Description of Al-Buraq

صفة البراق

The Description of al-Burāq

مَعِي عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ،فَتَقُولُ لِلنَّارِ:خُذِي هَذَا فَهُوَ لَكِ،وَ ذَرِي هَذَا فَلَيْسَ هُوَ لَكِ؛وَ أَنْتَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُكْسَى إِذَا كُسِيتُ، وَ يَحْيَا إِذَا حَيِيتُ،وَ أَنْتَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَقِفُ مَعِي عَنْ يَمِينِ الْعَرْشِ،وَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَقْرَعُ مَعِي بَابَ الْجَنَّةِ،وَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَسْكُنُ مَعِي فِي عِلِّيِّينَ،وَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَشْرَبُ مَعِي مِنَ الرَّحِيقِ الْمَخْتُومِ الَّذِي خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ،وَ فِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ».

With me upon the Bridge; then it will say to the Fire: Take this one, for he is yours, and leave this one, for he is not yours. And you are the first who will be clothed when I am clothed, and will live when I live; and you are the first to stand with me at the right side of the Throne, and the first to knock with me at the gate of Paradise, and the first to dwell with me in ‘Illiyyīn, and the first to drink with me from the sealed pure drink whose seal is musk; and for this let the competitors compete.

99-/6232 _36- الشَّيْخُ فِي(أَمَالِيهِ):بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنِ الْحَفَّارِ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ الْجِعَابِيِّ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُثْمَانَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَجَبٍ الْأَنْبَارِيُّ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ دُرُسْتَ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ هَارُونَ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا سَهْلُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ،عَنْ هَمَّامٍ،عَنْ قَتَادَةَ،عَنْ أَنَسٍ،قَالَ:قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ): «لَمَّا عُرِجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ دَنَوْتُ مِنْ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ حَتَّى كَانَ بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَهُ قَابُ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى،فَقَالَ:يَا مُحَمَّدُ،مَنْ تُحِبُّ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ؟قُلْتُ:يَا رَبِّ،عَلِيّاً. قَالَ:اِلْتَفِتْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ،فَالْتَفَتُّ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَإِذَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ».

The Shaykh in (Amālīhi): with his chain from al-Haffār, who said: Ibn al-Ji‘ābī told me, who said: Abū ‘Uthmān Sa‘īd ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Ajab al-Anbārī narrated to us, who said: Khalaf ibn Durust narrated to us, who said: al-Qāsim ibn Hārūn narrated to us, who said: Sahl ibn Sufyān narrated to us, from Hammām, from Qatādah, from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: When I was taken up to the heaven, I drew near to my Lord, Mighty and Majestic, until there was between me and Him the measure of two bows or closer. He said: O Muhammad, whom do you love among creation? I said: O Lord, ‘Alī. He said: Turn, O Muhammad. So I turned to my left, and there was ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib.

99-/6233 _37- الْبُرْسِيُّ:عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)لَيْلَةَ الْمِعْرَاجِ رَأَى عَلِيّاً وَ فَاطِمَةَ وَ الْحَسَنَ وَ الْحُسَيْنَ(عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ)فِي السَّمَاءِ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ،وَ قَدْ فَارَقَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ.

Al-Bursī: from Ibn ‘Abbās: that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), on the night of the Mi‘rāj, saw ‘Alī and Fāṭimah and al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon them) in the heaven, and he greeted them—though he had separated from them on the earth.

99-/6234 _38- الْمُفِيدُ فِي(الْإِخْتِصَاصِ):عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ،عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَيْشِيِّ،قَالَ:أَخْبَرَنِي حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ،عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ،عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ،عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ،قَالَ: أَتَيْتُ(فَاطِمَةَ(صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا))،فَقُلْتُ لَهَا:أَيْنَ بَعْلُكِ؟فَقَالَتْ:«عَرَجَ بِهِ جَبْرَئِيلُ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)إِلَى السَّمَاءِ».فَقُلْتُ:فِي مَاذَا؟فَقَالَتْ:«إِنَّ نَفَراً مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ تَشَاجَرُوا فِي شَيْءٍ فَسَأَلُوا حَكَماً مِنَ الْآدَمِيِّينَ،فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنْ تَخَيَّرُوا،فَاخْتَارُوا عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ».

Al-Mufīd in (al-Ikhtiṣāṣ): from Aḥmad ibn ‘Abd Allāh, from ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-‘Aīshī, who said: Ḥammād ibn Salamah informed me, from al-A‘mash, from Ziyād ibn Wahb, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd, who said: I came to Fāṭimah (blessings of Allah be upon her) and said to her: Where is your husband? She said: Jibrā’īl (peace be upon him) has taken him up to the heaven. I said: For what? She said: A group of angels differed concerning a matter and asked for an arbiter from among the descendants of Ādam; so Allah revealed to them to choose, and they chose ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib.

صفة البراق

The Description of al-Burāq

99-/6235 _1- فِي(صَحِيفَةِ الرِّضَا(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)):قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ): «إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى سَخَّرَ لِيَ الْبُرَاقَ،وَ هِيَ: دَابَّةٌ مِنْ دَوَابِّ الْجَنَّةِ،لَيْسَتْ بِالطَّوِيلِ وَ لاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ،فَلَوْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَذِنَ لَهَا لَجَالَتِ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةَ فِي جَرْيَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ،وَ هِيَ أَحْسَنُ الدَّوَابِّ لَوْناً».

In (Ṣaḥīfat al-Riḍā, peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: Indeed Allah, Exalted is He, subjected to me al-Burāq, and it is a beast from the beasts of Paradise, neither tall nor short. If Allah, Mighty and Majestic, were to permit it, it would traverse the world and the Hereafter in a single run, and it is the most beautiful of beasts in color.

99-/6236 _2- ابْنُ الْفَارِسِيِّ فِي(رَوْضَتِهِ):فِي حَدِيثٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)،فِي صِفَةِ الْبُرَاقِ: «وَجْهُهَا كَوَجْهِ الْإِنْسَانِ،وَ خَدُّهَا كَخَدِّ الْفَرَسِ،عُرْفُهَا مِنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ مَسْمُوطٍ [1]،وَ أُذُنَاهَا [2] زَبَرْجَدَتَانِ خَضْرَاوَانِ،وَ عَيْنَاهَا مِثْلُ كَوْكَبِ الزُّهَرَةِ يَتَوَقَّدَانِ مِثْلَ النَّجْمَيْنِ الْمُضِيئَيْنِ،لَهَا شُعَاعٌ مِثْلُ شُعَاعِ الشَّمْسِ،مُنْحَدِرٌ عَنْ نَحْرِهَا الْجُمَانُ [1]، مَنْظُومَةُ الْخَلْقِ،طَوِيلَةُ الْيَدَيْنِ وَ الرِّجْلَيْنِ،لَهَا نَفْسٌ كَنَفْسِ الْآدَمِيِّينَ،تَسْمَعُ الْكَلاَمَ وَ تَفْهَمُهُ،وَ هِيَ فَوْقَ الْحِمَارِ وَ دُونَ الْبَغْلِ».

Ibn al-Fārisī in (Rawḍatihi): in a report from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), describing al-Burāq: Its face is like the face of a human, and its cheek like the cheek of a horse. Its mane is of threaded pearls [1], and its ears [2] are two green emeralds. Its eyes are like the planet Venus, blazing like two shining stars. It has a radiance like the radiance of the sun. From its breast descends small pearls [1]. It is well-proportioned in form, long of forelimbs and hind limbs. It has a soul like the souls of human beings; it hears speech and understands it. It is above the donkey and below the mule.

99-/6237 _3- الْبُرْسِيُّ:عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)لَمَّا جَاءَ جَبْرَئِيلُ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)لَيْلَةَ الْإِسْرَاءِ بِالْبُرَاقِ وَ أَمَرَهُ عَنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ بِالرُّكُوبِ قَالَ:«مَا هَذِهِ»؟فَقَالَ:دَابَّةٌ خُلِقَتْ لِأَجْلِكَ وَ لَهَا فِي جَنَّةِ عَدْنٍ أَلْفُ سَنَةٍ.فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ):«وَ مَا سَيْرُ هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةِ؟»فَقَالَ:إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَجُوزَ بِهَا السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعَ وَ الْأَرَضِينَ السَّبْعَ فَتَقْطَعَ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ عَامٍ أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ [2] كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ قَدَرَتْ.

Al-Bursī: from Ibn ‘Abbās: that when Jibrā’īl (peace be upon him) came on the Night of Isrā’ with al-Burāq and, by Allah’s command, ordered the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to mount, he said: What is this? He replied: A beast created for your sake, and it has [dwelt] in the Garden of ‘Adn for a thousand years. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to him: And what is the pace of this beast? He said: If you wish to pass with it through the seven heavens and the seven earths, you would traverse seventy thousand years a thousand times [2] in the blink of an eye—it is able.

قوله تعالى:

His saying, the Exalted:

وَ آتَيْنٰا مُوسَى الْكِتٰابَ وَ جَعَلْنٰاهُ هُدىً لِبَنِي إِسْرٰائِيلَ أَلاّٰ تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْ دُونِي وَكِيلاً

Qur’an 17:2 — And We gave Musa the Book and made it a guidance to the children of Israel (saying): Do not take a protector besides Me. (M. H. Shakir)

99-/6238 _1- علي بن إبراهيم:إنّه محكم.

‘Alī ibn Ibrāhīm: Indeed, it is muhkam (of established meaning).

قوله تعالى:

His saying, the Exalted:

ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنٰا مَعَ نُوحٍ إِنَّهُ كٰانَ عَبْداً شَكُوراً

Qur’an 17:3 — The offspring of those whom We bore with Nuh; surely he was a grateful servant. (M. H. Shakir)

99-/6239 _2- ابْنُ بَابَوَيْهِ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي(رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ)،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ،عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى،عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ الْبَزَنْطِيِّ،عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ،عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ،عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)قَالَ: «إِنَّ نُوحاً(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ عَبْداً شَكُوراً لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِذَا أَمْسَى وَ أَصْبَحَ:اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُكَ أَنَّهُ مَا أَمْسَى وَ أَصْبَحَ بِي مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ أَوْ عَافِيَةٍ فِي دِينٍ أَوْ دُنْيَا فَمِنْكَ،وَحْدَكَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَكَ،لَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَ لَكَ الشُّكْرُ بِهَا».

Ibn Bābawayh said: My father (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us, who said: Sa‘d ibn ‘Abd Allāh narrated to us, from Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Īsā, from Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Naṣr al-Bazantī, from Abān ibn ‘Uthmān, from Muḥammad ibn Muslim, from Abū Ja‘far (peace be upon him), who said: Indeed Nūḥ (peace be upon him) was named “a grateful servant” only because he used to say when evening came and when morning came: O Allah, I call You to witness that whatever blessing or well-being there has reached me in religion or in this world this evening and morning, it is from You alone with no partner. To You belongs praise and to You belongs thanks for it.

_36) -الأمالي 1:362.

al-Amālī 1:362.

_37) -.......

.......

_38) -الإختصاص:213.

al-Ikhtiṣāṣ: 213.

_1) -صحيفة الإمام الرضا(عليه السّلام):95/154.

Ṣaḥīfat al-Imām al-Riḍā (alayhi al-salām): 95/154.

_2) -روضة الواعظين:108.

Rawḍat al-Wā‘iẓīn: 108.

[1] السمط:الخيط الواحد المنظوم.«تاج العروس-سمط-5:160».

al-Simṭ: the single strung thread. “Tāj al-‘Arūs — Simṭ — 5:160.”

[2] في المصدر زيادة:من.

Fī al-maṣdar ziyādah: min.

[1] الجمان:اللؤلؤ الصّغار.«لسان العرب-جمن-13:92».

al-Jumān: small pearls. “Lisān al-‘Arab — J-m-n — 13:92.”

[2] في«ط»:ألف عام و سبعين ألف مدّة.

Fī “Ṭ”: alf ‘ām wa sab‘īn alfa muddah.