Hadith #126

Arabic Text

English Translation

Mālik ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ told them about the night he was taken on the Night Journey. He said: "While I was at the Ḥaṭīm" — or he said: "at the Ḥijr" — "lying down, when someone came to me and split open from here to here" — meaning from his throat to below his navel. "He extracted my heart, and a golden basin filled with faith was brought. My heart was washed, then filled, then returned. Then a riding beast was brought to me, smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey, white" — meaning the Burāq — "which would place its hoof at the farthest extent of its gaze. I was mounted upon it, and Jibrīl set off with me until he reached the lowest heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there was Ādam عليه السلام. He welcomed me and supplicated for my good. Then he ascended with me to the second heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there were the two maternal cousins: ʿĪsā ibn Maryam and Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā عليهما السلام. They welcomed me and supplicated for my good. Then he ascended with me to the third heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there was Yūsuf عليه السلام, who had been given half of all beauty. He welcomed me and supplicated for my good. Then he ascended with me to the fourth heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there was Idrīs عليه السلام. He welcomed me and supplicated for my good. Allah عز وجل said: {And We raised him to a high station} [Maryam: 57]. Then he ascended with me to the fifth heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there was Hārūn عليه السلام. He welcomed me and supplicated for my good. Then he ascended with me to the sixth heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there was Mūsā عليه السلام. He welcomed me and supplicated for my good. Then he ascended with me to the seventh heaven and sought entry. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muḥammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'He has been sent for.' So it was opened for us, and there was Ibrāhīm عليه السلام, leaning his back against al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr, which seventy thousand angels enter every day never to return to it. Then he took me to Sidrat al-Muntahā, and its leaves were like the ears of elephants and its fruits were like large earthen vessels. When it was covered by the command of Allah with what covered it, it changed, and none of Allah's creation could describe its beauty. Then Allah revealed to me what He revealed, and He obligated upon me fifty prayers in every day and night. I descended to Mūsā عليه السلام, and he said: 'What has your Lord obligated upon your ummah?' I said: 'Fifty prayers.' He said: 'Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce them, for your ummah will not be able to bear that. Indeed, I tested the Children of Israel and experienced that from them.' So I went back to my Lord and said: 'O my Lord, lighten the burden on my ummah.' He reduced five for me. I returned to Mūsā and said: 'He reduced five for me.' He said: 'Your ummah will not be able to bear that. Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce them.' I kept going back and forth between my Lord تبارك وتعالى and Mūsā عليه السلام until He said: 'O Muḥammad, they are five prayers every day and night. For each prayer there are ten rewards, so that is fifty prayers. Whoever intends a good deed and does not do it, one good deed is recorded for him; and if he does it, ten are recorded. Whoever intends an evil deed and does not do it, nothing is recorded against him; and if he does it, one evil deed is recorded.' I descended until I reached Mūsā عليه السلام and informed him. He said: 'Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce them.' I said: 'I have gone back to my Lord so many times that I am ashamed before Him.'"