Fath al-Rabbani

Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: He says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Al-Buraq was brought to me. It was an animal, white and long, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. It would place its hoof where its gaze reached. I mounted it (and set off) until I reached Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). I tied it to the ring to which the other Prophets would tie their animals. Then I entered the mosque and prayed two rak‘ahs. When I came out, Jibril (peace be upon him) brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk. Jibril said: You have chosen the natural disposition (fitrah). Then we were raised towards the heaven. (When we reached there) Jibril asked for the door to be opened. It was said: Who is it? He said: Jibril. It was then said: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: Has he been called? He said: (Yes) he has been called. Then the door was opened for us. I saw Adam (peace be upon him). He welcomed me and prayed for me. Then we were raised to the second heaven. Jibril asked for the door to be opened. It was asked: Who is it? He said: Jibril. The angels asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The angels said: Has he been called? Jibril said: (Yes! He has been called.) Then the door was opened for us. I saw the cousins, ‘Isa ibn Maryam and Yahya ibn Zakariya. Both welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then we were raised to the third heaven. Jibril asked for the door to be opened. The angels asked: Who? He said: Jibril. The angels asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: Has he been called? Jibril said: Yes! He has been called. So the door was opened for us. There I saw Yusuf (peace be upon him), (from his beauty it was apparent that) half of all beauty had been given to him. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then we were raised to the fourth heaven. Jibril asked for the door to be opened. It was asked: Who? He said: Jibril. Then it was asked: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: Has he been called? He said: Yes! He has been called. Then the door was opened for us. There I saw Idris (peace be upon him). He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Allah the Exalted said: And We raised him to a high station. Then we were raised to the fifth heaven, and the request for the door to be opened was made. It was said: Who? He said: I am Jibril. It was said: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It was asked: Has he been called? Jibril replied: Yes! He has been called. Then the door was opened for us. There I saw Harun (peace be upon him). He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then we were raised to the sixth heaven and the request for the door to be opened was made. It was said: Who? He said: Jibril. It was said: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Then it was asked: Has he been called? He said: Yes! So the door was opened for us. There I saw Musa (peace be upon him). He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then we were raised to the seventh heaven and the request for the door to be opened was made. It was asked: Who? He said: Jibril. It was said: Who is with you? He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: Has he been called? Jibril said: Yes! He has been called. So the door was opened. I saw Ibrahim (peace be upon him). He was reclining against the Bayt al-Ma‘mur. (The state of Bayt al-Ma‘mur is such that) every day seventy thousand angels enter it and never return to it again. Then Jibril took me to Sidrat al-Muntaha. Its leaves were like the ears of elephants and its fruit like large jars. When it was covered by what Allah commanded, (its state) changed so that none of Allah’s creation can describe its beauty. Then Allah the Exalted revealed to me and made fifty prayers obligatory every day and night. I descended and came to Musa (peace be upon him). He asked: What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah? I said: Fifty prayers. Musa (peace be upon him) said: Go back to your Lord and ask for a reduction, for your Ummah will not be able to bear it. I have tested the Children of Israel and experienced them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So I returned to my Lord and said: O my Lord! Please reduce (the burden of prayers) for my Ummah. So Allah reduced it by five prayers. Then I returned to Musa and informed him that five prayers had been reduced for me. He said: Your Ummah will not be able to bear even this, so go back to your Lord and ask for further reduction. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I kept going back and forth between my Lord and Musa, until Allah the Exalted said: O Muhammad! Five prayers are obligatory every day and night. Each prayer will be rewarded as ten, (thus) making it fifty prayers. (And listen further:) Whoever intends to do a good deed but does not do it, one good deed will be written for him, and if he does it, ten good deeds will be written for him. And whoever intends to do an evil deed but does not commit it, nothing will be written against him, and if he commits it, then one evil deed will be written for him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I descended and came to Musa (peace be upon him) and informed him (of the whole situation). He again said: Return to your Lord and ask for further reduction. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I said: I have returned to my Lord (again and again). Now I feel shy before my Lord.