Tradition on Isra' and Mi'raj
     Narrated Abbas bin Malik:

     Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying,
     "While I was lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my
     body open from here to here." I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, "What does he
     mean?" He said, "It means from his throat to his pubic area," or said, "From the top of
     the chest." The Prophet further said, "He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray of
     Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with Belief) and
     then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule
     and bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud asked, "Was it the
     Buraq, O Abu Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, "The
     animal's step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the
     animal's sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the
     nearest heaven.

     When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered,
     'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It
     was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it
     was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened, and
     when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your
     father, Adam; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to
     me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel
     ascended with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be
     opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is
     accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?'
     Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an
     excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened.

     When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and 'Isa (i.e. Jesus)
     who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), 'These are John and Jesus; pay
     them your greetings.' So I greeted them and both of them returned my greetings to me
     and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel
     ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was
     asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?'
     Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
     affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!' The gate
     was opened, and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said
     (to me), 'This is Joseph; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the
     greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then
     Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It
     was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying
     you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied
     in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!'

     The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris.
     Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Idris; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he
     returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious
     Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be
     opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked. 'Who is
     accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?'
     Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent
     visit his is! So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel
     said, (to me). This is Aaron; pay him your greetings.' I greeted him and he returned the
     greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then
     Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It
     was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying
     you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied
     in the affirmative. It was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'

     When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),' This is
     Moses; pay him your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and
     said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' When I left him (i.e.
     Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What makes you weep?' Moses said, 'I weep
     because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a young man whose followers will
     enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.' Then Gabriel ascended with me
     to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?'
     Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked,' Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
     'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative.
     Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'

     So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me),
     'This is your father; pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he returned the
     greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then I
     was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary)
     Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves
     were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost
     boundary) . Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I
     asked, 'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied,' As for the hidden
     rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the
     Euphrates.'

     Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full
     of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the
     milk. Gabriel remarked, 'This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are
     following.' Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When
     I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me), 'What have you been ordered to do?' I
     replied, 'I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.' Moses said, 'Your followers
     cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I
     have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for
     reduction to lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten
     prayers for me. Then again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said
     before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I
     came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to
     observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice,
     so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.

     When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I have
     been ordered to observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your followers cannot bear five
     prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an experience of the people before you, and I
     have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back to your Lord and ask for reduction
     to lessen your follower's burden.' I said, 'I have requested so much of my Lord that I
     feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I left, I
     heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My
     Worshipers."