32. Proofs from the Hadith On that Allah is in the Heavens : Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book on Monotheism) by Abu Bakr b. Khuzaymah

Proof from the Prophetic Sayings

These ḥadīths prove that Allāh is stationed above everything, and is in the heavens, corresponding to what He mentioned in His Book and what He has told us through the tongue of His Prophet. Every ḥadīth narrative as is directly traced back to the Prophet through chains of reliable persons without a break is in accordance with the Book of Allāh. Such authentic narratives never go against the holy Qurᵓān.

167. (1) Abū Kurayb → Abū Usāmah  → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah:

Fāṭimah came to the Prophet and asked him to grant her a slave. The Prophet advised her to repeat the following words: “O Allāh the owner of all the seven heavens and the greatest throne, our Lord, the Lord of everything, the sender of the Psalms and the Bible, (once the narrator added the words “and the great Qurᵓān”), the one who makes the seed-grain and the date-stone to sprout, I seek your refuge from the evil of every such thing as will be grasped by you from the forelock. You are the First, for there is nothing before you, and you are the Last, for there is nothing after you. You are the prominent, for nothing is above you. You are the hidden, for nothing is below you. Keep away the debt from us and make us independent.”

….. (2) Muhammad b. al-Ḥarashī → Ziyād b. ᶜAbd Allāh al-Bakāᵓī:

Al-Aᶜmash reported a similar ḥadīth with the same isnād.

168. (3) al-Wāsiṭī → Khalid b. ᶜAbd Allāh → Suhayl → his father → Abū Hurayrah:

The Prophet found us dozing and commanded us to recite the following words: “O Allāh, the creator of the heaven and the earth, our Lord and the Lord of everything else, the maker of the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout, the revealer of the Psalms and the Bible and the Qurᵓān, I seek your refuge against the evil of everything you hold from its forelock. You are the first, for there is nothing before you. You are the last, for there is nothing after you. You are the prominent, for there is nothing above you. You are the hidden, for nothing is beneath you. Remove my debt and poverty and make me independent.”

169. (4) Muhammad b. Maᶜmar → Yaᶜqūb b. Isḥāq al-Ḥaḍramī → Wuhayb → Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah:

The Prophet used to say the following prayer before going to bed: “O Allāh, the Creator of the heaven and the earth, our Lord and Lord of everything else, the maker of the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout, the revealer of the Psalms, the Bible and the Qurᵓān, I seek your refuge against the evil of everything You hold from its forelock. You are the first (al-awwal), for there is nothing before You. You are the hidden (al-bāṭin), for nothing is beyond You. You are the evident (al-ẓāhir), for there is nothing above You. Pay my debt for me and save me from poverty.”

170. (6) Abū Yaḥyā → Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān → ᶜAffān b. Muslim:

Wuhayb reported the narrative through the same isnād. [The Prophet] said:

[O] Creator of the heaven and the earth, and the Lord of everything as which you hold from its forelock. You are the first (al-awwal) and nothing is above you.”

The narrative of Wuhayb repeats the above-mentioned entirely without the addition in the middle.

171. (7) ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. Bishr b. al-Ḥakam → ᶜAbd al-Razzāq → Maᶜmar → Hamām b. Munabbiḥ → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Angels always accompany you, some during the night and others in the day. They gather in the morning and at the time of al-ᶜAṣr prayer. Then those who have been with you mount to their Lord. He questions them even though He knows better than they: “How did you leave my servants?” They respond: “We left them offering prayers (yuṣallūn). We joined them while they were praying.”

172. (8) Yūsuf b. Mūsā → Jarīr → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Allah has angels. They watch over you. The angels of the day descend to you at the time of Fajr Prayer and offer the prayer with you. At that time the angels of night mount up to the Lord. The angels of the day stay with you. Allāh asks them [the angels of the night], though He knows better than they: “What my servants were doing when you left them?” They (angels) respond: “We joined them while they were offering Prayer and left them while they were doing the same. At the time of al-ᶜAṣr, the angels of the night come down and offer the prayer with you. The angels of the day mount up [to the Lord] and the angels of the night stay with you. Their Lord asks them though He knows better: “In what state did you leave my servants?” They reply: “We joined them while they were offering the Prayer and left them while they were doing the same.”

He said: “I think that he (the Prophet said they also say): “Forgive them on the Day of Judgment.”

….. (8) Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm reported this narrative from Yaḥyā b. Ḥammād who narrated from Abū ᶜAwānah who narrated from Sulaymān (al-Aᶜmash) through the same isnād. He related the ḥadīth in which and said:

“We left them while they were offering the Prayer. So forgive them on the Day of Judgment.”

He did not indicate any doubt regarding the words: “So forgive them on the Day of Judgment.” I have recorded the narratives on this issue in the chapter on al-ṣalāh and al-Imāmah (leading the prayer).

173. (9) In a ḥadīth reported by Ibn Abī Nuᶜaym from Abū Saᶜīd Khudrī from the Prophet, it has been stated that the Prophet was distributing the gold sent by ᶜAlī b. Abī Ṭālib from Yemen. The Prophet is reported to have said: “You do not trust me while the one in the Heavens has trusted me?”

174. (10) Abū Hishām al-Rafā‘ī → Ibn Fuḍayl [and also Yūsuf b. Mūsā → Jarīr] → ᶜUmārah (Ibn Qaᶜqāᵓ) → Ibn Abī Nuᶜaym → Abū Saᶜīd:

Abū Bakr said: I have recorded the ḥadīths of the ascension (miᶜrāj) in another book. Those narratives clearly mention that a burrāq was brought to the Prophet. “I rode it till we reached the lowest heaven” the Prophet said.

These ḥadīths contain open proofs for that the Prophet traveled on the burrāq from the earth upwards to the seventh heaven. On that occasion, Allāh made the prayers obligatory, as reported in different narratives. Therefore, all these reports prove that the Creator is above the seven heavens. This negates the view of the Muᶜaṭṭilahs. They believe that their Lord is with them, in their houses, and even their coffins (compared to the view that He is seated on His throne).

175. (11) A narrative reported by al-Aᶜmash from al-Minhāl b. ᶜAmr from Zādhān on the authority of al-Brāᵓ deals with the death of a believer and a nonbeliever. The Prophet is reported to have said, concerning the departure of the soul of a believer: He says: “O pure and satisfied soul, come into Allāh’s forgiveness and His pleasure.” He said:

It gets out smoothly as water is poured out of a waterskin. They do not take more than a blink of eyes to mount towards heaven with it. Every group of angels that they pass in their way says: “Who is this pure soul?” They introduce it to them in most beautiful names. When they have reached with it to the heaven, the doors of heavens are opened for it. From every lowest heaven, angels, group by group, welcome it until it reaches the seventh heaven. There it is commanded that the name of the person is included in the register of the ‘illiyyūn (the honourable ones). The narrator related the whole ḥadīth.

….. (12) The same ḥadīth has been reported by Yūsuf b. Mūsā from Jarīr from al-Aᶜmash as well as by Salm b. Junādah from Abū Muᶜāwiyah from al-Aᶜmash. I have recorded it in the chapter on al-Janāᵓiz (funerals).

….. (13) The same narrative has been reported to me by ᶜAlī b. Abī al-Mundhir from Ibn Fuḍayl from al-Aᶜmash. I have included it too in the chapter on al-Janāᵓiz.

176. (14)) A narrative reported by Yūnus b. Khabbāb from al-Manāhil b. ᶜAmr from Zādhān from al-Barāᵓ b. ᶜĀzib from the Prophet deals with this issue. It says:

When the soul of the person is released from the body and every angel that is between the heavens and the earth and all the ones in the heavens salute it. The doors to the heavens are opened. All the gate keepers that come on the way ask Allāh to let it pass them first. When the soul passes them, they say, “O Lord this is your servant.” He says: “Take it back as I have promised them that I have created them from it, and I will return them to it and will resurrect them from it another time.”

….. (15) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → ᶜAbd al-Razzāq → Maᶜmar → Yūnus b. Khabbāb:

The same narrative.

….. (16) Yūnus b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā → Ibn Wahb and Asad b. Mūsā → Ibn Abī Dhiᵓb:

….. (17) Aḥmad b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. Wahb → his uncle → Abū Dhiᵓb:

….. (18) Muhammad b. Rāfiᶜ → Ibn Abī Fudayk → Ibn Abī Dhiᵓb → Muhammad b. ᶜAmr b. ᶜAṭāᵓ → Saᶜīd b. Yassār → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

The angels approach the dying person. If he is a pious one, it is said to him: “Get out, O pure soul, the one who dwelled in a pure body, come out while you are a praised soul. Receive the glad tiding of rest and satisfaction. You will find the Lord happy with you and not angry.” He said: “They say this to the soul until it comes out. When it climbs towards the heavens, it opens for it. It is then enquired: “Who is this?” The soul is then introduced to them. It is then said: “Welcome to the pure soul which dwelled a pure body. Enter while being praised. Get the good news of rest and satisfaction. You will find your Lord happy with you.” This is continually told to the soul until it reaches the heaven on which Allāh is.

The narrators related the complete ḥadīth which I have included in the chapters on punishment in the grave.

177. (19) Rajāᵓ b. Muhammad al-ᶜAdhrī → ᶜImrān b. Khālid b. Ṭalīq b. ᶜImrān b. Ḥaṣīn → his father (Khālid)→ his father (Ṭalīq)→ his grandfather (ᶜImrān b. Ḥaṣīn):

A group of Quraysh came to Ḥaṣīn whom they respected and said to him: “Talk to this man on our behalf. He mentions our Lords and abuses them.” Then they all came with him and sat near the door of the Prophet. Ḥaṣīn entered. When the Prophet saw him, he said: “Make space for al-shaykh.” ᶜImrān and his companions came closer. Ḥaṣīn said: “What? I hear that you abuse our gods! Your father was a generous person who would feed others (jafnatan wa khubzan)?” The Prophet said: “O Ḥaṣīn, my father and your father both are the dwellers of Hell. O Ḥaṣīn, how many gods do you worship today?” Ḥaṣīn said: “Seven on the earth and one in the heaven.” The Prophet asked: “What do you invoke when in difficulty? Ḥaṣīn replied: “The one in the heaven.” The Prophet asked: “When you face financial losses, whom do you call?” Ḥaṣīn replied: “The one in the heaven.” The Prophet said: “You call Him alone and make others His partners.”

The narrator related the entire ḥadīth and I have included it in Kitāb al-Duᶜāᵓ (The Chapter on Supplications).