MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 14/41)
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in. The angel of death, Azra’il, uses this ladder when he comes to take home the souls of men. The spirits of men also climb up on that ladder when they leave this world. When a believer comes close to his death, the Lord shows him this stairway and he sees Azra’il descending upon it. He loses himself in the contemplation of that stairway and thus does not feel the agony of the throes of death. It is therefore that the eyes of the dead and dying are often found wide open and staring, gazing fixedly at the beauty of that staircase, which the souls must ascend. While he is yet gazing, his soul departs from him, and after the soul has gone, he can no longer close his eyes.”
Oh Lord, we pray that the pangs of death be made light and easy for us and that we might draw our last breath with our faith intact, Amin!
The Holy Prophet continued:
“The angel Jibra’il took me upon his wing. To the right and to the left the angels surrounded me and thus we ascended on that stairway straight towards the heavens.”
There is the following account concerning this:
The Holy Prophet stepped on a stone as he was attempting to affect his ascent. Under the pressure of the Holy Prophet’s blessed foot, this stone softened and became as soft as wax. Up to this very day, the imprint of the Prophet’s foot can be seen upon this stone. When the Holy Prophet wished to raise his foot
from the stone, by leave of the Almighty, this stone raised him aloft instead. At the same time, the steps of the heavenly ladder bent down and became one with the stone. The Holy Prophet then raised his foot off the stone and placing it upon the step of the stairs, said to it, “Stay, oh stone!” The step upon which the Holy Prophet trod then rose up and lifted the Prophet up. The next step then bent down and came to meet his foot, then it rose and carried him up with it. The next higher step then bent itself down to receive his foot, and raised it aloft when he him placed it upon it. In this manner the steps continued to bend and rise until they had carried the Prophet Muhammad all the way up to the heavens.
The stairs to the pavilions and palaces of the lofty gardens of Paradise behave in a manner similar to that of these steps. When this stone heard the Prophet’s command telling it to stay, it obeyed that very instant and remained suspended in mid air, and even so it remains to this very day. From it many useful lessons may be drawn:
While it is only a stone, its unquestioning submission and obedience to the Prophet’s command continues into our own time. Therefore, is it befitting of this noble nation to disobey and oppose the Holy Prophet , having received the order from the Almighty to follow and obey his instructions, and having been cautioned and warned against all opposition to him? This is a point we must think about and take most seriously. To follow the Holy Prophet’s enlightened commands and to emulate the actions of his right guidance, to obey him in perfect submission will save us from disgrace and punishment in this world and the world to come. We must always strive to reach for the happiness and bliss of both worlds. May Allah Almighty grant us His Divine Aid and Support and help us achieve Supreme Success, Amin.
There is another tradition that tells us the story as follows:
From this stone, the Prophet mounted the Buraq and the Buraq carried him up into the heavens.
Yet another report has the Holy Prophet relate as follows:
“At the foot of those stairs, I beheld a great angel. Had this angel spread out both its hands, all the seven layers of the earths and the seven layers of the heavens would have disappeared in them. This angel greeted me and showed me courtesy. Then he spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Rasulullah , I was created twenty-five thousand years before Adam. Since that time I have been waiting to receive you here, all the while reciting Salawat and blessings upon you in loving
expectation of your advent. The Almighty be praised, for tonight I have attained my goal.’
“After I left that angel behind, I came to a sea, which had a depth of two hundred years’ wayfaring. This sea remained suspended through the power of Allah Almighty and not one drop of its waters fell out from it. Whatever creatures there exist on land and in the waters, they all were present in that sea. It was also exceedingly stormy and full of waves.”
It is said that the trembling of the air, which one sees when gazing into the sun is from the waves of that sea.
The Prophet continues:
“After this we reached the home of the winds. The wind is bound tightly with seventy thousand strong chains and seventy thousand angels hold on to it firmly and keep it under control.
“After this, we reached the earthly skies, which Allah Almighty has created from green emerald.”
According to a different narration, the Prophet is to have said: “It is created from water and steam.”
The Prophet called this Heaven ‘Rafi’a’, or according to another version, ‘Raqi’a’. The keeper of this Heaven was Isma’il, for he is among the Prophets of the angels.
The Prophet then proceeds to tell us of his journey through the heavens.
The Prophet’s Visit to Heavens
About his journey to the First Heaven, the Master of All Humankind and Jinn narrated:
“We then reached the first Heaven, Jibra’il knocked upon its gate, crying, ‘Open up!’ The name of this gate is‚ ‘Bab al-Hifz’, the Gate of Protection, and it is made of red ruby stone, whereas its lock is made of pearls. From within the guardian of this gate, Isma’il, called out in a voice such as I have never heard before, ‘Who is this demanding entry?’
“Jibra’il thereupon answered, ‘It is I, Jibra’il.’ ‘And who is that with you?’ demanded the keeper of the gate. ‘That is Muhammad ,’ replied Jibra’il. The keeper of the gate then asked, ‘Has he been given prophethood?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Jibra’il, ‘he has been given prophethood.’ ‘Has he been cited and invited to come here?’ Isma’il demanded to know. ‘Yes, he has been invited to come,’ Jibra’il replied. Then Isma’il said, ‘Welcome, welcome to you! What a delightful visitor!’ With these words he opened the gate.”
In another narration a differing version is related:
“Rasulullah rose up to the heavens using the rock in the Masjid-al- Aqsa as a stepping-stone to mount the Buraq. The distance from the earth to the Heaven is five hundred years’ wayfaring. Each Heaven has a depth of five hundred years’ traveling, and between two heavens there is a space of another five hundred years’ travel.
Meeting Isma`il
The Holy Prophet resumes his narrative:
“When I entered this heavenly realm, I encountered Isma’il in his impressive aspect, seated upon a throne of light. One hundred thousand angels surrounded him, standing in front, in back, to his right and to his left. Each of these angels had another hundred thousand soldiers at his command.”
Isma’il and all those with him engaged in this Tasbih:
Subhanal-malik-il-a’la. Subhanal-‘aliyy-il-azhim.
Subhana man laysa ka-mithlihi shay’in.
(Praise be to the Highest King; Glory to the High, the Mighty; Glory to Him who is unlike any other.)
I then saluted him and he returned my greetings and honored me. After this I beheld another group of angels, who stood in pious reverence in Qiyam, (the standing position of ritual prayer). They all were engaged in this Tasbih:
Subbuhun quddus Rabbuna wa Rabb-al-mala’ikati wa-r-ruh
(Praised be He with exalted praise, He who is holier than holy, our Lord and the Lord of the angels.)”
I enquired of Jibra’il about these angels’ form of worship, and he answered, ‘Since the day they were created they have been worshipping thus and so they will remain until the Day of Resurrection. Ask the Lord to grant this worship to your nation, too.’ So I made supplication and the Lord granted this kind of worship to my nation. That is how the Qiyam came to be included in our prayer.
Apart from these, I beheld a number of angels created from wind and water. The angel appointed as their head and overseer was called Ra’ad (which means thunder). He is responsible for the clouds and the rains.
The Tasbih they were engaged in was this:
Subhana dhil-mulk wal-malakuti
(Praise be to Him in whose Hand lies the entire creation and its dominion.)
“From this angel’s voice issued the sounds of thunder and lightning. In the heavenly sphere there remained not one empty space, angels were cramped even into the smallest corner, prostrating themselves and praising the Lord with manifold praises.
“Then I saw another angel who bore the shape of a man. Below his waist he was made of fire, while above the waist he was made of snow.
The fire clung to the snow and although there was nothing separating these two elements, neither did the snow extinguish the fire, nor did the fire melt the snow. But tears were streaming down this angel’s face, and as he wept, he recited this glorification (Tasbih):
Ya man allafa bayna-th-thalji wa-n-nar, allif bayna qulubi ‘ibadikal- mu’minin.
(Oh Thou who hast joined the snow and the fire, unite Thou also the hearts of Thy believing servants.)
“I turned to Jibra’il and asked, ‘Who is this angel and wherefore does he weep?’ Jibra’il explained, ‘He is an angel, Habib by name. He weeps for the sins of thy nation and prays for mercy and forgiveness on them.’
“Then I saw Adam in the form in which he appeared in the world. He was draped in wraps of light and seated upon a throne of light. The Lord Almighty presented to him the souls of the departed, and whenever he perceived the soul of a believer, he rejoiced and said, ‘A pure soul emerges from a pure body.’ After this, he asked for forgiveness and pleaded for mercy upon that soul. Then the angels came and carried that soul up to a high and lofty place, as it is written in the Holy Quran:
No indeed; the book of the pious is in Illiyun; and what shall teach thee what is Illiyun? A book inscribed, witnessed by those brought nigh{2}. (The Stinters, 18-21)
“Whenever the souls of departed unbelievers and hypocrites are presented to him, he is vexed and curses them, ‘An impure soul emerges from an impure body.’ The angels then take that spirit and place it in a place called Sijjin, as it is written in the Holy Quran:
No indeed; the Book of the libertines is in Sijjin; and what shall teach thee what is Sijjin?
A book inscribed. (The Stinters, 7-9)
“I then asked Jibra’il who was this person and he told me,’ This is your first forefather Adam, go towards him and extend to him your greetings.’ So I went to him and saluted him, and he replied to my salute, honoring me by saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh my righteous son, oh righteous Prophet! Praise be to the Lord who has given me such a
son as you.’”
“In this way he received me well, and I replied to his complimentary speech with these words: ‘Praise be to the Lord who has given to me such a father as thou art one.’ Then again, Adam spoke, glorified the Lord and said, ‘Glory to the Almighty who has blessed you with such great wonders; who has brought you forth from my loins; may Allah always increase the blessings He showers upon you and make you steadfast and permanently grounded in them.’ In reply to this supplication and well wishing, I said, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Might and Bounty! He who created you from clay through His Divine Powers and who had you carried up to the heavens on the shoulders of angels. Who has made you the Qibla and commanded all the angels to bow down before you and who has made Paradise accessible for your sake.’
“To that Adam answered me as follows, ‘For all the bounteous gifts granted to me that you have mentioned, you are still more blessed than
I. For all the miracles and gifts that I was granted were only given to me for the sake of your light upon my forehead, I was favored with all these honors only for the sake of that radiant light.’
“He spoke many more things to me, and ended his speech by saying, ‘From my time on until the time of your prophethood, only one in a thousand of my children were graced with entering Paradise, while nine hundred and ninety-nine were sent to Hell. When your time of prophethood came, only one in one thousand of your nation was sent to Hell and nine hundred and ninety-nine were admitted into Paradise. The Almighty placed your blessed name beside His very own Holy Name even before you appeared in this world and proclaimed your great worth to all of creation.’
Adam recited this Tasbih:
Subhanal-jalil-il-ajalli, Subhanal-wasi’al-ghaniyyi, Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi,
Subhana-llahil-azhim. Istaghfirullah.
(Glory to the Mightiest of the Mighty, Glory to the All-Embracing, All-Abundant; Praised be Allah and glorified be He! Praised be Allah,
the All-Glorious I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty.)
“Then I saw a door to the right of Adam from which issued the sweetest of scents. Just to look in the direction of that door filled the heart with gladness and serenity. To his left there was another door; to look at it sufficed to make a man weep and the heart to become heavy. I asked Jibra’il about these doors, and he said, ‘The door to the right opens upon Paradise. The souls of the blessed enter through that door, and whoever glances to the right, sees them and is gladdened. The door to the left leads to Hell, and the souls of the sinners must go through that door. Who looks to the left sees them on their way to Hell and is saddened by the sight.’
“Next I saw an angel who had the form of a cockerel. He was very large and his head touched up to the Divine Throne, while his feet were below the seven layers of the earth. He had two wings; when he spread these, they reached from the farthest east to the utmost west. The station of this angel is the Sidratul Muntaha, which shall be described in detail later on, inshaAllah. The angel’s body is created of white pearl, while the comb on its head is of red ruby.”
To rear a pure, white, unspeckled rooster in one’s home is of great usefulness and has very special advantages. This is because of its resemblance to this angel, the Cockerel of the Divine Throne. It benefits not just the owner of the white rooster, but it also protects the neighbors and the environment from many disasters and bad things.
The Holy Prophet is reported to have said about this:
“The white rooster is my sincere friend, and he is also the friend of my friend, the angel Jibra’il . He is also the enemy of my enemy, Shaytan. The white rooster protects the house in which he is raised and its owner and entire household, as well as nine neighboring houses and their inhabitants.”
There is only this condition attached to it: the rooster must be of a flawless white, without a speck. He is of even greater value if his crest is forked, as the Holy Prophet says:
“The fork-crested white rooster is my dear and beloved friend. He protects four houses to the right, four to the left, four in front and four in back, altogether sixteen houses and their inhabitants from disaster and calamity.” (Related by Abu ash-Shaykh from Anas.)
There is another Hadith related by Bayhaqi from ‘Umar who claims that the Holy Prophet said:
“This rooster makes known to Allah’s servants the times for prayer. Whoever raises a white rooster in his house will be protected from three things: from the evil of Shaytan, the evil of the sorcerer, and the evil of the soothsayer.”
However, he who raises a white rooster must on no account slaughter him, as those who know about these matters inform us in the Fath-al-Qadir will have us know: “Sorrow will not depart from the side of him who slaughters a white rooster.”
Imam Tha’libi cites from the book entitled Hayat al-Haywan (The Life of the Animals) by Imam Dumayri:
“The Holy Prophet makes clear to us these pearls of spiritual wisdom when he says, ‘There are three things that Allah Almighty loves and is pleased with: the voice of him who recites the Holy Quran; the sound of the rooster’s call; the voice of him who prays for forgiveness in the time before the dawn.’”
To continue with the Holy Prophet’s narrative:
“This angel who has the form of a rooster descends to the earthly skies when it is night, and this is his Tasbih:
Subhanal-malikil-quddus, Subhanal-kabiril-muta’al,
La ilaha ill’Allah-al-hayy-al-qayyum.
(Glory to the All-Holy King,
Glory to the Great and Exalted God,
There is no God but Allah, the Ever-Living, Eternally Abiding.)
“I then asked Jibra’il, ‘What is this?’ and Jibra’il answered me, ‘This is the reason he is called, ‘the Rooster of the Divine Throne’, for when it is night on earth, he descends to the worldly skies. After one third of the night has passed, he flaps his wings and says, ‘Oh you who would be worshippers, arise and pray!’ All of creation hears this call, all except mankind and Jinn. Therefore, when the roosters on earth hear the angels call, they too flap their wings and voice their call, saying, ‘Oh you heedless ones! Arise and engage in remembrance of your
Lord!’ When half of the night has passed, this angel again flaps its wings and calls, ‘Let those who would perform the supererogatory night prayer (Tahajjud); rise and pray!’
“When the roosters on earth hear this call, they too sound their call to pass on to men the message of the angel. When two thirds of the night have passed and only one third of it remains, the angel speaks up again and calls out, ‘Where are they who would ask for forgiveness for their sins, whose sole hope and desire is the Lord of the Worlds? Let them rise and pray for forgiveness and present their invocations!’ Again, the roosters on earth hear this call and pass it on to the people on the earth. When at last dawn begins to break, this angel flaps its wings once more and calls, ‘Now let the heedless ones rise, though they be laden heavily with their sins.’ After this, he again ascends to his station in the Heavens. Again, the roosters on earth hear his words and inform mankind of the angel’s call. This same sequence is repeated every night, up till the Day of Judgment.’
“And Jibra’il continued, ‘When the Day of Judgment is about to occur, this angel will want to call out his call as usual after the first third of the night has passed. But he is stopped by a call from on High, ‘Oh My angel, do not awaken My servants!’ In this way he is prevented from calling, and he and all the angels of the heavens with him realize that the Day of Resurrection is upon them. All at once they begin to weep.”
That night will be the length of three days and three nights, and in that night neither the cocks will crow, nor will the dogs bark. Mankind will lie in a deep sleep of forgetfulness for three full days and nights. Only those who were accustomed to rise and pray the prayer of the night (Tahajjud) will awaken and rise to pray their Tahajjud as usual. But they will wonder and say, “Yet there is no sign of morning breaking, have we risen too early?” Then they will lie down to sleep a bit longer, and when again they awaken, still it will not be day. Then they will understand that it is the longest night before the Last Day, and that indeed it has finally begun.
They will then set about trying to wake up their companions, who were not used to rising for the night prayer, but whatever they do, they will not succeed in waking them, it is impossible. Then they betake themselves to the mosques, gathering there and repenting of their sins, praying for forgiveness. There they will remain for those whole three days and nights, weeping copious and incessant tears, imploring the Lord for mercy. When this period is over and the
day dawns, the sun will be seen to rise in the west and the Gates of Repentance will be shut.
To continue with our Prophet’s narrative:
“I then came to a sea, which was whiter than milk and as viscous as the semen of men. Within it, I beheld things so exceedingly strange and unknown so as to defy all description. Their numbers were unaccountably great and beyond reckoning. I asked Jibra’il, ‘What sort of sea is this?’ and he answered me, ‘This is the Sea of Life. On the Day of Resurrection, after every created thing has died its death, the Almighty will want to raise them all from their graves in order to mete out reward or punishment.
“He will then issue His Command and a rain will fall upon the earth from the waters of this sea. The rain waters will rise to a depth of forty yards upon the level earth and the ground will be drenched to its deeps. All the flesh and bones that have rotted in the earth will then be restored; all the skins and strands of hair and nerves will come together and appear once more. As soon as this water comes in touch with the earth, whatever is contained in it will instantly return to its former state. What has long been scattered will be assembled again, and all this will come to pass on account of the action of the waters of the Sea of Life.’
“After this, Jibra’il called the Adhan and Iqama, and I led all the angels and inhabitants in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then I rose to the second level of the heavens.”
The Second Heaven
Regarding his journey to the Second Heaven, the Best of all Creation narrated:
“The Lord Almighty, praised be His Name, has created this Heaven from red coral and called it Qaydum. The name of its gatekeeper is Mikha’il. This Heaven appeared to me to be especially full of light and splendor, so much so that I was blinded and had to squint. The door of this Heaven is of pearls and its lock is of light. Jibra’il knocked upon this door and requested entry. The keeper of the gate, Mikha’il, called from inside, ‘Who is it requesting the opening of this gate?’ ‘I am Jibra’il,’ replied Jibra’il, and again the angel asked, ‘And who is this with you?’ This is Muhammad ,’ answered Jibra’il. Again the
gatekeeper asked, ‘Has he been given prophethood?’ ‘Yes.’ Replied Jibra’il. ‘Has he come here upon invitation and request?’ asked Mikha’il. ‘Yes,’ said Jibra’il, ‘invitation and request have gone before.’ Then the gatekeeper said, ‘Welcome to you, oh welcome guest! How agreeable a visitor!’ With that, he opened the gate.
“I entered and beheld the guardian angel of this Heaven, Mikha’il. There were two hundred thousand angels at his service, each one of whom had another two hundred thousand helpers to assist him. I greeted him and he returned my greetings with reverence. He gave me the joyous news of the many honors and blessings the Almighty was to bestow on me.
“They were engaged in this Tasbih:
Subhana-llahi kullama sabbaha-llaha musabbihun, wal-hamdu lillahi kullama hamid-allaha hamidun
wa la ilaha illAllahu kullama hallala-llaha muhallilun wallahu akbaru kullama kabbara-llaha mukabbirun. (Glory be to Allah whenever the glorifier glorifies Him; And praised be He whenever the praiser praises Him; There is no God but He each time this Tahlil is recited; And Allah is Greatest each time this Takbir is affirmed.)
“I passed on and came upon another group of angels who stood in rows and were bowing in Ruk’u in perfect reverence and devotion. They remained always in this position and recited this Tasbih:
Subhanal-warithul-wasi’u-lladhi yudrikul-absar; Subhana-lladhi la tudrikuhul-absar;
Subhanal-azhimul-‘alim.
(Praised be He, the Heir Universal who sees, the All-Discerning; Praised be He whom our eyes cannot perceive;
Praised be the Majestic, the All-Knowing.)
`Isa and Yahya (a)
“I asked Jibra’il, ‘Since when have they been in this position of Ruk’u?’ and he said, ‘Since the day they were created they have always been bowing in Ruk’u, and thus they will remain until the Day of Resurrection, bowed in Ruk’u, reciting their Tasbih. Pray to your Lord that He granted to your nation this form of worship in their prayer.’ I therefore prayed to Allah for this, and the Almighty granted it to my nation.
“After we passed on, I perceived two young men and I asked Jibra’il who they were. Jibra’il explained to me, ‘These young men are the Prophets Yahya and ‘Isa. They are related to each other, being cousins.’ I saluted them and they received my Salams with reverence and greeted me, saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh righteous Prophet, our righteous brother!’ Then they gave me tidings of the many Gifts of Grace the Highest and Holiest Lord had in store for me.
“The Tasbih of ‘Isa was this:
Subhanal-hannanil-mannan; Subhanal-abadiyyul-abad; Subhanal-mubdi-al-mu’id.
(Praised be to the All-Compassionate, the All-bounteous; Praised be the Eternal, Never-Ending;
Praised be He who creates from nothing, then causes to die and returns to its previous state.)
“After we had passed them, I saw a very great angel who had seventy thousand heads, and on every head there were seventy thousand faces. Every face had seventy thousand mouths and in every mouth there were seventy thousand tongues. Each tongue spoke a different language, which bore no resemblance to the next.
“Each tongue glorified the Lord as follows:
Subhanal-khaliqil-azhim; Subhanal-azhimil-‘alim; Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdihi;
Subhanallahil-azhim wa bi-hamdihi,
Istaghfirullah.
(Praise be to the Creator, the Glorious; Praise be to the All-Powerful, All-Knowing; Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;
Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be He, I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)
The Angel of Provision
“Who is this?” I asked Jibra’il , who told me, ‘This is the angel who is charged with the distribution of provisions, and his name is Qasim. He distributes to every single one his daily provision, no one receives more or less than his apportioned lot.’”
According to one narration, he is to have said, “If a person finds himself in straightened circumstances and in the morning prayer (Fajr) recites one-hundred times the last line of the Tasbih of this angel between the Sunna and the Fard Rak’ats, then Allah will supply him plentifully and make his provision bounteous.” This is the line of this Tasbih:
Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi, Subhana-llahil-azhim wa bi-hamdihi wa istaghfirullah.
(Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;
Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be He, I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)
To continue with our Prophet’s narration:
“After passing by this angel, I beheld an even greater, even more wondrous angel who was seated upon a throne of light. He was silent and of morose aspect. The throne he was seated upon had four corners and each corner was supported by seven hundred thousand pillars of gold and of silver. Around him were grouped such multitudes of angels, only the Omnipotent Owner of Might and Bounty, Allah Almighty alone knows their number. To his right angels were ranged row upon row, seventy thousand in all, dazzling in their light. All of
them were clad in green and they gave off a lovely scent. Their words, too, were sweet, and their beauty was so great that it was impossible to gaze at them.
“To the left were another seventy thousand angels, ranged row upon row. Their aspect was of terrible and sinister portent, their faces were black as night and their speech was rude. Their clothing was ugly and the smells they emitted were noxious. When they began reciting their Tasbih, tongues of fire erupted from their mouths. They held before them fiery clubs and blades, and their eyes were so cruel, no one could stand to look at them for long.
“The angel seated upon the throne was covered with eyes from head to foot, which sparkled as Mars and Venus in the sky. He also had shimmering wings and in his hand he held sheet of paper, while before him there was a tablet. He gazed incessantly at that tablet and not once lifted his gaze from it. There was also before him a tree, and only Allah can know the number of its leaves. Upon each leaf was written the name of a certain person. Then there stood before him a type of vessel. At times he reached in it with his right hand and drew something out of it, handing it to the luminous and gentle angels to his right. At times he reached for something with his left hand and gave it to the pitch-black angels standing by his left side. As I looked at those dark angels, fear fell upon my heart and I began to tremble. I was seized by a weakness and prostration, and I asked Jibra’il, ‘Who is this?’ Jibra’il replied, ‘This is the Angel of Death, his name is Azra’il. There is no one who can bear to look at him. It is he who ends all delights, and cuts off from all community.’ He then went up to him and said, ‘Oh Azra’il, this visitor here is the Prophet of the Last Times , he is the Beloved of Allah, the Lord of Mercy. Speak thou to him!’
“Upon these words, Azra’il lifted his head and he smiled. Jibra’il approached him and saluted him. I also went up to him and proferred my Salams. He received my greetings and showed me great honor. Then he spoke, ‘Welcome to you, oh Muhammad ! Allah has created no creature more honored than you, and to no nation has He given greater honor than to your nation. I am gentler and more compassionate towards your nation than to any nation that went before them.’ In response to these words, I said to Azra’il, ‘You have gladdened my heart, oh Azra’il, and cleared my mind of fear. Yet there
remains one matter on my mind, for I have seen your state to be one of gloom and grief and I wonder wherefore.’
“Azra’il explained to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , since the time the
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in. The angel of death, Azra’il, uses this ladder when he comes to take home the souls of men. The spirits of men also climb up on that ladder when they leave this world. When a believer comes close to his death, the Lord shows him this stairway and he sees Azra’il descending upon it. He loses himself in the contemplation of that stairway and thus does not feel the agony of the throes of death. It is therefore that the eyes of the dead and dying are often found wide open and staring, gazing fixedly at the beauty of that staircase, which the souls must ascend. While he is yet gazing, his soul departs from him, and after the soul has gone, he can no longer close his eyes.”
Oh Lord, we pray that the pangs of death be made light and easy for us and that we might draw our last breath with our faith intact, Amin!
The Holy Prophet continued:
“The angel Jibra’il took me upon his wing. To the right and to the left the angels surrounded me and thus we ascended on that stairway straight towards the heavens.”
There is the following account concerning this:
The Holy Prophet stepped on a stone as he was attempting to affect his ascent. Under the pressure of the Holy Prophet’s blessed foot, this stone softened and became as soft as wax. Up to this very day, the imprint of the Prophet’s foot can be seen upon this stone. When the Holy Prophet wished to raise his foot
from the stone, by leave of the Almighty, this stone raised him aloft instead. At the same time, the steps of the heavenly ladder bent down and became one with the stone. The Holy Prophet then raised his foot off the stone and placing it upon the step of the stairs, said to it, “Stay, oh stone!” The step upon which the Holy Prophet trod then rose up and lifted the Prophet up. The next step then bent down and came to meet his foot, then it rose and carried him up with it. The next higher step then bent itself down to receive his foot, and raised it aloft when he him placed it upon it. In this manner the steps continued to bend and rise until they had carried the Prophet Muhammad all the way up to the heavens.
The stairs to the pavilions and palaces of the lofty gardens of Paradise behave in a manner similar to that of these steps. When this stone heard the Prophet’s command telling it to stay, it obeyed that very instant and remained suspended in mid air, and even so it remains to this very day. From it many useful lessons may be drawn:
While it is only a stone, its unquestioning submission and obedience to the Prophet’s command continues into our own time. Therefore, is it befitting of this noble nation to disobey and oppose the Holy Prophet , having received the order from the Almighty to follow and obey his instructions, and having been cautioned and warned against all opposition to him? This is a point we must think about and take most seriously. To follow the Holy Prophet’s enlightened commands and to emulate the actions of his right guidance, to obey him in perfect submission will save us from disgrace and punishment in this world and the world to come. We must always strive to reach for the happiness and bliss of both worlds. May Allah Almighty grant us His Divine Aid and Support and help us achieve Supreme Success, Amin.
There is another tradition that tells us the story as follows:
From this stone, the Prophet mounted the Buraq and the Buraq carried him up into the heavens.
Yet another report has the Holy Prophet relate as follows:
“At the foot of those stairs, I beheld a great angel. Had this angel spread out both its hands, all the seven layers of the earths and the seven layers of the heavens would have disappeared in them. This angel greeted me and showed me courtesy. Then he spoke to me and said, ‘Oh Rasulullah , I was created twenty-five thousand years before Adam. Since that time I have been waiting to receive you here, all the while reciting Salawat and blessings upon you in loving
expectation of your advent. The Almighty be praised, for tonight I have attained my goal.’
“After I left that angel behind, I came to a sea, which had a depth of two hundred years’ wayfaring. This sea remained suspended through the power of Allah Almighty and not one drop of its waters fell out from it. Whatever creatures there exist on land and in the waters, they all were present in that sea. It was also exceedingly stormy and full of waves.”
It is said that the trembling of the air, which one sees when gazing into the sun is from the waves of that sea.
The Prophet continues:
“After this we reached the home of the winds. The wind is bound tightly with seventy thousand strong chains and seventy thousand angels hold on to it firmly and keep it under control.
“After this, we reached the earthly skies, which Allah Almighty has created from green emerald.”
According to a different narration, the Prophet is to have said: “It is created from water and steam.”
The Prophet called this Heaven ‘Rafi’a’, or according to another version, ‘Raqi’a’. The keeper of this Heaven was Isma’il, for he is among the Prophets of the angels.
The Prophet then proceeds to tell us of his journey through the heavens.
The Prophet’s Visit to Heavens
About his journey to the First Heaven, the Master of All Humankind and Jinn narrated:
“We then reached the first Heaven, Jibra’il knocked upon its gate, crying, ‘Open up!’ The name of this gate is‚ ‘Bab al-Hifz’, the Gate of Protection, and it is made of red ruby stone, whereas its lock is made of pearls. From within the guardian of this gate, Isma’il, called out in a voice such as I have never heard before, ‘Who is this demanding entry?’
“Jibra’il thereupon answered, ‘It is I, Jibra’il.’ ‘And who is that with you?’ demanded the keeper of the gate. ‘That is Muhammad ,’ replied Jibra’il. The keeper of the gate then asked, ‘Has he been given prophethood?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Jibra’il, ‘he has been given prophethood.’ ‘Has he been cited and invited to come here?’ Isma’il demanded to know. ‘Yes, he has been invited to come,’ Jibra’il replied. Then Isma’il said, ‘Welcome, welcome to you! What a delightful visitor!’ With these words he opened the gate.”
In another narration a differing version is related:
“Rasulullah rose up to the heavens using the rock in the Masjid-al- Aqsa as a stepping-stone to mount the Buraq. The distance from the earth to the Heaven is five hundred years’ wayfaring. Each Heaven has a depth of five hundred years’ traveling, and between two heavens there is a space of another five hundred years’ travel.
Meeting Isma`il
The Holy Prophet resumes his narrative:
“When I entered this heavenly realm, I encountered Isma’il in his impressive aspect, seated upon a throne of light. One hundred thousand angels surrounded him, standing in front, in back, to his right and to his left. Each of these angels had another hundred thousand soldiers at his command.”
Isma’il and all those with him engaged in this Tasbih:
Subhanal-malik-il-a’la. Subhanal-‘aliyy-il-azhim.
Subhana man laysa ka-mithlihi shay’in.
(Praise be to the Highest King; Glory to the High, the Mighty; Glory to Him who is unlike any other.)
I then saluted him and he returned my greetings and honored me. After this I beheld another group of angels, who stood in pious reverence in Qiyam, (the standing position of ritual prayer). They all were engaged in this Tasbih:
Subbuhun quddus Rabbuna wa Rabb-al-mala’ikati wa-r-ruh
(Praised be He with exalted praise, He who is holier than holy, our Lord and the Lord of the angels.)”
I enquired of Jibra’il about these angels’ form of worship, and he answered, ‘Since the day they were created they have been worshipping thus and so they will remain until the Day of Resurrection. Ask the Lord to grant this worship to your nation, too.’ So I made supplication and the Lord granted this kind of worship to my nation. That is how the Qiyam came to be included in our prayer.
Apart from these, I beheld a number of angels created from wind and water. The angel appointed as their head and overseer was called Ra’ad (which means thunder). He is responsible for the clouds and the rains.
The Tasbih they were engaged in was this:
Subhana dhil-mulk wal-malakuti
(Praise be to Him in whose Hand lies the entire creation and its dominion.)
“From this angel’s voice issued the sounds of thunder and lightning. In the heavenly sphere there remained not one empty space, angels were cramped even into the smallest corner, prostrating themselves and praising the Lord with manifold praises.
“Then I saw another angel who bore the shape of a man. Below his waist he was made of fire, while above the waist he was made of snow.
The fire clung to the snow and although there was nothing separating these two elements, neither did the snow extinguish the fire, nor did the fire melt the snow. But tears were streaming down this angel’s face, and as he wept, he recited this glorification (Tasbih):
Ya man allafa bayna-th-thalji wa-n-nar, allif bayna qulubi ‘ibadikal- mu’minin.
(Oh Thou who hast joined the snow and the fire, unite Thou also the hearts of Thy believing servants.)
“I turned to Jibra’il and asked, ‘Who is this angel and wherefore does he weep?’ Jibra’il explained, ‘He is an angel, Habib by name. He weeps for the sins of thy nation and prays for mercy and forgiveness on them.’
“Then I saw Adam in the form in which he appeared in the world. He was draped in wraps of light and seated upon a throne of light. The Lord Almighty presented to him the souls of the departed, and whenever he perceived the soul of a believer, he rejoiced and said, ‘A pure soul emerges from a pure body.’ After this, he asked for forgiveness and pleaded for mercy upon that soul. Then the angels came and carried that soul up to a high and lofty place, as it is written in the Holy Quran:
No indeed; the book of the pious is in Illiyun; and what shall teach thee what is Illiyun? A book inscribed, witnessed by those brought nigh{2}. (The Stinters, 18-21)
“Whenever the souls of departed unbelievers and hypocrites are presented to him, he is vexed and curses them, ‘An impure soul emerges from an impure body.’ The angels then take that spirit and place it in a place called Sijjin, as it is written in the Holy Quran:
No indeed; the Book of the libertines is in Sijjin; and what shall teach thee what is Sijjin?
A book inscribed. (The Stinters, 7-9)
“I then asked Jibra’il who was this person and he told me,’ This is your first forefather Adam, go towards him and extend to him your greetings.’ So I went to him and saluted him, and he replied to my salute, honoring me by saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh my righteous son, oh righteous Prophet! Praise be to the Lord who has given me such a
son as you.’”
“In this way he received me well, and I replied to his complimentary speech with these words: ‘Praise be to the Lord who has given to me such a father as thou art one.’ Then again, Adam spoke, glorified the Lord and said, ‘Glory to the Almighty who has blessed you with such great wonders; who has brought you forth from my loins; may Allah always increase the blessings He showers upon you and make you steadfast and permanently grounded in them.’ In reply to this supplication and well wishing, I said, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Might and Bounty! He who created you from clay through His Divine Powers and who had you carried up to the heavens on the shoulders of angels. Who has made you the Qibla and commanded all the angels to bow down before you and who has made Paradise accessible for your sake.’
“To that Adam answered me as follows, ‘For all the bounteous gifts granted to me that you have mentioned, you are still more blessed than
I. For all the miracles and gifts that I was granted were only given to me for the sake of your light upon my forehead, I was favored with all these honors only for the sake of that radiant light.’
“He spoke many more things to me, and ended his speech by saying, ‘From my time on until the time of your prophethood, only one in a thousand of my children were graced with entering Paradise, while nine hundred and ninety-nine were sent to Hell. When your time of prophethood came, only one in one thousand of your nation was sent to Hell and nine hundred and ninety-nine were admitted into Paradise. The Almighty placed your blessed name beside His very own Holy Name even before you appeared in this world and proclaimed your great worth to all of creation.’
Adam recited this Tasbih:
Subhanal-jalil-il-ajalli, Subhanal-wasi’al-ghaniyyi, Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi,
Subhana-llahil-azhim. Istaghfirullah.
(Glory to the Mightiest of the Mighty, Glory to the All-Embracing, All-Abundant; Praised be Allah and glorified be He! Praised be Allah,
the All-Glorious I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty.)
“Then I saw a door to the right of Adam from which issued the sweetest of scents. Just to look in the direction of that door filled the heart with gladness and serenity. To his left there was another door; to look at it sufficed to make a man weep and the heart to become heavy. I asked Jibra’il about these doors, and he said, ‘The door to the right opens upon Paradise. The souls of the blessed enter through that door, and whoever glances to the right, sees them and is gladdened. The door to the left leads to Hell, and the souls of the sinners must go through that door. Who looks to the left sees them on their way to Hell and is saddened by the sight.’
“Next I saw an angel who had the form of a cockerel. He was very large and his head touched up to the Divine Throne, while his feet were below the seven layers of the earth. He had two wings; when he spread these, they reached from the farthest east to the utmost west. The station of this angel is the Sidratul Muntaha, which shall be described in detail later on, inshaAllah. The angel’s body is created of white pearl, while the comb on its head is of red ruby.”
To rear a pure, white, unspeckled rooster in one’s home is of great usefulness and has very special advantages. This is because of its resemblance to this angel, the Cockerel of the Divine Throne. It benefits not just the owner of the white rooster, but it also protects the neighbors and the environment from many disasters and bad things.
The Holy Prophet is reported to have said about this:
“The white rooster is my sincere friend, and he is also the friend of my friend, the angel Jibra’il . He is also the enemy of my enemy, Shaytan. The white rooster protects the house in which he is raised and its owner and entire household, as well as nine neighboring houses and their inhabitants.”
There is only this condition attached to it: the rooster must be of a flawless white, without a speck. He is of even greater value if his crest is forked, as the Holy Prophet says:
“The fork-crested white rooster is my dear and beloved friend. He protects four houses to the right, four to the left, four in front and four in back, altogether sixteen houses and their inhabitants from disaster and calamity.” (Related by Abu ash-Shaykh from Anas.)
There is another Hadith related by Bayhaqi from ‘Umar who claims that the Holy Prophet said:
“This rooster makes known to Allah’s servants the times for prayer. Whoever raises a white rooster in his house will be protected from three things: from the evil of Shaytan, the evil of the sorcerer, and the evil of the soothsayer.”
However, he who raises a white rooster must on no account slaughter him, as those who know about these matters inform us in the Fath-al-Qadir will have us know: “Sorrow will not depart from the side of him who slaughters a white rooster.”
Imam Tha’libi cites from the book entitled Hayat al-Haywan (The Life of the Animals) by Imam Dumayri:
“The Holy Prophet makes clear to us these pearls of spiritual wisdom when he says, ‘There are three things that Allah Almighty loves and is pleased with: the voice of him who recites the Holy Quran; the sound of the rooster’s call; the voice of him who prays for forgiveness in the time before the dawn.’”
To continue with the Holy Prophet’s narrative:
“This angel who has the form of a rooster descends to the earthly skies when it is night, and this is his Tasbih:
Subhanal-malikil-quddus, Subhanal-kabiril-muta’al,
La ilaha ill’Allah-al-hayy-al-qayyum.
(Glory to the All-Holy King,
Glory to the Great and Exalted God,
There is no God but Allah, the Ever-Living, Eternally Abiding.)
“I then asked Jibra’il, ‘What is this?’ and Jibra’il answered me, ‘This is the reason he is called, ‘the Rooster of the Divine Throne’, for when it is night on earth, he descends to the worldly skies. After one third of the night has passed, he flaps his wings and says, ‘Oh you who would be worshippers, arise and pray!’ All of creation hears this call, all except mankind and Jinn. Therefore, when the roosters on earth hear the angels call, they too flap their wings and voice their call, saying, ‘Oh you heedless ones! Arise and engage in remembrance of your
Lord!’ When half of the night has passed, this angel again flaps its wings and calls, ‘Let those who would perform the supererogatory night prayer (Tahajjud); rise and pray!’
“When the roosters on earth hear this call, they too sound their call to pass on to men the message of the angel. When two thirds of the night have passed and only one third of it remains, the angel speaks up again and calls out, ‘Where are they who would ask for forgiveness for their sins, whose sole hope and desire is the Lord of the Worlds? Let them rise and pray for forgiveness and present their invocations!’ Again, the roosters on earth hear this call and pass it on to the people on the earth. When at last dawn begins to break, this angel flaps its wings once more and calls, ‘Now let the heedless ones rise, though they be laden heavily with their sins.’ After this, he again ascends to his station in the Heavens. Again, the roosters on earth hear his words and inform mankind of the angel’s call. This same sequence is repeated every night, up till the Day of Judgment.’
“And Jibra’il continued, ‘When the Day of Judgment is about to occur, this angel will want to call out his call as usual after the first third of the night has passed. But he is stopped by a call from on High, ‘Oh My angel, do not awaken My servants!’ In this way he is prevented from calling, and he and all the angels of the heavens with him realize that the Day of Resurrection is upon them. All at once they begin to weep.”
That night will be the length of three days and three nights, and in that night neither the cocks will crow, nor will the dogs bark. Mankind will lie in a deep sleep of forgetfulness for three full days and nights. Only those who were accustomed to rise and pray the prayer of the night (Tahajjud) will awaken and rise to pray their Tahajjud as usual. But they will wonder and say, “Yet there is no sign of morning breaking, have we risen too early?” Then they will lie down to sleep a bit longer, and when again they awaken, still it will not be day. Then they will understand that it is the longest night before the Last Day, and that indeed it has finally begun.
They will then set about trying to wake up their companions, who were not used to rising for the night prayer, but whatever they do, they will not succeed in waking them, it is impossible. Then they betake themselves to the mosques, gathering there and repenting of their sins, praying for forgiveness. There they will remain for those whole three days and nights, weeping copious and incessant tears, imploring the Lord for mercy. When this period is over and the
day dawns, the sun will be seen to rise in the west and the Gates of Repentance will be shut.
To continue with our Prophet’s narrative:
“I then came to a sea, which was whiter than milk and as viscous as the semen of men. Within it, I beheld things so exceedingly strange and unknown so as to defy all description. Their numbers were unaccountably great and beyond reckoning. I asked Jibra’il, ‘What sort of sea is this?’ and he answered me, ‘This is the Sea of Life. On the Day of Resurrection, after every created thing has died its death, the Almighty will want to raise them all from their graves in order to mete out reward or punishment.
“He will then issue His Command and a rain will fall upon the earth from the waters of this sea. The rain waters will rise to a depth of forty yards upon the level earth and the ground will be drenched to its deeps. All the flesh and bones that have rotted in the earth will then be restored; all the skins and strands of hair and nerves will come together and appear once more. As soon as this water comes in touch with the earth, whatever is contained in it will instantly return to its former state. What has long been scattered will be assembled again, and all this will come to pass on account of the action of the waters of the Sea of Life.’
“After this, Jibra’il called the Adhan and Iqama, and I led all the angels and inhabitants in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then I rose to the second level of the heavens.”
The Second Heaven
Regarding his journey to the Second Heaven, the Best of all Creation narrated:
“The Lord Almighty, praised be His Name, has created this Heaven from red coral and called it Qaydum. The name of its gatekeeper is Mikha’il. This Heaven appeared to me to be especially full of light and splendor, so much so that I was blinded and had to squint. The door of this Heaven is of pearls and its lock is of light. Jibra’il knocked upon this door and requested entry. The keeper of the gate, Mikha’il, called from inside, ‘Who is it requesting the opening of this gate?’ ‘I am Jibra’il,’ replied Jibra’il, and again the angel asked, ‘And who is this with you?’ This is Muhammad ,’ answered Jibra’il. Again the
gatekeeper asked, ‘Has he been given prophethood?’ ‘Yes.’ Replied Jibra’il. ‘Has he come here upon invitation and request?’ asked Mikha’il. ‘Yes,’ said Jibra’il, ‘invitation and request have gone before.’ Then the gatekeeper said, ‘Welcome to you, oh welcome guest! How agreeable a visitor!’ With that, he opened the gate.
“I entered and beheld the guardian angel of this Heaven, Mikha’il. There were two hundred thousand angels at his service, each one of whom had another two hundred thousand helpers to assist him. I greeted him and he returned my greetings with reverence. He gave me the joyous news of the many honors and blessings the Almighty was to bestow on me.
“They were engaged in this Tasbih:
Subhana-llahi kullama sabbaha-llaha musabbihun, wal-hamdu lillahi kullama hamid-allaha hamidun
wa la ilaha illAllahu kullama hallala-llaha muhallilun wallahu akbaru kullama kabbara-llaha mukabbirun. (Glory be to Allah whenever the glorifier glorifies Him; And praised be He whenever the praiser praises Him; There is no God but He each time this Tahlil is recited; And Allah is Greatest each time this Takbir is affirmed.)
“I passed on and came upon another group of angels who stood in rows and were bowing in Ruk’u in perfect reverence and devotion. They remained always in this position and recited this Tasbih:
Subhanal-warithul-wasi’u-lladhi yudrikul-absar; Subhana-lladhi la tudrikuhul-absar;
Subhanal-azhimul-‘alim.
(Praised be He, the Heir Universal who sees, the All-Discerning; Praised be He whom our eyes cannot perceive;
Praised be the Majestic, the All-Knowing.)
`Isa and Yahya (a)
“I asked Jibra’il, ‘Since when have they been in this position of Ruk’u?’ and he said, ‘Since the day they were created they have always been bowing in Ruk’u, and thus they will remain until the Day of Resurrection, bowed in Ruk’u, reciting their Tasbih. Pray to your Lord that He granted to your nation this form of worship in their prayer.’ I therefore prayed to Allah for this, and the Almighty granted it to my nation.
“After we passed on, I perceived two young men and I asked Jibra’il who they were. Jibra’il explained to me, ‘These young men are the Prophets Yahya and ‘Isa. They are related to each other, being cousins.’ I saluted them and they received my Salams with reverence and greeted me, saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh righteous Prophet, our righteous brother!’ Then they gave me tidings of the many Gifts of Grace the Highest and Holiest Lord had in store for me.
“The Tasbih of ‘Isa was this:
Subhanal-hannanil-mannan; Subhanal-abadiyyul-abad; Subhanal-mubdi-al-mu’id.
(Praised be to the All-Compassionate, the All-bounteous; Praised be the Eternal, Never-Ending;
Praised be He who creates from nothing, then causes to die and returns to its previous state.)
“After we had passed them, I saw a very great angel who had seventy thousand heads, and on every head there were seventy thousand faces. Every face had seventy thousand mouths and in every mouth there were seventy thousand tongues. Each tongue spoke a different language, which bore no resemblance to the next.
“Each tongue glorified the Lord as follows:
Subhanal-khaliqil-azhim; Subhanal-azhimil-‘alim; Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdihi;
Subhanallahil-azhim wa bi-hamdihi,
Istaghfirullah.
(Praise be to the Creator, the Glorious; Praise be to the All-Powerful, All-Knowing; Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;
Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be He, I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)
The Angel of Provision
“Who is this?” I asked Jibra’il , who told me, ‘This is the angel who is charged with the distribution of provisions, and his name is Qasim. He distributes to every single one his daily provision, no one receives more or less than his apportioned lot.’”
According to one narration, he is to have said, “If a person finds himself in straightened circumstances and in the morning prayer (Fajr) recites one-hundred times the last line of the Tasbih of this angel between the Sunna and the Fard Rak’ats, then Allah will supply him plentifully and make his provision bounteous.” This is the line of this Tasbih:
Subhana-llahi wa bi-hamdihi, Subhana-llahil-azhim wa bi-hamdihi wa istaghfirullah.
(Praise be to Allah and glorified be He;
Praise be to Allah the Magnificent and glorified be He, I beseech Allah for forgiveness.)
To continue with our Prophet’s narration:
“After passing by this angel, I beheld an even greater, even more wondrous angel who was seated upon a throne of light. He was silent and of morose aspect. The throne he was seated upon had four corners and each corner was supported by seven hundred thousand pillars of gold and of silver. Around him were grouped such multitudes of angels, only the Omnipotent Owner of Might and Bounty, Allah Almighty alone knows their number. To his right angels were ranged row upon row, seventy thousand in all, dazzling in their light. All of
them were clad in green and they gave off a lovely scent. Their words, too, were sweet, and their beauty was so great that it was impossible to gaze at them.
“To the left were another seventy thousand angels, ranged row upon row. Their aspect was of terrible and sinister portent, their faces were black as night and their speech was rude. Their clothing was ugly and the smells they emitted were noxious. When they began reciting their Tasbih, tongues of fire erupted from their mouths. They held before them fiery clubs and blades, and their eyes were so cruel, no one could stand to look at them for long.
“The angel seated upon the throne was covered with eyes from head to foot, which sparkled as Mars and Venus in the sky. He also had shimmering wings and in his hand he held sheet of paper, while before him there was a tablet. He gazed incessantly at that tablet and not once lifted his gaze from it. There was also before him a tree, and only Allah can know the number of its leaves. Upon each leaf was written the name of a certain person. Then there stood before him a type of vessel. At times he reached in it with his right hand and drew something out of it, handing it to the luminous and gentle angels to his right. At times he reached for something with his left hand and gave it to the pitch-black angels standing by his left side. As I looked at those dark angels, fear fell upon my heart and I began to tremble. I was seized by a weakness and prostration, and I asked Jibra’il, ‘Who is this?’ Jibra’il replied, ‘This is the Angel of Death, his name is Azra’il. There is no one who can bear to look at him. It is he who ends all delights, and cuts off from all community.’ He then went up to him and said, ‘Oh Azra’il, this visitor here is the Prophet of the Last Times , he is the Beloved of Allah, the Lord of Mercy. Speak thou to him!’
“Upon these words, Azra’il lifted his head and he smiled. Jibra’il approached him and saluted him. I also went up to him and proferred my Salams. He received my greetings and showed me great honor. Then he spoke, ‘Welcome to you, oh Muhammad ! Allah has created no creature more honored than you, and to no nation has He given greater honor than to your nation. I am gentler and more compassionate towards your nation than to any nation that went before them.’ In response to these words, I said to Azra’il, ‘You have gladdened my heart, oh Azra’il, and cleared my mind of fear. Yet there
remains one matter on my mind, for I have seen your state to be one of gloom and grief and I wonder wherefore.’
“Azra’il explained to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , since the time the
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