حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، وَغَيْرُ، وَاحِدٍ، - الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَالِسٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَيْهِمْ سَحَابٌ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَذَا الْعَنَانُ هَذِهِ رَوَايَا الأَرْضِ يَسُوقُهُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى قَوْمٍ لاَ يَشْكُرُونَهُ وَلاَ يَدْعُونَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنَّهَا الرَّقِيعُ سَقْفٌ مَحْفُوظٌ وَمَوْجٌ مَكْفُوفٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ سَمَاءَيْنِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ عَامٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعَ سَمَوَاتٍ مَا بَيْنَ كُلِّ سَمَاءَيْنِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ الْعَرْشَ وَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ بُعْدُ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءَيْنِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الَّذِي تَحْتَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنَّهَا الأَرْضُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الَّذِي تَحْتَ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنَّ تَحْتَهَا الأَرْضَ الأُخْرَى بَيْنَهُمَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعَ أَرَضِينَ بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَرْضَيْنِ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ دَلَّيْتُمْ رَجُلاً بِحَبْلٍ إِلَى الأَرْضِ السُّفْلَى لَهَبَطَ عَلَى اللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَرَأََ ‏ (‏ هو الأَوَّلُ وَالآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ‏) ‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَيُرْوَى عَنْ أَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ وَعَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ قَالُوا لَمْ يَسْمَعِ الْحَسَنُ مِنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏ وَفَسَّرَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا هَبَطَ عَلَى عِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ وَسُلْطَانِهِ ‏.‏ عِلْمُ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتُهُ وَسُلْطَانُهُ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ كَمَا وَصَفَ فِي كِتَابِهِ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah said: “Once when the Prophet of Allah was sitting with his Companions, a cloud came above them, so the Prophet of Allah said: ‘Do you know what this is?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘These are the clouds that are to drench the earth, which Allah [Blessed and Most High] dispatches to people who are not grateful to Him, nor supplicate to Him.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is a preserved canopy of the firmament whose surge is restrained.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know how much is between you and between it?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Between you and it [is the distance] of five-hundred year.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that.’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that are two Heavens, between the two of them there is a distance of five-hundred years’ – until he enumerated seven Heavens – ‘What is between each of the two Heavens is what is between the heavens and the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that is the Throne between it and the heavens is a distance [like] what is between two of the heavens.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, below it is another earth, between the two of which is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Until he enumerated seven earths: ‘Between every two earths is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Then he said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! If you were to send [a man] down with a rope to the lowest earth, then he would descend upon Allah.’ Then he recited: He is Al-Awwal, Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir Al-Batin, and He has knowledge over all things.”