Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Masruq says: I was sitting reclining with Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). She said to me: O Abu Aisha! There are three matters, and to believe in any one of them is to accuse Allah Almighty of lying. I asked: What are those matters? She said: Whoever thinks that Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw his Lord, he has lied against Allah Almighty. I was reclining, but upon hearing this I sat up and said: O Mother of the Believers! Give me some respite and do not be hasty, did Allah Almighty not say: «وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ» "And indeed he saw him on the clear horizon." (81-At-Takwir:23) «وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى» "And indeed he saw him another time." (53-An-Najm:13) (From these verses it is understood that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord)? Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I was the first among this Ummah to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about these verses, and he replied to me: "That was Gabriel, I saw him in his original form twice. I saw him descending from the sky, and his great size filled the space between the sky and the earth." Then Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Have you not heard the statement of Allah Almighty: «لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ» "Eyes cannot perceive Him, but He perceives the eyes, and He is the Subtle, the All-Aware." (6-Al-An'am:103) And have you not heard the statement of Allah Almighty: «وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ» "And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil, or that He sends a messenger to reveal by His permission what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High, Most Wise." (42-Ash-Shura:51) Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: And whoever thinks that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) concealed any part of what was revealed to him from the Book of Allah, he has accused Allah Almighty of lying, while Allah Almighty says: «يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ» "O Messenger! Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message." (5-Al-Ma'idah:67) Then she said: And whoever thinks that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gives news of what will happen tomorrow, he has fabricated a lie against Allah Almighty, while Allah Almighty says: «قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ» "Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah." (27-An-Naml:65).