Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227:
Narrated Abbas bin Malik:
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah’s Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying, “While I was
lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my body open from here to
here.” I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, “What does he mean?” He said, “It means from his throat
to his pubic area,” or said, “From the top of the chest.” The Prophet further said, “He then took out my
heart. Then a gold tray of Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with
Belief) and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule
and bigger than a donkey was brought to me.” (On this Al-Jarud asked, “Was it the Buraq, O Abu
Hamza?” I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, “The animal’s step (was so wide
that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal’s sight. I was carried on it, and Gab –
riel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
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When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered, ‘Gabriel.’ It
was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has Muhammad
been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent
visit his is!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel
said (to me). ‘This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the
greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended
with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked,
‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied,
‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was
said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’ The gate was opened.
When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and ‘Isa (i.e. Jesus) who were
cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), ‘These are John and Jesus; pay them your greetings.’ So I
greeted them and both of them returned my greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious
brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate
to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is accompanying
you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirm –
ative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!’ The gate was opened, and
when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said (to me), ‘This is Joseph; pay him
your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You are welcomed, O
pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for
its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel’ It was asked, ‘Who is accom –
panying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!’
The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to
me), ‘This is Idris; pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and
said, ‘You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the
fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It
was asked. ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been
called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent visit
his is! So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel said, (to me). This
is Aaron; pay him your greetings.’ I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, ‘You
are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth
heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked. ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was
asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been called?’
Gabriel replied in the affirmative. It was said, ‘He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!’
When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),’ This is Moses; pay
him your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, ‘You are wel –
comed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked
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him, ‘What makes you weep?’ Moses said, ‘I weep because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a
young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.’ Then Gabriel
ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’
Gabriel replied, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked,’ Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammad.’ It
was asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed.
What an excellent visit his is!’
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me), ‘This is your
father; pay your greetings to him.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said,
‘You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.’ Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Mun –
taha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a
place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, ‘This is the Lote
Tree of the utmost boundary) . Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible,
I asked, ‘What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?’ He replied,’ As for the hidden rivers, they are
two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.’
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma’mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and
another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked,
‘This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.’ Then the prayers were en –
joined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me),
‘What have you been ordered to do?’ I replied, ‘I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.’
Moses said, ‘Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before
you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduc –
tion to lessen your followers’ burden.’ So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then
again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Al –
lah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to
Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the
same advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, ‘What have you been ordered?’ I replied, ‘I have been ordered
to observe five prayers a day.’ He said, ‘Your followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I
have got an experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go
back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower’s burden.’ I said, ‘I have requested so
much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah’s Order.’ When I
left, I heard a voice saying, ‘I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Wor –
shipers.”