Takhrij Hadith 476: "Jibril came to the Prophet…"

Jibril came to the Prophet ﷺ at a time other than his usual time of visitation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up to greet him and said "O Jibril, why do I see your color changed?" He replied: "I have not come to you until Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded that the keys of Hell be brought forth." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "O Jibril, describe the Fire to me and tell me about Hell." Jibril said: "Allah, Blessed and Exalted, commanded that Hell be kindled for one thousand years until it became white, then He commanded that it be kindled for another thousand years until it became red, then He commanded that it be kindled for another thousand years until it became black. Thus it is black and dark; its sparks give no light, and its flames are never extinguished. By the One who sent you with the truth, if an opening the size of a needle’s eye were made from Hell, everyone on earth would die from its heat. By the One who sent you with the truth, if a garment from the garments of the people of Hell were hung between heaven and the earth, all the people of the earth would die from its heat. By the One who sent you with the truth, if one of the keepers of Hell were to appear before the people of this world and they looked upon him, everyone on earth would die because of the hideousness of his appearance and the foulness of his odor. By the One who sent you with the truth, if a single ring from the chain of the people of Hell, which Allah described in His Book, were placed upon the mountains of this world, they would collapse and continue sinking until they reached the lowest earth." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said: "Enough, O Jibril, lest my heart break and I die." The narrator said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at Jibril and saw him weeping, so he said: "Do you weep, O Jibril, while you hold such a rank with Allah?" Jibril replied: "Why should I not weep? I am more deserving of weeping, for I do not know whether in Allah’s knowledge I may end up in a state different from the one I am in now. Nor do I know whether I may be tested as Iblis was tested, though he was among the angels, or whether I may be tested as Harut and Marut were tested." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wept, and Jibril also wept, and they continued weeping until they were called: "O Jibril and O Muhammad, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has granted you security from disobeying Him." Then Jibril ascended, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out. He passed by a group of the Ansar who were laughing and playing, and he said:"Do you laugh while Hell is behind you? If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much; you would not enjoy food and drink, and you would go out to the open places crying out to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." Then a call came: "O Muhammad, do not cause My servants to despair. I have sent you as one who makes matters easy, and I have not sent you as one who makes them difficult." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said: "Remain upright and seek the right course, drawing as near to perfection as you can”.