Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 241

Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Layla narrates: Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) brought al-Buraq to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mounted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on it. When it reached a low-lying place, its forelegs would become long and its hind legs short, and when it came to a high place, its forelegs would become short and its hind legs long, so that it stayed level. Then a man appeared before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the right and called out to him: "O Sayyiduna Muhammad! Come this way!" He said this twice. Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Keep going and do not speak!" Then on the left side of the road a man appeared before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Sayyiduna Muhammad! Come this way!" Sayyiduna Jibril said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): "Keep going! And do not speak to anyone!" Then a beautiful, lovely woman appeared before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Do you know who the man on the right side of the road was?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "No!" Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) said: "Those were the Jews, inviting you to their religion." Then Sayyiduna Jibril asked him: "Do you know who the man was who was calling you from the left side of the road?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "No!" Sayyiduna Jibril said: "Those were the Christians, calling you to their religion. Do you know who that beautiful, lovely woman was?" Sayyiduna Jibril said: "That was the world, calling you to itself." Then we went on until we came to Bayt al-Maqdis. Some people were sitting there, and they said: "Welcome to the unlettered Prophet (al-nabi al-ummi)!" Among the people sitting was an elderly man. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who is this?" Sayyiduna Jibril said: "This is your forefather, Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him)." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Who is this?" Sayyiduna Jibril said: "This is Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Who is this?" He said: "This is Sayyiduna Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him)." Then the prayer was established, and they put the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forward (to lead it). Then the angels brought some drinks, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) chose the milk. Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) said: "You have followed the fitrah (natural disposition)." Then it was said to him: "Rise and present yourself before your Lord." He rose and went in. When he came back, he was asked: "What did you do (that is, what happened with you)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fifty prayers have been made obligatory upon my Ummah." Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) said to him: "Go back to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction for your Ummah, for your Ummah will not have the strength for this." He went back, and when he came, Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) asked him: "What happened?" He said: "The Lord has changed them to twenty-five." Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) said to him: "Go back to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction for your Ummah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went back and came again, until the Lord made five prayers obligatory. Then Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) said to him: "Go back to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction for your Ummah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Because of going back again and again, I now feel shy before my Lord, while my Lord has said to me: 'For every time I sent you back, I give you in return the right to one request, which I will fulfil.'"
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat in this way as a "mursal" narration, and he says: This narration is transmitted from Ibn Abi Layla only with this chain. Besides the "irsal" (missing link) in it, its chain also contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Layla, who is da'if (weak).