Anas bin Malik reported,

On the night the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was taken on the night journey from the Sacred Mosque of the Kaabah, three figures had come to him before revelation began, while he was sleeping in the Sacred Mosque.The first of them asked, "Which one of them is he?"Another replied, "The middle one is the best of them."The last of them said, "Take the best of them."That was all that happened that night, and he did not see them again until they came to him on another night, in something his heart perceived, for his eyes would sleep but his heart would not sleep. Such is the way of the prophets, their eyes sleep but their hearts do not sleep. They did not speak to him, but carried him and placed him beside the well of Zamzam. Jibreel took charge of him from among them and split him open from the base of his throat down to the lower part of his chest until he had emptied his chest and abdomen. Then Jibreel washed it out with Zamzam water by his own hand until he had cleansed his insides. Then a golden basin was brought containing a golden vessel filled with faith and wisdom, and he packed it into his chest and the vessels of his throat. Then he closed it up.Then he ascended with him to the lowest heaven and knocked on one of its gates. The inhabitants of the heaven called out, "Who is this?"He answered, "Jibreel."They asked, "And who is with you?"He said, "Muhammad is with me."They asked, "Has he been sent for?"He replied, "Yes."They said, "Welcome to him, may he be received warmly." The inhabitants of that heaven rejoiced at his arrival. The inhabitants of the heavens do not know what Allah intends to do on earth until He informs them.In the lowest heaven he found Adam, and Jibreel said to him, "This is your father, so greet him."He greeted him, and Adam returned the greeting and said, "Welcome, my son. What an excellent son you are."In the lowest heaven he saw two rivers flowing forth, and he asked, "What are these two rivers, Jibreel?"Jibreel said, "These are the Nile and the Furat at their source."Then he proceeded with him through that heaven, and there he saw another river over which stood a palace of pearl and chrysolite. He struck it with his hand, and behold, it was musk of the strongest fragrance.He asked, "What is this, Jibreel?"Jibreel said, "This is al-Kawthar, which your Lord has reserved for you."Then he ascended with him to the second heaven, and the angels said to him just as the first had said, "Who is this?"He said, "Jibreel."They asked, "And who is with you?"He said, "Muhammad ﷺ."They asked, "Has he been sent for?"He replied, "Yes."They said, "Welcome to him, may he be received warmly."Then he ascended with him to the third heaven, and they said to him as the first and second had said. Then he ascended with him to the fourth, and they said the same to him. Then he ascended with him to the fifth heaven, and they said the same. Then he ascended with him to the sixth heaven, and they said the same to him. Then he ascended with him to the seventh heaven, and they said the same to him.In each heaven were prophets whom he named. Of them I remembered Idris in the second, Harun in the fourth, another in the fifth whose name I have not retained, Ibrahim in the sixth, and Musa in the seventh, on account of his being honored by the speech of Allah.Musa said, "Lord, I had not thought You would raise anyone above me."Then he was taken up beyond that to a height known only to Allah, until he came to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. The Compeller, the Lord of Might, drew near and came down until He was at the distance of two bows' length or even closer. Among what Allah revealed to him was the obligation of fifty prayers upon his community every day and night.Then he descended until he reached Musa, and Musa stopped him and said, "Muhammad, what did your Lord enjoin upon you?"He said, "He enjoined upon me fifty prayers every day and night."Musa said, "Your community will not be able to bear that. Go back, and let your Lord lighten it for you and for them."The Prophet ﷺ turned to Jibreel as if seeking his counsel in the matter, and Jibreel signaled to him, "Yes, if you wish."So he ascended with him to the Compeller, and he said, while still in his place, "My Lord, lighten it for us, for my community cannot bear this."He removed ten prayers from him. Then he returned to Musa, who stopped him again, and Musa kept sending him back to his Lord until they came to be five prayers.Then Musa stopped him at the five and said, "Muhammad, by Allah, I tried to persuade my people, the Children of Israil, to do less than this, and they grew weak and abandoned it. Your community is weaker in body, in heart, in frame, in sight, and in hearing. Go back and let your Lord lighten it for you."Each time, the Prophet ﷺ would turn to Jibreel for his counsel, and Jibreel would not disapprove. So he raised him up at the fifth time, and he said, "My Lord, my community is weak in their bodies, hearts, hearing, and frames. Lighten it for us."The Compeller said, "Muhammad."He replied, "At Your service, ready to please You."He said, "The word with Me is not changed. As I have prescribed for you in the Mother of the Book, every good deed is recorded as ten of its like. So they are fifty in the Mother of the Book, but they are five for you."He returned to Musa, who asked, "What did you do?"He said, "He lightened it for us. He has granted us ten of its like for every good deed."Musa said, "By Allah, I tried to persuade the Children of Israil to do less than that, and they abandoned it. Go back to your Lord and let Him lighten it for you further."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Musa, by Allah, I have grown shy before my Lord from going back to Him so many times."Musa said, "Then descend in the name of Allah."He awoke, and he was in the Sacred Mosque.

عن أنس بن مالك يقول

ليلة أسري برسول الله ﷺ من مسجد الكعبة: إنه جاءه ثلاثة نفر قبل أن يوحى إليه، وهو نائم في المسجد الحرام، فقال أولهم: أيهم هو؟ فقال: أوسطهم هو خيرهم، فقال آخرهم: خذوا خيرهم، فكانت تلك الليلة، فلم يرهم حتى أتوه ليلة أخرى فيما يرى قلبه وتنام عينه ولا ينام قلبه- وكذلك الأنبياء تنام أعينهم ولا تنام قلوبهم- فلم يكلموه حتى احتملوه فوضعوه عند بر زمزم فتولاه منهم جبريل فشق جبريل ما بين نحره إلى لبته حتى فرغ من صدره وجوفه فغسله من ماء زمزم بيده حتى أنقى جوفه، ثم أتى بطست من ذهب فيه تور من ذهب محشوا إيمانا وحكمة فحشي به صدره ولغاديده- يعني عروق حلقه-، ثم أطبقه، ثم عرج به إلى السماء الدنيا فضرب بابا من أبوابها فناداه أهل السماء: من هذا؟ فقال: جبريل. قالوا: ومن معك؟ قال: معي محمد. قال: وقد بعث؟ قال: نعم، قالوا: فمرحبا به وأهلا، فيستبشر به أهل السماء لا يعلم أهل السماء بما يريد الله به في الأرض حتى يعلمهم فوجد في السماء الدنيا آدم، فقال له جبريل: هذا أبوك فسلم عليه، فسلم عليه. ورد عليه آدم، وقال: مرحبا وأهلا بابني نعم الابن أنت. فإذا هو في السماء الدنيا بنهرين يطردان، فقال ما هذان النهران يا جبريل، قال: هذا النيل والفرات عنصر هما، ثم مضى به في السماء، فإذا هو بنهر آخر عليه قصر من لؤلؤ وزبرجد فضرب يده، فإذا هو مسك أذفر. قال: ما هذا يا جبريل قال: هذا الكوثر الذي خبأ لك ربك، ثم عرج به إلى السماء الثانية، فقالت الملائكة له مثل ما قالت له الأولى: من هذا؟ قال: جبريل. قالوا: ومن معك؟ قال: محمد ﷺ قالوا: وقد بعث إليه؟ قال: نعم. قالوا: مرحبا به وأهلا، ثم عرج به إلى السماء الثالثة، وقالوا له مثل ما قالت الأولى والثانية، ثم عرج به إلى الرابعة، فقالوا له مثل ذلك، ثم عرج به إلى السماء الخامسة فقالوا مثل ذلك، ثم عرج به إلى السماء السادسة فقالوا له مثل ذلك، ثم عرج به إلى السماء السابعة فقالوا له مثل ذلك كل سماء فيها أنبياء قد سماهم فوعيت منهم إدريس في الثانية وهارون في الرابعة وآخر في الخامسة لم أحفظ اسمه، وإبراهيم في السادسة وموسى في السابعة بتفضيل كلام الله فقال موسى: رب لم أظن أن ترفع علي أحدا، ثم علا به فوق ذلك بما لا يعلمه إلا الله، حتى جاء سدرة المنتهى ودنا الجبار رب العزة فتدلى حتى كان منه قاب قوسين أو أدنى، فأوحى الله فيما أوحى إليه خمسين صلاة على أمتك كل يوم وليلة، ثم هبط حتى بلغ موسى فاحتبسه موسي فقال: يا محمد ماذا عهد إليك ربك؟ قال: عهد إلي خمسين صلاة كل يوم وليلة. قال: إن أمتك لا تستطيع ذلك فارجع فليخفف عنك ربك وعنهم فالتفت النبي ﷺ إلى جبريل كأنه يستشيره في ذلك فأشار إليه جبريل: أن نعم إن شئت، فعلا به إلى الجبار، فقال: وهو مكانه يا رب خفف عنا فإن أمتي لا تستطيع هذا فوضع عنه عشر صلوات، ثم رجع إلى موسى فاحتبسه فلم يزل يردده موسى إلى ربه حتى صارت إلى خمس صلوات، ثم احتبسه موسى عند الخمس، فقال: يا محمد، والله لقد راودت بني إسرائيل قومي على أدنى من هذا فضعفوا فتركوه فأمتك أضعف أجسادا وقلوبا وأبدانا وأبصارا وأسماعا فارجع فليخفف عنك ربك كل ذلك يلتفت النبي ﷺ إلى جبريل ليشير عليه ولا يكره ذلك جبريل فرفعه عند الخامسة فقال: يا رب إن أمتي ضعفاء أجسادهم وقلوبهم وأسماعهم وأبدانهم فخفف عنا. فقال الجبار: يا محمد، قال: لبيك وسعديك. قال: إنه لا يبدل القول لدي كما فرضت عليك في أم الكتاب، قال: فكل حسنة بعشر أمثالها فهي خمسون في أم الكتاب وهي خمس عليك، فرجع إلى موسى فقال: كيف فعلت؟ فقال: خفف عنا أعطانا بكل حسنة عشر أمثالها. قال موسى: قد والله راودت بني إسرائيل على أدنى من ذلك فتركوه ارجع إلى ربك فليخفف عنك أيضا. قال رسول الله ﷺ يا موسي قد والله استحييت من ربي مما اختلفت إليه. قال: فاهبط باسم الله. قال: واستيقظ وهو في مسجد الحرام.