3. the Night Journey (Isrāʾ)
Sahih Ibn Hibban 45Hasan
أَتَيْتُ حُذَيْفَةَ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَنْتَ يَا أَصْلَعُ؟ قُلْتُ أَنَا زِرُّ بْنُ حُبَيْشٍ حَدِّثْنِي بِصَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ حِينَ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ قَالَ مَنْ أَخْبَرَكَ بِهِ يَا أَصْلَعُ؟ قُلْتُ الْقُرْآنُ قَالَ الْقُرْآنُ؟ فَقَرَأْتُ «سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ» وَهَكَذَا هِيَ قِرَاءَةُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ} فَقَالَ هَلْ تَرَاهُ صَلَّى فِيهِ؟ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ أُتِيَ بِدَابَّةٍ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ وَصَفَهَا عَاصِمٌ لَا أَحْفَظُ صِفَتَهَا قَالَ فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَيْهَا جِبْرِيلُ أَحَدُهُمَا رَدِيفُ صَاحِبِهِ فَانْطَلَقَ مَعَهُ مِنْ لَيْلَتِهِ حَتَّى أَتَى بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ فَأُرِيَ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ رَجَعَا عَوْدَهُمَا عَلَى بَدْئِهِمَا فَلَمْ يُصَلِّ فِيهِ وَلَوْ صَلَّى لَكَانَتْ سُنَّةً
✧ I came to Hudhayfah and he said, "Who are you, O bald one?" I said, "I am Zirr b. Hubaysh. Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Bayt al-Maqdis when he was taken on the Night Journey." He said, "Who told you about it, O bald one?" I said, "The Qur'an." He said, "The Qur'an?" Then I recited, "Exalted is He who took His servant by night," and thus is the recitation of 'Abdullah, up to His saying, {Indeed He is the Hearing, the Seeing}. He said, "Do you think he prayed in it?" I said, "No." He said, "He was brought a mount." Hammad said, "'Asim described it, but I do not remember its description." He said, "Jibril mounted him upon it, one of them riding behind the other, and he traveled with him that night until he came to the Bayt al-Maqdis. He was shown what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. Then they returned the same way they came, and he did not pray in it. Had he prayed, it would have become a sunnah."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 46No grade recorded
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ «أُتِيَ بِالْبُرَاقِ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ مُسْرَجًا مُلْجَمًا لِيَرْكَبَهُ فَاسْتَصْعَبَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ مَا يَحْمِلُكَ عَلَى هَذَا فَوَاللَّهِ مَا رَكِبَكَ أَحَدٌ أَكْرَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُ
✧ The Prophet ﷺ was brought al-Burāq on the night of his night journey, saddled and bridled, so that he could ride it. It proved difficult for him, so Jibrīl said to it, “What makes you do this? By Allah, no one more honored by Allah than him has ever ridden you.”
Sahih Ibn Hibban 47Sahih
«لَمَّا كَانَ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَخَرَقَ جِبْرِيلُ الصَّخْرَةَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ وَشَدَّ بِهَا الْبُرَاقَ»
✧ "On the night I was taken on the night journey, I reached the Sacred House. Jibrīl split the rock with his finger and tied al-Burāq to it.”
Sahih Ibn Hibban 48Sahih
«بَيْنَمَا أَنَا فِي الْحَطِيمِ وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ فِي الْحِجْرِ إِذْ أَتَانِي آتٍ فَشَقَّ مَا بَيْنَ هَذِهِ إِلَى هَذِهِ فَقُلْتُ لِلْجَارُودِ وَهُوَ إِلَى جَنْبِي » مَا يَعْنِي بِهِ؟ «قَالَ مِنْ ثُغْرَةِ نَحْرِهِ إِلَى شِعْرَتِهِ فَاسْتَخْرَجَ قَلْبِي ثُمَّ أُتِيتُ بِطَسْتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ مَمْلُوءًا إِيمَانًا وَحِكْمَةً فَغُسِلَ قَلْبِي ثُمَّ حُشِيَ ثُمَّ أُتِيتُ بِدَابَّةٍ دُونَ الْبَغْلِ وَفَوْقَ الْحِمَارِ أَبْيَضَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْجَارُودُ هُوَ الْبُرَاقُ يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ؟ قَالَ أَنَسٌ نَعَمْ يَقَعُ خَطْوُهُ عِنْدَ أَقْصَى طَرْفِهِ فَحُمِلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَانْطَلَقَ بِي جِبْرِيلُ حَتَّى أَتَى السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا فَاسْتَفْتَحَ فَقِيلَ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ قِيلَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ قِيلَ وَقَدْ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قِيلَ مَرْحَبًا بِهِ فَنِعْمَ الْمَجِيءُ جَاءَ فَفُتِحَ فَلَمَّا خَلَصْتُ إِذَا فِيهَا آدَمُ فَقَالَ هَذَا أَبُوكَ آدَمُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ السَّلَامَ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالِابْنِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ ثُمَّ صَعِدَ بِي حَتَّى أَتَى السَّمَاءَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَاسْتَفْتَحَ قِيلَ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ قِيلَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ قِيلَ وَقَدْ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قِيلَ مَرْحَبًا بِهِ فَنِعْمَ الْمَجِيءُ جَاءَ فَفُتِحَ فَلَمَّا خَلَصْتُ إِذَا يَحْيَى وَعِيسَى وَهُمَا ابْنَا خَالَةٍ قَالَ هَذَا يَحْيَى وَعِيسَى فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمَا فَسَلَّمْتُ فَرَدَّا ثُمَّ قَالَا مَرْحَبًا بِالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ ثُمَّ صَعِدَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَاسْتَفْتَحَ قِيلَ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ قِيلَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ قِيلَ وَقَدْ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قِيلَ مَرْحَبًا بِهِ فَنِعْمَ الْمَجِيءُ جَاءَ فَفُتِحَ فَلَمَّا خَلَصْتُ إِذَا يُوسُفُ قَالَ هَذَا يُوسُفُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ ثُمَّ صَعِدَ بِي حَتَّى أَتَى السَّمَاءَ الرَّابِعَةَ فَاسْتَفْتَحَ قِيلَ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ قِيلَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ قِيلَ أَوَ قَدْ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قِيلَ مَرْحَبًا بِهِ فَنِعْمَ الْمَجِيءُ جَاءَ فَفُتِحَ فَلَمَّا خَلَصْتُ إِذَا إِدْرِيسُ قَالَ هَذَا إِدْرِيسُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ
✧ "While I was in the Ḥaṭīm – or perhaps he said in the Ḥijr – a visitor came to me and split open from here to here. I said to al-Jārūd, who was beside me, 'What does he mean by that?' He said, 'From the hollow of his chest to his pubic hair.' He extracted my heart, then a golden basin filled with faith and wisdom was brought to me. My heart was washed, then filled, then returned. Then I was brought a white beast, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule. Al-Jārūd said to him, 'Was it al-Burāq, O Abū Ḥamzah?' Anas said, 'Yes; its stride was as far as its eye could see. I was mounted on it and Jibrīl departed with me until he came to the lowest heaven. He asked for it to be opened, and it was said, "Who is this?" He said, "Jibrīl." It was said, "Who is with you?" He said, "Muḥammad ﷺ." It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, "Yes." It was said, "Welcome to him; what an excellent coming!" So it was opened. When I had entered, there was Ādam. He said, "This is your father Ādam, so greet him." I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said, "Welcome to the righteous son and righteous prophet." Then he ascended with me until he came to the second heaven. He asked for it to be opened, and it was said, "Who is this?" He said, "Jibrīl." It was said, "Who is with you?" He said, "Muḥammad." It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, "Yes." It was said, "Welcome to him; what an excellent coming!" So it was opened. When I had entered, there were Yaḥyā and ʿĪsā, who were maternal cousins. He said, "This is Yaḥyā and ʿĪsā, so greet them." I greeted them, and they returned the greeting, then said, "Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet." Then he ascended with me to the third heaven. He asked for it to be opened, and it was said, "Who is this?" He said, "Jibrīl." It was said, "Who is with you?" He said, "Muḥammad ﷺ." It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, "Yes." It was said, "Welcome to him; what an excellent coming!" So it was opened. When I had entered, there was Yūsuf. He said, "This is Yūsuf, so greet him." I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said, "Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet." Then he ascended with me until he came to the fourth heaven. He asked for it to be opened, and it was said, "Who is this?" He said, "Jibrīl." It was said, "Who is with you?" He said, "Muḥammad ﷺ." It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, "Yes." It was said, "Welcome to him; what an excellent coming!" So it was opened. When I had entered, there was Idrīs. He said, "This is Idrīs, so greet him." I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said, "Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 49Sahih
«مَرَرْتُ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي عَلَى مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يُصَلِّي فِي قَبْرِهِ»
✧ "On the night I was taken on the night journey, I passed by Mūsā ﷺ praying in his grave."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 50Hasan
«مَرَرْتُ بِمُوسَى لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي قَبْرِهِ عِنْدَ الْكَثِيبِ الْأَحْمَرِ»
✧ "On the night I was taken on the night journey, I passed by Mūsā while he was standing praying in his grave at the red sand dune."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 51Sahih
«لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي لَقِيتُ مُوسَى رَجِلَ الرَّأْسِ كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ رِجَالِ شَنُوءَةَ وَلَقِيتُ عِيسَى فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ أَحْمَرُ كَأَنَّهُ خَرَجَ مِنْ دِيمَاسٍ يَعْنِي مِنْ حَمَّامٍ وَرَأَيْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَأَنَا أَشْبَهُ وَلَدِهِ بِهِ فَأُتِيتُ بِإِنَاءَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا خَمْرٌ وَالْآخَرُ لَبَنٌ فَقِيلَ لِي خُذْ أَيَّهُمَا شِئْتَ فَأَخَذْتُ اللَّبَنَ فَقِيلَ لِي هُدِيتَ الْفِطْرَةَ أَمَا إِنَّكَ لَوْ أَخَذْتَ الْخَمْرَ غَوَتْ أُمَّتُكَ»
✧ "On the night I was taken on the night journey, I met Mūsā, who had a head of hair like a man of the Shanūʾah tribe, and I met ʿĪsā, who was a ruddy man as if he had just come out of a bath. I saw Ibrāhīm, and I am the most like his offspring among them to him. Two vessels were brought to me, one containing wine and the other milk. It was said to me, 'Take whichever you wish.' I took the milk, and it was said to me, 'You have been guided to the natural disposition. If you had taken the wine, your community would have gone astray.'"
Sahih Ibn Hibban 52No grade recorded
«أُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ بِقَدَحَيْنِ مِنْ خَمْرٍ وَلَبَنٍ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِمَا ثُمَّ أَخَذَ اللَّبَنَ فَقَالَ لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ هُدِيتَ الْفِطْرَةَ وَلَوْ أَخَذْتَ الْخَمْرَ غَوَتْ أُمَّتُكَ»
✧ "On the night of the night journey, two cups were brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, one of wine and one of milk. He looked at them and then took the milk. Jibrīl ﷺ said to him, 'You have been guided to the natural disposition. If you had taken the wine, your community would have gone astray.'"
Sahih Ibn Hibban 53Hasan sahih
«رَأَيْتُ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي رِجَالًا تُقْرَضُ شِفَاهُهُمْ بِمَقَارِضَ مِنْ نَارٍ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ يَا جِبْرِيلُ؟ » فَقَالَ «الْخُطَبَاءُ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ يَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَيَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ»
✧ "On the night I was taken on the night journey, I saw men whose lips were being cut with scissors of fire. I said, 'Who are these, O Jibrīl?'" He said, "These are the preachers from your community who command people to do good but forget themselves, while they recite the Book. Do they not understand?"
Sahih Ibn Hibban 54Sahih
«دَخَلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِقَصْرٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ هَذَا الْقَصْرُ؟ » فَقَالُوا لِفَتًى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لِي قُلْتُ «مَنْ هُوَ؟ » قِيلَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ
✧ "I entered Paradise and saw a palace of gold. I said, 'Whose is this palace?' They said, 'For a young man of Quraysh.' I thought it was for me. I said, 'Who is he?' It was said, 'ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb.'"
Sahih Ibn Hibban 55Sahih
«لَمَّا كَذَّبَتْنِي قُرَيْشٌ قُمْتُ فِي الْحِجْرِ فَجَلَّى اللَّهُ لِي بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ فَطَفِقْتُ أُخْبِرُهُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهِ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ»
✧ "When Quraysh called me a liar, I stood in the Ḥijr, and Allah showed me the Sacred House. I began to inform them of its signs while I was looking at it."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 56Sahih
فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ} قَالَ «هِيَ رُؤْيَا عَيْنٍ أُرِيَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ»
✧ Regarding His saying, exalted is He, {And We did not make the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people}, he said, "It was a vision of the eye shown to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the night he was taken on the night journey."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 57Hasan sahih
«قَدْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ رَبَّهُ»
✧ "Muḥammad ﷺ saw his Lord."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 58Sahih
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي ذَرٍّ لَوْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ عَنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ كُنْتَ تَسْأَلُهُ؟ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَقَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ «رَأَيْتُ نُورًا»
✧ I said to Abu Dharr: If I had seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I would have asked him about everything. He said: About what thing would you have asked him? He said: I would have asked him: Did you see your Lord? He said: I asked him, and he said: "I saw light."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 59Sahih
فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى} قَالَ «رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جِبْرِيلَ فِي حُلَّةٍ مِنْ يَاقُوتٍ قَدْ مَلَأَ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ»
✧ "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Gabriel in a form of a ruby that filled the space between the heavens and the earth."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 60Sahih
«أَعْظَمُ الْفِرْيَةِ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَنْ قَالَ إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ كَتَمَ شَيْئًا مِنَ الْوَحْيِ وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ» قِيلَ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا رَآهُ؟ قَالَتْ «لَا إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ جِبْرِيلُ رَآهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي صُورَتِهِ مَرَّةً مَلَأَ الْأُفُقَ وَمَرَّةً سَادًّا أُفُقَ السَّمَاءِ»
✧ "The greatest fabrication against Allah is that one says that Muhammad ﷺ saw his Lord, and that Muhammad ﷺ concealed something of the revelation, and that Muhammad ﷺ knows what will be tomorrow." It was said: O Mother of the Believers, did he not see Him? She said: "No, that was only Gabriel; he saw him twice in his true form: once when he filled the horizon, and once when he blocked the horizon of the sky."