He said: I heard Shahr ibn Hawshab saying: Abraham was raised to the sky. Allah said: "And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth, that he might be among the certain [in faith]." He said: He looked beneath him and saw a man committing an immoral act, so he prayed [against him], and he was swallowed into the earth. This continued until he had prayed against seven [people], all of whom were swallowed into the earth. Then it was called out, "O Abraham, refrain from [praying against] My servants," [repeated] three times. "For I am between three options regarding My servant: either he repents and I accept his repentance, or I bring forth from his loins a believing offspring, or if he persists in disbelief, then Hell is sufficient for him."

His saying: "The realm of the heavens and the earth."

[The first aspect]

7498 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiya ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talha, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding his saying: "And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth." He said: It means the sun, the moon, and the stars. It was reported from Mujahid similarly.

The second aspect:

7499 - Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-'Awfi informed us in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my uncle narrated to me, from his father, from 'Atiyya, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "The realm of the heavens and the earth," meaning: The creation of the heavens and the earth.

The third aspect:

7500 - Abu Sa'id ibn Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan narrated to us, 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Amr narrated to us, 'Umar, meaning: Ibn Abi Za'ida, narrated to us, from 'Ikrima regarding His saying: "And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth." He said: It is the dominion (al-mulk), but in the Nabataean language, it is [pronounced] malakuta.

7501 - My father narrated to us, Abu Hudhayfa narrated to us, Shibl narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid regarding His saying: "And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth." He said: The seven heavens were opened for Abraham until he reached the Throne, so he looked into them, and the seven earths were opened for him, so he looked into them.

7502 - Ahmad ibn 'Uthman ibn Hakim informed us in what he wrote to me, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal narrated to us, Asbat narrated to us, from al-Suddi, regarding His saying: "And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth." He said: He was made to stand on a rock, and the gates of the heavens were opened for him, so he looked at the kingdom of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic...