On the night the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was taken on the night journey from the mosque of the Kaabah, three persons came to him before revelation had begun, while he was sleeping in the Sacred Mosque.The first of them said, "Which one of them is he?"The middle one said, "He is the best of them."The last one said, "Take the best of them."That was on that night, and he did not see them again until they came to him on another night, in what his heart perceived. His eyes would sleep but his heart would not, for that is how the prophets are. Their eyes sleep but their hearts do not.They did not speak to him until they carried him and placed him beside the well of Zamzam. Jibreel took charge of him from among them. Jibreel split him open from the base of his throat down to the bottom of his chest until he had emptied his chest and abdomen. He washed it with water from Zamzam with his own hand until he had cleansed his insides. Then a basin of gold was brought, in which was a vessel of gold filled with faith and wisdom. With it he filled his chest and the veins 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 said, "Jibreel."They said, "Who is with you?"He said, "Muhammad is with me."They said, "Has he been sent for?"He said, "Yes."They said, "Welcome to him." So the inhabitants of the heaven rejoiced at him. The inhabitants of the heaven do not know what Allah intends concerning the earth until He informs them.In the lowest heaven he found Adam. Jibreel said to him, "This is your father Adam, so greet him." He greeted him, and Adam returned the greeting and said, "Welcome to my son. What an excellent son you are."In the lowest heaven he saw two flowing rivers.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 the heaven, and there was another river, over which was a palace of pearl and emerald. He struck it with his hand, and it was fragrant musk.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 as the first had said, "Who is this?"He said, "Jibreel."They said, "Who is with you?"He said, "Muhammad ﷺ."They said, "Has he been sent for?"He said, "Yes."They said, "Welcome to him."Then he ascended with him to the third heaven, and they said to him the same as the first and second. Then he ascended with him to the fourth, and they said the same. Then to the fifth, and they said the same. Then to the sixth, and they said the same. Then to the seventh, and they said the same.In each heaven were prophets whom he named. Of these I have retained Idris in the second, Harun in the fourth, another in the fifth whose name I have not memorized, Ibrahim in the sixth, and Musa in the seventh, by virtue of his being honored with the speech of Allah.Musa said, "My Lord, I had not thought that anyone would be raised 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, and drew near to the Almighty, the Lord of Glory. He came so close that he was within two bow-lengths or nearer.Allah revealed to him, among what He revealed, fifty prayers each day and night upon his Ummah.Then he descended until he reached Musa, and Musa held him back.Musa asked, "Muhammad, what did your Lord enjoin upon you?"He said, "He has enjoined upon me fifty prayers each day and night."Musa said, "Your Ummah cannot bear that. Go back, and let your Lord lighten it for you and for them."The Prophet ﷺ turned toward Jibreel as if seeking his counsel, and Jibreel indicated to him, "Yes, if you wish."So he ascended with him to the Almighty, and while he was in his place he said, "My Lord, lighten our burden, for my Ummah cannot bear this."So He removed ten prayers from him. Then he returned to Musa, who held him back. Musa kept sending him back to his Lord until they became five prayers.Then Musa held him back at the five and said, "Muhammad, by Allah, I tried to persuade the Children of Israil, my people, to less than this, and they grew weak and abandoned it. Your Ummah is weaker in body, in heart, in frame, in sight, and in hearing. So go back, and let your Lord lighten it for you."Each time, the Prophet ﷺ would turn toward Jibreel for his counsel, and Jibreel did not disapprove of that. So he raised him at the fifth time.He said, "My Lord, my Ummah are weak in their bodies, hearts, hearing, sight, and frames, so lighten our burden."The Almighty said, "Muhammad."He said, "Here I am at Your service, ready to please You."He said, "The word with Me is not changed. As I prescribed it for you in the Mother of the Book, every good deed is rewarded tenfold. So they are fifty in the Mother of the Book, and they are five upon you."He returned to Musa, who asked, "What did you do?"He said, "He lightened it for us. He has granted us tenfold for every good deed."Musa said, "By Allah, I tried to persuade the Children of Israil to 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 am ashamed before my Lord at how often I have gone back to Him."He said, "Then descend in the name of Allah."And he awoke, and he was in the Sacred Mosque.
حدثنا عبد العزيز بن عبد الله حدثني سليمان عن شريك بن عبد الله أنه قال سمعت
ليلة أسري برسول الله ﷺ من مسجد الكعبة أنه 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 بئر 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 أتي بطست من ذهب فيه تور من ذهب محشوا إيمانا وحكمة فحشا 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 آدم 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 عنصرهما 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 فأوعيت 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 يرفع علي أحد ثم علا به فوق ذلك بما لا يعلمه إلا الله حتى جاء سدرة المنتهى ودنا للجبار 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 موسى 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 وأبصارهم وأبدانهم فخفف عنا فقال الجبار يا محمد قال لبيك وسعديك قال إنه لا يبدل القول لدي كما فرضته 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 موسى قد والله استحييت من ربي مما اختلفت إليه قال فاهبط باسم الله قال واستيقظ وهو في مسجد الحرام