Sunan an-Nasa'i 3963

Sulayman ibn Dawud reported to us; he said: Ibn Wahb informed us; he said: Ibn Jurayj informed me, from ʿAbdullah ibn Kathir, who heard Muhammad ibn Qays say: I heard ʿAishah say: ‘Shall I tell you about the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and myself?’ We said: ‘Yes.’ She said: ‘On the night that was my turn, he returned, placed his sandals by his feet, set aside his cloak, and spread his waist-wrapper on the bed. He stayed only as long as he thought I had fallen asleep. Then he put on his sandals slowly, picked up his cloak slowly, opened the door quietly, went out, and quietly closed it behind him. I put my outer garment over my head, veiled myself, wrapped my waist-wrapper around me, and followed him until he reached al-Baqiʿ. He raised his hands three times and stood there for a long time. Then he turned back, and I turned back; he walked faster, and I walked faster; he broke into a trot, and I trotted; then he ran, and I ran. I got ahead of him and went inside. I had only just lain down when he entered and said: “What is the matter, ʿAishah? Are you breathing hard?” Sulayman said: I think the narrator said “short of breath.” He said: “You must tell me, or the All-Kind, the All-Aware will tell me.” I said: “Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you,” and I told him what had happened. He said: “Were you the dark figure I saw in front of me?” I said: “Yes.”’

She said: ‘He gave me a painful nudge in the chest and said: “Did you think Allah and His Messenger would treat you unjustly?”’ She said: ‘Whatever people conceal, Allah, Mighty and Sublime, knows it.’ He said: ‘Yes. Jibril, peace be upon him, came to me when you saw me. He did not enter upon you because you had taken off your clothes. He called me quietly, and I answered him quietly so that you would not hear. I thought you had fallen asleep; I did not want to wake you, and I feared you might feel lonely. He instructed me to go to the people of al-Baqiʿ and ask forgiveness for them.’ Hajjaj ibn Muhammad differed from Ibn Wahb; he narrated it from Ibn Jurayj, from Ibn Abi Mulaykah, from Muhammad ibn Qays.