Miraç Kandils (the holy nights, at which Muslims celebrate these events and pray during the night), the poems called Miraciye describing the ascention of Prophet Muhammad are composed in the form of mawlids and recited by the some performers called "Miraçhans". Among the conditions of the Foundation, which was established by Safiye Hatun in Bursa in 1888, is to recite Miraciye at Mahkeme Mosque, also known as Hoca Musliddin Mosque, on the night of Miraç. Miraciye, which has been recited in Hoca Musliddin Mosque for exactly 128 years, is recited in the mosques determined by Office of Bursa Mufti in city centre and its districts, thus the tradition is maintained. Since the Prophet was offered milk in Miraj, milk is distributed to the participants while the Miraciyye is recited. In Nâyî Osman Dede's Miraciyye, this is explained as such in following couplets:
“Bir tabakta geldi üç kâse ona
Biri hamr u biri süt biri ma
Dedi Cebrail eyle birin ihtiyar
Böyledir emr-i Hüda ey Bahtiyar
Hikmeten ol suret u mana hüner
Nûş edip kılmadı hamre nazar”
An approximate interpretation of these couplets might be:
“Three bowls were brought to him on a tray
One is fermented drink, one is milk and one is water
Angel Gabriel told him to choose one of them
Such is the decree of the creator oh blessed one
He who is the master of visible and spiritual
Wisely did not choose the fermented to drink"
Since reciting mi'râciyye is accepted as a separate field of performing in Turkish religious music, field of becoming a mi'rachan has developed as an important performance style.
