The Holy Verse 53:9 is mostly misrepresented as if the distance between the Holy Prophet^-saww and Almighty was very short, but that is incorrect. Holy Verse means that when Prophet^-saww looked at the earth from the Heavens, it was the distance of two bows or nearer.

السناني والدقاق والمكتب والوراق جميعا عن محمد الاسدي، عن النخعي، عن النوفلي، عن علي بن سالم، عن أبيه، عن ثابت بن دينار قال: سألت زين العابدين علي بن الحسين (عليه السلام) عن الله جل جلاله هل يوصف بمكان ؟ فقال: تعالى الله عن ذلك

Al Sinany and Daqaq and Al Maktab and Al Waraq altogether from Muhammad Al Asady, from Al Nakhaie, from Al Nowfaly, from Ali Bin Salim, from his father, from Sabit Bin Dinar who said,

‘I asked Zayn Al-Abideen Ali^-asws Bin Al-Husayn^-asws about Allah^-azwj, Majestic is His^-azwj Majesty, ‘Can He^-azwj be described by a place?’ He^-asws said: ‘Allah^-azwj is more Exalted than that’.

قلت: فلم أسرى بنبيه محمد (صلى الله عليه وآله) إلى السماء ؟ قال: ليريه ملكوت السماوات وما فيها من عجائب صنعه وبدائع خلقه

I said, ‘Then why did He^-azwj Ascend His^-azwj Prophet^-saww Muhammad^-saww to the sky?’ He^-asws said: ‘In order to Show him^-saww the kingdoms of the skies and what is therein from the wonders of His^-azwj Making and beauty of His^-azwj creation’.

قلت: فقول الله عزوجل: ” ثم دنا فتدلى فكان قاب قوسين أو أدنى ” قال: ذاك رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) دنا من حجب النور، فرأى ملكوت السماوات، ثم تدلى (صلى الله عليه وآله) فنظر من تحته إلى ملكوت الارض حتى ظن أنه في القرب من الارض كقاب قوسين أو أدنى

I said, ‘The Words of Mighty and Majestic: Then he approached, so he bowed [53:8] So he was (at a distance of) two bows or nearer [53:9]’. He^-asws said: ‘That is Rasool-Allah^-saww! He^-saww approached the Veils of Light and saw the kingdoms of the skies, then he^-saww bowed and looked beneath him^-saww to the kingdoms of the earth until he^-saww thought that he^-saww was nearer to the earth like (a distance of) two bows or nearer’’.[1]

[1] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 18, The book of our Prophet^saww, P 3 Ch 3 H 57