Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (3/341)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd—so it has reached me—used to relate:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was brought the Burāq, the mount upon which the prophets before him were carried, placing its hoof where its gaze ended. He was seated upon it, and his companion set out with him, showing him the signs that lie between heaven and earth until they reached the Temple of Jerusalem. There he found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus among a company of prophets who had been assembled for him. He led them in prayer, after which three vessels were brought to him—one of milk, one of wine, and one of water. He drank the vessel of milk, whereupon Gabriel said to me, ‘You have been guided, and your community has been guided.’”

Ibn Isḥāq, in the mursal report he transmits from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, states that Gabriel awakened him, then led him to the door of the Sacred Mosque and mounted him on the Burāq—a white beast midway between a mule and a donkey, with two wings at its thighs that spur its legs, setting its hoof where its sight concludes. “He mounted me upon it,” he said, “then went out with me—neither outstripping me nor lagging behind.”

I (the author) say: In the narration that comes through Qatādah, as cited by Ibn Isḥāq, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wished to mount the Burāq it shied away. Gabriel placed his hand on its mane and said, “Are you not ashamed, O Burāq, of what you are doing? By Allah, no servant of Allah has ever ridden you who is more honored by Him than Muḥammad.” The Prophet said, “It was so ashamed that it broke into a sweat and became calm until I mounted it.”

Al-Ḥasan continues: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ set off, Gabriel accompanying him, until they reached the Temple of Jerusalem, where they found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus among a company of prophets. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them in prayer. He then chose the vessel of milk over that of wine, and Gabriel said to him, ‘You have been guided and your community has been guided; wine has been forbidden to you.’

“Afterward the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned to Mecca and, come morning, informed Quraysh of what had taken place. Most people belied him, and a party apostatized after having embraced Islam. Abū Bakr, however, hastened to believe, saying, ‘I believe him concerning news that comes from heaven morning and evening—shall I not believe him about the Temple of Jerusalem?’ He asked the Prophet for a description of the Temple, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ supplied. It was on that day that Abū Bakr received the title al-Ṣiddīq (the Unreserved Believer).”

Al-Ḥasan adds: “It was regarding this that Allah revealed, ‘And We made not the vision which We showed you but as a trial for the people’ (al-Isrāʾ 17:60).”

Ibn Isḥāq also relates, on the authority of Umm Hānī, that she said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was taken on the Night Journey only from my house. He slept with me that night after performing the final night prayer. Shortly before dawn he roused us, and when day broke we prayed with him. He said, ‘O Umm Hānī, I performed the last night prayer with you in this valley, then I went to the Temple of Jerusalem…’”

(1) Ibn Hisham, Sirat Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 397; Al-Rawd, vol. 2, p. 142. (2) Ibn Hisham, Sirat Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 398; Al-Rawd, vol. 2, p. 142. (3) “shamasat al-dabba wal-faras” (“the beast and the horse ran wild, bolting and rearing their backs, unable to settle because of their fierceness and unruliness”)—al-Lisan (s.v. shams). (4) In the hadith variant: “taqaddama” (“it was mentioned above”), and above it “qarr.” (5) Ibn Hisham, Sirat Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 402; Al-Rawd, vol. 2, p. 144. (6) In the hadith: “anbahna,” i.e. “he awakened us”; both have the same meaning.

وكان عبدُ الله بن مسعود - فيما بلغني - يقول: أُتي رسولُ الله ﷺ بالبُرَاق - وهي الدابّهُ التي كانتْ تُحمل عليها الأنبياء قبلَه، تضَعُ حافرَها في موضع منتهى طَرْفِها - فحُمل عليها، ثمَّ خرج به صاحبُه يرى الآيات فيما بين السماء والأرض، حتى انتهى إلى بيت المقدس، فوجد فيه إبراهيم وموسى وعيسى في نَفَرٍ من الأنبياء قد جُمعوا له، فصلَّى بهم ثم أتي بثلاثةِ آنيةٍ من لبنٍ وخمرٍ وماءً. فذكر أنه شرِب إناءَ اللبن، فقال لي جبريل: هُديتَ وهدِيَتْ أُمتك. وذكر ابنُ إسحاق في سياق الحسن البصري مرسلًا (١) أنَّ جبريل أيقظه ثم خرج به إلى باب المسجد الحرام فأركبَهُ البُرَاق وهو دابةٌ أبيض، بين البَغْلِ والحمار، وفي فخذيه جناحان يَحْفِزُ بهما رجلَيْه، يضع حافره في منتهى طَرْفه. ثم حملني عليه ثم خرج معي لا يفوتُني ولا أفوته. قلت: وفي الحديث وهو عن قتادة، فيما ذكره ابنُ إسحاق (٢) أنَّ رسولَ الله ﷺ لما أراد ركوب البُرَاق شَمَسَ به (٣) ، فوضع جبريلُ يدَهُ على مَعْرَفَتِه ثم قال: ألا تستحي يا بُراق مما تصنع، فوالله ما ركبكَ عبدٌ لله قبلَ محمدٍ أكرمُ عليه منه. قال: "فاستحى حتى ارفضَّ عرَقًا ثم قرَّ (٤) حتى ركبتُه" . قال الحسن في حديثه: فمضَى رسولُ الله ﷺ ومضى معه جبريلُ حتى انتهى به إلى بيت المقدس، فوجد فيه إبراهيم وموسى وعيسى في نَفَرٍ من الأنبياء، فأمَّهم رسولُ الله ﷺ فصلَّى بهم، ثم ذكر اختيارَهُ إناءَ اللبن على إناء الخمر وقول جبريل له: هُديت وهديَتْ أُمَّتُك، وحُرِّمَتْ عليكم الخمر. قال: ثم انصرفَ رسولُ الله ﷺ إلى مكة فأصبح يُخبر قريشًا بذلك، فذكر أنه كذَّبه أكثرُ الناس، وارتدَّتْ طائفةٌ بعد إسلامها، وبادر الصدِّيقُ إلى التصديق وقال: إني لأصدِّقُه في خبر السماء بُكْرَةً وعشيَّة، أفلا أصدِّقه في بيت المقدس؟ وذكر أنَّ الصدِّيقَ سأله عن صفة بيتِ المقدس، فذكرها له رسولُ الله ﷺ قال: فيومئذٍ سُمّي أبو بكر الصدِّيق. قال الحسن: وأنزل الله في ذلك ﴿وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ﴾ [الإسراء: ٦٠] الآية. وذكر ابنُ إسحاق (٥) فيما بلغَهُ عن أُم هانئ أنها قالت: ما أُسريَ برسولِ الله ﷺ إلا من بيتي، نام عندي ثلك الليلة بعدما صلَّى العشاءَ الآخرة، فلما كان قُبيل الفَجْر أهَبَّنا (٦) ، فلما كان الصُّبْح وصلَّينا معه، قال: "يا أُمَّ هانئ لقد صلَّيتُ معكم العشاء الآخرة في هذا الوادي، ثم جئتُ بيتَ المقدس

(١) سيرة ابن هشام (١/ ٣٩٧) والروض (٢/ ١٤٢). (٢) سيرة ابن هشام (١/ ٣٩٨) والروض (٢/ ١٤٢). (٣) "شمست الدابة والفرس": شردت وجمحَتْ ومنعَتْ ظهرها فلا تستقر لحدتها وشغبها. اللسان (شمس). (٤) في ح: تقدم. وفوقها قرَّ. (٥) سيرة ابن هشام (١/ ٤٠٢) والروض (٢/ ١٤٤). (٦) في ح: أنبهنا، أي أيقظنا، وهما بمعنى.