The Seventh Heaven
Our beloved Prophet continued r the narration of his visit to the Seventh Heaven:
"Allah Almighty has it created from Light. Its name is Ghariba and the name of its guardian angel is Afra'il. Jibra'il requested entry at the keeper of the gates as he had done before, and after a succession of questions and answers, the gates swung open and we were admitted. I beheld Afra'il and the seven hundred thousand angels under his command. Each one of these had in turn seven hundred thousand helpers, and their glorification was this:
Subhana-lladhi sataha-s-samawati wa rafa'aha,
Subhana-lladhi basatal-arda wa farashaha,
Subhana-lladhi atla'al-kawakiba wa azharaha,
Subhana-lladhi arsal-jibala wa haya'ha.
(Glory be to Him who has fashioned the skies as a roof and raised them aloft;
Glory to Him who has flattened the earth and fitted it accordingly;
Glory to Him who brought forth the stars and made them to be adornments;
Glory to Him who has set up the mountains and fixed them in their places.)"
"I greeted Afra'il and he received my greetings with pleasure. He gave me glad tidings of many spiritual gifts of grace and much reward for accepted good works.
"Above the gate to this Heaven were written these words:
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La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, wa Abu Bakr as-Siddiq.
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There I beheld an angel whose head was at a level with the Throne, while his feet were placed firmly on the earth.
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He was so great that he might have swallowed up all the seven layers of Heaven with one gulp, had Allah Almighty permitted him to do so. The Tasbih of this tremendous angel was this:
Subhanal-muhtajibi bi jalalihi,
Subhanal-musawwiri fil-arhami ma yasha'u.
(Glory be to Him who is veiled by His Majesty,
Glory be to Him who forms in the womb whatever He wills.)
"Then I saw an angel with seven hundred thousand heads, and each of these heads bore seven hundred thousand faces. On every single face there were seven hundred thousand mouths, and in every single mouth there were seven hundred thousand tongues and with each tongue he speaks seven hundred thousand different languages. This angel also has seven hundred thousand wings. Every day, this angel plunges seven hundred times into the Ocean of Light, which is in Paradise, and each time he comes up out of the water, he shakes himself. From every drop of light that flies off him, the Almighty creates an angel, which glorifies the Lord as follows:
Subhanaka ma 'azhama sha'nuka,
Subhanaka ma 'azhama makanuka,
Subhanaka sayyidi ma arhamaka bi khalqika.
(Be Thou glorified, how immense is Thy dignity!
Glory be to Thee, how high is Thy station!
Glory to Thee, my Lord, how great Thy Mercy on Thine creation!)
"After passing by this one, I beheld another angel, seated upon a throne. His head was beneath the Divine Throne, and his feet reached to the bottom of the earth. He was so great, that he could have swallowed up the world and what is within it in a single gulp. The tip of one of his wings touched the west, whereas the other touched to the east. Seven hundred thousand angels were at his service, and each one of these commanded another seven hundred thousand angels. 'Who is this?' I asked the angel Jibra'il. 'This is Israfil,' he told me. I went up to him and gave him Salams and he received them well and gave me great good tidings. His Tasbih was this:
Subhana-s-sami'-al-'alim,
Subhanal-muhtajibi 'an khalqihi,
Subhana Rabbina wa ta'ala.
(Glory be to Him, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,
Glory be to Him who is veiled from His Creation,
Glorified and exalted be He, our Lord Almighty.)
"After this, I came upon a person all drowned in Light. He was seated upon a throne in an attitude of awesome dignity, and before him was a multitude of little children. I asked Jibra'il who was this person of such light, majesty and awe, and who were all the children with him. The angel answered me, 'This is your great grandfather Ibrahim. He loves you and the entire nation that believes in you. He once prayed to the Lord of the Worlds that he might be of service to your nation, and the Lord heard his supplication. He gave him all these little children who are the little boys and girls from your nation who die before reaching adulthood. Allah Almighty has entrusted Ibrahim with their upbringing and education. Until the Day of Judgment, he will be instructing them in proper behavior and training their minds in the useful sciences. After having perfected their schooling, on the Day of Gathering he will lead them forth and bring them to the site of Resurrection. There, before the Lord's Holy Presence, he will entreat Him with these words: 'Oh my Lord, here are the youngsters of the nation of Your Beloved Muhammad Z who died before reaching the age of maturity. According to Your order and command, I have taught and trained them in all useful branches of knowledge, and brought them before Thy Majestic Throne. Thine is all kindness, favor and grace.'
"At this invocation, the Almighty Lord will reply with the full glory of His Majesty, 'Oh children, go and enter the Gardens of Paradise.'
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Thereupon, these children will reply, 'Oh our Lord, by Thy Grace and Thy Munificence, let our parents go with us!'
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The Almighty Lord will again direct His Divine Speech at them, and say,
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'You have nothing to answer for, go and enter into Paradise forthwith; as for your parents, they are accountable and there are things they have to answer for.'
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Again, these children entreat the Lord, 'During their lives in the material world, we caused them sorrow through our absence;
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now, by the vastness of Thine Mercy which floods the universal expanse, let us be the cause of happiness for them.'
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Upon this plea, the All-Merciful and Beneficent Lord accepts the children's supplications and addresses them, saying, 'Go then and take from the wine of the spring of Kawthar and give your parents to drink therefrom.'
"Thereafter, Jibra'il turned to me and said, 'Go ahead and give Salams to Ibrahim.' I stepped forth and greeted him, whereupon he honored me and received me well. Then he spoke to me, saying, 'Welcome to you, oh virtuous son and righteous Prophet! Tonight you are to be honored in that you will witness the splendor of the Lord of the Universe, and you will be admitted to behold all manner of sacred displays. As for your nation, it is the last of all nations and it will be a very weak nation, so do not neglect to intercede with your Lord on their behalf.'
"And he continued, 'Oh Muhammad {s}! Give Salams to your nation from me and convey to them my advice: the World (dunya) is of a passing nature and rapid in its decline. In the eyes of the Eternal Lord it is but base and contemptible matter. He attributes to it not even the value of a fly's wing. Tell them not to waste their lives in the pursuit of its vain beauties, its pomp and palaces; not to be deceived by its many and varied tastes, by promises of grandeur and large followings. For it is the world to come, which is lasting, and eternal. Therefore, let them busy themselves in following the pure ways of the Shari'a (Divine Law) by night and by day, and the guidance contained in your Sunna (practice of the Prophet {S}) and thereby gain the good pleasure of the Almighty Lord. The Gardens of Paradise are vast, so let them plant there many, many trees.'
"I asked him then, 'How does one plant a tree in the Jannah?' He replied, 'Through the recital of this Tasbih:
Subhanallahi wal-hamdu-lillahi
wa la ilaha ill-Allahu wallahu akbar,
wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil-aliyyil-azhim.
(Glory be to Allah and Praise;
None is worthy of worship but Allah alone, and Allah is Most Great!
There is no Might and no Power save with Allah, the Exalted, Majestic.)
Tell them to recite this Du'a (prayer), for each time they recite it, a tree is planted in Paradise.'
"Then Jibra'il called the Adhan to prayer and made Iqama; I then led the angels and inhabitants of the seventh Heaven in a prayer of two Rak'ats, then we ascended to the Bayt-al-Ma'mur.
The Bayt-al-Ma'mur (The Heavenly House) 5
"This is a highly revered building in the Seventh Heaven. It is of the same size as the revered Kaba, which stands upon the earth and it is situated right above it. Were it to be let down from the Heavens, it would land right on top of the Kaba.
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Allah has created it from red ruby stone and given it two doors made from green emerald.
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Ten thousand lamps of pure gold illuminate it and it has a minaret of pure silver,
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which has a height of five hundred years' traveling. At the door of this building there is a Minbar (a pulpit), and every day since their creation up until the Last Day,
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seventy thousand angels come here to visit this house.
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"In front of it there is a sea of light in which they first bathe, then take thereof a veil of light each and wrap it around themselves.
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This is their Ihram (ceremonial clothing of the pilgrimage).
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Then they begin to circumambulate the Heavenly House in Ihram, calling out Labbayk ('At Your service!'), as the pilgrims do on earth.
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Having once completed their Tawaf (circumambulation), these angels do not return a second time until the Day of Judgment, and it is only the angels of the seventh Heaven who go there at all. Jibra'il then took me by the hand and we went inside.
"He said to me, 'Oh Rasulullah {S}, do lead us here in prayer too!' Then he called the Adhan, and all the inhabitants of the seven heavens now followed as I led them in a prayer of two Rak'ats. When I beheld the immense multitude, it came to my mind, 'Oh if only my nation were granted such a communal prayer.' Thereupon, the Lord who knows all hidden thoughts, realized my secret wish in that He commanded, 'Oh Muhammad {s}! Your nation will be granted such a communal prayer: it will be on a Friday, and it will be obligatory.'"
It is written in some of the books of admonition:
"Every Friday the great angels assemble round the Holy House. Jibra'il calls the Adhan and Israfil delivers the Khutaba (sermon) while Mikha'il leads the prayer as Imam. All the angels of the seven heavens follow his lead. After the Jum'a[1] prayer is complete, Jibra'il addresses the gathering as follows, "Oh gathering of angels, bear
witness that I pass on the reward for this Adhan to the Muadhdhins [2] (callers to prayer) of the nation of Muhammad {s}!"
Then Israfil rises and says, "Oh ye angels! Bear witness that I donate the reward for this Khutba to all the Khatibs[3] of the nation of Muhammad {s}!" Then Mikha'il steps forth and says, "Oh angels, I too have made over the merit of leading this prayer to the Imam[4] of the nation of Muhammad {s}!" All the angels then present the merit for their prayer to those of the nation of Muhammad {s} who have prayed the Jum'a prayer.
Then there comes a call from the Highest Lord, saying, "Oh Angels of Mine! Do you seek to outdo Me in generosity, whereas I am He who created all Generosity and Munificence! Hear then My Decree: whoever honors the day of Jum'a from among the nation of Muhammad {s}, man or woman alike, I will forgive them their sins and free them from the torments of Hell!" Thus He Almighty grants us His Grace and Mercy. Oh Allah, make us also recipients of Your Munificence and ease our way to reach such a degree of merit, for the honor of the Trusted Prophet Muhammad {s}, oh Most Merciful of the Merciful, Amin!
"Then," continued the Holy Prophet {S}, "we ascended to Sidratul Muntaha."
The Sidratul Muntaha 5
Concerning the 'Sidratul Muhtaha', the learned 'Ulama have proffered various differing opinions, particularly with regard to the statement: "It is called 'Sidratul Muntaha' (the lotus tree of the extreme limit) because it is the end of all that is knowable, and nobody can know what is beyond it." Some others have explained: "Whoever comes from above, arrives here and cannot pass on further down. Whoever comes from below, reaches this point and cannot ascend further. Therefore it is called by this name."
Yet others try to explain it in this way: "The world of spirits ends at this point, therefore it is called the Lote tree of the extreme limit." Ibn 'Abbas tells us:
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"It is a tree which is made all of gold.
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Some of its boughs are made of emerald,
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some are of ruby.
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The tree measures a distance of one hundred and fifty years journey from its foot to its top.
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Its leaves resemble the ears of the elephant, and they are very great: a single one of them would cover the entire world. Its fruits are shaped like water jugs. The whole tree is engulfed by light."
The Holy Prophet {S} continues:
"Upon this tree I saw such a number of angels that only Allah Almighty can know. They enfolded all the leaves of that tree and glittered like locusts, flashing like stars."
This holy verse was revealed concerning this vision:
Indeed, he saw him another time by the Lote-Tree of the Boundary nigh which is the Garden of the Refuge, when there covered the Lote-Tree that which covered; his eye swerved not, nor swept astray. Indeed he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 13-18)
The commentators interpret this verse as meaning that the whole tree was surrounded and embraced by the multitude of angels upon it. It is related that there were as many angels upon the leaves of that tree as there are stars in the sky and grains of sand in the earth.
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Some angels took the form of golden butterflies.
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All of them came to greet the Prophet of Allah r, and when they beheld his saintly beauty, they all gave thanks to the Lord and gave to him the assurance of Allah's Mercy.
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They also made over all the merit of their devotional actions to the nation of Muhammad {s}.
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Jibra'il, too, had his place upon the branches of this tree, and his was a branch made of green emerald.
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It was at a height of one hundred thousand years of journeying. There is a leaf there,
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the breadth of which is that of the seven layers of the heavens and the seven beds of the earth.
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Upon it there is a carpet spread of light, and on it there is a Mihrab made of red ruby.
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This Mihrab is the place of the Angel Jibra'il. Before it was placed a seat of honor reserved for the Holy Prophet {S} upon which no one had sat since the day it was set in place.
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Each of these was surrounded by forty thousand stools upon which angels sat reciting the Injil.
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To the left there were also ten thousand stools made of beryl, and the angels seated upon them were writing out the Zabur.
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Forty thousand other angels reciting the Zabur surrounded each seat.
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Behind us there were again ten thousand stools of red ruby. The angels seated on these were writing out the Holy Quran, and around each stool there were seated another forty thousand angels reciting the Holy Quran.
This has been explained as follows:
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The wisdom of the Torah being placed before Muhammad {s},
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the Injil to his right, and
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the Zabur to his left is this:
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before the Holy Prophet {S}, the Choice of all Humankind, had yet appeared in the world and begun fulfilling his mission, those Holy Scriptures had already been revealed.
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All of them contained descriptions of the Prophet to come and told of his characteristics and excellence, and of the preeminent position of his nation among all other, previous nations.
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The Holy Quran was placed behind him because its Judgment is to remain valid and unsurpassed until the Day of Judgment, and even the Day of Judgment would be conducted by its rulings. It is a sign of its remaining free and safe from abrogation, substitution, alteration or corruption.
The Holy Prophet {S} continues:
"Jibra'il then said to me, 'Oh Rasulullah {S}, I have a request to make of you: that you would deign to pray two Rak'ats here, so that my Maqam might gain blessings from it.' I therefore prayed a prayer of two Rak'ats there and all the angels of the Holy House and the Sidratul Muntaha followed suit." In this way the Holy Prophet {S} was honored above the angels.
The Four Streams of Paradise 5
Rasulullah {S} continues his account:
"Below this tree there flowed four streams, two of which were evident and two of which were hidden. Jibra'il told me,
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'The two hidden streams flow into the Gardens of Paradise, while the
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two visible ones flow down to the Earth.
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One of them is the Euphrates,
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the other is the Nile.'
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Then I beheld another stream, by the banks of which tents had been set up that were of ruby, pearls and chrysolite.
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By their banks flew birds of emerald green whose necks resembled the necks of camels.
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Jibra'il then said to me, 'What you see here is the spring of Kawthar.
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Allah Almighty has made you a gift of it.'
As it is written in the Holy Quran,
Surely, We have given thee abundance (Kawthar); so pray unto thy Lord and sacrifice. Surely he that hates thee, he is the one cut off. (Abundance)
"This stream flowed along over pebbles of rubies and emerald and its waters were whiter than milk. I took up a cup and drank from it. Its taste was sweeter than honey, and its scent more pleasing than musk.
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A spring gushed forth beneath that tree. Jibra'il told me its name: Salsabil.
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It was the source of two waters,
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one is Kawthar (Abundance);
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the other is Rahma (Mercy). Both streams flow before the gates of the Garden.
"Those entering into Paradise drink from the waters of Kawthar, and when they do so, all the calamities of the heart, base character and bad habits disappear and they become cleansed.
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Then they bathe in the spring of Rahma (Mercy).
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The men assume the dimensions of Adam, who measured sixty yards in height and seven yards in breadth.
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They will all be thirty-three years of age and will have green moustaches.
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As for the ladies, they will emerge as virgin girls of eighteen and their virginity will not be rent.
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Thus they will enter into Paradise, and never again will they age and become old.
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The spring of Salsabil is the source of these waters.
"Then I saw groups of angels passing in rows before the Sidra, and their rows were joined together. They formed such a long formation, that were a bird of swiftest flight to fly along it for a hundred years, he would not reach its other end. They moved faster than the wind, as swiftly as the arrow flies. I then asked Jibra'il, 'Whence comes this great multitude of angels, and whither are they going? And when did they begin their passage?' Jibra'il explained to me, saying, 'They have been passing by since the time they were created, ceaselessly in passage. I know not whence they come nor whither they are going.' I marveled at their great number, remarking on it under my breath. Instantly this verse was revealed to me through Jibra'il:
...and none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. (Shrouded, 31)
"Then they brought before me three bowls; one containing wine, one containing honey and a third containing milk. I chose the one with milk and drank from it. Jibra'il then said to me, 'You have chosen the natural disposition of Islam and your nation will be firmly established in the religion of Islam. Had you chosen the cup of wine, your nation would have been a rebellious and fickle one.'
"I saw an angel at the Sidra greater than all the other angels I had seen. He measured a thousand times thousand years' wayfaring distance. This angel had seventy thousand heads. Every head had seventy thousand faces. On every face there were seventy thousand mouths. And each head was covered with seventy thousand cloths. Each one of these coverings was embellished with one thousand times thousand pearls. Each of these pearls was so great that there appeared a sea in its midst in which fish were swimming. Upon their backs was written the Kalimat-ut-Tawhid, the Declaration of Unity:
LA ILAHA ILL'ALLAH, MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAH.
"This angel engaged in exaltation of the Lord, placing one hand upon his head and one hand behind his back. The beauty of his voice was such that it caused a commotion at the Divine Throne itself. I asked Jibra'il to tell me who that angel was and he said, 'The Lord Almighty created this angel two thousand years before He created Adam.' I then asked where he had been all this time and where was his place of dwelling. Jibra'il replied, 'In Paradise there is a place to the right of the Divine Throne, that is the abode of this angel. From there he was brought here.'
Ramadan, the Blessed 5
"I went up to him and greeted him and he rose in answer to my Salams. Then he spread his wings, and all the heavens and the Earth were covered by their expanse. He then kissed my face and said, 'Good tidings to you, and to your nation!
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The Lord Almighty has decreed that your nation might have a singularly blessed month so that He might forgive them their sins.
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This holy month is the month of Ramadan and it is meant as a gift for you and your nation.
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For its sake your nation will find forgiveness. I have been sent here this very night to announce to you this great gladness.'
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Then I saw two boxes standing before him.
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On each of them there was a key of light.
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I asked that angel what was inside of those boxes. He told me, 'In one of these boxes there are the letters of release from Hellfire for those among your nation who fast the whole month of Ramadan until the new moon, up till the Day of Judgment.'
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According to a different narration, the angel is to have said, "Every day of Ramadan,
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at the time of Iftar (the breaking of the fast), the Lord Almighty frees from Hellfire six hundred thousand of His servants who have fasted.
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When Jum'a (Friday) has come, He frees six hundred thousand prisoners every hour for twenty-four hours from Hellfire until the Night of Power has come.
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On that blessed night, that is to say, during the twenty-four hours making up that night and day, at the beginning of every hour the Lord frees from Hell as many of His servants as He has freed since the beginning of the holy month, including the Jum'a days.
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The last day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar (the breaking of the fast), the Lord sets free as many of His servants as He has freed during the whole month, including the Jum'a days and the Night of Power."
The Holy Prophet {S} continues:
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"The angel told me that the other box contained this precious gift:
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'On the Day of Judgment, seventy thousand persons of your nation will be granted entry into Paradise without questioning or reckoning.
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Their release certificates are contained in this box. In addition to these seventy thousand, each one of them will be granted the release of another seventy thousand from among his friends and relations and other disobedient Muslims.
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They, too, will be released without reckoning and granted accession to the heavenly gardens.
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This box contains the letters of release for all of them. Tuba, glad tidings to you and your nation, oh Rasulullah {S}!'"
By the term "Tuba" he meant to say, "Oh Rasulullah {S}, among all the countless and unbounded pleasures of the People of Paradise, the delights of the Tuba tree are reserved for you and your nation."
This expression is metaphorical; the part signifies the whole, and speaking about the Tuba tree, signifies the totality of delights in the entire heavenly realm. In the sense mentioned above, Tuba signifies a tree in Paradise. However, the word 'tuba' is also (grammatically) the feminine form of the word 'atyab', (which means better, more excellent). This can be interpreted as follows:
"I give tidings of gladness to you and your nation; those who pass their days in the world in a good way and spend their time in a commendable fashion, who perform good works all their lives, and when they reach the end of their days will return their trusts in the light of faith, uttering the words of unity; whose questioning in the grave by the angels Munkar and Nakir will be made easy and whose graves will resemble a Garden of Paradise in which they will be at ease; who on the Day of Gathering will be gathered under the Banner of Praise and who will receive many gratifications under the shadow of the Great Throne; who will be given their book of accounts into their right hand and whose reckoning will be light; who will cross the bridge of the Sirat along with those who are the first to cross it, and who will by the Grace of Allah be of those who enter Paradise freely, without questioning or Judgment; who will be granted the sweetest of all bliss in being privileged to gaze upon the Divine Beauty of the Lord and thus will have attained their ultimate desire – these are the tidings I give to you and your nation, oh Muhammad {s}."
The Holy Prophet's r report continues:
"I then beheld another angel who had the shape and form of a rooster and was created from white pearls. This angel had seventy thousand wings to his left and seventy thousand wings to his right. On each wing there were seventy thousand feathers made of pearls, and seventy thousand feathers made of rubies, and seventy thousand feathers of red gold, and seventy thousand feathers of silver, and seventy thousand feathers of pure musk, and seventy thousand feathers made of camphor, and seventy thousand feathers of ambergris, and seventy thousand feathers made of saffron. He reached in height from the Throne to the lowest of the seven layers of the earth. On each one of his wings were written these words:
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, La ilaha ill'Allah, Muhammadan Rasulullah.
Kullu shay'in halikun illa wajhahu, al-Wahid ul-Qahhar.
(In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. All must perish save His Divine Countenance, He who is One, the All-Vanquishing.)
"At every prayer time, this angel would raise his head and repeat the glorification:
Bismillahil-'azhim wa bi-hamdihi
(In the Name of Allah, the Mighty and in Praise of Him.)
"His Tasbih was thus:
Subhanaka, ma a'zhama sha'nuka.
(Praise be to Thee, how great is Thy Glory!)
"After this, he would flap his wings together, and as he did this, wondrous sounds issue forth from this flapping. When these tones reach the Paradise Gardens, the boughs of the trees of Paradise would bend and sway against each other, and it would carry on to the ruby and garnet domes of Paradise which resound with melodious echo. These tones rouse the Huris and Ghilman of Paradise, and they say to each other, 'Good news! The time for prayer has come to the nation of Muhammad {s}!' Then, this great angel begins to move and his movement makes the Throne tremble. The Lord then asks him, 'What makes you tremble?' and the angel answers Him, 'Oh my Lord, the nation of Muhammad {s} has risen for prayer, and yet there are among them such a great number of sinners. Therefore I tremble.' The Lord thereupon says, 'Oh angel, be unperturbed! I am obliged to dispense of My Mercy upon those who pray. Witness that I train upon them the Gaze of Mercy and that I have forgiven them. I have freed them from Hellfire, for the honor of My Beloved, I have granted them dwelling in the Paradise of Mawa.' Thus the Lord proclaims His great Kindness and Munificence."
The Angel Jibra'il's Appearance 5
The Mercy to all the Worlds r continued his narration:
"Here, too, I beheld the angel Jibra'il in his very own shape and form. He had six hundred wings, which were made of various kinds of jewels and pearls. Whenever he would open up a pair of these wings. They filled all the space between east and west. The wings were embellished by all sorts of precious stones. It would have taken a swift-flying bird five hundred, or according to other sources, seven hundred years to measure the distance from one shoulder to the other.
Adhan
"Then we came to an open space from where we could hear the sounds of the writing of the Divine Pen. I said to Jibra'il, 'Go ahead', but Jibra'il answered, 'You go ahead, for in the eyes of Allah you are more honored than I and all the world.' I then passed on ahead of him and Jibra'il went behind me. We came unto a veil of gold. Jibra'il shook the veil and a voice was heard from behind it, saying, 'Who are you?' Jibra'il answered, 'I am Jibra'il, and Muhammad {s} is with me.' From within the veil this angel intoned: 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.' From behind the curtain came a voice which said, 'My servant has spoken truly, I am indeed the Greatest, no Greatness is due to any but Me.'
"Then the angel called, 'Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill'Allah.' Again there was a call, 'My servant has spoken truly, Ana la ilaha illa ana, I am He beside whom there is no other God.' The angel repeated the words of the Shahada, 'Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, I bear witness that Muhammad {s} is the Prophet of Allah.' Again there was a call, 'My servant has spoken truly, I have sent Muhammad {s} as My Messenger-Prophet. ' Then I heard the angel say, 'Hayy 'ala-s-sala, Hayy 'alal-falah.' Another call was heard, 'My servant has spoken truly; he calls My servants to come to Me, worshipful. I have invited them to My gate, and whoever answers My invitation, will be saved and meet with success.' Thereafter I heard the angel say, 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.' Another call came, 'My servant has spoken the Truth: Ana Akbar, I am the Greatest.' The angel then said, 'La ilaha ill'Allah'. A call came, saying, 'My servant has spoken truly, there is no God but I.'
"Then I heard another call, 'Oh Muhammad {s}, Allah has honored you with perfect honor over all those who went before you and who are yet to come.' I then asked Jibra'il, 'Who is this angel?' Jibra'il told me, 'I swear by the Might and Glory of Allah who has sent you as His Messenger of Truth: I have never seen this angel, I do not know who he is or anything about him, but you are now about to find out.' I then asked, 'Are you not going any further then? Does a true friend leave his friend in midstream?' Jibra'il then said, 'Oh Rasulullah {S}, every angel has his place and station beyond which he cannot go. If I advance even the breadth of a finger, the Wrath of Allah will burn me. My ultimate station is the Sidratul Muntaha. Up to this very moment, I have never gone as far as this point. For your sake and honor, however, I have been given permission, and I have brought you here. But I can proceed no further than this.'
"Then I asked, 'Is there anything you request of the Lord Almighty? If there is anything you desire, I will ask it of Him.' Jibra'il answered, 'My request of the Lord is that He permit me, when your nation is ordered to march across the Bridge of the Sirat, to spread my wing across that bridge and assist them in crossing it in safety in this way.'
"Then an angel stretched forth his hand from behind the veil, and in less time than the blinking of an eye, he pulled me through to the farther side. Then he said to me, 'Oh Rasulullah {S}, proceed ahead of me.' In a short while, he had brought me before a curtain of pearls. When he stirred the curtain, an angel's voice was heard from behind it, asking, 'Who is this?' The angel accompanying me said, 'I am the angel of the golden curtain and with me is the most-honored Prophet of the Lord.' The angel behind the veil then said, 'Allahu Akbar' and, stretching out his hand from behind the veil, he pulled me across. In as little time as it takes for the eye to blink, I had traversed the curtain and found myself standing before him, where he greeted me with every mark of honor and respect.
Rafraf 5
"In this way I passed through seventy thousand veils, each one of them made of a different kind of jewel. The distance between each of these curtains was one of five hundred years' wayfaring, and the thickness of each was that of another five hundred years. When I had passed through all of the veils, I remained all alone. Then Rafraf came to me and became visible in the shape of a green settee, which greeted me with greetings of peace. He spoke to me, saying, 'Seat yourself upon me, for I will be your transport.'"
During the night of his Mi'raj, the Holy Prophet {S} journeyed upon five different conveyances: the first was the Buraq, which took him up to al-Quds (Jerusalem). The second was the Mi'raj (the steps) on which he ascended up into the earthly skies. The third was the angel Jibra'il 's wing; on it he approached as far the veil. The fourth were the angels who pulled him from one veil to the next. The fifth was the Rafraf; with this he proceeded as far as Allah Almighty wished him to go.
Kursi 5
The Holy Prophet {S} continues:
"I mounted upon the Rafraf and it took me as far as the Kursi (Divine Courtyard). The Lord Almighty has created the Kursi from pearls, and it is very great, so great it is that it defies all description."
In the Holy Quran, Allah says about the Kursi:
His Throne (Kursi) comprises the heavens and the earth; the preserving of whom oppresses Him not. (The Cow, 255)
The most excellent of commentators, Ibn 'Abbas, says about this in his commentary:
"If the seven layers of the earth and the seven layers of the heavens were put together and spread out, next to the Kursi they would be as a tiny ring which has been lost in a desert." Between the Kursi (Divine Court) and the 'Arsh (Divine Throne) there are seventy veils. If not for these, the angels of the Kursi would be burnt from the Light of the Divine Throne ('Arsh).
The Holy Prophet {S} continued his blessed narration:
"I passed beyond those veils. Between each of the veils, I beheld various thrones that were bedecked with fine throws studded with many gems. All around the thrones curtains were drawn, as if these thrones were still waiting for their occupants. An air of expectancy surrounded these bejeweled seats of honor. I asked the guardians of these thrones, 'Who is to be seated upon them?' and they answered me, 'They will be occupied by the spirits.'
*
I asked, 'The spirits of which prophets are they meant for?' and I was told, 'These are not for those ranking among the prophets; their ranks are far beyond that.
*
These thrones are intended for the spirits of two groups from among your nation.' I asked again, 'Whose are these spirits?' And I was told,
*
'One group is made up of those who have learned by heart the words of the Holy Quran revealed to you, who understand its meaning and who act in accordance to its injections.
*
The other group comprises those who rise at night to worship their Lord when all the world lies fast asleep.'"
*
"Indeed, I beheld many wondrous marvels between the layers of these veils.
*
I saw numberless strange seas and within them strange and wondrous creatures.
*
I saw many angels of dreadful guise, but to comprehend them or describe or explain them exceeds all human means.
'Arsh 5
"After passing through all the veils, I reached the Divine Throne.
*
Allah has created it of green emeralds and it has four legs of red ruby.
*
The Divine Throne has as many tongues as there are created beings, and each of these glorifies the Lord unceasingly.
*
An angel holds on to each one of the feet of the Divine Throne and holds it aloft until the Day of Judgment.
*
On that day, there will be two angels holding each foot of the Throne, eight angels in all.
*
The size of these angels is such that the distance between the heel and the ankles of each is that of five hundred years' wayfaring, and from their earlobe to their neck is another five hundred years' traveling distance.
*
"The Throne-bearing angels never once raise their heads to gaze upwards, for the dazzling gleam of the light of the Throne.
*
One of these angels has the form of a man, and he is always praying, interceding on behalf of humankind, that they may be granted their sustenance and provisions and that their sins may be forgiven.
*
The second one of these angels has the shape of an eagle and he is always praying for the provision of the birds and flying creatures.
*
The third of these angels has the form of a lion, and he prays for the beasts of prey to be given their provisions.
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The fourth one is shaped like an ox and he prays constantly for the ruminant animals to be granted their provisions.
"Compared to the greatness of the Divine Throne, the entire Divine Court,
*
the seven heavens and the seven layers of the earth are as a single lamp suspended beneath the sky.
*
All around it are seventy thousand rows of angels circumambulating it at all times,
*
reciting Takbir ('Allahu Akbar') and
*
Tahlil ('La ilaha illAllah').
*
Behind them are again seventy thousand rows of angels standing upright and reciting Takbir and Tahlil. Behind them are one hundred thousand rows of angels who hold their right hands clasped over their left hands and each one of them recites a different Tasbih. Seventy thousand veils separate these angels from the Divine Throne.
"Then I beheld a single pearl of emerald green upon which was written this line of writing:
La ilaha illallah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah,
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq wa 'Umar al-Faruq
There is no god but the one true god (al-lah);
Muhammad is the messenger of allah.
Abu bakr "‘ the truthful, and 'umar "‘ the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood.
*
"The Declaration of Unity (Kalimat-at-Tawhid) is written on the base that supports the Divine Throne, and upon the legs of the Throne itself, and
*
it is written over the gates of the Seven Heavens.
*
Sometimes, this phrase was added: 'I have strengthened him through Ali.'
*
"When I reached the Divine Throne, I witnessed great events. One drop fell from the Throne into my mouth and the sweetness of it surpassed everything I have ever tasted.
*
When I had swallowed it, the Lord of the Universe enlightened my heart with the knowledge and wisdom of all that had gone before and was yet to come.
*
The light from the Throne surrounded me and I was engulfed by it. I was aware of nothing but that light. When faced with this light, I perceived everything through my heart's eye as clearly as though I were looking through my eyes. I perceived what was behind me as clearly as that, which was before me, at a level with my chest.
"After all this occurred, I came into a state when I heard absolutely nothing, not the voices of the angels, nor the sound of any other thing. This state caused me to experience great terror. Then I suddenly heard a voice that seemed to be the voice of Abu Bakr saying to me, 'Qif, ya Muhammad, inna rabbuka yusalli. (Stay your step, oh Muhammad {s}, for your Lord is praying blessing.') When I heard this voice, all the terror departed from me completely, and I began to wonder, 'What is Abu Bakr doing here? Has he surpassed me, I wonder? And what does this mean, the Lord is praying, the Lord Who is free from all exigence! What could be the meaning of all this?'"
This is a very important subject which needs to be well understood: the reason for the Holy Prophet {S} proceeding to the Divine Throne was not to see the Lord Almighty, for Almighty God is exempt from any particular place. The Holy Prophet {S}was taken to these stations in order to witness the entirety of creation, and to see the manifestation of the Divine Lord's Supreme Majesty and Power, as He says in these verses of the Holy Quran:
Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 18)
...that We might show him some of Our signs. (The Night Journey, 1)
Apart from this, there is another matter that it is crucial to understand: Let it not be imagined that the greatness of the things described in this account are exaggerated, as the Lord has described in the aforementioned verses.
Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 18)
As the Lord of the Worlds Himself here describes a thing as being 'great'; how great then must it be! For perhaps the Holy Prophet {S}has given us only a summary report of what he saw in accordance with our minds' capacity; most of what he saw he did not reveal to us, for it is not possible to give a description of the greatest things that he witnessed, as the mind of man is not equipped to comprehend such things. Therefore, he did not mention those matters; this must be understood.
The Vision of the Divine Beauty 5
The Holy Prophet {S} continues his account:
"When I reached to the Divine Throne, I wished to remove my sandals, but the Throne spoke to me and said, 'Oh Beloved of Allah r, step upon me with your blessed sandal, so that I might rub the dust from it on my face, and take pride in the fact that the dust from the sandal of the Beloved of Allah r has fallen upon me.'
"Again I tried to remove my sandals, but this time a call came to me from the Divine Person, saying, 'Oh My Beloved, do not remove your sandals so that My Throne might be honored and blessed with the dust from the soles of your sandals.'
*
I then entreated my Lord, saying, 'When You called the Prophet Musa to come to the mountain of Tur (Sina'i),
*
You ordered him to remove his sandals.' Again this word came to me from the Divine Person, saying,
*
'In My view, you are more cherished and honored than he; Musa was My Word (Kalimullah), whereas you are My Beloved (Habibullah). Look ahead and see what you will see!'
"I looked and I saw a great sea, so great that there was no end to it, and no shore in sight. On its near side there was a tree, and upon that tree, there was a bird the size of a dove. In its beak this bird bore a piece of clay as big as a lentil. 'Do you know what this is?' I was asked. I answered, 'My Lord knows best.' And He Almighty told me, 'You are forever entreating Me to forgive your nation their sins. This sea is the likeness of the Sea of Mercy. That tree signifies the world, the dove-like bird is the likeness of your nation and that bit of clay is the likeness of their sins. Now you have seen the relation of your nation's sins to the vastness of My Mercy, so let your heart be at rest.'"
When the secret of that, which the mind is incapable of grasping, was revealed to the Holy Prophet {S} in this Holy Verse of the Quran:
He stood poised, being on the higher horizon, then drew near and suspended hung, two bows'-length away, or nearer, then revealed to His servant that He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw; what, will you dispute with him what he sees?
(The Star, 6-12)
He, the Almighty, addressed him in the following words:
"Draw nearer to Me, oh you Best of all Mankind! Draw nigh, oh Ahmad, oh Muhammad, so that The Friend may be in intimate association with His friend!"
In this way, the Holy Prophet {S} was granted the unmediated vision of the Sublime Beauty of He who is beyond all space and time, free from all conditions or qualities, the Unmitigated Principal of all things.
This is the avowed preference of the Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama'ah (People of the Sunnah of Prophet {S} and the Majority).
The Tahiyyat Prayer 5
To continue with the Holy Prophet's {s} account:
"When faced with the unparalleled honor of a glimpse of the Lord's Divine Beauty, it came to me to express myself in the following words:
At-tahiyyatu li-llahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu.
(Salutations be to Allah, all praise and glory to Him; all worship and good works are due to Him Almighty) which is to say, 'All praise, exaltation and worship in speech, all worship through actions and property is due to the Almighty alone, the only One to whom worship is due.'
After I had pronounced these words, the Lord of Might and Glory answered me, saying:
As-salamu 'alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu;
(And salutations to you, oh Prophet, and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings) which is to say, 'Peace be upon you, oh Prophet; may you be safe from the trouble and difficulties of this world and the next, oh My glorious Prophet! May the Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you.'
"In this way, He proffered very special greetings upon me. In response, I said:
As-Salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahi-s-salihin;
(And peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of the Lord), that is to say, 'May the peace of this world and the next be upon us, for our answering and acceptance of these greetings, upon all us Prophets of the Lord, and upon His righteous servants, which is the name given to the nation of Muhammad.'
"Jibra'il was informed of this secret, and from his post he concluded:
Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill'Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Prophet.)
After this, Allah Almighty, the Possessor of Majesty and Glory, asked me, 'Do you know, oh Muhammad, which actions the inhabitants of the heavens approve of and what they desire to be done?' I replied, 'Oh my Lord, I know nothing, and You know everything; moreover all that is hidden and secret.' Again the Lord spoke to me and said, 'Oh Muhammad, do you know what actions the heavenly hosts love and approve of?' Again I replied, 'Oh my Lord, I know it not, for You know all things, and you know all that is hidden.' After this, He in His Grace and Infinite Kindness and Benevolence taught me all the knowledge I was in need of.
"Then again He asked me the same question, 'Do you know what actions the heavenly hosts rejoice in and are happy to see performed?' This time I answered, 'They are happy with works that are performed in compensation for sins committed and with works that lead to raised stations in Paradise - those are the works the heavenly folk rejoice in.' The Lord of Hosts continued to ask me, 'And what are these works that are compensation for sins committed?' I answered, 'On a cold day, to perform one's ablutions with cold water and in such a way that one's limbs are wetted entirely; to walk the distance required to join the prayer in congregation; after having prayed one prayer, to wait for the next (that is to say, to make ready as the time approaches, and to wait in readiness); these are actions that are compensation for sins. Whoever performs such works, he will live his life in goodness and righteousness and only good will be his lot. He will be as pure as on the day his mother brought him into the world.'"
The meaning of these last two statements can be understood as referring to good works in general, but it can also be understood as supplication and incentive, in which case it would be read as follows:
"Whoever persists in these three actions, I pray and plead that his may be a goodly life. May he always be surrounded by goodness and remain as pure as on the day he was born."
To pursue the Holy Prophet's account:
"Then my Lord resumed His questioning and said, 'Which are those actions that lead to high stations in Paradise?' And I answered, 'To share food with people and to show hospitality, to give Salams to a Muslim whom one encounters on the road, to rise for prayer at night when everyone is asleep "‘ these three actions lead to high stations in Paradise.'
"After this the Lord Almighty said to me, 'Speak, oh Muhammad!' 'What shall I say, oh my Lord?' I answered. He said, 'Recite this Du'a:'
Allahumma inni as'aluka 'amalan bil-hasanati wa tarkan lil-munkirati, wa idha aradta bi-qawmin fitnatan wa ana fi-him, fa-qbidni ilayka ghayra maftun.
(Oh my Lord, I ask of You to be granted good works and to be released from bad actions, and should You have decreed disaster for a people and I should be among them, then take me from their midst before calamity takes its toll.)"
The Leader of the World, the Foremost and Elect of all the Sons of Adam, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad {s} thus reached the Station of Nearness and was granted the vision of Divine Beauty. From the Station of the Knowledge of Certainty ('ilm al-yaqin), he passed to the Station of the Witnessing of Certainty ('ayn al-yaqin) through holding direct converse with the Lord of Majesty and Might. His blind faith in the unseen was turned into faith supported by direct witnessing. The Exalted Lord Almighty informs of this in the revelation of this verse of the Holy Quran:
The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord.
(The Cow, 285)
Here the word 'messenger' (rasul) indicates Rasulullah, Muhammad our Prophet {S}.
The Holy Prophet {S} recounts:
"Concerning the above mentioned verse, I said, 'Yes my Lord, I believe in all that has been revealed aforetime.' The Lord then asked, 'And who else believed in it?' I said, 'And the believers; each one believes in God.' (The Cow, 285) The Lord then asked again, 'And what else do they believe in?' I replied, ''And His angels, and His Books and His Messengers. We make no division between any of His Messengers (The Cow, 285); we accept and confirm them all.' The Lord then asked, 'What did the believers say when the revelation came to them with the laws and injunctions from their Lord?' I answered, 'They said, 'We hear, and obey (The Cow, 285) oh my Lord!' The Lord then said, 'You have spoken truly, oh Muhammad, for they have received My Word and pledged obedience to My Commands. Now ask of Me what you wish, it will be granted.'
"To this I said, 'Oh Lord, grant us Thy Forgiveness; unto Thee is the homecoming. (The Cow, 285) Admit us to Your Divine Presence having granted us Your Mercy and Forgiveness.' Thereupon the Almighty replied, 'I have forgiven you and your nation.' And after this, the Lord of Majesty and Might spoke:
God charges no soul save to its capacity, standing to its account is what it has earned, and against it what it has merited. (The Cow, 286)
"And after this, He said, 'Oh Muhammad, this night is the night of gifts, ask therefore for whatever you wish, it will be granted.' I then said,
Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget or make mistake. (The Cow, 286)
"The Lord then said, 'I have forgiven you and your nation for whatever sins they have committed from heedlessness and forgetfulness. And I have forgiven them the sins that they were forced to commit. So ask again, it will be granted.' I said,
'Our Lord, charge us not with a load such as Thou didst lay upon those before us.'" (The Cow, 286)
The Holy Prophet {S} wished to express this: "Do not charge us with as heavy a load as that which You laid upon previous nations." This alludes to previous injunctions, which required the giving away of one fourth of one's possessions in Zakat, the cutting off of a defiled piece of clothing; swift punishment for crimes committed, and similar punishments. For instance, something that was permitted to them before was forbidden to them as a punishment for their crimes; if they committed a sin during the night, it would be written upon their foreheads or above their doors, in express letters, stating the crime and the punishment due to the perpetrator: "This man has committed a crime during the night and as a punishment, he must kill himself (for instance, by burning or by cutting off certain limbs)." Thus the sins they committed were out in the open and on that account they suffered public disgrace.
The obligation to always pray in their churches was also imposed on them; it was not lawful for them to pray in any other place. On a day of fasting, it was forbidden to them to take any food or drink after the onset of the night, or to approach their women after that hour.
To continue with the Holy Prophet's {s} narration:
"I made supplication for my nation that they might not be burdened with all the weight that previous nations had to bear. My Lord then said to me, 'I have granted ease to your nation and made their burdens light. So ask of Me what you want, it will be granted.' Then I said, (in reference to disasters and calamities):
Our Lord, do Thou not burden us beyond what we have the strength to bear.
(The Cow, 286)
"The Lord answered, 'I will not place upon you and your nation burdens which exceed their strength to carry them. But ask more of Me, I will grant it.' 'I replied, 'Pardon us!' (The Cow, 286); ' and He replied, 'I have pardoned you and your nation.' 'Forgive us!' (The Cow, 286).' 'I have forgiven you and your nation.'"
According to another version, the Holy Prophet {S} here explicitly asked for pardon for each and every act of disobedience, to each of which the Lord Almighty replied, "I have forgiven them."
The Prophet {S} continues,
"At last I said, 'Have mercy on us', (The Cow, 286), and the Lord answered, 'I have mercy on you.' Then I said, 'Thou art our Protector;' (The Cow, 286) and the Lord said, 'The Friend and Protector of all believers is Allah Almighty, Lord of Might and Glory; the unbelievers have no Protecting Friend.' Then I said, 'And help us against the people of the unbelievers'. (The Cow, 286) And the Lord replied, 'Up to the Day of Judgment, I have made you and your nation to be victorious over the unbelievers.' The Lord then asked again, saying, 'Oh My Beloved, other than this, if there is anything you should wish for, ask it of Me, for I will grant it to you.' Thereupon I said, 'Oh my Lord, you have chosen Ibrahim to be Your intimate friend, and have spoken to Musa without intermediary. To Da'ud You granted great possessions, and made iron to be soft as wax in his hand; You have made the mountains and its stones and the birds of the air to be subservient to his command, so that they joined him in singing Your praises. Idris You have transferred to a high place. To Sulayman You gave a kingdom and such possession as no one after him will ever come to possess and enjoy. And You made subservient to him mankind and Jinn, the demons and wild beasts, the birds and the winds. And You also taught him the tongues of the birds and the beasts. To 'Isa You gave knowledge of the Torah and the Injil, and by his prayer, You made the blind see, the afflicted whole, and the ailing to regain their health; You made him revive the dead, and You made him and his mother safe from the wiles of the devil and gave them protection. What will be the equivalent gift You will make to me?'
"The Lord Almighty replied to this in all His Grandeur and Majesty, saying, 'Oh Muhammad, I have chosen you as My Beloved, just as I chose Ibrahim as My faithful friend. To be the Beloved of Allah is even more excellent than being His bosom friend. I have also privileged you with the vision of My Divine Beauty, and I have spoken to you without intermediary, even as I spoke to Musa.'
"'Beyond this, I have given you the chapters of the Quran, 'al-Fatiha' (The Opening) and the end of 'al-Baqara' (The Cow), which are both from the treasure troves of My Divine Throne. These were not given to any Prophet before you, but reserved for you and your nation.'
"'Also, I have sent you as My Messenger to all the peoples of the world, to mankind and to Jinn, be they black or white or of any other description; never before have I sent a Prophet with so universal a mission.'
"'I have made the whole earth a means of cleansing for your nation. When you find water and are sound enough to perform your ablutions, make Wudu and take your Ghusl. But when you do not find water or you have not the strength to wash, you may perform tayammum and cleanse yourself by means of the dust of the earth.'
"'I have made the whole Earth to be as a Masjid, a place for prayer, so that wherever you may find yourselves, you may pray and perform your worship.'
"'I have made lawful to you and your nation the spoils of war, so that you may profit from them. To previous nations these were not lawful.'
"'And I have strengthened you in that I have cast fear into the heart of your enemy, even if there is a distance of one month's journey between you and them.'
"'I have granted you the right of intercession for whomever you desire. I have sent down to you the greatest and most august of all revealed scriptures, the Glorious Quran. And I have split your breast and removed from you all sinfulness.'
"I have elevated your name, for wherever My Name is mentioned, there your name is pronounced as well.'
Did He not find thee an orphan, and shelter thee? Did He not find thee erring, and guide thee? Did He not find thee needy, and suffice thee? (The Forenoon, 6-8)
"When the Lord Almighty had spoken to me thus, all I could answer was, 'Yes, my Lord, all these great favors You have bestowed upon me and honored me beyond all measure.'
"Then the Lord spoke again and said, 'Among all the people belonging to your nation, I have made one group in whose hearts resides the Holy Quran. (The Holy Quran is easy to memorize, to be learned by heart and recited from memory.) This was not given to other nations before yours; they did not commit to memory the books their prophets brought to them. This privilege I have reserved for your nation alone. I have made your nation more excellent than all previous nations; your nation is a nation of the middle way, and a nation of justice.'
"'You I have created before anything else, and I have sent you on your prophetic mission as the last of all the Prophets. I have given you to drink from the waters of Kawthar (abundance), and I have given you eight shares; these are: Islam, the Hijra (migration), war against ignorance, Salat (ritual prayer), Zakat (obligatory donations to the poor), the fast of Ramadan, enjoining good and discouraging evil (amr-bil-ma'ruf wa nahiy-'an-il-munkar).''
"After the Lord stopped speaking, I asked Him, 'Oh my Lord, after I had passed and seen all of creation, I experienced a moment of extreme terror. At that moment, I heard a voice that sounded to me exactly like the voice and inflection of Abu Bakr, and it said to me, 'Oh Muhammad {s}, stay your step! For Allah is praying (raining His blessings).' When I heard this, two questions arose in my mind. One was this: Has Abu Bakr overtaken me and come here before I have? The second question on my mind was this: My Lord has no need to pray, and yet I am told He is praying, what can that mean?'
"The Lord then answered me, 'Indeed, I have no need to turn to any in prayer, but recite the verse which I have revealed unto you:
It is He who blesses you, and His angels, to bring you forth from the shadows into the light. He is All Compassionate to the believers. (The Confederates, 43)
This verse will teach you that the meaning of My prayer is nothing but Mercy for you and for your nation.'
'As for Abu Bakr, oh Muhammad, it is as with the staff of the Prophet Musa, your brother among the Prophets. Musa always had his staff with him and it was for him something familiar and friendly. Therefore, when on the mountain of Tur (Sina'i) he was nearly overcome with awe as the Divine Call came to him, We addressed him, saying, 'What is that in your hand, oh Musa?' and Musa answered Me and said, 'It is my staff.' When he remembered the name of this familiar object, the excessive dread and awe he felt at the Divine Call departed from him. In this instance you are like Musa, oh Muhammad. The most familiar being in this world and the closest to you is your friend Abu Bakr. When you were in the grip of awesome terror, We created an angel for you in the shape and form of your familiar friend Abu Bakr and gave him his voice and tone with which to speak to you, so that you might feel the comfort of that familiarity when you heard him speak. Then the awesomeness and terror left you entirely, and so that you were not totally overcome by the majesty of this revelation and were able to ask what you wish from the Divine Essence. By means of this familiarity you were able to speak normally and without dread. I have in My Divine Majesty made Myself free from all defect and weakness, and My Mercy outstrips My Wrath. Therefore, state your wishes, and ask of Me whatever you need and desire.'
"After these words, the Lord added, 'What of the Angel Jibra'il's request, which he asked you to make?' I replied, 'Oh my Lord, You are the All-Knowing; there is no need to speak of it, as You know already, all Bounty and Munificence being Thine.' The Lord replied to this, 'I do grant his request and fulfill his wish. On the Day of Judgment when your nation prepares to cross the Bridge of Sirat, let them take a hold of his wing and cross with ease. Only the ones who loved you and your companions will cross with ease; I grant My Divine Sanction.'
"To this I rejoined, 'Oh Lord, you have sent punishment upon the nations that went before mine in many and varied forms. There were some upon whom You sent a rain of stones to destroy them; while others you drowned in the waters. Some were destroyed by Jibra'il's shout, and some You caused the Earth to swallow. Some perished when You sent against them a rain of fire, and others died in a harsh, bitter wind. Oh Lord, what will become of my nation after I have gone?'
"The Lord of Mercy and Munificence, the Lord of the Universe then intoned in all His Majesty and Splendor, 'My Wrath has been spent on those nations before thine; upon your nation I will shower only Mercy. I will transform their badness into good actions. To the corrupt among them I will grant the gift of repentance, and bring them into a good state of being. I will deliver them from their bad traits and help them acquire good characteristics. I will rid them of their ignorance and change their minds to understanding and perfect knowledge. Whoever calls upon Me, saying, 'Oh My Lord!' and turns to Me with true humility in his heart, to him I will answer, 'I am at your service, oh My servant; tell Me what it is that you desire, and I will create it.
'To you I give the right of intercession for your nation, oh Muhammad, you may be the advocate on their behalf, and I pledge to accept all your intercession.'
"And then He Almighty said, 'Oh Muhammad, I have not made your nation excessively wealthy, so that their accounts will not be overly long. And I have not made their bodies very great, so that they might not require much of worldly food and drink and dress. I have not made their lives to be exceedingly long, so that their hearts might not be blackened by pride in reliance upon a long lifespan and that they might always be aware of death and make their preparations for the afterlife that follows. I have not made death to come to them suddenly, but I have made illness precede it and provide a cause, so that they might not meet with a sudden death when they have plunged and sunk in the sea of heedlessness. When they fall ill, they repent of their sins, they pay their debts, they try to make up for past mistakes and shortcomings, and they make their last will and testament. I have brought them into the world after every other nation, so that their time in the grave might be of short duration; they will remain trapped in their tombs only until all the people of their nation have come and gone. When that is done, their time is up and they will attain to their blissful stations in Paradise, enjoying its undying delights.'
"Then the Lord said to me, 'Oh Muhammad, sometimes your nation will be obedient to Me, at other times they will be rebellious. Their obedience to Me meets with My Pleasure, and to Me are acceptable all their works, which accord to My Good Pleasure; I forgive them their minor misdoings and accord to them generous recompense. For I am the All-Bountiful, and I show Myself to them in My aspect of Bounty. The disobedient among them are subject to My Judgment; but because it is the Judgment of past eternity, I forgive them their disobedience, for I am the All-Merciful, and I show them My Mercy.'
"And then He said, 'Oh Muhammad, say to your nation: 'The Lord Almighty says to you: just as you love a person for that he shows you loving kindness and generosity, I am much more deserving of your love and affection than any other in this world. For I have created you when you were naught and I have given you a pleasing form and fine limbs and I continue to ceaselessly shower you with innumerable blessings. Not a moment passes in which I do not bestow upon you a new form of goodness. Therefore you ought to love Me more than any other, obeying My Commands and submitting to My Law.'
"And again, He Almighty says to you, 'If you are going to fear anything that dwells between Heaven and earth, it is I whom you ought to fear more than any, for My Power pervades all and everything. My chastisement is violent and swift, no one can flee or hide from it, or run to another master in order to save himself from Me, for no one has such powers. As this is the reality, you must beware of acting contrary to My wishes and commands.'
"And the Lord said, 'If you are going to ask of any, I am most worthy of being asked, for it is I alone who accepts all prayers of need and fulfills all wants.' And He says: 'You feel shame and regret when you have ill-treated someone or been unkind, whereas I am the most deserving of your shame and remorse, for I have brought you into being when you were naught and to this very moment I have heaped upon you endless gifts and blessings. I have made you safe from all manner of affliction, and yet you disregard My injunctions and do what I have forbidden to you. Therefore, contrition is your due and restraint from actions that I have prohibited. Obey Me and My Commands!'
"And the Lord addresses Himself to you, saying, 'If you choose for reasons of personal and covetous choice, I am the most deserving of your preference, for I am your Creator, and your Provider, and the only object of your worship. Therefore, turn to Me, worshipful, in your actions and with meritorious conduct.' All this He Almighty commanded me to expound to you.'
Allah Complains About the Ummah 5
"Then Allah Almighty complained to me about my nation. One of His objections was this: 'I do not ask of them to perform anything ahead of time, all I ask is for them to do what they should in its own time. But, by contrast, they ask of Me to provide them ahead of time. While I have provided them perfectly for so many years, they are not satisfied, even though they do not know whether their lives will last long enough to use up what they have been given. Even so, their greed for the things of this world is ever increasing, and they complain of not having the wherewithal of a livelihood, always asking for more. Do they not regard the birds in the skyways? Every morning the birds of the fields leave their nests with empty crops to return in the evenings having eaten their fill, though the whole world be covered in snow. Does not your nation take a lesson from this? While the whole world is covered in snow and not a speck of earth is to be seen, He who provides the birds with their shares, will He not provide them also with their own portions? Why does your nation not place their reliance on Him who has forever guaranteed their subsistence?
"'The second complaint is this: 'I do not give their provisions to any other than them; in spite of this, they perform actions for the sake of other than Me (that is to say, they behave hypocritically and occasion false appearances).
"'My third complaint is this: While they are consuming the portions that I have provided for them, their gratitude goes out to someone else. They will say, for instance, 'In my vineyard I had a harvest such an amount and from my fields such an amount, from my trade so much.' But was it not I who caused the vines to grow in his vineyard and the crops in his field, and who gave him success in his commerce? Why do they remember Me not and mention not My Name when they speak of the yields of their vineyards and fields, and the profits of their trade? Wherefrom is this heedlessness; do they feel no shame?'
"'And My fourth complaint is this: Mine is all Might and Glory; it is I who grants Honor in this world, in the grave and in the world to come. Even so, they still look to honors coming from other sources. They will say, for instance, 'Were I only to occupy high office, I would surely grow very rich.' Thus they expect honor to come to them through riches and high office, whereas all these are only of a passing nature. When death comes to them, all connection ceases. Does that signal true honor? It is My Command, by which they must abide, it is I who gives them Honor and Dignity in this world and the next.'
"'My fifth complaint against them is this: I have created Hell for the unbelievers. Why is it that they persist in performing actions that will land them in Hellfire?'
"To these charges against my nation, I replied, 'Oh my Lord, Your Word is true, my nation is guilty of all that You have laid against it. But You are He who covers all shame and forgives all sins; You are the Supremely Rich and Generous, the Clement and All-Forgiving Lord (ar-ra'uf wa-r-rahim). In Your Infinite Grace and Kindness, forgive them their failings, conceal their disgrace, and in Your Endless Benevolence, pardon their great and small sins! Let them be overtaken by Your Boundless Mercy and with Your All-Gracious Compassion lead them into the Paradise, oh My Lord!'
"In answer to this supplication, the Lord Almighty said to me, 'Had your nation not been so sinful, I would have created a nation of sinners, so that I might make Myself known as the Forgiver of Sins in that I granted them forgiveness. Oh Muhammad, You are My Beloved, as you are My servant. All Creation I have brought into being for your sake alone. Because of your nation's sins, I have created My Mercy Oceans. Oh Muhammad, regard the high station of honor and dignity you have been granted, in that you are honored by an encounter with My Divine Beauty. I have granted you direct intercourse with My Divine Person, without interpreter or intermediary. Whoever is acceptable to you is also acceptable to Me, and he who refuses you, is refused by Me, too.'
"Then He said, 'Indeed, you will be the first of all the Prophets to enter Paradise, and no Prophet can enter it before you. Your nation will be the first nation to enter Paradise and no other nation will be admitted before they have gone in.'
"After this He said, 'Oh Muhammad, set not your hopes on any nation of mankind, for they have nothing at all. Let your hopes always be pinned on Me and let your converse be with Me, for to Me is your return. Do not become attached to this world in your heart, for I have not created you for this world.'
"Then He Almighty said, 'Oh Muhammad, of your nation I have forgiven one third for your sake; another third I will forgive on the Day of Judgment, so that the high regard and station you occupy in My Regard may become clear to all creation on the Day of Gathering, oh Muhammad.'
"After this, the Almighty informed me of a great many weighty and important matters, but He denied me permission to divulge this knowledge to you.
"It was made obligatory upon my nation to pray fifty times during one day and one night and to make ablutions for major impurity seven times, and to wash a defiled piece of clothing seven times. He commanded me to make these conditions known to my nation in His Name. I then replied, 'Everyone who comes home from a journey, brings presents for those who remained at home; therefore, give me something to take back to my nation as a present.' The Lord Almighty then said, 'One of the gifts to your nation is this: as long as they reside in the world, I will be their Helper; I will protect them from disaster and calamity and I will grant success to their good actions. I will grant them various favors. When they pray to Me, I will accept their prayers, I will protect them from what they fear and I will grant them what they desire.
"'Another gift to your nation is this: When their lives come to an end, I will be their Helper. I will protect them from the wiles of Shaytan and I will give them tidings of Paradise and show them their stations within it. I will make it easy for them to draw their last breath and I will help them pass over into the Hereafter in safety.
"'Another gift to your nation is this: When they are placed within their graves, I shall be their only Helper. I will release them from the darkness and oppression of the grave; I will lighten their tombs and make them spacious and wide. I will assist them in answering the questions of the angels Munkar and Nakir and I will make their tombs to be as a Garden of Paradise.
"'Another gift to your nation is this: When they arise from their graves, I will be their sole Helper. I will raise them from their tombs and make them light of face and clothe them in garments from Paradise. I will help them mount upon their steeds and lead them to the site of the Gathering with an entourage of angels in a display of splendor and grace. I will spare them the terror of that Dire Day. I will lead them underneath your banner and give them to drink of the waters of the Pool of Kawthar. I will make them to be close associates and companions of the prophets, messengers, saints and martyrs and the righteous whom I have favored with a place beneath the shadow of My Divine Throne. After having been given many special favors from Paradise, their books of reckoning will be placed in their right hands, and their accounts will be made light and their scales of the balance made heavy for them. I will help them cross the Bridge of Sirat with lightness and ease and lead them into the highest gardens of Paradise in the Boundlessness of My Grace.'"
May Allah Almighty gladden our hearts with these gifts, which He granted us all for the sake of His Holy Prophet Muhammad {s}, Amin! Oh Most Merciful of those who show Mercy!
The Holy Prophet {S} continues:
"The Lord then said to me, 'Oh Muhammad, of all created beings, you are the one who has reached the highest honors. On the Day of Resurrection I will give you such great honors as will stupefy the whole world with wonderment. Oh Muhammad, do you wish to behold what I have prepared for your nation?' I replied, 'Oh Lord, I wish to see it, yes.' He then said, 'My trusted servant, the angel Jibra'il will show it to you.'
"As soon as I returned from there, Rafraf came into view. I seated myself upon him and he carried me down. I descended as far as the Sidrat-al-Muntaha where I met with Jibra'il who said to me, 'Good tidings to you, oh Muhammad {s}, for you have been chosen as the best of all Creation and the foremost of all Prophets and Messengers. The Lord Almighty has greeted and honored you as He has not honored any other created being, neither from among His Prophets or His Messengers, nor from among His Angels brought Nigh.'
"Then Jibra'il said to me, 'Come with me, for I am to show you Paradise.'"
