Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Malik bin Sa’sa’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Once, while I was between sleep and wakefulness near the House of Allah, one of three men came forward between two men. Then a basin of gold was brought to me, filled with wisdom and faith. He split open my body from the chest to the abdomen, washed my heart with the water of Zamzam, and filled it with wisdom and faith. Then a beast was brought to me, smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey, whose one step reached as far as the eye could see. I set out with Hazrat Jibreel (peace be upon him). We reached the lowest heaven. It was asked, “Who is it?” He replied, “Jibreel!” It was asked, “Who is with you?” He replied, “Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)!” It was asked, “Has he been called?” He replied, “Yes!” The angels said, “Welcome! What an excellent arrival!” There I met Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) and greeted him. He said, “Welcome to the son and the Prophet! What an excellent arrival!”

The same questions and answers occurred at the second heaven, where I met Hazrat Yahya and ‘Isa (peace be upon them), and they called me brother instead of son. The same questions and answers occurred at the third heaven, where I met Hazrat Yusuf (peace be upon him), and he also called me brother. The same questions and answers occurred at the fourth heaven, where I met Hazrat Idris (peace be upon him), and he also called me brother. The same questions and answers occurred at the fifth heaven, where I met Hazrat Haroon (peace be upon him), and he also called me brother. The same questions and answers occurred at the sixth heaven, where I met Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him), and he also called me brother.

When I moved ahead after meeting Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him), he began to weep. It was asked, “Why are you weeping?” He replied, “O Lord! This young man whom You have sent after me—his ummah will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my ummah.” Then we reached the seventh heaven, and the same questions and answers occurred. There I met Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and when I greeted him, he said, “Welcome to the son and the Prophet!”

Then the Bayt al-Ma’mur was presented before me. I asked Jibreel (peace be upon him) about it, and he said, “This is Bayt al-Ma’mur. Every day seventy thousand angels pray in it, and when they leave, they never return again.” Then the Sidrat al-Muntaha was presented before me. Its berries were like the pitchers of Hajar, and its leaves were as large as elephant ears. At its root, four rivers were flowing—two hidden and two apparent. I asked Jibreel (peace be upon him) about them, and he said, “The hidden rivers are in Paradise, and the apparent ones are the Nile and the Euphrates.”

Then a vessel of wine, a vessel of milk, and a vessel of honey were presented before me. I took the vessel of milk. Hazrat Jibreel (peace be upon him) said, “This is the true nature upon which you and your ummah are.” Then fifty prayers were made obligatory upon me. When I passed by Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him), he asked, “What happened?” I replied, “Fifty prayers have been made obligatory upon me.” Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) said, “I know the nature of people well. I have tested the Children of Israel thoroughly. Your ummah will not be able to bear this. So return to your Lord and request a reduction.” So I returned to my Lord and requested a reduction, and the Lord reduced them to forty. Again, when I passed by Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him), the same questions and answers occurred, and ten more prayers were reduced. In this way, ten by ten, they were reduced until finally only five remained. Even then, Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) advised me to seek further reduction, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Now I feel shy before my Lord to go again.” At that moment, a voice came, “I have decreed My obligation and have reduced it for My servants, and I will give a reward of tenfold for every good deed.”

The previous hadith is also narrated with a slight difference in wording from this second chain.