pebbles of ruby and emerald; its water was whiter than milk. I picked up one of its vessels—a golden cup—scooped some of that water and drank; it proved sweeter than honey and more fragrant than musk.

Gabriel then proceeded with me until we reached the tree. A cloud of every colour enveloped me; Gabriel withdrew, and I fell prostrate before Allah. Allah said, ‘O Muhammad, on the day I created the heavens and the earth…’” The narrator comments: “He went on to recount the story in wording similar to the report of Ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, up to the mention of the five prayers—that they are five yet count as fifty—after which he said:

He continued: “Then we descended, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Gabriel, ‘Every group of heavenly dwellers welcomed me and smiled—save one man. I greeted him, he returned my greeting and welcomed me, but he did not smile. Who was he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘O Muhammad, that was Mālik, the keeper of Hellfire. He has never smiled since the day he was created; had he ever been destined to smile for anyone, he would have smiled for you.’

“On his return he mounted and set off. Along the way he passed a Quraysh caravan transporting food. Among the camels was one carrying two saddle-bags, one black and the other white. When he drew level with the caravan, the animals took fright, wheeled around, and that particular camel fell, spilling its load and breaking it.”