Sunan Ibn Majah 193

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Yahya reported to us: Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah reported to us: al-Walid ibn Abi Thawr al-Hamdani reported to us, from Simak, from Abdullah ibn Umayrah, from al-Ahnaf ibn Qays, from al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, who said: I was in al-Batha with a group that included the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace). A cloud passed over him and he looked at it, then asked, ‘What do you call this?’ They said, ‘Clouds.’ He said, ‘And rain clouds?’ They replied, ‘Rain clouds.’ He said, ‘And canopy clouds?’ Abu Bakr said: They replied, ‘Canopy clouds.’ He asked, ‘How far do you think it is from you to the heaven?’ They said, ‘We do not know.’ He said, ‘Between you and it is seventy-one, seventy-two, or seventy-three years. Above it is the same.’ He continued until he had counted seven heavens. ‘Above the seventh heaven is a sea, whose top and bottom are as far apart as one heaven is from another. Above that are eight mountain-like beings, whose hooves and knees are as far apart as one heaven is from another. Upon their backs is the Throne, whose top and bottom are as far apart as one heaven is from another. Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is above that.’