مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2820

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said; The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said; "On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey, the next morning I was in Makkah and I was in a state of shock, for I knew that the people would not believe me.” He sat on his own away from the people, feeling sad. Then the enemy of Allah Abu Jahl passed by him; he came and sat close to him and said to him, like one who is mocking: Did something happen? The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said; "Yes." He said: What was it? He said: "I was taken on a journey last night." He said: Where to? He said: "To Baital-Maqdis (Jerusalem)." He said: Then you found yourself among us this morning?! He said: "Yes." He [Abu Jahl] did not show that he did not believe him, for fear that he might deny what he said if he called the people to come and listen to him. He said: Do you think if l call your people that you will tell them what you told me? The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Yes." So he said: Come, O Banu Ka'b bin Lu'ayy. All the people came to him and sat with them both, and he said: Tell your people what you told me. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "I was taken on a journey last night." They said: Where to? He said: "To Baital- Maqdis (Jerusalem)." They said: Then you found yourself among us this morning?! He said: "Yes." Some of them clapped (as a sign of disbelief) and some put their hands on their heads in astonishment at what they thought to be lies. They said: Can you describe the mosque to us? Among the people were some who had travelled to that land and had seen the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "I started to describe it, and I kept describing it until I reached a point where I was not sure. Then the mosque was brought whilst I was looking on, and it was placed closer (to me) than the house of ' Iqal - or 'Uqail - and I described it whilst I was looking at it, and I described things I had not remembered." The people said: As for the description, by Allah he is right.”