The Miraj

an excerpt from the Sahih Bukhari collection of hadiths:

". . . when I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the gate-keeper, 'Open the gate.'
The gatekeeper asked, 'Who is it?'
He said, 'Gabriel.'
The gate-keeper asked, 'Who is accompanying you?'
Gabriel said, 'Muhammad.'
The gate-keeper said, 'Has he been called?'
Gabriel said, 'Yes.'
Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit his 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.
It was asked, 'Who is it?'
Gabriel said, 'Gabriel.'
It was said, 'Who is with you?'
He said, 'Muhammad'
It was asked, 'Has he been sent for?'
He said, 'Yes.'
It was said, 'He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit his is!"
Then I met Jesus and Yahya (John) who said, 'You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.'

Then we ascended to the third heaven.
It was asked, 'Who is it?'
Gabriel said, 'Gabriel.'
It was asked, 'Who is with you?
Gabriel said, 'Muhammad.'
It was asked, 'Has he been sent for?'
'Yes,' said Gabriel.
'He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit his is!'
There I met Joseph and greeted him, and he replied, 'You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet!'

Then we ascended to the fourth heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in the previous heavens.
There I met Idris and greeted him. He said, 'You are welcomed O brother and Prophet.'

Then we ascended to the fifth heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in previous heavens.
There I met and greeted Aaron who said, 'You are welcomed O brother and a Prophet".

Then we ascended to the sixth heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in the previous heavens.
There I met and greeted Moses who said, 'You are welcomed O brother and a Prophet.' When I proceeded on, he started weeping and on being asked why he was weeping, he said, 'O Lord! The 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 and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in the previous heavens.
There I met and greeted 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-ul-Ma'mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it).'
Then I was shown Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (a tree in the seventh heaven) and I saw its Nabk fruits which resembled the clay jugs of Hajr (a town in Arabia), and its leaves were like the ears of elephants, and four rivers originated at its root, two of them were apparent and two were hidden.
I asked Gabriel about those rivers 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 me, 'What have you done?'
I said, 'Fifty prayers have been enjoined on me.'
He said, 'I know the people better than you, because I had the hardest experience to bring Bani Israel to obedience. Your followers cannot put up with such obligation. So, return to your Lord and request Him (to reduce the number of prayers).'
I returned and requested Allah (for a reduction) and He made it forty.
I returned and (met Moses) and had a similar discussion, and then returned again to Allah for a reduction and He made it thirty, then twenty, then ten, and then I came to Moses who repeated the same advice. Ultimately Allah reduced it to five.
When I came to Moses again, he said, 'What have you done?'
I said, 'Allah has made it five only.'
He repeated the same advice but I said that I surrendered (to Allah's final order)' "

Allah's Apostle 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."


from Sahih Bukhari 4.429

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