Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا سُرَيْجٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذْ مَرَّتْ سَحَابَةٌ فَقَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا هَذِهِ قَالَ قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ الْعَنَانُ وَرَوَايَا الْأَرْضِ يَسُوقُهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَنْ لَا يَشْكُرُهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَلَا يَدْعُونَهُ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا هَذِهِ فَوْقَكُمْ قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ الرَّقِيعُ مَوْجٌ مَكْفُوفٌ وَسَقْفٌ مَحْفُوظٌ أَتَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ عَامٍ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الَّتِي فَوْقَهَا قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ سَمَاءٌ أُخْرَى أَتَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ عَامٍ حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ الْعَرْشُ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ عَامٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا تَحْتَكُمْ قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ أَرْضٌ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا تَحْتَهَا قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ أَرْضٌ أُخْرَى أَتَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهَا قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِائَةِ عَامٍ حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعَ أَرَضِينَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَوْ دَلَّيْتُمْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِحَبْلٍ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ السُّفْلَى السَّابِعَةِ لَهَبَطَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ { هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ }.
English Translation
While we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), a cloud passed by. He said: 'Do you know what this is?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'It is the rain cloud, the water-carriers of the earth. Allah drives it to people who neither thank Him nor call upon Him.' He said: 'Do you know what is above you?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'It is the firmament, a restrained wave and a protected ceiling.' He said: 'Do you know how far it is between you and it?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'A journey of five hundred years.' He said: 'Do you know what is above it?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'Another heaven.' He said: 'Do you know how far it is between them?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'A journey of five hundred years' - until he counted seven heavens. Then he said: 'Do you know what is above that?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'The Throne.' He said: 'Do you know how far it is between you and the seventh heaven?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'A journey of five hundred years.' Then he said: 'Do you know what is beneath you?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'An earth.' He said: 'Do you know what is beneath it?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'Another earth.' He said: 'Do you know how far between them?' We said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'A journey of five hundred years' - until he counted seven earths. Then he said: 'By Allah, if you were to lower one of you by a rope to the lowest, seventh earth, he would reach it.' Then he recited: 'He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has knowledge of all things.'