Volume 4, 59 Beginning of Creation
Sahih al-Bukhari 3207
Chapter: 6 The reference to angels
Narrated Malik bin Sasaa: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “While I was at the House in a state midway between sleep and wakefulness, (an angel recognized me) as the man lying between two men. A golden tray full of wisdom and belief was brought to me and my body was cut open from the throat to the lower part of the abdomen and then my abdomen was washed with Zamzam water and (my heart was) filled with wisdom and belief. Al-Buraq, a white animal, smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey, was brought to me and I set out with Gabriel.
When I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the gatekeeper of the heaven, ‘Open the gate.’ The gatekeeper asked, ‘Who is it?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ The gatekeeper asked, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel said, ‘Muhammad.’ The gatekeeper said, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel said, ‘Yes.’ It was said, ‘He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit this is!’ Then I met Adam and greeted him and he said, ‘You are welcomed, O son and a Prophet.’
Then we ascended to the second heaven. The same questions were asked and the same answers were given. There I met Jesus and Yahya (John) who said, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.’
Then we ascended to the third heaven and the same occurred. There I met Joseph who said, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.’
Then we ascended to the fourth heaven. There I met Idris who said, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.’
Then we ascended to the fifth heaven. There I met Aaron who said, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.’
Then we ascended to the sixth heaven. There I met Moses who said, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.’ When I proceeded on, he started weeping. On being asked why, he said, ‘O Lord! Followers of this youth who was sent after me will enter Paradise in greater number than my followers.’
Then we ascended to the seventh heaven. There I met Abraham who said, ‘You are welcomed, O son and a Prophet.’
Then I was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma’mur (Allah’s House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, ‘This is Al-Bait-al-Ma’mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily, and when they leave, they never return to it (always a fresh batch comes daily).’
Then I was shown Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (a tree in the seventh heaven). I saw its Nabk fruits which resembled the clay jugs of Hajr, and its leaves were like the ears of elephants. Four rivers originated at its root—two were apparent and two were hidden. I asked Gabriel about them and he said, ‘The two hidden rivers are in Paradise, and the apparent ones are the Nile and the Euphrates.’
Then fifty prayers were enjoined on me. I descended till I met Moses who asked, ‘What have you done?’ I said, ‘Fifty prayers have been enjoined on me.’ He said, ‘Your followers cannot bear that. Return to your Lord and request Him to reduce the number.’ I returned and requested Allah (for reduction) and He made it forty. I returned to Moses, then to Allah for more reduction until it became five.
When I came to Moses again, he said, ‘What have you done?’ I said, ‘Allah has made it five only.’ He repeated his advice, but I said that I had surrendered to Allah’s final order.” Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was then addressed by Allah, “I have decreed My obligation and have reduced the burden on My slaves, and I shall reward a single good deed as if it were ten good deeds.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3208
Narrated Abdullah bin Mas’ud: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), the true and truly inspired said, “The matter of the creation of a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days. Then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him.
So, a man among you may do good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise, and then what has been written overtakes him and he starts doing deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it. Similarly, a man among you may do evil deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the Fire, and then what has been written overtakes him and he starts doing the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3209
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so-and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven: ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,’ and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3210
Narrated Aisha: I heard Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying,
“The angels descend in the clouds and mention this or that matter decreed in the Heaven. The devils listen stealthily to such a matter, come down to inspire the soothsayers with it, and the latter would add to it one hundred lies of their own.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3211
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“On every Friday, the angels take their stand at every gate of the mosque to write the names of the people chronologically (i.e. according to the time of their arrival for the Friday prayer). When the Imam sits (on the pulpit), they fold up their scrolls and get ready to listen to the sermon.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3212
Narrated Said bin Al-Musaiyab: Umar came to the Mosque while Hassan was reciting a poem. `Umar disapproved of that. Hassan said,
“I used to recite poetry in this very Mosque in the presence of one (i.e. the Prophet (peace be upon him)) who was better than you.”
Then he turned toward Abu Huraira and said to him,
“I ask you by Allah, did you hear Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying (to me), ‘Retort on my behalf. O Allah! Support him (i.e. Hassan) with the Holy Spirit?’”
Abu Huraira replied, “Yes.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3213
Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Hassan,
“Lampoon them (i.e. the pagans), and Gabriel is with you.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3214
Narrated Humaid bin Hilal: Anas bin Malik said,
“As if I see a cloud of dust swirling up in the lane of Bani Ghanim.”
Musa added,
“That was caused by the procession of Gabriel.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3215
Narrated Aisha: Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Prophet (peace be upon him),
“How does the Divine Inspiration come to you?”
He replied,
“In all these ways: The Angel sometimes comes to me with a voice resembling the sound of a ringing bell, and when this state leaves me, I remember what the Angel has said. This type of inspiration is the hardest on me. Sometimes the Angel comes in the shape of a man and talks to me, and I understand and remember what he says.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3216
Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying,
“Whoever spends a couple (of objects) in Allah’s cause will be called by the Gatekeepers of Paradise, who will say, ‘O so-and-so, come on!'”
Abu Bakr said,
“Such a person will never perish or be miserable.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“I hope you will be among such people.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3217
Narrated Abu Salama: Aisha said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her,
“O Aisha! This is Gabriel, and he sends his salutations to you.”
She replied,
“Salutations (peace) to him, and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon him.”
She added,
“You see what I don’t see,” referring to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Sahih al-Bukhari 3218
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) asked Gabriel,
“Why don’t you visit us more often than you do?”
Then the following verse was revealed:
“And We (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two, and your Lord was never forgetful.” (Surah Maryam 19:64)
Sahih al-Bukhari 3219
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said,
“Gabriel recited the Qur’an to me in one mode (harf), and I kept asking him to recite it in other modes, until he recited it in seven different modes.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3220
Chapter (59:31) – The generosity of the Prophet (peace be upon him) during Ramadan
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to be more generous in the month of Ramadan, when Gabriel used to meet him. Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan to study the Qur’an together.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was more generous than the fast-blowing wind when he met Gabriel.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3221
Narrated Ibn Shihab: Once Umar bin Abdul Aziz delayed the Asr prayer a little. Urwa said to him, **"Gabriel descended and led the prayer in front of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."** Umar said,
**”Be sure of what you say, O Urwa."** Urwa replied,
“I heard Bashir bin Abi Mas’ud narrating from Ibn Mas’ud who heard Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying,
‘Gabriel descended and led me in prayer; then I prayed with him, then again, and again, and again, and again,'”
—counting five prayers on his fingers.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3222
Narrated Abu Dharr: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Gabriel said to me, ‘Whoever among your followers dies without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise (or will not enter Hell).'”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked,
“Even if he has committed illegal sexual intercourse or theft?”
He replied,
“Even then.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3223
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Angels take turns descending from and ascending to the heavens. Some come by night and others by day, and they all gather at the time of Fajr and `Asr prayers. Then those who spent the night among you ascend, and Allah—though He knows best—asks them, ‘How did you leave My slaves?’ They reply, ‘We left them praying and we came to them while they were praying.'”
And the Prophet added:
“If anyone says ‘Amin’ at the end of the recitation of Surat Al-Fatiha and the angels say the same, and the two coincide, all his past sins will be forgiven.”