Sound Ḥadīths Containing Correct View on that Allah is on the Heaven: Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book on Monotheism) by Abu Bakr b. Khuzaymah

--The scholars of Hejaz and Iraq have reported these narratives from the Prophet. These narratives state that the Almighty descends to the nearest heaven every night. We bear witness to what the Prophet said with his tongue, affirm what his heart believed in, and we have faith in what these narratives contain regarding the descent of Allah. We, however, do not determine the mode of His descent for the Prophet did not tell us the modality of His descent. The Almighty and His Messenger have not left anything unexplained for the believers that which they need to know regarding their religion. Therefore, we believe in and affirm what is reported about the descent of Allah. We do not take upon ourselves to unnaturally try to pronounce on the modality of the descent because the Prophet has not explained it. These ḥadīth reports contain clear and sound proofs that Allah is above the nearest heaven. For the Prophet has told us that Allah descends to the nearest heaven. It is not possible, according to the conventions of the Arabic language, to say that someone descended (yunzila) from a lower place to a higher one. It is always known for certain that one comes down from a higher place to a lower one.

188. (1) Bundār, Muhammad b. Bashshār → Muhammad b. Jaᶜfar → Shuᶜbah → Abū Isḥāq → al-Agharr [Abū Muslim al-Madanī]:

….. (2) Muhammad b. Abī Ṣafwān → Bahz b. Asad → Shuᶜbah → Abū Isḥāq → al-Agharr [who said I bear witness that] → Abū Hurayrah and Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī [reported to me from] → the Prophet [claiming that they bear witness that he said]:

Allāh waits till the third quarter of the night. Then He comes down and says: “Is there any seeker? Is there any repentant? Is there any sinner seeking forgiveness for his sins?” Someone asked: “Until dawn?” The Prophet answered: “Yes”.

189. (3) Bundār → Ibn Mahdī → Isrāᵓīl → Abū Isḥāq → al-Agharr → Abū Muslim → Abū Hurayrah and Abū Saᶜīd → the Prophet of Allah:

Allāh waits until two-thirds of the night passes. Then He comes down to the nearest heaven. He says: “Is there any seeker of forgiveness? Is there any caller? Is there any seeker (calling) before it is morning?”

Abū Bakr said: The scholars of Ḥadīth from Heja and their Iraqi peers differ on the surname of al-Agharr. The Hejazi scholars call him Abū ᶜAbd Allāh and the Iraqis call him Abū Muslim. A person can have two surnames. Similarly, one can have two sons, named ᶜAbd Allāh and Muslim. Therefore, Al-Agharr could have two surnames, corresponding to the names of his two sons. An example is that of the Dhū al-Nūrayn, ᶜUthmān [the third Caliph of Islam]. He had two surnames i.e. Abū ᶜUmar and the Abū ᶜAbd Allāh. This is very frequent in kunyas.

….. (4) Yūsuf b. Mūsā → Jarīr → Mansūr → Ibn Isḥāq:

The same tradition matching the ḥadīth of Shuᶜbah in meaning but with a different wording.

190. (5) Aḥmad b. Saᶜīd al-Ribāṭī → Muḥāḍir b. al-Muwarriᶜ → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Saᶜīd or Abū Hurayrah → The Prophet:

Narrated also Abū Isḥāq and Ḥabīb → al-Agharr → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Allāh waits until the one third of the night. Then He comes down to the nearest heaven and says: “Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, so that I forgive him? Is there any solicitor to whom I may give? Is there any repentant whom I may bless?” He continues to announce this till dawn.

191. (6) Aḥmad b. Saᶜīd → Muḥāḍir → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Sufyān → Jābir:

The Prophet said: “He does so every night.”

….. (7) Isḥāq b. Wahb al-Wasiṭī → Muḥāḍir b. al-Muwarriᶜ → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Saᶜīd and Abū Hurayrah and also Abū Isḥāq and Ḥabīb → al-Agharr → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Allāh waits till one third of the night. Then He comes down to the nearest heaven and says: “Is there anyone seeking forgiveness? I will forgive him. Is there any seeker to whom I may give? Is there any repentant whom I may bless?” This process continues till dawn.

He said: I think Abū Sufyān reported from Jābir b. ᶜAbd Allāh who added the words: “every night.”

192. (8) Yūnus b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā → Ibn Wahb → Mālik → Ibn Shihāb → Abū ᶜAbd Allāh al-Agharr → Abū Salamah b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Every night Allāh comes down to the nearest heaven in the last part of the night. He says: “Who calls [me] so that I accept his request? Who is there to ask me to whom I may give? Who seeks forgiveness whom I may forgive?”

….. (9) Aḥmad b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān narrated that his uncle reported the same ḥadīth to him. He also reported the same report on the authority of Abū ᶜAbd Allāh Salmān or Ghilmān al-Agharrr which starts from the words: “Our Lord comes down (yunzilu rabbunā)”. The rest of this report is the same.

….. (10) Aḥmad → his uncle → Yūnus → al-Zuhrī → Abū Salamah b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān and Abū ᶜAbd Allāh al-Agharr → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Our Mighty Lord comes down.

Then he related the whole ḥadīth. However, he did not include the words: “in the last quarter of night.”

….. (11) Aḥmad once said commenting on the report of Yūnus:

When the third last part of the night remains, our Lord comes down to the nearest heaven and says: “Who asks me whom I may give? Who calls me whom I may listen to? Who repents to me whom I may forgive?”

Aḥmad once reported the ḥadīth of Mālik through the following chain:

….. (12) Aḥmad → his uncle → Mālik b. Anas → Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm → Abū Dāwūd → Ibrāhīm b. Saᶜd → al-Zuhrī → Abū Salamah and al-Aghr → Abū Hurayrah:

The Prophet said, “……………………”

….. (13) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Yaᶜqūb b. Ibrāhīm → his father → Ibn Shihāb → Abū ᶜAbd Allāh al-Agharr → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet: “…………….”

….. (14) Muhammad → ᶜAbd al-Razzāq → Maᶜmar → al-Zuhrī:

….. (15) Muhammad → Abū al-Yamān → Shuᶜayb → al-Zuhrī:

He stated, concerning the narrative of Maᶜmar, that Abū Salamah and al-Agharr, the companion of Abū Hurayrah, narrated this to both.

….. (16) Concerning the ḥadīth of Shuᶜayb, he said that Abū Salamah Ibn ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān and Abū ᶜAbd Allāh al-Agharr, the companion of Abū Hurayrah, narrated that Abū Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet a statement like the report of Yūnus from Ibn Wahb from Mālik. However, to the report of Shuᶜayb, he added the words: “till dawn.” He, however, did not include the words: “to the nearest heaven” in the ḥadīth reported by Yaᶜqūb.

193. (17) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Abū al-Mughīrah → al-Awzāᶜī → Yaḥyā (Ibn Abī Kathīr) → Abū Salamah b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

When the first part or two third of the night passes, Allāh comes down to the nearest heaven and says: “Is there any petitioner who can be granted? Is there anyone to call me whom I may listen to? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that I May forgive him?” This He continues to announce till dawn.

194. (18) Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā al-Ṣanᶜāᵓī → Muᶜtamar → Muhammad → Abū Salamah → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Every night, Allāh comes down to the nearest heaven at the middle of the night or after two third quarters of it elapse and says: “Who is there to call me, so that I listen to him. Who is there to ask me so that I grant him? Who is there to seek forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” He goes on announcing this till the worshippers returns from the Morning Prayer at dawn.

….. (19) Muhammad b. Bashshār → ᶜAbd al-Wahhāb → Muhammad b. ᶜAmr:

….. (20) Muhammad b. Bashshār → ᶜAbd al-Wahhāb → ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā → Muhammad b. ᶜAmr:

The same narrative with these Isnād. However, this narrative contains the following wording:

Till dawn sets in or the worshipper returns [home] after offering the Morning Prayer.

….. (21) Zayd b. Akhzam → Wahb b. Jarīr → his father → al-Nuᶜmān (Ibn Rāshid) → al-Zuhrī → Abū Salamah → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Similar to the ḥadīth of Mālik from al-Zuhrī. He added that al-Zuhrī narrated the following words: “This is why they (the pious elders) consider the prayers offered in the last part of the night most excellent and rewarding.”

195. (22) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Mūsā b. Hārūn al-Bardī → Hishām b. Yūsuf → Maᶜmar → Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

When one fourth of the night passes, Allāh Almighty comes down and says: “I am the king. I am the king. Who asks me so that I may grant him? Who is there to call me so that I may respond to his request? Who seeks my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” This call continues till the next morning.

….. (23) Muhammad b. al-Aᶜlā al-Ṣanᶜānī → al-Muᶜtamar → ᶜUbayd Allāh ­→ Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd → his father → Abū Hurayrah:

….. (24) Muhammad b. Bashshār, ᶜAmr b. ᶜAlī and Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm → Yaḥyā → ᶜUbayd Allāh → Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd al-Muqbarī → Abū Hurayrah:

….. (25) Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm → ᶜAbd al-Wahhāb b. ᶜAbd al-Majīd → Hishām b. Ḥassān and ᶜUbayd Allāh → Saᶜīd → Abū Hurayrah:

….. (26) Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm → Ibn Abī ᶜAdī → Muhammad b. Ishāq → Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd → ᶜAtāᵓ → Abū Hurayrah:

….. (27) Abū Mūsā → Ibn Abī ᶜAdī → Hishām → Yaḥyā b. Abī Kathīr → Abū Jaᶜfar → Abū Hurayrah: “………….”

….. (28) Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā → Khālid (Ibn al-Ḥarath) → Hishām → Yaḥyā → Abū Kathīr → Abū Jaᶜfar → Abū Hurayrah: “………….”

….. (29) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Muḥāḍir → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī or Abū Hurayrah. [Abū Isḥāq and Ḥabīb have reported it from al-Agharr who narrated from Abū Hurayrah.]

….. (30) Abū Yaḥyā Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥīm al-Bazzāz → Abū Badar → Shujāᶜ b. al-Walīd → Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd → Saᶜīd b. Marjānah → Abū Hurayrah:

….. (31) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā and Isḥāq b. Wahb al-Wasiṭī → Muḥāḍir → Saᶜd (b. Saᶜīd b. Qays):

Isḥāq → Saᶜd b. Saᶜīd al-Anṣārī → Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd b. Marjānah → Abū Hurayrah:

Thus, they both described full name of Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd b. Marjānah.

….. (32) Muhammad b. Rāfiᶜ → Muhammad b. Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Fudayk → Ibn Abī Dhiᵓb → al-Qāsim b. ᶜAbbās → Nāfiᶜ b. Jubayr (Ibn Muṭᶜim) → Abū Hurayrah:

All these narrators attributed the narrative directly to the Prophet. Some of them stated: “Reported from the Prophet (ᶜan al-nabī)”. Some of them used the words: “The Messenger of Allah said this.” All of them have mentioned the descent of the Lord to the nearest heaven each night.

The narrative reported by Ibn Abī Dhiᵓb reads:

Allāh Almighty comes down in the middle of the night and says: “Is there anyone to call me? I will listen to him. Is there anyone asking for something? I will give him. Is there anyone seeking forgiveness? I will forgive him.” This call of Allah continues until the sun rises.

I have included the wording of the rest of the above-mentioned reports in Kitāb al-Ṣalāh except for the report of Muᶜtamar which I did not mention in my book. And the ḥadīth of al-Muᶜtamar corresponds to the ḥadīth of Ibn Abī Saᶜīd except that he said:

Allāh comes down that specific time to the nearest heaven and says: “Is there anyone to call me? I will listen to him. Is there anyone asking for something? I will give him. Is there anyone seeking forgiveness? I will forgive him.”

All these reports contain the words: “He comes down to the nearest heaven (yunzilu ilā samāᵓ al-dunyā).” However, the report from Muhammad b. Isḥāq uses the word yahbiṭu (he descends) instead of yanzilu.

According to the report by Muḥāḍir, al-Aᶜmash said: “I think Abū Sufyān reported it from Jābir who said: “Each night” (kulla laylatin).”

….. (33) al-Ḥasan b. Muhammad al-Zaᶜfarānī → ᶜIsmaᶜīl b. ᶜUlayyah → Hishām al-Dastawāᵓī:

It happens every night (dhālika fī kulli laylatin).

….. (34) al-Zaᶜfarānī → ᶜAbd Allāh b. Bakr al-Sahmī → Hishām:

….. (35) al-Zaᶜfarānī → Yazīd b. Hārūn → al-Dastawāᵓī:

….. (36) Muhammad b. ᶜAbd Allāh b. Maymūn (from Alexandria) → al-Walīd → al-Awzāᶜī → Yaḥyā → Hilāl b. Abī Maymūnah → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yasār → Rafāᶜah al-Juhnī:

….. (37) Abū Hāshim Ziyād b. Ayyūb → Mubashshir (Ibn Ismaᶜīl al-Ḥalbī) → al-Awzāᶜī → Yaḥyā b. Abī Kathīr → Hilāl b. Abī Maymūnah → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yassār → Rafāᶜah b. ᶜUrābah al-Juhnī:

We proceeded from Mecca in the company of the Messenger of Allāh. People came to ask his permission (to be excused from the expedition). He continued to grant them the permission [to stay back]. The Prophet said: “What happened? I see that it is more abhorrent to you to cut apart the tree that is near the Messenger of Allah this time than cutting the others.” This made all of them to cry. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq said: “No one will seek permission after this regarding another individual save for the stupid.” The Prophet stood up and thanked Allāh and sang His praise. While swearing an oath he said: “By Allah who owns my life, I bear witness in front of Allah, whoever believes in Allāh and the Day of Judgment and steadfastly adheres to [his belief], he will enter Paradise. My Lord has promised me that He will let seventy thousand people of my Ummah enter Paradise without accountability or punishment. I hope you will enter Paradise to take your places there. Anyone among your wives and children reforms himself will also join you in Paradise.” Then he said: “When the first half of the night is passed”, or perhaps he said “when a quarter of night is passed, Allāh Almighty comes down on to the nearest heaven and says: “I do not question anyone about my servants save for Myself. Who is there to ask me? I will give him. Who calls me? I will listen to him. Who seeks my forgiveness? I will forgive him.” He goes on saying this till morning.

This is the wording of the ḥadīth of al-Walīd b. Muslim.

I have recorded the wording of the ḥadīths of the rest of the above-mentioned narrators in Kitāb al-Shafāᶜah (Chapter on Intercession). I remember that the wordings quoted by the others follows: “Whoever asks of you concerning any individual is stupid.” As for the words of the Prophet, they ascribed the following to him: “He will enter Paradise seventy thousand persons without any accountability or punishment, and I hope they will not enter it until you have settled there.”

197. (38) Muhammad b. Bashshār → Hishām b. ᶜAbd al-Malik → Ḥammād b. Salamah → ᶜAmr b. Dīnār:

….. (39) Muhammad b. al-Ṣafwān al-Thaqafī → Bihz b. Asad → Ḥammād b. Salamah → ᶜAmr b. Dīnār → Nāfiᶜ b. Jubayr b. Muṭᶜim → his father → the Prophet:                     

Allāh comes down every night to the nearest heaven and says: “Who is there to ask me? I will give him. Who seeks my forgiveness? I will forgive him.”

Bundār said in his ḥadīth: “Allāh comes down every night to the nearest heaven.”

….. (40) Saᶜīd b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān al-Makhzūmī → Sufyān → ᶜAmr → Nāfiᶜ b. Jubayr → a Companion of the Prophet:

When the first half of the night is passed, Allāh Almighty comes down to the nearest heaven and opens its doors and says: “Who is there to ask me? I will give him. Who calls me? I will listen to him.” He says so until it is morning.

Abū Bakr said: The report of Sufyān b. ᶜUyaynah does not weaken the report of Ḥammād b. Salamah as Jubayr b. Muṭᶜim is one of the Companions of the Prophet. A muḥaddith can be doubtful regarding names of some of the narrators in a chain. He can likewise be certain of his knowledge and memory in this regard sometimes. Sometimes, a hearer of the report becomes doubtful of the names of the narrators in a report he hears from a muḥaddith. This type of doubt expressed by a narrator regarding the names of the authorities in a chain is not something which weakens another version of the report the narrator of which is sure of the names of the authorities he reports from. We know that Ḥammād b. Salamah (may Allāh bless his soul) remembered the name of Jubayr b. Muṭᶜim in these isnāds. Though Ibn ᶜUyaynah was doubtful about his name, yet he has used the words: “a Companion of the Prophet.” And the report of al-Qāsim b. ᶜAbbās furnishes another Isnād: Nāfiᶜ b. Jubayr from Abū Hurayrah. We do not find it strange and unacceptable that Nāfiᶜ b. Jubayr reports a ḥadīth from a Companion of the Prophet or a group of them. This is because he enjoys an elevated status and respectable position among the muḥaddithūn.

It might as well be the case that Nāfiᶜ reported the ḥadīth from his father from Abū Hurayrah from the Prophet. He might also have done this considering the complete isnād of the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah. The report of Abū Hurayrah contains the words: “It goes on till the sun rises,” whereas the report from his (that is, Nāfiᶜ’s] father does not contain clear mention of the time. However, the report of Ibn ᶜUyaynah contains the words: “till the morning sets in.” We know that dawn and sunrise are separated by a considerable time.

Thus, we see that the ḥadīth Nāfiᶜ reports on the authority of his father from a Companion of the Prophet does not mention the exact time. The ḥadīth he reports on the authority Abū Hurayrah has distinct wording. Here he mentions the names distinctively. This proves that these are two different narratives, not a single one.

198. (41) Yūsuf b. Mūsā ­→ Jarīr and Ibn Fuḍayl → Ibrāhīm al-Hijrī:

….. (42) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Jaᶜfar b. ᶜAwn → Ibrāhīm → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ:

Yūsuf said in his Ḥadith that the Prophet said:

Allāh opens the gate of the heaven during the third part of the night. He comes down to the nearest heaven. He stretches His hands and says: “Is there anyone who asks me to whom I may give?” This He continues to declare till the sun rises.

Muhammad b. Yaḥyā said in his report: “He stretches His hand and says: “Is there a servant……….”

….. (43) ᶜAlī b. Zayd b. Jadᶜān → al-Ḥasan → ᶜUthmān b. Abī al-ᶜĀṣ → the Prophet:

Allāh Almighty comes down to the nearest heaven every night and says: “Is there anyone to call me? I will listen to him. Is there any petitioner? I will give him. Is there anyone seeking my forgiveness? I will forgive him.

….. (44) Muhammad b. Bashshār → Hishām (Ibn ᶜAbd al-Malik → al-Walīd:

….. (45) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Abū al-Walīd → Ḥammād b. Salamah → ᶜAlī b. Yazīd:

….. (46) al-Layth b. Saᶜd → Ziyād b. Muhammad → Muhammad b. Kaᶜb al-Quraẓī → Fuḍālah b. ᶜUbayd → Abū al-Dardāᵓ → the Prophet:

Allāh comes down when three parts of the night are remaining. He opens the memorandum in the first hour while nobody sees Him. He blots out whom He likes and confirms what He likes. Then He comes down to the everlasting Paradise in the second hour, which has not been seen by any eye, nor does any human heart can ever think of it. Nobody from among the children of Adam can settle there, except for three kinds: The Prophets, the truthful (ṣiddīqīn) and the martyrs (al-shuhadāᵓ). Then He says: “Blessed is the one who enters you.” Then He comes down to the nearest heaven during the third hour accompanied by al-Rūḥ (the Spirit, Probably Jibrīl) and other angels. It trembles and He says: “I am the eternal, the honoured one.” Then He turns to His servants and says: “Is there anyone seeking forgiveness? I will forgive him. Is there anyone calling for me? I will respond to him.” He continues making these offers till the Morning Prayer. That is why He says in the Qurᵓān: “Establish Prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony” (Q 17:78). Allah witness the recitation in the morning. So do the angels of day and the angels of night.

….. (47) Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Saᶜīd b. Abī Maryam al-Miṣrī → al-Layth b. Saᶜd:

The same narrative.

ᶜAlī b. Dāwūd al-Qanṭarī → ᶜAbd Allāh b. Ṣāliḥ → al-Layth b. Saᶜd:

The same ḥadīth in complete.

ᶜAlī b. Dāwūd narrated to us that Ibn Bukayr included the following in this ḥadīth: Then Allāh comes down to the nearest heaven and it trembles. He says: “I am the eternal, by My Grace.”

The wording of Abū Ṣāliḥ reads thus:

When the last three hours of night are remaining, Allāh looks into the book which has never seen by anyone other than Him during the first of the remaining three hours. He blots out what He wills and affirms whatever He wishes. Then, during the next hour, He looks at the ᶜAdn, which is His lodging. Nobody accompanies Him in it except the Prophets, the truthful (ṣiddiqīn) and the martyrs (shuhadāᵓ). It contains what has never been seen by any eye. Nor any human heart ever thought of it. Then he comes down to the nearest heaven in the third hour and says: “Is there anyone to ask me something? I will give him. Is there anyone seeking my forgiveness? I will forgive him. Is there anyone to call me? I will listen to him.” This process continues till dawn is set.

Then the Prophet recited the verse:

Establish prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony (Q 17:78).

Allah and His angels witness the recitation of the morning.

200. (48) ᶜAmr b. al-Ḥarath → ᶜAbd al-Malik → al-Muṣᶜab b. Abī Dhiᵓb → al-Qāsim b. Muhammad → his father or his uncle → his grandfather → the Prophet:

Allāh comes down to the nearest heaven on the night of the middle of the month of Shaᶜbān. He forgives everybody except the person who nurses jealousy in his heart or the one who sets partners for Allāh.

The same narrative has been reported to us by Aḥmad b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. Wahb from ᶜAmr b. al-Harath.