IMAM ABO AL-FIDA' ISMA'iL IBN KATHiR 6 1We gave various lines of transmission for this hadith in our Tafsir (Exegesis)
and recounted that the one who engaged in the wager with Aba Bakr was
Umayya b. Khaiaf, that the bet was for five young ostriches and thar it had a time
limit. To this "the Trusting", Aba Bakr, made an increased bet on the orders of
the Messenger of God (SAAS). The victory did go to the Byzantines over the
Persians and it occurred on the day the battle of Badr was fought. Or it may have
been the day of the Hudaybiyya truce. God knows best.
It is also related through al-Walid b. Muslim, who said, "Usayd al-Kilxbi
related to us that he heard al-'Al%' b. al-Zubayr al-Kiabi relate from his father,
as follows, 'I saw the victory of the Persians over the Byzantines and then that of
the Byzantines over the Persians. I then saw the victory of the Muslims over both
Rome and Persia, and their conquering of Syria and Iraq. And all of that over a
period of 15 years!'"Section: Concerning the isra', the nightjourney, of the Messenger of God (WS)
from Mecca to Jerusalem, his ascent from there to heaven, and the signs he saw
there.
Ibn CAs&ir related traditions about the night journey in materials telling of the
early beginnings of the mission. Ibn Ishaq, however, gave them in this location,
some ten years after the mission.
Al-Bayhaqi related, through Miisa b. Wqba, from al-Zuhri whom he quoted
as saying, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) was taken on the night journey one
year prior to his departure to Medina."
He said, "And Ibn Lahi'a related it thus, from Aha al-Aswad, from Wrwa."
Also, Al-H&im related, from al-Asamm, from Ahad b. 'Abd al-Jabbzr,
from Yiinus b. Bukayr, from Asbar b. Nqr, from Ismacil alSuddi, who said,
"The five daily prayers were enjoined upon the Messenger of God (SAAS) at
Jerusalem the night of his journey there, 16 months prior to his emigration."
According to al-Suddi's statement, then, the night journey occurred in the
month of Dha alaa'da, whereas the reports of al-Zuhri and Wrwa place it in
Rabic al-Awwal.
Aha Bakr b. Aba Shayba stated, "Wthmm related to us, from Sa'id b. Mins',
that J%bir and Ibn <Abb%s said, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) was born in the
year of the elephant, Monday the 12th of Rabic al-Awwal, and on that same day
and month he was appointed Prophet, was taken up to heaven, emigrated, and
died."'
The chain of transmission of the aforementioned hadith is flawed. The hZ.2
'Abd al-Ghani b. Surnr al-Maqdisi, however, included it in his biography, and
he also quoted a tradition whose chain of authorities is unsound. We made men-
tion of it in the material relating to the virtues of the month of Rajab. This tra-
dition states that the night journey took place on the night of the 27th of Rajab.
But God knows best.