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Hakikat Kitabevi Publications No: 20
the
RISINGand the
HEREAFTERby
IMÂM GHAZÂLÎ
Turkish version byHüseyn Hilmi Işık
English version byHakîkat Kitâbevi
SECOND EDITION
Ha kî kat Ki tâ be viDarüşşefekaCad.53/A P.K.:35
34083 Fatih-ISTANBUL/TURKEYTel:90.212.5234556–5325843Fax:90.212.5233693
http://www.hakikatkitabevi.come-mail:bilgi@hakikatkitabevi.com
JUNE-2013
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGENo. SUBJECT MATTER No._______________________________________INDRODUCTION...................................................................4
1– Allâhuta’âlâpledgedHisslaves............................................112– Manstaysintheworldaslongashislifespan.
Thenhedies.Momentsofdeath;aBeliever’ssoulrisesaboveheavens.Soulsofpeoplewithcorrectbeliefandproperperformancesofactsofworshipsuchasnamâz,zakât,fastinginRamadân,andhajj,andwhosayistighfârattimesofSahar,risehigh......................................13
3– Howadisbeliever’ssoulleaveshisbody.Questioningingrave.Muslimsanswerthequestionswithease. .................22
4– Thefâjir(disbeliever)failstoanswerthequestions.[ScholarlyreportsonhowtheparentsofRasûlullahbecameBelievers.] ...............................................31
5– Thedeadintheirgravesareinoneofthefourstates........386– TheCrackofDoomsday;Risingofthedead. .....................437– Intervalbetweenthetwonefkhas(blastsoftrumpet). ......478– Allpeoplegetontopoftheirgraves.Thehashr
(assemblage)starts.PeoplegofromoneUlul’azmProphettoanother,requestingeachandeveryoneofthemtointercedesothatthejudgmentwillbecarriedoutquickly. .....................................................49
9– Shefâ’at(orshafâ’at,i.e.intercession)ofourProphet,Muhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’.Thejudgmentstarts.EveryProphetisquestionedonhisownteblîgh.AndtheirummatsarequestionedontheirtreatmentoftheirProphet’steblîgh. .......................................................61
10– Thehashrofthosewhowereblindintheworld;ofthosewhodidnotbelievetheenemiesofIslamandwhoheldfasttotheSunnîcreed;ofthosewholovedoneanotherforthesakeofAllah;ofthosewhoavoidedcommittingactsofharâmandweptforfearofAllah;ofthosewhoendeavouredtoearntheirliving
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bywaysthatarehalâl;ofthosewhowerepatientwithdisastersthatbefellthem;ofthosewhospenttheiryouthperformingactsofworship;ofthosewhomisusedtheirpropertyandpositionbytormentingMuslims;oftheahl-i-belâ;ofyoungpeople;ofslavesandjâriyas;andoflazyandpoorpeople. ..................................................74
11– FinalWordofthebook‘theRisingandtheHereafter’.....8812– Howtocallone’sownnafstoaccount. ................................9013– SalutationsandgreetingsamongMuslims .........................103
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HÜSEYNH‹LM‹IŞIK,‘Rahmat-Allahi’alaih’
Hüseyn Hilmi Iş›k, ‘Rahmat-Allahi ’alaih’, publisher of theHakikatKitabeviPublications,wasborninEyyubSultan,Istanbulin1329(A.D.1911).
Of theonehundredand forty-fourbookshepublished, sixtyare Arabic, twenty-five Persian, fourteen Turkish, and theremaining are books in French,German, English, Russian, andotherlanguages.
HüseynHilmi Iş›k, ‘Rahmat-Allahi ’alaih’ (guidedbySayyid’AbdulhakimArwâsî, ‘Rahmat-Allahi ’alaih’,aprofoundscholarofthereligionandperfectinvirtuesofTasawwufandcapabletoguidedisciplesinafullymaturemanner;possessorofgloriesandwisdom),wasacompetent,greatIslamicscholarabletoguidetohappiness,passedawayduringthenightbetweenOctober25,2001(8Sha’bân1422)andOctober26,2001(9Sha’bân1422).HewasburiedatEyyubSultan,wherehehadbeenborn.
TYPESET AND PRINTED IN TURKEY BY:‹hlâsGazetecilikA.Ş.
MerkezMah.29EkimCad.İhlâsPlazaNo:11A/4134197Yenibosna-İSTANBULTel:90.212.4543000
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INTRODUCTIONAllâhuta’âlâpitiesallthepeopleontheearth,andsendsthem
theuseful thingsHecreates.Hehas taught theentirehumanityhow they should act andbehave so that theymay lead a lifeofcomfort andpeace in theworld and in theHereafter.ChoosingsomeofthepeoplewhosedeserveddestinationintheHereafterisHell,Hewillmagnanimously forgive them and bless themwithParadise.He,alone,createseverylivingbeing,makeseverybeingmaintainitsexistenceeverymoment,andprotectsallagainstfearandhorror.TrustingourselvestothehonourableNameofsuchabeing,Allah,weembarkonwritingthisbook.
May hamd (praise and gratitude) be to Allâhu ta’âlâ! Mayinfinite thanks be toHim for the blessings and favoursHe hasshoweredonus!Ifanypersonoffershamdtoanyotherpersonatanyplace,atanytime,inanymanner,foranyreason,allthehamdand gratitude will have been offered toAllâhu ta’âlâ. For, He,alone,createsall,trainsanddisciplinesall,andmakesallsortsofgoodness done. He, alone, is the owner of power and might.UnlessHereminds,noonewillbeabletoopttodoorevendesireto do anything, good and evil alike. After the slave opts forsomething,nobodycandoevenamoteofgoodorcauseanyharmtoanyotherperson,unlessHe, too,wills itandgives thepowerandchancetodoso.
May salutations and benedictions be to all His Prophets‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’, primarily to MuhammadMustafâ ‘’alaihi wa ’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’, thehighestof them!MayoursalutationsandbenedictionsbetotheAhl-i-beyt of that noblest Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wasallam’ and to each and every one of his Sahâba ‘radiy-Allâhuta’âlâ’anhumajma’în’,whohavebeenhonouredwiththefortuneofhavingseenhisbeautifulface,atherapeutictreatmentforsouls,andofhavingheardhisusefulwords,andwhothereforearethehighestofallpeople!
ForbecomingaMuslim,itisnecessarytoutterthestatementthat reads, “Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah, Muhammadun rasûlullah,” andwhichistermedtheKalima-i-tawhîd,tobrieflyknowitsmeaning,andtobelieveit.Toknowitsmeaningmeanstoknowsixthings.Thosesixthingsarecalledtheessentials of îmân (tenetsofbelief).
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ThefifthofthosesixtenetsisbeliefinlifeintheHereafter.Thegreat Islamic scholar Imâm Muhammad Ghazâlî ‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’,whowasborninthehijrîyear450andpassedawayin505[1111A.D.],wroteabookentitledDurra-t-ul-Fâkhira fî-kashf-i-’ulûm-il-âkhira and separately assigned to giving informationabouttheHereafter.HementionsthatbookinKashf-uz zunûn aswell?Omer(’Umar)Begh,ateacheroftheArabiclanguageinthemilitary juniorhigh school (Rushdiyya) inKastamoni, (Turkey,)translatedthatvaluablebookfromArabictoTurkishandentitleditKur’ân-ı kerîmde kıyâmet ve âhıret halleri (Facts About theRising and the Hereafter in the Qur’ân al-kerîm); the Turkishversionwasprinted inKastamonionNovember13,1911,whichcoincidedwithDhu’l-qa’da5,1329Hijrî.Ithasnowfallentothelotofourbookstore,(i.e.HakîkatKitâbeviinIstanbul,Turkey,)tohavethisvaluablebookprintedonceagain.Explanationsprovidedlaterfromothervaluablebookshavebeenwrittenwithinbrackets.InfinitethanksbetoAllâhuta’âlâforblessinguswiththischancetoserveourbrothersinIslam!MayAllâhuta’âlâblessusallwiththelotoflearningthetrueteachingsconveyedbythescholarsofAhl as-sunnat and believing the facts taught, thereby adaptingourselves tothecommandmentsandprohibitionscommunicatedtousbyourbelovedProphetMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’andthusbecominggoodpeople!Agoodpersonisgoodtoeverybody.Hedoesnotassaultanybody’sproperty,life,chastity,orhonour.HedoesnotrevoltagainsttheStateorviolatethelaws.OurProphet‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihiwa sallam’ stated: “Islam dwells in the shadeprovided by swords.” Its meaning is: “It is under theadministration and andprotectionof theState and its laws thatpeople lead a life of comfort and perform their acts ofworshippeacefully.”ThemorepowerfultheStatethemorethroughgoingwillthecomfortandpeaceitprovidesbe.Forthatmatter,Muslimsshould always support the State, pay their taxes in time, andcounselthesametoothers,doingsowithasuavelanguageandasmilingface.MayHeprotectusfrombelievingthelies,tricksandslandersoftheenemiesandtherebybetrayingourownReligionandState!Âmîn.
Today’sMuslimstheworldoverhavebeentornapartintothree(major) groups: In the first group are the true Muslims, thefollowersoftheAshâb-i-kirâm,(i.e.theSahâba.)TheyarecalledtheAhl as-sunnat, or theSunnî Muslims, or theFirqa-i-nâjiyya,thegroupwhohavebeensavedfromHell.Thesecondgrouparethe enemies of the Ashâb-i-kirâm. They are called the Shi’îs
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(Shiites),ortheFirqa-i-dhâlla.ThethirdgroupareinimicalbothtotheSunnîMuslimsandtotheShi’îs.TheyarecalledWahhâbîsor Najdîs (or Nejdîs), the latter cognomen coming from theArabiancityNejd,birthplaceoftheso-calledheresy.ThisgrouparealsocalledtheFirqa-i-mel’ûna (theaccursedgroup).For,theadherentsofthisgroupcallMuslims‘polytheists’,asiswritteninourbooksentitledthe Rising and the Hereafter,(i.e.thecurrentbook,)andSe’âdet-i-ebediyye,(i.e.theTurkishversionofthesixfascicles of Endless Bliss.) Any person who calls a Muslim‘disbeliever’wasinadvanceanathemizedbyourProphet,whosaidthat that was an accursed deed. This tragic tripartite state ofMuslimsisaproductofJewishandEnglishconspiracies.
Peoplewhofollowtheirnafsandharbourevilsintheirhearts,regardlessof thegroup theybelong to, shallgo toHell.For thetezkiya of the nafs, i.e. for cleansing the nafs from the evilsinherent in it, such as kufr (unbelief) and fondness of sinning,everyBelievershouldalwaysandall thetimesay,“Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah,” and for the tasfiyaof theheart, i.e. toprotect theheartagainstthedirtsofkufrandsinfulnesscomingfromthenafs,fromthe devil, from evil company, and from harmful and subversivebooks,theyshouldcontinuouslysay,“Estaghfirullah.”IfapersonobeystheAhkâm-i-islâmiyya,(i.e.comandmentsandprohibitionsofAllâhuta’âlâ, i.e.therulesandessentialsofIslam,)hecanbesurethathisinvocationsshallbeaccepted.Notperformingthefivedailyprayerscallednamâz,lookingatwomengoingaboutwithoutproperlycoveringthemselves,andeatinganddrinkingthingsthatareharâm,aresymptomsofnotobeyingtheAhkâm-i-islâmiyya.Invocationsofsuchpeopleshallberejected.
Mîlâdî Hijrî Shamsî Hijrî Qamarî2001 1380 1422
(The English version:A.D. Hijrî Solar Hijrî Lunar)2010 1387 1431
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE:ChristianmissionariesaretryingtopropagateChristianity,JewsaretryingtospreadtheTalmûd,andtheHakîkatKitâbevi(Bookstore)inIstanbul,Turkey,istryingtopublicizeIslam,whilefreemasonsaretryingtoannihilatereligions.Apersonwithreason,knowledge,andapureconsciencewillseeandrealizewhichoneof these fourchoiceswillbe thewisest tomake as a truewayof life.Hewill support its propagation andcontributetoallpeople’sattaininghappinessbothintheworldandintheHereafter.Nootherservicetobedonetohumanitycouldbemore valuable ormore useful than doing so. That the so-calledheavenly books called the Taurah and the Bible possessed bytoday’sChristiansandJewswerewrittenbyhumanbeings,isafactacknowledgedbytheirownmenofreligion.AsfortheQur’ânal-kerîm;itisaspristineandintactasitwaswhenitwasrevealedbyAllâhu ta’âlâ. All Christian priests and Jewish rabbis ought toread,carefullyandwithoutprejudice,thebookspublishedbytheHakîkatKitâbevi,andtryasbesttheycantounderstandwhattheysay.
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The RISING and the HEREAFTERMay hamd (praise and gratitude) be to Allâhu ta’âlâ, who
declaresthatHisDhât(Person)iseternal.Hewilledthatallbeingsother thanHimbenon-existent.Hewillpunishdisbelieversandsinnerswith torment in grave.He declaredHis commandmentsandprohibitions throughHisProphets so thatHis slaves shouldattainhappiness intheworldandintheHereafter.HerenderedHisslaves’beingsubjectedtotormentorblessedwithrewardsintheHereafterdependentonafewdaysofbehaviourtheywouldspend conducting themselves with during their sojourn in theworld. He made it easy for those slaves of His whom He hadchosenandlovedtocommitthemselvestothepathleadingtotheHereafterandtherebybecomeblessedwithHisGrace.
MayAllâhu ta’âlâ lavish our benedictions and salutations toHisMostBelovedProphet,Muhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’,andtohisÂl(Family,Progeny)andAshâb(Companions),whosenamesHeblessedwithhighesthonoursamongMuslims.
YoushouldknowthatAllâhuta’âlâ,thesolepowerwhogiveslifetoallandwhotakeslifeoutfromall,declares,asispurportedin the hundred and eighty-fifth âyat-i-kerîma of the Âl-’ImrânSûraandinthethirty-fifthâyat-i-kerîmaoftheal-EnbiyaSûraandfifty-seventh âyat-i-kerîma of the al-’Ankebût Sûra,which read:“Every soul shall have a taste of death: ...”TherebyHepointedtothreedeathsonthepartofthe’âlams(allbeings).Anyonebroughtintothe’âlamofworldshalldefinitelydie.Thosebroughtintothe’âlamofjeberûtandtothatofangelsshalldefinitelydie,too.Ofthem,thosewhowerebroughttothe’âlamofworldarethesonsofÂdam(humanbeings)andanimalslivingonland,inwater,andintheair.
Thesecond’âlam,i.e.the’âlam[thatisinvisible(tothehumansight)and]whichiscalled‘Melekûtî’, isthe’âlamcontainingthekingdomsofangelsandgenies.
Thethird’âlam,i.e.theonethatiscalled‘jeberût’,consistsofthe elite of angels.As amatter of fact, the seventy-fifth âyat-i-kerîmaoftheHajjSûraoftheQur’ânal-kerîmpurports:“Allâhuta’âlâ chooses Messengers from angels and from men. ...”
Thehighestonesofthese(eliteofangelscalledjeberûtare(theangels) called ‘Kerûbiyân’; ‘Rûhâniyân’; ‘Hamala-i-’Arsh’; and
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‘Surâdiqât-i-jelâl.Thenineteenthandthetwentiethâyat-i-kerîmasoftheal-EnbiyâSûrapurport:“... Even those (angels) who are inHis (very) Presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they(ever) weary (of His service):”“They celebrate His praises nightand day, nor do they ever flag or intermit.”Thosehighestangelsaremeantintheâyat-i-kerîmasquotedabove.Throughtheseâyat-i-kerîmasAllâhuta’âlâpraisesthem.Sohighlyhonouredarethoseangels that their abode is Gardens of Paradise. They arementioned in the Qur’ân al-kerîm and their attributes aredescribed.SoclosearetheytoJenâb-i-Haqq(Allâhuta’âlâ),andParadiseistheirabode;yettheyshalldieallthesame.TheirbeingclosetoAllâhuta’âlâshallnotpreventtheirdeath.
Ishalltellyouaboutworldlydeathfirst.HarkenwelltowhatIamgoingtoinformyouwith:ifyoubelieveAllâhuta’âlâandHisMessenger,theRisingDay,andtheHereafter,Ishalldescribeforyou how human beings are transmuted from one state intoanother,andinformyouaboutthestatesandmodestheyundergoduring the process. For, this information requires evidence andwitnesses,andAllâhuta’âlâandtheQur’ânal-kerîmbearwitnesstowhat Iamgoing tell you.TheQur’ânal-kerîmand the sahîhhadîth-i-sherîfstestifytotruthofmystatements.[Whenmandies,hisworldly life ends.His life in the Hereafter begins.LifeintheHereafter consists of three stages.Life in grave continues untilRising.Nextcomes(thatwhichiscalled)life of Qiyâmat (Risingand Judgment). Thereafter comes life in Paradise and/or Hell.Thisthirdlifeiseverlasting.]
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In theworld,goodanduseful thingsaremixedwithevilandharmfulthings.Alwaysgoodandusefulthingsshouldbedonetoattainhappiness,comfortandpeace.BecauseAllâhuta’âlâisveryprofoundly compassionate, He created a power to distinguishgood things from evil ones.This power is termed ’aql (wisdom,mind,reason).This’aql,whenitispureandhealthy,performsitsdutyquitewellandnevergoeswrong.Sinningandfollowingthenafswillailthe’aqlandtheqalb(heart),sothattheywillnolongerseebetweengoodandevil.Allâhuta’âlâ,withHisMercy,doesthisjob Himself, teaches good things through His Prophets andcommands(Hisslaves)todothem.Teachingthehamfulones,too,Heprohibitstodothem.Thesecommandmentsandprohibitions,in the aggregate, are calledDin (religion). The religion taughtthroughMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’iscalledIslam.Todaythereis
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onlyoneunchangedandundefiledreligionontheearth.ItisIslam.ToattaincomfortitisnecessarytoadaptoneselftoIslam,i.e.tobecome a Muslim. Becoming a Muslim does not require anyformalitiessuchasgoingtoanimâmortoamuftî.Whatthereistodoissimplytofirsthaveîmân(belief)withone’sheartandthenlearn the commandments and the prohibitions and practise theformerandavoidthelatter.
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Questioning angels will come to your grave;“Did you perform your namâz properly,” they will say.“So you think there’s no problem once you’re dead?There is bitter torment awaiting you,” they will say.
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FIRST CHAPTERWhenAllâhu ta’âlâ createdÂdam ‘alaihis-salâm’, andwhen
HemademasahonhiswaistwithHisinfiniteMight,Hetooktwohandfulsfromhim,onefromhisrighthandsideandonefromhisleft hand side. He separated the motes of all people from oneanother.Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’lookedatthem,andsawthattheywerelikemotes.Anâyat-i-kerîmaintheal-Wâqi’aSûrapurports:“These, the ones on the right hand side, will be practising thedeeds for the people of Paradise, so they are people of Paradise.Their practices are neither useful nor harmful to Me. And those,the ones on the left hand side, are people of Hell since they will bepractising the deeds for the people of Hell. Nor are their practicesuseful or harmful to Me.”
Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’askedAllâhuta’âlâ:“Yâ Rabbî (OmyRabb,Allah)!What are the deeds to be practised by the people ofHell?” Allâhu ta’âlâ declared: “To attribute a partner (orpartners) to Me and to deny the Prophets I have sent and to revoltagainst Me by disobeying My commandments and commandmentsin My Books (thatIhaverevealedtoMyProphets).”
Thereupon Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’ prayed and implored toAllâhu ta’âlâ: “Yâ Rabbî! Render these people witnesses forthemselves.Itishopedthattheywillnotcommitthedeedsforthepeople of Hell.” And Allâhu ta’âlâ made their own nafseswitnesses for themselves and declared: “Am I not your Rabb(Allah)?”“(Yes).YouareourRabb.Wetestify(to it).”Allâhuta’âlâmade theangelsandÂdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’witnesses, too,andtheyavowedHisbeingtheRabb.AfterthissolemnagreementHe sent them back to their former places. For, it was only aspirituallifethattheyhadbeenleading.Itwasnotaphysicallife.Allâhuta’âlâplacedtheminÂdam’s‘’alaihis-salâm’loins.Takingaway their souls, He kept them in one of the treasuries of the’Arsh.
When a father’s semen fertilizes the mother’s ovum andproduces the child in its physical shape, the child is lifeless yet.Putrifactionof thedeadbodyhasbeenpreventedbyanangelicessencewhichwasplaced into it.WhenAllâhuta’âlâdecrees togiveasoultothedeadchildinthewomb,HereplacestothecorpsethesoulHehasbeenkeepingforsometimeinthetreasuriesofthe
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’Arsh.Thereafterthechildbeginstomove.Thereismanyachildthatmovesinitsmother’swomb.Sometimesitsmotherhearsit.Sometimes she does not. The death that takes place after themîsâk(agreement)wherewithAllâhuta’âlâaskedthesouls:“AmI not your Rabb,”i.e.Hissendingthesoulstothetreasuriesofthe’Arsh,isthefirstdeath,andthepresentlifeinthemother’swombisthesecondlife.
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SECOND CHAPTERThereafterAllâhuta’âlâmakesmanstayintheworldaslong
ashis lifespan.He stays in theworld tillhisdetermined timeofdeath comes and his rizq has been exhausted and his deedspredeterminedintheeternalpasthavecometoanend.Whenhisworldlydeathdrawsnear,fourangelscometohim.Theyextracthissouloutofhisbody,onepullingitfromhisrightfoot,anotherfromhisleftfoot,thethirdonefromhisrighthand,andthefourthonefromhislefthand.Inmostcases,hebeginstoseethe’âlam ofmelekût (the second ’âlam)before his soul turns into a state ofgargling. He sees angels and the inner essence of their deedsexactlyinthestateswhereintheyexistintheir’âlam.Ifhistongueis capable of speech, he informs about their existence. Inmanyothercases,however,hethinksthattheeventsheiswatchingaretricks being played by the devil; he remainsmotionless until hebecomesquitespeechless.Asheisinthatstate,theangelstugathissoulagain,bygrabbingtheendsofhisfingersandtoes.Atthisstagehisbreathgarglesasifwaterwerebeingpouredoutfromawatercarrier’sdemijohn.Thefâjir’ssoulisextractedasharshlyasifthornsstuckondampfeltwerebeingforcedapart,whichisafactstatedbyourProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’,thehighestofmankind.Atthisstatethedyingmanfeelsasifhisstomachwerefilledwithtorns.Hefeelsasifhissoulwerebeingdrawnthrougha needle-hole and as if heaven and earth were being pressedagainsteachother,withhimselfleftbetweenthem.
HadratKâ’b‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’wasaskedhowdeathfelt.Hesaid: “I felt it like this: A branch of thorns placed into you.Someonestrongisforcingitout.Ittearsawaywhatitcan,leavingtheresttheretorueit.”
TheMasterofallProphets‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’stated: “Vehemence of a single one of the pangs of death isdefinitely worse than the pain to be felt under three hundredsword-strokes.”
At that time man’s body pours with sweat. His eyes swiftlymovefromonesidetotheother.Hisnoserecedesfrombothsides.Hisribsrise,hisbreathswells,andheturnspale.Asourblessedmother ’Âisha-i-siddîqa ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’heldtheMessengerofAllah in her lap, she saw these symptoms (of death) and, in
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tears,sheutteredapoem,whichmeant,inEnglish:“Letmesacrificemynafs foryou,oh,you, theMessengerof
Allah; no ill-treatmenthas evermadeyou sadorhurt you.Norhave any genies ever struck you until now. Nor have you everfeared anything. What is happening now, that I see your mostbeautiful face coveredwith pearls of sweat.Whereas any otherdyingpersonturnspale, thenûrsofyourblessedface illuminateeverywhere.”
Whenhissoulreacheshisheart,hebecomesdumb.Noonecantalkoncetheirsoulhascometotheirchest.Therearetworeasonsfor it.Oneof them is this:Something tremendous ishappening,andthechestisnarrowunderthepressureofthebreaths.
Don’tyouseethatablowdealtonaperson’schestwillmakehimfaint.Hewillbeabletospeakonlysometimelater.Inmanycaseshewillnotbeabletospeak.Whenyouhitapersononanypartofhisbodyhewillcry.Ifyouhithimonthechest,however,hewillimmediatelyfalldownasifheweredead.
The second reason is this: Sound is a phenomenonwhich isproducedbyairgoingoutoflungs.Thisairisgonenow.Unabletoinhaleandexhale,thebodylosesitswarmthandbecomescold.Atthisstagetreatmentsthatthedyingpeoplearesubjectedtovary.
Withsomepeople,theangelhitswithhotsteeltemperedwithpoisonedwater.Presentlythesoulrunsawayandexits(thebody).The angel picks it and holds it in his hand, it trembling likequicksilver.Itisahumanfigureasbigasalocust.Thereaftertheangeldeliversittothezebânî(angeloftorment).
Withsomedyingpeoplethesoul ispulledoutslowly,until itreaches the throat, where it is stopped. Even after leaving thethroatitstillretainsitsattachmenttotheheart.Thentheangelhitsitwith poisoned hot iron. For, the soulwill not leave the heartunlessitishitwiththatiron.Thereasonforhittingitwiththatironisthattheironhasbeendippedintotheseaofdeath.Whenitisplacedontheheartitturnsintopoisonthatspreadsovertheotherlimbsaswell.For,thesecretoflifeliesintheheartonly.Itssecretiseffectiveonlyinworldlylife.Forthatmatter,somescholarsof(theIslamicsciencetermed)Kalâm(orKelâm)havesaidthat“lifeisdifferentfromsoul”andthat“themeaningoflifeisamixtureofsoulandbody.”
Asthesoulisbeingdrawnoutandthelastpieceoftieattachingit to the body is about to break, the dying person becomesinundatedwithquiteanumberoffitnas.Theyarethefitnascaused
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by the devil, who mobilizes all its armies specially against that(dying) person. Disguised in his parents and siblings and otherdeadpeoplebelovedtohim,theyshowthemselvestohimatthatcriticalmoment,andsaytohim:
“O,you,soandso!Youaredying.Wehavebeatenyouatthat.You(’d better) die in the Jewish religion. That religion is theacceptedoneintheviewofAllah.”Ifherefusestobelievethemanddoesnotlistentothem,theyleavehim.Otherscomeontohim,saying:YoudieasaChristian!For,itisthereligionoftheMessiah,i.e.Îsâ(Jesus)‘’alaihis-salâm’,whoabrogatedthereligionofMûsâ(Moses)‘’alaihis-salâm’.”Theywillcarryonlikethis,takingturnstosuggesttohimallthereligionsheldbyvariouspeople.ThatisthetimewhenanyonedestinedbytheJenâb-i-Haqqtogowrongshallgowrong.Andthatisthestatepointedoutintheeighthâyat-i-kerîmaofÂl-i-’ImrânSûra,whichpurports:“O our Rabb! Letnot our hearts deviate as we die after Thou hast granted us îmânin the world. ...”
IfJenâb-i-HaqqgrantsguidancetoaslaveofHisandblesseshim with steadiness in îmân, the rahmat-i-ilâhiyya (divinecompassion)shallcometohisrescue.Accordingtosome(Islamicscholars)Jebrâîl(ArchangelGabriel)‘’alaihis-salâm’ismeantbytheword‘rahmat’(usedintheâyat-i-kerîma).
Therahmat-i-ilâhiyyaexpelsthedevilandremovesthefatiguefromtheinvalid’sface.Thereuponthatpersonfeelssoothedandsmiles.Manyadyingpersonisseentosmileatthatstage,whentherahmat,(i.e.HadratJebrâîl,)issentbyAllâhuta’âlâandgiveshimthe glad tidings, saying, “Do you knowme? I am Jebrâîl. Andthese(disguisedpeople)arethedemons,yourenemies.Youdieas(a member of) the Millat-i-hanîfiyya and the dîn-i-Muhammadiyya,(i.e.thereligion,Islam,declaredthroughHadratMuhammad.)Nothingcouldbemorebelovedandmoresoothingthanthisangelforaperson.The(latterpartofthe)eighthâyat-i-kerîmaofÂl-i-’ImrânSûra,whichpurports:“... Yâ Rabbî! Grantus mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou, alone, are theGrantor of bounties without measure,”pointsoutthisfact.
Somepeopledie standingduringnamâz.Somepeopledieastheyareasleep,somedieastheyarebusywithsomething,somedie all of a sudden, deeply absorbed as they are in playing orlistening to musical instruments or other frivolous occupations,andothersdieas theyareonthebooze.Somedyingpeopleareshowntheirpassedacquaintances.Itisforthatmatterthatinsome
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cases thedyingperson looks at thepeople aroundhim.At thatmomenthegrumbles,yetinsuchfrequencyastobeheardbyallbutthehumanear.Weremantohearit,hewouldcertainlyperish,beinghorrifiedtodeath.
Thesense that thedyingpersonwill lose last ishearing.For,onlyhissightisgonewhenhissoulleaveshisheart.Hishearing,however,stayswithhimuntilhissoulisgrabbedandtakenawayfromhim.It is for thisreasonthatourMaster theFakhr-i-’âlam‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’stated:“Coach the people intheir death-bed to pronounce the two statements called theshehadateyn-i-kalimateyn. That is, get them to say, ‘Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah, Muhammadun Rasûlullah’!”On the other hand, he, (i.e.theMostBlessedProphet,)dissuadedfromtalkingtoomuchinthepresence of a dying person. For, a person undergoing thosemomentsisinmostvehementtrouble.
Ifyouseeacorpsewith itssalivapouringout, its liphangingdown,itsfaceblackened,anditseye-ballsturnedback,youshouldknow that it belongs to a shaqî (sinner, evil-doer),who saw hissheqâwat(wretchedness)intheHereafter.
If you see a corpsewith itsmouth almost open as if itwererejoicing,itsfacesmiling,anditseyeslookingasifitwerewinking,youshouldknowthatitsownerwasblessedwiththegladtidingsthathehadbeendestinedtoattainhappinessintheHereafter.
Angelswrap that soul in silk cloth fromParadise.That sa’îd(good)person’ssoulisinhumanfigureasbigasahoney-bee.Hehas lost nothing of his mind and knowledge. He knows all hisdoings in the world. The angels fly up with the soul, rising toheavens.Somedeadpeopleknowthattheyarerising,whilesomeof them do not know what is happening. Thus, watching theummatsofpastProphets ‘’alaihim-us-salâm’andthenewlydeadpeoplelikewatchingswarmsoflocustsaroundthemastheyflyby,theyarriveintheworldlyheaven,thefirst(andthelowest)layerofheavens.
Jebrâîl ‘’alaihis-salâm’, leaderof theseangels, goesup to theworldlyheaven.“Whoareyou,”heisasked.Whenhesaysthatheis Jebrâîl and thepersonwithhim is so and so andpraises thatperson, callinghimbeautiful names andnames that that personusedtorejoiceinhaving,angelsinchargeasguardsoftheworldlyheavensay,“Heissuchagoodperson,forthebelief,thecreedheheldwasbeautiful.Andhehadnodoubtsastothatcorrectbelief.”
Thentheyrisetothesecondlayerofheavens.“Whoareyou,”
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comesthequestion.Jebrâîl‘’alaihis-salâm’repeatstheanswerhegave to the angels in the first heaven.The angels in the secondlayerofheavenssayontothatsoul,“Welcomehere,that(good)person.Ashewasintheworldheperformedhisprayersofnamâzinamannerinfullobservanceofallactsoffarzinit.”
Passingit,theyriseuptothethirdlayer.“Whoareyou,”isthequestionagain,whereuponJebrâîl‘’alaihis-salâm’repeatswhathesaidbefore. “Welcome, that (good)person,” says a voice, “whosafeguardedtherightsofhispropertybypayingzakâtfor itandalsothe’ushr[1] forthecropthathereapedfromthefield,bygivingittothepeopleprescribed(byIslam),whichhedidwillinglyandlavishly.”Sotheygoon,stillupwards.
Theyarriveinthefourthlayer,whereavoiceasks,“Whoareyou?” The Archangel answers as before. Thereupon the voicesays,“Welcome,thatperson,who,ashewasintheworld,fastedin(theblessedmonthof)Ramadân,abstainedfromactsthatwouldbreakafast[2],andavoidedseeingandtalkingwith(nâ-mahram)women[3],and(earninginawaythatisharâmand)eatingfoodthatisharâm.”[4]
Theyriseonuntil theyreachthefifth layerofheavens,wheretheyareasked,“Whoareyou?”When theArchangelanswersasbefore, the voice says, “Welcome, that (good) person, whoperformed his duty of hajj[5] without any riyâ (ostentation, show)andonlyforthegraceofAllâhuta’âlâwhenitbecamefarzforhim.”
Theypassit.Theyriseonandreachthesixthheaven.“Whoareyou,”comes thequestion, tobeansweredasbefore.“Welcome,that(good)person,whomadeplentyofistighfârattimesofsahar(or seher, which means ‘early morning’,) and who performedplentyofsecretalmsgiving,andwhosupportedorphans,”repliesthevoice.
Theypassbeyondthere,too,andriseon,untiltheycometoarankthatiscalledSurâdiqât-i-jalâl andwhichcontainsthecurtainsofjalâl(orjelâl).Thesameanswerisgiventothequestion,“Who
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[1] Pleaseseethefirstchapterof thefifthfascicleofEndless Bliss, fortermssuchaszakât and’ushr.
[2] PleaseseethesecondchapterofthefifthfascicleofEndless Bliss.[3] PleaseseetheeighthchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss.[4] Pleaseseethetwenty-ninethchapterofthefifthfascicle,andalsothe
initialninechaptersofthesixthfascicle,ofEndless Bliss.[5] PleaseseetheseventhchapterofthefifthfascicleofEndless Bliss.
areyou?”Thereuponthevoicesays,“Welcome,thatpiousbornslave and beautiful soul, who made plentiful of istighfâr, whoperformedamr-i-ma’rûf,(i.e.taughtthecommandmentsofAllâhuta’âlâ,)[tohisfamilyandtopeoplewhoobeyhim,]whotaughtthereligionofAllâhu ta’âlâ toHis slaves, andwhohelpedmiskîns,(i.e. poorMuslimswho have nomore property than their dailysustenance,) [andotherpeople in straits.]”Then theycallonanassemblyofangels.TheyallgivehimthegoodnewsofParadiseandshakehandswithhim(inamannerasMuslimsshakehandswithoneanotherandwhichiscalled‘musâfaha’).[1]
Then they go on (upwards) until they reach the Sidrat-ul-muntahâ[2],wherethesamequestionandanswertakesplace,andthe voice says, “Welcome, welcome and marhabâ (salutations,greetings)tothat(good)personwhodidallhispiousandgoodacts(only)forthegraceofAllâhuta’âlâ.”
Thereaftertheygothroughthelayeroffire,andthenthroughlayersofnûr,zulmat,water,andsnow.Thentheygototheseaofcoldnessandpassit.Betweeneverytwooftheselayersisawayofathousandyears.
Thereafter the curtains covering the Arsh-ur-Rahmân areopened.Thereareeightythousandofthem.Eachcurtaincontainseighty thousand sharafas (galleries), each of which contains athousand moons, each making tehlîl and tasbîh (or tesbîh) ofAllâhuta’âlâ.Ifoneofthosemoonsappearedtotheearth,itsnûr(radiance, light, brightness) would burn the entire ’âlam, andpeoplewouldstartworshippingit,apartfrom(theirworshipping)Allâhuta’âlâ.Atthattimeavoiceisheardfrombehindacurtain.Itsays,“Whoisthatsoulthatyouhavebroughthere?”“Heissoandso,sonofsoandso,”repliesJebrâ’îl‘’alaihis-salâm’.
Allâhuta’âlâdeclares:“Bringhimcloser.HowbeautifulaslaveofMineyouare.”Ashewaitsinthehuzûr-i-ma’nawiyya-i-ilâhiyya(divine immaterial presence) of Allâhu ta’âlâ, Haqq ta’âlâembarrasses him by way of some lawm-i-itâb (reproaching), sothathefeelsasifhehasperished.ThenJenâb-i-Haqqforgiveshim.
Asamatteroffact,thefollowingeventisrelatedaboutHadratQâdîYahyâbinEksem:AfterhisdeathhewasseeninadreamandwasaskedhowHaqqta’âlâhadtreatedhim.YahyâbinEksemsaid,“Allahüta’âlâmademestandinHisimmaterialpresenceand
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[1] Pleaseseethefinalchapterofthecurrentbook.[2] PleaseseethesixtiethchapterofthethirdfascicleofEndless Bliss.
said:‘Eyshaikh-i-sû’,[whichmeans:O,youbadoldman,]!Didn’tyoucommitthatandthat?’WhenIsawthatAllâhuta’âlâknewallthe things thatIhaddone,I felt terrifiedallover, soI said: ‘YâRabbî(OmyRabb,Allah)!IwasnotinformedintheworldthatYouwould interrogateme in thatmanner.’ ‘What did they tellyou,’He asked. I said, ‘Mu’ammer toldme on the authority ofImâmZuhrî,whohadtoldhimontheauthorityof’Urwa,whohadtoldhimontheauthorityof’Âisha-i-Siddîqa‘radiy-Allâhu’anhâ’,whohadtoldhimontheauthorityofHadratProphet‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’, who had told her on the authority ofHadratJibrîl(theArchangelGabriel),whohadinformedhimonthe authority ofDhât-i-ta’âlâ (Allahü teâlâ), thatAllâhu ta’âlâ,WhoisRaûfandRahîm,hadpromised:I, the ’Adhîm-ush-shân,feel shame at tormenting hair and beard that have becomebleached in Islam.’ ThereuponAllâhu ta’âlâ declares: ‘You andMu’ammer and Imâm Zuhrî and ’Urwa and ’Âisha andMuhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’ and Jibrîl are sâdiq (faithful). So Ihaveforgivenyou.’”
[QâdîbinYahyâEksem‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’wastheQâdîofBaghdâd,whenhepassedawayinMedinain242[856A.D.].Hewasa scholarofFiqh in theShâfi’îMadhhab.HisbookentitledTenbîh isofgreatrenown.
Mu’ammerbinMusannâisbetterknownwiththenameAbû’UbaydNahwî.Hewasamanofletters.HewasborninBasrain110,andpassedaway in210 [825A.D.].HewasaKhwârijî.Hewrotequiteanumberofbooks.Hewasa scholar in theIslamicsciencecalledHadîthandalearnedhistorianaswell.
MuhammadbinMuslimZuhrîisoneoftheTâbi’în.Hespenthistimereadingbooks,shuttinghimselfupwithinaframeofhisownbookswhichhehadarrangedlikelayersofbricksofawall.Onedayhiswifesaid tohim,“Thesebooksaremorevehementthanthreefellow-wivestome.”Hepassedawayin124[741A.D.]‘rahimahullâhuta’âlâ’.
’UrwabinZubeyristhesecondsonofZubeyrbinAwwâm.HismotherisEsmâbint-i-AbûBakr.Heisoneofthe(sevenscholarsknownas)theFuqahâ-i-sab’a[1].Hequotedmanyhadîth-i-sherîfson theauthorityof ’Âisha ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’.Hewasborn in(hijrî)22,andpassedawayinMedînain93‘rahimahullâhuta’âlâ’.]
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[1] PleasescanthelastthreepagesofthefirstchapterofthethirdfascicleofEndless Bliss.
Again,’Abd-ul-’AzîzibniNubâtawasseeninadreamandwasasked how Hadrat Allâhu ta’âlâ had treated him. He replied:Allâhu ta’âlâ said to me, “Aren’t you that person who talkedbriefly so that otherswould admire you for your eloquence?” Iinvoked,“YâRabbî!IholdandpronounceYourHighPersonfarand free from imperfect attributes, and in the world I used tomention Your Dhât-i-rubûbiyyat with Attributes of perfection,with adoration, devotion, and praise.” He ordered, “Then,mentionMeasyoudidintheworld.”SoIglorifiedHim,“He,whocreatesbeingsfromnothing,killsthemagainbytakingtheirsoulsaway from them. He, who gives the speech (ability to talk),annihilatestheirspeechagain.AsHeannihilatesthemHecreatesthemagain.AsHeseparatesman’slimbsfromoneanotherafterman’sdeath,likewiseHebringsthemtogetheragainontheRisingday.”ThereuponAllâhuta’âlâdeclared,“Youtellthetruth!Youcangonow,forIhaveforgivenyou.”[IbniNubâtawasapoetwithadivân(acollectionofpoemswrittenbyapoet).HepassedawayinBaghdâdin405[1014A.D.].]
MansûrbinAmmâr‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’wasanotherblessedpersonwhowasseeninadream(afterhisdeath)andwasaskedhowAllâhu ta’âlâ had treated him.His accountwas as follows:Jenâb-i-Haqq made me stand in His immaterial Presence andquestionedme,“Whathaveyoucometomewith,oMansûr?”“YâRabbî!IhavecomewithhajjthatIperformedthirty-sixtimes,”Isaid.“Idonotacceptanyoneofthem.Whatareyouherewith,”Heasked.Isaid,“YâRabbî!Iamherewiththekhatm-i-sherîf[1]
thatIperformedthreehundredandsixtytimes.”“Idonotacceptanyofthem.Whathaveyoucomeherewith,oMansûr,”Heaskedagain.Isaid,“YâRabbî!IamherewithYourRahmat.”Uponthis,Allâhuta’âlâdeclared,“NowyouarehereforMe.Youcango,forIhaveforgivenyou.”
Most of these anecdotes inform about the fearful facts aboutdeath.With thehelpofAllâhu ta’âlâ, Ihave informedyouaboutthingstobefollowedbypeopleopentoadvice.SomepeoplehearavoicewhentheyreachtheKursî.Theyareturnedbackatthatstage.Someareturnedbackfromthecurtains.Itisthe’Ârif-i-billâh,i.e.theAwliyâ-i-kirâm,whoattainthePresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ.ThosewhoarenotamongthepeoplewhoareinthefourthorhighergradeofWilâyatcannotattainthePresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ.
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[1] Tomake or perform (a) khatm(-i-sherîf)means to read the entireQur’ânal-kerîm.
Oh, I change for the worse day in, day out, yâ Rasûlallah!Let my conduct be righted, do help me, yâ Rasûlallah!
This base nafs of mine rampart, has made me follow the devil.How could refuge be likely with these sins, yâ Rasûlallah!
Could safety despite the nafs and the devil be possible,Unless your guidance came to our rescue, yâ Rasûlallah!
Once fayz and ihsân from you come to the heart of a person,His way in both worlds will be salvation, yâ Rasûlallah!
I have obeyed (do)s and (don’t)s, and have not called harâms ‘halâl’.Contrition’s followed each sin committed, yâ Rasûlallah!
O, you, Messenger for humans and genies, Best of mankind;For my ikhlâs’ sake, intercede for me, yâ Rasûlallah!
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THIRD CHAPTERThesoulofafâjir,i.e.disbelieverisextractedwithvehemence,
andhisfacebecomeslikeacolocynth.Angelssayontohim,“O,you, khabîth (foul, dirty) soul!Get out of your khabîth body!”Anditbrayslikeanass.Whenthesoulgetsout,Azrâîl‘’alaihis-salâm’ hands it over to zebânîs, (i.e. angels whose duty is totormentpeopleofHell,)whosefacesareextremelyugly,whoarecladinblackgarments,whogiveoffafoulsmell,andwhoholdamatting-likepieceofcloth.Theywrapitaroundthesoul.Atthatmoment it is turned intoahuman figureasbigasa locust. It isbecauseadisbeliever’sbodywillbebiggerthanthatofaBelieverin the Hereafter. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “In Hell adisbeliever will have teeth as big as mount Uhud each.”
Jebrâ’îl‘’alaihis-salâm’takesthiskhabîthsoulupandtogethertheyriseuntiltheyreachtheworldlyheaven.“Whoareyou,”asksavoice, tobereplied,“IamJebrâ’îl.”“Who is thatpersonwithyou?”Jebrâ’îl ‘’alaihis-salâm’saysthatheissoandso,sonofsoandso,callinghimbadanduglynamesandhisviciousnamesthathedislikedwhenhewasintheworld.Thegateofskyandheavenisnotopenedforhim,andavoicesaysthatsuchpeoplewillnotenterParadiseunlessacamelgoesthroughaneedle-hole.
NosoonerdoesJebrâ’îl‘’alaihis-salâm’hearthisthanheletsgoofthewickedsoul.Thewindtakesitawaytodistantplaces.Thisstate is described in the thirty-first âyat-i-kerîma of Sûra Hajj,whichpurports:“... If anyone assigns partners to Allâhu ta’âlâ, heis as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, orthe wind had swooped (likeabirdonitsprey) and thrown him intoa distant place, where he perishes.”Whenthatpersonfallsontotheground,azebânîpickshimupandtakeshimtothesijjîn.ThesijjînisabigrockunderthegroundoratthebottomofHell.Soulsofdisbelieversandthoseoffâsiqpeoplearetakentothesijjîn.
SoulsofJewsandChristians,(aftertheyarerejectedfromtheKursî,)[1] aresentbacktotheirgraves.Iftheyarepeoplewhowerein their original religions, (i.e. uninterpolated forms of JudaismandÎsawîism,)theywatchtheircorpsesbeingwashedandintered.
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[1] Please see the twenty-first chapter of the sixth fascicle ofEndlessBliss forthetermssuchasKursî and’Arsh.
Mushriks (polytheists), i.e. people who did not believe inheavenlyreligions,cannotwatchanyofsuchevents.For,theyhavebeen dropped in a despicable manner down from the worldlyheaven.
Amunâfiq, like those in thesecondgroup, i.e.mushriks,hasincurredtheWrathofAllâhuta’âlâ,condemnedandrejected;sohe,too,issentbacktohisgrave.
Believerswhofailtoproperlyperformtheirdutiesasslaves(ofAllâhuta’âlâ)varyconsiderably.Someofthemareturnedbackbythe namâz they performed. For instance, if a person performsnamâzquickly like a roosterpecking at grainsofwheat, hewillhavestolenfromhisownnamâz.Hisnamâzwillbegathereduplikeanoldpieceofclothandcastinhisteeth.Thenhisnamâzwillriseandsay,“MayAllâhuta’âlâwasteyouasyouwastedme.”
Some of them are turned back by their zakât. For example,somepeoplepayzakâtsothatothersmayseehimandtalkabouthisgenerosityinalmsgiving,andotherspaytheirzakâtmostlytowomeninordertowintheirlove.Wehaveseenandobservedsuchexamples.MayAllâhu ta’âlâ bless all peoplewithhealth that isobtainedthroughthingsthatarehalâl.
Somepeopleareturnedbackbytheirfasting.For,theyfastedonlybynoteating,without ceasing fromsinning suchas talkingmâlâ-ya’nî,(i.e.uselessly,)andbackbiting,andothers.Thiskindoffastingisfuhsh(immorality)andhusrân(frustration).Asapersonfastsinthismanner,theblessedmonthofRamadânwillcometoanend.Hehasfastedapparentlybutnotinactualfact.
Somepeopleareturnedbackbythehajjtheyperformed.For,they performed only so that people should say, “So and so isperforminghajj,”ortheyperformedhajjbyspendingpropertythatwasharâm.
Some people are turned back by a sin that they committed,suchasdisobeyingtheirparents.Thesestatesoftheirsareknownonlybypeoplewhoareinformedabouttheworldofsecretsandbyscholars who acquire knowledge only for the grace of Allâhuta’âlâ.
Concerning the facts that we have been dealing with so far,there are also hadîth-i-sherîfs of our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’andstatementsof theSahâbaandtheTâbi’în,whichhavebeenconveyedtous.AsisrelatedinthenarrationontheauthorityofMu’âzbinJebel‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’,manyanothernarrationhasbeenconveyedabouttherejectionofactsofworship
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performedandaboutothermatters.Ihavetriedtopresentabriefsamplerofeventsconcerningthematter.IfIhadnotsummarizedthefacts,Iwouldhavefilledanumberofbooks.PeoplewhoholdthebeliefofAhlas-sunnat,i.e.whoholdacorrecti’tiqâd(creed),willknow,aswellastheydotheirownchildren,thatwhatwehavebeendoingissimplyastatementoftruefacts.
Whenthesoulismadetoreturntoitscorpse,itfindsthecorpsebeingwashed,andwaitsat thehead-sideof thecorpseuntil thewashing is finished. If Allâhu ta’âlâ has willed goodness for aperson, that person will see the dead person’s soul in its ownhumanfigureintheworld.Oneday,asagoodpersonwaswashingthebodyofhis(dead)sonhesawhissonwaitingatthehead-sideofthecorpse.Awe-stricken,hemovedfromonesideofthecorpseto the other. His seeing his son continued until the corpse wasshrouded.Whenthecorpsewaswrappedintheshroud,thesoulinthe son’s guise went back, disappearing into the shroud. Therewereothereventswhereinthesoulwasseenafterthecorpsehadbeen placed in the coffin. As a matter of fact, according tonarrations coming through sâlih (pious, true) Muslims, as thecorpsewasinitscoffin,avoicewasheardtosay,“Whereissoandso?Whereisthesoul?”Thechestsideoftheshroudmovedtwiceorthreetimes.
According to a narration conveyed fromRebî’ binHeythem‘rahimahullah’,ablessedperson, (afterhisdeath,)moved in thehands of the personwashing him. In the time ofAbûBakr as-Siddîq‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’,acorpsewasseentotalkonthecoffin;hewasstatingthevirtuesofAbûBakrand’Umar‘radiy-Allâhu’anhumâ’.
People who see these states of dead people are Walîs whowatchtheworldofangels.Allâhuta’âlâchoosescertainpeopleatwillandremovesthecurtainsontheireyesandears,sothatthosepeopleseeandknowsuch(secret)states.
Whenthecorpseisshouded,thesoulcomesandwaitsnearthecorpse, closer to the chest and yet outside of the corpse. In themeantime the soul wails and moans. “Take me quickly to therahmat(compassion)ofmyRabb(Allâhuta’âlâ),”itsays.“Ifyouknewtheblessings thathavebeenpreaparedforme,youwouldmakehasteandtakemetomyplace.”
If thesoulbelongstosomeoneinformedabouthissheqâwat,(thatis,thebadnewsthatheisawickedpersonandwillthereforegotoHell,)itwillbegtobetakenaslateaspossibletotheplace
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ofdivinetorment,saying,“Please,doallowmerespiteandcarrymycorpseslowly.Ifyouknew,youwouldcertainlynotcarrymycorpseonyourshoulders.”Forthatmatter,whenRasûlullah‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihiwasallam’sawa janâza,hewouldstandupandfollowbehindforaboutfortysteps.
Itisrelatedinahadîth-i-sherîf:Oneday,ajanâza(orjenâza)[1]
was carried past before our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ’alaihiwa sallam’.He stood up respectfully. TheAshâb-i-kirâm‘’alaihim-ur-ridwân’said,“YâRasûlallah(O,you,theMessengerofAllah); the janâzabelongs to a Jew.”ThereuponourblessedProphet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “Isn’t he anafs, (i.e. a human being)?” The reason why our master theMessengerofAllahdid sowasbecause theworldofangelswasshown, in (a manner called) kashf, to his blessed and exaltedperson.Forthesamematter,hishighnesswouldbecomecheerfulwheneverhesawajanâza.
[As is written inHalabî, a person who sees a janâza beingcarriedpasthimshouldnotonlyrisetohisfeetandwait,standing.Heshouldstanduptojointhepeoplecarryingthecorpseandwalkbehindthejanâza.AlthoughithasbeenreportedthatRasûlullah‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’stoodupwhenhesawajanâzabeingcarriedandthensatdownagainwhenthe(groupofpeoplecarrying the) janâza passed by and commanded his blessedCompanienstodolikewise,thatcommandmentwas(oneofthosecommandments that were) subjected to naskh. In other words,sometimelaterhechangedthatcommandofhis.ItiswritteninbooksentitledMarâq-il-falâh andDurr-ul-mukhtâr that it isnotpermissibleforapersonwhoseesajanâza(beingcarried)tostanduptoshowreverence.]
Whenthecorpseisinteredandcoveredwithearth.Thegravesaysas follows to itsdeadoccupant:Youwerehappywhenyouwereonme.Nowyouareundermeandunhppy.Youusedtoeat(delicious)foodontopofme.Nowwormseatyouunderme.Thegravecontinueswiththisbittertalkofitsuntilitisfilledupwithearthandthecorpseiscompletelycoveredwithearth.
According to a narration related on the authority of IbniMes’ûd ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, he asked (theMessenger ofAllah):“YâRasûlallah‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’!Whatisthefirst thing a dead personmeets with after he is placed into his
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[1] Acoffinwithacorpseinit.
grave?”OurblessedProphet‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’stated: “Yâ Ibni Mes’ûd! No one asked me this question beforeyou. You are the only one to ask it. When a dead person in intered,an angel calls out to him. The name of that angel is ‘Rûmân’. Hegets among graves. He says: ‘Yâ ’Abd-Allah (O,you,bornslaveofAllah)!Write your ’amel, (i.e.allthethingsyoudidintheworld!)’That person says: ‘I have neither paper nor a pencil here. Whatshall I write?’ The angel says: This answer of yours is notacceptable. Your shroud is your paper. You spittle is your ink.Your fingers are your pens.’ The angel tears a piece off the deadperson’s shroud and gives it to him. That slave of Allâhu ta’âlâ,illiterate as he might have been in the world, writes there (all) his(deedsthatbroughthim) thawâb and also (all) his sins, as if he hadperformed (all his good acts) and committed (all his sins) in oneday. Thereafter the angel rolls up the piece of shroud (containingthe written account) and hangs it on the dead person’s neck.”ThereafterourmastertheMessengerofAllah‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’quotedthethirteenthâyat-i-kerîmaofIsrâSûra,which purports: “Pages showing every man’s acts We havefastened on his own neck. ...”
Thereafter,twoextremelydreadfulangelsappear.Theyareinhumanfigures.Theirfacesarepitchblack,andtheycutthroughtheearthwith their teeth. It looksas if thehairson theirheadswerehangingovertheearth.Theirspeechislikethunderandtheireyes are like lightning. Their breath is like a wind blowingvehemently. Each of them wields an iron whip that the entiremankindandallgenieswouldfailtoliftupiftheytriedenmasse.Itisbiggerandheavierthanamountain.Onestripewithitwould,mâzallah,pulverizeaperson.Thesoulrunsawayassoonasitseesthem.Theyenter the corpse’s chest through itsnostrils. Itspartabovethechestbecomesalive,justasitwasatthetimeofdeath.Thedeadpersonisunabletomove.Yethehearswhateverheistoldandseeswhatishappening.Theyquestionhimvehemently.Theytormentandmolesthim.Theearthhasbecomelikewaterforhim.Wheneverhemoves,thegroundcleavesandopensintoagap.
The twoangels ask suchquestions as. “Who is yourRabb?”“Whatisyourreligion?”“WhoisyourProphet?”“Whatdirectionis yourQibla?” If Allâhu ta’âlâ makes a person successful andplacestherightwordinhisheart,thatpersonsays,“MyRabbisHewho sent you tomeasHisdeputies.MyRabb isAllah,myProphetisMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’,andmyreligionisIslam.”This answer can be given only by auspicious scholars who
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practisedtheirknowledge(whentheywereintheworld).Thenthetwoangelssay,“Hehastoldthetruth.Hehasproved
himself.Hehas savedhimself fromourhands.”Thereafter theyturnhisgraveintoatombwithalargedomeoverit.Theyopentwodoorsonhislefthandside.Thentheycoveralltheinnerwallsofhisgravewithodoroussweetbasils.SmellsfromParadisereachthedeadperson.Thebeautifulactsheperformedintheworldvisithimintheguiseofhismostbelovedfriend,entertainhim,andgivehimgoodnews.Nûrsfillhisgrave.Merryandhappyallthetime,heawaitsdoomsdayinhisgrave.Nothingfeelsmorebelovedthandoomsdaytothatperson.
Believerswithlessknowledgeandfewergooddeedsandwhoare unaware of the secrets of theworld of angels occupy lowergrades than the aforesaid person’s.ABeliever in this category,after(thatformidableexaminationheundergoesinthepresenceof)Nûmân,isvisitedbyhisgooddeeds,intheguiseofabeautifulfacedandnicesmellingpersoncladinalovelyattire.“Don’tyouknowme,”asksthevisitor.Thedeadpersonsays,“WhoareyouthatAllâhuta’âlâhasbestowedonmeatsuchatimeasthis,whenIamso lonelyandhelpless?”Theamiablevisitor replies,“Iamyourpiousdeeds(inhumanfigure).Don’tbeafraid,anddon’tfeelsad! Some time later the angels namedMunkar and Nakîr (orNekîr)willbeheretoquestionyou.Don’tbeafraidofthem.”
Thereafter, as the visitor teaches the dead person what heshould say to thequestioning angels, the angels namedMunkarandNekîrarrive.Theycross-questionhim,inamannerasweareto describe. First they make him sit. They ask him, “MenRabbuka,”whichmeans,“WhoisyourRabb?”Heanswersthemas we described in the previous case: “My Rabb is Allah. MyProphetisMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’.MyimâmistheQur’ânal-kerîm.MyQiblais(thedirectionof)Ka’ba-i-sherîf.MyfatherisIbrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’, that is, his nationality is the same asmine.”Heisnevertongue-tied.Sotheangelssayontohim,“Youhavetoldthetruth.”Theytreathimasdidthepreviousangels.YettheyopenadoorfromHellonhislefthandside.HeseesHell’ssnakes,scorpions,chains,steamingwater,zaqqûm,(foodfor thedamned people of Hell), and, in short, whatsoever is in Hell.Thereuponthatpersonwailsandmoansverybitterly.
“Don’t you be afraid,” they calm him. “The dreadfulness ofthatplacewillnotharmyou.ItisyourplaceinHell.Allâhuta’âlâhasreplaceditwithyourplaceinParadise.Gotosleep.Youare
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sa’îd,(thatis,oneofthepeopleofParadise).”ThereafterthedoorfromHellisclosedontohim.Hestaysinthatstateforevermore,quiteoblivioustomonthsandyearspassingby.
Manyapersonbecomestongue-tiedwhiledying.Ifhisi’tiqâd(creed, belief) was in error (as he lived in the world), [if, forinstance,hedidnothaveabeliefagreeablewiththeteachingsofthescholarsofAhlas-Sunnat,andifhefollowed(hereticscalled)peopleofbid’at(orholdersofbid’at),]hefailstosay,“MyRabbisAllah.” Instead,he starts sayingother things.Theangelsbeathimwithonestripe,andfirefillshisgrave.Thenthefiregoesout,retaining its extinguished state for a few days. Thereafter, fireappearsagaininhisgraveandattackshim.Thatalternateprocesscontinuesuntildoomsday.
Manyanotherpersoncannotsay,“MyreligionisIslam.”Eitherhediedinadoubtfulstate,orafitnaintrudedhisheartashewasdying.[Orhefellvictimtooneoftheverbalorwrittentrapssetbynon-sunnî people for thepurposeofmisguidingMuslims.]Theydealhimonestripe.Hisgravebecomesfullwithfire, like in thepreviouscase.
Some people fail to say, “Al-Qur’âni imâmî,” which means,“TheQur’ânal-kerîmismyimâm,”For,theyreadtheQur’ânal-kerîm but did not take counsel from it, did not practise thecommandments in the Qur’ân al-kerîm, and did not avoid itsinterdictions.Theyare subjected to the same treatment asweretheformerones.
Somepeople’sdeedsassumedreadfulappearances,andpullatthem.Theyaresubjectedtoasmuchtormentastheirsinfulness.Accordingtoanarration,“Some people’s deeds are changed intohunûts.”Youngofaswineiscalled‘hunût’.
Somepeoplecannotsay,“MyProphetisMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’.” For, those people had forgotten about the Sunnat-i-nabawiyya, (i.e. the commandments and prohibitions of Islam,)whentheywereintheworld.Theyhadbeencarriedawaybythemodesoflifeintheirtime.TheydidnotteachtheirchildrenhowtoreadtheQur’ânal-kerîmoranythingaboutthecommandmentsandprohibitionsofAllâhuta’âlâ.
Somepeoplecannotsay,“MyQiblais(thedirectionof)Kâ’ba-i-sherîf.”Suchpeoplearethosewhowerecarelessaboutstandingin the direction of Qibla when they performed namâz, or whomixed fesâd(or fasâd) into theirablution,orwhoseheartswereinclinedtowardsotherthingsorwhosemindswereoccupiedwith
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worldly interests as they performed namâz, or who did notproperly made the rukû’s and the sajdas of namâz or did notobservetheta’dîl-i-arkânastheyperformednamâz[1].
Sufficeittoreadthefollowinghadîth-i-sherîfquotedfromourProphet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’: “Allâhu ta’âlâ will notaccept the namâz performed by a person who has omitted a singleprayer of namâz and therefore has a debt of namâz, or who wearsclothes [jilbâb] that are harâm.”[Hence,sunnatornâfilaprayers(ofnamâz)performedbyapersonwhohasleft(onlyoneof)hisfarzprayersofnamâztoqadhâ(orqadâ)willnotbeaccepted.][2]
Some people cannot say, “Wa Ibrâhîmu ebî,” which means,“Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’ is my father.” A person in this groupmay, one day, for instance, have heard someone say, “Ibrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’ is a Jew (or Christian),” whichmay have raiseddoubts in his mind, [Or he may have said that the disbelievernamed Âzer is the father of Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm.’] He issubjectedtothesametreatmentastheaforesaidpeople.Wehavedealt with all these facts in detail in our book entitled Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm.
[Thehadîth-i-sherîfquotedabovestatesthefactthatifapersonhasomittedoneofhis(obligatory)prayersofnamâz(calledfarz)withoutany’udhr,(i.e.agoodreasonjustifiedbyIslam,)unlessheimmediatelymakesqadâofit,(whichmeanstoperformacertainIslamiccommandmentwhichonehasomittedorfailedtoperformwithin its dictated time,) none of the prayers of namâz that heperformsthereafterwillbeaccepted.Iftheprayersofnamâzthatheperformsthereafterareperformedproperlyandwithikhlâsandinkeepingwith its rules, theywillbe sahîh; that is,hewillhavecarriedouthisdutyofperformingnamâzandwillhaveabsolvedhimselffromthesinfulness(ofnotperformingthematall).Tosaythatnoneofthoseprayersofnamâzwillbeacceptedmeanstosaythat he will not attain the thawâb (rewards and blessings) thatAllâhuta’âlâhaspromised,andthathewillobtainnobenefitfromthem.Thesunnatprayersofnamâzthatareperformedinadditionto the daily five farz prayers of namâz are performed for thepurposeofattainingthethawâb(thatAllâhuta’âlâhaspromised).Sincethesunnatprayersofnamâzperformedbythatpersonwill
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[1] PleasescanthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss forinformationabout‘namâz’.
[2] Pleaseseethetwenty-thirdchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndlessBliss foromittedandmissedprayersofnamâz.
not be accepted, he will have performed them in vain. Thosesunnatprayersofnamâzwillbeofnobenefittohim.Therefore,apersonwhohasomittedacertainfarzprayerofnamâzhastomakeqadhâofthatprayerimmediately.Ifthereisanumberofprayersthathedidnotperform,asheperformsthesunnatofeachofthedailyfiveprayersofnamâz,heshouldmakehisniyyat(intention)toperformthefarzofthatprayerofnamâzthathedidnotperform(within its proper time), thus saving himself from the greattorment thathehas incurredbynotperforming it, sincehewillhavemadeqadânow.Tothebargain,hisdebtsofnamâzwillbepaidoffintheshortesttimepossibleandhewillbegintoattainthethawâb for performing the sunnats aswell. This is not the casewhenitcomestothefarzprayersofnamâzthathavebeenmissedon account of (good reasons termed) ’udhr. The hadîth-i-sherîf(quotedabove) is intendedforprayersofnamâzthathavebeenomitted not on account of ’udhr, but out of laziness. There isdetailedinformationonthissubjectinthetwenty-thirdchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss.]
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FOURTH CHAPTERWhentheangelsnamedMunkarandNekîraskthefâjir,i.e.the
disbeliever,“ManRabbuka(WhoisyourRabb),”hesays,“Idon’tknow.”“Youdon’tknow,youdon’tremember,”theyanswer.
Then they beat himwith ironwhips, so that he sinks to thebottomoftheseventhlayerofearth(indownwardorder).Thenthe earth shakes, and he rises back to his grave. The beating isrepeatedseventimes.Theeventsthatsuchpeopleundergovary.Thedeedsofoneofthem,forinstance,(i.e.thewickedactsthathecommittedintheworld,)isfashionedintoadog,whichbiteshimincessantlyuntildoomsday.Suchpeoplearethosewhoharboureddoubtsabout risingafterdeathandabout facts taughtby Islam.Thereisavarietyofsituationsthatpeopleingraveswillundergo.However,wehavegivenonlyaverybriefaccountofthemhere.The torment is of such a nature as each individual will betormentedwithwhatsoeverhedreadedmostintheworld.
For instance,somepeopleareverymuchafraidofyoungsoffierce animals.Different people have different natures.We begAllâhuta’âlâforsalvationandforforgivenessbeforeitistoolate.
Many events pertaining to the dead have been related; theyhavebeen seen indreams,askedhow theyhavebeen,and theyhaveanswered.Oneofthem,forinstance,toldthefollowingeventwhenhewasaskedhowhehadbeen:“OnedayIhadperformednamâzwithoutanablution.Allâhuta’âlâsetayoungwolftoworryme.Iamhavingalotoftroublewiththatbeast.”[Thisnarrationwouldhelptoimaginewhatisawaitingpeoplewhodonotperformnamâz and who do not make qadhâ of namâz that they haveommittedandmissed.]
Another person was seen in a dream and was asked howAllâhuta’âlâhadtreatedhim.Hesaid,“OnedayIhadnotmadeaghusl topurifymyself from the stateof janâbat (or jenâbat)[1].Allâhu ta’âlâ made me wear a shirt of fire. They have beentormentingmeby turningme thiswayand that in it, and itwillcontinuetilldoomsday.”EachpairofMuslimparentsshouldteachtheirchildrenhowtomakeaghusl.]
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[1] PleaseseethefourthchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss for‘ghusl’.
Anotherpersonwasseeninadreamandwasasked,“HowdidAllâhuta’âlâbehavetowardsyou?”Thedeadpersonsaid,“Asthepersonwhowaswashingmeturnedmeharshlyfromonesidetotheother,anironnailonthebenchscratchedmybody.Thathurtmeverybadly.”Whenthepersonwhohadwashedthecorpsewasaskedaboutitthefollowingmorning,hesaidthatitwastrue.“Itdidhappen,althoughinadvertently,”headded.
Anotheronewasseeninadreamandwasasked,“Howhaveyoubeen?Didn’tyoudietheotherday?”“Yes,Idid,”hereplied.“Iaminastateofkhayr,(i.e.Iamwelloffhere.’However,astheywereshovellingearth intomygrave,apieceof stone fellonmybody andbroke twoofmybones.That gaveme a lot of pain.”Thereupontheyopenedhisgraveandsawthat itwasashehadsaid.
Apersonwasdreamedofbyhissonandsaidtohisson,“O,you,badson!Putthingsright indaddy’sgrave!Fortherainhascausedalotoftrouble.”Thereupontheyopenedhisgrave.Indeed,itwaslikeanirrigationtrench.Floodhadfilleditup.
AnA’rabî(nomadArab)relates:WhenIaskedmy(dead)sonhowAllâhuta’âlâhadtreatedhim,hesaid,“Iamall right.Yet,because Iwasburied in a gravenear thatof a fâsiqperson,myheartfeelsfearbecauseofthetormentbeinginflictedonhim.”Asis clearly understood from these stories and many anotheranalogousstorybeingrelated,deadpeoplesuffertormentintheirgraves. For that matter, our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’prohibitedtobreakthebonesofacorpseand,whenonedayhesawsomeonesittingononesideofagrave,hesaid, “Don’t torment the dead in their graves” and “Just as theliving people sense and feel sorrows and pains in their homes,likewise the dead people sense and feel sorrows and pains in theirgraves.”
When our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’visitedthegraveofHadratÂmina,hisblessedmother,hewept,andsodidthepeoplewithhim.Heexplained:“I asked my Rabb(Allâhu ta’âlâ) for permission so that I could invoke Him forforgiveness on her behalf. He refused to give me permission to doso.”Thenhestated:“When I invoked Him to give me permissionto visit her grave, He gave me permission. Then, you, too, visitgraves. For, such visits will cause you to remember death.”[Afterwards, Rasûlullah was given permission to invokeAllâhuta’âlâ for forgiveness on behalf of his parents. They had been
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Believersalready.Theywerebroughtbacktolife(temporarily),sothattheyjoinedthisUmmat(Muslims).
Thishadîth-i-sherîfshowsthattheblessedmotherandfatherofthe Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ wereBelievers. For, it is forbidden to visit disbelievers’ graves.Permissiontovisithisparents’graves isaclear indicationofthefactthattheywereBelievers.Asforhisnotbeinggivenpermissiontoaskfor forgiveness forhisparents; ithad its reasons:Jenâb-i-Haqq, for the sake and honour of His Habîb (Darling), hadplannedagreaterblessingforhisblessedparentstoattain.WhenthetimeHehadwilledanddecreedcame,Hewouldbringthembacktolifeandtherebyshowthemthefactthattheirsonwasthehighest of Prophets, and thereby theywould have îmân in him,attain thehonourof joininghisUmmat (Muslims)and thehighgradeofbeingSahâbîs.
It isstatedasfollowsinthetwohundredandtwenty-seventhpageofthebookentitledMir’ât-ul-kâinât andwhichwaswrittenby Nishânjizâda Muhammad bin Ahmad Efendi ‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’,(d.1031[1622A.D.]):
Islamic scholars are not unanimous with respect to theirstatements concerning whether or not the blessed parents ofRasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ had îmân (in hisprophethood).FivedifferentnarrationsonthismatterexistinthebookentitledMesâlik-ul-hunafâ andwrittenby’Abd-ur-RahmânbinAbûBakrSuyûtî,(d.911[1505A.D.],)andalsoinmanyofhisothervaluablebooks:
1– Both of them passed away in the time of pre-Islamicpaganism, beforeRasûlullah’s call to Islam commenced; that is,before Bi’thet (or Bi’that). According to all the scholars in theShâfi’îMadhhabandmostofthescholarsintheHanafîMadhhab,ifapersonhasnotheardofthereligionofaProphet,itisnotwâjibforhimtohaveîmân(belief)inthatreligion.For,itisnotwâjibtofindaProphet’sreligionbywayofcogitationandreasoningbeforehearingofit.Afterhearingofit,itbecomeswâjibtocogitateandinfertheexistenceofAllâhuta’âlâandtohaveîmâninit.Bytheeraofpre-Islamicpaganism,(whichiscalleddawr-i-jâhiliyya,)theancientProphetshadbeen forgotten.For, throughout centuries,unbelievers and cruel tyrants had seized power, exterminatedreligions,oppressedandpersecutedmenofreligion,andtherebydiminishedthenumberofBelieverstoafewescapees,whichhadreachedanadirwithnoonewithahaziestnotioninthenameof
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religion or faith. Furthermore, every century has had its crueloccupants and ill-willed and ignoble human demons who haveadopted the same heinous policy and monstrously assailed theBelievers with deep-seated rancour for the evil purpose ofdestroying men of religion and making away with religions.CommunistsandtheBritishwouldmakeasamplerofsuchvillains.Sofar,however,noneofthosefiendishtyrantshasenjoyedsuccessin their plans of annihilation, which have yielded not thedestructionof îmân,butagrievousself-destruction, instead;andall of them have had to leave their sovereignties in bitter andwretchedfeelingsofdespair,eventuallysuccumbingtothetalonsofdeath,tobeeithercommemoratedwithcursesandmaledictionsorforgotteneverafter.
Allâhu ta’âlâhascreatedaProphetora scholarand therebyenlightedtheearthanew.Factsandeventsshouldteachalessontoreasonablepeople,andtheyshouldnotbelieveenemiesofreligionlesttheyshouldbeputtoshameinthisworldandintheHereafter.
2–Therearealsoscholarswhosay,“Peoplewholivedamongthe pre-Islamic pagans will be given a test, and the ones whochoosetohaveîmânwillenterParadise.”However,asisexplainedin the twohundredand fifty-ninth letterofMaktûbât (byImâmRabbânî), this narration is a weak one. (Please see the secondchapterofthesecondfascicleofEndless Bliss.)
3– Allâhu ta’âlâ brought the blessed parents of His blessedProphet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ back to life. Theyavowedtheirîmân(belief)in(theprophethoodof)theirsonandpassed away once again. Imâm-i-Suyûtî ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’quotes thehadîth-i-sherîf statingthat theywerebroughtbacktolife,andadds,“Itis(oneofthatgroupofhadîth-i-sherîfscalled)ahadîth-i-da’îf[1].Yet ithasbecomea soundhadîthbecause ithasbeenquotedbyanumberofpeople.Itisasoundhadîthaccordingtoamajorityofscholars.Ada’îfhadîthstatingthevalueofactsofworshiporthesuperiorityofacertainMuslimmustbefollowed.”
4–Fakhr-ud-dînRâzî(ofRay,Iran,d.606[1209A.H.],Herat,)andmanyotherscholarsstate:Thetwenty-eighthâyat-i-kerîmaofSûraTawbapurports:“Polytheists are najs (foul,dirty,impure).”In other words, all disbelievers are foul. On the other hand,Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “In all times I
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[1] PleaseseethesixthchapterofthesecondfascicleofEndless Bliss forkindsofhadîths.
passed from pure fathers onto pure mothers.”Anotherhadîth-i-sherîfreads:“In every century I was transferred through the mostauspicious people of their time.”However,itisnotpermissibletousetheadjective‘auspicious’aboutadisbeliever.Infactthetwohundredandnineteenthâyat-i-kerîmaofShu’arâSûrapurports:“He makes you pass through people who prostrate themselves.”Hence,allhis fathersandmotherswereBelievers.It isstated inthe Qur’ân al-kerîm that Âzer, who is said to be the father ofIbrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’, was a disbeliever. Yet ’Abdullah ibni’AbbâsandImâmMujâhidstatedthathewasIbrâhîm’s‘’alaihis-salâm’paternaluncle.InArabiaapaternaluncleiscalled‘father’.Itisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîf:“The lightest torment in Hell will bethe torment that will be inflicted on Abû Tâlib.”Since,ontheonehand,AbûTâlib’stormentisstatedtobethelightestand,ontheother hand, Rasûlullah’s blessed parents would undergo thelightest torment were they in Hell, the hadîth-i-sherîf quotedaboveshowsthatbothofthemwereBelievers.
5– Most scholars warn us against saying somethinginappropriate on this delicate subject and advise us to choosesilence or only to say thatAllâhu ta’âlâ knows the truth of thematter.Shaikh-ul-islâm’AllâmaAhmadibniKemâlPâshastatesas follows in the final part of his booklet entitledAbawayn (orEbeveyn):Accordingtothehadîth-i-sherîfwhichreads:“Do nothurt the living people by speaking ill of the dead!”andthesixty-secondâyat-i-kerîmaofTawbaSûra,whichpurports:“May Allahcondemn people who hurt the Messenger of Allah!”,apersonwhosaysthatRasûlullah’sfatherisinHellishimselfanaccursedone.ThisistheendofthepassagethatwehaveborrowedfromMir’ât-ul-kâinât.
WhenourblessedProphet‘’alaihis-salâm’wasatagraveyardhewouldstate:“May safety in the world and in the Hereafter beover those Muslims and Believers who occupy these graves. We,inshâ-Allah, shall join you [bewithyou]. You left this world beforeus. We will follow your example and be there. Yâ Rabbî! Havemaghfirat over us and over these people, and forgive us our sins.”Our Master the blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’commandedhisblessedwivesaswelltosaythesewords(prayer)whenevertheyvisitedthecemetery.
Sâlih-i-Muzenî ‘rahimahullah’ relates: I asked some scholarswhy we had been prohibited to perform namâz in a cemetery.They informed that there was a hadîth-i-sherîf against it, andquoted the hadîth-i-sherîf that reads: “Do not perform namâz
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among graves. For, it is an unending longing.”Itmeans:“Youwillregret it.” [Ismâ’îl Muzenî was a disciple of Imâm Shâfi’î. HepassedawayinEgyptin264[878A.D.].]
Itisforthisreasonthatitismakrûhtoperformnamâzatplaceswhere there is najâsat[1], for instance among graves or in abathroom.
It is relatedon the authority of a blessedperson:Oneday Istartedtoperformnamâzamonggraves.Thesunwassweltering.PresentlyIsawsomeoneresemblingmyfather.Hesatonhisowngrave.Iwasfrightened,sothatImadeamistakeinthenumberofthe sajdas (prostrations) of the namâz. I heard him say, “Is theearthsolimitedasyouchoosethisplace?”
Rasûlullah‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’sawanorphancryingbesidehisfather’sgrave.Pityingtheorphan,theblessedProphetwept, and stated: “Certainly a dead person suffers torment onaccount of the loud cries on the part of his next of kin. That is, hefeels sad and sorry.”
Thereismanyadeadpersonwho,whenheappearsinadreamandisaskedhowhehasbeen,complainsaboutthetormentandexcruciation he suffers because of a certain person’s crying,wailing,andyelling;itisanoft-heardepisode.However,zindiqs,[whoseguideistheirownshort-rangeminds,]denythisreality.
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wasallam’,stated:“If one of you visit the grave of a dead person whomyou knew when he was in the world and make salâm, (i.e. greethim,) that Believer will know you and acknowledge your salâm.”
In another similar occasion, our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’stated:“The dead person (ingrave) hearsfootsteps and informs about his sorrow by saying, ‘I hear, I hear,’”uponhisarrivalbackfromaninterment.
AccordingtoanarrationontheauthorityofscholarsofFiqh,apersondiedwithouthavingmadeawill.Thatnighthevisitedhishousehold in theirdreams,sayingtothem,“Givesoandsothatmuchgrain.ReturnthatbookwhichIborrowedtoitsowner.”Thenextmorningthefamilytoldoneanotherthedreamtheyhadhad.Theygavethegrain(tothepersonnamed).However,theycouldnotfindthebook,tryastheywould.Theywerewonderingwhattodo,whensometimelatertheyfounditinanookinthehouse.
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[1] PleaseseethesixthfascicleofEndless Bliss for‘najâsat’.
Thefollowingisrelatedontheauthorityofablessedperson:Our fatheremployeda tutor toeducateus.Thatblessedpersonwouldcometoourhouseandteachushowtowrite.Onedayhepassedaway.Wevisitedhisgravesixdayslater.WewerethinkingofthecommandofAllâhuta’âlâ,whenwesawadishoffigsbeingcarriedby.Weboughtthefigs,atethem,anddumpedthestalkshereandthere.Thatnightourfatherdreamedofourblessedtutorandaskedhimhowhehadbeen.Hereplied,“Iamquitewelloffhere,andeverythingisgoodforme.Yetyourchildrenhavemademygraveintoadirtyplaceandutteredsomebadwords.”Whenmyfatheraskedusthefollowingmorning,wesaid,“Subhânallah!Ashedisciplinedusintheworld,hestilldisciplinesusalthoughhehasgonetothenextworld.”Manyothersimilarstorieshavebeentold.However,Ihavepreferredtocontentmyselfwiththismuchadvicesothatabriefcounselshoulddevelopitselfintoafruitfullesson.
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FIFTH CHAPTERThedeadpeople stay in four different states in their graves.
Someof them siton theirheels.They remain in that stateuntiltheir eyes dissolve, their bodies swell, and they turn into earth.Then their souls travel in the ’âlam-i-melekût[1] outside of theworldlyheaven.
TosomeofthemAllâhuta’âlâgivessomesleep.Theydonotknowwhatishappeningaroundthemuntilthefirstsûr(trumpet).Theywakeupwiththefirstsûr,andthendieagain.
Some of them stay in their graves for two or threemonths.Then their souls mount birds of Paradise, which fly them toParadise. These facts are stated in hadîths that are sahîh. Theowner of Islam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “TheBeliever’s soul is with the bird. It stays hanging on one of the treesof Paradise.”
Likewise,when hewas asked about the souls ofmartyrs, hestated:“Souls of martyrs, in crops of green birds, stay hanging ontrees of Paradise.”
Somepeoplerisefromtheirgraveswhenevertheywish.Othersstaythereuntilthesûrisblown.
ThefourthstateisreservedfortheEnbiyâ(Prophets)andtheAwliyâ. Some of them fly until deomsday, and most of themappearatnight.IbelievethatAbûBakras-Siddîqand’Umar-ul-Fârûq‘radiy-Allâhuta’âlâareamongthem.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ is free to travel alloverthethree’âlams,(i.e.the’âlam-i-nâsût,the’âlam-i-melekût,andthe’âlam-i-jeberût.)OnedayourblessedProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’alludedtothisfactbyvoicinghisinvocatorywishasfollows:“I request of Allâhu ta’âlâ not to make me stay earth-bound for any longer than three (periods).”Indeed,attheendofthird ten, thirty years, that is, when Hadrat ’Alî attainedmartyrdom thirty years after the passing of the Messenger ofAllah, [in the hijrî year 40,] the most blessed Prophet tookexception to the people of earth, and his blessed soul rose to
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[1] Please see the twenty-first chapter of the sixth fascicle ofEndlessBliss forthe’âlam-i-melekût.
heaven,leavingtheearthonceandforall.Some sâlih (pious, devoted, true) Muslims dreamed of this
fact[1].Ablessedpersonentreated:“YâRasûlallah!MayIhavethehonourofsacrificingmyparentsforyou!Don’tyouseethefitnasbeing caused by yourUmmat (Muslims)? The Best of creationstated: “Allâhu ta’âlâ will increase their fitnas. They havemartyred Hadrat Huseyn, too. They have failed to observe myright.” Much more was stated; yet doubts on the part of thenarratorhascompelledustocensortherest.(HadratHuseynwastheblessedyoungergrandsonoftheMessengerofAllah.)
Someofthem,(e.g.Ibrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’,)havechosentheseventhlayerofheaven,andstaythere.OnthenightofMi’râj,ourblessedProphet ‘’alaihis-salâm’madeavisit toIbrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’. He found him, with his back leaned against the Bayt-i-ma’mûr,gazingwithascathinglookattheMuslims’children.
Îsâ(Jesus)‘’alaihis-salâm’isinthefifthheaven.IneachheavenareRasûlsandNebîs[2],whonevergooutorleavetheirplace.Theystaythereuntildoomsday.TheonlyfourProphetswhohavebeengrantedthechoicetogowhereevertheywantareHadratIbrâhîmandHadratMûsâ(Moses)andHadratÎsâ‘’alaihim-as-salâm’,andHadratMuhammadMustafâ‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’.These(fourProphets)cangotoanyplaceinanyofthe(aforesaid)three’âlams.
SomeoftheAwliyâ-i-kirâmstayinamannertermedtawaqquf(pause) until doomsday. As a matter of fact, Bâyazîd Bistâmî‘rahimahullâhüta’âlâ’issaidtobeeatingatthemealtablebelowthe’Arsh-i-a’lâ.
Thesearethefourdifferentstateswhereinthepeopleingravesaremadetobe.Thatis,theyaretormented,pitied,insulted,andpraised.
There are many people among the Awliyâ-i-kirâm‘rahimahumullâhü ta’âlâ’, who gaze with attention at a dying
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[1] The devil can disguise himself in anything. Yet he cannot appearunder the guise of any Prophet. So, when our blessed Prophet‘’alaihis-salâm’isdreamedof,itisdefinitelyasahîhandtruedream.Therefore,suchdreamsareofdocumentaryvalueforus.
[2] Both of them are Prophets.ARasûl is aMessenger with his owndispensation,forAllâhuta’âlâhasrevealedanewreligiontohim.ANebî, a Prophet as well, is one who has been sent to restore thedispensationofaProphetprevioustohim.
person.Widerangesbecomenarrowforthatperson.Mostofthetimetheywiden.Thoseblessedpeopleseewhatishappeningandinformaboutit.Ihaveseenpeopleinformingaboutsuchevents.
I have seen some friends of mine being blessed with suchwonders,sothatthecurtainscoveringthesightoftheirheartswereraised and they (perceived events that must normally beimperceptible.Oneofthem,forinstance,)sawtheirdeadsonentertheir house. These bâtinî (secret) benefits and kindnesses areexceptionally forkerîm(noble,gracious),nesîb(well-descended,noble-blooded),andmubârek(blessed)people[1].
Some people in graves are aware of Fridays and ’Iyd days.When a person leaves theworld, (i.e. dies,) they gather aroundhim.They knowhim. Someof them ask about theirwives, andothers ask about their fathers.Each and everyoneof themaskquestionsconcerningthemselves.
Moreoftenthannot,anewlydeadpersonfindsthatoneofthepeoplethathehadknownandwhohaddiedbeforehimismissing.The reason for it is that something that that person had hadthroughouthislifeintheworldwasgoneashewasdying.SomepeoplewhosufferthislossoffaithdieasJews,whileothersdieasChristiansand join themthere.Whenaperson leaves theworldandjoinstheotherdeadpeople, thedeadpeopleaskhimabouttheir neighbours in theworld;when, for instance, they askhim,“Whereissoandso?”hesaysthatthatpersonhaddiedalongtimebeforehehimselfdid.Thereupontheysay,“Wedidnotseehim.PerhapshewenttothehellcalledHâwiya(thedeepesthell).”
WhensomeonewasseeninadreamandwasaskedhowAllâhuta’âlâhadtreatedhim,henamedfiveofhisfriendsandsaid,“Allofusattainedquiteanumberofkindnessesandblessings.”Heandhis friendshadbeenkilledbyKhwârijîsandYazîdîs[2].Whenhewasaskedabouthisneighbour,hesaid,“Wedidnotseehim.Thatneighbour of his had thrown himself into the river and haddrowned. He swore in the name of Allâhu ta’âlâ and said,“Wallahi, I think he is with suicides, that is, people who killedthemselves.”
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[1] Please see the twentiethand the thirty-eighth chaptersof the sixthfascicleofEndless Bliss.
[2] Please see the thirty-fourthchapterand the seventh sub-chapterofthe thirty-sixth chapter, andalso the final part of the sixty-seventhchapterofthesecondfascicleofEndless Bliss.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihiwa sallam’ stated: “If a personcommits a suicide with a piece of iron, he will come for the lastjudgment beating his abdomen with that piece of iron. He will stayforever in Hell. If a person kills himself by throwing himself downa mountain, he will throw himself down into fire of Hell.”
Ifawomandoessoandcommitsasuicide,shewillfeelitspainuntilthesûrisblown.[Thishadîth-i-sherîfisintendedforpeoplewho commit a suicide in order to rid themselves of cares andtroubles in thisworldand toattainpeaceandcomfort.For, thisthoughtarisesfromdenialof torment intheHereafter,which inturn is kufr (disbelief). A person who loses his mind and thencommits a suicide, or who is not dead immediately after hissuicidalattemptandmakestawbabecauseherepentsit,willnotbecomeadisbeliever.]
According to a sahîh narration that has reached us, Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’ met with Mûsâ (Moses) ‘’alaihis-salâm’. Mûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’ said to him: “You are that personwhomAllâhuta’âlâcreatedwithHisPower;Hegaveyouasoul;HeputyouintoHisParadise.WhydidyoudisobeyHim?”Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’saidtohim:“YâMûsâ.Allâhuta’âlâtalkedwithyouandrevealedtheTaurahtoyou.Didn’tyouseeintheTaurahthewritingthatsaid: ‘A zella (venial sin, peccadillo, error) happened throughÂdam,whichmadehimdisobeyhisRabb’?”]“Yes,Idid,”repliedMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’.“Howmanyyearsbeforemyactofsinhadit been preordained,” askedÂdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’.WhenMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’said,“Ithadbeenpreordainedfiftythousandyearsbefore you commited it,” Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’ remonstrated:“Then,YâMûsâ, you criticize and blameme for a sin that hadbeenpreordained fifty thousandyearsbeforeIcommitted it,doyou?”
[ThisdialoguebetweenthemiswrittenandexplainedinmoredetailinthefortiethchapterofthethirdfascicleofEndless Bliss,wherealengthyaccountofthematterisprovidedandtheanswergivenbyÂdam‘’alaihis-salâm’isparaphrasedas:“ItisnotworthyofyoutoblamemesinceyouhavereadintheTaurahthatAllâhuta’âlâknewintheeternalpastthatIwouldchooseandopttodosoandyouknowabout thesomanybenefits that thatdeedwillyield.”]
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf that is sahîh:On the night ofMi’râj, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and otherProphets‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’performedanamâz
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oftworak’ats.HegreetedHârûn(Aaron)‘’alaihis-salâm’,whoinhis turn (acknowledged the greeting and) invokedablessingontheblessedProphetandonhisUmmat(Muslims).
He greeted Idrîs ‘’alaihis-salâm’, too, and that Prophet alsoinvoked Allâhu ta’âlâ for rahmat (mercy, compassion) on ourProphet ‘’alaihis-salât-u-wa-s-salâm’ and on his Ummat. Hârûn‘’alaihis-salâm’hadpassedawaybeforeourProphet ‘sall-Allâhu’alaihi wa sallam’ was declared (by Allâhu ta’âlâ) to be theProphet. Itwas the soul (ofHadratHârûn) that appeared. For,thatlifeisaspirituallife(hayât-i-rûhânî).
Afterlifeinthisworld,thereisathirdlife.Thefirstlife,thatis,coming to life, is the life when Allâhu ta’âlâ made mankindemanate from the waist of Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’ and pledgedthem to testify, by asking them, “Am I not your Rabb?”Thereupontheyanswered,“Yes,yâRabbî,weadmitthatYouareour Rabb.” Life in this world is not regarded as somethingvaluable. For, this life is a temporary stay, a mere transitionthroughoutwhichthesojournersaretestedfortheblessingstheyaretobenefitfrom.
Our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated:“Men are asleep; death wakes them up.”
Thishadîth-i-sherîfindicateslifeinthegrave.Factsandstates in life in thegraveare factsandstateswhen
trueessencesandattributesofdeadpeoplebecomeobvious.Somedeadpeople staywhere theyare.Someof themtravel.Someofthem are beaten, while others are tormented vehemently. Theproof-texttotestifytothisfactistheforty-sixthâyat-i-kerîmaofMu’minSûra,whichpurports:“In front of the fire will the fujjâr bebrought, morning and evening; and the angels (incharge) will beordered on the Day that Judgment will be established: “Cast yethe people of Pharaoh into the place with the severest torment.”
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SIXTH CHAPTERWhenAllâhu ta’âlâdecrees that thedoomsdaymusthappen
afterthesûrisblown,mountainsflyanddriftlikeclouds.Theseasoverflow, one onto another. Sunlight evanesces until the sunbecomes pitch black.Mountains turn into dust.Worlds becomejumbledupwithoneanother.Starsdisperselikeabrokenstringofpearls. Heavens dissolve like attar of roses and mill aroundvehemently. They now become a ball and then flatten outcompletely.Allâhu ta’âlâ orders that heavens should be brokenintopieces.Inthesevenlayersofearthandinthesevenlayersofheaven and in the Kursî, there is now no one left alive, noneanywhere. Everyone is dead; as for spiritual beings, their soulshaveabandonedthem.Allbeingsaredead.ontheearththereisnostoneleftontopofanother.Inheavensthereisnolifeleft.
Allâhuta’âlâmanifestsHimselfinHisrankofdeity,takesthesevenlayersofheavenintotherighthandsideofHisPowerandthesevenlayersofearthintothelefthandsideofHisPower,andstates:“O, you, base world! Where are those weaklings that youaccomodated and who claimed deity and who were deified byidiots, and (where are) those people whom your apparentattraction and beauty duped into forgetting about the Hereafter?”ThereafterHepraisesHisoverwhelmingandannihilatingPowerandHikmat.ThenHequestions,asispurportedinMu’minSûra:“Whose is the Mulk (Sovereignty)?” Nobody answers. Allâhuta’âlâ Himself, Who is Qahhâr, declares, as is purported: “Itbelongs to Jenâb-i-Allah, the Wâhid and the Qahhâr.”
Thereafter an irâda and qudrat-i-ilâhiyya (divine will andpower)greaterthanthepreviousmanifestationbecomesmanifest.ThenHedeclares,whichispurportedasfollows:“I, the ’adhîm-ush-shân, am the Melik-u-deyyân. [That is, I am theonlyRulerandOwneroftheRisingDay.] Where are those people who atethe food I gave them and then attributed partners to Me andworshipped idols and beings other than Me? Where are thosecruel tyrants who used the energy from the food I grave them inacts of disobedience to Me? Where are those who took pride inthemselves and praised themselves? Whose is the mulk now?”Thereisnobodytoanswerthis.Haqqsubhânahuwata’âlâwaitsforas longas a time thatHewills anddecrees; silenceprevails,
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since there is no being to think or to be seenwithin that time,nothing from the ’Arsh-i-a’lâ to the maqâm-i-ahâdiyyat. For,Allâhuta’âlâhastakenoutalsothesoulsofthehûrîsandghilmânsinHisGardensofParadise.
Thereafter,Allâhuta’âlâopensadoorfromtheSaqar,oneofthelowpitsofHell.Fireeruptsfromthere.Itissuchpowerfulfirethat it burns up everything, dries up fourteen seas, completelyblackenstheentireearth,andturnsheavensintoyellowlikeoliveoil ormolten copper.Then, just as thevehemenceof the fire isquite close to heavens, Allâhu ta’âlâ interdicts it with suchformidable force that it goes out completely, leaving no tracebehindit.
Thereafter, Allâhu ta’âlâ opens one of the treasuries of the’Arsh-i-a’lâ.Itcontainstheseaoflife.Thatsea,withthecommandofAllâhu ta’âlâ, pours vehement rains onto the earth.The raincontinues for quite a long time, so that water covers the entiresurfaceof theearthand rises toa levelashighas forty ’arshins(about27m.)abovetheground level.Thereuponhumanbeingsandanimals,whosecorpses rottedand turned intoearth, sproutlike grass.As amatter of fact, itwas stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf:“Men were created from coccyxes. And they will be created fromcoccyxes again.”Anotherhadîth-i-sherîfreads:“All the limbs of ahuman body (ingrave)rot, with the exception of the coccyx, whichdoes not rot. From it was man created. And through it will they bebrought back.” [Coccyx is the last boneat the lower endof thespine.] It is a (triangular and) marrowless bone as big as achickpea.
Thelivingbeingsandalltheirlimbssproutlikegreengrassontheirgraves.Eachandeveryoneofthemoriginatefromthatbone.Likeinanetting,theymakeupanimpenetrabletangleofthreads,theheadofoneofthemontheshoulderofanother,oneofwhosehands on the back of a third one, and so fourth; they are sointricatelycrowded.Allâhuta’âlâdeclares,asispurportedinthefourthâyat-i-kerîmaofQafSûra:“We already know how much ofthem the earth takes away; with Us is a record guarding (thefullaccount). For, We know all which We have created.”
Whenthisprocessofrisingisfinishedandallbeingshaverisenin thesamestateaseachandeveryoneof themwaswhentheymigrated from this world, which is the world of Fanâ (non-existence),totheHereafter,theworldofBaqâ(eternalexistence),–childrenaschildren,oldpeoplestillold,peopleatamatureage
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the same as theywere, youngsters as youngsters–,Allâhu ta’âlâmakesafinebreezeblowbelowthe’Arsh-i-a’lâ.Thewindcoverstheentireearth,sothatitssurfacechangesintoasoftcovermadeupoffinesand.
Thereafter,Allâhu ta’âlâ brings Isrâfîl ‘’alaihis-salâm’ to life.ThesûrisblownfromtheblessedstoneinJerusalem.Thesûrisahorn-likecreaturemadeupofnûr;itconsistsoffourteenparts.Ononeofitspartsareasmanyholesasthenumberoflandanimals.Thesoulsoflandanimalscomeoutthroughthem.Soundssimilarto those produced by a swarm of bees are heard. They fill theentirespacebetweentheearthandthesky.Theneachsoulentersitsowncorpse.Haqqsubhânahuwata’âlâinspiresintothemtheinstincttorecognizetheirowncorpses.Eventhesoulsofpeoplewho died inmountains andwhowere eaten bywild beasts andfowls find their own corpses.As amatter of fact,Allâhu ta’âlâdeclares, as is purported in the sixty-second âyat-i-kerîma ofZumarSûra:“After the (first) sûr is sounded to annilate all, thesecond sûr (trumpet) will be sounded, when, behold, all mankindwill obey, standing and looking on.”
When men rise from their graves, from places where theyburned to ashes and rotted, they see that mountains are likebeatencottonwool,theseasarewaterless,andtheearthiswithoutitshillsanddales,everything lookingas flatasasheetofpaper.Whenpeople, in thenude,sitontheirowngraves, they lookallaroundthemselvesinabewilderedandthoughtfulmanner.Asamatteroffact,theblessedProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’statesinahadîth-i-sherîfwhichissahîh:“People will be gathered(forjudgment) with no clothes on them, each of them naked anduncircumcised.” However, if a person died unclothed and inghurbat,(i.e.awayfromhome,lonely,)theywillbecladinclothesbroughtfromParadise.OnthebodiesofmartyrsandpeoplewhodiedafteralifespentinperfectobediencetotheSunnat-i-seniyya,(i.e.Ahkâm-i-islâmiyya,) therewill not be an area aswide as aneedle-hole and left exposed. For, our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’stated:“O my Ummat and Sahâba! Belavish with the shrouds of your dead! For, my Ummat will bebrought to the place of judgment with their shourds on. Otherummats, however, will be naked (whentheyarebroughtthere).”This hadîth-i-sherîf was conveyed byAbû Sufyân ‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’.OurProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’statedinanotherhadîth-i-sherîf:“The dead will be brought to the place of judgmentin their shrouds.”
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I heard a bed-ridden person say, “Bring me such and suchclothesofmine,”ashewasabouttodie.Theydidnotmakehimputontheclothestheywanted,sothathediedwithashortshirtonhim.Andtheyfailedtofindashroudforhim,either.Acoupleofdays laterhewasseeninadream.Hewassad.Whenhewasaskedwhatwasthematterwithhim,hesaid,“YoupreventedmefromwearingtheclothesIwanted.Youabandonedmewiththisshortshirttowearattheplaceofassemblageforjudgment.”
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SEVENTH CHAPTER
THIS CHAPTER GIVES INFORMATION ABOUTTHE TEWAQQUF (standing,waiting,stopping,pause)BETWEEN THE TWO TRUMPET-SOUNDINGS
Deaththattakesplacewiththefirstsounding(ofthesûr)istheseconddeath.For,thisdeatheliminatesalsothebâtinî(spiritual,inner) senses, whereas the first death eliminated the zâhirî(physical) senses, [such as speech, hearing, tasting.] After thatdeath,(i.e.thefirstone,)corpseswerecapableofmovement.[Thehadîth-i-sherîfstatingthatProphetsperformnamâzintheirgravesatteststothisfact.Peoplewithhereticalbeliefdenyit.]Aftertheseconddeath,however,theydonotperformnamâz,andtheydonot fast, either. The cannot perform acts of worship. If Allâhuta’âlâplacedanangelatacertainplace,thatangelwoulddefinitelystay there.For. angels alsopossess the ambition to stay in theirown’âlam(world).Thenafs,[i.e.thesoul,]isspiritual.Ifitstaysinthecorpse, it causesmotion.Scholarsarenotunanimouson thedurationof timeofdeathbetween the two soundingsof the sûr(trumpet).According to amajority of scholars, it lasts for fortyyears.
Ablessedperson,whoIbelieveisperfectbothinknowledgeandinma’rifa(t),saidtome:“NooneexceptAllahknowsit.Itisone of the ilâhî (divine) secrets.” He added: “The exceptionexpressedintheâyat-i-kerîmawhichreads,‘... illâ men shâ Allah,’is Allâhu ta’âlâ, alone.” In response to his statement, I asked,“What is the meaning of the blessed Prophet’s ‘alaihis-salâm’hadîth-i-sherîfthatreads:‘On the Rising Day my grave will be thefirst one to be opened. Then I will find my brother Mûsâ (Moses)‘’alaihis-salâm’ stuck to the foot of the ’Arsh-i-a’lâ. I do not knowwhether he was raised (from his grave) before me, or whether heis one of the people whom Allâhu ta’âlâ has exempted.’?”
Toourunderstanding,ifwhatisseenisincorporealandMûsâ’s‘’alaihis-salâm’soulappearsasifitwerecorporeal,thenitisnotanexceptiontothefactexpressedinthehadîth-i-sherîf,andsoisthecaseifittakesplaceduringemr-i-fezâ’a,i.e.thetimeofterrorandhorror after the exception ofHadrat Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ’alaihiwa sallam’. For, all living creatures are in great fear and
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fezâ’a(terrorandhorror)duringthattime.Inotherwords,whenthe first sûr is sounded, great fear shocks man, so that he diesimmediately.Heremains in that stateuntil thesecondsounding(ofthesûr).Itissuchaperiodthatnocreaturepossessesanythinginthenameofacorpseorbody.ThatisthetimewhentheearthwillbecleftopenforHadratFakhr-i-’âlamhimself.
As a matter of fact, Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ wasinforming(theMuslimsaroundhim)aboutthefearandhorrortobe felt at that grade, whenQa’b-ul-ahbâr[1] ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’said:“O,yousonofHattâb!Ithink,evenifyouperformedalltheacts of worship performed by seventy Prophets, you could notescapethehardshipsandlamentationstobesufferedduringthattime;theonlypeopletobesafeagainstthatmostdifficulttimearethosewhomAllâhuta’âlâhasexempted,andtheyarethepeoplewhowillbedwellinginthefourthlayerofheaven.”ItisdoubtlessthatMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’isoneofthem.TheexemptiongiftedbyAllâhuta’âlâisprevioustothedeclarationofthedivinequestion,“Whose is the mulk (sovereinty) today?” If therewere a singlepersonaliveduringthedeclaration,hewoulddefinitelyanswerthequestion,“Limen-il-mulk-ul-yawm,”andwouldsay,“ItiscertainlyYours,omyAllah,WhoisWâhidandQahhâr.”
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[1] He is one of the Tâbi’în. Formerly he was a Jew of Yemen, andconverted to Islam afterwards. He was a scholar majoring in theTaurah.HepassedawayinHumusin32[652A.D.]
EIGHTH CHAPTEREverybody mount their graves and sit down, some of them
naked,someofthemcladinblackandsomeinwhite,andothersradiatingnûr.Withtheirheadshung,andatalossastowhattodo,theyall sit there fora thousandyears.Thereaftera fireappearsfrom the west, and its noise drives the people to the place ofmahsher(placewherepeoplewillbegatheredforjudgment).Allcreaturesaregrievouslyhorror-strickenthen.Eachandeveryoneof them,humans, genies, andwildanimals, aregraspedby theirown’amal,(i.e.alltheiractsthroughouttheirlifetime,)andtheyaretoldtogetupandgototheplaceofmahsher.
Ifaperson’s’amalisbeautiful,itappearsasanass,oramulewithsomepeople;itwilltakeitsowneronitsbackandcarrythemto theplaceofmahsher.Somepeople’s ’amalappearsasa ram.Sometimesthe’amaltakesitsowneronitsback,andsometimesitleaves itsowneron theground.EachBelieverhasanûr,beforehimandandontherighthandside,whichilluminatesallaroundhiminthedarknessofthattime.
There is not a nûr on their left. Perhaps no one ean seeanythinginthedark.Disbelieversarequiteastoundedinthedark.Peoplewhoharboureddoubtsandhesitationsintheirîmân(belief,faith), [and holders of bid’at and people without a certainMadhhab]arestupefied.The[Sunnî]Believerswhoheldacorrectbelief agreeable with the teachings of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaihim ajma’în’ watch their gloom andhesitationandofferhamd(praiseandgratitude)toAllâhuta’âlâforthenûrofhidâyat(guidance)Hehasblessedthemwith.For,Allâhuta’âlâlaysthestatesoftheevildoersbeingtormentedbarefortheBelievers,andtherearemanyblessingsinthis.Infact,allthethings,whatsoever,thatthepeopleofParadiseandthepeopleof Hell did (throughout their lives) are displayed. ThereforeAllâhuta’âlâdeclares,asispurported:“He turned his looks to hisfriend, and saw him in the fire of Hell.”Theforty-seventhâyat-i-kerîmaofA’râfSûrapurports:“When the people of Paradise lookat the people of Hell, they say: O our Rabb! Do not make us jointhe cruel people.”For,therearefourthingswhosevalueisknownonlybyfourpeople:
The value of life is knownonly by the dead.The value of a
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blessingisknownonlybyasufferer.Thevalueofwealthisknownonlybythepoor.(Thefourthoneisnotwrittenhere.Yetitmeansthat the value of the people of Paradise is known only by thepeopleofHell.)
Somepeople’snûrapearsontheirtwofeetandontheirtoes.Some people’s nûr brightens and goes out alternately. Thesepeople’snûrisasbrightastheirîmân.Andtheirbehaviourafterrisingfromtheirgravesisasgoodastheir’amal,(i.e.theirdeedsintheworld.)Inahadîth-i-sherîfthatissahîh,when,oneday,ourMaster the blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ wasasked, “Yâ Rasûlallah! How will we be taken to the place ofjudgment (hashr)?” he answered: “People will be taken to theplace of hashr two on a camel, and five on a camel, and ten on acamel.”
Themeaningofthishadîth-i-sherîf,whichAllâhuta’âlâ,alone,knows exactly,maybe: “If the individuals in a societyhelponeanotherinIslamandteachfaith,îmân,andharâmstooneanother.Allâhu ta’âlâ will have rahmat (mercy, compassion) on them.Fromtheir ’amalHewillcreatecamelsforthemtorideon;andthereby theywillbe taken to theplaceofhashr (assembling forjudgment).”This,however, isconsequentuponweak ’amal, (i.e.havingdonefewgoodandpiousdeedsintheworld.)Theirsharingacameltoridetogetheronmeansthateachperson’s’amalistooweaktomakeupacamelandthereforethe’amalsofafewofthemhavebeenaddedtogethertobuildacamel.
Suchpeopleareanalogoustoagroupofpeoplewholaunchedanexpeditiontogether.However,becausenoneofthemhadtimetobuyananimaltheydonothaveananimaltocarrythemtotheirdestination.Twoorthreeofthemjointheirmoney,buyananimalandridetogetheronit.Sometimesthenumberofpeopleridingonthesamecamelisten.Itresultsfromshortageof’amal,whichinturn is a result of being tightwith property, i.e. tight-fistedness.Nevertheless,theyaremadetoattainsalvation.Then,youshouldperformthe’amalwhereforeAllâhuta’âlâwillassignananimaltoyourlot.
ItshouldbeknownthatthesepeoplehavebenefitedandmadeaprofitfromtheirtradefortheHereafter.Accordingly,theridersarethosewhofearedAllâhuta’âlâandpublicizedthereligionofAllâhuta’âlâ,(i.e.Islam.)Forthatmatter,Allâhuta’âlâdeclared,asispurportedintheeighty-fifthâyat-i-kerîmaofMaryamSûra:“Those who fear Allâhu ta’âlâ; that day they will go together for
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the gifts of their Rabb.”One day our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
statedtohisSahâba:“There lived a person among the Benî-Isrâil(Isrâelites,SonsofIsrâel). He dispensed plenty of charity. In fact,that person will join you for the hashr.”TheSahâbaasked:“YâRasûlallah!Whatwasthecharitythatthatpersondispensed?”TheblessedMessengerofAllah‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’stated:“He had a great legacy left by his father. With that property hebought a vegetable garden and devoted it as a waqf for the poor,and said, ‘Let this be my vegetable garden when I enter thepresence of my Rabb.’ Then, he reserved plenty of gold anddispensed it to poor and weak people, and said, ‘With this I willbuy jâriyas and slaves from Jenâb-i-Haqq.’ Then he manumitedmany slaves, and said, ‘These will be my slaves in the presence ofAllâhu ta’âlâ.’ One day he met a blind person. He saw that theblind person frequently (tripped up and) fell as he walked. Hebought him an animal to ride on, and said, ‘This will be my animalto ride on in the presence of Allâhu ta’âlâ.’”
After relating this story, our blessed Master, the Prophet,added: “I swear solemnly on the Name of Allâhu ta’âlâ, withinWhose Power my nafs lies, that (bynow) I see the animal saddledand bridled, ready for him. That person will arrive in the place ofmahsher, riding on that animal.”
As is stated in the tafsîr (explanation) of the twenty-secondâyat-i-kerîmaofMulkSûra,whichpurports:“Is then one who isblind and walks headlong, with his face grovelling, equally guidedversus one who walks evenly on the Straight Way (Sirât-i-mustaqîm),” Allâhu ta’âlâ has rendered this âyat-i-kerîma anexemplification of the assemblage of Believers versus that ofdisbelieversontheJudgmentDay.
Asamatteroffact,theeighty-sixthâyat-i-kerîmaofMaryamSûrapurports:“We will send disbelievers headlong to Hell, withtheir faces grovelling.”Thatmeans that theywill nowwalk andthen grovel. For, in another âyat-i-kerîma Allâhu ta’âlâ states:“They will walk...”The twenty-fourthâyat-i-kerîmaofNûrSûrapurports:“... and their tongues and their hands and their feet willinform about what they did.”Bythesametoken,theword‘blind’intheâyat-i-kerîmameansthatdisbelieverswillbedeprivedofthenûrshiningbeforeBelieversandtotheirright.Itdoesnotmeanthat they will be unable to see in the dark. For, as we know,disbelievers will be looking up at the sky, watching its being
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cleaved by clouds, angels’ descending, mountains’ walking, andstars’fallingdown.
ThefearsthatwillbeexperiencedontheRisingDayarethetafsîr (explanation) of the fifteenth âyat-i-kerîma of Tûr Sûra,whichpurports:“Is this Qur’ân al-kerîm something magic? Or youcannot see it.”Therefore,what ismeantbytheblindnessontheRisingDayisthedarknessthatwillbeplungedinto,andwhichwillprevent from seeing the Jemâl-i-ilâhî of Allâhu ta’âlâ. For, theplaceofmahsher(assemblage)willbe illuminatedby thenûrofAllâhu ta’âlâ. However, their, (i.e. disbelievers’,) eyes will becoveredbyacurtain,whichwillpreventthemfromseeinganyofthatnûr(light,radiance).
Allâhuta’âlâwilldrawacurtainovertheirearsaswell.Sotheywill not hear the Kalâmullah (Speech of Allâhu ta’âlâ). In themeantime angels will announce the forty-ninth âyat-i-kerîma ofA’râf Sûra and the seventieth âyat-i-kerîma of Zukhruf Sûra,whichpurport:“Never fear now. Nor will you be grieved. You andyour wives have merrily entered Paradise.”WhereasBelieverswillhearthis,disbelieverswillnot.
Disbelieverswillbedeprivedfromspeechaswell.Theywillbelikedumbpeople.Thisfactisunderstoodfromthethirty-fifthandthe thirty-sixth âyat-i-kerîmas ofMurselât Sûra, which purport:“Such is that time that they will not speak then, and they will notbe allowed to speak.”
Menwillbegathered(hashr)inamannerdependingontheiroccupations in the world. Some people spent their time (in theworld) playing or listening to musical instruments. [All musicalinstrumentsaremeant.AlsoincludedistoperformactsofworshipsuchasreadingorrecitingtheQur’ânal-kerîmanddhikringtotheaccompanimentofmusicalinstruments.For,thereisnotasinglemusicalinstrumentpossessedofthegraceandapprovalofAllâhuta’âlâ.]Apersonwho steadilyplayedand/or listened tomusicalinstruments in the world rises from his grave, picks up theinstrumentwithhisrighthandandthrowsitaway,andsaystothatinstrument,(whichheusedtoplayand/orlistento,)“Mayyoubeaccursed!YoukeptmebusysoastopreventmefromperformingdhikrofAllâhuta’âlâ!”[1] Theinstrumentcomesbacktohimand
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[1] There is detailed information about ‘dhikr’ in the six fascicles ofEndless Bliss, particularly in the twenty-fifth chapter of the fourthfascicle.
says,“IshallbeyourfrienduntilAllâhuta’âlâmakesajudgmentbetweenus.Ican’tpartwithyouuntilthen.”Likewise,peoplewhodrankalcoholicbeverages in theworldaregathereddrunkenastheyare.Womenandgirlswhogooutwiththeirheadsandarmsand legs naked are gathered with blood and pus exuding fromthosepartsoftheirbodies.Aclarinetplayeristakentotheplaceofgatheringwithhisclarinetinhismouthandheplayingit.Eachandeverypersoncomestotheplaceofmahsherdoingthesamething that he or she used to do against the ways and mannersenjoinedbyAllâhuta’âlâ.
Asahîhhadîth-i-sherîf isquoted:“A person who drinks winewill be brought to the place of mahsher (gatheringforjudgment)with his wine-container of fire hanging down his neck and his wine-glass in his hand, and he himself exuding the foulest odour of theearth and being damned by all the earth’s contents.”
Peoplewholosttheirlivesasaresultoftormentarebroughttothe place of mahsher in the state of torment that they weresubjectedto.Itisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîfthatissahîh:“Peoplewho are killed and who attain martyrdom as they struggle in theway of Allah will rise and come to the place of mahsher with theirwounds still bleeding. Blood in colour, and yet like musk will itsmell. They will remain in that state until they are gathered for theHudhûr-i-Mawlâ.”
Atthattimeangelsdispatchthemingroupsandcrowds.Eachoneofthemcomestotheplaceofmahsher,mountedastheyareonthepeoplewhotormentedthemintheworld.Humanbeings,genies,devils,ferociousanimals,andbirdsaregatheredataplace.Atthattimetheearthisflatandwhitelikesilver.
Angelshavemadeacirclearoundallthelivingcreaturesontheearth.Theirnumberismorethantentimesthatoftheoccupantsoftheearth.
ThereafterAllâhuta’âlâorderstheangelsofthesecondlayerofheaventomakeacirclearoundtheangelsofthefirstlayerofheavenandaroundtheothercreatures.Theirnumberismorethantwentytimesthatofthewholelot.
Thereafter angels of the third layer of heaven descend, andthey make a circle around the entirety of the others. And thenumberofthesenewcomersismorethanthirtytimesthatofthesumoftheothers.
Thereafterangelsofthefourthlayerofheavencircletheentirecrowdalreadyexistent.Theirnumberismorethanfortytimesthat
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ofthewholecrowd.Thereafter angels of the fifth heaven descend and surround
them.They aremore numerous than fifty times the sumof theformerones.
Thereafter angels of the sixth heaven descend and make acirclearoundtheothers.Theirnumberismorethansixtytimesthenumberofalltherest.
Finally,angelsoftheseventhheavendescendandmakeacirclearound all, and their number is more than seventy times thenumberofallthebeingsthattheysurround.
People are in utter confusion during that time. So tightlypackedistheentirecrowdthattheystepononeanother’sfeet.Allpeople are immersed in their own perspiration, its amountdepending on the amount of their sinfulness. All of them havebecomesoakedintheirownperspiration,whichreachesearswithsomeofthem,neckswithsome,chestswithsome,shoulderswithsome,andkneeswithothers;itisasiftheywereinasteambath.And thereare somepeoplewhoseperspiration isnomore thanthatofathirstypersonwhohasjustdrunksomewater.
People calledAshâb-i-rayy are possessors ofminbar. Peoplecalled Ashâb-i-rishh are those who perspire (at the place ofmahsher).PeoplecalledAshâb-i-qa’beyn,[i.e.thosewhoperspireuptotheiranklebones,]arepeoplewhoweredrownedinwater.Angelssaytothem,“Thereisnofearorgriefforyounow.”
I have been informed by some (spiritually mature peoplecalled)’ârifûnthattheAshâb-i-qa’beynarealsocalledAwwâbûnandthatFudaylbin’Iyâd‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’,(d.187[803A.D.]Mekka,) and other people like him are among the Ashâb-i-qa’beyn.For,ourblessedProphet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihiwa sallam’stated:“A person who makes tawba for his sin(s) is like one whohas never committed sins.”Thishadîth-i-sherîfis(oneofthegroupof hadîth-i-sherîfs called) mutlaqq. That is, it is not dependentuponacondition.Thesethreeclassesofpeople,(i.e.theAshâb-i-rayy and the Ashâb-i-rishh and the Ashâb-i-qa’beyn,) are thegroupsofpeoplewithwhitefaces,asispurportedinthehundredandsixthâyat-i-kerîmaofÂl-i-’ImrânSûra:“On that Day whensome faces will be (lit up with) white, and some faces will be (in thegloom of) black: ...”The facesof peopleother than these threegroups are black (on that day). How could anguish andperspirationbehelped,withthesunsoclosetopeople’sheads.Infact,itfeelsasifyouwouldtouchitifyouraisedyourhand.The
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heatofthesunisnotasitisnow.Itisaboutseventytimesashot.Some early Islamic scholars stated: If today the sun rose in thesamemannerasitwillontheRisingDay,itwouldburntheearth,meltrocksandstones,anddryuprivers.
Onthatdaycreaturesassembledatthewhiteplaceinthe(openspaceofgroundcalled)Arasatareinextremelyvehementanguish.Allâhu ta’âlâ informs about thatwhite place in the forty-eighthâyat-i-kerîmaof IbrâhîmSûra,whichpurports: “That day is thetime whereon I, the Wâhid and the Qahhâr, shall change the earthto a different earth and the heavens to different ones. That day allbeings shall be obedient to Me.”
That day the occupants of the earth are in various shapes.Thosewholookedgreatandassumedgreatnessintheworldareliketinymotesattheplaceofmahsher.Itisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîf that conceited people will be like specks. They are notactuallyastinyasspecks.Ithasbeenstatedthattheywillbelikespecks because they are abasedly and contemptibly trampledunderfoot.
Among themareagroupofpeopledrinking sweetandpurewater.TheyarethefathersofinfantBelieverswhodiedataveryyoungageandwhoarebacknow,servingwatertotheirparentswithcontainersthattheyhavefilledfromtheriversofParadise.
AccordingtoananecdotenarratedontheauthorityofsomeoftheSalaf-i-sâlihîn(earlyIslamicscholars),ablessedpersonhadadream like this: Doomsday has taken place, and that blessedperson is waiting at the place called Mawqif; he is extremelythirsty. He sees small children dispensing water. He requests,“Pleasedogivemesomewater.”Oneoftheinfantsasks,“Doyouhaveachildamongus?”“No,Idon’t,”hereplies.Thereupontheinfantsays,“Thenyoudon’thaveasharefromwaterofParadise.”
Thisstoryimpliesthatitisbeneficenttogetmarriedandhavechildren. Our book Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm contains a list of conditionsstipulatedfor(benefitingfrom)infantsdispensingwater(onthatday).
There is another group of people with a shade immediatelyabovetheirheadsandprotectingthemagainsttheheatoftheplaceofmahsher.The shade is the zakât theypaidand thealms theydispensedastheywereintheworld.
Theystayinthatstateforsomethousandyears.Theystayinthat statewhen they hear the âyat-i-kerîma of theMuddaththirSûra,whichpurports, “Finally, when the trumpet is sounded...,”
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andwhichweexplicateinourbookentitledIhyâ-ul-’ulûm[1].Thisâyat-i-kerîmaisoneofthesecretsoftheQur’ânal-kerîm.
So horrifying is the sound produced by the trumpet beingblown that hairs stand on end and shudder, eyes are in utterconfusion as to what way to look, and people, Believers andunbelievers alike, are driven. This adds to the torment andexacerbatesthevehemenceoftheRisingDay.
Onthatdayeightangelsshoulderthe’Arshandcarryit.Eachofthoseangelstakeastrideaslongastwentythousandyears’wayinearthlystandards.
AngelsandcloudspraiseAllâhuta’âlâinamodeoftasbîh(ortesbîh)beyondthescopeofmind’scomprehensionuntilthe’Arshcomes to ahalt.Andhalt it doeswhen it comesover thewhiteearthwhichAllâhuta’âlâhascreatedforit.Thenheadsarehungbefore the torment that Allâhu ta’âlâ may inflict and whichnothingcansurvive.Theentirecreation,helpless,despondent,anddumbfounded, crave formercy. Prophets and scholars are awe-struck.TheAwliyâandmartyrs‘rahmatullâhi’alaihimajma’în’cryandwailforfearoftormentonthepartofAllâhuta’âlâ,whichnofleshorbloodcouldendure.Astheyareinsuchaquandary,anûrquiteawaymoredazzlingthanthatofthesunengulfsthem.Uponseeingit,peoplewhoalreadyhavebeenhelplessagainsttheheatof thesunbecomeall themorebefuddled.Theystayso foronemorethousandyears.NothingissaidtothembyAllâhuta’âlâ.
Thereupon they go to ’Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’, the earliestProphet.“O,you,thefatherofmankind,”theysay.“Weareinaverybadsituation!”Inthemeantime,disbelieversentreatAllâhuta’âlâ,“YâRabb(OourAllah)!Havemercyonus.Saveusfromthathorrifyingvehemenceandirremediablestate.”
Peoplebeg’Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’,“Yâ’Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’!YouaresuchablessedandhonourableProphetthatAllâhuta’âlâcreated you, made angels prostrate themselves before you, andblewintoyouasoulfromHimself.PleaseintercedeforussothatthequestioningandaccountingshouldstartsoonandweshouldbesentencedtowhatsoeverAllâhuta’âlâdecrees.LeteverybodygowheresoeverHeordersthemtogo.LetAllâhuta’âlâ,therulerandownerofall,dowhatsoeverHewillstodotoHiscreatures.”
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[1] ThisgreatbookwrittenbyHadratGhazâlî’sisinArabicandisoffivevolumes.
’Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’answersthem,“Iatefruitfromthetreewhich Allâhu ta’âlâ had prohibited. Now I feel shame towardsHim. However, (I recommend that) you go to Nûh (Noah)‘’alaihis-salâm’, the earliest Rasûl.” Thereupon, they spend athousandyearsindeliberationsamongthemselves.
ThereaftertheygotoNûh‘’alaihis-salâm’andbeghim,“YouaretheearliestofRasûls(Messengers).Weareinaquandarythatistoohopelessforustoendure.Pleaseintercedeforussothatweshould be called to account soon! That will save us from thisvictimization at the place of mahsher.” Nûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’answers them, “I invoked Allâhu ta’âlâ (for the destruction ofunbelievers).Allthepeoplelivingontheearthweredrownedonaccountofmyinvocation.Therefore,IfeelshametowardsAllâhuta’âlâ.However,gotoIbrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’,forheisHalîlullah.Allâhuta’âlâdeclaresabouthim,asispurportedinthelastâyatofHajj Sûra: ‘Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’ had named you Muslimsbefore you were born.’Perhapshewillintercedeforyou.”
Like they had done before, they discuss the matter amongthemselves for another thousand years. Then they come toIbrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’ and say to him, “O, you, father ofMuslims!YouaresuchanoblepersonthatAllâhuta’âlâmadeyouhalîl(ullah), i.e. friend forHimself. Intercede for us and entreatAllâhu ta’âlâ tomakeadecisionamong creatures.”Heanswersthem, “I used allusions three times in the world. There werereligious incentives for those utterances of mine. Now I feelashamedtoaskAllâhuta’âlâtogivemepermissiontointercedeatthis level. Go you to Mûsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’. For, Allâhu ta’âlâcommunedwithhimandsympathizedwithhimspiritually.Hewillintercede for you.” Thereupon they wait for another thousandyears, consulting with one another. In the meantime, however,situations have changed from bad to worse, and the place ofMahsher becomes even more constricting. They come toMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’andsay,“Yâibni’Imrân!YouarethenoblepersonthatAllâhuta’âlâcommunedwith.HerevealedtheTaurahtoyou.Intercedeforussothatthejudgmentshouldbeginsoon!For,wehavewaitedheretoolong.Theplacehasbecometoocrowded,sothattherearepilesoffeetontopofoneanother.”Mûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’saystothem,“IinvokedAllâhuta’âlâtopunishthefamilyof Pharaoh with things that they would not like for years, andrequestedthattheybelessonsforthelatergenerations.SoIfeelashamed to intercede (for you) now.However,Allâhu ta’âlâ isforgiving and compassionate. You go to Îsâ (Jesus) ‘’alaihis-
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salâm’. For, he is themost assah[1] of Rasûls (Messengers) withrespect to yaqîn[2], thebest one inma’rifat[3] and zuhd[4], and themost superior in respect of hikmat.Hewill intercede for you.”Onceagaintheyembarkondiscussions,whichtakethemanotherthousandyears,despitetheworseningconditions.
ThereaftertheycometoÎsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’,andsaytohim,“YouarethesoulandthewordofAllâhuta’âlâ.Hestatesaboutyou,asispurportedintheforty-fifthâyat-i-kerîmaofÂl-i-’Imrân:‘... held inhonour both in this world and in the Hereafter...’ Intercede withyourRabb(Allâhuta’âlâ)forus!”Îsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’answersthem,“My people attributed me and my mother as partners to Allâhuta’âlâ. How can I intercede for you with the fact that theyworshipped me, too. They called me ‘Son’, and Allâhu ta’âlâ‘Father’.Buthaveyouseenanyoneofyouwithapursewithouttheirsustenanceinit,orwithapursewithasealfixedtoitsopeningandyetthesustenanceinitcanbereachedwithouthavingtobreaktheseal. Go toMuhammad ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’, thehighest and the last Prophet. For, he reserved his invitation andintercession for his Ummat (Muslims). For, his people oftenpersecutedhim.Theywoundedhim inhisblessed forehead.Theybroke one of his blessed teeth. They imputed insanity to him.However,thatexaltedProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’wasthebestofthemwithrespecttogloryandthehighestoneamongtheminrespectofhonour.Inresponsetotheunbearablepersecutionsandoppressionstheyperpetratedtohim,heansweredthembyquotingtheâyat-i-kerîmathatpurports:‘This day let no reproach be (cast)on you: Jenâb-i-Allah, Who is the Most Merciful of those who showmercy, will forgive you,’[5] and which is a quotation of Yûsuf’s‘’alaihis-salâm’statementtohisbrothers.”WhenÎsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’tells them about the superior merits of our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’,theyallbegintoyearntobehonouredwithseeingMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’assoonaspossible.
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[1] Itslexicalmeaningis‘true,genuine’.[2] Certaintyofknowledge,definitebelief.[3] IfaMuslimadaptshisIslamicbelieftothetenetsofbelieftaughtby
thescholarsofAhlas-sunnat,performsalltheactsthatarefarzandwâjib,avoidsalltheIslamicprohibitionscalled‘harâm’,andobservesallthewaysandmannersadvisedbyourProphet,inexplicablepiecesofinformationcalled‘ma’rifat’begintopourintohisheart.
[4] Avoidworldlypleasures,permissibleastheymaybe.[5] Theninety-secondâyat-i-kerîmaofYûsufSûra.
Presently they come to the minbar of Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’.Theysay,“YouaretheHabîbullah(Allah’sDarling).Andahabîb (darling) is themost effective intercessor. Intercede for uswith yourRabb (Allâhu ta’âlâ)! For, wewent toÂdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’,thefirstProphet.HesentustoNûh‘’alaihis-salâm’.WewenttoNûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’.Hesentus to Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’.WewenttoIbrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’.HesentustoMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’.WewenttoMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’.HesentustoÎsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’.AndÎsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ sentus toyou.YâRasûlallah ‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’!Afteryou,thereisnootherplaceforustogo.”
Our master the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wasallam’ says to them, “I shall intercede for you if Allâhu ta’âlâgives me permission and approves of it.”
HegoestotheSurâdiqât-i-jelâl,i.e.thecurtainofjelâl.HeasksAllâhuta’âlâforpermission.Heisgivenpermission.Thecurtainsgo up. He enters the ’Arsh-i-a’lâ. He prostrates himself. Heremains prostrated for a thousand years. Thereafter he offershamd(praiseandgratitude)toJenâb-i-Haqqwithsuchhamdthatno one has been able to praise Allâhu ta’âlâ with equalcompetencesincethecreationofthe’âlam.
Some’ârifssaid:“WhenAllâhuta’âlâcreatedthe ’âlams,HepraisedHimself with similar hamds.” The ’Arsh-i-a’lâmoves inreverencetoAllâhuta’âlâ.Inthemeantimetheconditionsbecomeverymuchworse,andthehardshipsandtroublestheyaresufferingculminate.Propertyofeachhumanbeing,whichtheywereholdingsofastintheworld,hasbeenfastenedaroundtheirnecks.Camelshave been hung around the necks of people who did not payzakât[1] fortheircamels(whichtheyhadintheworld).Soloudaretheircriesandhowlsthatitsoundsasifmountainswerecrying.Soisthecasewithpeoplewhodonotpayzakâtfortheircattleandsheep.Theirwailingsareasloudasthunder.
Asforpeoplewhodidnotpayzakât,i.e.’ushr,fortheircrops;each of them laden with a bale hanging down his neck andconsistingofthekindofthecropforwhichhedidnotpayzakât,e.g.abaleofwheatforwheatandoneofbarleyforbarley,theywailandcrythewords“wâweylâ”and“wâseburâ”.[2] Peoplewho
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[1] Please see the first chapterof the fifth fascicleofEndless Bliss forinformationabout‘zakât’.
[2] ‘Weyl’isawordtoexpresstorment.Apersoncriesthatwordwhenhe feels too weak to endure the torment being inflicted on him.‘Sebûr’alsoisusedattimesofperishment.
did not pay zakât for gold or silver or [paper] money or othermerchandizeareladenwithahorrifyingserpent.Thatserpenthasonlytwoknittingsonitshead.Itstailisintheirnose.Ithasmadea ring around their neck and thrown all itsweight around theirneck, somuch so that itweighs heavier thanmill-stones.Whentheycryandaskwhatthatis,angelsreplythem,“Theserpentisyour worldly property for which you did not pay zakât in theworld.”Thistragicsituationisstatedinthehundredandeightiethâyat-i-kerîmaofÂl-i-’ImrânSûra,whichpurports:“... soon shallthe things which they so covetously withheld in the world be tiedto their necks like a twisted collar, on the Day of Judgment. ...”
Another group of people have quite huge genitals exudingmatterandpus.Peoplearoundthemareverymuchannoyedwiththefoulsmellthattheyproduce.Thesepeoplearefornicatorsandwomen who went out with their heads, hair, arms and legsexposed.
Another grouphang down frombranches of trees.They arepeoplewhocommittedactsofsodomyintheworld.
Anothergrouphavetonguescomingoutoftheirmouthsandhangingovertheirchests.Sounsightlydotheylookthatyouwouldhatetowatchthem.Theyareliarsandslanderers.
Thereisyetanothergroup.Theirabdomenshaveswollenandbecomeasbigasmountains.Theyborrowedandlentmoneyandproperty at an interest (fâiz) without a darûrat and withoututilizing(themethodtermed)mu’âmala(formalitysale).Sucharethe detestable ways wherein people who committed harâmsdefined are disgraced. [What a darûrat is concerningmatters offâizandwhatmethodsarepermissiblewhenyouhavetochargeaninterestareexplainedinthefifthfascicleofEndless Bliss.Pleaseseeitsthirty-seventhandforty-fourthchapters.]
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NINTH CHAPTERAllâhudeclares,as ispurported:“Yâ Muhammad, raise your
head from the sajda (prostrated position)! Say, and you will beheard. Go ahead and intercede (shafâ’at), and it will be accepted.”Thereupon the blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’petitions:“Yâ Rabbî! Please single out Thine good slaves from thebad ones, for it has been quite a long wait, so that they are underutterly shameful conditions on account of their sins.”
A voice is heard to say: “Yes, yâ Muhammad” ‘sall-Allâhu’alaihi wa sallam’. Jenâb-i-Haqq orders Paradise to adorn itselfwith all sorts of its ornaments, and it does as it is ordered. It isbroughttothesquareofArasât.Sobeautifulascentdoesitexudethatitissmelledfromplacesasfarasfivehundredyears’way.Itissogreatlygratifyingthatheartsbecomerelievedandsoulsbecomeresuscitated.However,[unbelievers,renegades,peoplewhomockMuslims, those who insult the Qur’ân al-kerîm, those whomisguideyoungpeopleandtherebyrobthemoftheirîmân,and]peoplewithfoulconductdonotperceivethesmellofParadise.
Paradise is placed on the right hand side of the ’Arsh.Thereafter,Jenâb-i-HaqqordersthatHellbebrought.Hellyellswithfear.Itaskstheangelssentforit:“HasAllâhuta’âlâcreatedacreaturewherebytoinflicttormentonme?”Theysay:“Forthesake ofAllâhu ta’âlâ’s izzat (glory), jelâl (majesty), and jeberût(power,dominion),yourRabb,(i.e.Allâhuta’âlâ)sendsustoyouso that you should avenge the disobedient and the enemies ofIslam.Itisthisthatyouwerecreatedfor.”Theytowitbytuggingatfoursidesofit.Theytowitbymeansofseventythousandropesfastened to it. There are seventy thousand rings on each rope.Wereitpossibletoheapalltheearth’siron atoneplace,itwouldnotweighasheavyasoneoftherings.Thereareseventythousandangelsoftormentcalled‘zebânî’soneachring.Ifonlyoneofthemwere ordered to pluck the mountains on the earth, he wouldpulverize them. In themeantime,Hell cries andmakes a lot ofnoise,andspews flamesandsmoke,making theentire skypitchblack. When there is a thousand years’ way left to go beforearrivingattheplaceofassemblage,itcutsloosefromthetentaclesofangels.Thenoise itmakes isunbearably loudand theheat itproduces is impossible to endure.All the peoplewaiting at the
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placeofassemblageareextremelyhorrified,andtheyaskwhatitis.WhentheyareinformedthatitisthenoisemadebyHellwhichhasfreeditselffromthezebânîs’handsandis“comingthisway”,they all give way on the knees from fear. Even Prophets andMessengers cannot help themselves. Hadrat Ibrâhîm, HadratMûsâ, and Hadrat Îsâ hold fast to the ’Arsh-i-a’lâ. Ibrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’ forgets about (his son) Ismâ’îl ‘’alaihis-salâm’,whomhe(atonetimealmost)killedastheQurbân.Mûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’ forgets about his brotherHârûn (Aaron) ‘’alaihis-salâm’,and Îsâ (Jesus) ‘’alaihis-salham’ forgets about Hadrat Maryam(Mary),hisblessedmother.eachandeveryoneofthemsays:“YâRabbî!TodayIwantnooneotherthanmyself.”
Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’, however, supplicates: “Bless myUmmat (Muslims) with safety, please, yâ Rabbî!”
There is noone capable of such fortitude among the peoplebeingthere.Asamatteroffact,Allâhuta’âlâinformsusaboutthisfact,asispurportedinthetwenty-eighthâyat-i-kerîmaofJâthiyaSûra: “And thou wilt see every ummat bowing the knee: EveryUmmat will be called to their record: ‘This Day shall ye berecompensed for all that ye did.’ ”WhenHell frees itself in theaforesaidmannerandroars,allpeoplefeelasiftheywerebeingchoked, and in deep anguish they throw themselves flat on theface.Thisfactispurportedinthetwelfthâyat-i-kerîmaofFurqânSûra: “When the blazing fire sees the people of mahsher(assemblage) from a place far off, they will hear its ugly andextremely furious and raging sigh.”
Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, as is purported in the eighth âyat ofMulkSûra:“The blazing fire (ofHell)will almost burst with fury....”ThereuponourblessedProphetcomesforthandbringsHelltoahalt.“Go back, despicably and meanly. Wait until your peoplecome to thee, in groups.”Hellsays:“YâMuhammad!Pleasedoallowmetoproceed,foryouareharâm(forbidden)forme,(i.e.Ihavebeencommandednottotouchyou.)”Avoicecomingfromthe ’Arsh is heard to say: “O, you, Hell! Listen to whatMuhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’ says! And obey him!” ThenRasûlullah‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’pullsHellawayandtakesittoaplaceonthelefthandsideofthe’Arsh.ThepeoplewaitingattheplaceofmahshergiveoneanotherthegoodnewsaboutthiscompassionatebehaviourofourblessedProphet.Thisalleviatestheirfearstosomeextent.Hencethehundredandseventhâyat-i-kerîmaofAnbiyâSûra,whichpurports:“We sent thee not, but asa Mercy for all creatures.”
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Thereafterapairofscalesaresetup;wedonotkonwhowitis.Ithastwoscales,onefromnûr(radiance,light),andtheotheronefromzulmat,i.e.darkness.
ThereafterAllâhuta’âlâmanifestsHisPowerinamannerfreeand far from time and place and body, whereupon peopleprostrate themselves to glorify Him. Yet unbelievers andrenegades are incapable of prostrating themselves, because thewaistsofunbelievershavebeenstiffenedlikeironsoastopreventthemfromprostratingthemselves.Infact,thisfactisstatedintheforty-second âyat-i-jelîl-i-ilâhiyya of Nûn Sûra, which purports:“That Day that the curtains covering the eyes shall be raised andtroubles shall be doubled, they shall be summoned to prostratethemselves. Yet they will be unable to prostrate themselves.”
As ImâmBukhârî ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’[1] explains this âyat inhis tafsîr, he quotes a hadîth-i-sherîf which reads: “On theJudgment Day Allâhu ta’âlâ will bring the sâq into light. [Cuffswill be folded up. In other words, an extremely difficult andtroublesomesituationwillbeexperienced.Peoplewillbetoldtoprostratethemselves.]All Believers will prostrate themselves.”Heprovides a continuous succession of its narrators, which can betraced back to Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’himself. I have had fears concerning the interpretation of thishadîth-i-sherîf. And I do not like the explanation suggested bythose (scholars)whovoice theopinion that itwas intendedasaparabolicexpression.Asforthemîzân,(i.e.theaforesaidpairofscales;)itisoneoftheunknownthingspertainingtothemelekût,(i.e.heavenlythingsthatwedonotknow.)Thatpairofscalesisquitedissimilartoworldlypairsofscales.For,goodandbaddeedsarenotobjectsorsubstances.Theyareattributiveentities.Itisnotsahîhtoweighattributesandadjectivesbyusingthepairsofscalesthatweknow,likeweighingobjects.Itwillbesahîhonlywhentheyareweighedbymeansofapairofscalesthatwedonotknow.
Aspeopleare insajda(prostration)[2],Allâhuta’âlâcallsout.Thevoice isheardfromfarandnear.AsImâmBukhârîquotes,Jenâb-i-Haqqdeclares,[asispurportedinahadîth-i-qudsî:]“I, the’Adhîm-ush-shân (theMostGlorious), am the Deyyân (SupremeRequiterofgoodandevil), and I am capable of mujâzât (requital
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[1] (Imâm)MuhammadBukhârîpassedawayinSamarkandin256[870A.D.].
[2] PleaseseethefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss tolearnhowMuslimsprostratethemselves,(i.e.makesajda.)
of good and evil) over all. No zulm (oppression, cruelty)perpetrated by any zâlim (oppressor,tyrant) overpowers Me. If itwere otherwise, I (Myself) would be a zâlim.”
ThereafterHemakesjudgmentsonmattersamongtheanimalkingdom.Heeasilyrequiteshornedsheepfortheadvantagethatthey have had over the hornless ones, gratifying the latter. Hemakes mountain animals and birds repay one another’s rights.ThenHe orders them: “Be dust!” So animals change into dustimmediately. When unbelievers see this event, they say: “Woeunto me! Would that I were (mere) dust,”asispurportedinthefortiethâyatofNaba’Sûra.
ThenavoicefromAllâhuta’âlâsays:“Where is the Lawh-il-Mahfûz?”Thisvoiceisheardinsuchamanneraswouldbewilderthecreatures’minds.Allâhuta’âlâsays:“O, thou, Lawh! Whereare the facts that I have written on thee from the Taurah and in theInjîl (theintactversionoftheBible), and in The Qur’ân al-’azîm-ush-shân?” The Lawh-il-Mahfûz says: “Yâ Rabb-al-’âlamîn!PleaseaskJebrâ’îl‘’alaihis-salâm’aboutthem!”[1]
ThereuponJebrâ’îl‘’alaihis-salâm’isbroughttothescene.Heissortoftrembling.Hekneelsdownwithastonishment.Jenâb-i-Haqqsays:“Yâ Jebrâ’îl! This Lawh says that you transmitted MyWord and Wahy to My born slaves. Is that true?”“Yes,yâRabbî,itistrue,”isJebrâ’îl’s‘’alaihis-salâm’answer.“How did you do it,”questionsAllâhuta’âlâ.Jebrâ’îl‘’alaihis-salâmsays:“YâRabbî!Irevealed the Taurah to Mûsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’, the Injîl to Îsâ(Jesus) ‘’alaihis-salâm’, and theQur’ân al-kerîm toMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’,andIinformedeachandeveryRasûl(Messenger,Prophet)ofhisRisâlat(Prophethood)andconveyedtheheavenlypages to each and every one of the Prophets who were sentheavenlypages(suhûf).”
Avoice comes: “Yâ Nûh!”ThereuponNûh (Noah) ‘’alaihis-salâm’ is fetched. Trembling, he enters the presence of Allâhuta’âlâ.“Yâ Nûh! Jebrâ’îl ‘’alaihis-salâm’ says that you are one ofthe Rasûls,” is thequestionaddressedtohim.Hesays:“Yes,yâRabbî. It is true.”AndAllâhuta’âlâasksagain:“What businessdid you have with your people?” Nûh ‘alaihis-salâm’ says: “YâRabbî! I called them to îmân day and night.My callwas of nobenefittothem.Theyranawayfromme.”Thenavoicecallsout
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[1] Please see the thirty-sixth chapter of the third fascicle ofEndlessBliss forthe‘Lawh-il-Mahfûz’.
once again, saying, “O, yee, people of Nûh!” A huge group ofpeople, the people of Nûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’, are brought to theplace.Theyareaddressedto:“This brother of yours, Nûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’, says that he delivered to you My Message about hisProphethood.”TheydenyhisProphethood,saying,“O,Thou,ourRabb!Heislying.Hedidnotdeliveranythingtous.”
Allâhu ta’âlâ says: “Do you have witnesses.” Nûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’says:“YâRabbî!MywitnessesareMuhammad’s‘’alaihis-salâm’Ummat,(i.e.Muslims.)”
Allâhuta’âlâsays:“Yâ Muhammad! This Nûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’appoints you witness to testify to that he communicated hisProphethood.”OurblessedProphet‘’alaihis-salâm’testifiestothefactthatNûh‘’alaihis-salâm’performedhisdutytocommunicatehisProphethood,andquotesthetwenty-fifthâyat-i-kerîmaofHûdSûra, which purports: “We sent Nûh as Prophet to people. Hethreatened them with torment on the part of Allâhu ta’âlâ. He toldthem not to worship things other than Allâhu ta’âlâ.” Jenâb-i-Haqq says to the people of Nûh ‘’alaihis-salâm’: “Torment hasbecome your rightful deserts. For, unbelievers deserve torment.”
SoallofthemarehurledintoHell.Their(other)deedsarenotevenweighed,noraretheycalledtoaccountatall.
Thenthevoicecallsout:“Where are the people of ’Âd?”ThesameprocedureaswasundergonebythepeopleofNûh‘’alaihis-salâm’ is followedwithHûd ‘’alaihis-salâm’ and his people, thepeople called ’Âd. Our blessed Prophet ‘’alaihis-salâm and thegoodonesofhisUmmatbearwitness.OurblessedProphetrecitesthehundredandtwenty-thirdâyat-i-kerîmaofShuarâSûra.ThosepeoplealsoarethrownintoHell.
Thereafter the voice calls out: “Sâlih or Themûd.” Sâlih‘’alaihis-salâm’ and his people, (called Themûd,) come to theplace.WhenthepeopleofThemûddeny(havingbeencalledbySâlih‘’alaihis-salâm’),HadratProphetiscalledonaswitness.OurblessedProphet‘’alaihis-salâm’recitesthehundredandforty-firstâyat-i-kerîma of Shuarâ Sûra, whereupon those people also arethrownintoHell.
As is related in theQur’ân ’adhîm-ush-shân, Ummats comebeforeAllâhuta’âlâ,oneafteranother.This fact isstated inthethirty-eighthâyat-i-kerîmaofFurqânSûraandintheeighthâyat-i-kerîmaofIbrâhîm.Likethepeoplebeforethem,theyarethrowninto Hell. It should be noted at this point that all the peoplementionedsofararedisobedientandexcessivelywickedpeople.
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Among them are unbelievers called ‘Bârih’ and ‘Mârih’ and‘Dhuhâ’and‘Esrâ’,andthelike.Afterthem,thevoicecallsoutthenames‘Ashâb-i-res’and‘Tubba’andthenamesofthepeopleofIbrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’.Themîzân(pairof scales) isnot set foranyofthem.Andtheyarenotcalledtoaccount.Thatdaytheyarebashful with their Rabb (Allâhu ta’âlâ). A translator addressesthem with theWord of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Once a person has beenhonouredwith the nazar-i-ilâhî or the kalâm-i-ilâhî, that personwillneverbetormented.
Thereafter, the voice calls out the name of Mûsâ (Moses)‘’alaihis-salâm’. He comes to the place, trembling like leavesfluttering in a strong wind. Jenâb-i-Haqq addresses him: “YâMûsâ! Jebrâ’îl testifies that you communicated your Prophethoodand the Taurah to your people.”“Yes,yâRabbî,”affirmsMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’. “Then, mount your minbar! Recite what wasrevealed to you by way of wahy,” he is commanded. SoMûsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’mountstheminbar(pulpit)andrecites.Everybodyissilentintheirpositions.HerecitestheTaurahasifithadbeenrevealednewly.ThejudaicscholarsareasiftheyhadneverseenorknowntheTaurah.
Thereafter Dâwûd (David) ‘’alaihis-salâm’ is called. As hecomestotheplaceofJudgment,he,too,tremblesvehemently,likeleavesflappinginastrongwind.
When Allâhu ta’âlâ says to Dâwûd ‘’alaihis-salâm’: “YâDâwûd! Jebrâ’îl ‘’alaihis-salâm’ testifies that you communicatedthe Zebûr to your Umma,” he affirms: “Yes, yâ Rabbî!”Thereupon he is commanded: “Mount your minbar and recitewhat was revealed to you.” Dâwûd ‘’alaihis-salâm’ mounts theminbarandrecitestheZebûr-i-sherîfwithhisbeautifulvoice.Asisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîf,Dâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’isthemunâdî(herald,publiccrier)forthepeopleofParadise.[Dâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’hadabeautiful,stentorianvoice.]Ashedoestherecital,theimâm, (named Uriah,) of the Tâbût-i-sekîna (Ark of theCovenant)hearshisvoice,jostleshiswaythroughthecrowd,andcomesnearDâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’.HehugstheProphetandsays:“Hadn’ttheZebûrpreachedyou,sothatyouhadwrongintentionsconcerningme?”HadratDâwûdbecomesextremelyembarrassed.He cannot answer him. The (square of)Arasât sinks deep intoanguish.Thepeoplebecomedreadfullysorryabout the troublesthathe(Uriah)underwentonaccountofDâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’.ThereafterheembracesDâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’andtakeshimuptothepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ.Acurtainfallsdownandcovers
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them.TheîmâmoftheTâbût,(i.e.Uriah,)says:“YâRabbî!HavemercyonmeforthegraceofDâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’,whohadmesenttoabattle.Infact,Iwaskilled(inthatbattle).Hewantedtomarry the woman I wanted to marry, although he already hadninety-nine other wives.” Allâhu ta’âlâ asks Dâwûd ‘’alaihis-salâm’:“Yâ Dâwûd! Is what he says true?”Embarrassed,andforfearofthetormentthatAllâhuta’âlâmayinflictonhim,Dâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’hangshishead,andentreatsAllâhuta’âlâforthemaghfirat (forgiveness, pardon) which He promised. When apersonfearsorfeelsshame,hehangshishead.Andheraiseshisheadwhenheexpectsor asks for something.Upon this,Allâhuta’âlâ asks the blessed îmâm of the Tâbût: “To compensate foryour having been wronged, I give you so and so many villas andother blessings (of Paradise). Are you satisfied?” That blessedpersonanswers:“Iamsatisfied,yâRabbî.”ThereafterHesaystoDâwûd ‘’alaihis-salâm’: “You, too, may go, yâ Dâwûd. I haveforgiven you, too.”[1]
ThereafterAllâhuta’âlâorderstoDâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’:“Goback to your minbar and resume your recitation with the rest ofthe Zebûr.” He performs the order of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Then theIsrâelites are commanded to part into two groups. One of thegroupsjointheBelievers,andtheothergroupjointheunbelievers.
Thereafter a voice is heard to say: “Where is Îsâ (Jesus)‘’alaihis-salâm’?” Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ is brought. Allâhu ta’âlâaddresseshim,asispurportedinthehundredandsixteenthâyat-i-kerîma of Mâida Sûra: “Yâ Îsâ! Didst you say unto men:‘Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah’?”
Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ expresses gratitude and praise to Allâhuta’âlâ.Thenheanswerswiththelatterpartofthe(same)âyat-i-kerîma,whichpurports:“Yâ Rabbî! Glory to Thee, (Who is farfrom attributes of deficiency)! Never could I say what I had noright (to say). Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed haveknown it. Yâ Rabbî! Thou knowest what is inside my nafs, thoughI know not what is in Thine Person. Yâ Rabbî! Thou knowest infull all that is hidden.”
Thereupon Jenâb-i-HaqqmanifestsHisAttribute Jemâl and
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[1] A more detailed account of this episode is provided in theexplanationofthetwenty-thirdâyatofSâdSûrainthebookoftafsîrentitledMawâhib. Prophets cannot commit smallest sins, and theycannoteventhinkofsinning.Apersonwhoreadstheepisodeinthattafsîrwillunderstandthetruthwell.
declares,asispurportedinthenineteenthâyat-i-kerîmaofMâidaSûra:“This is the day on which the truthful will profit from theirtruth: ...”ThenHesaystohim:“Yâ Îsâ! You have told the truth.Go to your minbar! Recite the Injîl, which Jebrâ’îl revealed toyou!” Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ says: “Yes, yâ Rabbî,” and begins torecitetheHolyBook.Soeffectiveistherecitationthattheheadsof all the audience are raised up. For, Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ is themost hakîm (wisest) of mankind with respect to riwâyat(narration). He recites in such a fresh and fine style as allChristiansandmonksfeelasiftheydidnotknowanyoneoftheversesoftheInjîl.
ThereafterNasârâ(PeopleofÎsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’)partintotwogroups. The heretical ones, i.e. Christians, join the unbelievers,whiletheoneswhoarenotguiltyofheresy,i.e.thetrueBelievers,arekeptwithBelievers.
Thereafter a voice is heard to say: “Where is Muhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’?”OurblessedProphetcomes.Allâhuta’âlâsays:“Yâ Muhammad! Jibrîl says that he communicated the Qur’ân al-kerîm to you.”“Yes,hedid,yâRabbî,”saystheProphet.Allâhuta’âlâcommands:“Yâ Muhammad! Mount your minbar and recitethe Qur’ân al-kerîm.”OurProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’recitestheQur’ânal-kerîminabeautifulandsweetstyle.HegivesgoodnewstoBelievers.Theyrejoiceandsmile.Thefacesofthosewho denied the Qur’ân al-kerîm and called this blessed Book‘desert laws’ –(may Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us against thatabominable act!)–areextremelyugly.
The question that Prophets will be asked, which we haveexplainedsofar,isstatedinthesixthâyat-i-kerîmaofA’râfSûra,which purports: “Then shall We question those to whom OurMessage was sent and those by whom We sent it.”
Some(scholars)saythatit isstatedinthehundredandninthâyat-i-kerîma ofMâida Sûra,which purports: “On that day willAllâhu ta’âlâ gather the great Prophets and ask: ‘What was theresponse ye received (from men to your teaching)?’ ...” ThenProphets say: “YâRabbî!Wemake tasbîh (or tesbîh) of Thee,(whichmeans,“WeknowandacknowledgethatYouarefreeandfarawayfromattributesofimperfection,”)and(weadmitthefactthat)thereisno’ilm(knowledge)forus.Youarethebesttoknowtheghayb(unknown).”Preferably,thescholarswhoarguethatitis stated in the âyat-i-kerîma quoted in the previous paragraphappeartobeclosertothetruth.Wehaveexplainedthisfactalso
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inourbookentitledIhyâ-ul-’ulûm.For,differentProphetsoccupydifferent ranks of prophethood. And Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’, in histurn, is one of the greatest Prophets. For, he isRûhullah andKelimatullah.AsourblessedProphetrecitestheQur’ânal-kerîm,hisUmmat (Muslims) feel as if they had never heard it before.Incidentally,HadratEsma’î[1] wasasked,“Youarethebestamongthe peoplewho havememorized theQur’ân al-kerîm.Will youfeelthesame?”“Yes,”hereplied.“ItwillbeasifIneverhearditwhenIhearHadratProphetreciteit.”
When all the heavenly books have been recited, a voice isheardtosay:“O, ye, mujrims (criminals,culprits,theguilty)!Yebe separated now!”Uponthiscall,theplaceofpause,i.e.Arasâtsquare is set in motion. Thereupon, all people, panic-stricken,becometangledup.Angelsare tangledwithgenies,who in turnaretangledwithhumanbeings.Thereafteravoiceisheardtosay:“Yâ ’Âdam! Show your children who deserve Hell!” ’Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’ asks: “YâRabbî!Howmany of them?” Jenâb-i-Haqq states: “Ninety-nine percent of them to Hell, and one(percent)to Paradise.Aftertheunbelieversandthemulhidsandthe ghâfils who deviated from the path of Ahl as-sunnat areseparated, the Believers who are culled make up such a tinynumberasAllâhuta’âlâcalls ‘ahandful’.Hence themeaningofAbûBakrSiddîq’s‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’statement:“The survivorswill be (only) as many as to fill one of our Rabb’s palms.”
Thereafterthedevilandhissatansarebrought.Thevicestheycommittedaswellhaveweighedheavierthantheirgooddeeds.IfIslamreachedaperson(duringhislifetimeintheworld),his(orher) thawâbs (good deeds) and wrongdoings will certainly beweighed.Whenthesatansknowforcertainthattheirsinsweighheavierandtheywillbesubjectedtotorment, theysay:“’Âdamhasdoneinjusticetous.Angelscalled‘Zebânîs’haveheldusbythehairanddraggedustoHell.”
Thereupon a voice from Jenâb-i-Haqq is heard to say, as ispurportedintheseventeenthâyat-i-kerîmaofMu’minSûra:“ThatDay will every soul be requited for what it earned. No injustice willthere be that Day. Allâhu ta’âlâ is swift in taking account.”Agreatbook,asbigastocoveralltheareabetweentheeastandthewest,
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[1] AbûSa’îdEsma’îwasborninBasrain122,andpassedawayinMarw(or Merv) in 216 [831 A.D.]. His real name is ’Abd-ul-Melîk‘rahimahullâhuta’âlâ’.
isbroughtoutforeverybody.Itcontainsallthewrittenrecordsofthedeedsofcreatures,venialandgraveonesalike.Allâhuta’âlâdoes not do injustice to anybody. Every day, whatsoever everycreature does is presented in this book toAllâhu ta’âlâ.Allâhuta’âlâcommandstheangelswhoarecalled‘Kirâmunberera’,i.e.nobleandobedient,inthesixteenthâyat-i-kerîmaof’AbasaSûra,torecordthosedeeds.Thatbookisthebookthatwillbebroughtout.Hencetheblessedmeaningofthetwenty-ninthâyat-i-kerîmaofJâthiyaSûra,whichpurports:“... For We had all that ye did onrecord.”
Thereafter a voice calls everybody to account, one by one.Everybody will be judged separately. The twenty-fourth âyat-i-kerîmaofNûrSûrapurports: “On the Day when their tongues,their hands, and their feet will bear witness as to their actions.”
According to a narration that has been conveyed to us, apersonismadetostandinthepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ.Jenâb-i-Haqqsaysuntohim:“O, you, bad slave! You have been sinful anddisobedient.” The born slave says: “Yâ Rabbî! I have notcommittedthem,(i.e.thesinsIambeingaccusedof.)”Itissaidtohim: “There is evidence and witnesses against you.” Angels ofHafazaarebrought.Thepersonsays:“Theyhavebeentellingliesagainstme.”Thiseventisstatedinthehundredandeleventhâyat-i-kerîmaofNahlSûrawhichpurports:“That Day everybody willbe brought up, every soul struggling for itself. ...”Thenhismouthis sealed. This event is stated in the sixty-fifth âyat-i-kerîma ofYasîn-i-sherîfSûra,whichpurports:“That Day shall I, the ’adhîm-i-ush-shân, set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak toMe, and their feet will bear witness, to all that they did.”Accordingly,thelimbsofthedisobedienttestifyagainstthem,andit is commanded that they be taken to Hell. The culprits, [i.e.enemiesofreligion,peoplewhocommitharâms,andthosewhodonotattachdueimportanceto(theprayercalled)namâz,][1] begintocastigateandshoutattheirownlimbs.Theirlimbsreply:“... Thistestimony that we give is not an option that we exercise. He, alone,makes all beings talk ...”Theseeventsarestatedinthetwenty-firstâyat-i-kerîmaofFussilatSûra.After the settlingof accounts, allpeoplearesenttothebridgecalledSirât.
TheculpritswhofailtopasstheSirâtbridgeandfalldownare
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[1] PleaseseethefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss fordetailedinformationon‘namâz’.
deliveredtothekeepersofHell,i.e.thoseangelswhoarechargedwithinflictionoftorment.Theybegintocryandmoan.Especiallyvehement is the cryingof thedisobedientonesof theMu’minînandMuwahhidîn.Astheangel(chargedwithtorment)catchandthrowthem(intoHell),they,(i.e.theangels,)say:“... This is theDay (of Rising) that ye were promised,”whichispurportedinthehundredandthirdâyat-i-kerîmaofAnbiyâ.
The great sob –TherearefourstageswherepeopleofHellverybitterly sob and cry:The first sobbing takes placewhen the sûr(trumpet)issounding,thesecondonetakesplacewhenHellfreesitself from the angels and jumps unto the people staying at theplace ofmahsher (assemblage), the third one takes place whentheygoupto’Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’tosendhimtoAllâhuta’âlâ,andthefourthoneiswhentheyaredeliveredtotheangelschargedtoinflicttormentupontheminHell.
ThepeopleofHellaregonefortheirplaces(inHell),andtheonlypeoplewhohavebeenleftatthesquareofArasâtnowareBelievers,Muslims,peopleofgooddeedsandcharity,the’Ârifs,the Siddîqs, theWalîs, the Shehîds (Martyrs), the Sâlihs (piousMuslims), and the Rusûl (Messengers). People with doubtfulîmân, themunâfiqs, thezindiqs, theholdersofbid’at, [i.e. thosewhodidnotholdthecreedofAhlas-sunnat,]havealreadybeendispatchedtoHell.Allâhuta’âlâsaysuntothem:“O, ye, people!Who is thine Rabb?”“HeisAllah,”theysay.“Do ye know Him?”“Yes,we do,YâRabbî.”Thereupon, an angel appears to themfrom the left hand side of the ’Arsh-i-a’lâ. He is of suchtremendous size as the seven oceanswouldmake up a drop ofwatertootinytobeseenweretheyputtogetheronthetipofhisthumb.“AnaRabbukûm(IamyourRabb),”saystheangeluntothepeopleofMahsher,becauseAllâhuta’âlâhascommandedhimtodosotoputthemtothetest.Thepeopleofmahsherreply,“WetrustourselvestothecareofAllâhuta’âlâforprotectionagainstyou.”
Thereafter an angel from the right hand side of the ’Arshappearstothem.Fourteenoceanswouldgetoutofsightifheputthetipofhisfootonthem.HesaysuntothepeopleofMahsher,“IamyourRabb.”Hereceivesthesameanswer:“WetrustourselvestothecareofAllâhuta’âlâforprotectionagainstyou.”
ThereafterAllâhuta’âlâhandlesthemwithsuchsoftandnicetreatmentaswillpleasethem.Allthepeopleofmahsherprostratethemselves.Jenâb-i-Haqqsaysuntothem:“Ye have come to such
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a place where ye will never feel yourselves to be aliens, nor doesthis place accommodate any fears for you.”
Allâhuta’âlâmakesalltheBelieverspassthe(bridgetermed)Sirât.TheBelieversaretakentotheirabodesinParadise,whichvary, depending on the positions they attained. People pass thebridgeingroups.FirsttheRasûls,thentheNebîs,thentheSiddîqs,then theWalîs and the ’Ârifs, then the people of kindness andcharity,thentheMartyrs,andthentheotherBelieversaretaken.Muslimswithunforgivensinsfallbythewayside,lyingprone,andothersstayinconfinementattheA’râf.Someofthepeoplewithweak îmân pass the Sirât in a hundred years, and others in athousandyears.However,theyarenotsubjectedtofireofHell.
OnceapersonhasseenhisRabb(Allâhuta’âlâ),heshallneverbe put intoHell.We have told about the positions thatwill beoccupiedbyMuslimsandMuhsins inourbookentitled Istidrâj.Their faces will be smiling. Most of them pass the Sirât likelightning.Andquiteanumberofothersgoalongwithhungerandthirst; their lungs have broken to pieces, so that they exhalesmoke-likeair.Theydrinkwater from thepondofKawthar (orKewther),whosebowlsareasnumerousasthecelestialstarsandwhosewater comes from the river calledKawthar (orKewther)andwhichcoversanareawithdimensionsaslongasthedistancebetweenJerusalemandYemenand thatbetweenAdenand theblessedcityofMedîna.ThisfacthasbeenascertainedinthelightofourProphet’s‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’blessedutterance,which reads: “My minbar is on the pond,” which means: “MyminbarisononeofthetwobanksofthepondofKawthar.”PeoplewhoarefarfromthepondofKawthararekeptinconfinementontheSirât,andtheirpositionsvary,dependingonthewickednessoftheirguilts.
There is many a person who makes an ablution, yet theablution they make is not well enough or properly performed.Thereismanyapersonwhoperformsnamâz,yettheytellabouttheirnamâzalthoughnooneasksthemaboutit,andtheydonotperformitinkhudhû’andkhushû’.Whenamereantbitesthem,they forget about the namâz (that they are performing at themoment) andbusy themselveswith theant.On theotherhand,those who (have attained perfection and therefore) know wellabout the ’azamat (greatness) and jelâlat (majesty) of Allâhuta’âlâwouldnotputupanyresistanceeveniftheirhandsandfeetwerebeingcutoff.For,theirworshipisintendedforAllâhuta’âlâ,alone.ApersonwhostandsinthepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâwill
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feelasmuchkhushû’andfearashisknowledgeandrealizationofHisgreatnessandgrandeur.Thisstatecanbeexemplifiedwiththepatienceshownbyapersonstungbyascorpionashestandsinthepresenceofanemperor.Therespectthattheemperorcommandsfrom him prevents him from reacting. The personage in thisexampleofoursisacreature,afterall,whointurnisincomparablyfiniteindistinguishingbetweenhisprofitsandharms.
Howcouldweourselves actually imagine the stateof amanstandinginthepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ,Whois’AzîzandJelîl,aswesaidthatforapersonwhoknewtheheybetandthesultanateand ’azamat and the jeberût (jabarût) and theqahr-u-ghalaba-i-ilâhiyyaitwouldcertainlyrequiremuchmorehudhûrandkhushû’tostandinthepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ?
Astoryhasbeentoldaboutapersonwhoperformedhisactsofworship properly and made tawba (for the sins he might havecommitted) and yet failed to see the person he had somehowwrongedandmakeituptohimfortheinjusticehehaddone:HeistakentothepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ.Thehumanrights(thathehadviolatedintheworld,ifany,)andwhichhefailedtomakeupfor,areexposedtoview.Thewrongedpersonembraceshim.Allâhuta’âlâsays to thewrongedperson:“O, you, the wrongedone! Look up!” When the wronged one looks up, he sees anextremelygreatvilla.Itisamazinglyornateandbig.Thewrongedpersonasks:“YâRabbî!Whatisthat?”Allâhuta’âlâsays:“It isfor sale. Would you like to buy it from Me?”“YâRabbî!Ihavenothingtopayinreturnforitsvalue,”saystheslaveinhumiliation.ThereuponAllâhuta’âlâsays:“That villa is yours, if you shouldsave your brother (fromtorment) by forgiving him for the injusticehe did to you.”“YâRabbî! Iagree toawaiver for thegraceofYourAmr-i-ilâhî(DivineCommand),”acknowledgestheslave.
ThisisthetreatmentwhichAllâhuta’âlâshowstooppressorswhomadetawba.Asamatteroffact,Hedeclares,asispurportedin the twenty-fifth âyat of Isrâ Sûra: “I, the ’Adhîm-ush-shân,forgive those people who make tawba.” A person who makestawbaisonewhoceasesfromthesin,ortheoppression,etc.,asthecasemaybe,withadeterminationnottoperpetrateitagaineverafter. Dâwûd ‘’alaihis-salâm’ has been called Awwâb (sincerepenitent). [However, Dâwûd (David) ‘’alaihis-salâm’ nevercommitteda sinful act.Whathewasmade todowas [whathasbeen termed) a Khilâf-i-awlâ] So is the case with Rasûls(Messengers)otherthanDâwûd‘’alaihis-salâm’.
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O my heart! That secret fire of yours has burned my essence;The sob and cry gushing out from you have risen to heavens.
So rare a lunatic you are, won’t you ever be good?You’ve put yourself to such crying shame, don’t you have such senses?
Since you fell victim to the trap that is eternal,Have your vernal flowers mellowed to fruitful consequences?
TENTH CHAPTERTwo other names by which the ’Arasât square is called are
mawqif (ormewqif)andplace of Mahsher.ReportsgivenbytheIslamicscholarsconcerninghowthepeoplestayingtherewillbesummoned, vary.Theeventof summoning is stated inbooksofTafsîraswellasinhadîthsthataresahîh.[1] MurderersarethefirstgroupofpeoplethatAllâhuta’âlâwilljudgeabout.Ontheotherhand,Allâhuta’âlâwillrewardtheblindBelieverswhoheldthecorrectbelief,(whichinturnconsistsofthecredaltenetstaughtbythescholarsofAhlas-sunnat.)Yes!Avoicecallsout:“Wherearethepeoplewhoweredeprivedofsightintheworld?”Itissaidtothem:“YoudeservemorethananyoneelsetolookattheJemâl(Beauty) of Allâhu ta’âlâ.” Thereafter Allâhu treats them withhayâ (bashfulness, sense of shame), and says unto them: “Gotowards right!”
A flag in their honour is prepared and handed to Shu’ayb‘’alaihis-salâm’,whobecomestheirimâm.Innumerableangelsofnûrkeepthemcompany.NobodyotherthanAllâhuta’âlâknowstheirnumber.TheyjointhemandpasstheSirâtasfastaslightning.Inpatienceandinhilm(softness,finesse),eachandeveryoneofthem is analogous to ’Abdullah ibni ’Abbâs ‘radiy-Allâhu’anhumâ’[2] and toMuslimswho resembledhim (in conduct andmanners).
Thereafter, “Where are those who were patient about thedisasters(thatbefell them),”callsoutavoice.Thenpeoplewhosufferedfromleprosyoranotherinfectiousdiseasearesummoned.Allâhuta’âlâgreetsthem.They,too,areorderedtogotowardsthe
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[1] PleaseseethesixthchapterofthesecondfascicleofEndless Bliss forkindsofhadîths.
[2] HepassedawayinTâifin68[687A.D.].
right.Agreen flag is prepared for them. It is handed toAyyûb(Job)‘’alaihis-salâm’.HebecomestheimâmoftheAshâb-i-yemîn.[Please see the twenty-seventh chapter of the fourth fascicle ofEndless Bliss forthe‘Ashâb-i-yemîn’.]Patienceandhilmarethe(two) attributes that gowith apersonwho ismubtelâ (in love).Amongthemis’UqaylbinAbîTâlib‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’andthosewhowereanalogoustohim.
Thereafteravoice callsout: “Whereare thoseyoungpeoplewithîmânandchastity,whodidnotbelievetheliesandslanderstoldandspreadbytheenemiesofIslamandwhoheldfasttothecredal tenets taught by the scholars of Ahl as-sunnat and whoperfectlyprotectedthatcorrectbeliefoftheirsandtheirchastity?”They are brought likewise. Allâhu ta’âlâ greets them, too, andsays, “Merhabâ (Hello),” to them.He praises and complimentstheminamannerthatHechooses.Tothem,also,Hesays,“Gotowards the right.”Aflagispreparedforthem,anditishandedtoYûsuf (Joseph) ‘’alaihis-salâm’. Yûsuf ‘’alaihis-salâm’ becomestheir imâm. The attribute that goes with such youngsters isavoiding women and girls nâ-mahram[1] to them. Among suchpeople is Râshid bin Suleymân ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’, and anyotheryoungMuslimlikehim.
Thereafteranothervoicecallsout:“Wherearethose(Muslims)wholovedoneanotherforthegraceofAllâhuta’âlâandwholikedMuslimsanddislikeddisbelieversandrenegades?”Therebytheyarebrought to thepresenceofAllâhu ta’âlâ.Allâhu ta’âlâ says,“Hello,” to them, too, and they attain the compliments thatHechooses.They,also,arecommandedtogototherighthandside.TwoattributesofthepeoplewhohatetheenemiesofAllâhuta’âlâarepatienceandhilm,sothattheyareneverunfriendlyorhurtfultowardsMuslimsonaccountofworldlyaffairs.Hadrat’Alî‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’isanexemplarofsuchpeople,andsoarethosewhobehavelikehim.
Thereafter,anothervoicecallsout:“Whereare thosepeoplewhofearedAllâhuta’âlâandthereforeavoidedactsofharâmandwept in anxiety?” So they are brought likewise. Their tears areweighedagainstthebloodlostbymartyrsandagainsttheinkusedby scholars.The tearsweighhigher (thanboth).They, also, arecommanded togo to the righthand side.A flag sequinnedwithvariegated colours is prepared for their honour. For, they lived
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[1] PleasescanthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss for‘nâ-mahram’.
among people committing all sorts of sins andwere relentlesslytempted towards acts of harâmwith promises of forgiveness onbehalfofAllâhuta’âlâ,andyet theyresistedwithdeterminationagainstcommittingactsofharâm.Intheiranxietynottocommitanyofvarioussinsand for their fearofAllâhu ta’âlâ, theyshedtears.SomeofthemweptforfearofAllâhuta’âlâ,someofthemweptintheiranxietynottobefondofworldlies,andothersweptwith penitence. Their flag is handed to Nûh (Noah) ‘’alaihis-salâm’. Scholarswant to gobefore them. “We taught them thattheirweepingshouldbeforAllah,”theysay.Avoiceisheard:“YâNûh!Staywhereyouare!”Nûh‘’alaihis-salâm’stopsatonce.Andsodothepeoplewithhim.
TheinkconsumedbythescholarsofAhlas-sunnatisweighedagainst the blood lost bymartyrs. The ink used by the scholarsweighs heavier, and they are ordered to the right hand side.Asaffronedflagisorderedformartyrs.ItishandedtoYahyâ(John)‘’alaihis-salâm’. Yahyâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ leads them. The scholars,whowanttogobeforethem,say:“Martyrsfoughtafteracquiringknowledgefromus.Wedeservemorethantheydotogobefore.”Thereupon Allâhu ta’âlâ displays His Kindness, and says:“Scholars are like My Prophets in My View.”He saysunto thescholars:“Do shafâ’at,(i.e.intercede,) for the people you choose.”Sothescholarsdoshafâ’atfortheirahl-i-beyt,(i.e.theirfamilies,)for their neighbours, for their Believer brothers, and for thosedisciplesoftheirswhoobeyedthem.
Ithappensas follows:Foreachandeveryscholaranangel ismadetocallout:“Allâhuta’âlâhasorderedsoandso,who isascholar, todo shafâ’at.He shalldo shafâ’at foranyonewhodidhimaslightestserviceorwhoofferedhimasmallmorseltoeatorsomewatertodrinkorwhohelpedhimspreadhisbooks.”Peoplewhodidafavourtothatscholarandthosewhospreadhisbooksstandup.Sothatscholarintercedesforthem.
Asisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîf,Rasûlsarethefirstpeopletointercede(forothers).NextcometheNebîs‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’[1], to be followed by the scholars (of Ahl as-sunnat).Awhiteflagispreparedforthehonourofscholars.Itishanded to Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’. Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’ isaheadofallotherRasûls in theexplorationofhiddenma’rifats,
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[1] IfaProphethasbeensentaheavenlybookandanewdispensation,heiscalledaRasûl.IfhismissionistorestorethedispensationoftheProphetprevioustohim,heiscalledaNebî(orNabî).
(piecesofinformationaboutAllâhuta’âlâ.)Thereforeheisgiventheflag.
Thereafter another voice calls out: “Where are those poorpeoplewhoworked and sweated for their daily sustenance andwere contented with their earnings?” So the poor people arebrought to the presence of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Allâhu ta’âlâcompliments them, saying: “Merhabâ, ye people for whom theworld was a dungeon.”ThesepeoplealsoarecommandedtojointheAshâb-i-yemîn(PeopleofParadise).Ayellowflag,preparedforthem,ishandedtoÎsâ(Jesus)‘’alaihis-salâm’.SoÎsâ‘’alaihis-salâm’becomestheirimâm(andleadsthem).
Thereafteranothervoicecallsout:“Wherearetheaghniyâ,i.e.rich peoplewhowere grateful (for their riches) and spent theirproperty and money for promoting Islam and for protectingMuslimsagainstthecruel?”Sotheyarebroughtlikewise.Allâhuta’âlâmakesthemrecounttheblessingsthatHegavethem(intheworld),whichtakesthemfivethousandyears.Inotherwords,Hecalls them toaccount concerninghow they spent the riches (Hehad given them). For them, also, a flag of various colours ispreparedandhandedtoSuleymân‘’alaihis-salâm’,whoinhisturnbecomestheirimâm.They,too,arecommandedtocatchupwiththeAshâb-i-yemînandjointhem.
Asisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîf,fourthingsdemandfourotherthingsthattheybearwitnessforthem.Avoicesaysuntopeoplewhousedtheirpropertyandpositioninoppressingpeople:“Whatpropertykeptyoubusy,sothatyouneglectedtoworshipAllâhuta’âlâ?” They answer: “Allâhu ta’âlâ gave us property andposition. They prevented us from performing our duty towardsAllâhuta’âlâ.”Thentheyareasked:“Whoisgreaterwithrespectto property; you or Suleymân ‘’alaihis-salâm’?” “Suleymân‘’alaihis-salâm’isgreater,”theysay.ThereuponAllâhuta’âlâsays:“SuchagreatamountofpropertythathehaddidnotpreventhimfromworshippingMe,butyourspreventedyou,howso?”
Thereafter,“Wherearetheahl-i-belâ,”asksavoice.So,theyarebroughtlikewise.Theyareasked:“Whatis itthatpreventedyoufromworshippingAllâhuta’âlâ?”Theyanswer:“Allâhuta’âlâsubjected us to unceasing disasters and troubles in the world.Therefore we were deprived of dhikring Him and worshippingHim?”Theyareaskedagain:“Inrespectoftrouble,whichoneisheavier;theonethatbefellAyyûb(Job)‘’alaihis-salâm’,ortheonethatyouwere subjected to?”“Ayyûb ‘’alaihis-salâm’underwent
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muchheaviertrouble,”theyanswer.Thereupontheyarechided:“HowcanyousaythatdisasterspreventedyoufromworshippingAllâhuta’âlâinthefaceofthefactthattheydidnotpreventhimfrom dhikring[1] Allâhu ta’âlâ or from spreading His religionamongHisslavesorfromperforminghisdutiestowardsHim?”
Thereafter they call out: “Where are the young people andwhere are thepossessed, i.e. slaves and jâriyas?”They, too, arebrought to the presence Allâhu ta’âlâ. They are asked: “Whatprevented you from worshipping Allâhu ta’âlâ?” They answer:“Allâhuta’âlâgaveusjemâlandbeauty.Weweretakeninbythatblessing and indulged in the pleasures of the young age. Wethoughtthatyouthwouldalwaysstaywithus.WedidnotlearnthereligionofAllâhuta’âlâ.SowefailedtopayHimHisright.”Andthe possessed people say: “We were slaves and jâriyas, so weservedourowners.Weworshippedpeoplewhoweresuperiorinworldly matters. We remained ignorant. We were wrong. YâRabbî!WeweredeprivedofpayingYouYourright.”Thereupontheyareasked:“Whowasmorebeautiful;youorYûsuf‘’alaihis-salâm’?” “Yûsuf ‘’alaihis-salâm’ was more beautiful,” they say.“Then,”theyaretold,“Howcanyousaythatbeauty(andyoungage) prevented you fromworshippingAllâhu ta’âlâ despite thefact that nothing prevented Yûsuf ‘’alaihis-salâm’ from payingAllâhuta’âlâHisrightasabornslaveofHis?”
Thereafteravoicecallsout:“Wherearethosepoorpeoplewhowere too lazy to work?” They are brought likewise. They areasked:“WhatpreventedyoufromperformingyourdutiesasbornslavesofAllâhuta’âlâ?”Theysay:“Wedidnotwork.Wedidnotlearn any vocation, either. [We spent time sitting idly in coffeehouses, sinemas,matches.]Allâhu ta’âlâmade us poor. Povertyand sloth prevented us from performing our duties as slaves.”“Who was poorer; you or Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’,” they are asked.They say: “Îsâ ‘’alaihis-salâm’ was poorer than we were.”Thereupon they are told: “Then, how can you say that poverty,which, so severe as it was, did not prevent him from doing hisduties as a slave of Allâhu ta’âlâ or from spreading religiousteachings,wasthecauseofyournegligence?”
If a person becomes afflictedwith one of the aforesaid fourhindrances,heshould thinkofhisOwner!OurbelovedProphet
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[1] Pleaseseethetwenty-fifthchapterof thefourthfascicleofEndlessBliss for‘dhikr’and‘dhikring’.
‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ would pronounce thefollowing invocation: “Yâ Rabbî! I trust myself to Thine careagainst the fitna of wealth as well as that of poverty.”
LetÎsâ(Jesus)‘’alaihis-salâm’beanobjectlessonforyou:Hepossessed nothing in the world. He wore a woollen robe fortwentyyears.During journeys, theonlypersonaleffectshehadwithhimwereacup,ablackwovenmatting,andacomb.Onedayhe saw a man drinking water with his hand. Thereupon hedumpedhis cup.On another dayhe saw someone combinghishairwithhishand.Hethrewawayhiscomb,too.“Myfeetaremysaddlehorse.Cavesaremyhome.Grassonthegroundismyfood.Riverwaterismydrink,”hewouldsay.[However,thatisnotthewaytaughtbytheIslamicreligion.Itisanactofworshiptoworkhardandearn.Itisnecessarytoworkhard,toearnmuch,andtospendone’searningsinwaysandmannersthatIslamcommands.]
Itisstatedasfollowsinahadîth-i-sherîf,whichiswritteninthebook entitledRâmûz-ul-ahâdîth, (byZiyâ-ud-dînGümüşhânevî,1235, Gümüşhâne – 1311 [1893 A.D.], Istanbul:) “Poverty is afortune for my Ashâb. As for my Umma (Muslims)who will livein the latest time; wealth will be a fortune for them.”Welive inthat latest time now.We live in a time when sinners,mischief-makers, and people who adulterate their acts of worship withheresies,areontheincrease.Inthistimeitisagreatactofworshiptolearnthehalâls,theharâms,thebid’ats,andtheactsthatcausekufr(unbelief),andtoleadalifeagreeablewiththoseteachings,andtobecomerichbyearninginawaythatishalâl[1].Itisagreatfortunetospendone’searningssupportingthepoorandMuslimswho propagate the teachings of Ahl as-sunnat. How lucky forthosewhoattainthatgreatfortune!]
AsisstatedinsomeheavenlypagesrevealedbyAllâhuta’âlâ(to His Messengers): “O you mankind! Illness and sinning areamong the states of life (intheworld). In comparison with keffârat(expiation) for intentional homicide,(i.e.thatwhichiscommittedbyholdingagrudge,)keffârat for inadvertent homicide has beendeemed the lesser one, and qisâs[2] will not be inflicted for it.
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[1] PleasereadthesixfasciclesofEndless Bliss,forthe‘halâls’andthe‘harâms’.
[2] Please scan the fourteenth and the fifteenth and the forty-sixthchapters of the fifth fascicle, and also the tenth and the twelfthchaptersofthesixthfascicle,ofEndless Bliss,for‘qisâs’.
However, it is still quite a wicked deed. Avoid it, too!”Ifthereisîmânintheheartofapersonwhocommittedgrave
sins, he will attain shafâ’at (intercession) after some torment.Allâhu ta’âlâ will be kind to them and take them out of Hellthousandsofyearslater.However,skinsofpeopleinHellwillbecreated again after being burned. Hasan Basrî ‘rahmatullâhu’alaih’,(d.110[728A.D.],)wouldsay,“IwishIwereoneofthosepeople.” There is no doubt as to the fact that Hasan Basrî‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’wasapersonwhoknewwellabouttheeventsintheHereafter.OnthedayofJudgment,aMuslimisbrought.Hehasnocharitytoweighheavieronthescales.Allâhuta’âlâ,forthesakeofhisîmânandoutofHiscompassionfortheBeliever,tellshim:“Go to other people and look for a person who will give youthe thawâb (rewards) that he deserved on account of the gooddeeds and acts of charity (thatheperformed in theworld). Youwill enter Paradise owing to his kindness!”Thatpersongoesandlooksforsomeonetohelphimtoattainhiswish.Everyoneheasksgives the same answer: “I fear thatmy own charitymay weighlighteronthescales.Iammoreneedythanyouare.”Heisverysadnow.Someonecomesnearhimandaskshimwhathewants.“Ineed charity [thawâb]. I have asked almost a thousand people.Each person I ask finds a pretext and declines,” he says. Thatpersonsaysuntohim:“IenteredthepresenceofAllâhuta’âlâ.Ifoundnothinginmypage,exceptforasinglethawâb.Itwillnotsuffice to save me anyway. Let me donate it to you. Take it!”Relievedandhappy,theneedypersonleaves.Allâhuta’âlâknowswhathashappened,butHeasks:“Whatareyoubackwith?”Thatpersontellsabouthisadventures.Allâhuta’âlâbidsthedonatoralso to His presence and says unto them: “My Kindness toBelievers is more than your kindness. Hold your Muslim brotherby the hand, and you two go to Paradise.”
Ifbothscalesofthebalancestayonthesamelevelandthescalecarrying the thawâb does notweigh heavier,Allâhu ta’âlâ says:“This person is neither for Paradise nor for Hell.”Thereuponanangelcomesforthwithapageandplacesitonthescaleofseyyiât[sins].Asignonitsays, ‘Ugh’.Sothatscaleweighsheavierthanthat of good deeds. For, it is aword of protest, “Ugh,” utteredtowardsparents.It incursthecommandmentthatthatpersonbehurledintoHell.Thatpersonlooksrightandleft.HedemandsthathebecalledbyAllâhuta’âlâ.Allâhuta’âlâcallshim,saying:“O,you, disobedient slave! Why do you ask Me to call you?” Heanswers:“YâRabbî!IunderstandthatIamgoingtoHellbecause
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Iwasdisobedienttomyparents.Pleaseaddtheirtormenttomineand free them fromHell!”ThereuponAllâhu ta’âlâ says: “Youwere disobedient to your parents in the world. But you have beenkind to them in the Hereafter. Hold them fast by their hands andtake them to Paradise.”
PeoplewhoarenotsenttoParadisearecaughtbyangels.For,angelsareverywellinformedabouttheprocedurespertainingtotheHereafter.Infact,agroupofpeoplewhohavenosharefrom(theblessingsof)theHereafteraretoldthattheyare(tobeusedas)firewoodoftheHereafter.Theywerecreatedsoasto(occupyand)fillHell.Asispurportedinthetwenty-fourthâyatofSâffâtSûra, Allâhu ta’âlâ says unto them: “Stop them. They shall bequestioned.”
Theyareimprisonedandkeptinprisonuntiltheyareasked,asis purported in the twenty-fifth âyat-i-kerîma of Sâffât Sûra:“What is the matter with you, that you do not help one another?”Consequently, theysurrender, confess their sins,andare sent toHell, allof them.Likewise, thegravely sinfulpeopleamong theUmmat-i-Muhammad (Muslims) are brought together, all ofthem,ofbothsexesyoungandoldonesalike.Mâlik,theangelincharge of Hell, looks at them and says: “You are among theeshqiyâ(peopleofHell).YetIseethatyourhandshavenotbeentied and your faces have not blackened. Noboymore beautifulthanyou(all)arehavecomeheretoHell.”Theysay:“YâMâlik!WearetheUmmatofMuhammad‘’alaihis-salâm’.Yetthesinswecommitted(intheworld)havedraggedusintoHell.Doleaveusalonesothatwemayweepforoursins.”“weep(asyoulike)!Butweepingwilldoyounogoodnow,”repliestheangel.
Manyamiddle-agedsinnerweeps,saying:“Poorme!ThepainsandtroublesthatIhavehavegonefrombadtoworse!”
Anagingmanholdshiswhitebeardwithhishandsandweeps,meaning:“Alas,myyoungageisgoneforgood,leavingmewithever-increasingcaresandsorrows.SohumiliatingandshamefulisthestateIaminnow!”
Manyaladweeps,deploring:“Oh!Ihaveletmyyoungageslipoutofmyhands!That is,Ihavefailedtobenefit theblessingofyouth!”
Many a woman holds her own hair and weeps, lamenting:“Woetome!Myfacehasbecomeblack,andIhavebeenputtoshame!”
A voice coming from Allâhu ta’âlâ orders: “Yâ Mâlik! Put
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them into the first pit of Hell.”JustasHellattempts toswallowthem,theyallcryout,saying:“Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah!”NosoonerdoesHellhearthisutterancethanitrunsawayuntilitgetsasdistantasafivehundredyears’way.[Asisstatedinthechapterheadlined‘alHazarwa-l-ibâha’ofIbni ’Âbidîn,[1] itwascustomaryinArabiatoexpresslargequantitieswithhighnumbers.Thatis,highnumberswereintendednottoindicateaprecisemeasure,buttoimpressastotheenormityoftheamount.]Avoiceisheardtosayagain:“OHell!Takethemin!YâMâlik!PutthemintothefirstpitofHell!”Thenanoise likethunder isheard.WhenHellattemptstoburntheirhearts,MâlikpreventsHellfromdoingso,andsays,“OHell!DonotburnaheartthatcontainstheQur’ânal-kerîmandwhichservesasacontainerforîmân.Donotburnthoseforeheadswhichtouched the ground in prostration for Allâhu ta’âlâ, Who isRahmân (Compassionate)!” So, they are thrown intoHell. ThewailingofoneofthepeopleofHellisseentooutstripthoseoftheothers.HeistakenoutofHell.Surprisingly,onlyhisskinhasbeenburned. “What is it that makes you cry the loudest among thepeople of Hell,”asksAllâhuta’âlâ.Hesays:“YâRabbî!Youhavecalled me to account. I have not given up hope as to YourCompassion.IknowthatYouwillhearme.ThatiswhyIcrysoloud.”Asispurportedinthefifty-sixthâyat-i-kerîmaofHijrSûra,Allâhuta’âlâdeclares:“If a person gives up hope concerning theCompassion of Allâhu ta’âlâ, he is one of the people of dalâlat(heresy,disbelief).”ThenHesaysuntohim:“Go! I have forgivenyou.”
AnotherpersongoesoutofHell.Allâhuta’âlâsaysuntohim:“O My slave. You are out of Hell now. What is your good deedwhereby you will enter Paradise?”“YâRabbî,”saystheperson.“Iam only a helpless slave. I want no more than a little ofsomething.”AtreefromParadiseisshowntothatperson.Allâhuta’âlâsaysuntohim:“If I gave you that tree which you see, wouldyou ask for something else, too?” “Yâ Rabbî,” replies thepoorslave.“For the right of Your ’Izzat and Jelâl, I would not ask foranything else.”Allâhuta’âlâsays:“Let it be My gift to you!”Afterthatpersoneatssomefruitfromthetreeandbasksinitsshade,heisshownanothertree,whichismorebeautiful.Thatpersonstaresatthetreeforquitea longtime.“What is the matter with you,”asksAllâhuta’âlâ.“Have you taken a liking to that one as well?”“Yes, yâ Rabbî,” says the slave. “And you would not ask for
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[1] ByMuhammadibni’Âbidîn,(d.1252[1836A.D.],Damascus.
another if I gave it to you?”“No,Iwouldnot,yâRabbî.”So,heeatsfruitfromitandenjoysitsshade.Heisshownanothertree,whichisevenmorebeautiful(thanthesecondone),andwhichhecannot help watching with admiration. Jenâb-i-Haqq addresseshim:“If I gave you that one, too, would you not desire anotherone?” “For the sake of Your ’Izzat, I would not, Yâ Rabbî,”repliestheslave.ThereuponAllâhuta’âlâbecomespleasedwiththatBelieverandforgiveshim.HeputshimintoParadise.
OneofthebewilderingeventsintheHereafteristhis:Apersonis taken to the presence of Allâhu ta’âlâ, and Allâhu ta’âlâinterrogates him. His good and bad deeds are weighed againsteachother.Inthemeantime,thatpersonisundertheimpressionthatthereisdefinitelynooneelsethatAllâhuta’âlâisdealingwithatthatmoment.Thefact,however,isquitetheotherwayround.ThathasbeenamomentduringwhichAllâhu ta’âlâhas judgedmyriads of other people, whose number cannot be known byanyonebutAllâhuta’âlâ.Likewise,eachandeveryoneofthoseotherpeoplehasbeengiventheimpressionasifheorsheweretheonlypersonbeingcalledtoaccount.
Atthatplacepeopledonotseeoneanother.Onepersondoesnothearwhatanothersays.Maybe,eachpersonisunderaspecialcurtain with which Allâhu ta’âlâ conceals and isolates them.Subhân-Allah!Howgreatmightandpower!Thattimeisthetimewhich is indicated in the twenty-eighth âyat of Luqman Sûra,whichpurports:“Your creation in the world and, thereafter, in theHereafter, takes time (only) as long that which would take one totake a breath.” This expression of Jenâb-i-Haqq’s incorporatessecrets,suchasthatwhichpertainstoHisbeingexemptfromtimeandexemptfromplace.For,thereisnotalimitorculminationforthesovereigntyordeedsoractsofAllâhuta’âlâ.Fa-subhân-Allah,noneofHisdeedspreventsHimfromdoingotherthings.
Atsuchatimeasthis,apersoncomestohissonandsays:“Omyson!Imadeyouwearclotheswhenyouwereunabletodoitbyyourself.Ifedyouandgaveyouwater,whichalsowereyourneedsthatyouwereunabletomeetonyourown.Iprotectedyouinyourchildhood,whenyouwereunabletoprotectyourselfagainstthingsthatwouldgiveyouharmortoaskforthosewhichwouldbeusefulto you. You asked for many a fruit from me, and I boughtwhatsoeveryouaskedforandbroughtthemtoyou.Itaughtyouyour religion, Islam, and your îmân. I sent you out to courseswheretheytaughthowtoreadtheQur’ânal-kerîm.ButnowyouseehowsituationsaresosevereonthisdayofJudgment.Andyou
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knowhowsinfulIam.TakesomeofmysinsuponyourselfsothatImay have fewer sins to account for!Giveme the reward andthawâbforoneofyourgooddeedstohelpthescaleofmygooddeeds to weigh heavier.” His son runs away from him, saying:“ThatonethawâbissomethingwhichIneedmorethanyoudo.”
Similar conversations take place between sons and theirmothers, and between husbands and wives. Siblings treat oneanother likewise. This state is stated in theQur’ân al-kerîm byHadrat Allâhu ta’âlâ, as is purported in the thirty-fourth andthirty-fifthâyatsof’AbasaSûra:“That Day shall a man flee fromhis own brother,”“and mother from her children.”
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “On the day of Judgment,people will be assembled, naked as they are.”Whenourmother’Âisha-i-Siddîqa‘radiy-Allâhu’anhâ’heardthat,sheasked:“Andsome people will not look at others?” Thereupon our blessedmaster, theProphet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihiwasallam’, recitedthe thirty-seventhâyat-i-kerîmaof ’AbasaSûra,whichpurports:“Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of hisown) to make him indifferent to the others.”WhatourProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’meantbythishadîth-i-sherîf isthefactthatthevehemenceandtheseverityofthedayofJudgmentwillpreventpeoplefromlookingatoneanother.
ThatDaypeopleassembleataplace.Ablackcloudcomesandhoversoverthem,showeringuntothemtheirdeedbooks,whichare called ‘Suhûf-i-munashshara’. The deeds of Believers havebeenwrittenonscrollslikerose-petals,whereasunbelievers’deedslookasiftheyhavebeenwrittenoncedarleaves.
Thescrollsdescend,flying.Everyone’sscrollsapproachthemeitherfromtheirright-handsideorfromtheirleft,astowhichtheyhave no option.As amatter of fact, Jenâb-i-Haqq declares: “...(On the Day of Judgment) We, the ’Azîm-ush-shân, shall bringout for man a scroll, which he will see spread open.”
Accordingtosomescholars,theKawtharPondwillbebroughtaftertheSirâtispassed.Thatiswrongbecause,onceapersonhaspassedtheSirâthewillnotcomebacktothePond.
Seventy thousand people, [i.e. very many of them,] enterParadisewithoutbeingsubjectedtothetroublesomeaccounting.Nor arebalances set for them.And theydonot receive the so-called scrolls, either. However, they receive scrolls withinscriptions that say: “Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah, Muhammadunrasûlullah. This is to certify that so-and-so, who is the son of so-
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and-so, is accredited to enter Paradise and to be safe against(entering) Hell.”Onceaslave’ssinshavebeenforgiven,anangeltakeshimtothesquareofArasât,andcallsout:“Thisisso-and-so,thesonofso-and-so.Allâhuta’âlâhas forgivenhimhissins.Heshallneverbecomeshaqîagain.Hehasattainedsa’âdat(eternalhappiness)andbecome sa’îd.”Nootherattainment caneverbemorebelovedtothatperson.
On the day of Judgment, Rasûls (Messengers) ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’ are on minbars (pulpits). The minbarsvarydirectlyastheranks,positionsoccupiedbytheRasûlsbeingon them. Also the ’ulamâ-i-’âmilîn, i.e. Islamic scholars whoadhered to the creed of Ahl as-sunnat and who practised theirlearnings ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaihim ajma’în’, are on thrones of nûr.People who attained martyrdom during their struggles topropagatethereligion(Islam)ofAllâhuta’âlâ;thesâlihMuslims,i.e. those who led a life agreeable with the Ahkâm-i-islâmiyya;hâfizeswhoread(orrecited)theQur’ânal-kerîmrespectfullyandwithoutturningtheirperformanceintomusicalmelodies,i.e.likesinging;muazzinswhoperformedtheazân(oradhân)inamannertaughtbytheSunnat;allthesepeopleareataplacewhosesoilismadeofmusk.Because thesepeopleadapted themselves to theAhkâm-i-islâmiyya (commandments and prohibitions of theIslamicreligion), theyownkursîsandafterall theProphets thatcametotheworld,from’Âdam‘’alaihis-salâm’toourMaster,theFakhr-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’, they will behonouredwithshafâ’at,(i.e.thepermissiontointercedeforsinfulMuslims.)
Ahadîth-i-sherîfreadsasfollows:“On the Judgment Day theQur’ân al-kerîm will come (totheplaceofJudgment) in the guiseof a person with a beautiful face and a beautiful character. It willbe requested for shafâ’at, and it will perform shafâ’at. It will sueagainst people who read (orrecited) it melodiously [likesingingasongandagainstpeoplewho read (or recited) it forpleasureatplacesofentertainmentandagainstpeoplewhoread(orrecited)itforthepurposeofearningmoney].It will demand its right fromsuch people. As for people who have attained its grace; it will takethem to Paradise.”
Dunyâ,[i.e.(theworld,whichinthiscontextmeans)thingsandpeoplehamperingactsofworshipandcausingyoutocommitactsthatareharâm,]appearsintheguiseofanoldandgrey-hairedandugliest woman. People are asked: “Do you know who this is?”“WetrustourselvestotheprotectionofAllâhuta’âlâagainstthat
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person,”theysay.Thereupontheyaretold:“Asyoulivedintheworld,youquarrelledwithoneanotherandhurtoneanother inordertoattainit.”
Likewise, Friday is shown in the guise of a lovable person.People watch it intently. It accommodates people who wererespectfulofFridayonsandsofmuskandcamphor.AnûrhoversoverBelieverswhoperformedFridayprayers(intheworld).Allpeoplegazeatthatnûrwithadmiration.OnaccountoftherespectthattheypaidtoFriday,theyaretakentoParadise.
O my Muslim brother! Behold the magnanimity of Allâhuta’âlâandthegenerosityoftheQur’ânal-kerîmandofIslamandofFridaytoseehowvaluablepeopleoftheQur’ânal-kerîmare.AndhowmuchmorevaluableisIslam,whichcomprises(prayerstermed)namâz,fasting,patience,andbeautifulethics!
People who make presumptive interpretations of a dyingperson’sagoniesandapparentagitationsshouldnotbepaidheedto.Asamatteroffact,ourblessedProphet’s‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’invocationthatreads,“YâRabbî,WhoistheRabbofthecorpsesthatshallrotandtheCreatorofthesoulsthatshallceaseto exist!” and which he pronounced on the day of Hendek(Trench),[1] shows that every corpse shall rot if Allâhu ta’âlâdecreesthatitshouldrot.Asforsouls;theyshallceasetoexistonDoomsday.Allâhuta’âlâistheCreatorandtheRabbofallthesethings. All the facts that have been told so far are based onknowledge,whichvariesfromonefacttoanother.Wedealtwiththemeachintheotherbooksthatwewrote.
ImâmGhazâlî‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’informsusherethathehasrenderedquiteabriefaccountof theevents(awaitingus) intheHereafter.HesaysthatthesynopticchoicehasbeenintendedtoorientMuslimstothemethodstaughtbythe(scholarsof)Ahlas-sunnat. Don’t you ever let yourself be drifted away by bid’ats(heresies), [orbypeoplewhodonotbelong inoneof the (onlyfour)Madhhabs,orbypeoplewhostrivetoreformIslam!]Holdfast to the meanings which the scholars of Ahl as-sunnatunderstood and derived from the Qur’ân al-kerîm and fromhadîth-i-sherîfs!Donotbelievethebid’atsconcoctedbyothers,bydevils incarnate! Beware from them! For the same matter,
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[1] ThewarofdefencewhichourblessedProphetandtheBelieverswhowerewithhimfoughtagainsttheMeccanpolytheistsinthefifthyearoftheHijrat(Hegira)[627A.D.].
congratulatetheBelieversandtheMuslimsadherenttothepathofAhlas-sunnat!
WeinvokeAllâhuta’âlâ,ourAbsoluteSanctuary,MostKind,andMost Generous, for ismat (protection against wrongdoing)and success. Âmîn wa hasb-un-Allah wa ni’mal-wakîl wa sall-Allâhu’alâMuhammadinwaâlihiwasahbihiajma’în.
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O son of Adam, open your eyes, take a look at the earth.What is the power that makes these lovely flowers, and kills them?
Every flower praises Haqq ta’âlâ with elegance, and entreats Him;Wolves howl and birds sing, always, to announce who created them.
They make praise of His omnipotence and His omnipresence;And His overpowering exacts their colour out of them.
Losing their colour day after day, they fall back unto earth;Suffice these events as a lesson, an ’ârif perceives them.
Would that you beheld this secret, or at least tasted this woe,And thawed in your existence; it takes a human to see them!
Anyone who penetrates this message knows that all who come,Will go back one day, tasting the drink of death that awaits them.
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FINAL WORD of the book THE RISINGand THE HEREAFTER
AttaininghappinesinthisworldandintheHereafterrequiresfirstlearningthecredaltenetscalled‘Ahl as-sunnat’(andtaughtbythesunnîscholarsofIslam)andnextlearningthetenetsofFiqh(againtaughtbythescholarsofAhlas-sunnat)andnextadaptingone’sactsofworshipandbehaviour to these teachingsandnextloving thebelovedslavesofAllâhu ta’âlâandnextknowing theenemiesoftheIslamicreligionandbeingwisetotheirstratagemslest one should fall into their traps. It is farz-i-’ayn[1] for everyindividual Muslim to learn the credal tenets and to acquire asmuchknowledge asnecessary forhimorherself concerning theactsoffarz(orfard)orharâm.Itisacrime,asin,nottolearnthem.TheIslamicteachingsthatmustdefinitelybelearnedarewrittencorrectlyandclearly in thesix fasciclesofENDLESS BLISS,aswellasinthebookentitledEthics of Islam,(andthosebooks,intheirturn,areavailablefromHakîkat Kitâbevi,atFâtih,Istanbul,Turkey.) Every Muslim should get a book teaching Islam’spracticesandpreparedbywayofcompilationfrombookswrittenbythescholarsofAhlas-sunnatandhavetheirfamilyandfriendsand acquaintances also read it. Instead of reading books andmagazines and newspapers that are, let alone useful, quitedeleterioustolifeinthisworldaswellastothatintheHereafter,we should read and learn from books that are necessary anduseful.ThemostvaluableonesofsuchnecessarybooksarethosewrittenbyImâmGhazâlî,andalsoabookentitledMaktûbât andwritten by ImâmRabbânî ‘quddisa sirruhumâ’.[2] Biographies ofthesetwogreatscholarsarewritteninthepublicationsofHakîkatKitâbevi, especially in the (Turkish) book entitled Se’âdet-i-
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[1] PlaincommandmentsofIslamarecalled ‘farz’,and itsprohibitionsaretermed‘harâm’.Bothtermshavebeenusedasanadjectiveandasa noun. When an Islamic commandment has to be performed byevery individual Muslim, it is called ‘farz-i-’ayn’, and when it is acommandment that has to be performed by any one of a certaingroupofMuslims,itistermed‘farz-i-kifâya’.
[2] ImâmAhmadRabbânîpassedawayinSerhend,India,in1034[1624A.D.].
ebediyye,whichwastranslated intoEnglishandpublishedinsixfascicles.[1] Itisstatedasfollowsinahadîth-i-sherîf:“Rahmat (ofAllâhu ta’âlâ) descends to a place where the Awliyâ[2] arementioned (or remembered).” This hadîth-i-sherîf informs thatpeoplewhoremembertheAwliyâwillattainfayz(orfaydh)andtheirprayerswillbeaccepted(byAllâhuta’âlâ).Everybodywholovesthemwillbenefitfromthefayzandnûrofthosegreatpeople,theamountofthefayzandnûrdependingonthevigourofthelovefelt.Theirlooksarepanaceas,andhavingsohbatwiththem,(i.e.beingwiththem,)willcureailinganddeadhearts.PeoplewhoseethemwillrememberAllâhuta’âlâ.Weliveinatimewhenithasbecomeimpossibletofindthemortoseethem;yetapersonwhoreads their books, believes that they are exalted and chosenpeople, and therefore loves them, will receive fayz and benefitfromtheirsouls.ThebookentitledAdvice for the Muslim,(oneofthe publications of Hakîkat Kitâbevi,) provides detailedinformation on this subject. Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salâm’ arevehicles and strong ropes for the slaves to get close to Allâhuta’âlâ.As is stated inahadîth-i-sherîf, theAwliyâ, i.e.“Scholarswho know the Ahkâm-i-islâmiyya well and who practise theirknowledge, (andwho therefore are lovedbyAllâhu ta’âlâ,)areProphets’ inheritors.”Forthatmatter,theAwliyâalsoarevehiclesandropeswherebytoattainthegraceandmercyofAllâhuta’âlâ.The Qur’ân al-kerîm commands us to “... seek the means toapproach Allâhu ta’âlâ...,” (which ispurported in the thirty-fifthâyat-i-kerîma of Mâida Sûra.) The greatest of the meansmentioned here is the Prophets ‘salawâtullâhi ’alaihim ajma’în’andtheirinheritors,i.e.theIslamicscholars‘rahmatullâhi’alaihimajma’în’.TwoofthoseinheritorsareImâmMuhammadGhazâlî,theHujjat-ul-islâm,andImâmAhmadRabbânî, theMujaddid-i-wa-Munawwir-i-elf-i-thânî‘rahmatullâhi’alaihimâ’.Itisquiteeasytoattainhappinessthroughthesegreatpersons,whoareinheritorsofourMaster, theProphet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihiwa sallam’,andwhoreceivethenûrsandthema’rifatscomingfromhisblessedheartandconveythemtopurehearts.For,itisquiteeasytoknowand love those great persons by reading their books andbiographies.Thosewho love theAwliyâhavebeenblessedwiththegladtidingsthattheyshallbeforgiven.
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[1] Endless Bliss,fasciclesonethroughsix.[2] Awliya is the plural form of Walî, which means a person whom
Allâhuta’âlâloves.
HOW TO CALL ONE’S OWN NAFSTO ACCOUNT
The great Islamic scholar Imâm Muhammad Ghazâlî‘rahmatullâhi’alaih’wasborninTuscityinIraninthehijrîyear450,andpassedawayinthesamecityin505[1111A.D.].HestatesasfollowsinthePersianlanguageinthesixthchapterofthefourthpartofhisbookentitledKimyâ-i Se’âdet,oneofthehundredsofbookswhichhewrote:
Theforty-seventhâyatofAnbiyâSûrapurports:“We shall setup scales of justice for the day of Judgment, not a soul will be dealtwith unjustly in the least. And if there be (no more than) theweight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account). Andenough are We to take account.”Hehasinformeduswiththisfactsothateveryoneshouldcheckhisaccount.OurProphet‘’alaihis-salâm’stated:“A wise person is one who divides his day into fourperiods, in the first of which he thinks out what he has done andwhat he is going to do. In the second period he supplicates toAllâhu ta’âlâ and begs Him. In the third period he works in abranch of art or trade and earns his living in a way that is halâl. Inthe fourth period he rests, entertains himself with things that aremubâh (permittedbyAllâhuta’âlâ), does not do things that areharâm and does not go to such places.” ’Umar ul-Fârûq ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, the second Khalîfa, [passed away in Medîna-i-munawwara in the(hijrî)year23.Hewasburied in theHujra-i-se’âdet. He] stated: Call yourselves to account before you areasked to do so. Allâhu ta’âlâ commands us, as is purported:“Endeavour not to satisfy your shahwâ, [i.e. thedesires of yournafs,] by ways and manners that are harâm. Stand firm in this jihâdwith resolution and endurance!” It is for this reason that ourreligioussuperiorshaverealizedthatthisworldisamarketplacewheretheyaretransactingbusinesswiththeirnafs.Paradiseistheprofittobecarnedinthisbusinesstransaction,andHellisthelosstobesuffered.Inotherwords,theprofitiseternalfelicity,andthelossisunendingperdition.Thesepeoplehaveenvisagedasituationwherein their nafs is their business partner. First you make anagreementwithyourpartner.Thenyouobservehowthingsgo,tosee whether he abides by the agreement. Thereafter you settleyouraccountswithhim,andsuehimifhehasbeentreacherous.
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Likewise, these people, supposing their nafs is their businesspartner,followthisprocedure:Establishingabusinesspartnership;murâqaba, i.e. watching him closely; muhasaba, i.e. settlingaccounts with him; mu’âqabat, i.e. punishing him; mujâhada,strugglingwithhim;andmuâtabat,i.e.scoldinghim:
1–The first step is to establish a business partnership.Yourbusinesspartner is notonly yourpartner in earningmoney,butalso your enemy in casehehasbeen treacherous.On theotherhand,worldlyearningsareimpermenant.Theyareofnovalueinthe viewof awise person. In fact, someof themhave said thattransient goodness is valueless in comparison to something thatexistseternally.Eachbreathapersontakesislikeavaluablegem,andsuchvaluablegemscanbecollected tomakeupa treasure.This is the actual matter that deserves consideration. A wiseperson should, after performing morning prayer and withoutthinkingofanythingelse,communewithhisownnafsasfollows:“Myonlycapitalismylifespan.Ihavenothingelse.Sovaluableisthis capital that eachbreath exhaled cannotbe regainedby anymeans,andIhaveapre-arrangednumberofbreathstotake,andthisnumberbecomessmallerandsmallerasdayspassby.Whenthelifespanisupthetradewillcometoanend.Letusholdfasttothetrade,forthetimeallottedisshort;well,wewillhavealotoftime in theHereafter, yet there will no longer be any trade orprofit-makingthere.Sovaluablearedaysinthisworldthatwhenthetimeofdeathcomesaday’srespitewillbebeggedfor;yetitisnotsomethingattainable.Todaywestillpossessthatblessing.Omy nafs, please do be careful lest you should lose this greatfortune.Otherwise,cryingandmoaningwillbenogood.Supposethatthetimeofyourdeathhascome,andyetyoubegtobegivenonemoredayandyouaregiventhatextraday,whichistheverydayyouarelivinginatthismoment!Then,whatlosscouldeverbemore tragic than letting go of this day instead of utilizing it forattainingtheeternalfelicity?Protectyourtongue,youreyes,andallyoursevenlimbsfromharâms!”
“ ‘There are seven gates into Hell,” they have said. “Thesegatesareyoursevenlimbs.Ishallpunishyouifyoudonotprotecttheselimbsagainstharâmsandifyoudonotperformyouractsofworship today.” The nafs has a recalcitrant nature, so it willnormallybereluctanttoobeythecommandments;yetitwilltakeadvice,andmortificationsandrefusalofitswisheswillbringyourinfluencetobearonit.Thisisthewaytotakeyournafstoaccount.Rasûlullah‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’stated:“A wise person is
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one who takes himself to account before death and who doesthings that will be useful for him after death.”Hestatedatanotheroccasion:“Before doing anything, think, and do it if it is somethingwhich Allâhu ta’âlâ approves of or which He has permitted; ifotherwise, flee from that act!” This is the agreement that youshouldrenewdailywithyournafs.
2–Thesecondstepismurâqaba,whichmeanstoexertcontroloveritandnottobeunmindfulofit.Ifyouforgetaboutit,itwillrelapse into its former sensual and lazy habits. We should notforgetthatAllâhuta’âlâknowsallouractsandthoughts.Peopleseeoneanother’soutwardappearance.ButAllâhuta’âlâseesboththeoutsideandtheinsideofaperson.Apersonwhoknowsthisfactwillbehaveproperly,(i.e.withadab,)bothinhisactsandinhisthoughts.Apersonwhodeniesthisfactisakâfir(unbeliever).On the other hand, it is sheer audacity to believe it and thenbehave in contrast to your belief. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, as ispurported:“O man! Don’t you know that I am watching you everymoment?”AnabyssinianenteredthepresenceofRasûlullah‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’andsaid,“Ihavecommittedalotofsins.Will my tawba[1] be accepted?” “Yes, it will be,” was the mostblessed Prophet’s answer. “Was He seeing me as I committedthosesins,”askedtheAbyssinianagain.WhenthebelovedoneofAllâhuta’âlâsaid,“Yes, He was,”theAbyssinianheavedadeepsigh,“Alas,”andcollapseddead.Amodelof(firmbeliefcalled)îmânand(genuinesenseofshamecalled)hayâ!OurProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’stated:“Perform (your acts of) worshipas if you were seeing Allâhu ta’âlâ! You do not see Him, but Hesees you.” If a person believes that He sees him, can he dosomethingthatHedoesnotlike?Oneofourgreatspiritualguidesliked one of his disciples better than he did the others, whichcausedhisotherdisciplestofeelsad.Onedayhegaveafowltoeachofhisdisciples,biddinghimtokillit(byjugulation)ataplacewherenobodysawhim.Whenthediscipleswholeftwiththefowlsalivewerebackwiththefowlseachkilledatalonelyplace,therewere one too few of them, for the choice disciple took a littlelongertobeback,andthefowlthathehadwithhimwasunkilled.Whenhismasteraskedwhyhehadbroughtback the fowlaliveinsteadofobeyingthecommand,hesaid,“Iwasunabletofindaplacewherenobodywouldseeme.Heseesallplaces.”Thereupon
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[1] Tomaketawbameanstorepentforone’ssin(s),tobegAllâhuta’âlâforforgiveness,andtopromiseHimnottosinagain.
the other disciples realized that their class-mate had attained aspiritualgradecalled‘Mushâhada’.WhentheEgyptianMinisterofFinancePotiphar’swifeZuleykhâinvitedYûsuf‘’alaihis-salâm’tobewithher,thefirstthingshedidwasstandupandcoveranidolthat she regarded as holy.When the latter asked why she wasdoing so, “I would be ashamed in its presence,” she replied.Thereuponthechasteyoungstersaid,“Soyouwouldfeelashamedinthepresenceofarock-hewnobjectandthenexpectmenottofeelsointhepresenceofmyRabb,(Allâhuta’âlâ,)theCreatorofthe earth and the seven layers of heavens, andWho sees all!”SomeoneaskedJuneydBaghdâdî‘quddisasirruh’(207-298[910],Baghdâd:) “I cannot help myself looking at women and girlsoutside. What should I do to rid myself of this sinful habit?”“Think that Allâhu ta’âlâ sees you better than you see thatwoman,”repliedthegreatscholar.OurProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwa sallam’ stated: “Allâhu ta’âlâ prepared a garden of Paradisecalled ‘’Adn (Eden)’ for those people who, when they are about tocommit sins, think of His Greatness, feel shame towards Him, andavoid sins.”
[Itisharâmforwomentogooutwiththeirhairandarmsandlegsexposed.WomenwhohaveîmânshouldkeepinmindthefactthatAllâhuta’âlâseesallandavoidlettingnâ-mahram[1] menseethem naked.] ’Abdullah ibni Dînâr ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates:’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ and I were going to Medîna-i-munawwara,whenwesawashepherdherdinghisflockdownthemountain.TheKhalîfa(Hadrat’Umar)‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’askedtheshepherdtosellhimoneofthesheep.“Iamaslave.Thesheeparenotmine,”repliedtheshepherd.“Howcanyourmasterknowaboutit?Tellhimitwascarriedawaybythewolves,”suggestedtheKhalîfa.Whentheshepherdsaid,“Hewillnotknowaboutit,but Allâhu ta’âlâ will,” ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh” wept.Thereafter he found the slave’s master, bought him from hismaster,andmanumittedhim,saying,“Asthisreplyofyourshasmanumittedyouintheworld,likewiseitwillmanumityouintheworldtocome.”
3– The third step is themuhâsaba (accounting) that will bedoneafteracts.Asyougotobedeverynight,youshouldcallyournafs to account concerning the acts done during the day,separatingthecapital, theprofit,andthe loss fromoneanother.
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[1] Detailed information on the term ‘nâ-mahram’, an antonym for‘mahram’,isavailableinthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss.
Thecapitalisthe(compulsoryactstermed)farz.Theprofitisthe(supererogatoryactstermed)sunnatandnâfila.Andthelossisthesins(committed).Asapersonwouldsettlehisaccountswithhisbusinesspartner,likewise,heshouldalwaysbeonthelookoutwithhisnafs.For, thenafs is anextremelydeceitful andmendaciouscreature. Itwilldisguise itsowndesires intobenefits. Itmustbequestionedevenonitsmubâh(permitted)acts,andaskedwhyithasdonethat.Ifithasdonesomethingharmful,itmustbemadeto pay for it. Ibn-as-Samed was one of the great Awliyâ andscholars. He calculated his past lifetime, sixty hijrî years, i.e.hundred and twenty-one thousand and five hundred (121,500)days.“Alas,”hethought.“SupposingIhadcommittedasinglesindaily,thetotalsumwouldbeahundredandtwenty-onethousandand five hundred sins. However, there were days when Icommittedhundredsofsins.HowcanIeverredeemmyselfwithall these sins!” He collapsed with a sharp exclamation. Peoplearoundhimsawthathewasdead.
People,however,donotcallthemselvestoaccount.Ifapersonputagrainofsandintohisroomeachtimehecommittedasin,theroom would be filled with sand in a couple of years. If therecordingangelsonourshoulderschargedusapenny foreachsinwecommitted,wewouldhavetopartwithourentirepropertytopay for the total sum. Paradoxically, wewho count themeagrenumberofwordsofprayersasweclickthebeadsofourrosaryandsay,“subhânallah,”inapensiveandobliviousmoodandthensaytoourselves,“Oh, Ihavesaidahundredprayers,”are thesamepeoplewhonevercountthesomanyemptywordsthatweutterdaily.Werewetocountthem,theywouldexceedthousands.Andyetwestillexpectthatthescalewithourthawâbs(gooddeeds)willweighheavier.Whatkindofreasoningisthat!Itisforthisreasonthat’Umar‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’said:“Weighyourownactsbeforetheyareweighed!”’Umar‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’wouldwhiphisownfeetandsay(untohimself),“Whydidyoucommitthatacttoday,”every evening. Ibni Salâm ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’ was carryingfirewoodonhis back,whensomepeoplesawhimandasked,“Areyouaporter?”“Iamtryingmynafstoseehowitfeels,”washisreply.Anas(orEnes)‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’[d.91h.]relates:“Oneday I saw ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’.Hewas saying untohimself,“Shameonyou,mynafs,whoissaidtobetheAmîr-ul-mu’minîn!EitherfearAllâhuta’âlâorgetreadyforthetormentHeisgoingtoinflict onyou!”
4– Thefourthstepistopunishthenafs.Ifthenafsisnotcalled
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toaccountanditsfaultsarenotseenanditisnotpunished,itwillgoontherampage.Itwillbecomeimpossibletocopewithit.Ifithaseatensomethingdoubtful,[1] itmustbepunishedwithhunger.If it has looked at nâ-mahramwomen, itmust be banned fromlookingatgoodmubâhs.Eachandeverylimbmustbesubjectedto a corresponding punishment. Junayd (or Juneyd) Baghdâdî‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’ (d. 298 [910A.D.],Baghdâd) relates: “OnenightIbn-i-Kezîtî‘rahima-hullâhuta’âlâ’(hadnocturnalemission,sothathe)becamejunub.Asheattemptedtogetupforghusl,[2] hisnafsfelttoolazytodosoandinducedhimtoindulgehisdesiretosleepanddelaytheghusltillhewenttoabaththefollowingday;thenight’schillandthefearofcatchingcoldwerealsoeffectiveinthenegligence.Uponthateventhesworeanoathtohaveaghuslwithhisnightgownon.Hedidso,too,inordertopunishhisnafsforitslaxityinacommandmentofAllâhuta’âlâ.”
Someonelookedatagirl(nâ-mahramtohim).Thereuponherepentedandtookanoathnevertohaveacolddrinkanylonger.Headheredtohisoathandneverdrankanythingcoolagain.AbûTalha ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was performing namâz in hisorchard.Asplendidbirdalightedonabranchnearhim.Distractedbythebird,hewasconfusedaboutthenumberoftherak’atsthathehadperformed.Asapunishment tohisnafs,hedonated theentire orchard to the poor. [Abû Talha Zayd bin Sehl-i-Ansârîfoughtinalltheghazâs(holywars).Hepassedawayin(thehijrîyear) 34, when he was 74 years old.] Mâlik bin ’Abdullah-il-Hes’amî‘rahima-hullâhuta’âlâ’relates:OnedayRebâh-ul-Qaysî‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ came to our place and asked about myfather.When I said thathewas sleeping, “One simplydoesnotsleepafterlateafternoon,”hesaid,andleft.Iwentbehindhim.Hewas saying tohimself, “O, you,windbag!What is yourbusinesswithotherpeople’ssleepinghabits?Imakeapromisetonolongerrestmy head on a cushion for one year!” Temîm-i-Dârî ‘radiy-Allâhuta’âlâ’anh’sleptthroughtheeveningprayeroneday.Topunish his nafs, he promised himself not to sleep for one year.[Temîm-i-Dârî was one of the Ashâb-i-kirâm (or the Sahâba).]Mejmâ’‘rahima-hullâhuta’âlâ’wasoneofthegreatAwliyâ.Onedayheraisedhisheadandsawagirlatawindow.Thereuponhemadeapromise(tohimself)nevertolookupagain.
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[1] Please see the first chapter of the sixth fascicle of Endless Blissconcerningwhatismeantby‘doubtful’.
[2] PleaseseethefourthchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndlessBliss.
5– The fifth step is mujâhada. Doing much worship was amethodwhichsomeofoursuperiorshadrecourse towhentheywantedtopunishtheirnafsforwrongdoing.’Abdullahibni’Umar‘radiy-Allâhu’anhumâ’,forinstance,wouldspendasleeplessnightforbeingtoolateforacertainnamâzinjamâ’at.[1] ’Umar‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ donated a piece of property that was worth twohundredthousanddirhamsofsilverasalmsbecausehehadbeentoo late for a namâz in jamâ’at.Oneday ’Abdullah ibni ’Umar‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ performed an evening prayer somewhatlate,sothatduskhadgatheredandthestarshadbeguntoappear.For that delay he manumitted two slaves. There are quite anumberof other peoplewho followed similar policies.Thebestmedicine for a person unable to make his nafs perform actswillinglyistokeepapiouspersoncompany.Watchingthatblessedperson’s rejoicing in theperformanceof theactsofworshipwillaccustomhimtodoingthesame.Someonerelates:“WheneverIsensereluctanceinmynafstoperformtheactsofworship,IhavesohbatwithMuhammadbinWâsî‘rahima-hullâhuta’âlâ’(d.112[721A.D.]),(i.e.Ikeephimcompany.)Withinaweek’stimespentincompanywithhimIobservethatmynafshastakenupthehabitofdoingtheactsofworshipwillingly.”PeopleunabletofindamanofAllahshouldreadbiographiesofsâlih(pious)peoplewholivedinearlier times.AhmadbinZerîn ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’wouldnotlookaroundhimself.Whenhewasaskedwhy,heexplained:“Allâhu ta’âlâhas created theeyes so thatwe shouldwatch theorderintheworld,thesubtledelicaciesineverythingaroundus,andHispowerandgreatnesswithadmirationandtakelessons.Itwillbewrongtolookatallthesethingswithouttakinglessonsandbenefits.”Abudderdâ‘radiy-Allâhuta’âlâ’anh’states:“Iwanttoliveinthisworldforthreethings:Toperformnamâzthroughoutlongnights;tofastduringlongdays;andtositinthepresenceofsâlihpersons.”[Abudderdâ‘radiy-Allâhuta’âlâ’anh’isoneoftheSahâba. He belongs to the tribe of Khazraj. He is the earliestgovernor of Damascus. He passed away in (the hijrî year) 33.]Alqama bin Qays ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ was extremelybelligerentagainsthisownnafs.Whenhewasaskedwhyhewassoharshagainsthisnafs,hewouldsay,“IamsobecauseIlovemynafsverymuch.IamtryingtoprotectmynafsagainstHell.”Whenhewastoldthathehadnotbeencommandedsomuchtrouble,he
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[1] PleaseseethetwentiethchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Blissfor‘namâzinjamâ’at’.
wouldreply,“IamdoingsolestIshouldbeatmyheadindespairtomorrow.”[AlqamaisoneofthegreateronesoftheTâbi’în[1] Hewasadiscipleof’AbdullahibniMes’ûd‘radiy-Allâhuta’âlâ’anh’(d. 32 [651A.D.].Hepassedaway in the sixty-first year (of theHegira).]
6–Thesixthstepistoscoldandchidethenafs.Itisintrinsicinthecreationofthenafstoavoidgoodacts,to
runafterevils,tolazeallthetime,andtosatisfyitsdesires.Allâhuta’âlâcommandsustobreakournafsesofthesehabitsandtosteerthemawayfromthewrongcourseandintotherightone.Inorderto accomplish this duty of ours, we must now fondle it, thenbrowbeat it, and handle it both with words and with actions,alternately.For,thenafshasbeencreatedinsuchanatureasitwillrunafterthingsthatsoundgoodtoitandwillpatientlyendurethehardships on its way to obtain them. Themost insurmountableobstacle to thenafs’sattaininghappiness is itsownunawarenessandignorance.Ifitisawakenedfromunawarenessandshownthewaythatwillleadittohappiness,itwilladmitit.ItisforthisreasonthatAllâhuta’âlâdeclares,asispurportedinZâriyâtSûra:“Givethem good counsel! Believers will surely benefit from goodcounsel.”Yournafsisnodifferentfromthenafsesofothers.Goodcounselwillhaveaneffectonit.Then,giveyourownnafsgoodcounselandchide it. In fact,donotbe remiss in chiding it!Sayuntoit:“Omynafs!Youclaimtobewise,andfeelindignationatbeing called an idiot.However,who could ever bemore idioticthanapersonwhospendshiswholelifelazingaround,laughing,andrevellingasyoudo.Yourcaseislikethatofamurdererwhoenjoyshimselfalthoughheknowsthatthepoliceareafterhimandhewillbehangedwhenheiscaught.Cantherebeanotherpersonmoreidioticthanhim?Omynafs!Timeofdeathisapproaching,andeitherParadiseorHellisawaitingyou.Whoknows,perhapsyouwillmeetyourdeathtoday.Ifnottoday,itwilldefinitelycomeoneday.Ifsomethingissuretobefallyou,expectittoday!Infact,deathhasnotgivenacertaintimetoanyperson,norhasiteversaid to anybody that it will be with them at night or during
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[1] ABelieverwhosawortalkedwiththeMessengerofAllahat leastonce(astheProphetwasalive)iscalledaSahabî.WhenwesaytheSahâbaortheAshâb-i-kirâm,wemeanalltheSahabîs.IfaBelieverdidnot see theProphetbut sawat leastoneSahabî, he is calledaTâbî’(pl.Tâbi’în).TheTaba-i-tâbi’înaretheBelieverseachofwhomsawatleastoneoftheTâbi’în.
daytime, soonor late,or in the summeror in thewinter. Itwillcatchyouallofasuddenandatatimewhenyoudonotexpectitatall,asitdoeswitheverybody.Ifyouhavenotpreparedyourselffor that unexpectedmoment, could a greater instance of idiocyeverbeimagined.Then,shameonyou,omynafs.
“Youhavedivedintosins.IfyouthinkthatAllâhuta’âlâdoesnotseeyou,thenyouareanunbeliever!IfyoubelievethatHeseesyou,thanyouaresoinsolentandshamelessthatHisseeingyouisnotimportantforyou.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“If your servants disobey you, youwill be angrywith them!Then,howcanyoubesurethatAllâhuta’âlâwillnotbeangrywithyou! If you slightHis torment, hold your finger on fire! Or situnderthehotsunforanhour!Orstaysomewhattoolonginthehot room(caldarium)ofaTurkishbath,andseehowweakandfrailyouare!Ifweshouldsuppose,however,thatyouthinkthatHewillnotpunishyou foryourwrongdoings in theworld, thenyoumusthavedeniedandbeliednotonlytheQur’ânal-kerîmbutalso all the past Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’,whose number is well above one hundred and twenty-fourthousand. For, Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, as is purported in thehundredandtwenty-thirdâyatofNisâSûra:“... Whoever worksevil, will be requited accordingly. ...”Awrongdoerwillbetreatedinkind.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“When you commit a sin; if you say, ‘He will forgive mebecauseHe iskerîmand rahîm(merciful, compassionate),’ thenwhydoesHemakehundredsof thousandsofpeopleexperiencetroubles,hungerandillnessintheworld,andwhydoesn’tHegivecrops to people who do not cultivate their land! As you haverecourse to all sorts of tricks for the purpose of obtaining yoursensuousdesires,youdonotsay,‘Allâhuta’âlâiskerîmandrahîm;soHewill givemeallmydesireswithoutmy takinganypains.’Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“Maybeyouwillsaythatyoubelievebutyoulackthestaminatowithstandhardships.Inthatcaseyoudonotknowthefactthatpeoplewith lackofstaminatowithstandhardshipsshouldavoidthehardshipsbyputtingforthaminimaleffortandthatavoidingtorment inHell requires performing the acts of farz,whichwillcost them some physical exertion in the world. If you cannotwithstand the world’s trifling hardships, then how will youwithstandtheimminenttormentinHell,andhowwillthatmeagrestaminaofyourshelpyoutoendureallthoseabasements,insults,
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denunciations and expulsions that you are to be subjected to?Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“YouenduresomanyexertionsanddisgracefulsituationsanddowithoutallyoursensuousdesiresinordertogetoveracertainillnessontheadviceofaJewishdoctor,andyetyoudonotknowthattormentinHellisincomparablymorevehementthanillnessandpovertyintheworld.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“You say that you will make tawba and perform good actslater;butdeathmaycomeearlier, andyoumaybe leftalone inyourwoebegoneness.Youarewrongtothinkthatmakingtawbatomorrowwillbeeasier thanmaking it today.For, the later thetawbaismade,themoredifficultwillitbeforyou,andwhenyoufacedeathitwillbeasfutileasfeedingyourhungrypackanimaljustbeforeitstartsclimbingthehill.Thatstateyouareinislikethatofastudentwhodoesnotstudyforanexaminationwiththefalseassumptionthathewilllearnalltheknowledgeonthedayofthe examination because he does not know that learning takestime.Likewise,purificationofthedirtynafsrequiresstrugglingforalongtime.Afteranentirelifewastedfornothing,howcanyoudothatinamoment?Whydon’tyouknowthevalueofyoungagebeforegettingold,thatofgoodhealthbeforebecomingill,thatofcomfortbeforegettingbeleagueredwithtroubles,andthatoflifebeforeyoudie?Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“Whydoyoupreparebysummerandwithoutanydelayallthethingsthatyouwillneedinwinter,insteadoftrustingyourselftothemercyandkindnessofAllâhuta’âlâforobtainingthem?However,thecoldofHellisnolessintensethanthecoldofwinter,andtheheatofitsfireisnolessswelteringthanthesuninJuly.Whileyouare never remiss in such (worldly) preparations, you are slack inmattersconcerningtheworldtocome.Whatisthereasonforthisparadox?IsitbecauseyoudonotbelievetheworldtocomeandtheRisingDayandhideyouragnosticisminyourheart?That,inturn,wouldcostyoueternalperdition.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“Apersonwhodoesnotcommithimselftothecareofthenûrofma’rifatandthenexpectsthatthemercyandkindnessofAllâhuta’âlâwillrescuehimfromthenextworld’sinferno,whichinfactistheconsequenceofhisownsensuousindulgencesintheworld,islikeapersonwhoexpectsthatAllâhuta’âlâwillbekindenoughtoprotecthimfromcatchingcoldwithouthimprotectinghimselfbysimplywearingclothesthickenough.ThelatterdoesnotknowthatasAllâhuta’âlâhascreatedthewinterwherebytoprovidea
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multitude of benefits, likewise He has been merciful and kindenoughtocreatealsothematerialstobeusedformakingclothesandtoendowmankindwiththeintellectualandmanualskillstoconvertthosematerialsintoclothes.Inotherwords,Hiskindnessis in His assistance in the provision of clothes, and not in Hisprotectionagainstbeingcoldwithoutclothes.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“DonotsupposethatyouwillsuffertormentbecauseyoursinsangerAllâhuta’âlâ,anddonotsay,forinstance,‘WhatharmdomysinscauseHimtomakeHimangrywithme?’ThetormentthatwillburnyouinHellisyourownmaking,anditsrawmaterialisyourownlusts.Likewise,illnessistheresultofpoisonsconsumedand harmful substances received by the body, rather than avengeance inflicted for not following the doctor’s advice. Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“Omynafs!Iseethatyouhavebeenaddictedtotheblessingsandflavoursofferedbytheworldandletyourselfbedraggedawaybythem!EvenifyoudonotbelieveinParadiseandHell,bewiseenoughatleastnottodenydeath!Alltheseblessingsandflavourswillbetakenawayfromyou,sothatseparationfromthemwillhurtyoubitterly!Lovethemasmuchasyoulikeandholdontothemasfastasyoucan,andyetthemoreyoulovethemthemorebitterlywillthefireofseparationhurt.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“Whydoyouholdsofastontotheworld?Evenif theentireworldisyoursandallthepeopleontheearthprostratethemselvesbeforeyou,beforelongyouandallthosepeoplewillbecomeearth.Yournameswillbeforgottenandwipedoutfrommemories.Doesanyone remember past emperors? The worldlies you have beengivenarescantybycomparison,andthatscantyamountischangingfortheworse.YouaresacrificingtheeternalblessingsofParadisefortheirsake.Then,shameonyou,omynafs!
“Supposing someone paid a precious and eternally durablejewelinreturnforabrokenflowerpot;howmockinglyyouwouldlaughathim!Thisworld is like that flowerpot taken in return.Imaginethatithasbrokenandyouhavelosttheeternaljewel,andwhathasbeenleftforyouissheerdespairandtorment!”
Withtheseremarksandthelike,everybodyshouldscoldtheirown nafs, thereby paying themselves their own right and theirbeingtheinitialsecondpersontolistentotheirownadvice!MayAllâhuta’âlâblessthetravellersoftherightwaywithsafetyandsalvation!Âmîn.
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Nothing exists without knowledge, the prime mover of all;Along dark alleys your company, and faithful withall.No friend is more faithful, and no darling more loyal.All things may be harmful, it, alone, is exceptional.Knowledge is like the main, bounding yet itself boundless.Man will be tired of all, with knowledge he is tireless.How can it be otherwise, since Allah praises it?See what the blessed Prophet says in a hadîth about it:“Quest for knowledge, even as far as in China be it.”It is farz for all, no Believer exempted from it.Look what ’Alî-ul-murtadâ sayeth, harken to him:“If someone taught me one letter, I’d be a slave for him.”Men of knowledge will protect Islam against destruction.Learned people are on earth Divine Attribute’s reflection.The ink that is used by scholars is more blessed even thanThe blood that is fîsabîlillah[1] lost by martyred man.”For, jihâd-i-ekber[2] is with knowledge, alone, likely;Safety in both worlds lies with practising knowledge only.Scholar is above the zâhid; zuhd[3] is below learning.Scholars are with Prophets in the domain that is coming.Don’t say there are no longer scholars in the world; perhaps,There are; open your eyes, and let your heart rid that darkness!Islamic scholars were praised in hadîths;They are like the Israelite Prophets.One statement made by scholars survives for many years,Picks you from lowest ditches and raises you to heavens.It is hard now to find a scholar, what should we do, then?Well, let’s keep reading valuable books written by learned men.A book is a cage of gold, and knowledge in it a bird;He who buys the cage is also possessor of the bird.Adhere fast to books, and with nûr let your heart be sated;And let the Qur’ân al-kerîm be the first book you read!
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[1] OnlyforthegraceofAllah.[2] Jihâdthatisthegreatest.[3] Zuhd means to avoid too much of worldly pleasures for fear of
inadvertently doing something doubtful. Zâhid means person whopractiseszuhd.
The next work in value is Muslim, after Bukhârî,And thereafter cometh Maktûbât by Imâm Rabbânî.In that third one Tasawwuf and Fiqh were brought together;In a hadîth is applauded its vlauable author.A spring of wonders, a source of words never heard before,Deep matters whose solution defied centuries before.All are in Maktûbât and also in its translation;Without it knowledge is lacking, and hard is salvation.‘Sahâba the blessed’ is another book you have to see;Read it! How valuable the Sahâba are you will see.Translation of Maktûbât is endless felicity;Fortunately, in three books, it can be found easily.See ‘Ibni ’Âbidîn’ an ocean to infinity!A gigantic book of Fiqh in Madhhab of Hanafî.See the books ‘Ihyâ ’ulûm’ and Kimyâ-i-Sa’âdat;So Imâm Ghazâlî you will never ever forget.When you read ‘Riyâd-un-nâsikhîn’ you will understand;And say, “Muhammad Rebhâmî is a scholar so grand.”Learn about Shaikh-ul-ekber, Geilânî, Bahâ’ad-dîn;And many others, who protected Islam from ruin.‘Mawâhib’ is a book mentioned in so many others;And informs about the blessed Prophet in particulars.‘Jihâr-i-yâr-i-ghuzîn’ is another work of art,Which we sorely need, for we are badly dark in heart.See ‘Ma’rifatnâma’, you will know Ibrâhîm Haqqi.Read ‘Birgivî’ much, do not skimp on such necessity.Biographies of the Awliyâ who are known widely.Exist in ‘Reshehât’ and in ‘Nefehât’, thoroughly.‘Barakât Ahmadî’ and ‘Mu’jizât-ul-Anbiyâ’;And how nicely written is ‘Hadîqat-ul-Awliyâ’.See ‘Durr-i-yektâ’ and ‘’Umdat-ul-islâm’; with these two,And ‘Miftâh-ul-Jannat’, and ‘Ayyuh-al-walad’, too.The booklet entitled ‘Râbita’ teaches Tasawwuf;By Sayyid Walî ’Abd-ul-Hakîm, man of Tasawwuf.Many another book, each is a pearl in the sea;May their authors in Allah’s Compassion be!Yâ Rabbî, please do convey to them our salutation!And bless those who follow them with safety and salvation!
–102 –
SALUTATIONS and GREETINGS(Among Muslims)
WhentwoMuslimsmeet,itisanactofsunnatforthemtosay,“Salâmun ’alaikum,”toeachotherandto(shakehandswitheachother, i.e. to) make musâfaha with the hands. As they makemusâfaha,theirsinsbecomeshakenoff.
It is an act of harâm, which is sinful, to greet (by saying,“Salâmun’alaikum,”)thefollowingeightpeople:
1–Nâ-mahram[1] girlsandyoungwomenmustnotbegreeted.2–Peoplewhoplaychessoranyothergamemustnotbegreeted.3–Peoplewhogamblemustnotbegreeted.4–Peoplewhodrinkalcoholicbeveragesmustnotbegreeted.5–Peoplewhobackbiteothersmustnotbegreeted.6–Singersmustnotbegreeted.7–Peoplewho commit sinsopenly andpubliclymustnotbe
greeted.8–Menwholookat(nâ-mahram)womenandgirlsmustnotbe
greeted.People seen doing the following thingsmust not be greeted
onlyaslongastheyareinthatstate:1–Apersonperformingnamâzmustnotbegreeted.2–Akhatîbmustnotbegreetedasheismakingthekhutba.3–Apersonreading(orreciting)theQur’ân-alkerîmmustnot
begreeted.4–Apersondhikringorpreachingmustnotbegreeted.5–Apersonreading(orreciting)hadîth-i-sherîfsmustnotbe
greeted.6–A person listening to the aforesaid activitiesmust not be
greeted.7–ApersonstudyingteachingsofFiqhmustnotbegreeted.8–Judgesatlawcourtsmustnotbegreeted.9–Peoplediscussingreligiousteachingsmustnotbegreeted.10–Amuadhdhin (ormuazzin)mustnotbegreetedashe is
performing(calling)theazân(oradhân).
–103 –
[1] PleaseseetheeighthchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss for‘nâ-mahram’.
11– A muadhdhin must not be greeted as he is saying theiqâmat.(PleaseseetheeleventhchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss.)
12–Areligiousteachermustnotbegreetedasheisteachinghisreligiousclass.
13–Amanbusywithhiswifemustnotbegreeted.14– A person with their awrat parts exposed must not be
greeted.15–Apersonurinating(ordefecating)mustnotbegreeted.16–Apersoneatingmustnotbegreeted.A man greets old women even if they are not his mahram
relatives.Attimesofdarûrat,andifheissurethathewillnotfeellust,hemaymakemusâfahawith them, [i.e. shake theirhands.]Sinnersaregreetediftheyhavemadetawbafortheirsins.Theymaybegreetedwiththeintentionofpreventingthemastheyarecommittingsins.
Disbelieversmaybegreetedonlywhenthereissomethingtobedonewith them.AMuslimwho glorifies a disbeliever by greetingthemrespectfullywillbecomeadisbeliever.Apersonwhohonoursadisbeliever with such phrases as ‘my master’, etc. will become adisbeliever[Ibni ’Âbidîn,vol.5,p.267].Ahungryperson(whoarrivesat a place where other Muslims are eating) may greet them (bysaying,“Salâmun’alaikum’)ifheknowsthathewillbeinvitedtothetable.Disciples(andstudents)maygreettheirteachers.
WhenaMuslimgreetsotherMuslims,orwhenhesneezesuptothreetimesandthensays,“Al-hamd-u-lillâh,”itisfarz-i-kifâyafor(atleastoneof)theotherstoacknowledgehisgreeting,(whichhemadebysaying,“Salâmun’alaikum,”)orhissaying,“Al-hamd-u-lillâh,”respectively,immediatelyuponhearinghim.[1] Itisharâmforthosewhohearhimtodelaytheacknowledgement.Theywillhave tomake tawba if theydo so. It is farz to acknowledge,bysaying, “Wa ’alaikum salâm,” a greeting received by way of aletter. It ismustahabtowrite theacknowledgementandsend it.Whenapersonacceptstocarryanddelivera(verbal)messageofgreeting,itisfarzforhimtocarrythewordanddeliverit(totheaddressee).For, ithasbecomeamânat,(i.e.somethingentrustedtohim.)Ifhehasnotacceptedtocarrythewordofgreeting,then
–104 –
[1] Aknowledgementmustbemadeby saying, “Yerhamukallah,” to apersonwhosneezesandthereaftersays,“Al-hamd-u-lillâh.”
itisavedî’a.[1] Itisnotobligatorytocarrythevedî’a.Of the latter group of situations written above, persons
involved in the first two situations do not answer the greetingsextendedtothem.Astotheothersituationsuptonumbertwelve,peoplegreeted thereinhadbetteranswer thegreetings. It isnotnecessary toacknowledgeabeggar’sgreeting. It isnotanactoffarz,(i.e.compulsory,)toacknowledgegreetingsasyouareeatinganddrinkingorwhenyouareintherestroomorgreetingsmadeby a child or a drunkard or a fâsiq person (Ibni ’Âbidîn, vol.5,p.267).
Greeting is made by saying, “Salâmun ’alaikum,” or, “Ess-salâmu ’alaikum.”Itisnotanactoffarztoacknowledgegreetingsmadebysaying,“Salâm’alaikum,”orbysayingotherwords.
As is written in the book entitled Riyâd-un-nâsikhîn, (andwrittenbyMuhammedRebhâmî‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’,)itisstated in the book entitled Fatâwâ-i-Sirâjiyya, (written by ’Alî’Ushîbin’UthmânFerghânawî‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’,d.575[1180A.D.]:)“Asyougreetsomeone,youshouldmakeit intheplural form, that is, you should greet as if you are greeting anumber of people. For, a Believer is never alone. Protecting(muhâfaza)angelsandthetwoangelsKirâman kâtibîn keepthemcompany.”Thehadîth-i-sherîfstatingthatthewordexpressingthegreetingshouldbeusedinthepluralformisquotedinthebookentitled Riyâd-us-sâlihîn (and written by Yahyâ bin SherefNawawî[orNevevî]‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’,631[1233A.D.]–676[1277],Damascus.)
Themeaningof“Salâmun ’alaikum”is:“IamaMuslim.Iwillnotharmyou.Youare in safety.”Ahadîth-i-sherîf commands:“Greet Muslims (bysaying,‘Salâmun’alaikum,’)the ones whomyou know and those whom you do not know alike!”Disbelieversmustnotbegreeted,(bysaying,“Salâmun’alaikum.”)Youonlysay,“Wa’alaikum,”whentheygreetyou.It ispermissibleforaMuslim man to greet any of the eighteen women[2] who areeternallyharâmforhimtomarryandmake(anIslamickindofcontract termed) nikâh with. It is an act of farz-i-kifâya toacknowledgetheirgreetings.Concerningthesevenwomenwith
–105 –
[1] Pleasesee the last fourparagraphsof theninthchapterof thesixthfascicleofEndless Bliss.
[2] The twelfth chapter of the fifth fascicle of Endless Bliss providesdetailedinformationonthissubject.
whommarriage is temporarily harâm on account of conditionsprescribedbyIslam,andwhoarehalâlforthemaninquestiontomarrywhentheconditionsnolongerexist;itisnotjâ’iz,(thatis,Islamdoesnotgivepermission,)togreetthem.Andnorisitanactoffarztoacknowledgetheirgreetings.
Itisnotjâ’iztogreetarichperson(only)becauseheisrich.Ifthe rich person greets you first, it becomes an act of farz toacknowledgethegreeting.Itisjâ’izforseniorstogreetchildren.
The order of precedencewhich is sunnat is as follows: olderpeople greet younger ones; townsmen greet villagers; a personridingacamelgreetsoneridingahorse;oneridingahorsegreetsone riding adonkey; one riding adonkeygreetsonewalking; apersonstandinggreetsonewhoissitting;agroupofpeoplegreetanothergroupgreaterinnumber;amastergreetshisservant;thefather greets the son; the mother greets the daughter, first. Apersonwithahigherpositionandsocialstatushasprecedenceingreeting.Asamatteroffact,onthenightofMi’râjAllâhuta’âlâwas the first party to greet. If two Muslims greet each othersimultaneously, it becomes farz forbothparties to acknowledgetheother’s greeting. If they greet eachother one (immediately)aftertheother;thelatergreetingstandsfortheacknowledgement.Whenmorethanonepeoplearegreeted,acknowledgementonthepartofonlyoneofthepeopleinthegreetedgroup,beitachild,will suffice, and the other people in the groupwill not have toacknowledgethegreeting.
IndispensationsfromthatofÂdam‘’alaihis-salâm’tothatofIbrâhîm‘’alaihis-salâm’,salutationshadbeenbeingmadebybothparties’prostratingthemselvesbeforeeachother.Thereaftertheywerechangedintobothpeople’sembracingeachother.Duringthedispensation ofMuhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’ it became an act ofsunnattomakemusâfahawiththehands.
[Shiitesrespondtothegreetinginkind.Theyacknowledgeitby saying, “Salâmun ’alaikum.” They do not say, “Alaikumsalâm.”]
’Abdullah bin Salâm ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: When theRasûl-i-ekrem ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ made his blessedmigrationtoMedîna,thefirsthadîth-i-sherîfthatIheardfromhisblessedmouthwas this: “Greet one another! Offer food to oneanother! Take care about your relatives’ rights! Perform midnightnamâz as others are asleep! Doing these things, enter Paradise insafety!”HereweendourcitationfromRiyâd-un-nâsikhîn.
–106 –
(Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Ismâ’îl) Tahtawî ‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’(d.1231[1815A.D.])statesasfollowsinthehundredand seventy-fourth page of his annotation to the commentatorybookentitledMerâq-il-felâh:“ItisanactofsunnatforMuslimstomakemusâfahawhentheymeetoneanother.Asamatteroffact,AbûZerGhifârî‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’(d.32[652A.D.],RebzainthevicinityofMedîna)statesasfollowsinahadîth-i-sherîfquotedbyAbûDâwûdSijstânî‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’(202[817A.D.]–275[888],Basra):“EverytimeImetRasûlullah‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’,hewouldmakemusâfahawithme.”Musâfaha is twopeople’sattachingthepalmsoftheirrighthandstoeachother,inamannerwhereinthesidesoftheirthumbscontacteachother.Thehandshakewhichisdonebyholdingthesecondperson’sfingersinyour palm, and which is in fashion today, is a Shiitemanner ofhandshake.Thesunnatfashion,however,is,whenyoumeet(yourMuslimbrother)andasbothofyouutterthewordsofgreeting,toattach the inner parts of four of the fingers of your naked righthand[withoutwearingglovesoranyotherkindofwrapper]totheouterpartofhisrighthand,towardshisthumb.Affectionspreadsfromtheveinonthethumb.AstwoMuslimsmakemusâfaha,theyexchange brotherly affection.” This is another example showingthatMuslimsshouldloveoneanotherandavoidseparatism.
Ibni ’Âbidînstatesas follows inthechapterabout istibrâ[1] inthe fifth volume: “It is an act of bid’at for Muslims to makemusâfahawithoneanotherbeforeleavingthemosqueaftereachofthedailyprayersofnamâz.ItisShiites’customtodoso.[Itisjâiz (permissible), on ’Iyd days, to celebrate the ’Iyd days bymakingmusâfahawithoneanotherinmosquesor,atothertimes,tomakemusâfahafromtimetotimewithoutmakingitahabit.]Itisjâ’iztogreetadhimmîortomakemusâfahawithhimwhenitisneededtodoso.Itisnotjâ’iztodosoforreverence.Reverencetoadisbelievercausesdisbelief.
Sons and daughtersmust be given bed-rooms separate fromeach other and from that of their parents. You (may) kiss anIslamic scholar’s or your either parent’s hand. You do not kissothers’hands.Whenyoumeetafriendofyours,itisharâmtokisstheirhand.
Whenyoureldersenter,itisanactofmustahabtomeetthemstanding.Whenyouenter, it ismakrûh to rejoice to seeothers’
–107 –
[1] Please see the secondparagraph following theparagraphheadlinedISTINJÂ inthesixthchapterofthefourthfascicleofEndless Bliss.
standing up. It is permissible to kiss (a copy of) theQur’ân al-kerîmor(aloaforasliceorarollof)bread.
Itisstatedinthethirteenhundredandthirty-fourthpageofthebook entitledBerîqa: It is a sinful act to bow as you greet oracknowledge a greeting. It is enjoined as follows in a hadîth-i-sherîf:“Do not bow to one another or hug one another when youmeet one another!” It is harâm tomake rukû’, (i.e. to bend, toassumeastoopingposturelikeyoudoinnamâz,)ortomakesajda(prostration)beforeanyoneotherthanAllâhuta’âlâ.IbniNujaymZeyn-ad-dînMisrî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’ states in his bookentitledSeghâir wa Kebâir thatsalutationswiththehandaresinfulacts. Ismâ’îl Sivâsî explains his statement as follows: “For, it iscustomaryamongdisbelieverstosalutewiththehand.”
ImâmRabbânî ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’ states inhis twohundredandsixty-fifth letter:“It isneessary tobecarefulaboutMuslims’rights.Itisstatedinahadîth-i-sherîf:‘A Muslim has five rights thatare incumbent upon another Muslim: To acknowledge his greeting;to visit (orat leastaskabout) the bedridden people (if thereareany) in his family; to attend his funeral (janâza); to participate inhis invitations; and to answer him by saying, “Ye-r-hamukallah,”when he sneezes and then says, “Al-hamd-u-lillâh.” ’However,participation in an invitation is conditional on certainrequirements. The book entitled Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm provides thefollowing explanation concerning the requirements: ‘If the food(giventhere)isdoubtfuloriftherearesilktissuesorgoldand/orsilver utensils on the tableor there arepictures of livingbeings(menandanimals)ontheceilingand/oronthewallsorifmusicalinstruments or harâm games are being played at the place ofinvitation,youshouldnotgothere.Aninvitationmadebyatyrantorbyabid’atholderorbyahabitualsinner(fâsiq)orbyawickedperson or for which too much money has been spent forostentatiouspurposesshouldnotbeparticipatedat.’Itisstatedinthe book entitled Shir’at-ul-islâm: ‘An invitation made forostentationorshowmustnotbeparticipatedat.’Itisstatedinthebook entitled Muhît-i-Burhânî (and written by Burhan-ad-dînMahmûd bin Tâj-ud-dîn Ahmad bin ’Abd-ul-’Azîz Bukhârî‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, 551 [1156 A.D.] – martyred in 616[1219]: ‘Invitations where people are playing harâm games ormusicalinstrumentsorbackbitingMuslimsorconsumingalcoholicbeveragesmustnotbeparticipatedat.’Thesameiswritteninthebook entitled Metâlib-ul-muslimîn. Invitations where suchdeterrencesdonotexistshouldbeparticipatedat.Suchinvitations
–108 –
seldomtakeplacetoday.Itisanactofsunnattovisitabedriddenperson who has someone to tend him. It is written in theannotationtoMishkât thatitiswâjibtovisithimtoseehowheisifhehasnoonewithhim.Weshouldjointhenamâzofjanâza[1]
performedforadeadMuslimandwalkatleastafewstepsbehindthe janâza being carried to the cemetery.” Here we end ourtranslation from the two hundred and sixty-fifth letter. Ibni’Âbidînstates inthesectionheadlined‘HazarwaIbâha’:“If thethingsthatareharâmexistintheroom,thenyougothere.Iftheyare at themeal table, then youdon’t go there. If you are therebecauseyoudidnotknow(thattheyexistedthere), thenyousittherewithdispleasureinyourheart,orleavetheplaceundersomepretext.For,anactofsunnatshouldbeforfeitedlestyoushouldcommitanactthatisharâm.Backbitingorlisteningtopeoplewhobackbiteothersisasinfulactworsethanmusicalinstrumentsandharâmgames.Ifyouareanauthorityoramanofposition,thenyoushouldpreventtheharâmsituationat thetableor leavetheplace.”
ItisstatedattheendofthechapterdealingwithzakâtinthebookentitledMâ-lâ-budda (andwrittenbyMuhammadSenâullahPânîPûtî‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’,1143[1730A.D.],Pânî-Put,India–1225[1810],Pânî-Put):“Itisanactofmuakkadsunnattoentertainyourguestforthreedays.Itbecomesmustahabondaysexceedingthatlimit.
It is stated inHadîqa, towards theendof its chapterdealingwith retributions incurred byway of speech: “When you are toenter someone’s house, room, or garden, it is wâjib to ask forpermission.Youshouldnotenterwithoutaskingforpermissionbyknocking on the door, ringing the doorbell, or by calling, e.g.greeting.Permissionshouldbeaskedforbyparentstoentertheirchildren’s rooms and by children to enter their parents’ rooms.Permission shouldbeasked for three times. Ifpermission isnotgivenafterthefirstasking,itmustbeaskedforasecondtimeafterwaitingforaboutaminute.Ifitstillisnotgiven,therequestmustbemadea third time. In caseyouarenot givenpermission thistime, either, [if you havewaited for as long as youwould haveperformedanamâzoffourrak’ats,]youdonotenter,andleave.Ifthedoorisopenedslightly,yousaywhoyouarebeforeaskingforthe person you are looking for. [Likewise, when you telephone
–109 –
[1] PleaseseethefifteenthchapterofthefifthfascicleofEndless Bliss for‘namâzofjanâza’.
someone, first you say who you are.] If the person inside issomeonewho you already knowwill let you in, youmay enterwithoutaskingforpermission.”
Abookwhichoccupiesnumber(3653)ofthe‘Lâleli’sectionoftheSuleymâniyyeLibraryofIstanbulquotesAhmadibniKemâlEfendi ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, theninthOttomanShaikh-ul-islâm, (d. 940 [1534 A.D.]) as having said in his book entitledKitâb-ul-ferâid: “It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf quoted on theauthority of Abû Umâma Sadî bin Ajlân-i-Bâhilî ‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’(d.81[700A.D.],Homs-inSyriaasoftoday):“People whoresemble others are not from our community. Do not resembleJews or Christians! Jews greet one another by making a sign withtheir fingers, Christians do so by making a sign with their hands,and magians by bowing.”ItisstatedinthebookentitledKitâb-us-sunnat-i-wa-l-jamâ’at (and written by Rukn-ul-islâm Ibrâhîm)[1]:Acknowledge others’ greetings! It is a custom of Jews andChristians to make signs with fingers or hands in the name ofgreeting.And it is a custom ofmagians to kiss your own handwhenyouseesomeoneortokisshishandortoputyourhandonyour chest or tobowor toprostrate yourself. It is stated in thebookentitledFatâwâ-i-Kâri-ul-Hidâya (andwrittenby’UmarbinIs-haq)and in thebookentitledShir’ât-ul-islâm (andwrittenbyMuhammadbinAbîBakr‘rahmatullâhita’âlâ’alaih’(d.573[1178A.D.]):“GreetingbymakingasignwithfingersisaJewishcustom.AnditisaChristiancustomtogreetbymakingasignwithhand.A Muslim should not imitate such greetings.” Mazhar-i-Jân-i-Jânân‘quddisasirruh’(1111[1699A.D.],India–martyredin1195[1781])wouldpreventgreetingsmadebyputtingthehandsontheheadorbybowing.
Esh-shaikh ’AlîMahfûz ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’,whowasoneofthegreateronesofthescholarsoftheJâmi’uladhharandwhopassedawayin1361[1942A.D.],statesasfollowsinthethreehundred and sixty-second page of his book entitled al-Ibdâ’:“GreetingasprescribedbyIslamhasbeenconsignedtooblivion.This is an extremely sordid general trend. It is quite a meanbehaviour to say, ‘Good morning,’ or to greet one another bymaking signs with the hands or by nodding or not to greet aMuslimbecauseyoudonotknowhimornottogreetyourfamilywhenyoucomehome.Itmeanstoignoreanactofsunnat.”The
–110 –
[1] Ontheotherhand,thebookentitledKitâb-us-sunnat waswrittenbyZâhid-i-Saffâr.
bookal-Ibdâ’ containsappreciatoryappendiceswrittenbyShaikh’AbdullahDassûqîandShaikhYûsufDajwî,twooftheprofessorsofJâmi’uladhhar.
When winter days are gone and Spring comes,Mountains’ eyes open from their abeyance.With them dressed up all over with rose-buds,Philomels will no longer have to wait in patience.
Day and night mountains’ job is to ‘make tasbîh’[1],Birds on them always saying, “Allah, Allah.”With heads soaring up to the firmament,The Qibla of prayers do all mountains face.
Raiment of Power is cut out for them all,Showers of Haqq’s Compassion onto them fall.All kinds of flowers blossom thereon withal,Mountains turn into Garden with Summer’s face.
Watch them, and you never find satiety,From Haqq[2] you’ll receive lights of piety.Their breeze will blow away anxiety,Their dust smelling like musk and ambergris.
Lilies on the one side, tulips on the other,Their runnels all carry life-giving water.‘Sabba ha’, in meaning, starts itself to utter,It is mountains’ business to thank Haqq forever.
–111 –
[1] Tosay,“Subhân-Allah,”whichmeans,“IknowAllâhuta’âlâfarfromallsortsofdefectswhatsoever.
[2] Allâhuta’âlâ.
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY HAK‹KAT K‹TABEV‹ENGLISH:1–EndlessBlissI,304pp.2–EndlessBlissII,400 pp.3–EndlessBlissIII,336 pp.4–EndlessBlissIV,432pp.5–EndlessBlissV,512pp.6–EndlessBlissVI,352pp.7–TheSunniPath,128pp.8–BeliefandIslam,128 pp.9–TheProofofProphethood,144pp.10–AnswertoanEnemyofIslam,128pp.11–AdvicefortheMuslim,352pp.12–IslamandChristianity,336pp.13–CouldNotAnswer,432pp.14–ConfessionsofaBritishSpy,128pp.15–DocumentsoftheRightWord,496pp.16–WhyDidTheyBecomeMuslims?,304pp.17–EthicsofIslam,240pp.18–Sahaba‘TheBlessed’,384pp.19–Islam’sReformers,320pp.20–TheRisingandtheHereafter112pp.21–Miftah-ul-janna,288pp.
DEUTSCH:1–Islam,derWegderSunniten,128Seiten2–GlaubeundIslam,128Seiten3–IslamundChristentum,352Seiten4–BeweisdesProphetentums,160Seiten5–GeständnissevoneinemBritischenSpion,176Seiten6–IslamischeSitte,288Seiten
EN FRANÇAIS:1–L’IslametlaVoiedeSunna,112pp.2–FoietIslam,160 pp.3–IslametChristianisme,304pp.4–L’évidencedelaProphétie,etlesTempsdePrières,144pp.5–Ar-raddalJamil,Ayyuha’l-Walad(Al-Ghazâli),96pp.6–Al-Munqidminad’Dalâl,(Al-Ghazâli),64pp.
SHQIP:1-BesimidheIslami,96fq.2-LibriNamazit,208fq.3-RrefimeteAgjentitAnglez,112fq.
ESPAÑOL:1-CreenciaeIslam,112
PO RUSSKI%1- Vsem Nuflnaq Vera, (128) str.2- Priznaniq Anglijskogo Wpiona, (144) str.3- Kitab-us-Salat (Molitvennik) Kniga o namaze, (224) str.4- O Syn Moj (256) str.5- Religq Islam (256) str.
NA B+LGARSKI EZIK%1- Vqra i Islqm. (128) str.2- NAMAZ KITAB+ (256) str.
BOSHNJAKISHT:1-ImaniIslam.(128)str.2-OdgovorNeprijateljuIslama,(144)str.3-KnjigaoNamazu,(192)str.4-NijeMogaoOdgovoriti.(432)str.5-PutEhl-iSunneta.(128)str.6-IspovijestiJednogEngleskogSpijuna.(144)str.
–112 –
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