Regarding Surat Al-Hadid

Al-Hasan narrated that:

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.”

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 ﷺ جَالِسٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَيْهِمْ سَحَابٌ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ " 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 .