A Research Examination of Unauthenticated Incidents Attributed to the Mi’raj of the Prophet ﷺ

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This excerpt is taken from Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf’s book The Event of Mi’raj and Its Observations.

In the previous pages, those observations and events of Mi’raj were mentioned which are proven by authentic or good narration. Now below are mentioned those events and observations which are not authentic but preachers and orators generally narrate them as embellishments of the story or to enliven the gathering, whereas attributing to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) things that are not proven authentic by chain of narration is such a great sin that Hellfire is threatened for it.

Therefore, it was deemed appropriate to also point out the unauthentic events so that preachers avoid narrating them and stick only to authentic events. These events are as follows. All these events are quoted from Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

The Confirmation by Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him):

It is narrated from Abu Ya’la that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
“Describe to me the characteristics of Masjid al-Aqsa.”
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) had seen it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) described its characteristics, saying it is such and such. Then Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: أشهد أنك رسول الله “I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.”

Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol: 5, p: 8)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir remained silent on this narration. Apart from this narration regarding Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) which is referenced in “As-Sahihah,” there are other narrations in this regard but they are unauthentic as will be explained later.

An old woman meeting Satan and some Prophets (peace be upon them) greeting:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was going on the Buraq when he saw an old woman on the side of the road. He asked: “Jibril! What is this?” Jibril, peace be upon him, said: “O Muhammad, peace be upon him! You should continue.” So he proceeded as much as Allah willed, then on one side of the road he saw something calling him, saying: “O Muhammad, peace be upon him! Come here!” Then Jibril, peace be upon him, said to him: “O Muhammad, peace be upon him! Continue your journey.” So he proceeded as much as Allah willed. After walking a little further, he met a creature who said: السلام عليك يا أول، السلام عليك يا آخر، السلام عليك يا حاشر Jibril, peace be upon him, told the Prophet, peace be upon him: “O Muhammad, peace be upon him! Respond to the greeting!” He responded to the greeting. It happened the second and third time in the same way. Until he reached Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). There he was offered water, wine, and milk. He took the milk (and left the other two). Jibril, peace be upon him, said to him: “You have reached the natural disposition (fitrah). If you had drunk the water, your nation would have been drowned, and if you had drunk the wine, you and your nation would have gone astray.”

Then all the prophets, peace be upon them, from Adam, peace be upon him, to you were sent for you. So the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, led them all in prayer that night. Then Jibril, peace be upon him, said to him: “The old woman you saw on one side of the road, the world’s remaining lifespan is as much as the remaining lifespan of that old woman, and the one towards whom (upon his calling) you inclined was the enemy of Allah (Iblis). He wanted you, peace be upon him, to incline towards him, and those who greeted you were Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa, peace be upon them.”

This narration is also in Tafsir al-Tabari. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has transmitted it from Imam Bayhaqi’s “دلائل النبوة and then said: وفي بعض الألفاظ نكارة وغرابة Some parts of it contain contradictions and oddities, meaning that compared to other authentic narrations, it has surprising and rare statements. This indicates its lack of authenticity.

Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol: 5, pp: 9,10)

Moreover, in it, the great prophets, peace be upon them, called the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, يا أول يا آخر, although the attributes of the First and the Last belong to Allah alone as mentioned in the Holy Quran. This part also indicates its lack of authenticity.

Praying at Different Stops Along the Way:

Regarding the following narration from Sunan an-Nasa’i, Hafiz Ibn Kathir said: وفيها غرابة ونكارة جدا There is strangeness and great surprise in it. It states that I was riding a lightning-fast animal with Jibril (peace be upon him) when Jibril said: “Descend and pray!” So I prayed. Jibril asked: “Do you know where you prayed? You prayed in Taybah (Medina Munawwarah), and this is your place of migration.”

(From there we moved on, then at another place) Jibril said: “Descend and pray!” So I prayed. Jibril asked: “Do you know where you prayed? You prayed at Mount Sinai, where Allah spoke to Musa (peace be upon him).”

(You, peace be upon him, then moved on and at another place) Jibril said: “Descend and pray!” So I prayed. Jibril asked: “Do you know where you prayed? You prayed in Bethlehem, which is the birthplace of Isa (peace be upon him).”

Then I entered Al-Quds (Jerusalem). (After this, there is the narration of the leadership of the Prophets, peace be upon them, and then the ascension to the heavens as mentioned in other narrations.)

There is weakness and strangeness in this part of the narration. Sheikh Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, said that it contains a narrator named Yazid, who is Ibn Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Malik Al-Dimashqi, who, although trustworthy, sometimes errs. The narrator who reports from him is Saeed ibn Abdul Aziz, who, although trustworthy and an Imam, became confused in his later years. (Al-Isra wal-Mi’raj)

Observation of Hoor Ain, Meeting the Caravan, and Description of Its Signs:

This narration is in Ibn Kathir

Reference: (Vol: 5, p: 11)

with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim. It states that when the Prophet ﷺ reached Bayt al-Maqdis and arrived at the place called Bab Muhammad, Jibril (Gabriel) came to a stone there, pierced it with his finger, and tied the mount Dabbah to it. Then they ascended to Masjid al-Aqsa. When both reached the courtyard of the mosque, Jibril asked the Prophet ﷺ: “Have you also requested your Lord to see the Houris of Paradise?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes!” Then Jibril said: “Come! I will take you to those women of Paradise, so greet them.”
They were sitting on the left side of the rock. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I went to them and greeted them, and they responded to my greeting. I asked them: Who are you? They said: We are of good character and beautiful, the wives of the righteous people. They will be purified and will not be impure. They will reside in Paradise and will not migrate from here; they will remain forever and will not die.”
Then I returned from there. Shortly after, many people gathered, then the Mu’adhdhin gave the Adhan and the Takbir for prayer was said. So we stood in rows waiting for someone to lead us in prayer. Then Jibril took my hand and made me go forward. I led them in prayer. When I finished the prayer, Jibril said: “O Muhammad ﷺ! Do you know who prayed behind you?” I said: “No.” Jibril said: “Every prophet whom Allah sent was praying behind you.”
(After this, there is mention of ascending through the heavens and meeting the Prophets, peace be upon them. Then it continues) Then I was taken above the seventh heaven until I reached a river on which were tents made of ruby, pearls, and emeralds, and a green bird was hovering over it. It was so exquisite that I had never seen anything like it. I said: “O Jibril! This bird is very exquisite.” Jibril said: “O Muhammad ﷺ! Do you know which river this is?” I said: “No.” Jibril said: “This is the Kawthar which Allah has granted you. Its drinking vessels are made of gold and silver. Its flow is over rubies and emerald pebbles. Its water is whiter than milk.” I took one of its golden drinking vessels and took a sip of water from it and drank; it was sweeter than honey and more fragrant than musk. Then I was taken until I came to a special tree. There, I was covered by a cloud of every color. Then Jibril left me, and I prostrated before Allah’s presence. Allah said to me: “O Muhammad ﷺ! Since the day I created the heavens and the earth, I have prescribed fifty prayers upon you and your Ummah. So you and your Ummah should observe them.”
Then that cloud moved away from me, and Jibril took my hand and quickly returned me. (After this, there is mention of meeting Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, and his advice to reduce the number of prayers.) Then when you descended, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jibril: “Whoever I met on whichever heaven, they welcomed me with laughter and said welcome except one man. I greeted him, he returned my greeting and welcomed me but did not smile.”
Jibril said: “O Muhammad ﷺ! This is the keeper (owner) of Hell. Since he was created, he has never laughed. If he laughed before anyone, he would surely laugh before you as well.”
Then you mounted the Buraq to return. On the way, you passed by a caravan of Quraysh carrying grain. Among them was a camel loaded with two sacks, one black and one white. When you ﷺ passed by that caravan, it neighed and staggered, and the camel fell and was injured. You reached Mecca and in the morning told the people about the night journey. When the polytheists heard your words, they ran to Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, and said: “Do you know anything about your companion (the Prophet)? He says that he traveled a month’s distance in one night and returned the same night.”
Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “If he said this, then he surely spoke the truth, and we confirm even more than this from him, things that are beyond reason, and we consider him truthful in his heavenly news.”
(Then they returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ) and asked: “What is the sign of what you say?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “I passed by a caravan of Quraysh which was at such and such a place, and because of us, that caravan became restless and staggered, and there was a camel loaded with two sacks, one black and one white. That camel fell and was injured.”
When the caravan arrived, they asked the caravan people. They narrated exactly as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had told them, and because of this, Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, came to be called “Siddiq.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated this and wrote: هذا سياق فيه غرائب عجيبة “There are many strange and rare things in this narration.”

Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir Vol 5, pp: 11 – 13)

Sheikh Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, also quoted Hafiz Ibn Kathir’s opinion that this narration contains a narrator named Khalid bin Yazid. This is the basis of all its weakness because although he was a jurist, he is weak.

Reference: (Al-Isra wal Mi’raj, p: 14)

However, in this narration, the statement of Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, that we confirm even greater things from the Prophet ﷺ is correct because this is established by other authentic narrations as mentioned earlier in the reason for the title Siddiq.

Summary of a Detailed Narrative of the Proofs of Prophethood:

Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated a detailed and unauthentic hadith from Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him, “دلائل النبوة”, in which there are many wonders. We only narrate those parts of it that contain strangeness and anomalies.

Three Callers to Misguidance:

After describing some attributes of Buraq, it is mentioned that as I mounted it and started to move, someone called out from my right side: “O Muhammad! Look towards me, I want to ask you something.” But I did not respond, nor did I stop. Then, after moving a little further, a voice came from the left side, but I neither stopped, looked, nor answered there either. Then I went a little further when a woman adorned with all the worldly ornaments, standing with open arms, called out to me in the same way, saying she wanted to inquire something, but I neither paid attention nor stopped for her, until I reached Bayt al-Maqdis. (Then there is mention of tying the mount and offering cups of milk and wine, etc. After that, it is said:) Jibril (Gabriel) said: “Why are there signs of worry on your face?” So I narrated the three previous incidents. Jibril said:
➊ “The caller from the right side was a proponent of Judaism. If you had responded to him or stopped there, your nation would have become Jewish.
➋ The one calling from the left side was a Christian. If you had responded to him, your nation would have become Christian.
➌ The woman adorned with ornaments and open arms was the world. If you had responded to her or stopped by her, your nation would have preferred the world over the Hereafter.”
Then there is mention of both entering Bayt al-Maqdis and both praying two rak’ahs each. After that, it is said:

Seeing Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) in his original state:

Then I was brought the ladder on which the souls of humans ascend. After climbing up, I saw the chief angel of the heavens of the world, whose name is Ismail. In front of him are seventy thousand angels. Each angel has an army of one hundred thousand angels with him. Here, after opening the gate of the heaven, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was seen in the same state as he was when Allah created him, in his original form. The souls of the believers from his offspring were presented before him. And he would say: “Pure soul, pure life, place him in عليين.” Then the souls of the disobedient from his offspring were presented before him, and he would say: “Impure soul, impure life, place him in Sijjin.”

Observation of the forbidden eaters:

I walked a little further from there and saw that a dining spread was laid out. On it was fine meat, but no one went near it. There was another dining spread on which foul-smelling meat was placed. People were near it and eating it. I said: “O Jibreel! Who are these people?” Jibreel (peace be upon him) said: “These are the people of your Ummah who abandon what is lawful and choose what is forbidden.”

Observation of the terrible end of usurers mentioned in the Holy Quran:

I then walked a little further and saw some people whose bellies were as large as camels’. Whenever any of them stood up, they would fall down and say: “O Allah! Do not establish the Day of Judgment.” The terrifying beasts of the family of Pharaoh trample them. I heard them crying out to Allah. I said: “O Jibreel! Who are these people?” Jibreel (peace be upon him) replied: “These are the people of your Ummah who consume usury. They do not stand except as if touched and bewildered by Satan.”

Those who consume the wealth of orphans:

I walked further and saw some people whose lips were like the lips of camels. Their mouths were torn open and the flesh of donkeys was placed inside, then it came out from their lower parts. I heard them crying out to Allah in lamentation.
I asked: “O Jibril! Who are these people?” Jibril (peace be upon him) replied: “These are the people of your Ummah who unjustly consume the wealth of orphans. This is actually the fire of Hell which they eat and put into their bellies. They will soon enter Hell.”

Immoral women:

I walked further and saw some women hanging by their breasts. I heard them also pleading to Allah. I asked: “O Jibril! Who are these women?” Jibril (peace be upon him) replied: “These are the adulterous women of your Ummah.”

Those who backbite and curse:

Then I went again and saw some people who were being forcefully fed pieces of flesh by others beside them, and they were being told to eat as you used to eat the flesh of your brother (in this world). I asked: “O Jibreel! Who are these people?” Jibreel (peace be upon him) replied: “These are the people of your Ummah who used to backbite and curse others.”

After this, the narration mentions the journey from the second heaven to the seventh heaven and the prophets met there, then the Sidrat al-Muntaha and some of its wonders. Among all these, there are descriptions of strange and wondrous things. After that, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

A Slave Girl in Paradise for Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him):

Then I was taken to Paradise where a young slave girl (or maiden) came before me. I asked: “Whose are you?” She said: “I am for Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him).”

Observation of Hell and its Intensity and Unity:

Then I was shown Hell, which was a manifestation of Allah’s wrath, His reprimand and punishment. Even if stones and iron were thrown into it, it would consume them as well.
The narration then mentions the arrival at Sidrat al-Muntaha again, the obligation of prayers there, and then the reduction in their number. After returning from Mi’raj, in the morning, Abu Jahl is told about the Mi’raj, and how on the way the Prophet met their caravan and its signs. Then there are questions about Bayt al-Maqdis and the Prophet’s answers.
The strangeness and anomalies in the details of this narration do not require explanation. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned this. Its narrator is Abu Harun al-Abdi, whose name is Amarah bin Juwayn. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وهو مضعف عند الأئمة “Among the muhaddithin (hadith scholars), it is weak.”

Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 20/5 – 23)

Therefore, all the mentioned events are unauthentic.

Wonders and anomalies of another narration:

Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated another lengthy tradition from Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and also commented on it: وفيها غرابة It has uniqueness, meaning it contains matters that are not found in the narrations of trustworthy narrators because one of the narrators of this tradition is Abu Ja’far al-Razi, who is weak, as Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote at the end of this tradition, which we will also quote at the end. In any case, observe some interesting incidents from this tradition as well.

Parable of the Reward and Merit of Mujahideen:

The word “horse” is used instead of Buraq here. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), mounted on a horse, traveled with Angel Jibril (Gabriel). On the way, they saw some people who would cultivate the land one day, and on the very same day, the crops would be ready for harvest, which they would then cut. Whenever they harvested the crops, they would grow back just as they were before. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Jibril! Who are these people?” Angel Jibril replied: “These are those who strive in the way of Allah. Their good deeds are multiplied up to seven hundred times. Whatever they spend, Allah grants them its equivalent, and He is the best provider.”

Those who consider obligatory prayers burdensome:

Then you passed by people whose heads were being crushed by stones, but after being crushed, their heads would return to their original state, and this process continued without any pause. You, peace be upon him, asked: “Jibril! Who are these people?” Jibril, peace be upon him, said: “These are the people whose heads became heavy due to obligatory prayers.”

Those who do not pay Zakat:

Then you, peace be upon him, passed by people who had rags (pieces of cloth) tied around them. They grazed and ate like camels and animals. They were eating thorny trees, Thohr (Zaqqum), and the embers and stones of Hell. You, peace be upon him, asked: “Jibril! Who are these people?” Jibril, peace be upon him, said: “These are the people who did not pay the Zakat of their wealth. And Allah has not wronged them, and Allah does not wrong His servants.”

The fate of immoral men and women:

Then you passed by people who had cooked meat in one pot and raw, rotten meat in another pot. They were eating the raw, rotten meat and avoiding the well-cooked meat. You (peace be upon him) asked: “Jibril! Who are these people?” Jibril (peace be upon him) said: “These are the men of your Ummah who had lawful, pure wives but left them and spent the night with impure women. And those women were in lawful marriages with pure, lawful men, but they left them and spent the night with impure men.”

The example of those who sit on the roads and trouble people:

Then the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passed by a piece of wood lying on the path. Whatever cloth passed by it, it would tear that cloth; whatever passed by it, it would injure it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Jibril! What is this?” Jibril (peace be upon him) said: “This is the example of those people in your Ummah who sit on the path and block the way of others (i.e., trouble them).”

Example of the Greedy Traitor:

Then you passed by a man who had gathered a large bundle of wood which he could not carry, but he kept adding more wood to it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Jibril! Who is this?” Jibril (peace be upon him) said: “This is a man from your Ummah who has so many trusts (responsibilities) of people upon him that he does not have the strength to fulfill them, but his desire is to load more burden.”

The Seditious Orator:

Then you passed by such people whose tongues and mouths were being cut with iron scissors, and after being cut, they would become the same again, and this process continued continuously without a moment’s pause. You, peace be upon him, asked: “Jibril! Who are these people?” Jibril, peace be upon him, said: “These are the troublemaking orators.”

Example of one who speaks without thinking:

Then you, peace be upon him, came to a small stone. From it came out a large bull. That bull tried to go back into the hole in the stone from which it had come out, but it was unable to do so. You, peace be upon him, asked: “Jibril! What is this?” Jibril, peace be upon him, said: “This is the man who speaks big words, then regrets it (wishes the words could be taken back but) does not have the power to take them back.”

The call and cry of Paradise:

Then the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to a valley where he felt a pure, cool breeze and the fragrance of musk, and he also heard a voice. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Jibril! What is this cool pure breeze, the fragrance of musk, and the voice?” Jibril (peace be upon him) said: “This is the voice of Paradise. It says: O Allah! Fulfill Your promise to me! My upper chambers, silk, pearls, corals, gold, silver, goblets, honey, water, milk, wine, and other blessings have greatly increased.” Allah Almighty replied: “Every Muslim man and Muslim woman, every believer man and believer woman, and whoever believes in Me and My Messengers, does righteous deeds, associates no one with Me, nor makes anyone My partner: they will be Your guests, they will come to You. Listen! Whoever fears Me in his heart is safe from every fear. Whoever asks Me is not deprived. Whoever lends to Me, I repay him. Whoever trusts in Me, I suffice him. I am the true God; there is no deity except Me. My promises are never broken; the believer is indeed successful. Blessed is He who is the best Creator.” Hearing this, Paradise said: “Enough, I am satisfied.”

The Voice and Cry of Hell:

Then you came to another valley, where very bad and terrifying deceitful voices were coming along with a strong stench. You (peace be upon him) asked Jibrael (peace be upon him) about it. Jibrael (peace be upon him) said: “These are the voices of Hell. It is saying: O Allah! Fulfill Your promise to me which You made. My collars and chains, my flames and my heat, my smoke, blood, and pus, my torment and punishment have greatly increased. My depth is very great. My fire is very intense, so give me what You promised me.” Allah Almighty said: “Every polytheist male and female, every disbeliever male and female, every wicked man and woman, and every rebellious one who does not believe on the Day of Judgment, all these are for you.” Hearing this, Hell said: “I am satisfied.”

The Assembly of the Prophets (peace be upon them) and Dialogue with Allah:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then proceeded until he reached Bayt al-Maqdis. Here, after tying his horse to the rock, he prayed with the angels, then he met with the souls of the Prophets (peace be upon them), and (as if) a reception gathering was held in which each noble Prophet described his distinctive qualities with which Allah had honored him. At the very end, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) expressed his own honor and distinction. Then there is mention of three sealed vessels containing water, milk, and wine. After this, there is an account of ascending to the heavens and meeting the Prophets (peace be upon them) there. This also contains many strange and unusual things that are not found in authentic narrations. Similarly, there is mention of reaching Sidrat al-Muntaha and here the conversation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with Allah is described. This detail is interesting but completely different from authentic narrations. Finally, there is mention of the obligation of five prayers and the mitigation in them on the advice of Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him).

This narration, as indicated at the beginning, is weak. Its style and the details mentioned in it also indicate its lack of authenticity. Therefore, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote at the end of this narration about its narrator:

I say: Abu Ja’far al-Razi, about him Hafiz Abu Zur’ah said: يهم فى الحديث كثيرا “He is very doubtful in hadith.” Besides them, others have also declared him weak. Some have authenticated him, but the clearer fact is that he has a poor memory. So his narrations in which he is unique are doubtful, and in some words of this hadith there is strangeness and severe criticism.

Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 36/5)

Another Example of Usurers:

It is in Sunan Ibn Majah that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “On the night of Mi’raj, I came to people whose bellies were like camels. There were snakes in them that were visible outside their bellies. I asked: Jibril! Who are these people? Jibril, peace be upon him, said: These are usurers.

Reference: (Weak Sunan Ibn Majah, p. 175, Weak Al-Jami’ Al-Saghir No: 133 – both by Al-Albani)

The Virtue of Charity Compared to Debt:

In another weak narration from Sunan Ibn Majah, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “On the night of Mi’raj, I saw written at the gate of Paradise that the reward for charity is tenfold and the reward for a loan is eighteenfold.” I asked Jibril, peace be upon him: “The reward for a loan is even greater than charity. What is the reason for this?” Jibril, peace be upon him, said: “The reason is that a beggar asks despite being in need, but the one who asks for a loan does so when he is truly in need and has nothing. Therefore, giving a loan is more virtuous than charity.”

Sheikh Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, says: ضعيف جدا “It is a very weak narration.”

Reference: (Weak Sunan Ibn Majah, p. 188, Weak Hadith No: 3637, Al-Ta’leeq Al-Ragheeb: 34/2)

In any case, all the mentioned incidents are unauthentic. We have narrated them because preachers and storytellers often do not exercise caution in narrating them, even though there is a severe warning of Hellfire for attributing such unauthentic incidents to the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: من كذب على متعمدا فليتبوأ مقعده من النار
“Whoever deliberately lies upon me, let him prepare his place in Hell.”

Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari, Ahadith al-Anbiya, Chapter: What was mentioned about Bani Israel, Hadith: 3461)

Clarity about storytellers in dreams:

Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, who has generally clarified the evidentiary status of the narrations, also felt that the storytellers have greatly exaggerated the events of the Mi’raj. Therefore, he has also narrated a dream of a person in which this behavior of the storytellers was pointed out. Yazid bin Hakim says:
I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in a dream and asked him about Sufyan al-Thawri. He, peace be upon him, said: “There is no harm in them.” Then I asked: You have narrated that I ascended to the heavens in this manner and narrated the Hadith of Mi’raj. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Yes, that is correct.” I then asked about the strange and bizarre things that the people of your Ummah narrate on your behalf regarding the Mi’raj. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ذلك حديث القصاص “These are the words of the storytellers.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 24/5)
Meaning, the event of Mi’raj is true, but the strange and bizarre stories that the storytellers have fabricated in its details are not correct. Therefore, it is not appropriate to present them as part of the narrative. We should only relate those events of Isra and Mi’raj that are mentioned in authentic narrations, and by Allah’s grace, we have presented those authentic events and details in this article. Alongside, we have also mentioned unauthenticated events so that they may be avoided.