Tarikh (al-Tabari) 75
The story of Idris (peace be upon him)
قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِدْرِيسَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيًّا وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا [ مَرْيَمَ: 56 - 57 ]. فَإِدْرِيسُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَدْ أَثْنَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَوَصَفَهُ بِالنُّبُوَّةِ وَالصِّدِّيقِيَّةِ وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا . هُوَ كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ فِي حَدِيثِ الْإِسْرَاءِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَرَّ بِهِ وَهُوَ فِي السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ، وعَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ يَسَافٍ قَالَ: سَأَلَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كَعْبًا، وَأَنَا حَاضِرٌ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: مَا قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِإِدْرِيسَ: وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا ؟ قَالَ كَعْبٌ: أَمَّا إِدْرِيسُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ أَنِّي أَرْفَعُ لَكَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِثْلَ جَمِيعِ عَمَلِ بَنِي آدَمَ لَعَلَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ زَمَانِهِ، فَأَحَبَّ أَنْ يَزْدَادَ عَمَلًا، فَأَتَاهُ خَلِيلٌ لَهُ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ، فَقَالَ: إِنِ اللَّهَ أَوْحَى إِلَيَّ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَكَلِّمْ مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ فَلْيُؤَخِّرْنِي حَتَّى أَزْدَادَ عَمَلًا فَحَمَلَهُ بَيْنَ جَنَاحَيْهِ، ثُمَّ صَعِدَ بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ تَلَقَّاهُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ مُنْحَدِرًا فَكَلَّمَ مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ فِي الَّذِي كَلَّمَهُ فِيهِ إِدْرِيسُ، فَقَالَ: وَأَيْنَ إِدْرِيسُ ؟ قَالَ: هُوَ ذَا عَلَى ظَهْرِي. فَقَالَ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ: فَالْعَجَبُ بُعِثْتُ وَقِيلَ لِي: اقْبِضْ رُوحَ إِدْرِيسَ فِي السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ. فَجَعَلْتُ أَقُولُ: كَيْفَ أَقْبِضُ رُوحَهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ! فَقَبَضَ رُوحَهُ هُنَاكَ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا. وَرَوَاهُ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ عِنْدَ تَفْسِيرِهَا وَعِنْدَهُ. فَقَالَ لِذَلِكَ الْمَلَكِ: سَلْ لِي مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ كَمْ بَقِيَ مِنْ عُمُرِي ؟ فَسَأَلَهُ وَهُوَ مَعَهُ كَمْ بَقِيَ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ، فَقَالَ: لَا أَدْرِي حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ. فَنَظَرَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ لِتَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ إِلَّا طَرْفَةُ عَيْنٍ. فَنَظَرَ الْمَلَكُ إِلَى تَحْتِ جَنَاحِهِ إِلَى إِدْرِيسَ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَدْ قُبِضَ وَهُوَ لَا يَشْعُرُ، وَهَذَا مِنَ الْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّاتِ، وَفِي بَعْضِهِ نَكَارَةٌ، وَقَوْلُ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ: وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا. قَالَ: إِدْرِيسُ رُفِعَ وَلَمْ يَمُتْ، كَمَا رُفِعَ عِيسَى. إِنْ أَرَادَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَمُتْ إِلَى الْآنِ فَفِي هَذَا نَظَرٌ. وَإِنْ أَرَادَ أَنَّهُ رُفِعَ حَيًّا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ قُبِضَ هُنَاكَ فَلَا يُنَافِي مَا تَقَدَّمَ عَنْ كَعْبِ الْأَحْبَارِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقَالَ الْعَوْفِيُّ: عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ: وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا. قَالَ: رُفِعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ فَمَاتَ بِهَا. وَهَكَذَا قَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ، وَالْحَدِيثُ الْمُتَّفَقُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنَّهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ أَصَحُّ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ مُجَاهِدٍ، وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ. وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ: وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا. قَالَ: إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ. وَقَالَ قَائِلُونَ: رُفِعَ فِي حَيَاةِ أَبِيهِ يَرْدُ بْنُ مَهْلَائِيلَ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. سن إدريس عليه السلام حين رفعه وَرُفِعَ إِدْرِيسُ وَهُوَ ابْنُ ثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ وَخَمْسٍ وَسِتِّينَ سَنَةً، وَأَبُوهُ حَيٌّ، فَعَاشَ أَبُوهُ بَعْدَ ارْتِفَاعِهِ مِائَةً وَخَمْسًا وَثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً. قَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ: كَانَ يَصْعَدُ لِإِدْرِيسَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مِثْلُ مَا يَصْعَدُ لِجَمِيعِ بَنِي آدَمَ، فَجَاءَهُ مَلَكٌ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ اللَّهَ فِي جَلْسَةٍ، فَأَذِنَ لَهُ فَهَبَطَ إِلَيْهِ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ، وَكَانَ يَسْجُدُ، فَلَمَّا عَرَفَهُ، قَالَ: إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حَاجَةً، قَالَ: مَا هِيَ؟ قَالَ: تُذِيقُنِي الْمَوْتَ فَلَعَلِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا شِدَّتَهُ فَأَكُونُ لَهُ أَشَدَّ اسْتِعْدَادًا، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اقْبِضْ رُوحَهُ سَاعَةً ثُمَّ أَرْسِلْهُ، فَفَعَلَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: كَيْفَ رَأَيْتَ؟ قَالَ: أَشَدُّ مَا بَلَغَنِي عَنْهُ، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُرَيْنِي النَّارَ، قَالَ: فَحَمَلَهُ وَأَرَاهُ إِيَّاهَا، قَالَ: إِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُرَيْنِي الْجَنَّةَ، فَأَرَاهُ إِيَّاهَا، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَهَا وَطَافَ فِيهَا، قَالَ لَهُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ: اخْرُجْ، فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَا أَخْرُجُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يُخْرِجُنِي، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ مَلَكًا يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمَا، فَقَالَ: مَا تَقُولُ يَا مَلَكَ الْمَوْتَ، فَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ مَا جَرَى، فَقَالَ: مَا تَقُولُ يَا إِدْرِيسُ، قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَقَدْ ذُقْتُهُ، وَقَالَ: وَإِنْ مِنْكُمْ إِلا وَارِدُهَا وَقَدْ وَرَدْتُهَا. وَقَالَ لِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا هُمْ مِنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ. فَوَ اللَّهِ لَا أَخْرُجُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ اللَّهُ يُخْرِجُنِي، فَسَمِعَ هَاتِفًا مِنْ فَوْقِهِ يَقُولُ: بِإِذْنِي دَخَلَ وَبِأَمْرِي فَعَلَ، فَخَلِّ سَبِيلَهُ. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: أَيْنَ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتُ لِإِدْرِيسَ ؟ فَالْجَوَابُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعْلَمُ بِوُجُوبِ الْوُرُودِ، وَامْتِنَاعِ الْخُرُوجِ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَهُ.
Translation
✧ Allah Almighty said: "And mention in the Book Idrīs. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet. And We raised him to a high station" [Maryam: 56-57]. So Idrīs ﷺ was praised by Allah, and He described him with prophethood and truthfulness. His saying, Almighty: "And We raised him to a high station" is as is established in the two Ṣaḥīḥs in the ḥadīth of the night journey: that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by him while he was in the fourth heaven. And on the authority of Hilāl b. Yasāf, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās asked Kaʿb, while I was present, and said to him: What is Allah's saying, Almighty, regarding Idrīs: "And We raised him to a high station"? Kaʿb said: As for Idrīs, Allah revealed to him: "I raise for you every day the equivalent of all the deeds of the children of Adam"—perhaps meaning of the people of his time. So he wished to increase in deeds. Then a friend of his from among the angels came to him, and he said: "Allah revealed to me such-and-such, so speak to the Angel of Death to delay me so that I may increase in deeds." So he carried him between his wings, then ascended with him to the heaven. When he was in the fourth heaven, the Angel of Death met him descending, and he spoke to the Angel of Death about what Idrīs had asked him to say. He said: "And where is Idrīs?" He said: "He is here, on my back." The Angel of Death said: "How astonishing! I was sent and told: 'Take the soul of Idrīs in the fourth heaven.' I kept saying: 'How can I take his soul in the fourth heaven when he is on earth?'" So he took his soul there. That is Allah's saying, Mighty and Majestic: "And We raised him to a high station." Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated it in his commentary on this verse, and with him there is: He said to that angel: "Ask the Angel of Death for me how much of my life remains." So he asked him, while he was with him, how much of his life remained. He said: "I do not know until I look." So he looked and said: "You ask me about a man of whose life there remains only the blink of an eye." Then the angel looked beneath his wing at Idrīs, and behold, he had been taken while he was unaware. This is from the Isra'iliyyat, and in some of it there is something objectionable. And the saying of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, regarding His saying: "And We raised him to a high station": He said: Idrīs was raised and did not die, just as ʿĪsā was raised. If he means that he did not die until now, then there is something questionable in this. If he means that he was raised alive to heaven, then his soul was taken there, then it does not contradict what was mentioned earlier from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār. And Allah knows best. Al-ʿAwfī said: On the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās regarding His saying: "And We raised him to a high station": He said: He was raised to the sixth heaven and died there. Likewise said al-Ḍaḥḥāk. But the ḥadīth agreed upon [by al-Bukhārī and Muslim] that he was in the fourth heaven is more authentic, and it is the saying of Mujāhid and more than one. Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: "And We raised him to a high station": He said: To Paradise. Others said: He was raised during the lifetime of his father, Yarid b. Mahlāʾīl. And Allah knows best. The age of Idrīs ﷺ when he was raised: Idrīs was raised when he was three hundred and sixty-five years old, and his father was alive. His father lived after his raising for one hundred and thirty-five years. Zayd b. Aslam said: There used to ascend for Idrīs of deeds the like of what ascended for all the children of Adam. An angel came to him and sought permission from Allah for a visit, and He permitted him. So he descended to him in the form of a human, and he [Idrīs] was prostrating. When he recognized him, he said: "I ask you for a need." He said: "What is it?" He said: "Make me taste death, so that perhaps I may know its severity and be more prepared for it." So Allah revealed to him: "Take his soul for an hour, then return him." So he did. Then he said: "How did you find it?" He said: "More severe than what has reached me about it. And I would like you to show me the Fire." He said: So he carried him and showed it to him. He said: "I would like you to show me Paradise." So he showed it to him. When he entered it and wandered in it, the Angel of Death said to him: "Leave." He said: "By Allah, I will not leave until Allah Almighty makes me leave." So Allah sent an angel to judge between them. He said: "What do you say, O Angel of Death?" So he related to him what had happened. Then he said: "What do you say, O Idrīs?" He said: "Allah Almighty said: 'Every soul will taste death' [Āl ʿImrān: 185], and I have tasted it. And He said: 'And there is none of you except he will come to it' [Maryam: 71], and I have come to it. And He said to the people of Paradise: 'And they will not be expelled from it' [al-Ḥijr: 48]. So by Allah, I will not leave until Allah makes me leave." Then he heard a caller from above him saying: "By My permission he entered, and by My command he acted, so let him go." If it is said: Where are these verses regarding Idrīs? The answer: Allah knows best about the necessity of the coming, the impossibility of leaving Paradise, and other such matters, so he said it.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.