Title: Comments on Some Narratives Ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) Question: Could you please comment on the authenticity of the following Hadiths Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of 'Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When any one of you stands for prayer and there is a thing before him equal to the back of the saddle that covers him and in case there is not before him (a thing) equal to the back of the saddle, his prayer would be cut off by (passing of an) ass, woman, and black Dog.I said: O Abu Dharr, what feature is there in a black dog which distinguish it from the red dog and the yellow dog? He said: O, son of my brother, I asked the Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him) as you are asking me, and he said: The black dog is a devil. "When a cock sounds, ask for Allah's blessing since it sees the Angels". "All animals except humans hear the punishment happening in the grave". And a famous Hadith : " Allah descends to the lowest heaven during the last part of the night everyday" (Bukhari). In fact many scholars considers this belief to be the part of Iman ? Regards, Naina Answer: As for the first stated narrative, it seems to be a mistake of the narrators as is also indicated by the contrary opinion of the various companions of the Prophet (pbuh) - including Ayesha, Ali, Uthman, Ibn Omar (ra) - as recorded in the various books of compilations [1] . As for the second narrative, it could be a reference to an actual experience of the rooster, which the Prophet (pbuh) may have been informed about. In this case, such experiences are not verifiable by ordinary human beings like ourselves. On the other hand, the referred narrative may have been a distorted report of the Prophet's promoting the Muslims to wake up and offer prayers at the earliest hours of the morning, with the call of the rooster. It is reported in some narratives that the Prophet (pbuh) would normally end his Tahajjud prayers at the call of the rooster [2] , while in other reports, it is narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) directed people against condemning the calling rooster, as it wakes people up for prayers [3] . It is possible that the various separate sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) promoting the Muslims to seek God's forgiveness and blessings in the early morning hours and those relating to the angels presence during these hours were mistakenly combined by the narrators. Like the second narrative, the third narrative may also relate to an experience of other living beings, which the Prophet (pbuh) may have been informed through revelation. As for the fourth narrative, it seems to be a symbolic representation of the closeness of God's mercy and forgiveness during the early morning hours. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad April 5, 2002 [1] For details, you may see "شرح معاني الآثار، باب المرور بين يدي المصلي هل يقطع الصلاة أم لا" [2] As, for instance, in Ibn Hibban, narrative no. 2444. [3] As, for instance, in Ibn Hibban, narrative no. 5731.