FIVE DIVERGENT VERSIONS OF THE STORY IN SAHIAN
There are three versions of this same story have been inserted in Sahih Bukhari with significant alternations in them. There are also two additional versions of this story found in Sahih Muslim which are too divergent in their description . Now in this post we will place all of them together to find the discrepancies between them . Worthy to mention here that we are only focusing that part of the story where 5 prayers were offered to Prophet Muhammad (p) and incidents related to it , other part of the original Hadith is not of interest for this thread . I am sure if we scrutinize the other parts of the Hadith we will come up with so many other inconsistencies in them . But let us put that aside for now.
01st Version :
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Sahih Bukhari , Volume 1, Book 8, Number 345
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Narrated Abu Dhar:
…….. Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said: The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers when I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.' (So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to half. When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, 'Go back to your Lord as your followers will not be able to bear it.' So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it. So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.' I returned to Moses and he told me to go back once again. I replied, 'Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.' Then Gabriel took me till we '' reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (Lote tree of; the utmost boundry) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk."
02nd Version :
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Sahih Bukharu Volume 4, Book 54, Number 429
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Narrated Malik bin Sasaa:
…….. Then fifty prayers were enjoined on me. I descended till I met Moses who asked me, 'What have you done?' I said, 'Fifty prayers have been enjoined on me.' He said, 'I know the people better than you, because I had the hardest experience to bring Bani Israel to obedience. Your followers cannot put up with such obligation. So, return to your Lord and request Him (to reduce the number of prayers.' I returned and requested Allah (for reduction) and He made it forty. I returned and (met Moses) and had a similar discussion, and then returned again to Allah for reduction and He made it thirty, then twenty, then ten, and then I came to Moses who repeated the same advice. Ultimately Allah reduced it to five. When I came to Moses again, he said, 'What have you done?' I said, 'Allah has made it five only.' He repeated the same advice but I said that I surrendered (to Allah's Final Order)'" Allah's Apostle was addressed by Allah, "I have decreed My Obligation and have reduced the burden on My slaves, and I shall reward a single good deed as if it were ten good deeds."
03rd Version :
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Shahih Bukhari , Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227
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Narrated Abbas bin Malik:
……….. Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me), 'What have you been ordered to do?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.' Moses said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower's burden.' I said, 'I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I left, I heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Worshipers."
04th Version :
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Muslim Chapter 75: NIGHT JOURNEY OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) TO HEAVEN, AND THE PRAYER MADE OBLIGATORY
Book 001, Number 0309
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It is narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that …….
Then Allah revealed to me a revelation and He made obligatory for me fifty prayers every day and night. Then I went down to Moses (peace be upon him) and he said: What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah? I said: Fifty prayers. He said: Return to thy Lord and beg for reduction (in the number of prayers), for your community shallnot be able to bear this burden. as I have put to test the children of Isra'il and tried them (and found them too weak to bear such a heavy burden). He (the Holy Prophet) said: I went back to my Lord and said: My Lord, make things lighter for my Ummah. (The Lord) reduced five prayers for me. I went down to Moses and said. (The Lord) reduced five (prayers) for me, He said: Verily thy Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden; return to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. I then kept going back and forth between my Lord Blessed and Exalted and Moses, till He said: There are five prayers every day and night. O Muhammad, each being credited as ten, so that makes fifty prayers. He who intends to do a good deed and does not do it will have a good deed recorded for him; and if he does it, it will be recorded for him as ten; whereas he who intends to do an evil deed and does not do, it will not be recorded for him; and if he does it, only one evil deed will be recorded. I then came down and when I came to Moses and informed him, he said: Go back to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: I returned to my Lord until I felt ashamed before Him.
05th Version :
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Muslim Chapter 75: NIGHT JOURNEY OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) TO HEAVEN, AND THE PRAYER MADE OBLIGATORY
Book 001, Number 0313
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Anas b. Malik reported: Abu Dharr used to relate that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
……..Ibn Hazm and Anas told that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Allah then made fifty prayers obligatory for my Ummah and I returned with that and passed by Moses. Moses, (peace be upon him) said: What has thy Lord enjoined on thy people? I said: Fifty prayers have been made obligatory on them. Moses (peace be upon him) said: Return to thy Lord, for thy Ummah would not be able to bear this burden. Then I came back to my Lord and He remitted a portion out of thut. I then again went to Moses (peace be upon him) and informed him about it He said: Return to thy Lord, for thy Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden. I then went back to my Lord and He said: They are five and at the same time fifty, and what has been said will not be changed. I then returned to Moses and he said: Go back to thy Lord. whereupon I said: I feel ashamed of my Lord. Gabriel then travelled with me till we came to the farthest lote-tree Many a colour had covered it which I do not know. Then I was admitted to Paradise and saw in it domes of pearls, and its soil of musk.
Let us put these in a table for the simplicity and comprehensibility of the readers on the huge differences of those numbers :
Incident ||1st Version | 2nd Version |3rd Version| 4th Version| 5th Version||
Prop. met GOD ||50 Salat |50 Salat | 50 Salat | 50 Salat | 50 Salat ||
Prop. returned1||25 Salat |40 Salat | 40Salat | 45 Salat | Unknown ||
Prop. returned2||12.5 Salat |30 Salat | 30 Salat |40 Salat | 05 Salat ||
Prop. returned3||05 Salat |20 Salat | 10 Salat | 35 Salat | ....... ||
Prop. returned4|| ........... |10 Salat | 05 Salat | 30 Salat | .......... ||
Prop. returned5|| ............ |05 Salat | ............. | 25 Salat | .......... ||
Prop. returned6|| ............ | ............ | ............ |20 Salat | ........... ||
Prop. returned7|| ............. | ........... | .............. | 15 Salat | ........... ||
Prop. returned8|| ............. | ........... | ............. | 10 Salat | ............ ||
Prop. returned9|| ............ | ........... | ............. | 05 Salat | ............ ||