The Book of Faith

Anas b. Malik reported: Abu Dharr used to relate that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The roof of my house was cleft when I was in Mecca and Gabriel descended and opened my heart and then washed it with the water of Zamzam. He then brought a gold basin full of wisdom and faith and after emptying it into my breast, he closed it up. Then taking me by he hand, he ascended with me to th heaven, and when we came to the lowest heaven, Gabriel said to the guardian of the lowest heaven: Open. He asked who was there? He replied. It is Gabriel. He again asked whe he there was someone with him. He replied: Yes, it is Muhammad with me. He was asked if he had been sent for, He (Gabriel) said: Yes. Then he opened (the gate). When we ascended the lowest heaven (I saw) a man seated with parties on his right side and parties on his left side. When he looked up to his right, he laughed and when he looked to his left, he wept. He said: Welcome to the righteous apostle and the righteous son. I asked Gabriel who he was and he replied: He is Adam (peace be upon him) and these parties on his right and on his left are the souls of his descendants. Those of them on his right are the inmates of Paradise and the parties which are on his left side are the inmates of Hell; so when he looked towards his right side, he laughed, and when he looked towards his left side, he wept. Then Gabriel ascended with me to the second heaven. He asked its guardian to open (its gate), and its guardian replied in the same way as the guardian of the lowest heaven had said. He (opened it). Anas b. Malik said: He (the Holy Prophet) mentioned that he found in the heavens Adam, Idris, Jesus, Moses and Abraham (may peace be on all of them), but he did not ascertain as to the nature of their abodes except that he had found Adam in the lowest heaven and Abraham in the sixth heaven. When Gabriel and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) passed by Idris (peace be upon him) he said: Welcome to the righteous apostle and righteous brother. He (the narrator) said: He then proceeded and said: Who is he? Gabriel replied: It is Idris. Then I passed by Moses (peace be upon him) and he said: Welcome tothe righteous apostle and righteous brother. I said to (Gabriel): Who is he? He replied: It is Moses. Then I passed by Jesus and he said: Welcome to the righteous apostle and righteous brother. I said (to Gabriel): Who is he? He replied: Jesus, son of Mary. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then I went to Ibrahim (peace be upon him). He said: Welcome to the righteous apostle and righteous son. I asked: Who is he? He (Gabriel) replied: It is Abraham. Ibn Shihab said: Ibn Hazm told me that Ibn 'Abbas and Abd Habba al-Ansari used to say that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Thereafter he ascended with me till I was taken to such a height where I heard the scraping of the pens. Ibn Hazm and Anas told that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Allah then made fifty prayers obligatory for my Ummah and I returned with that and passed by Moses. Moses, (peace be upon him) said: What has thy Lord enjoined on thy people? I said: Fifty prayers have been made obligatory on them. Moses (peace be upon him) said: Return to thy Lord, for thy Ummah would not be able to bear this burden. Then I came back to my Lord and He remitted a portion out of thut. I then again went to Moses (peace be upon him) and informed him about it He said: Return to thy Lord, for thy Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden. I then went back to my Lord and He said: They are five and at the same time fifty, and what has been said will not be changed. I then returned to Moses and he said: Go back to thy Lord. whereupon I said: I feel ashamed of my Lord. Gabriel then travelled with me till we came to the farthest lote-tree Many a colour had covered it which I do not know. Then I was admitted to Paradise and saw in it domes of pearls, and its soil of musk.

Anas b. Malik reported on the authority of Malik b. Sa sa', perhaps a person of his tribe, that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I was near the House (i. e. Ka'bah) in a state between sleep and wakefulness when I heard someone say: He is the third among the two persons. Then he came to me and took me with him. Then a golden basin containing the water of Zamzam was brought to me and my heart was opened up to such and such (part). Qatada said: I asked him who was with me (i e. the narrator) and what he meant by such and such (part). He replied: (It means that it was opened) up to the lower part of his abdomen (Then the hadith continues): My heart was extracted and it was washed with the water of Zamzam and then it was restored in its original position, after which it was filled with faith and wisdom. I was then brought a white beast which is called al-Buraq, bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. Its stride was as long as the eye could reach. I was mounted on it, and then we went forth till we reached the lowest heaven. Gabriel asked for the (gate) to be opened, and it was said: Who is he? He replied: Gabriel. It was again said: Who is with thee? He replied: Muhammad (may peace be upon him). It was said: Has he been sent for? He (Gabriel) said: Yes. He (the Prophet) said: Then (the gate) was opened for us (and it was said): Welcome unto him! His is a blessed arrival. Then we came to Adam (peace be upon him). And he (the narrator) narrated the whole account of the hadith. (The Holy Prophet) observed that he met Jesus in the second heaven, Yahya (peace be on both of them) in the third heaven, Yusuf in the third, Idris in the fourth, Harun in the fifth (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them). Then we travelled on till we reached the sixth heaven and came to Moses (peace be upon him) and I greeted him and he said: Welcome unto righteous brother and righteous prophet. And when I passed (by him) he wept, and a voice was heard saying: What makes thee weep? He said: My Lord, he is a young man whom Thou hast sent after me (as a prophet) and his followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers. Then we travelled on till we reached the seventh heaven and I came to Ibrahim. He (the narrator) narrat- ed in this hadith that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him) told that he saw four rivers which flowed from (the root of the lote-tree of the farthest limits): two manifest rivers and two hidden rivers. I said: ' Gabriel! what are these rivers? He replied: The two hidden rivers are the rivers of Paradise, and as regards the two manifest ones, they are the Nile and the Euphrates. Then the Bait-ul-Ma'mur was raised up to me. I said: O Gabriel! what is this? He replied: It is the Bait-ul-Ma'mur. Seventy thousand angels enter into it daily and, after they come out, they never return again. Two vessels were then brought to me. The first one contained wine and the second one contained milk, and both of them were placed before me. I chose milk. It was said: You did right. Allah will guide rightly through you your Ummah on the natural course. Then fifty prayers daily were made obligatory for me. And then he narrated the rest of the hadith to the end.

It is reported on the authority of Malik b. Sa'sa' that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) narrated the hadith (mentioned above) and added to it: I was brought a gold basin full of wisdom and faith, and then the (part of the body) right from the upper end of the chest to the lower part of the abdomen was opened and it was washed with the water of Zamzam and then flled with wisdom and faith.

Qatada reported that he heard Abu al-'Aliya saying that the cousin of your Prophet (may peace be upon him), i. e. Ibn Abbas, told him: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), while narrating his night journey observed: Musa (peace be upon him) was a man of high stature as if he was of the people of the Shanu'a (tribe), and Jesus was a well-built person having curly hair. He also mentioned Malik, the guardian of Hell, and Dajjal.

Abu al-'Aliya reported: Ibn Abbas, the son of your Prophet's uncle, told us that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had observed: On the night of my night journey I passed by Moses b. 'Imran (peace be upon him), a man light brown in complexion, tall. well-built as if he was one of the men of the Shanu'a, and saw Jesus son of Mary as a medium-statured man with white and red complexion and crisp hair, and I was shown Malik the guardian of Fire, and Dajjal amongst the signs which were shown to me by Allah. He (the narrator) observed: Then do not doubt his (i. e. of the Holy Prophet) meeting with him (Moses). Qatada elucidated it thus: Verily the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), met Moses (peace be upon him).

Abu al-'Aliya narrated it on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) passed through the valley of Azraq, and he asked: Which valley is this? They said: This is the valley of Azraq, and he observed: (I perceive) as if I am seeing Moses (peace be upon him) coming down from the mountain track, and he is calling upon Allah loudly (saying: Here I am! at your service! ). Then he came to the mountain track of Harsha. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Which is this mountain track? They said: It is the mountain track of Harsha. He observed (I feel) as If I am seeing Yunus (Jonah-peace be upon him) son of Matta on a well- built red dromedary, with a cloak of wool around him and the rein of his dromedary is made of the fibres of date-palm, and he is calling upon Allah (saying: Here I am! at your service, my Lord! ). Ibn Hanbal said in the hadith narrated by him: Hushaim said that the meaning of khulba was fibre of date-palm.

Abu al-'Aliya narrated it on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said: We travelled with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) between Mecca and Medina and we passed by a valley. He (the Holy Prophet) asked: Which valley is this? They said: This is the valley of Azraq Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) remarked: (I feel) as if I am seeing Moses (peace be upon him), and then he described something about his complexion and hair, which Diwud (the narrator) could not remember. He (Moses, as described by the Holy Prophet) was keeping his fingers in his ears and was responding loudly to Allah (saying: I am as Thy service, my Lord) while passing through that valley. We then travelled (further) till we came to the mountain trail. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Which mountain trail is this? They said: It is the Harsha or Lift. He (the Holy Prophet) said: (I perceive) as if I am seeing Yunus on a red camel, with a cloak of wool around him. The halter of his camel was that of the fibre of date-palm, and he was passing through the valley saying: I am at Thy service! my Lord.

It is narrated on the authority of Mujahid that he said: We were with Ibn 'Abbas and (the people) talked about al-Dajjal. (One of them remarked. There is written between his eyes (the word) Kafir (infidel). The narrator said: Ibn 'Abbas remarked: I did not hear him (the Holy Prophet) say it, but he said: So far as Ibrahim is concerned. you may see your companion and so far as Moses is concerned, he is a well-built man with wheat complexion (riding) on a red camel with its halter made of the fibre of date-palm (and I perceive) as if I am seeing towards him as he is going down in the valley saying: I am at Thy service! my Lord.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: There appeared before me the apostles, and Moses was among men as if he was one of the people of Shanu'a, and I saw Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) and I saw nearest in resemblance with him was 'Urwa b. Mas'ud, and I saw Ibrahim (blessings of Allah be upon him) and I see your companions much in resemblance with him, i. e. his personality, and I saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and I saw Dihya nearest in resemblance to him; but in the narration of Ibn Rumh it is Dihya b. Khalifa.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When I was taken for the night journey I met Moses peace be upon him). The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave his description thus: He was a man, I suppose-and he (the narrator) was somewhat doubtful (that the Holy Prophet observed): (Moses) was a man erect in stature with straight hair on his head as it he was one of the men of the Shanu'a; and I met Jesus and the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) described him as one having a medium stature and a red complexion as if he had (just) come out of the bath He observed: I saw Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and amongst his children I have the greatest resemblance with him. He said: There were brought to me two vessels. In one of them was milk and in the other one there was wine. And it was said to me: Select any one you like. So I selected the vessel containing milk and drank it. He (the angel) said: You have been guided on al-fitra or you have attained al-fitra. Had you selected wine, your Ummah would have been misled.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Umar that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I found myself one night near the Ka'bah, and I saw a man with wheat complexion amongst the fair-complexioned men that you ever saw. He had a lock of hair the most beautiful of the locks that you ever saw. He had combed it. Water was trickling out of them. He was leaning on two men, or on the shoulders of two men, and he was circumscribing the Ka'bah. I asked, What is he? It was said: He is al-Masih son of Mary. Then I saw another person, stout and having too much curly hair, and blind in his right eye as if it was a full swollen grape. I asked Who is he? It was said: He is al-Masih al-Dajjal.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdulldh b. Umar that one day the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) mentioned in the presence of people about al-Masih al-Dajjal. He said: Verily Allah (hallowed be He and High) is not blind of one eye. Behold, but the Masih al-Dajjal is blind of right eye as if his eye is like a swollen grape, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I was shown in a dream in the night that near the Ka'bah there was a man fair-complexioned, fine amongst the white-complexioned men that you ever saw, his locks of hair were falling on his shoulders. He was a man whose hair were neither too curly nor too straight, and water trickled down from his head. He was placing his bands on the shoulders of two persons and amidst them was making a circuit around the Ka'bah. I said: Who is he? They replied: Al-Masih son of Mary. And I saw behind him a man with intensely curly hair, blind of right eye. Amongst the persons I have ever seen Ibn Qatan has the greatest resemblance with him. He was making a circuit around the Ka'bah by placing both his hands on the shoulders of two persons. I said: Who is he? They said; It is al-Masih al-Dajjal.

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I saw near the Ka'bah a man of fair complexion with straight hair, placing his hands on two persons. Water was flowing from his head or it was trickling from his head. I asked: Who is he? They said: He is Jesus son of Mary or al-Masih son of Mary. The narrator) says: I do not remember which word it was. He (the Holy Prophet) said: And I saw behind him a man with red complexion and thick curly hair, blind in the right eye. I saw in him the greatest resemblance with Ibn Qitan I asked: Who is he? They replied: It is al-Masih al-Dajjal.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir b. 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Quraish belied me, I was staying in Hatim and Allah lifted before me Bait-ul-Maqdis and I began to narrate to them (the Quraish of Mecca) its signs while I was in fact looking at it.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I found myself in Hijr and the Quraish were asking me about my might journey. I was asked about things pertaining to Bait-ul-Maqdis which I could not preserve (in my mind). I was very much vexed, so vexed as I had never been before. Then Allah raised it (Bait-ul-Maqdis) before my eyes. I looked towards it, and I gave them the information about whatever they questioned me I also saw myself among the group of apostles. I saw Moses saying prayer and found him to be a well-built man as if he was a man of the tribe of Shanu'a. I saw Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) offering prayer, of all of men he had the closest resemblance with 'Urwa b. Masu'd al-Thaqafi. I saw Ibrahim (peace be upon him) offering prayer; he had the closest resemblance with your companion (the Prophet himself) amongst people. When the time of prayer came I led them. When I completed the prayer, someone said: Here is Malik, the keeper of the Hell; pay him salutations. I turned to him, but he preceded me in salutation.

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah (b. Umar) that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was taken for the Night journey, he was taken to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, which is situated on the sixth heaven, where terminates everything that ascends from the earth and is held there, and where terminates every- thing that descends from above it and is held there. (It is with reference to this that) Allah said: " When that which covers covered the lote-tree" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 16). He (the narrator) said: (It was) gold moths. He (the narrator further) said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was given three (things): he was given five prayers, be was given the concluding verses of Sura al-Baqara, and remission of serious Sins for those among his Ummah who associate not anything with Allah

Al-Shaibini reported to us: I asked Zirr b. Hubaish about the words of Allah (the Mighty and Great):" So he was (at a distance) of two bows or nearer" (al-Qur'an, Iiii 8). He said: Ibn Mas'ud informed me that, verily, the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) saw Gabriel and he had six hundred wings.

Al-Shaibani narrated on the authority of Zirr who narrated it on this authority of Abdullah that the (words of Allah): " The heart belied not what he saw" (al Qur'an, Iiii. 11) imply that he saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and he had six hundred wings.

Zirr b. Hubaish narrated it on the authority of 'Abdullah (that the words of Allah): " Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of Allah" (al-Qur'an, liii. 18) imply that he saw Gabriel in his (original) form and he had six hundred wings.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the (words of Allah): " And certainly he saw him in another descent" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 13) imply that he saw Gabriel.

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he (the Holy Prophet) saw (Allah) with, his heart.

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the words: " The heart belied not what he saw" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 11) and" Certainly he saw Him in another descent" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 13) imply that he saw him twice with his heart.

Abu Bakr b. Abi Shaiba narrated it on the same authorities.

It is narrated on the authority of Masruq that he said: I was resting at (the house of) 'A'isha that she said: O Abu 'A'isha (kunya of Masruq), there are three things, and he who affirmed even one of them fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I asked that they were. She said: He who presumed that Muhammad (may peace be upon him) saw his Lord (with his ocular vision) fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I was reclining but then sat up and said: Mother of the Faithful, wait a bit and do not be in a haste. Has not Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:" And truly he saw him on the clear horizon" (al-Qur'an, lxxxi. 23) and" he saw Him in another descent" (al-Qur'an, iiii. 13)? She said: I am the first of this Ummah who asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about it, and he said: Verily he is Gabriel. I have never seen him in his original form in which he was created except on those two occasions (to which these verses refer) ; I saw him descending from the heaven and filling (the space) from the sky to the earth with the greatness of his bodily structure. She said: Have you not heard Allah saying." Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. and He is Subtle, and All-Aware" (al-Qur'an, v. 104)? (She, i. e. 'A'isha, further said): Have you not heard that, verily, Allah says:" And it is not vouchsafed to a human being that Allah should speak unto him otherwise than by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He sendeth a messenger (angel), so that he revealth whatsoever He wills. Verily He is Exalted. Wise" (al. Qur'an, xii. 51) She said: He who presumes that the Messengerof Allah (may peace be upon him) concealed anything, from the Book, of Allah fabricates the greatest lie against Allah. Allah says:" O Messenger! deliver that which has been revealed to thee from thy Lord, and if thou do (it) not, thou hast not delivered His message" (al-Qur'an, v. 67). She said: He who presumes that he would inform about what was going to happen tomorrow fabricates the greatest lie against Allah. And Allah says" Say thou (Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the unseen save Allah" (al-Qur'an, xxvii 65).

Dawud reported on the same authorities the hadith as narrated above by Ibn 'Uliyya and added: She ('A'isha) said: If Muhammad were to conceal anything which was sent to him, he would have certainly concealed this verse:" And when thou saidst to him on whom Allah had conferred favour and thou too had conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself and fear Allah, and thou wast concealing in thy heart that which Allah was going to disclose, and thou wast fearing men while Allah has a better right that thou shouldst fear Him."

Masruq reported: I asked 'A'isha if Muhammad (may peace be upon him) had seen his Lord. She replied: Hallowed be Allah, my hair stood on end when you said this, and he (Masruq) narrated the hadith as narrated above. The hadith reported by Diwud is more complete and longer.

Masruq reported: I said to 'A'isha: What about the words of Allah:" Then he drew nigh and came down, so he was at a distance of two bows or closer still: so He revealed to His servant what He revealed" (al-Qur'an, liii. 8-10)? She said: It implies Gabriel. He used to come to him (the Holy Prophet) in the shape of men; but he came at this time in his true form and blocked up the horizon of the sky.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): Did you see thy Lord? He said: He is a Light;. bow could I see Him?

Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I said to Abu Dharr: Had I seen the Messenger of Allah, I would have asked him. He (Abu Dharr) said: What is that thing that you wanted to inquire of him? He said: I wanted to ask him whether he had seen his Lord. Abu Dharr said: I, in fact, inquired of him, and he replied: I saw Light.

Abu Musa reported: The Messenger ofallah (may peace be upon him) was standing amongst us and he told us five things. He said: Verily the Exalted and Mighty God does not sleep, and it does not befit Him to sleep. He lowers the scale and lifts it. The deeds in the night are taken up to Him before the deeds of the day. and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night. His veil is the light. In the hadith narrated by Abu Bakr (instead of the word" light" ) it is fire. If he withdraws it (the veil), the splendour of His countenance would consume His creation so far as His sight reaches.