Narrated Anas bin Malik:The night Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was taken for a journey from the sacred mosque (of Mecca) Al-Ka`ba: Three persons came to him (in a dreamy while he was sleeping in the Sacred Mosque before the Divine Inspiration was revealed to Him. One of them said, "Which of them is he?" The middle (second) angel said, "He is the best of them." The last (third) angle said, "Take the best of them." Only that much happened on that night and he did not see them till they came on another night, i.e. after The Divine Inspiration was revealed to him. (Fath-ul-Bari Page 258, Vol. 17) and he saw them, his eyes were asleep but his heart was not----and so is the case with the prophets: their eyes sleep while their hearts do not sleep. So those angels did not talk to him till they carried him and placed him beside the well of Zamzam. From among them Gabriel took charge of him. Gabriel cut open (the part of his body) between his throat and the middle of his chest (heart) and took all the material out of his chest and `Abdomen and then washed it with Zamzam water with his own hands till he cleansed the inside of his body, and then a gold tray containing a gold bowl full of belief and wisdom was brought and then Gabriel stuffed his chest and throat blood vessels with it and then closed it (the chest). He then ascended with him to the heaven of the world and knocked on one of its doors. The dwellers of the Heaven asked, 'Who is it?' He said, "Gabriel." They said, "Who is accompanying you?" He said, "Muhammad." They said, "Has he been called?" He said, "Yes" They said, "He is welcomed." So the dwellers of the Heaven became pleased with his arrival, and they did not know what Allah would do to the Prophet (ﷺ) on earth unless Allah informed them. The Prophet (ﷺ) met Adam over the nearest Heaven. Gabriel said to the Prophet, "He is your father; greet him." The Prophet (ﷺ) greeted him and Adam returned his greeting and said, "Welcome, O my Son! O what a good son you are!" Behold, he saw two flowing rivers, while he was in the nearest sky. He asked, "What are these two rivers, O Gabriel?" Gabriel said, "These are the sources of the Nile and the Euphrates." Then Gabriel took him around that Heaven and behold, he saw another river at the bank of which there was a palace built of pearls and emerald. He put his hand into the river and found its mud like musk Adhfar. He asked, "What is this, O Gabriel?" Gabriel said, "This is the Kauthar which your Lord has kept for you." Then Gabriel ascended (with him) to the second Heaven and the angels asked the same questions as those on the first Heaven, i.e., "Who is it?" Gabriel replied, "Gabriel". They asked, "Who is accompanying you?" He said, "Muhammad." They asked, "Has he been sent for?" He said, "Yes." Then they said, "He is welcomed.'' Then he (Gabriel) ascended with the Prophet (ﷺ) to the third Heaven, and the angels said the same as the angels of the first and the second Heavens had said. Then he ascended with him to the fourth Heaven and they said the same; and then he ascended with him to the fifth Heaven and they said the same; and then he ascended with him to the sixth Heaven and they said the same; then he ascended with him to the seventh Heaven and they said the same. On each Heaven there were prophets whose names he had mentioned and of whom I remember Idris on the second Heaven, Aaron on the fourth Heavens another prophet whose name I don't remember, on the fifth Heaven, Abraham on the sixth Heaven, and Moses on the seventh Heaven because of his privilege of talking to Allah directly. Moses said (to Allah), "O Lord! I thought that none would be raised up above me." But Gabriel ascended with him (the Prophet) for a distance above that, the distance of which only Allah knows, till he reached the Lote Tree (beyond which none may pass) and then the Irresistible, the Lord of Honor and Majesty approached and came closer till he (Gabriel) was about two bow lengths or (even) nearer. (It is said that it was Gabriel who approached and came closer to the Prophet. (Fate Al-Bari Page 263, 264, Vol. 17). Among the things which Allah revealed to him then, was: "Fifty prayers were enjoined on his followers in a day and a night." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) descended till he met Moses, and then Moses stopped him and asked, "O Muhammad ! What did your Lord en join upon you?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied," He enjoined upon me to perform fifty prayers in a day and a night." Moses said, "Your followers cannot do that; Go back so that your Lord may reduce it for you and for them." So the Prophet (ﷺ) turned to Gabriel as if he wanted to consult him about that issue. Gabriel told him of his opinion, saying, "Yes, if you wish." So Gabriel ascended with him to the Irresistible and said while he was in his place, "O Lord, please lighten our burden as my followers cannot do that." So Allah deducted for him ten prayers where upon he returned to Moses who stopped him again and kept on sending him back to his Lord till the enjoined prayers were reduced to only five prayers. Then Moses stopped him when the prayers had been reduced to five and said, "O Muhammad! By Allah, I tried to persuade my nation, Bani Israel to do less than this, but they could not do it and gave it up. However, your followers are weaker in body, heart, sight and hearing, so return to your Lord so that He may lighten your burden." The Prophet (ﷺ) turned towards Gabriel for advice and Gabriel did not disapprove of that. So he ascended with him for the fifth time. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Lord, my followers are weak in their bodies, hearts, hearing and constitution, so lighten our burden." On that the Irresistible said, "O Muhammad!" the Prophet replied, "Labbaik and Sa`daik." Allah said, "The Word that comes from Me does not change, so it will be as I enjoined on you in the Mother of the Book." Allah added, "Every good deed will be rewarded as ten times so it is fifty (prayers) in the Mother of the Book (in reward) but you are to perform only five (in practice)." The Prophet (ﷺ) returned to Moses who asked, "What have you done?" He said, "He has lightened our burden: He has given us for every good deed a tenfold reward." Moses said, "By Allah! I tried to make Bani Israel observe less than that, but they gave it up. So go back to your Lord that He may lighten your burden further." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Moses! By Allah, I feel shy of returning too many times to my Lord." On that Gabriel said, "Descend in Allah's Name." The Prophet (ﷺ) then woke while he was in the Sacred Mosque (at Mecca).
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 7517
In-book reference
Book 97, Hadith 142
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 608
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
Sharik ibn 'Abdullah related that he heard Anas ibn Malik say, "On the night when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, travelled from the Mosque of the Ka'ba, three people came to him while he was sleeping in the Masjid al-Haram before he received the revelation. The first of them asked, 'Which of them is he?' The middle one said, 'He is the best of them.' The last of them said, 'Take the best of them.' On that night he did not see them until they came to him on another night in which his heart saw while his eyes were asleep. His heart does not sleep. That is how it is with the Prophets: their eyes sleep but their hearts do not sleep. "They did not speak to him until they carried him and placed him at the well of Zamzam and then from among them Jibril took charge of him. Jibril split him open between his throat and the middle of his chest and emptied out his breast and abdomen and then washed it with Zamzam water so that he cleansed his abdomen. Then a tray was brought which contained a gold vessel filled with faith and wisdom. He stuffed it into his breast and blood vessels, i.e. the veins of his throat, and then he closed it and ascended with him to the lowest heaven. He knocked on one of its doors and the people of the heaven called out, 'Who is this?' 'Jibril.' he answered. They said, 'Who is with you?' He replied. 'Muhammad is with me.' He said, 'Has he been sent for?' 'Yes,' he answered. They said, 'Welcome!' The people of the heaven rejoice at him. The people of heaven do not know what Allah wants of him on the earth until He informs them. "He will find Adam in the lowest heaven. Jibril will tell him, 'This is your father Adam, so greet him.' He greeted him and Adam returned the greeting and said, 'Welcome to my son! And an excellent son you are!' There in the lowest heaven are two flowing rivers and he asked, 'What are these two rivers, Jibril?' He replied, 'This is the sources of the Nile and the Euphrates.' Then he took him around the heaven and there was another river on which was a castle of pearls and emeralds. He put his hand into it and it was very fine musk. He asked, 'What is this, Jibril?' He replied, 'This is Kawthar which your Lord has stored up for you.' "Then he took him up to the second heaven and the angels said to him the like of what those in the first had said, 'Who is this?' He answered, 'Jibril.' They asked, 'Who is with you?' He replied. 'Muhammad is with me.' They said, 'Has he been sent for?' 'Yes,' he answered. They said, 'Welcome!' Then he took him to the third heaven and they said to him the like of what those in the first and second had said. Then he took him to the fourth and they said the like of that. Then he took him to the fifth heaven and they said the like of that. Then he took him to the sixth heaven and they said the like of that and then he took him to the seventh heaven and they said the like of that. "Each heaven contained Prophets which he named. I recall of them that Idris was in the second, Harun in the fourth, another whose name I do not recall in the fifth, Ibrahim in the sixth, and Musa in the seventh because of the virtue of speaking directly to Allah. Musa said, "Lord, I did not think that You would elevate anyone above me!' Then Jibril ascended with him above that as only Allah knows until he reached the Lote-Tree of the Boundary and the Compeller, the Lord of Might approached and descended until he was the distance of two bow spans from him or nearer. "Part of what Allah revealed to him was 'Fifty prayers for your community every day and night.' Then he descended until he met Musa who stopped him and said, 'Muhammad, what did your Lord contract with you?' He answered, 'He contracted with me fifty prayers every day and night.' He said, 'Your community will not be able to do that. Go back and ask your Lord to lighten it for you and for them.' The Prophet * turned to Jibril as if he wished to consult him about that and Jibril indicated to him, "Yes, if you wish.' So he ascended to the Compeller and said while he was in his place, 'O Lord, lighten it for us. My community will not be able to do this!' He reduced it by ten prayers. Then he returned to Musa who stopped him, and Musa continued to send him back to his Lord until it was five prayers. Then Musa stopped him the fifth time and said, 'Muhammad, I tried as hard as I could with the tribe of Israel, my people, with less than this and they were weak and abandoned it. Your community has weaker bodies, hearts, physique, seeing and hearing. Go back and ask your Lord to lighten it for you.' Every time the Prophet turned to Jibril so that he could advise him and Jibril did not dislike that. So he took him up for the fifth time and he said, 'O Lord, my community are weak in their bodies, hearts, hearing and physique, so lighten that for us.' The Compeller said, 'Muhammad!' 'At Your service!' he replied. He said, 'The Word with Me does not change and it is as I obliged on you in the Mother of the Book.' He said, 'Every good action is worth ten like it and so it is fifty in the Mother of the Book while it is five for you.' He returned to Musa who asked, 'How did you do?' He said, 'He lightened it for us and gave us ten for every good action.' Musa said, 'By Allah, I tried as hard as I could with the tribe of Israel with less than this and they abandoned it. Return to your Lord and ask him to lighten it for you more.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Musa, by Allah, I am embarrassed by the number of times I was returned to my Lord.' He said, 'descend in the Name of Allah.'" He said, "He woke up and he was in the Masjid al-Haram."
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 7517
In-book reference
Book 97, Hadith 142
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 608
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih