Is the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) vision on the Night of the Ascension, in which he saw some people in Paradise and others in the Fire, a real vision?

The questioner:
This questioner asks: May Allah reward you. It is mentioned in the hadiths that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw people in Paradise and others in the Fire on the Night of the Ascension. Is this a real vision or not? And does this indicate that there are people in them?

The Shaykh:
Yes, there are people in them, but entering them will be on the Day of Resurrection. There may be people in them whose souls Allah the Exalted has raised, such as the martyrs, whose souls are in the bellies of birds that roam in the rivers and trees of Paradise. Yes.

The questioner:
And does this indicate that there are people in them?

The Shaykh:
Yes, there are people in them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them. He saw Paradise and the Fire while praying the prayer for rain. When he saw Paradise, he (peace and blessings be upon him) moved forward to take something from it. When he saw the Fire, he (peace and blessings be upon him) moved back. He saw in the Fire 'Amr ibn Luhay al-Khuza'i, refuge in Allah, dragging his intestines in the Fire, because he was the first to let the sacrificial animals run free for the idols, and the first to change the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in the Hijaz. Yes.