Al Zutt mounted the prophet of Islam
They came and began to mount the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for me. So we set out until we reached such-and-such a place. Then he drew a line for me and said: “Stay inside this do not leave it, for if you leave it you will be destroyed.”
I stayed inside it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ walked a short distance or farther (or as the narrator said). Then he mentioned two who looked like the Zutt. ‘Affan said (or as ‘Affan said, if Allah wills): they had no clothes on them and I could not see their private parts tall, with little flesh on them.
They came and began to mount the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet of Allah ﷺ began reciting the Qur’an to them. They started coming towards me, making gestures around me and blocking my way.
Abdullah said: I became extremely terrified of them. So I sat down (or as he said). When the first light of dawn appeared they began to leave (or as he said).
Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came back heavy and in pain or nearly in pain — from what they had mounted him with. He said: “Indeed I feel heavy” (or as he said). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ placed his head in my lap (or as he said).
Then two others came wearing long white garments (or as he said), while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had dozed off. Abdullah said: I became even more terrified of them than the first time.
‘Arim in his narration said: Some of them said to the others: “Indeed this servant has been given good” (or as they said), “his eyes are asleep” (or he said “his eye is asleep” or as they said) “while his heart is awake.”
Then ‘Arim and ‘Affan said: Some of them said to the others: “Come, let us strike an example for him” (or as they said). Some said: “Strike the example and we will interpret it” (or “we will strike it and you will interpret”).
So some of them said: “His likeness is like a master who built a fortified building, then sent food to the people” (or as he said). “Whoever does not come to his food” (or “does not follow him”), “he punishes him with a severe punishment” (or as they said).
The others said: “As for the master, he is the Lord of the worlds. As for the building, it is Islam. The food is Paradise, and he is the caller. Whoever follows him is in Paradise.”
‘Arim in his narration (or as they said): “And whoever does not follow him is punished” (or as he said).
Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ woke up and said: “What did you see, O Ibn Umm ‘Abd?” Abdullah said: “I saw such-and-such.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Nothing of what they said was hidden from me.” The Prophet of Allah ﷺ said: “They are a group of the angels” (or he said “they are from the angels” or as Allah willed).
Source:
Musnad Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Musnad ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud رضي الله عنه), Hadith no. 3688 (in some editions 3778 or 3788), vol. 6 pp. 332–334.
(Narrated by ‘Arim and ‘Affan from Mu‘tamir from his father from Abu Tamimah from ‘Amr — possibly al-Bakali — from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud).
This is the full main narration that explicitly mentions “al-Zutt” and the word “yar kabūn” (they mounted/rode). A shorter version exists in Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi (2861) but without these specific details.
