We were sitting in the company of Abdullah and he was lying on the bed that a person came and said: Abd Abd al-Rabmin, a story-teller at the gates of Kinda says that the verse (of the Quran) which deals with the" smoke" implies that which is about to come and it would hold the breath of the infidels and would inflict the believers with cold. Thereupon Abdullah got up and said in anger. O people, fear Allah and say only that which one knows amongst you and do not say which he does not know and he should simply say: Allah has the best knowledge for He has the best knowledge amongst all of you. It does not behove him to say that which he does not know. Allah has the best knowledge of it. Verily Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said to His Prophet (ﷺ) to state:" I do not ask from you any remuneration and I am not the one to put you in trouble," and when Allah's Mesqenger (ﷺ) saw people turning back (from religion) he said: O Allah, afflict thern with seven famines as was done in the case of Yusuf, so they were afflicted with famine by which they were forced to eat everything until they were obliged to eat the hides and the dead bodies because of hunger, and every one of them looked towards the sky and he found a smoke. And Abu Sufyan came and he said: Muhammad, you have come to command us to obey Allah and cement the ties of blood- relation whereas your people are undone; supplicate Allah for tlicm. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:" Wait for the day when there would be clear smoke from the sky which would envelop people and that would be grievous torivent" up to the words:" you are going to return to (evil)." (if this verse implied the torment of the next life) could the chastisement of the next (life) be averted (as the Quran states): On the day when We seize (them) with the most violent seizing; surely We shall exact retribution" (xliv. 16)? The seizing (in the hadith) implies that of the Day of Badr. And so far as the sign of smoke, seizing, inevitability and signs of Rome are concern- ed, they have become things of the past now.
Sahih Muslim Book 52, Hadith 22
That he spent a night with Maimunah, wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), who was also his (Ibn 'Abbas's) maternal aunt. I lay towards the width of the pillow and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife slept towards its length. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slept. When half the night passed, or a little before it or a little after it, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) awoke and began to rub his face (eyes) to remove the sleep. He then recited ten verses from the last part of Surah 'Al-Imran. Hen then came to a bag of water that was hanging. He performed ablution from it and performed his ablution well. He then stood up and prayed. I also got up and did as he did. I then went and stood at his side. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his right hand upon my head and took me by my ear twisting it. He then prayed two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs. The narrator al-Qa'nabi said: Six times. He observed the witr prayer, and then slept until the mu'adhdhin came. He got up and prayed two light rak'ahs and then came out and offered the dawn prayer.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 5, Hadith 118
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) described to them his Night Journey saying, "While I was
lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my body open from here to
here." I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, "What does he mean?" He said, "It means from his throat
to his pubic area," or said, "From the top of the chest." The Prophet (ﷺ) further said, "He then took out my
heart. Then a gold tray of Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with
Belief) and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and
bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud asked, "Was it the Buraq, O Abu
Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The animal's step (was so wide
that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal's sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel
set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was
asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has Muhammad
been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent
visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel
said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the
greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended
with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked,
'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was
said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened.
When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and `Isa (i.e. Jesus) who were
cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), 'These are John and Jesus; pay them your greetings.' So I
greeted them and both of them returned my greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious
brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate
to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying
you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened,
and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Joseph; pay
him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed,
O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for
its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel' It was asked, 'Who is
accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied
in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!'
The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to me),
'This is Idris; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said,
'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fifth
heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was
asked. 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?'
Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is! So
when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel said, (to me). This is Aaron;
pay him your greetings.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are
welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven
and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked,
'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel
replied in the affirmative. It was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'
When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),' This is Moses; pay him
your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O
pious brother and pious Prophet.' When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What
makes you weep?' Moses said, 'I weep because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a young man
whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.' Then Gabriel ascended
with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel
replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked,' Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was
asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed.
What an excellent visit his is!'
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is your
father; pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You
are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e.
the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near
Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the
utmost boundary) . Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I asked,
'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied,' As for the hidden rivers, they are two
rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.'
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and
another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked,
'This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.' Then the prayers were
enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me),
'What have you been ordered to do?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.' Moses
said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you,
and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to
lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then again I
came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Allah and
He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and
He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same
advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to
observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I
have got an experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go
back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower's burden.' I said, 'I have requested so
much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I
left, I heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Worshipers."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 63, Hadith 112
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umar
ibn Ubaydullah that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said over the martyrs of Uhud, "I
testify for them." Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "Messenger of Allah! Are
we not their brothers? We entered Islam as they entered Islam and we
did jihad as they did jihad." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said, "Yes, but I do not know what you will
do after me." Abu Bakr wept profusely and said, "Are we really going
to out-live you!"
Muwatta Malik Book 21, Hadith 34