Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3279
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ نَبْهَانَ بْنِ صَفْوَانَ الْبَصْرِيُّ الثَّقَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ كَثِيرٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ أَبُو غَسَّانَ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلْمُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ . قُلْتُ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ : ( لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ ) قَالَ وَيْحَكَ ذَاكَ إِذَا تَجَلَّى بِنُورِهِ الَّذِي هُوَ نُورُهُ وَقَدْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Ikrimah reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, ‘Muhammad saw his Lord.’ I said, ‘Does Allah not say, “Sight cannot encompass Him, but He encompasses all sight”’ (Qur’an 6:103)? He replied, ‘Woe to you! That is when He manifests Himself in His light, which is His light. Muhammad saw his Lord twice.’ Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan gharib hadith through this route.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
This report preserves Ibn ‘Abbas’s statement as transmitted here, distinct from the previous report quoting ‘A’ishah’s contrary answer.