The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

72 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
It is strange that Imam Aha 'Ahd All* al-Bukhm, God he pleased with him,
gave the account of the night journey after recounting the death of Aha Talih.
He was thus in accord with Ihn Ishaq in referring to the ascent to heaven in
the later materials, hut differed with him in reporting it after the death of Aha
Talih.
Ibn Isbq positioned his account of the death of Aha Bakr after the description
of the night journey. But God alone knows how it really was.
This means that al-Bukhari made a distinction between the uight journey and
the ascent. Each of these he therefore dealt with in a separate section.
His text reads, Section on the night journey and the statement of God Almighty,
'Glory be to Him who took His servant by night.'
"It was related to us by Yahya b. Bukayr quoting al-Layth, from Wqayl, from
Ibn Shihah who said that Aba Salama h. 'Abd al-R&m& related to hi as
follows, 'I heard Jahir h. 'Ahd Allah say that he heard the Messenger of God
(SAAS) say, "When Quraysh expressed their disbelief in me I was in the hijr.
And God made clear Jerusalem to me and so I set about telling them its dinctive
features while I viewed it.""'
Muslim, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i related this from a Eadith of d-Zuhri,
from Aho Salama from Jzhir.
Muslim, al-Nasa'i and d-Tirmidhi also related it from a hadith of 'Ahd Allah
h. al-Fadl, from Aha Salama, from Aha Hurayra, from the Prophet (SAAS) in
similar terms.
Al-Bukhari's text goes on, Section on the Ascent:
"It was related to us by Hudha h. Khalid, from Hammm and Qatada, from
Anas b. Mzlik, from Mnlik h. Sa'Sa'a, that the Prophet (SAAS) related to them
as follows about the uight he was taken on a journey, 'While I was lying down
there in the hatim'" - or he may well have said the hijr - 'an apparition came
to me and began cutting.' I (Mnlik h. Sacva'a, tr.) then heard him say, "And he
split open from this to this." I asked al-Jarad who was by my side, "What does
he mean by that?" And he replied, "From the hollow of his neck down to his
pubic hair." And I heard him say, from "his breastbone down to his pubic
hair." '
"The Prophet (SAAS) went on, 'Then he withdrew my heart and a basin of
gold filled with faith was hrought to me. He then washed my heart and it was
stuffed and replaced. After that I was hrought a white mount that was smaller
than a mule hut larger than a donkey.'
"Al-Jarad asked, 'Was that al-Burciq, Aha Hamza?' Anas responded, 'Yes'.
"The Prophet (SAAS) continued, 'It could span with its stride as far as it
could see. I was mounted upon it and Gahriel led me away until he reached the
lowest heaven. He asked for me to go in and a reply came, "Who is this?"
"Gabriel," he replied. "And who is with you?" He replied, "Muhammad". "And
12. The semikircular walled area next to the ka'bo.