Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "On the night when the Messenger of
Allah was taken on his Night Journey, he entered Paradise, in some part of which
he heard a sound. He said, `O Jibril, what is this' He said, `This is Bilal, the
Mu'adhdhin.' When the Prophet came back to the people, he said,
«قَدْ أَفْلَحَ
بِلَالٌ، رَأَيْتُ لَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا»
(Bilal has succeeded, I saw that he will have such and such.) He [the Prophet
] was met by Musa, who welcomed him and said, `Welcome to the Unlettered
Prophet.' He was a tall, dark man with lank hair coming down to his ears or
above his ears. He said, `Who is this, O Jibril' He said, `This is Musa.' Then
he went on and met a venerable, distinguished old man, who welcomed him and
greeted him with Salam, and all of them were greeting him. He said, `Who is
this, O Jibril' He said, `This is your father Ibrahim.' Then he looked into Hell
and saw some people eating rotten meat. He said, `Who are these people, O
Jibril' He said, `They are those who used to eat the flesh of the people [i.e.,
backbiting].' He saw a man who was very red and dark blue, and said, `Who is
this, O Jibril' He said, `This is the one who slaughtered the she-camel (of
Salih).' When the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, he stood up to
pray, and all the Prophets gathered and prayed with him. When he finished, he
was brought two cups, one on his right and one on his left, one containing milk
and one containing honey. He took the milk and drank it, and the one who was
carrying the cup said, `You have chosen the Fitrah (natural instinct).''' The
chain of narrators is Sahih, although they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not
record it. Imam Ahmad reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah was
taken on the Night Journey to Bayt Al-Maqdis, then he came back and told them
about his journey and the features of Bayt Al-Maqdis and the caravan (of
Quraysh). Some people said, `We do not believe what Muhammad is saying,' and
they left Islam and became disbelievers. Allah destroyed them when He destroyed
Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl said: `Muhammad is trying to scare us with the tree of
Zaqqum; bring some dates and butter and let us have some Zaqqum!' The Prophet
also saw the Dajjal in his true form, in real life, not in a dream, and he saw
`Isa, Musa and Ibrahim. The Prophet was asked about the Dajjal, and he said:
«رَأَيْتُهُ
فَيلَمَانِيًا أَقْمَرَ هِجَانًا، إِحْدَى عَيْنَيْهِ قَائِمَةٌ كَأَنَّهَا
كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ، كَأَنَّ شَعْرَ رَأْسِهِ أَغْصَانُ شَجَرَةٍ، وَرَأَيْتُ عِيسَى
عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ (شابًّا) أَبْيَضَ، جَعْدَ الرَّأْسِ حَدِيدَ الْبَصَرِ،
وَمُبَطَّنَ الْخَلْقِ، وَرَأَيْتُ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَسْحَمَ آدَمَ،
كَثِيرَ الشَّعْرِ، شَدِيدَ الْخَلْقِ، وَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ
السَّلَامُ فَلَمْ أَنْظُرْ إِلَى إِرْبٍ مِنْهُ إِلَّا نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي
حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ صَاحِبُكُمْ، قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ: سَلِّمْ عَلَى أَبِيكَ،
فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْه»
(I saw him as a tall and huge man, with a whitish complexion. One of his eyes
stood out like a shining star. The hair on his head looked like the branches of
a tree. And I saw `Isa, white with curly hair and an intense gaze, of average
build. I saw Musa, dark-skinned, with a lot of hair and a strong build. I looked
at Ibrahim and did not see anything in him that I do not see in myself; it is as
if he were your companion [meaning himself]. Jibril said: `Greet your father
with Salam,' so I greeted him with Salam.) This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i
from the Hadith of Abu Zayd Thabit bin Yazid from Hilal, who is Ibn Khabbab, and
it is a Sahih chain of narrators. Al-Bayhaqi recorded that Abu Al-`Aliyah said:
"The cousin of your Prophet , Ibn `Abbas narrated to us from the Messenger of
Allah , he said: Allah's Messenger said,
«رَأَيْتُ لَيْلَةَ
أُسْرِيَ بِي مُوسَى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ رَجُلًا طُوَالًا جَعْدًا، كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ
رِجَالِ شَنُوءَةَ، وَرَأَيْتُ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ
مَرْبُوعَ الْخَلْقِ إِلَى الْحُمْرَةِ وَالْبَيَاضِ سَبْطَ الرَّأس»
(On the night when I was taken on the Night Journey, I saw Musa bin `Imran, a
tall, curly-haired man, as if he was from the tribe of Shanu'ah. And I saw `Isa
bin Maryam, of medium stature, white with a reddish complexion, with straight
hair.) And he was shown Malik, the keeper of Hell, and the Dajjal, with the
signs that Allah revealed to him.' He said,
[فَلاَ تَكُن فِى
مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَآئِهِ]
(So be not you in doubt of meeting him.) [32:33] Qatadah used to interpret
this to mean that the Prophet of Allah met Musa.
[وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى
لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ]
(And We made it [or him] a guide to the Children of Israel) [32:33] Qatadah
said: "(This means) Allah made Musa a guide for the Children of Israel. ''
Muslim reported this in his Sahih, and Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded a shorter
version from Qatadah. Imam Ahmad also recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "The
Messenger of Allah said:
«لَمَّا كَانَ
لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي، فَأَصْبَحْتُ بِمَكَّةَ فَظِعْتُ وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ
مُكَذِّبِي»
(On the night when I was taken on the Night Journey, I woke up in Makkah the
next morning having anxiety that, I knew that the people would not believe me.)
He kept away from people, feeling anxious and sad, then the enemy of Allah Abu
Jahl passed by him and came to sit with him, saying mockingly, `Is there
anything new' The Messenger of Allah said,
«نَعَم»
(Yes). He said, `What is it' He said,
«إِنِّي أُسْرِيَ بِي
اللَّيْلَة»
(I was taken on a Journey last night.) He said, `Where to' He said,
«إِلَى بَيْتِ
الْمَقْدِس»
(To Bayt Al-Maqdis.) He said, `Then this morning you were among us' He said,
«نَعَم»
(Yes). Abu Jahl did not want to say to his face that he was lying, lest he
deny saying it when he called other people to hear him, so he said: `Do you
think that if I call your people, you will tell them about what happened' The
Messenger of Allah said,
«نَعَم»
(Yes.) Abu Jahl said, `O people of Bani Ka`b bin Lu'ay!' People got up from
where they were sitting and came to join them. Abu Jahl said, `Tell your people
what you told me.' The Messenger of Allah said:
«إِنِّي أُسْرِيَ بِي
اللَّيْلَة»
(I was taken on a Journey last night.) They said, `Where to' He said,
«إِلَى بَيْتِ
الْمَقْدِس»
(To Bayt Al-Maqdis.) They said, `Then this morning you were among us' He
said,
«نَعَم»
(Yes). They began to clap their hands together and put their hands on their
heads in astonishment at this "lie'' - as they claimed it to be. They said, `Can
you describe the sanctuary to us' Among them were some who had travelled to that
land and seen the sanctuary, so the Messenger of Allah said,
«فَمَا زِلْتُ
أَنْعَتُ حَتَّى الْتَبَسَ عَلَيَّ بَعْضُ النَّعْتِ قَالَ فَجِيءَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ
وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى وُضِعَ دُونَ دَارِ عُقَيلٍ أَوْ عِقَالٍ
فَنَعَتُّهُ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ وَكَانَ مَعَ هَذَا نَعْتٌ لَمْ
أَحْفَظْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ: أَمَّا النَّعْتُ فَوَاللهِ لَقَدْ أَصَابَ
فِيه»
(I started to describe it, until I reached a point where I was not sure about
some of the details, but then the sanctuary was brought close and placed near
the house of `Uqayl - or `Iqal - so I could look at it and describe the
details.) I could not remember those description. The people said, `As for the
description, by Allah he has got it right.'' This was recorded by An-Nasa'i and
Al-Bayhaqi.