, the Most High, with my heart, in the form of a beardless youth—a shimmering light. I had been forbidden to describe Him to you, so I asked my God to honor me with the sight of Him. There He was, like a newlywed when the bridal chamber is unveiled, established over His Throne in His dignity, might, glory and loftiness. I was not permitted to describe Him to you beyond that. Glory be to Him in His majesty and noble deeds, in His lofty place; His light is transcendent.”

Those knowledgeable in hadith deny that these are the words of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Yet this hadith shows that the well-known hadith of ‘Ikrimah concerned the Prophet’s seeing with his heart, as in this report.

A similar report was also narrated by al-Khallāl, who said: Yazīd ibn Jumhūr narrated to us; al-Hasan ibn Yahyā ibn Kathīr al-‘Abdī narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to us; Sufyān narrated to us, from Juwaybir, from