1423 — ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Umar ibn Ahmad—the latter’s wording is followed—related to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Misri informed us; al-Rabi‘ ibn Sulayman narrated to us; ‘Abd Allah ibn Wahb narrated to us; Sulayman ibn Bilal informed us; Sharik ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Namir narrated to me, saying: I heard Anas ibn Malik relate to us about the night on which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken by night from the Mosque of the Ka‘bah:

“Three persons came to him before revelation was sent down to him, while he was sleeping in the Sacred Mosque. The first of them said, ‘Is this him?’ ⦗846⦘ The middle one said, ‘He is the best of them,’ and the last said, ‘Take the best of them.’ That was the first occasion, and he did not see them again until they came to him on another night. He was unaware of them until they carried him and laid him beside the well of Zamzam.

“Gabriel, peace be upon him, then took charge of him. Gabriel opened the space from his throat to the lower part of his chest, opening his chest and abdomen. He washed him with the water of Zamzam until he had cleansed his interior. Then he brought a basin of gold containing a golden light, filled with faith and wisdom, and filled his chest and abdomen with it. He then withdrew his hand and closed him up.

“Then he ascended with him to the lowest heaven and knocked on one of its gates. The inhabitants of heaven called out to him, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Gabriel.’ They asked, ‘Who is with you?’ He replied, ‘Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ They asked, ‘Has he been sent forth?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ They said, ‘Welcome! We are pleased to receive him.’ The inhabitants of heaven rejoiced; the inhabitants of heaven do not know what Allah intends for those on earth until He informs them.

“There he found Adam in the lowest heaven. Gabriel said, ‘This is your father Adam.’ So he greeted him, and Adam returned his greeting, saying, ‘Welcome, my son. What an excellent son you are!’

“Then, in the lowest heaven, they came upon two flowing rivers. He said, ‘What are these two rivers, Gabriel?’ He replied, ‘These are the Nile and the Euphrates, at their source.’ Then he proceeded with him through heaven, and they came upon another river, upon which stood a palace of pearls ⦗847⦘ and chrysolite. He went and smelled its soil, and it was musk. He said, ‘Gabriel, what is this river?’ He replied, ‘This is al-Kawthar, which Allah—exalted is His mention—has reserved for you.’

“Then he ascended with him to the second heaven. Its angels said to him what those of the first heaven had said: ‘Who is this with you?’ He replied, ‘Muhammad.’ They asked, ‘Has he already been sent forth?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ They said, ‘Welcome to him!’ Then he ascended with him to the third heaven, and they said what had been said to him on the first and second occasions. Then he ascended with him to the fourth, and they said the same. Then he ascended with him to the fifth, and they said the same. Then he ascended to the sixth, and they said the same. Then he ascended with him to the seventh, and they said the same.

“Every heaven contained prophets. Anas named them, and among those I retained were: Idris in the second, Aaron in the fourth, and another in the fifth, whose name I did not retain; and Abraham ⦗848⦘ in the sixth, and Moses in the seventh, because Allah, glorified and exalted is He, spoke to him. Moses said, ‘I did not think that anyone would be raised above me.’

“Then Gabriel took him higher, into realms known only to Allah, until he brought him to Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. The Almighty, the Lord of Might, drew near and descended, until He was at a distance of two bow-lengths, or nearer. He then revealed to him fifty prayers for his ummah every day and night.

“Then he descended until he reached Moses, who detained him and said, ‘Muhammad, what has your Lord enjoined upon you?’ He replied, ‘He has enjoined upon me fifty prayers for my ummah every day and night.’ Moses said, ‘Your ummah will not be able to bear this. Return and ask Him to lighten it for you and for them.’ He turned to Gabriel, seeking his counsel in the matter, and Gabriel indicated, ‘Yes, if you wish.’ So Gabriel, peace be upon him, took him up until he came to the Almighty, who was in His place. He said, ‘My Lord, lighten it for us, for my ummah cannot bear it.’ So He remitted ten prayers.

“Then he returned to Moses, who detained him. Moses continued sending him back to his Lord until they were reduced to five prayers. When he detained him after the fifth time, he said, ‘Muhammad, by Allah, I urged the Children of Israel to observe less than these five, yet they neglected and abandoned it. Your ummah is weaker in body, heart, sight, and hearing, so return and ask your Lord to lighten it for you.’ Each time, he would turn to Gabriel for counsel, and Gabriel did not disapprove; so he raised him up. At the fifth time, he raised him up, and he said, ‘My Lord, my ummah are weak in body, heart, hearing, and sight, so lighten it for us.’ ⦗849⦘

“He, glorified and exalted is He, said, ‘My decree is not changed in My presence. They are as they were written for you in the Mother of the Book: for every good deed, you shall have ten times its like. They are fifty in the Mother of the Book, yet they are five.’

“He returned to Moses, who asked, ‘What happened?’ He replied, ‘He has lightened it for us and granted us tenfold for every good deed.’ Moses said, ‘By Allah, I urged the Children of Israel to observe less than this, yet they abandoned it. Return and ask Him to lighten it for you further.’ He said, ‘By Allah, I have become ashamed before my Lord because of how often I have returned to Him.’ Moses said, ‘Then descend in the name of Allah.’

Both al-Bukhari and Muslim reported it.