that he did not pray there. They have said that this cannot be stated on the basis of analogical reasoning, but only on the basis of authoritative transmission, and thus belongs to the category of transmitted reports. Yet it may be said that denying this, too, cannot rest on analogical reasoning, but only on authoritative transmission. Whether Muhammad saw his Lord or not is a matter that cannot be known through analogical reasoning alone.

When ʿĀ’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, denied this, she relied solely on her interpretation of the two verses, despite her dismay at the notion of such a vision occurring in this world. Ibn ʿAbbās mentioned it while explaining the words of Allah Most High:

“And indeed he saw him at another descent.” (13)
[al-Najm 13]

Thus his statement, too, concerned the interpretation of the Quran. As for the hadiths Ibn ʿAbbās narrated from the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, in which he said, “I saw my Lord,” al-Qādī mentioned this when citing those hadiths. As for his argument that the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, affirmed that he saw Him that night, he relied solely on the hadith he was discussing when he made all these remarks, namely,