حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ الْمَعْنَی وَاحِدٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَ الْحَسَنُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ إِذْ أَتَی عَلَيْهِمْ سَحَابٌ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا فَقَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ هَذَا الْعَنَانُ هَذِهِ رَوَايَا الْأَرْضِ يَسُوقُهُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَکَ وَتَعَالَی إِلَی قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْکُرُونَهُ وَلَا يَدْعُونَهُ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَکُمْ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا الرَّقِيعُ سَقْفٌ مَحْفُوظٌ وَمَوْجٌ مَکْفُوفٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ کَمْ بَيْنَکُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ بَيْنَکُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَ ذَلِکَ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِکَ سَمَائَيْنِ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ حَتَّی عَدَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ مَا بَيْنَ کُلِّ سَمَائَيْنِ کَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَائِ وَالْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَ ذَلِکَ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِکَ الْعَرْشَ وَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ السَّمَائِ بُعْدُ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَائَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الَّذِي تَحْتَکُمْ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا الْأَرْضُ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الَّذِي تَحْتَ ذَلِکَ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّ تَحْتَهَا أَرْضًا أُخْرَی بَيْنَهُمَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ حَتَّی عَدَّ سَبْعَ أَرَضِينَ بَيْنَ کُلِّ أَرْضَيْنِ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّکُمْ دَلَّيْتُمْ رَجُلًا بِحَبْلٍ إِلَی الْأَرْضِ السُّفْلَی لَهَبَطَ عَلَی اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِکُلِّ شَيْئٍ عَلِيمٌ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَی هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ قَالَ وَيُرْوَی عَنْ أَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ وَعَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ قَالُوا لَمْ يَسْمَعْ الْحَسَنُ مِنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَفَسَّرَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا هَبَطَ عَلَی عِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ وَسُلْطَانِهِ وَعِلْمُ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتُهُ وَسُلْطَانُهُ فِي کُلِّ مَکَانٍ وَهُوَ عَلَی الْعَرْشِ کَمَا وَصَفَ فِي کِتَابهِ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 3298
Al-Hasan narrated that: Abu Hurairah said: “Once when the Prophet of Allah was sitting with his Companions, a cloud came above them, so the Prophet of Allah said: ‘Do you know what this is?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘These are the clouds that are to drench the earth, which Allah [Blessed and Most High] dispatches to people who are not grateful to Him, nor supplicate to Him.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is a preserved canopy of the firmament whose surge is restrained.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know how much is between you and between it?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Between you and it [is the distance] of five-hundred year.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that.’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that are two Heavens, between the two of them there is a distance of five-hundred years’ – until he enumerated seven Heavens – ‘What is between each of the two Heavens is what is between the heavens and the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that is the Throne between it and the heavens is a distance [like] what is between two of the heavens.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, below it is another earth, between the two of which is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Until he enumerated seven earths: ‘Between every two earths is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Then he said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! If you were to send [a man] down with a rope to the lowest earth, then he would descend upon Allah.’ Then he recited: He is Al-Awwal, Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir Al-Batin, and He has knowledge over all things.”
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020