Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2540
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا رِشْدِينُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ دَرَّاجٍ أَبِي السَّمْحِ، عَنْ أَبِي الْهَيْثَمِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي قَوْلِهِ: (وَفُرُشٍ مَرْفُوعَةٍ ) قَالَ " ارْتِفَاعُهَا لَكَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ مَسِيرَةَ خَمْسِمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ رِشْدِينَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ . وَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي تَفْسِيرِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ إِنَّ مَعْنَاهُ الْفُرُشَ فِي الدَّرَجَاتِ وَبَيْنَ الدَّرَجَاتِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Saeed reported that, regarding Allah’s words ‘and elevated couches’ (Qur’an 56:34), the Prophet said, ‘Their elevation is like the distance between heaven and earth: a journey of five hundred years.’ Abu Isa described this hadith as gharīb, known only through the report of Rashdin ibn Saad. Some scholars explained that the couches are in different levels, with the distance between the levels like that between heaven and earth.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source gives both the transmitted explanation of the verse and an alternative interpretation from some scholars; both are retained.
The Arabic names a journey of five hundred years as the measure of distance; it does not specify a mode of travel.