"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reached Sidrat Al-Muntaha" He said: 'There terminates everything that ascends from the earth, and everything that descends from above. So there Allah gave him three, which He did not give to any Prophet before him: He made fiver prayers obligatory upon him, He gave him the last Verses of Surat Al-Baqarah, and He pardoned the grave sins for those of his Ummah who do not associate anything with Allah.' Ibn Mas'ud said regarding the Ayah: "When that covered the Sidrah which did cover it! (53:16)" he said: "The sixth Sidrah in heavens." Sufyan said: "Golden butterflies" and Sufyan indicated with his hand in a fluttering motion. Others besides Malik bin Mighwal said: "There terminates the creatures' knowledge, there is no knowledge for them of what is above that."  

لَمَّا بَلَغَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ سِدْرَةَ الْمُنْتَهَى قَالَ انْتَهَى إِلَيْهَا مَا يَعْرُجُ مِنَ الأَرْضِ وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنْ فَوْقَ قَالَ فَأَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ عِنْدَهَا ثَلاَثًا لَمْ يُعْطِهِنَّ نَبِيًّا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ فُرِضَتْ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاَةُ خَمْسًا وَأُعْطِيَ خَوَاتِمَ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ وَغُفِرَ لأُمَّتِهِ الْمُقْحِمَاتُ مَا لَمْ يُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ ( إذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَى ) قَالَ السِّدْرَةُ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ فَرَاشٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَأَشَارَ سُفْيَانُ بِيَدِهِ فَأَرْعَدَهَا وَقَالَ غَيْرُ مَالِكِ بْنِ مِغْوَلٍ إِلَيْهَا يَنْتَهِي عِلْمُ الْخَلْقِ لاَ عِلْمَ لَهُمْ بِمَا فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ  

"I asked Zirr bin Hubaish about the saying of Allah the Might and Sublime: And was a distance of two bow lengths or less (53:9). So he said: 'Ibn Mas'ud informed me that the Prophet ﷺ saw Jibra'il, and he had six-hundred wings.'"  

عَنْ قَوْلِهِ (فكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى ) فَقَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ وَلَهُ سِتُّمِائَةِ جَنَاحٍ  

"Ibn 'Abbas met Ka'b at Arafat, so he asked him about something and he kept on saying the Takbir until it reverberated off of the mountains. So Ibn 'Abbas (finally) said: 'We are Banu Hashim.' So Ka'b said: 'Indeed Allah divided His being seen and His speaking between Muhammad and Musa. He spoke to Musa two times, and Muhammad saw Him two times.' Masruq said: 'I entered upon 'Aishah and asked her if Muhammad saw his Lord.' She said: 'You have said something that makes my hair stand on end.' I said: 'Take it easy.' Then I recited: Indeed he saw of the great signs of his Lord (53:18). So she said: 'What do you mean by that? That is only Jibra'il. Whoever informed you that Muhammad saw his Lord, or that ﷺ concealed something he was ordered with, or he knew of the five things about which Allah, [Most High] said: Verily Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain (31:34) - then he has fabricated the worst lie. Rather he ﷺ saw Jibra'il, but he did not see him in his (real) image except two times. One time at Sidrat Al-Muntaha and one time in Jiyad, he had six-hundred wings which filled the horizon.'"  

كَعْبٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَسَمَ رُؤْيَتَهُ وَكَلاَمَهُ بَيْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُوسَى فَكَلَّمَ مُوسَى مَرَّتَيْنِ وَرَآهُ مُحَمَّدٌ مَرَّتَيْنِ قَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ تَكَلَّمْتَ بِشَيْءٍ قَفَّ لَهُ شَعْرِي قُلْتُ رُوَيْدًا ثُمَّ قَرَأْتُ (لقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى ) قَالَتْ أَيْنَ يُذْهَبُ بِكَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ جِبْرِيلُ مَنْ أَخْبَرَكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَأَى رَبَّهُ أَوْ كَتَمَ شَيْئًا مِمَّا أُمِرَ بِهِ أَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْخَمْسَ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ( إنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ ) فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ الْفِرْيَةَ وَلَكِنَّهُ رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ لَمْ يَرَهُ فِي صُورَتِهِ إِلاَّ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّةً عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى وَمَرَّةً فِي جِيَادٍ لَهُ سِتُّمِائَةِ جَنَاحٍ قَدْ سَدَّ الأُفُقَ  

that Ibn 'Abbas said: "Muhammad saw his Lord." I said: "Did Allah not say: No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision (6:103). He said: "Woe unto you! That is when He manifests His Light. But Muhammad saw his Lord two times."  

رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ قُلْتُ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ ( لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ ) قَالَ وَيْحَكَ ذَاكَ إِذَا تَجَلَّى بِنُورِهِ الَّذِي هُوَ نُورُهُ وَقَدْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ  

from Ibn 'Abbas regarding Allah's saying: And indeed he saw him at a second descent. Near Sidrat Al-Muntaha (53:13 & 14). So He revealed to His worshiper whatever he revealed (53:10). And was a distance of two bow lengths or less (53:9). Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Prophet ﷺ saw Him."  

ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَدْ رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ  

that Ibn 'Abbas said (regarding the Ayah): The heart lied not in what he ﷺ saw (53:11). He said: "He saw Him with his heart."  

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ وَابْنُ أَبِي رِزْمَةَ وَأَبُو نُعَيْمٍ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ سِمَاكٍ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ( ما كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى ) قَالَ رَآهُ بِقَلْبِهِ  

"I said to Abu Dharr: 'If I saw the Prophet ﷺ then I would asked him." He said: 'What is it that you would have asked him about?' I said: 'I would have asked him if Muhammad saw his Lord?' He said: 'I did ask him that, and he ﷺ said: I saw light.'"  

قُلْتُ لأَبِي ذَرٍّ لَوْ أَدْرَكْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَمَّا كُنْتَ تَسْأَلُهُ قُلْتُ كُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ هَلْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ فَقَالَ قَدْ سَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ  

from 'Abdullah (regarding the Ayah): The heart lied not in what he saw (53:11). He said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Jibra'il in a Hullah (dress normally made up of two pieces) of Rafraf filling what is between the heavens and the earth."  

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ما كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى ) قَالَ رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جِبْرِيلَ فِي حُلَّةٍ مِنْ رَفْرَفٍ قَدْ مَلأَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ  

from Ibn 'Abbas (regarding this Ayah): Those who avoid great sins and Al-Fawahish except Al-Lamam (minor sins) (53:32). He said: "The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Your forgiveness, O Allah is so ample, and which of Your worshipers has not committed Al-Lamam (minor sins)!'"  

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنْ تَغْفِرِ اللَّهُمَّ تَغْفِرْ جَمَّا وَأَىُّ عَبْدٍ لَكَ لاَ أَلَمَّا