the men of Shanūʾah—thick-haired, deep-set-eyed, with closely packed teeth, thin lips, protruding gums, and a stern expression. As for Abraham, by Allah, the person who most resembles me in both appearance and character is he.”

At this they clamored in protest and regarded the matter as outrageous. Al-Muṭʿim said, “Everything you have claimed until today was tolerable, but what you have said this day—I testify that you are a liar! We drive our camels for a month to reach Jerusalem, and you say you went there in a single night!”

He went on to relate the rest of the narrative. It is a singular report; al-Wasāwasī is weak and is the only one who transmitted it.

Muslim recorded: Muḥammad ibn Rāfiʿ narrated to us; Hujayn ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us; ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Abī Salamah narrated to us, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī, from Abū Salamah, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘I can still see myself in the Ḥijr while Quraysh were questioning me about my Night Journey. They asked me about details of the Temple in Jerusalem that I could not recall, and I felt a distress the like of which I had never felt before. Then Allah raised it before my eyes so that I could look at it; there was nothing they asked me about except that I informed them of it. I also saw myself among a company of prophets: Moses was standing and praying—he was a brown, curly-haired man, as though he were one of the men of Shanūʾah. Jesus son of Mary was standing and praying—the one who resembles him most among people is ʿUrwah ibn Masʿūd al-Thaqafī. Abraham was standing and praying—the one who most resembles him is your companion,’ meaning himself. ‘The time for prayer arrived, so I led them. When I had finished, someone said to me: “Muhammad, this is Mālik, the keeper of Hell; greet him.” I turned to him, and he greeted me first.’”

Abū Salamah also transmitted it on the authority of Jābir in a shortened form.

Al-Layth narrated, from ʿUqayl, from Ibn Shihāb, who said: “Abū Salamah informed me, saying: I heard Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh report that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:”