Muhammad ibn Bashshār, Abū Mūsā Muhammad ibn al-Muthannā, Muhammad ibn Yahyā, and Yahyā ibn Hakīm narrated to us, saying: Safwān ibn ʿĪsā narrated to us, saying: Al-Hārith ibn ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Dhubāb narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn Abī Saʿīd al-Maqburī, from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“When Allah created Adam and breathed the spirit into him, he sneezed and said, ‘Praise be to Allah.’ Thus he praised Allah by the permission of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. His Lord said to him, ‘May Allah have mercy on you, Adam.’ He then said to him, ‘Adam, go to those angels—to a group of them sitting together—and say, “Peace be upon you.”’ They replied, ‘And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.’

“Then he returned to his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, who said, ‘This is your greeting and the greeting of your children and their children.’ Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said to him, with both His hands closed, ‘Choose whichever of the two you wish.’ ⦗161⦘ He said, ‘I choose my Lord’s right hand, and both my Lord’s hands are right hands, blessed.’ Then He opened it, and there were Adam and his descendants within it. Adam said, ‘My Lord, who are these?’ He said, ‘These are your descendants.’ Every person’s lifespan was written between his eyes. Among them was a man who was the most radiant of them—or one of the most radiant—but only forty years had been decreed for him.

“Adam said, ‘My Lord, who is this?’ He said, ‘This is your son David, and I have decreed forty years for him.’ Adam said, ‘My Lord, extend his lifespan.’ He said, ‘That is what I have decreed for him.’ Adam said, ‘Then I give him sixty years of my own lifespan.’ He said, ‘That is for you to decide.’

“Then Adam was made to dwell in Paradise for as long as Allah willed, and then he was sent down from it. Adam kept count of his years. When the Angel of Death came to him, Adam said, ‘You have come too soon. A thousand years were decreed for me.’ He replied, ‘Indeed, but you gave sixty of them to your son David.’ Adam denied it, and so his descendants denied; he forgot, and so his descendants forgot. It was then that recording in writing and the use of witnesses were commanded.”

⦗162⦘ This is Bundār’s narration, except that he said, “May Allah have mercy on you, Adam,” and said, “Or one of the most radiant of them.” He said, “My Lord, what is this?”

Abū Mūsā said, “His lifespan was written beside him”; he did not say, “Between his eyes.” He also said, “Since Adam had a thousand years,” and said, “Among them was a man who was the most radiant of them—or one of the most radiant—but only forty years had been decreed for him. He said, ‘My Lord, what is this?’ He said, ‘This is your son David.’ He said, ‘My Lord, grant him more.’”

He also said, “You have come too soon. Did Allah not decree a thousand years for me?” And he said, “‘I did not do that.’ Thus he denied it.” Yahyā ibn Hakīm used the same wording as Abū Mūsā in these passages.