The Hadith: 'When Allah created Jibril' and 'He who performs the Tarawih Prayer'

Q: The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “When Allah, the Most Exalted, created Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) in the best shape, and made for him six hundred wings, the length of each wing as what lies between the east and the west, he (Jibril) looked at himself and said, ‘O my Lord! Have you created anything having a better shape than me?’ Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ‘No.’ So Jibril stood and prayed two Rak‘ahs in thankfulness to Allah, the Most Exalted, standing in each Rak‘ah for twenty thousand years. On finishing the prayer, Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ‘O Jibril! You have indeed worshipped Me as I ought to be worshipped. And none shall ever worship Me the way you have worshipped Me. But at the end of time there shall come an honorable, beloved Prophet, called ‘Muhammad’, whose nation will be weak and sinful. They will pray two Rak‘ahs with forgetfulness and deficiency in short time, while busy with thoughts and having great sins. But My Majesty and My Might their prayer is more beloved to Me than yours. For their prayer is by My Command and you prayed without My Command. (Part No. 4; Page No. 478) Jibril said, ‘O Lord! What have You given them in return for their worship.’ Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ‘I gave them the Paradise of Abode.’ He sought permission from his Lord to see it, and Allah, the Most Exalted, granted him permission. Jibril came, spread all his wings and then flied. Every time he spread two wings, he crossed a distance of three thousands years; and every time he folded them, he crossed a similar distance. He flied like this for three hundred years, but he grew incapable and came down in the shade of a tree. He then prostrated to Allah, the Most Exalted, and said in his prostration, ‘O my Lord! Have I reached half of it, or one-third of it, or one-fourth of it?’ Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ‘O Jibril! Were you to fly for three hundred thousands years and were I to give you strength like your strength, and wings like you wings, and you flied the like of what you have flied, you would not reach one-tenth of what I have given to the nation of Muhammad in return for two Rak‘ahs of their prayer.’” End of quoteFollowing is another Hadith:It is recorded on the authority of `Aly ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the excellence of performing Tarawih (special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan) whereupon he said, “He who performs the Tarawih on the eve of the first night, becomes as cleansed of sins as when his mother gave birth to him. He who performs the Tarawih on the second night, his sins and the sins of his parents shall be forgiven if they were believers. He who performs the Tarawih on the third night, an angel proclaims from beneath the Throne: ‘Your deed was devoted to Allah, i.e. it has been accepted by Allah, and your past sins have been pardoned.’ He who performs the Tarawih on the fourth night obtains a reward equal to that of having read the Glorious Quran, the Injil (Gospel), the Tawrah (Torah) and the Zabur (Psalms). He who performs the Tarawih on the fifth night is given the reward for one who performs Salah in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. For one who performs the Tarawih on the sixth night is the reward of having circumambulated Al-Bait Al-Ma‘mur (the Oft-frequented House), and all rocks and trees will seek forgiveness on his behalf. (Part No. 4; Page No. 479) He who performs the Tarawih on the seventh night, will be rewarded as if he had aided Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) in his conflict with Fir`aun (Pharaoh) and Haman. The reward for performing the Tarawih on the eighth night is the same as that given to Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him). He who performs the Tarawih on the ninth night will be rewarded as if he had worshipped Allah like the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. He who performs the Tarawih on the tenth night is endowed with the good provisions of this world and the Hereafter. He who performs the Tarawih on the eleventh night will meet his Lord on the day he dies as cleansed of sins as he was when his mother gave birth to him. He who performs the Tarawih on the twelfth night will come on the Day of Resurrection a happy and fortunate person, as radiant as the moon is on the fourteenth of the lunar month. He who performs the Tarawih on the thirteenth night will stand secure from fear on the Day of Resurrection. All the angels shall come to witness the Salah of one who performs the Tarawih on the fourteenth night and, therefore, Allah will not judge him on the Day of Resurrection. The angels carrying the Throne and the Chair shall invoke benedictions on one who performs the Tarawih on the fifteenth night. The one who performs the Tarawih on the sixteenth night receives acquittal, granting him immunity from the Hellfire and entitling him to enter Paradise. The one who performs the Tarawih on the seventeenth night receives the reward given to the Prophets. The one who performs the Tarawih on the eighteenth night an angel will give him these good tidings: ‘O Servant of Allah! Allah is pleased with you, your mother and your father!’ To one who performs the Tarawih on the nineteenth night, the highest degree of Paradise will be granted. He who performs the Tarawih on the twentieth night will be awarded the rank of the martyrs and the righteous. A pavilion of light will be made ready in Paradise and presented to him who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-first night. The one who performs Tarawih on the twenty-second night will arrive duly freed from sorrow and worry on the Day of Resurrection. For one who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-third night Allah will build them a city in Paradise. One who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-fourth night will have twenty-four supplications granted. Allah will relieve the person who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-fifth night from punishment of the grave. (Part No. 4; Page No. 480) One who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-sixth night, will be given a reward equal to that of forty years of worship. The rewards for one who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-seventh night is that he will cross Sirat (the bridge over the Fire) like swift lightning on the Day of Resurrection. The status in Paradise of one who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-eighth night shall be raised by one thousand degrees. The one who performs the Tarawih on the twenty-ninth night will be granted by Allah the reward of one thousand accepted pilgrimages. To one who performs the Tarawih on the thirtieth night Allah will say, ‘O My servant! Eat from the fruits of Paradise, bathe with the water of Salsabil and drink the Kawthar water! I am your Lord and you are My servant!’”Sir, I have read such things in books authored by such people who say with their own tongues that which has nothing to do with our Sunnah, err and even disbelieve - we seek refuge with Allah. They also advise and direct people indulged in sins like those who withdraw (after their whisper) and whisper into the hearts of mankind - we seek Allah’s refuge from the evils within ourselves, from our misdeeds and from afflicting our hearts with trials. I borrowed a book entitled "Durratul-Nasihin" by a person who I think has not the least knowledge of religion called `Uthman ibn Hasan ibn Ahmad Al-Khubry, The author says he belongs to the great city of Constantinople. The following is included in his introduction to the book, “In this book I took great care aided by the Benefactor Lord. I excerpted from the Qur’an, in accordance with the order thereof, verses dealing with the description of Paradise and Hellfire. I also quoted some Hadith and tales about those who commit the act committed by the People of Lut that were so obscene and filthy, shedding light on (Part No. 4; Page No. 481) their position in this world as well as in the Hereafter and whether their punishment is stoning to death, drawing analogy with the punishment of male and female adulterers. Nevertheless, I wish that intelligent and great scholars correct my mistakes and omissions ...Etc.”Sir, I found myself obliged to write to you out of fear of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). In fact, I have once quoted a Hadith from the book aiming at - Allah knows - endearing Salah to some of my brothers and friends. May Allah guide you, me, and them to that which pleases Him. I have quoted to you the Hadith in their exact text as stated in the book "Duratul-Nasihin" which I have just referred to; it also contains other Hadith attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). I hope Your Eminence will enlighten me about it and tell me whether I am sinful for doing so. May Allah make you happy in this world and the Hereafter and grant you the rank of martyrs and the righteous. May Allah reward you for helping me, and for serving Islam and Muslims.