from Ibn Mas'ud who said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed 'Isha, then he turned and took the hand of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud until he went with him to the wide valley of Makkah. He sat him down, then he drew a line around him. Then he said: 'Do not go beyond your line, for indeed there shall come some men to you, but do not speak to them for they shall not speak to you.'" He said: "Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to where he wanted to go, and while I was sitting within the line, some men came to me that appeared as if they were from Az-Zut (A dark people, either from North Africa or India. See Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi and An-Nihayah), both their hair and their bodies. I did not see nakedness nor covering. They ended up before me but they did not pass the line. Then they returned toward the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

And when it was near the end of the night, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me while I was sitting, and he said: "I have been awake watching all night' then he entered into the line with me and lay down on my thigh to sleep. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would snore when he slept. So while I was sitting there, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sleeping (with his head resting) on my thigh, there appeared some men wearing white garments, and Allah knows best just how handsome they were. They came towards me, and a group of them sat at the head of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and a group at his feet. Then they said to each other: 'We have not ever seen a slave (of Allah) who was given the likes of what this Prophet has been given. Indeed his eyes sleep but his heart remains awake. His parable is that of a chief who built a castle, then he placed a table-spread in it, and invited the people to eat from his food and drink. So whoever answers his invitation, he eats from his food and drinks from his drink. Whoever does not answer, he is punished - or he said - he is chastised.'

Then they alighted and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ awoke at that time, and said: 'I heard what they were saying. Do you know who they were?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' He said: 'They were the angels. Do you know the meaning of the parable they stated?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' He said: 'The meaning is that Ar-Rahman [Most Blessed and Most High] built Paradise, and He invited His Slaves to it. Whoever replies he shall enter Paradise, and whoever does not reply, he shall be punished or chastised.'"  

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ حَتَّى خَرَجَ بِهِ إِلَى بَطْحَاءِ مَكَّةَ فَأَجْلَسَهُ ثُمَّ خَطَّ عَلَيْهِ خَطًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ لاَ تَبْرَحَنَّ خَطَّكَ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَنْتَهِي إِلَيْكَ رِجَالٌ فَلاَ تُكَلِّمْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يُكَلِّمُونَكَ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَيْثُ أَرَادَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ فِي خَطِّي إِذْ أَتَانِي رِجَالٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ الزُّطُّ أَشْعَارُهُمْ وَأَجْسَامُهُمْ لاَ أَرَى عَوْرَةً وَلاَ أَرَى قِشْرًا وَيَنْتَهُونَ إِلَىَّ لاَ يُجَاوِزُونَ الْخَطَّ ثُمَّ يَصْدُرُونَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ

حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ لَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ جَاءَنِي وَأَنَا جَالِسٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ أَرَانِي مُنْذُ اللَّيْلَةَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فِي خَطِّي فَتَوَسَّدَ فَخِذِي فَرَقَدَ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا رَقَدَ نَفَخَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا قَاعِدٌ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَوَسِّدٌ فَخِذِي إِذَا أَنَا بِرِجَالٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ثِيَابٌ بِيضٌ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ مَا بِهِمْ مِنَ الْجَمَالِ فَانْتَهَوْا إِلَىَّ فَجَلَسَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالُوا بَيْنَهُمْ مَا رَأَيْنَا عَبْدًا قَطُّ أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ هَذَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ تَنَامَانِ وَقَلْبُهُ يَقْظَانُ اضْرِبُوا لَهُ مَثَلاً مَثَلُ سَيِّدٍ بَنَى قَصْرًا ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مَأْدُبَةً فَدَعَا النَّاسَ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابِهِ فَمَنْ أَجَابَهُ أَكَلَ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرِبَ مِنْ شَرَابِهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبْهُ عَاقَبَهُ أَوْ قَالَ عَذَّبَهُ

ثُمَّ ارْتَفَعُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتَ مَا قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ وَهَلْ تَدْرِي مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ هُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ فَتَدْرِي مَا الْمَثَلُ الَّذِي ضَرَبُوا قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ الْمَثَلُ الَّذِي ضَرَبُوا الرَّحْمَنُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى بَنَى الْجَنَّةَ وَدَعَا إِلَيْهَا عِبَادَهُ فَمَنْ أَجَابَهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبْهُ عَاقَبَهُ أَوْ عَذَّبَهُ  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ followed me, and we went until we reached a place where he drew a line for me and said: "Stay within this; do not leave it, for if you leave, you will perish." So, I stayed there, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ walked on or went farther.

He then mentioned some small beings, as if they were people from India or however Allah willed, without clothes, yet I could not see their private parts, tall and thin. They came and began to ride on the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he recited to them. They would come and surround me, making sounds that frightened me greatly, so I sat there or as it was said. When the dawn broke, they started to leave.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then returned heavily burdened or was in some pain from what they did. He said: "I feel heavily burdened," and placed his head in my lap. Then those small beings came again, now wearing white clothes and tall, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had dozed off. I was more frightened than the first time. Some of them said to others: "This man has been given something good," or as they said: "His eyes are sleeping, yet his heart is awake."

Then one of them said to the others: "Let us present him with a parable." They suggested: "Present him with a parable, and we will interpret it," or "we will present, and you will interpret." One said: "He is like a noble man or master who built a strong structure and sent to the people food. Whoever did not attend his food—or they said did not follow him—was punished severely." The others said: "The noble man is the Lord of the worlds, the structure is Islam, the food is Paradise, and this one is the caller. Whoever follows him will be in Paradise, and whoever does not follow him will be punished."

Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ awoke and asked: "What did you see, O son of Umm Abd?" I said: "I saw such and such," and he replied: "O Prophet of Allah! Nothing of what they said was hidden from me." The Prophet ﷺ said: "Nothing of what they said was hidden from me. They are a group of angels or as Allah wills."  

"اسْتَتْبَعَنِى النَّبِىُّ ﷺ فَانْطَلَقْنا حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا مَوْضِعًا، فَخَطَّ لِى خُطَّةً، فَقَالَ لِى: كُنْ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَىْ هَذِهِ لا تَخْرُجْ منْهَا فَإنَّكَ إِنْ خَرَجْتَ هَلَكْتَ، فَكُنْتُ فِيهَا، وَمَضَى رَسُولُ الله ﷺ أَوْ قَاَلَ أَبْعَدْ شَيئًا،

قَالَ: ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ ذَكَرَ هُنيْنًا (*) كَأَنَّهُمُ الزُّطُّ (* *) أَوْ كَمَا شَاءَ اللهُ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِم ثيَابٌ وَلا أَرَى سَوْآتَهُمْ، طِوالٌ قَلِيلٌ لَحْمُهُمْ، فَأَتَوْا فَجَعَلُوا يَرْكَبُونَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَجَعَلُوا يَأتُونَ فَيَخْلِبُونَ (* * *) حَوْلَى وَيَضْرَطونَ (* * * *) بِى فَأُرْعِبْتُ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا شَدِيدًا، فَجَلَسْتُ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ، فَلَمَّا انْشَقَّ عَمُودُ الصُّبْح جَعَلُوا يَذْهَبُونَ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ جَاءَ ثَقِيلًا وَجِعًا - أَوْ يَكُونُ وَجِعًا - مِمَّا رَكِبُوهُ، قَالَ: إِنِّى أَجِدُنِى ثَقيلًا، فَوَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ رَأسَهُ فِى حجْرِى، ثُمَّ إِنَّ هُنَيْنًا أَتَوا عَلَيْهِمْ ثيَابٌ بيضٌ طِوالٌ وَقَدْ أَغْفَى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَأُرْعِبْتُ أَشَدّ مِمَّا أَرْعِبْتُ الْمَرَّةَ الأُولَى، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: لَقَدْ أُعْطِىَ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ خَيْرًا - أَوْ كَمَا قَالُوا: إِنَّ عَيْنَيْه نَائِمَتانِ، أَوْ قَالَ: عَينهُ نَائِمَةٌ وَقَلْبُهُ يَقْظَانُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ، هَلُمَّ فَلْنَضْرِبْ لَهُ مَثَلًا، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: اضْرِبُوا لَهُ مَثَلًا وَنُوَوِّلُ نَحْنُ أَوْ نَضْرِبُ نَحْنُ وَتُأوِّلُونَ أَنْتُمْ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: مَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ سيِّد أَوْ قَالُوا: هُوَ سيِّدُ بَنى بُنْيَانًا حَصِينًا ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى النَّاسِ الطَّعَامَ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَأت طَعَامَهُ - أَوْ قَالُوا: لَمْ يَتَّبِعْهُ عَذَّبَهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا، وقَالَ الآخَرُونَ: أمَّا السَّيِّدُ فَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَأَمَّا الْبُنْيَانُ فَهُوَ الإِسْلامُ وَالطَّعَامُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَهَذَا الدَّاعِى، فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ كَانَ فِى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمنْ لَمْ يَتَّبِعْهُ عُذِّبَ،

قَالَ: ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ اسْتَيْقَظَ، قَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتَ يَابْنَ أمِّ عْبِدٍ؟ قُلْتُ: رَأَيْتُ كَذَاَ وَكَذَا فَقَالَ: يَا نَبِّىَ اللهِ! مَا خَفِى عَلَىَّ مِمَّا قَالُوا شَىْءٌ. قَالَ نَبِىُّ اللهِ ﷺ : ما خَفِىَ عَلَىَّ مِمَا قَالُوا شَىْءٌ، قَالَ نَبِىُّ الله ﷺ : هُمْ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْملائِكَةِ، أَوْ كَمَا شَاءَ اللهُ".