507. I was informed from Hajjāj ibn Muhammad, from Ibn Jurayj who said: I said (something) to ’Atā, so he mentioned a hadīth (and said): And regarding ‘Subhān Al-Malik Al-Quddūs’ then it has reached me – I think he informed about this from ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umar who said: “The Lord – ‘azza wa jalla – descends towards (the last part of) the night, then He says: ‘Who asks me so I can give him, who asks Me for forgiveness so I can forgive him?’ And the angels say: ‘Praise al Malik al Quddūs.’” And regarding ‘Subbūh Quddūs Rabb Al-Malāikah war-Rūh, the Mercy of my Lord preceded His Anger’, he said: “It has reached me that the Prophet ﷺ said when he was taken on a night journey: every time he passed by a heaven, the angels would greet him until he reached the sixth heaven, then Jibrīl (‘alayhi al salām) said: ‘This is an angel, so greet him.’ But the angel hurried to him and greeted him. So the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘I wish that I would have greeted him before he greeted me.’” He said: “Then when he reached the seventh heaven Jibrīl (alayhi as-salām) said: ‘Verily Allāh is praying.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘And does He pray?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘And what is His prayer?’ He said: ‘He says: ‘Subbūh Quddūs Rabb al Malāikah war-Rūh, My Mercy precedes My Anger.’ He said: ‘So follow that.’ I said: ‘Can I put some of it before the other?’ He said: ‘Yes if you want.’”
The Sunnah by Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal