While the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting among his companions, he said to them, "Do you hear what I hear?"They replied, "We hear nothing."He said, "I hear the heaven creaking, and it has every right to creak, for there is not a space of a hand's breadth in it without an angel either prostrating or standing."
بينما رسول الله ﷺ في أصحابه إذ قال لهم: تسمعون ما أسمع؟ قالوا: ما نسمع من شيء! قال: إني لأسمع أطيط السماء وما تلام أن تئط، وما فيها موضع شبر إلا وعليه ملك ساجد أو قائم.
Tabarani related it in al-Kabir (3/224-225) by way of Abdul-Wahhab bin Ata, who said, our teacher Saeed bin Abu Aruba narrated to us, from Qatada, from Safwan bin Mihraz, from Hakeem bin Hizam, and he mentioned it. Ibn Nasr Marwazi also related it by this route in Tazim Qadr al-Salah (1/258), as did Abu Shaykh in al-Azama (3/986). Its chain is hasan because of Abdul-Wahhab bin Ata, who is al-Khaffaf, Abu Nasr, and although he is among the narrators cited by Muslim, some critics have spoken about him. Bukhari said he is not strong in their view, and Nasai said he is not strong, while others regarded him favorably. Ibn Main said, there is no harm in him. Abu Hatim said, his hadith is recorded, and he is trustworthy in status. Ibn Saad said, he was truthful, and someone like him has his hadith graded hasan. As for Saeed bin Abu Aruba, he became confused in his later years, but Abdul-Wahhab bin Ata heard from him before that confusion set in.As for what was related from Abu Dharr, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, that he said, "I see what you do not see, and I hear what you do not hear. The heaven creaks, and it has the right to creak. There is no space of four fingers in it without an angel placing his forehead in prostration to Allah. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much, you would find no pleasure with women on your beds, and you would go out to the open places crying out to Allah." Then Abu Dharr said, "By Allah, I wish I were a tree that gets cut down," this part is disconnected.Tirmidhi (2312) and Ibn Majah (4190) both related it by the route of Israel, from Ibrahim bin Muhajir, from Mujahid, from Murawaq Ajli, from Abu Dharr, and he mentioned it. Hakim also related it (4/579) and graded it sahih according to the standard of the two Shaykhs, and Dhahabi endorsed this. Imam Ahmad also related it (21516) by this route, and at the end of the hadith he said, Abu Dharr said, "By Allah, I wish I were a tree that gets cut down." It becomes clear from his handling of it that this statement is part of the hadith that has been inserted from the words of Abu Dharr. Its chain is daif because of the disconnection between Murawaq Ajli and Abu Dharr. Abu Zura said, Murawaq Ajli did not hear from Abu Dharr. See al-Marasil by Ibn Abu Hatim (216), and Jami Tahsil (288), and likewise Daraqutni and others said this. As for Ibrahim bin Muhajir, he is truthful, though his hadith is somewhat weak. Muslim cited him among the corroborating narrations.Likewise, what Muhammad bin Nasr Marwazi related in Tazim Qadr al-Salah (1/260), and Abu Shaykh in al-Azama (3/984), by the route of Abu Muaz Fadl bin Khalid al-Nahwi, who said, Ubayd bin Sulayman al-Bahili narrated to us, saying, I heard Dahhak bin Muzahim narrating from Masruq bin Ajda, from Ayesha, that she said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "There is no space the size of a footprint in the lowest heaven without an angel on it either prostrating or standing, and that is what the angels mean by their saying," "And none of us there is but has a known station, and indeed we are those who stand in rows, and indeed we are those who glorify" [Saffat 37:164-166].In this chain is Fadl bin Khalid Abu Muaz al-Nahwi, whom Ibn Abu Hatim mentioned in al-Jarh wal-Tadil (7/61), saying, Muhammad bin Ali bin Hasan bin Shaqiq and Abdul-Aziz bin Munib Abu Darda narrated from him. He said, I heard my father say that. He did not mention any criticism or endorsement of him, so he falls among the unknown narrators, and he meets Ibn Hibban's standard, yet Ibn Hibban did not mention him among the trustworthy narrators.It has also been related from Ibn Masud as a stopped report, by a daif route. See Majma al-Zawaid (7/98), and by a sahih route, see Tazim Qadr al-Salah (1/260). Ibn Kathir said the same in his Tafsir (387), as did Saeed bin Jubayr. I say, the report of Saeed bin Jubayr was related by Abu Shaykh in al-Azama (3/982) by a daif route, with disconnection as well.Likewise, what has been related from Jabir bin Abdullah, as a raised report, is not sound, "There is no space the size of a footprint, a hand span, or a palm in the seven heavens without an angel there, either standing, bowing, or prostrating. When the Day of Resurrection comes, they will all say together, glory be to You, we have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped, but we have not associated anything with You." Tabarani related it in al-Kabir (2/200), from Khayr bin Arafa, our teacher Urwa narrated to us, our teacher Ubaydullah bin Amr narrated to us, from Abdul-Kareem bin Malik, from Ata bin Abu Rabah, from Jabir bin Abdullah, and he mentioned the hadith.Haythami said in al-Majma (1/52), "In it is Urwa bin Marwan." That is what he said, but he remained silent about discussing him. This Urwa bin Marwan is al-Arqi, whom the Hafiz gave a biography of in al-Lisan, saying, "Arqa is a village belonging to the district of Tripoli in Syria. Abu Abdullah related hadith in Egypt from a group whom he named, among them Ubaydullah bin Amr. A group related from him, whom he named, among them Khayr bin Arqa. Daraqutni used to say, he was illiterate and not strong in hadith. Ibn Yunus said, my father narrated to me, from his father, who said, I have not seen anyone more austere than Urwa al-Arqi. He was meticulous and extremely hard on himself, with a narrow sleeve that he could hardly manage to pull his hand out of except with great effort. He used to gather plants and sell them and live off that." End of the summary.Likewise, what has been related from Ala bin Saad, who witnessed the conquest and what came after it, that the Prophet ﷺ said one day to those sitting with him, "Do you hear what I hear?" They said, and what do you hear, O Messenger of Allah? He said, "The heaven creaks, and it has the right to creak. There is no space of a footprint in it without an angel on it, either standing, bowing, or prostrating. And the angels say," "And indeed we are those who stand in rows, and indeed we are those who glorify" [Saffat 37:165-166].Muhammad bin Nasr Marwazi related it (1/261), from Ahmad bin Sayyar, who said, Abu Jafar Muhammad bin Khalid al-Dimashqi, known as Ibn Umma, narrated to us, saying, Mughira bin Uthman bin Atiya, from Banu Amr bin Awf, narrated to me, saying, Sulayman bin Ayub, from Banu Salim bin Awf, narrated to me, saying, Ata bin Yazid bin Masud, from Banu Hubla, narrated to me, saying, Sulayman bin Amr bin Rabi, from Banu Salim, narrated to me, saying, Abdul-Rahman bin Ala, from Banu Saada, narrated to me, from his father Ala bin Saad, and he mentioned it. In it are men whose biographies I have not been able to locate.