Sallām ibn Sulaymān narrated to us: Warqā’, Isrā’īl, Shu‘bah, and Jarīr ibn ‘Abd al-Hamīd—all of them—said: Layth narrated to us, from ‘Uthmān ibn Humayd, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said: I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say:
“Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to me carrying in his palm something like a white mirror, with something like a black speck on it. I asked, ‘What is this in your hand, Gabriel?’ He replied, ‘This is Friday.’
“I asked, ‘What is Friday?’ He replied, ‘There is good in it for you.’ I asked, ‘What will there be for us in it?’ He replied, ‘It will be a festival for you and your people after you, and the Jews and Christians will follow you.’ I asked, ‘What do we have in it?’ He replied, ‘There is an hour in it during which, whenever Allah’s servant asks Him for something allotted to him, He gives it to him; and if it is not allotted to him, He stores up for him something greater in his Hereafter.’
“I asked, ‘What is this speck on it?’ He replied, ‘It is the Hour. We call it the Day of Increase.’ I asked, ‘What is that, Gabriel?’ He replied, ‘Your Lord has prepared a valley in Paradise containing dunes of white musk. When Friday comes, He, Mighty and Majestic, descends from ‘Illiyyīn upon His seat. The seat is surrounded by seats of light, and the prophets come and sit on those seats. The seat is also surrounded by pulpits of light and gold, adorned with jewels. Then the foremost in truthfulness and the martyrs come and sit on those pulpits. Then the inhabitants of the chambers descend from their chambers and sit on those dunes.
“‘Then He, Mighty and Majestic, reveals Himself to them and says, “I am the One who has fulfilled My promise to you and perfected My favour upon you. This is the place where I honour you, so ask Me.” They ask Him until they have exhausted their wishes. He then opens to them what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever imagined. This lasts as long as it takes you to disperse after the Friday prayer. Then He, Mighty and Majestic, ascends upon His seat, and the prophets, the foremost in truthfulness, and the martyrs ascend with Him, while the inhabitants of