Tracing the Hadith of the Descent
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Reciter: “Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven,” the hadith. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said in *Al-‘Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah*, regarding how the Sunnah supports the Qur’an in the attributes: “And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): This hadith was narrated by Abu Hurayrah.
The Shaykh : Do we say it supports, or that the attributes are established by it, just as they are established by the Qur’an?
The Student: It supports.
The Shaykh : It is better to say it establishes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Supports? In *Al-‘Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah*?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, no, ... he did not say that. We say the Sunnah explains the Qur’an, clarifies it, expresses it, and points to it; these are their words. Yes.
The Student: It supports.
The Shaykh : No, no, that is a mistake, a mistake; it is not in the text. Yes.
The student: This hadith.
The Shaykh : Also, if we say it supports, the meaning is that its original must exist in the Qur’an, and the Sunnah supports it, but that is not the case; the Sunnah brings independent attributes. Yes.
The Reciter: This hadith was narrated by Muslim in his *Sahih*, in the Book of Shortening the Prayer for Travelers, Chapter on Encouraging Supplication and Dhikr in the Last Part of the Night, Hadith 750, with the wording:Muwatta Malik 15:32, and al-Bukhari also narrated it with this wording in the Book of Tawhid, Chapter [Al-Fath 48:15], except that he said: instead of his saying: .
And Abu Dawud in his *Sunan*, Book of the Sunnah.
The Shaykh : Is there not another wording in al-Bukhari?
The Student: Only this wording.
The Shaykh : I think there is another wording. Yes.
The Student: And Abu Dawud in his *Sunan*.
The Shaykh : The first one; it is the custom of hadith scholars to present the narration of al-Bukhari first.
The Student: But Muslim ... .
The Shaykh : It is possible because the wording in *Al-Wasitiyyah* matches Muslim, but there is the wording of al-Bukhari in its meaning. Yes.
The Student: And Abu Dawud in his *Sunan*, Book of the Sunnah, Chapter on Refuting the Jahmiyyah, with the wording of Muslim, except that he said: without his saying Blessed and Exalted is He. without “from.”
And al-Tirmidhi in his *Jami‘*, Book of Prayer, Chapter on the Descent of the Lord, with the wording of Muslim, except that he said: without his saying: .
And Ibn Majah in his *Sunan*, Book of Establishing the Prayer, Chapter: Which Hour is Best? With the wording of Muslim, except that he added at the end:.
And Ahmad in his *Musnad*, Part 2, p. 487, with the wording of Muslim, except that he added: and at the end of the hadith: .
And Malik in his *Muwatta*, Book of the Qur’an, Chapter on What Came Regarding Prayer, with the wording of Muslim.
And al-Bayhaqi in his *Sunan*, Book of Standing in Night Prayer, Chapter on Encouraging Standing in the Last Part of the Night, with the wording of Muslim.
And Ibn Nasr in *Qiyam al-Layl*, Chapter on Encouraging Standing in the Last Part of the Night, except that he said: and the rest with the wording of Muslim.
And Ibn Hibban in his *Sahih*, as in *Al-Ihsan fi Tartib Sahih Ibn Hibban*, p. 136, with the wording of Muslim, except that he said:.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you, good.
The Student: There are other wordings.
The Shaykh : Good, there are other wordings.
The Student: And there are other wordings of the hadith in Muslim also, with another wording from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with them both):Sahih Muslim 758e And in another wording in Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): .
And in another wording in Muslim also from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):Sahih Muslim 758c. And in another wording also in Muslim: Sahih Muslim 758b.
And for the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) there are other wordings close to what preceded, narrated by Ibn Majah in his *Sunan*, Book of Establishing the Prayer, Chapter: Which Hours are Best? And Ahmad in the *Musnad*, Part 2, p. 383, and Ibn Khuzaymah in *Al-Tawhid*, p. 127, and Ibn Hibban as in *Al-Ihsan*, p. 137, and al-Darimi, p. 346.
And among those who narrated the hadiths of the Descent, other than Abu Hurayrah, are Ibn Mas‘ud, as in Ahmad’s *Musnad*, Part 1, p. 388, and Ibn Khuzaymah in *Al-Tawhid*, p. 134, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abu al-Darda‘, as in Ibn Khuzaymah’s *Al-Tawhid*, p. 136, and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, as in the *Musnad*, p. 167.
And just as His descent (Glorified and Exalted is He) was mentioned absolutely every night, it was also mentioned restricted to specific times, as was narrated regarding His descent (Glorified and Exalted is He) on the night of the middle of Sha‘ban, the Night of Decree, and the Day of ‘Arafah, in other hadiths narrated by Abu Bakr, Jabir, ‘Aishah, Abu Salama, and Abu Thalhah al-Khushani (may Allah be pleased with them).
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah reward you.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : The hadith of the middle of Sha‘ban is weak, yes, the authentic one is that it is not
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : He said it was narrated.
The Student: A form of softening.
The Shaykh : A form of softening.
The student: Shaykh.
The Shaykh : ... .
The Student: Shaykh, the hadith you mentioned, I said we return to it in the *Fatawa*.
The Shaykh : ... .
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The Student: ... Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, that is right.
The Student: Is it authentic or weak?
The Shaykh : Correct.
Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven every night
ينزل ربنا إلى السناء الدنيا كل ليلةThe Shaykh : Do we say it supports, or that the attributes are established by it, just as they are established by the Qur’an?
The Student: It supports.
The Shaykh : It is better to say it establishes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Supports? In *Al-‘Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah*?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, no, ... he did not say that. We say the Sunnah explains the Qur’an, clarifies it, expresses it, and points to it; these are their words. Yes.
The Student: It supports.
The Shaykh : No, no, that is a mistake, a mistake; it is not in the text. Yes.
The student: This hadith.
The Shaykh : Also, if we say it supports, the meaning is that its original must exist in the Qur’an, and the Sunnah supports it, but that is not the case; the Sunnah brings independent attributes. Yes.
The Reciter: This hadith was narrated by Muslim in his *Sahih*, in the Book of Shortening the Prayer for Travelers, Chapter on Encouraging Supplication and Dhikr in the Last Part of the Night, Hadith 750, with the wording:
Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the heaven of this world when the last third of the night is still to come and says, 'Who will call on Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give him? Who will ask forgiveness of Me so that I may forgive him?'
ينزل ربنا تبارك وتعالى كل ليلة إلى السماء الدنيا حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخر، فيقول: من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر لهThey wish to change the words of Allah.
يريدون أن يبدلوا كلام اللهOur Lord descends
يتنزل ربناHe descends
ينزلAnd Abu Dawud in his *Sunan*, Book of the Sunnah.
The Shaykh : Is there not another wording in al-Bukhari?
The Student: Only this wording.
The Shaykh : I think there is another wording. Yes.
The Student: And Abu Dawud in his *Sunan*.
The Shaykh : The first one; it is the custom of hadith scholars to present the narration of al-Bukhari first.
The Student: But Muslim ... .
The Shaykh : It is possible because the wording in *Al-Wasitiyyah* matches Muslim, but there is the wording of al-Bukhari in its meaning. Yes.
The Student: And Abu Dawud in his *Sunan*, Book of the Sunnah, Chapter on Refuting the Jahmiyyah, with the wording of Muslim, except that he said:
He descends
ينزلAnd the sky.
والسماءAnd al-Tirmidhi in his *Jami‘*, Book of Prayer, Chapter on the Descent of the Lord, with the wording of Muslim, except that he said:
Our Lord descends
ينزل ربناBlessed and Exalted is He
تبارك وتعالىAnd Ibn Majah in his *Sunan*, Book of Establishing the Prayer, Chapter: Which Hour is Best? With the wording of Muslim, except that he added at the end:
until the break of dawn
حتى يطلع الفجرAnd Ahmad in his *Musnad*, Part 2, p. 487, with the wording of Muslim, except that he added:
Blessed is His Name
تبارك اسمهuntil the break of dawn
حتى يطلع الفجرAnd Malik in his *Muwatta*, Book of the Qur’an, Chapter on What Came Regarding Prayer, with the wording of Muslim.
And al-Bayhaqi in his *Sunan*, Book of Standing in Night Prayer, Chapter on Encouraging Standing in the Last Part of the Night, with the wording of Muslim.
And Ibn Nasr in *Qiyam al-Layl*, Chapter on Encouraging Standing in the Last Part of the Night, except that he said:
Blessed is His Name
تبارك واسمهAnd Ibn Hibban in his *Sahih*, as in *Al-Ihsan fi Tartib Sahih Ibn Hibban*, p. 136, with the wording of Muslim, except that he said:
Our Lord, Exalted and Majestic is He, to the lowest heaven
ربنا جل وعلا إلى السماء الدنياThe Shaykh : May Allah bless you, good.
The Student: There are other wordings.
The Shaykh : Good, there are other wordings.
The Student: And there are other wordings of the hadith in Muslim also, with another wording from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with them both):
Allah waits till when one-third of the first part of the night is over; He descends to the lowest heaven and says: It there any supplicator of forgiveness? Is there any penitant? Is there any petitioner (for mercy and favour)? Is there any solicitor? -till it is daybreak.
إن الله يمهل حتى يذهب ثلث الليل الأول ينزل إلى السماء الدنيا فيقول هل من مستغفر؟ هل من تائب؟ هل من سائل؟ هل من داع؟ حتى ينفجر الفجرAllah descends to the lowest heaven at the middle of the night or at the last third of the night and says: Who is calling upon Me that I may respond to him? Or who is asking Me that I may give him? Then He says: Who is lending to one who is not in need and not oppressive?
ينزل الله في السماء الدنيا لشطر الليل أو لثلث الليل الآخر فيقول من يدعوني فأستحيب له أو يسألني فأعطيه ثم يقول من يقرض غير عديم ولا ظلومAnd in another wording in Muslim also from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
When half of the night or two-third of it is over. Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven and says: Is there any beggar, so that he be given? Is there any supplicator so that he be answered? Is there any beggar of forgiveness so that he be forgiven? (And Allah continues it saying) till it is daybreak.
إذا مضى شطر الليل أو ثلثاه ينزل الله تبارك وتعالى إلى السماء الدنيا فيقول هل من سائل يعطى، هل من داع يستجاب له هل من مستغفر يغفر له حتى ينفجر الفجرAllah descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the first part of the night is over and says: I am the Lord; I am the Lord: who is there to supplicate Me so that I answer him? Who is there to beg of Me so that I grant him? Who is there to beg forgiveness from Me so that I forgive him? He continues like this till the day breaks.
ينزل الله إلى السماء الدنيا حين يمضي ثلث الليل الأول فيقول : أنا الملك أنا الملك، من ذا الذي يدعوني فأستجيب له، من ذا الذي يسألني فأعطيه، من ذا الذي يستغفرني فأغفر له، فلا يزال كذلك حتى يضيء الصبحAnd for the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) there are other wordings close to what preceded, narrated by Ibn Majah in his *Sunan*, Book of Establishing the Prayer, Chapter: Which Hours are Best? And Ahmad in the *Musnad*, Part 2, p. 383, and Ibn Khuzaymah in *Al-Tawhid*, p. 127, and Ibn Hibban as in *Al-Ihsan*, p. 137, and al-Darimi, p. 346.
And among those who narrated the hadiths of the Descent, other than Abu Hurayrah, are Ibn Mas‘ud, as in Ahmad’s *Musnad*, Part 1, p. 388, and Ibn Khuzaymah in *Al-Tawhid*, p. 134, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abu al-Darda‘, as in Ibn Khuzaymah’s *Al-Tawhid*, p. 136, and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, as in the *Musnad*, p. 167.
And just as His descent (Glorified and Exalted is He) was mentioned absolutely every night, it was also mentioned restricted to specific times, as was narrated regarding His descent (Glorified and Exalted is He) on the night of the middle of Sha‘ban, the Night of Decree, and the Day of ‘Arafah, in other hadiths narrated by Abu Bakr, Jabir, ‘Aishah, Abu Salama, and Abu Thalhah al-Khushani (may Allah be pleased with them).
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah reward you.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : The hadith of the middle of Sha‘ban is weak, yes, the authentic one is that it is not
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : He said it was narrated.
The Student: A form of softening.
The Shaykh : A form of softening.
The student: Shaykh.
The Shaykh : ... .
The Student: Shaykh, the hadith you mentioned, I said we return to it in the *Fatawa*.
The Shaykh : ... .
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The Student: ... Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, that is right.
The Student: Is it authentic or weak?
The Shaykh : Correct.