it began lashing its tail, as though it had been ordered to do so. Gabriel said to it, “Easy, O Buraq! By Allah, no one like him has ever ridden you.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set off. On the roadside he saw an old woman and asked, “Who is she, O Gabriel?” He replied, “Keep going, O Muhammad.” He went on as far as Allah willed, until something standing away from the road called out, “Come here, O Muhammad!” Gabriel again said, “Keep going, O Muhammad,” so he continued for as long as Allah wished.
He was then met by a company of beings who greeted him, saying, “Peace be upon you, O Last one! Peace be upon you, O Gatherer!” He returned their greeting and finally reached Bayt al-Maqdis. There water, wine, and milk were set before him; he chose the milk. Gabriel said, “You have chosen the natural disposition. Had you drunk the water, your community would have drowned; and had you drunk the wine, you would have gone astray and so would your community.”
Adam and every prophet after him were then brought, and that night the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in prayer. Gabriel explained: “As for the old woman, nothing remains of this world except the span equal to what remains of her life. The one who tried to make you turn aside was the enemy of Allah, Iblis—he wanted you to incline toward him. Those who greeted you were Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.”
Ibn Kulayb informed us, from Ibn Bayyān, who said: Bishr ibn al-Qāḍī told us; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Yaqṭīnī narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Qutaybah reported; Abū ʿUmar ibn al-Naḥḥās related; al-Walīd narrated; al-Awzāʿī told me, from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Abū Salamah, who said: “ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit was seen weeping on the wall of Bayt al-Maqdis. When asked why, he said, ‘From this very spot the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told us he saw an angel turning over embers the size of clustered fruit.’” Its chain of transmission is sound.
Al-Naḍr ibn Shumayl, Rūḥ, and Ghundar said: ʿAwf informed us; Zurārah ibn Awfā narrated to us; Ibn ʿAbbās said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When the…"