The Night Journey of the Messenger of Allah to the Highest Heavens
Muslim transmitted in his Sahih from Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
"Buraq was brought to me, a tall white animal some- what larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule. Its hoof alights at the point reached by its glance." He said, "I mounted and rode it until I reached Jerusalem." He said that he tied it to the ring to which the Prophets tie their mounts.
He said, "I entered the mosque and prayed two rak'ats in it. Then I left and Jibril, peace be upon him, brought me a cup of wine and a cup of milk. I chose the milk and Jibril said, "You have chosen the natural way."
"Then he took me up to the lowest heaven and Jibril asked for it to be opened. It was said, 'Who are you?' He said, 'Jibril. It was said, "Who is with you?' He said, "Muhammad. It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, 'He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and there I found Adam. He greeted me and prayed for good for me and then took us up to the second heaven and Jibril, peace be upon him, asked for it to be opened. It was said, "Who are you?" He said, "Jibril. It was said, "Who is with you?" He said, 'Muhammad. It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, "He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and I found there my cousins, 'Isa b. Maryam and Yahya b. Zakariyya, the blessings of Allah be upon them. They greeted me and prayed for good for me and then took me up to the third heaven and Jibril asked for it to be opened. It was said, "Who are you?" He said, 'Jibril. It was said, 'Who is with you?" He said, "Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." It was said, "Has he been sent for? He said, "He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and I found there Yusuf, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was given half of all beauty and he greeted me and prayed for good for me and then he took us up to the fourth heaven. Jibril, peace be upon him. asked for it to be opened. It was said, 'Who are you?" He said, "Jibril. It was said, 'Who is with you?" He said, "Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." It was said, "Has he been sent for?' He said, 'He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and I found there Idris. He greeted me and prayed for good for me. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, 'We raised him up to a high place.
"Then he took us up to the fifth heaven. Jibril asked for it to be opened. It was said, "Who are you?" He said, 'Jibril.' It was said, 'Who is with you?' He said, "Muhammad. It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, 'He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and I found there Harun, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He greeted me and prayed for good for me. Then he took us up to the sixth heaven and Jibril, peace be upon him, asked for it to be opened. It was said, "Who are you.?" He said, 'Jibril.' It was said, 'Who is with you? He said, 'Muhammad. It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, 'He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and I found there Musa, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Не greeted me and prayed for good for me.
"Then he took us up to the seventh heaven. Jibril asked for it to be opened. It was said, 'Who are you?" He said, 'Jibril. It was said, 'Who is with you?" He said, 'Muhammad. It was said, "Has he been sent for?" He said, 'He has been sent for. So it was opened for us and I found myself with Ibrahim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was leaning with his back against the Frequented House. Every day 70,000 angels visit it, never returning to it again. Then he took me to the Lote Tree of the Furthest Limit whose leaves were like elephants' ears and fruits were like carthenware jugs."
He said, "When it was covered over by the command of Allah, a change came over it and nothing in Allah's cre- ation would be able to describe it owing to its extreme beauty. Allah revealed to me what He revealed and made fifty prayers obligatory for me in every day and night. Then I went down to Musa, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said, 'What did your Lord make obligato- ry for your community?" I said, 'Fifty prayers.' He said, "Go back to your Lord and ask him to reduce it. Your com- munity will never be able to do that. I know by my experi- ence of the tribe of Israel.***
He said, "I went back to my Lord and said, "O Lord, reduce it for my community, and he reduced it for me by five. I went back to Musa and said, "He reduced it by five for me. He said, "Your community will not be able to do it. Go back to your Lord and ask him to reduce it.""
He said, "I continued to go back and forth between my Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, and Musa, peace be upon him, until He said, 'O Muhammad, they are five prayers every day and night, but each prayer counts as ten so that makes fifty prayers. Whoever intends a good action and does not do it, a good action will be written down for him. If he does it, ten will be written down for him. Whoever intends an evil action and does not do it, nothing will be written against him. If he does it, one evil action will be written down."
He said, "I went back down to Musa, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and informed him and he said, "Go back to your Lord and ask him to reduce it." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I said, 'I have returned to my Lord so often that I am ashamed before Him.""
An-Nawawi said in the commentary of this hadith, "The Qadi said that this hadith indicates that heaven has real gates with sen- tries guarding them, and it contains affirmation of the need to ask permission before entering."
An-Nawawi said, "As for the words of the sentries of heaven, 'Has he been sent for? it means: 'Have you been sent to him to conduct him on the Night Journey and Ascent through the heav ens. It is not a question going back to the basis of the mission and the message."
The words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Then he took me to the Lote Tree of the Furthest Limit." occurs sometimes with the definite article (as-Sidra al-Muntaha), and in some variants as Sidra al-Muntaha. Ibn 'Abbas and the commentators and others said that it is called the Lote tree of the Furthest Limit because the knowledge of the angels stops there and no one was able to go beyond it except the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
It is related from Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that it is called that because it is reached both by what comes down to it from above it and also by what comes up to it from under- neath of the command of Allah Almighty.