Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 7111 — I said: O Messenger of Allah, how were

Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I said: O Messenger of Allah, how were you taken on the Night Journey on the night you were taken? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I led my Companions in the Isha prayer in Makkah, and meanwhile Jibril (peace be upon him) came to me with a white animal, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. He said: Mount. It became unruly with me, so he took hold of its ear and turned it, then he mounted me on it. It set off with us swiftly, its hoof falling as far as its sight reached, until we reached a land with date palms. He said: Dismount, so I dismounted. Then he said: Pray, so I prayed. Then we mounted, and he said: Do you know where you prayed? I said: Allah knows best. He said: You prayed in Yathrib, you prayed in Taybah. Then it set off with us swiftly, its hoof falling as far as its sight reached, until we reached a white land. He said: Dismount, so I dismounted. Then he said: Pray, so I prayed. Then we mounted, and he said: Do you know where you prayed? I said: Allah knows best. He said: You prayed in Madyan, you prayed by the tree of Musa (peace be upon him). Then it set off with us swiftly, its hoof falling as far as its sight reached, then we reached a land whose palaces appeared to us. He said: Dismount, so I dismounted. Then he said: Pray, so I prayed. He said: Do you know where you prayed? I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: You prayed in Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem), where Isa son of Maryam (peace be upon him) was born. Then he took me on until we entered the city by its Yemeni gate. Then he came to the qiblah side of the mosque and tied his animal, and we entered the mosque by a gate in which the sun declines. I prayed in the mosque wherever Allah willed, and I was seized by the most intense thirst. Two vessels were brought to me, one containing milk and the other honey; both were sent to me together. I hesitated between them (in choosing), then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, guided me and I took the milk, and I drank until the vessel struck my forehead. Before me was an old man reclining on his cushion, and he said: Your companion has taken what accords with the fitrah (natural disposition); he will indeed continue to be guided. Then he took me on until we came to the valley that is in the city, and there Hell was being uncovered like carpets. We said: O Messenger of Allah, how did you find it? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Like a hot spring. Then he took me back, and we passed by a caravan of Quraysh at such-and-such a place; they had separated one of their camels, which so-and-so had gathered. I greeted them with salam, and one of them said: This is the voice of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Then I came to my Companions in Makkah before dawn. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to me and said: O Messenger of Allah, where were you last night? I looked for you in your place. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you know that I went to the mosque of Bayt al-Maqdis tonight? He said: O Messenger of Allah, that is a month's journey away, so describe it to me. Then its view was opened before me, as though I were looking at it; they did not ask me about anything but that I informed them about it. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah. And the polytheists said: Look at Ibn Abi Kabshah, he claims that he went to Bayt al-Maqdis tonight. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A sign of what I am telling you is that I passed by a caravan of yours at such-and-such a place, at the head of which was a tawny camel carrying a black cloth and two black sacks. On the day the caravan was due, the people waited watching until it was near midday, until the caravan came, led by that very camel which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had described.