Part 60

Then Jibreel ascended with him to the lowest heaven and requested entry. So it was said: "Who is there?": He said: "Jibreel." It was said: "And who is with you?" He said: "Muhammad." He said: "Has he been called?" He said: "Yes." It was said: "Welcome to him, what an excellent visitor it is who has come." So entry was granted to him, and he found therein Aadam. So Jibreel said: "This is your forefather Aadam, so greet him with salaam." So he greeted him thus and he responded to him with salaam and said: "Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous prophet." So on Aadam's right were the spirits of those who will attain salvation and on his left were the spirits of those who will go to destruction, from his descendants. So when he looked to the right he was pleased and laughed, and when he looked to his left he wept. Then Jibreel ascended with him to the second heaven and requested entry. So he found therein Yahyaa and 'Eesaa, 'alayhimus-salaam, and they are maternal cousins -each of them being the son pf the others maternal aunt. So Jibreel said: "This is Yahyaa and 'Eesaa, so greet them with the greeting of salaam. So he greeted them with salaam, and they replied with this greeting of salaam and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother, and the righteous Prophet." Then Jibreel ascended with him to the third heaven, and requested entry. So he found therein Yoosuf, 'alayhis-salaam and Jibreel said: "This is Yoosuf so greet him with salaam" so he greeted him with salaam, so he responded to him with this greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet." Then Jibreel ascended with him to the fourth heaven and requested entry. He found therein Idrees , so Jibreel said: "This is Idrees, so greet him with salaam. " So he greeted him with salaam, and he replied to him with salaam and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet." Then Jibreel ascended with him to the fifth heaven and requested entry. He found therein Haaroon Ibn 'Imraan, the brother of Moosaa, so Jibreel said: "This is Haaroon so greet him with salaam.” So he greeted him with salaam, and he replied to him with salaam and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet." Then Jibreel ascended with him to the sixth heaven and requested entry. He found therein Moosaa, so Jibreel said: "This is Moosaa, greet him with salaam." So he greeted him with salaam and he replied to him with the greeting of salaam and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet." When he proceeded on Moosaa wept, so it was said: "What causes you to weep?" So he replied: "I weep because a young man was sent as a Messenger after me, and more of his nation than my nation will enter Paradise." So Moosaa's weeping was because of grief for the many virtues missed by his nation, and not out of envy for the nation of Muhammad. Then Jibreel ascended with him to the seventh heaven and requested entry. He found therein Ibraaheem, the chosen beloved of the Most Merciful. So Jibreel said: "This is your forefather Ibraaheem, greet him with salaam." So he greeted him with salaam, and he replied with salaam and said: "Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous Prophet." Jibreel took Allaah's Messenger to all of those prophets as an honour for him, and in order to manifest his nobility and excellence. Also Ibraaheem was seen in the seventh heaven resting with his back against the Oft-Frequented House (al-Baitul-Ma'moor) which is such that every day seventy thousand angels enter it to worship and pray, then they leave it and do not return to it. Then on the second day more angles - whose number cannot be enumerated by anyone but Allaah, enter it. Then the Prophet was raised to the furthest Lote tree (as-Sidratul-Muniahaa), and it was covered through Allaah's Command in such splendour and beauty that no one would be able to describe its beauty. Then Allaah made fifty Prayers obligatory upon him for each day and night. So he was pleased with that and submitted to it. Then he descended until he came to Moosaa, who said: "What did your Lord make obligatory upon your nation?" So he said: "Fifty Prayers in each day and night." He said: "Your nation will not be able to bear that, I have experience of the people before you and struggled hard with Banee Israaeel, so return to your Lord and request that He should make reduction for your nation." The Prophet said: "So I returned, and ten were reduced from me" and he kept returning to His Lord until the obligation was fixed at five Prayers. Then a call was made: 'I have decreed My obligation, and have reduced the burden on My slaves.'" [Translator: Refer to sahih al-Bukhaaree, (Eng. transl. vol. 4, pp. 287-290, no. 429) and (vol. 5, pp. 143-148, no. 227)]. Also in this night the Prophet was entered into Paradise and saw tents of pearl, and saw that its earth was musk, then Allaah's Messenger descended and returned to Makkah during the period of after-dawn darkness, and he prayed the Dawn (Subh) Prayer.