`Abdallah b. `Amr b. al-`As told that God's messenger pointed to something like a bowl and said, "If a piece of lead like this were sent from heaven to earth, which is a journey of five hundred years, it would reach the earth before night; and if it were sent from the top of the chain[*] it would travel forty years night and day before reaching its foot (or, its bottom)." *Quran; 69:32 Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Paradise and hell had a dispute and hell said, `I have been distinguished by the proud and mighty ones.' Paradise said, `What is the matter with me that only weak, lowly and inexperienced people enter me?' God then said to paradise, `You are only my mercy by whom I show mercy to those of my servants whom I wish;' and He said to hell, `You are only my punishment by whom I punish those of my servants whom I wish. Both of you will be full.' Hell will not be filled till God puts down His foot. `It will say, `Enough, enough, enough,' and at that time it will be full with all its parts collected together, and God will not wrong any of His creatures. For paradise God will create people." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Hell will continue to have people thrown into it and ask if there are any more[*] till the Lord of might puts down His foot on it and its parts are collected together. It will then say, `Enough, enough, by Thy might and generosity.' In paradise there will continue to be more room till God creates people for it and causes them to dwell in the extra space in paradise." *Quran; 1:30 (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told that he heard God's messenger say God most high had inscribed a document before bringing the creation into being, "My mercy has preceded my anger," and that it is written in His presence above the throne. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`A'isha reported God's messenger as saying, "The angels were created from light, the jinn from smokeless fire[1], and Adam from what has been described to you[2]." Quran; 4:13, Quran; 3:59 (dust); 15:26, 28:33; 55:14 (crackling clay). Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Abraham the prophet circumcised himself with an axe[*] when he was eighty years old." *The Arabic is bil-qadum which has the meaning above. Another reading is bil-qaddum which is said to mean at al-Qaddum' (a village in Syria); but this version with the doubled letter is not considered correct. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "Abraham told only, three lies two of which were for God's sake, his words, `I am indeed sick[1],' and `Nay, this largest one of them did it[2].' One day when he and Sarah came by a tyrant who was told that there was a man present accompanied by a most beautiful woman, he sent for him and asked him who she was, to which he replied that she was his sister. He then went to Sarah and told her that if this tyrant knew she was his wife he would take her away from him, so if he asked her, she must inform him she was his sister[3], she being his sister in Islam, for he and she were the only believers on the face of the earth. She was sent for arid brought to him and Abraham stood up and prayed. When she entered his presence, he was about to touch her with his hand, but he had a seizure (a variant saying that he choked) and kicked the ground with his feet. He asked her to supplicate God for him, saying he would do her no harm, and she did so; but when he was set free, he stretched out to touch her a second time and suffered a similar or a more severe seizure. He asked her to supplicate God for him, saying he would do her no harm, and she did so. He then called one of his chamberlains, and saying that it was not a human being but a devil he had brought him, he told him to give her Hagar as a servant. She came to Abraham while he was standing in prayer, and he made a sign with his hand indicating that he was asking what had happened. She told him that God had thrown back the infidel's scheme in his throat and given Hagar as a servant." Abu Huraira said, "That was your mother, B. Ma' as-Sama'.'?[4] Quran, 37: 89. Quran, 21: 63. Cf. Genesis, 12:11 ff. This is said to be a general term for the Arabs because they sought out places where rain fell. Ma' as-sama' means literally "the water of the sky." Ma' as-sama' was a laqab of Mawiya, mother of al-Mundhir III, king of al-Hira, but it is difficult to see how that has any connection here. Ma' as sama' is also said to be applied to Zamzam, which is traditionally said to be the well which the angel revealed to Hagar and her son Ishmael. That might justify the suggestion that Abu Huraira is here referring to the northern Arabs in particular. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "We have more right to doubt than Abraham when he said, `My Lord, show me how Thou wilt raise the dead to life.'[1] God have mercy on Lot who sought refuge in a strong support[2]. If I had stayed in the prison as long as Joseph did, I would have responded to the summoner[3]." 1. Quran, 2:260. 2. Quran, 11:80 3. Quran, 12:50. (Bukhari and Muslim)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "Moses was a modest man who kept himself covered, none of his skin being seen because pf modesty. Some of the B. Isra'il annoyed him by saying that he concealed himself to this extent only because of some skin trouble such as leprosy or a scrotal hernia, but God wished to clear him. So, one day when he was alone having a bath, he placed his garment on a stone and the stone flew away with his garment. Moses raced after it saying, `My garment, stone; my garment, stone,' till he came to a company of the B. Isra'il who, seeing him naked in the most beautiful form God had created, said, `We swear by God that there is nothing wrong with Moses.' He took his garment and began to beat the stone, and I swear by God that there were three, four, or five scars on the stone from the effect of his beating." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He told that a man among the Muslims and a man among the Jews reviled one another. The Muslim said, "By Him who chose Muhammad above the universe," and the Jew said, "By Him who chose Moses above the universe." Thereupon the Muslim raised his hand and struck the Jew on his face, and the Jew went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet (ﷺ) summoned the Muslim and asked him about that, and when he informed him, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not make me superior to Moses, for mankind will swoon on the day of resurrection[1] and I shall swoon along with them. I shall be the first to recover and shall see Moses seizing the side of the Throne; and I shall not know whether he was among those who swooned and had recovered before me, or whether he was among those of whom God had made an exception." A version has "I shall not know whether he had his reckoning when he swooned on the day at at-Tur,[2] or was resurrected before me. And I do not say that anyone is more excellent than Jonah, son of Matta." In Abu Sa'id's version he said, "Do not make distinctions between the prophets." Abu Huraira's version has "Do not treat some of the prophets of God most high as superior to others." Quran, 39:68. Quran, 7:143. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "It is not fitting for a man to say I am better than Jonah son of Matta." (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Bukhari he said, "Whoever says I am better than Jonah son of Matta has lied." Bukhari

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported God's messenger as saying, "The youth whom al-Khidr killed was given the nature of an infidel, and if he had lived, he would certainly have imposed on his parents insolence and unbelief[*]." *Cf. Quran, 28:80. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "The reason why al Khidr was so called was because he sat on some white waste land and it sprouted green (khadra') behind him." Bukhari transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The angel of death came to Moses, son of Imran and told him to answer his Lord's summons, whereupon Moses gave the angel of death a blow in the eye and knocked it out. The angel then returned to God most high and said, `Thou didst send me to a servant of Thine who does not wish to die, and he has put out my eye.' God restored his eye to him and said, `Go back to my servant and ask him if it is life he wants, then tell him that if he wants life he must place his hand on an ox's back, and he will live a year for every hair which covers his hand.' asked what would happen after that, and when he was told that he would die he said, `Let it be now without delay. My Lord, bring me within a stone's throw of the holy land'." God's messenger said, "I swear by God that if I were there, I would show you his grave beside the road at the red mound.'[*] (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir reported God's messenger as saying, "The prophets were presented before me and I saw Moses of a type which resembled one of the men of Shanu'a. I saw Jesus, son of Mary, and the nearest to him in appearance whom I have seen is `Urwa b. Mas'ud. I saw Abraham, and the nearest to him in appearance whom I have seen is your companion (meaning himself). I also saw Gabriel, and the nearest to him in appearance whom I have seen is Dihya b. Khalifa." Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn `Abbas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "On the night when I was taken up to heaven I saw Moses, a dark, tall, curly-headed man, looking as though he were one of the men of Shanu'a. I saw Jesus, a man of medium height, reddish fair, with long hair. And I saw Malik, the guardian of hell, and the dajjal (with signs which God showed him) *. Now do not be in doubt about meeting him." *The phrase in brackets is an insertion by the transmitter who tells that God showed Muhammad miracles which the dajjal will perform (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "On the night when I was taken up to heaven, I met Moses who may be described as a lanky man with somewhat curly hair who resembled one of the men of Shanu'a; I met Jesus who was of medium height and red as though he had come out of a dimas (i.e., a hot bath); and I saw Abraham to whom I am the one among his descendants who bears the closest resemblance. I was brought two vessels, one containing milk and the other wine, and was told to take whichever oi them I wished. I took the milk and drank it and was told I had been guided to the true religion, for if I had taken the wine my people would have gone astray." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn `Abbas said: We travelled with God's messenger between Mecca and Medina, and when we passed a wadi he asked its name. On being told it was the wadi al-Azraq he said, "I can fancy myself looking at Moses (and he mentioned something about his colour and his hair) putting two fingers in his ears, making loud supplication to God saying, `At Thy service,' while passing this wadi.'' He said: We journeyed till we came to a mountain pass and he asked its name. On being told that it was Harsha, or Lift, he said, "I can fancy myself looking at Jonah on a red she-camel with a nose-rein of palm fibre, wearing a woolen mantle and saying `At Thy service' while passing this wadi. Muslim transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "There were two women both of whom had a son, and a wolf went off with the son of one of them. Her companion said, `It has gone off with your son,' but the other replied, `It is with your son it has gone off.' They took the case before David and he decided that the child belonged to the elder. They then went out to Solomon, son of David and told him, and he said, `Bring me, a knife and let me divide it between you.' The younger woman then said, `Don't do it, God have mercy on you; He is her son.' So, he decided that the child belonged to the younger woman.'' (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as telling that Solomon said, "I shall to-night visit ninety women (a version has a hundred) all of whom will give birth to a horseman who will fight in God's path." The angel told him to say, "If God will," but he forgot and did not say it. He visited them and none of them bore a child except one of them who gave birth to half a man. He added, "By Him in whose hand Muhammad's soul is, if he had said, `If God will,' they would all have striven as horsemen in God's path." (Bukhari and Muslim.)