assalamu alikum, is the chain of following quote authentic? It is reported in Tarikh damishq from abul hasan-abul najam-abu bakr al khateeb-abu haazim umar bin ahmad bin ibraheem al abdawi- abul tayyab muhammad bin ahmad bin hamdoon al zahli- ahmad bin muhammad bin husayn-Usman bin saeed- Nu’aym b. Hammâd: ‘Abdullah b. Al-Mubârak used to often stay at home, so he was asked, “Don’t you get lonely?” He replied,“How could I get lonely when I am with the Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him [Ibn ‘Asâkir, Târîkh Dimishq Vol. 32 p458 dar al fikr] Abul qasim ismaeel bin ahmad - abul qasim bin mas`adah-hamzah bin yusaf-abu ahmad bin ady- yahya bin zakariyah bin heewah-muhammad bin ghasan- on the authority of Nu’aym b. Hammâd: It was once said to ‘Abdullah b. Al- Mubârak, “O Abû ‘Abd Al-Rahmân, you often sit alone at home.” He said, “I am alone? I am with the Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – and his Companions.” Mean­ ing: reading hadîth.[Ibn ‘Asâkir, Târîkh Dimishq Vol. 32 p458 dar al fikr] Imam ad-dahabee said Shaqîq b. Ibrâhîm reports: It was once said to ‘Abdullah b. Al- Mubârak, “After you have prayed with us you don’t sit with us?” He replied, “I go and sit with the Sahâbah and the Tâbi’în.” We said, “And how can you sit with the Sahâbah and Tâbi’în (when they have all passed away)?” He replied, “I go and read the knowledge I have collected, I find their narrations and deeds. What would I do with you? You sit around backbiting people.” Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of ‘Abdullah b. Al- Mubârak vol 8 page 398 i am asking this because sufis like tahir ul qadri claim that they have seen prophet peace be upon him in dream and reality, but salaf of this ummah never said this rather they said we are with prophet i.e. reading and doing research on ahadith. jazakAllahukhayran

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

It is clear from these accounts that what Ibn Al-Mubaarak meant by 'sitting with the Prophet and his Companions and their successors' is reading about them and their biographies.

As regards seeing the Prophet in reality (while awake), this is not possible as we have already clarified in Fatwa 9991.

We have clarified in the above Fatwa the scholars' interpretation of what was reported regarding the issue of that whoever sees the Prophet in a dream, he will see him while awake (i.e. he will be granted special sight of him on Judgment Day); so please refer to the above Fatwa for more benefit.

Therefore, one should not give any regard to the claims of the Sufis and others that they saw the Prophet while awake, as it is not true.

Allaah Knows best.