English
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “On the night I was taken on the Ascension, I met Moses, and he was described to me as a man 1 with disheveled, curly hair, as if he were from the men of Shanua. I met Jesus, of medium height, reddish, as if he had just come out of a bathhouse. I saw Abraham, and I am the most similar of his children to him. I was brought two vessels: one 2 containing milk and the other containing wine. It was said to me: ‘Take whichever you wish.’ I took 3 the milk and drank it, and it was said to me: ‘You were guided to the natural disposition. Had you taken 4 the wine, your nation would have gone astray.’”
Possible references (unverified, pending editorial review)
- Candidate: Sahih al-Bukhari 3394 (unverified) 97% confidence
- Candidate: Sahih Muslim 168 (unverified) 96% confidence
Confidence and text similarity are not editorial verification.
Commentary and footnotes (8)
Note 1
(1) His statement: “a man with disheveled hair”: The Qadi and other commentators said: It means he was straight of stature and sharp, as a sharp person is restless and moving, appearing unsettled. It is said: A spear is described as disheveled if it is long and straight. Alternatively, it means he was unsettled due to his fear of Allah, the Exalted, a characteristic of prophets and the righteous, as it is narrated that he prayed with his heart buzzing like a boiling pot. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 2
(2) His statement: “one containing milk”: At-Turbushti said: Allah, the Holy Knower, forms images from the sensory world to convey meanings. Since milk in the sensory world is the first means of nourishment and sustenance for a newborn, it was used as a symbol for the natural disposition that perfects spiritual strength and fosters human qualities. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 3
(3) His statement: “I took the milk and drank it”: That is, because the command to take it implied permission to drink it, as drinking was the intended purpose. Both were presented to him to demonstrate to the angels his virtue in choosing the correct option. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 4
(4) His statement: “Had you taken the wine, your nation would have gone astray”: This implies that the uprightness of a leader—whether a prophet, scholar, or ruler—leads to the uprightness of their followers, as they are like the heart to the body’s limbs. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 1
(۱) قوله: رجل مضطرب: قال القاضي وغيره من الشراح: يريد به أنه كان مستقيم القد حادا، فإن الحاد يكون قلقًا متحركا كان فيه اضطرابا، ولذلك يقال: رمح مضطرب إذا كان طويلا مستقيما. وقيل: معناه أنه كان مضطربا من خشية الله تعالى، وهذه صفة النبيين والصديقن، كما روي أنه كان يصلي ولقلبه أزيز كأزيز المرجل. كذا في «المرقاة».
Note 2
(۲) قوله: أحدهما لبن : قال التوربشتي الله العالم القدسي يصاغ فيه الصور من العالم الحسي ليدرك بها المعاني، فلما كان اللبن في عالم الحس من أول ما يحصل به التربية ويرشح به المولود صيغ عنه مثال للفطرة التي تتم بها القوة الروحانية وتنشأ عنها الخاصية الإنسانية. كذا في «المرقاة».
Note 3
(۳) قوله: فأخذت اللبن فشربته أي لما يدل الأمر بالأخذ على جواز الشرب؛ لأنه المقصود منه، وإنما عرض عليه کلاهما إظهارا على الملائكة فضله باختياره الصواب. كذا في «المرقاة».
Note 4
(٤) قوله: لو أخذت الخمر غوت أمتك فيه إيماء إلى أن استقامة المقتدى من النبي والعالم والسلطان ونحوهم سبب لاستقامة اتباعهم؛ لأنهم بمنزلة القلب للأعضاء. كذا في «المرقاة».