that might mar its appearance—whether excess hair or over-grown nails, a build-up of tartar, or any other grime. Such meticulous care is part of what the Almighty praised when He said: “and of Abraham—who fulfilled [his obligations]” (Q 53:37).

[His Palace in Paradise]
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bazzār recorded: “Aḥmad ibn Sinān al-Qaṭṭān al-Wāsiṭī and Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Qaṭṭān narrated to us; they said: Yazīd ibn Hārūn narrated to us; Ḥammād ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Simāk, from ʿIkrimah, from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

‘In Paradise there is a palace—I think he said made of a single pearl—without crack or flaw. Allah has prepared it as a reception dwelling for His Close Friend, Abraham, peace be upon him.’

Al-Bazzār continued: “Aḥmad ibn Ḥumayd al-Marwazī also narrated to us; al-Naḍr ibn Shumayl narrated to us; Ḥammād ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Simāk, from ʿIkrimah, from Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—with similar wording. We know of no one who transmits this ḥadīth with an uninterrupted chain from Ḥammād ibn Salamah except Yazīd ibn Hārūn and al-Naḍr ibn Shumayl; others relate it only as the statement of Abū Hurayrah.”

I say: Were it not for this flaw, the report would meet the criteria of authenticity, yet it was not included by the compilers of the two Ṣaḥīḥs.

[Further Accounts of Abraham]
Imām Aḥmad related: “Yūnus and Ḥujayn narrated to us; they said: al-Layth narrated to us, from Abū al-Zubayr, from Jābir, from the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—who said:

‘The prophets were shown to me. Moses appeared as a sturdy man, as though he were one of the men of Shanūʾah. I saw Jesus son of Mary, and the person who most resembles him of those I have seen is ʿUrwah ibn Masʿūd. I saw Abraham, and the one who most resembles him of those I have seen is Dihyah.’”

This wording is unique to Imām Aḥmad through this chain.

Aḥmad also said: “Al-Aswad ibn ʿĀmir narrated to us; Isrāʾīl narrated to us, from ʿUthmān—meaning Ibn al-Mughīrah—from Mujāhid, from Ibn ʿAbbās—may Allah be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said:

‘I saw Jesus son of Mary, Moses, and Abraham. As for Jesus, he was fair-skinned with curly hair and a broad chest. As for Moses, he was dark-complexioned and powerfully built.’ They asked, ‘And Abraham?’ He replied, ‘Look to your companion,’ meaning himself.”