Prophets

ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad narrated to me: ʿAbd al-Razzaq narrated to us, from Maʿmar, from Hammam, from Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: ‘Allah created Adam sixty cubits tall. Then He said, “Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to how they respond; it will be your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.”’ Adam said, ‘Peace be upon you.’ They replied, ‘Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy,’ adding ‘and Allah’s mercy’ to his greeting. Everyone who enters Paradise will be in Adam’s form. Creation has continued to diminish in stature ever since.’

Qutayba ibn Saʿid narrated to us: Jarir narrated to us, from ʿUmara, from Abu Zurʿa, from Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The first group to enter Paradise will be like the full moon on the night it is full; those who follow them will be like the brightest shining star in the sky. They will not urinate, defecate, spit, or blow their noses. Their combs will be of gold, their perspiration musk, and their censers will burn aloe-wood—ʿud al-tayyib. Their spouses will be wide-eyed houris. They will all have the form of a single man, in the form of their father Adam, sixty cubits tall in the heavens.’

Musaddad narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us, from Hisham ibn ʿUrwa, from his father, from Zaynab bint Abi Salama, from Umm Salama, that Umm Sulaym said: ‘Messenger of Allah, Allah is not shy of the truth. Must a woman perform ghusl if she has a wet dream?’ He said: ‘Yes, if she sees fluid.’ Umm Salama smiled and said, ‘Can a woman have a wet dream?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Then how does a child come to resemble her?’

Muhammad ibn Salam informed us: al-Fazari informed us, from Humayd, from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: When the arrival of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Medina reached ʿAbd Allah ibn Salam, he came to him and said: ‘I will ask you about three things known only to a prophet: What is the first sign of the Hour? What is the first food the people of Paradise will eat? From what does a child take after its father, and from what does it take after its maternal uncles?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Jibril has just informed me of them.’ ʿAbd Allah said: ‘That one is the enemy of the Jews among the angels.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The first sign of the Hour will be a fire that gathers people from the east to the west. The first food the people of Paradise will eat is the extra lobe of a fish’s liver. As for a child’s resemblance: when a man has intercourse with a woman and his fluid precedes hers, the child resembles him; when her fluid precedes his, the child resembles her.’ ʿAbd Allah said: ‘I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.’ Then he said: ‘Messenger of Allah, the Jews are a people who slander. If they learn of my Islam before you ask them about me, they will slander me in your presence.’ The Jews came, and ʿAbd Allah went inside. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, ‘What sort of man is ʿAbd Allah ibn Salam among you?’ They replied, ‘He is the most knowledgeable among us and the son of the most knowledgeable; the best among us and the son of the best.’ He said, ‘What would you say if ʿAbd Allah were to accept Islam?’ They said, ‘May Allah protect him from that!’ ʿAbd Allah came out to them and said, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ They said, ‘He is the worst of us and the son of the worst of us,’ and spoke ill of him.

Bishr ibn Muhammad informed us: ʿAbd Allah informed us: Maʿmar informed us, from Hammam, from Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet ﷺ, a similar report—namely: ‘Were it not for the Children of Israel, meat would not spoil; and were it not for Eve, no wife would ever betray her husband.’

Abu Kurayb and Musa ibn Hizam said: Husayn ibn ʿAli narrated to us, from Zaʾida, from Maysara al-Ashjaʿi, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Treat women well, for woman was created from a rib. The most curved part of the rib is its uppermost part. If you try to straighten it, you will break it; if you leave it, it will remain curved. So treat women well.’

ʿUmar ibn Hafs narrated to us: My father narrated to us: al-Aʿmash narrated to us: Zayd ibn Wahb narrated to us: ʿAbd Allah narrated to us: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the truthful and confirmed as truthful, said: ‘Each of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days; then he is an embryo for a similar period; then a morsel of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel to him with four matters, and his deeds, lifespan, provision, and whether he will be wretched or blessed are written. Then the spirit is breathed into him. A man may perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until only an arm’s length remains between him and it, then what is written overtakes him, and he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it. A man may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until only an arm’s length remains between him and it, then what is written overtakes him, and he performs the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.’

Abu al-Nuʿman narrated to us: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from ʿUbayd Allah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Anas, from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: ‘Allah has assigned an angel to the womb. The angel says, “My Lord, a drop; my Lord, an embryo; my Lord, a morsel of flesh.” When He wills to form it, the angel says, “My Lord, male or female? My Lord, wretched or blessed? What will its provision be? What will its lifespan be?” All of this is written while it is in its mother’s womb.’

Qays ibn Hafs narrated to us: Khalid ibn al-Harith narrated to us: Shuʿba narrated to us, from Abu ʿImran al-Jawni, from Anas, attributing it to the Prophet ﷺ: ‘Allah will say to the one receiving the lightest punishment among the people of the Fire: If you had everything on earth, would you ransom yourself with it? He will say, Yes. Allah will say: I asked you for something easier than this when you were in Adam’s loins: that you not associate anything with Me. But you insisted on associating partners with Me.’

ʿUmar ibn Hafs ibn Ghiyath narrated to us: My father narrated to us: al-Aʿmash narrated to us: ʿAbd Allah ibn Murra narrated to me, from Masruq, from ʿAbd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whenever a person is killed unjustly, the first son of Adam bears a share of its bloodshed, for he was the first to establish killing.’

He said: al-Layth reported from Yahya ibn Saʿid, from ʿAmra, from ʿAʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: ‘Souls are assembled hosts: those that recognize one another become close, and those that do not recognize one another differ.’ Yahya ibn Ayyub also said: Yahya ibn Saʿid narrated this to me.

ʿAbdan informed us: ʿAbd Allah informed us, from Yunus, from al-Zuhri. Salim said—and Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood among the people, praised Allah as He deserves, then mentioned the Dajjal and said: ‘I am warning you about him. There has been no prophet who did not warn his people about him; Noah warned his people about him. But I will tell you something about him that no prophet before me told his people: you know that he is one-eyed, while Allah is not one-eyed.’

Abu Nuʿaym narrated to us: Shayban narrated to us, from Yahya, from Abu Salama, who said: I heard Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) say: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Shall I tell you something about the Dajjal that no prophet has told his people? He is one-eyed, and he will bring something resembling Paradise and the Fire. What he calls Paradise is in fact the Fire. I warn you about him just as Noah warned his people.’

Musa ibn Ismaʿil narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad narrated to us: al-Aʿmash narrated to us, from Abu Salih, from Abu Saʿid, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Noah and his people will come, and Allah Most High will say, “Did you convey the message?” He will reply, “Yes, my Lord.” He will say to his people, “Was it conveyed to you?” They will say, “No prophet came to us.” Allah will say to Noah, “Who will testify for you?” He will reply, “Muhammad ﷺ and his community.” We will then testify that he conveyed it.’ This is the meaning of His, Glorious is His mention, saying: ‘Thus We made you a justly balanced community so that you may be witnesses over humankind.’ (Qur’an 2:143) ‘Balanced’ means just.

Ishaq ibn Nasr narrated to me: Muhammad ibn ʿUbayd narrated to us: Abu Hayyan narrated to us, from Abu Zurʿa, from Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: We were with the Prophet ﷺ at a banquet. A foreleg was brought to him, which he liked, and he took a bite from it. He said: ‘I will be the leader of mankind on the Day of Resurrection. Do you know how Allah will gather the first and the last on one plain, where an observer will see them all and the caller will make them all hear, and the sun will draw near? Some people will say, “Do you not see the state you are in and what has befallen you? Will you not look for someone to intercede for you with your Lord?” Some will say, “Your father Adam.” They will go to him and say, “Adam, you are the father of humankind. Allah created you with His hand, breathed into you of His spirit, commanded the angels to prostrate to you, and settled you in Paradise. Will you not intercede for us with your Lord? Do you not see the state we are in and what has befallen us?” He will say, “My Lord has become angry with an anger like which He has never been angry before and will never be again. He forbade me from the tree, but I disobeyed Him. Myself, myself! Go to someone else; go to Noah.” They will go to Noah and say, “Noah, you were the first messenger to the people of the earth, and Allah named you a grateful servant. Do you not see the state we are in and what has befallen us? Will you not intercede for us with your Lord?” He will say, “My Lord is angry today with an anger like which He has never been angry before and will never be again. Myself, myself! Go to the Prophet ﷺ.” They will come to me, and I will prostrate beneath the Throne. Then it will be said: “Muhammad, raise your head; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted. Ask, and you will be given.”’ Muhammad ibn ʿUbayd said: ‘I do not remember the rest.’

Nasr ibn ʿAli ibn Nasr informed us: Abu Ahmad informed us, from Sufyan, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Aswad ibn Yazid, from ʿAbd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited: ‘So, is there anyone who will take heed?’ (Qur’an 54:15), in the same recitation as the general reciters.

ʿAbdan said: ʿAbd Allah informed us: Yunus informed us, from al-Zuhri. And Ahmad ibn Salih narrated to us: ʿAnbasa narrated to us: Yunus narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Anas said that Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to relate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The roof of my house was opened while I was in Mecca. Jibril descended, opened my chest, and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a gold basin filled with wisdom and faith, poured it into my chest, and closed it. He took my hand and ascended with me to the lowest heaven. When he reached it, Jibril said to its keeper, “Open.” He asked, “Who is this?” Jibril said, “Jibril.” He asked, “Is anyone with you?” He said, “Muhammad is with me.” He asked, “Has he been sent for?” He replied, “Yes.” So he opened it. When we ascended into the heaven, there was a man with multitudes on his right and multitudes on his left. When he looked to his right, he laughed; when he looked to his left, he wept. He said, “Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous son.” I said, “Who is this, Jibril?” He said, “This is Adam, and these multitudes to his right and left are the souls of his descendants. Those on his right are the people of Paradise, and those on his left are the people of the Fire. When he looks to his right, he laughs; when he looks to his left, he weeps.”’ Then Jibril ascended with me until he came to the second heaven and said to its keeper, ‘Open.’ Its keeper said to him what the first keeper had said, and it was opened.’

Anas said: He mentioned that in the heavens he encountered Idris, Musa, ʿIsa, and Ibrahim, but he did not specify to me their respective stations, except that he mentioned Adam in the lowest heaven and Ibrahim in the sixth. Anas said: When Jibril passed by Idris, he said, ‘Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous brother.’ I said, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Idris.’ Then I passed by Musa, who said, ‘Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous brother.’ I said, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Musa.’ Then I passed by ʿIsa, who said, ‘Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous brother.’ I said, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is ʿIsa.’ Then I passed by Ibrahim, who said, ‘Welcome, righteous Prophet and righteous son.’ I said, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Ibrahim.’

Ibn Hazm informed me that Ibn ʿAbbas and Abu Habba al-Ansari used to say that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Then I was taken up until I reached a level where I heard the scratching of pens.’ Ibn Hazm and Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Allah prescribed fifty prayers for me. I returned with that, and when I passed by Musa, he asked, “What has been prescribed for your community?” I said, “Fifty prayers have been prescribed for them.” He said, “Go back to your Lord, for your community cannot bear that.” I returned and asked my Lord, and He reduced half of them. I returned to Musa, and he said the same. He reduced half of them. I returned to Musa and told him, and he said, “Go back to your Lord, for your community cannot bear that.” I returned and asked my Lord. He said, “They are five, yet they are fifty; the word with Me is not changed.” I returned to Musa, and he said, “Go back to your Lord.” I said, “I am now shy before my Lord.”’ Then Jibril went on with me until he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, which was covered by colors I cannot describe. Then I was admitted to Paradise, where there were domes of pearl, and its soil was musk.’

Muhammad ibn ʿArʿara narrated to me: Shuʿba narrated to us, from al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: ‘I was given victory by the easterly wind, and the people of ʿAd were destroyed by the westerly wind.’

He said: Ibn Kathir reported from Sufyan, from his father, from Ibn Abi Nuʿm, from Abu Saʿid (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a small gold nugget to the Prophet ﷺ, who divided it among four: al-Aqraʿ ibn Habis al-Hanzali, then al-Mujashiʿi; ʿUyayna ibn Badr al-Fazari; Zayd al-Taʾi, one of Banu Nabhan; and ʿAlqama ibn ʿUlatha al-ʿAmiri, one of Banu Kilab. Quraysh and the Ansar became angry and said, ‘He gives the chiefs of Najd and leaves us out!’ He said, ‘I am only seeking to win them over.’ A man then came forward with sunken eyes, prominent cheekbones, a protruding forehead, a thick beard, and a shaved head. He said, ‘Fear Allah, Muhammad!’ He replied, ‘Who would obey Allah if I disobeyed Him? Has Allah entrusted me with the people of the earth, while you do not trust me?’ A man asked him to kill that man—I think it was Khalid ibn al-Walid—but the Prophet ﷺ stopped him. When the man turned away, he said: ‘From this man’s lineage—or descendants—will come a people who recite the Qur’an, but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow passes through its prey. They will kill the people of Islam and leave the idolaters alone. If I live to see them, I will kill them as the people of ʿAd were killed.’

Khalid ibn Yazid narrated to us: Israʾil narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Aswad, who said: I heard ʿAbd Allah say: I heard the Prophet ﷺ recite: ‘So, is there anyone who will take heed?’ (Qur’an 54:15).