Allah Descends to the Lowest Heaven

Here is a Ḥasan or Ṣaḥīḥ (Good or Authentic) ḥadīth from Imām al-Riḍā (عليه السلام), where the narrator (Ibrāhīm bin Abī Maḥmūd who is trustworthy) asks the Imām about the famous ḥadīth that “Allāh descends to the earth’s heavens (i.e. lowest heavens) on night of Friday (i.e. Jumu`ah)”. The Imām (عليه السلام) categorically denies the ḥadīth and after that gives the tafsīr (commentary) to the ḥadīth. This ḥadīth shows the importance of Imāmah and having an Imām, a person who is well learned in the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ḥadīth and Sunnah, a person who can spot mistakes in the matn of ḥadīth.

One of the narrators is `Abd al-`Adhīm bin `Abd Allāh al-Ḥasanī, he is at minimum praised (madḥ) or trustworthy (thiqah), depending on the rijāl scholar. Abd al-`Adhīm al-Ḥasanī was born in the city of Madīnah on the 4^th of Rabī` al-Thānī in the year 173 AH, and he died in the city of Ra’y, Iran, on the 15<sup>th</sup> of Shawwāl in the year 252 AH (other scholars say 250 and 255). Most if not all ḥadīth scholars have taken his ḥadīth. Ja`far al-Subḥānī has written a short treatise on the biography of `Abd al-`Adhīm al-Ḥasanī, which has been translated in English. Click here to read the biography.

Another thing to note is the tarīq (path) from al-Ṣadūq to `Abd `Adhīm al-Ḥasanī is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) per al-Khoei (See: al-Khoei’s Mu`jam Rijāl al-Hadīth), al-Majlisī I (See: al-Majlisī‘s I (al-Majlisī’s father) Rawḍah al-Mutaqqīn) and al-Majlisī II (See: al-Majlisī’s Rijāl).

A final note regarding this ḥadīth is the last sentence Imām al-Riḍā (عليه السلام) said. He (عليه السلام) said, “My Father narrated that to me, from his grandfather, from his father’s from the messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)”. This shows us that the A’immah (عليهم السلام) are all connected and they ultimately receive their ḥadīth directly from the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).

وَ رَوَى عَبْدُ الْعَظِيمِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَسَنِيُّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي مَحْمُودٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا ع يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ مَا تَقُولُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي يَرْوِيهِ النَّاسُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا

فَقَالَ ع لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْمُحَرِّفِينَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ وَ اللَّهُ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص ذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا قَالَ ع إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى يُنْزِلُ مَلَكاً إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ فِي الثُّلُثِ الْأَخِيرِ وَ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِي أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ فَيَأْمُرُهُ فَيُنَادِي هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ هَلْ مِنْ تَائِبٍ فَأَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ يَا طَالِبَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَ يَا طَالِبَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ

فَلَا يَزَالُ يُنَادِي بِهَذَا حَتَّى يَطْلُعَ الْفَجْرُ فَإِذَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ عَادَ إِلَى مَحَلِّهِ مِنْ مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاءِ حَدَّثَنِي بِذَلِكَ أَبِي عَنْ جَدِّي عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص

`Abd al-`Adhīm bin `Abd Allāh al-Ḥasanī (رضي الله عنه) narrated from Ibrāhīm bin Abī Maḥmūd said, I said to al-Riḍā (عليه السلام), ‘O son of the Messenger of Allāh, what do you say about the ḥadīth which the people narrate from the Messenger of Allāh, that he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Allāh (تبارك و تعالى) descends in every night of Friday (i.e. Thursday night) to the earth’s heavens’’.

He (عليه السلام) said: ‘May Allāh curse (la`na) those who distort the words from its place, by Allāh, the Messenger of Allāh has not said that! Verily, he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Allāh (تبارك و تعالى) sends down an angel to the earth’s heavens in the last third of every night, and the first part of the night of Friday (i.e. Thursday night). And He commands him to call, ‘Are there any (who) asks, so that I can grant him?’; ‘Are there any repenters that I should forgive him?’; ‘Are there (anyone) asking for forgiveness, so I can pardon him?’ O the ones who seek good, come forward! O the ones, who seek evil, keep away!’

And he (the angel) will continue calling by this until al-Fajr. And when it is al-Fajr, he (the angel) will return to spot from kingdom of the heavens. My Father narrated that to me, from his grandfather, from his father’s from the messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)’

Source:

1.     al-Sadūq, Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh, (Qum: Mu’assasah al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 2^nd ed., 1413), vol. 1, pg. 421

Grading:

1.     al-Majlisī I (al-Majlisī’s father) said this ḥadīth is Ḥasan Kal-Ṣaḥīḥ (Good like an Authentic)
à Lawām` Ṣāḥibqarānī, 8 vols., (Qum: Mu’assasah Ismā`īlīyān lil-Ṭaba`, 2^nd ed., 1414), vol. 4, pg. 542