With the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. His peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, the seal of the Prophets, the leader of the pious, the Messenger of the Lord of all the worlds, and upon his Family, his Companions and those that followed them until the Day of Judgment.

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy upon him, transmitted from the hadith of Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal (radiyAllahu ‘anhu), who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was held back from us once from the morning prayer, until we almost were face to face with the sun at its highest point. Then Messenger (PBUH) came out to us quickly, he called for the prayer to be established and prayed shorter (than normal), when he finished, he said: “Stay in your rows.”

Then he turned to us and said: “I shall inform you the reason why I was delayed this morning. I stood for the night prayer and prayed as much as was written for me. Then I became drowsy in the prayer until sleep overtook me. Then all of a sudden, I woke up and lo and behold! I was with my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, in the best of forms, He said to me: “O Muhammad, what do you think the highest gatherings (of angels) are in dispute about?” So I said: “I don’t know my Lord.”

He [again] said: “O Muhammad, what do think the highest gatherings (of angels) are in dispute about?” I replied: “I don’t know my Lord.” He then said (for the third time): “O Muhammad, what do you think the highest gatherings (of angels) are in dispute about?”
I [again] responded: “I don’t know my Lord.

Then I saw Him place His palm between my shoulders until I felt the coldness of His fingertips reach my chest, then everything became clear to me and I came to know. He asked [once again]: “O Muhammad, what do you think the highest gatherings (of angels) are in dispute about?” I said: “The actions that expiate (sins) and the (raising of the) ranks.”

Then He asked: “What are the actions which expiate sins?” I replied: “Taking steps towards the Friday prayers [to the masaajid pl. masjid], sitting in the masaajid after the prayers, and doing the ablution thoroughly even in difficult conditions.” So then He said: “What are the ranks?” I responded: “To feed others food, to have soft speech, and praying while the people are sleeping (the night prayer).” Then He said to me: “Ask! O Muhammad.”

So I said: “O Allah I ask you (the ability to) do good actions, leaving bad actions, (having) love of the needy; that you forgive me and have mercy upon me. When you wish a calamity to befall a people to take my life without being put to trial. I ask you for your love and the love of the one who loves you and love of those actions that will draw me closer to your love.”

Then Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Indeed it is the truth, so study it and learn it.” Tirmidhii transmitted it and said the hadith is hasan sahih. He said: I asked Muhammad Ibn Ismael al-Bukhari regarding this hadith, he said: This hadith is hasan sahih.

I say: In the chain of narration there is disagreement, and it has many routes, some have extra wording and others have less. I have mentioned most of the chains of narrations and some of the various wordings in the book: Explanation of Tirmidhii.

In some of its wording according to Imam Ahmad and Tirmidhii: “Walking on foot to the congregation prayers” instead of “the Friday prayers.”

Also they have the wording after mentioning the expiating actions: “Whoever does so will live in good and die upon goodness. His sins will be as the day his mother gave birth to him.” In the wording with them is also: “…and the ranks: To spread salaam (Islamic greeting)” instead of: “soft speech.”