then it is to be rejected, for it clashes with what is firmly established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: the one who drew near was none other than Gabriel عليه السلام. Ibn Jarīr relates (27/27) from Masrūq who said:

“I asked ʿĀʾishah about the verse, ‘Then he drew near and came down….’ She replied, ‘That was Gabriel. He used to come to him in human form, but on that occasion he came in his own form, filling the whole horizon of the sky.’ ”

Its chain is sound, and Muslim transmits a similar report, mentioned a little earlier. It therefore stands in opposition to this mawqūf report of Ibn ʿAbbās, should the latter be proven.

82 – Ḥadith of Anas

I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “I shall be the first of mankind for whom the earth will split open on the Day of Resurrection, and this is no boast. I will come to the gate of Paradise and grasp its ring. It will be asked, ‘Who is this?’ I will reply, ‘It is I, Muhammad.’ They will open the gate for me, I will enter, and I shall find the Compeller facing me, whereupon I will fall in prostration before Him.”

70 – I say: The author cited it in the original (p. 83) through al-Layth, from Ibn al-Hād, from ʿAmr, from him. The part of the chain we have mentioned contains narrators who are well known and reliable; if those below them are likewise trustworthy and the isnād is free of hidden defects, the report is sound. Thus far I have not located the complete chain in any of the primary ḥadith compilations, yet its meaning matches the authentic ḥadith of Anas recorded earlier under no. 12, whose isnād the author there deemed strong. It therefore provides good corroboration for this route; I have also mentioned there another supporting narration from Ibn ʿAbbās. Allah knows best.

83 – Ḥadith of Abū Hurayrah

Abū Hurayrah said: Meat was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the foreleg, which he liked, was presented to him. He bit into it and then said, “I am the leader of mankind on the Day of Resurrection,” and he continued the ḥadith until he said:

“So I set off and come beneath the Throne and fall prostrate before my Lord. Then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad, raise your head; ask and you will be granted; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.’ I will raise my head and say, ‘My community, my Lord, my community!’ It will be said, ‘O Muhammad, admit from your community those upon whom there is no reckoning through the rightmost gate of the gates of Paradise, although they may share the other gates with the rest of the people.’ ” — End of ḥadith.

Among the proofs that the Creator — exalted be He — is above all things, over His magnificent Throne, without being confined by places, are His words: “His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth; preserving them wearies Him not, and He is the Most High, the Most Great” (2:255); and His saying, “and He is the Most High, the Supreme” (13:9); and His statement, “He is the Most High, the Most Great”