from Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib who claimed that he was sitting in Al-Batha with a group, and the Messenger of Allah was sitting amongst them, when a cloud passed over them. They looked at it, and the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Di you know what its name it?’ They said: ‘Yes. This is As-Sahab (cloud).’ The Messenger of Allah saidl: ‘Al-Muzn (rain cloud)?’ They said: ‘Yes. This is As-Sahab (cloud).’ Then the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Do you know how much distance there is between the heavens and the earth?’ They said: ‘No, by Allah we do not know.’ He said: ‘The distance between every two of them is either seventy-one, or two, or three, years, and the heaven that is above that one is like that.’ Until he enumerated Seven heavens like that. Then he said: ‘Above the seventh heaven is a sea, Between its highest part and its lowest is just as there is between one heaven to another heaven. Then above their backs is the Throne. Between its lowest and highest parts is the same as what is between one heaven to another heaven, and Allah is above that.’”  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ جَالِسًا فِي الْبَطْحَاءِ فِي عِصَابَةٍ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَالِسٌ فِيهِمْ إِذْ مَرَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَحَابَةٌ فَنَظَرُوا إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا اسْمُ هَذِهِ قَالُوا نَعَمْ هَذَا السَّحَابُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالْمُزْنُ قَالُوا وَالْمُزْنُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالْعَنَانُ قَالُوا وَالْعَنَانُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ كَمْ بُعْدُ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ فَقَالُوا لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا نَدْرِي قَالَ فَإِنَّ بُعْدَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِمَّا وَاحِدَةٌ وَإِمَّا اثْنَتَانِ أَوْ ثَلاَثٌ وَسَبْعُونَ سَنَةً وَالسَّمَاءُ الَّتِي فَوْقَهَا كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى عَدَّدَهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَوَاتٍ كَذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ فَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ بَحْرٌ بَيْنَ أَعْلاَهُ وَأَسْفَلِهِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَفَوْقَ ذَلِكَ ثَمَانِيَةُ أَوْعَالٍ بَيْنَ أَظْلاَفِهِنَّ وَرُكَبِهِنَّ مَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ ثُمَّ فَوْقَ ظُهُورِهِنَّ الْعَرْشُ بَيْنَ أَسْفَلِهِ وَأَعْلاَهُ مَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ وَاللَّهُ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مَعِينٍ يَقُولُ أَلاَّ يُرِيدُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَعْدٍ أَنْ يَحُجَّ حَتَّى نَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ  

[Machine] We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Al-Bat'ha, when a cloud passed by. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked us, "Do you know what this is?" We replied, "It is a cloud." He then asked, "And what about the muzn (rain)?". We replied, "It is the rain." He further asked, "And what about the 'anan (cumulus clouds)?" We remained silent. Then he asked, "Do you know how much distance is between the heavens and the earth?" We replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "Between them is a distance of a five hundred years' journey, and between each heaven and the next is a similar distance, and the thickness of each heaven is a five hundred years' journey. Above the seventh heaven is an ocean, as much as the distance between the heavens and the earth. Above that, there are eight Paradises, the space between each of the seven gates of which is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. Above all that, there is the Throne, the space between its bottom and top is like the distance between the heavens and the earth. And Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is above the Throne, and nothing from the deeds of the children of Adam is hidden from Him."  

كُنَّا جُلُوسًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِالْبَطْحَاءِ فَمَرَّتْ سَحَابَةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا؟ قَالَ قُلْنَا السَّحَابُ قَالَ وَالْمُزْنُ قُلْنَا وَالْمُزْنُ قَالَ وَالْعَنَانُ قَالَ فَسَكَتْنَا فَقَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ؟ قَالَ قُلْنَا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ وَكِثَفُ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ وَفَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ بَحْرٌ بَيْنَ أَسْفَلِهِ وَأَعْلاهُ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ ثَمَانِيَةُ أَوْعَالٍ بَيْنَ رُكَبِهِنَّ وَأَظْلافِهِنَّ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ الْعَرْشُ بَيْنَ أَسْفَلِهِ وَأَعْلاهُ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللهُتَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ بَنِي آدَمَ شَيْءٌ  

[Machine] We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Al-Bat'ha when a cloud passed by. He looked at it and asked them, "Do you know what this is called?" They said, "Yes, it is called a cloud." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "And it is called Al-Muzn." They said, "And it is called Al-Muzn." He then said, "Do you know what is between the heavens and the earth?" They said, "No." He said, "The distance between them is either one, two, or three seventy years. And above that is the sky, and Allah is above that. Nothing is hidden from Him regarding the actions of the children of Adam. In the seventh heaven, there are eight celestial dwellings, each with spaces between its ridges and joints like the distance between one sky and another."  

كُنَّا جُلُوسًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْبَطْحَاءِ إِذْ مَرَّتْ سَحَابَةٌ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ «هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا اسْمُ هَذِهِ؟» قَالُوا نَعَمْ هَذِهِ السَّحَابُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «وَالْمُزْنُ» قَالُوا وَالْمُزْنُ قَالَ «وَالْعَنَانَةُ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «تَدْرُونَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ؟» قَالُوا لَا قَالَ «فَإِنَّ بُعْدَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِمَّا وَاحِدًا أَوِ اثْنَيْنِ وَإِمَّا ثَلَاثًا وَسَبْعِينَ سَنَةً وَالسَّمَاءُ فَوْقَهَا كَذَلِكَ وَاللَّهُ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ بَنِي آدَمَ شَيْءٌ وَفِي السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ ثَمَانِيَةُ أَوْعَالٍ بَيْنَ أَظْلَافِهِنَّ وَرُكَبِهِنَّ مِثْلُ مَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ»  

"تدرون ما بُعْد (ما) بين السماء والأرض؟ إن بُعْد ما بينهما إما (قال) واحدة أو اثنتان, أو ثلاث وسبعون سنة, ثم السماء فوقها كذلك, حتى عد سبع سماوات, ثم فوق السابعة بحر, بين أسفله وأعلاه مثل ما بين سماء إلى سماء, ثم على ظهورهم العرش بين أسفله وأعلاه مثل ما بين سماء إلى سماء (ثم الله - تبارك وتعالى -) فوق ذلك".