MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 16/41)
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ghty, All-Knowing. (Ya Sin, 38)
The learned commentators, may Allah have Mercy on them, have said that the sun comes to rest beneath the Divine Throne. The angels take the sun to its place beneath the Throne every night where it bows and prostrates itself before the Almighty Lord. Thus it will continue until the Day of Judgment is nigh. Then a Divine Command will be heard, “Let the Sun stop in the west, and let it rise from there!” (A detailed interpretation of this vision is given in the work entitled ‘Ara’is-i-Salabi’.)
The Prophet’s narration continues:
“Thereafter, Jibra’il intoned the Adhan and Iqama, and I led all the angels and inhabitants of the fourth Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then we proceeded to ascend to the Fifth Heaven.”
The Fifth Heaven
The Beloved of Allah narrates details of his visit to the Fifth Heaven:
“Allah Almighty created this Heaven from red gold and its name is Safiya. The keeper of the gate is called Kalqa’il. As before, we requested entry at its gates. After a set exchange of certain questions and answers, the gates opened and we entered. Upon entering, I beheld
the guardian of this Heaven seated upon a throne of light. I greeted him, and he returned my Salams with much respectfulness. Five hundred thousand angels are at his service, and each one of these has another five hundred thousand attendants at his disposal. They are constantly engaged in glorification of the Lord, and their Tasbih is this:
Quddusun quddus Rabb-al-arbab, Subhana Rabbinal-‘alal-‘azham, Quddusun Rabb-al-malaikati wa-r-ruh (Holy, Holy, the Lord of All Lords!
Glory to our Lord, the Lofty, the Majestic!
All-Holy the Lord of the angels and the spirit.)
“Having passed by these angels, I came upon another flock, and Allah alone knows their number. These were seated in an attitude of perfect devotion in the posture of Qa’da, never raising their gaze from their knees as they recited this Tasbih:
Subhana Dhil-fadhlil-akbar Subhanal-‘adl illadhi la yajur.
(Praise be to the Possessor of Greatest Grace.
Praise be to the Perfectly Just One who wrongs none.)
“I turned to Jibra’il and asked, ‘Is that their form of worship?’ He replied, ‘Yes, since the day they were created, they have busied themselves with their devotion. Entreat your Lord that He might grant your nation this form of worship as well.’ I prayed for this and the Qa’da (kneeling position) was thus included in our ritual prayer.
Prophets Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Lut and Harun
“We passed on and met the Prophets Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Lut and Harun. I gave them my greetings and they replied, ‘Welcome to you, oh righteous son, our upright brother and truthful Prophet!’ They greeted me with full honors and gave good tidings of great good things to be.
“Their glorification was the following:
Subhana man la yasiful-wasifuna ‘azhmatahu wa muntahahu
Subhana man hada’at lahu-r-riqab wa dhallat lahu-s-sifaq. (Glory to Him before the Extremity of whose Majesty all attempts at description must pale,
Glory to Him before whom princes bow their heads and the brazen are humbled).
“Having passed by, we came to a sea the expanse of which is known to Allah Almighty alone, none but He can say aught about it. I asked, ‘What is this sea?’ Jibra’il answered, ‘This sea is called the Bahru-n- Niqam, the Sea of Vengeance. From here descended the waters of the flood of Nuh.’
“We passed on and Jibra’il called the Adhan and the Iqama, and I led all the inhabitants and angels of the fifth Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. After this we ascended to the Sixth Heaven.”
The Sixth Heaven
“Allah Almighty has created this Heaven from a yellow gem and has called it Khalisa. Its guardian is Samkha’il. We came to its gates and requested their opening; the customary question and answering took place and the gates opened for us. As we entered, I beheld the angel Samkha’il. He had six hundred thousand angels at his command, and each of these had another six hundred thousand helpers under him. All were engaged in glorification of the Lord, chanting these words:
Subhanal-Karim, subhana-n-Nur-al-mubin,
Subhana-lladhi huwa ilahu man fi-s-samawati wa ilahu man fil-ard.
(Glory be to the Munificent, Glory to the Unmistakable Light,
Glory to Him who is God of all that is in the heavens and on the earth.)
“I greeted the angel Samkha’il and he returned my greetings with full appreciation and ceremony. Then he made this supplication: ‘May the Almighty bless your good works, your works of sanctity and the light within your heart!’ to which I rejoined, ‘Amin!’
“Then we passed on until we came upon a group of angels who are called the Cherubim (Karubiyun). Only Allah knows their number. Their chief is a great angel who is given seventy thousand angels in
attendance. Each of these helpers had another seventy thousand angels to serve him. With loud voices, they are continuously chanting Tasbih and Tahlil. Passing by them, I met my brother, the Prophet Musa. I greeted him and he rose in response and kissed me between the eyes. Then he spoke and said, ‘Praise be to Allah who has sent you and shown you to me. The Lord has given me tidings of the great miracles about to be performed. Tonight, you are to be honored by meeting and conversing with the Lord of the Universe. However, do not forget your weak nation. Whatever bliss you are granted, also seek it for your nation. Should anything be made obligatory on them, ask for it to be reduced to a minimum.’
“The glorification of Musa was this:
Subhanal-Hadi man yasha’u. Subhanal-Mudillu man yasha’u; Subhanal-Ghaffur-ur-Rahim.
(Glory be to Him who leads to righteousness whomsoever He will; Glory to Him who leads astray whom He will;
Glory to the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.)
“Passing on, we reached the angel Mikha’il who was seated upon a tremendous throne. In front of him was a great set of scales. Each scale of the balance was so great that it might have contained all the heavens and earths. A great many scrolls of paper were stacked in front of him. I went up to him and gave him my Salams. He received my greetings and rose to greet me in return. Then he made this supplication on my behalf: ‘May Allah increase your powers of sanctity and your bliss,’ to which I replied, ‘Amin!’ He then gave me these joyous tidings, ‘No nation has ever before received such goodness and munificence as the blessings with which your nation will be favored. Therefore their scales weigh heavier than those of all other nations. Happy is the man who follows you with love, and woe upon the man who turns against you and rebels.’
“There were so many angels surrounding Mikha’il that Allah alone can know their number. They all spoke to me and said, ‘We are all subservient to your command, and we constantly recite Salawat upon you. From twenty-five thousand years before the creation of Adam
until this very moment, there has been one particular angel responsible for the delivery of every single drop of rain or snow. For all the growing plants and fruits and crops, there is an angel assigned to every single one of them, and he performs his duty perfectly. Having performed his duty once, he does not repeat his chore again until the Day of Judgment. From this you can gauge the immense number of angels that are created.’
“The Tasbih of these angels is this:
Subhana Rabbi kulli mu’minin wa kafirin,
Subhana man tada’u min haybatihi ma fi butunihal-hawamil.
(Glory be to the Lord of every believer and every infidel;
Glory to Him, from awe of whom pregnant women bring forth what is in their wombs.)”
“The glorification of the angel Mikha’il is this:
Subhana-Rabbil-‘ala
(Glory be to the Highest Lord.)”
According to one narration he is to have said: “If a person perseveres along his life in reciting this Tasbih, ‘Subhana Rabbil-‘Ala’, when his time to die has come, the angel Mikha’il will send the Angel of Mercy to him with a gift. He who is visited in his grave by the Angel of Mercy is made safe from the punishment of the grave.”
On account of this vision, the Holy Prophet included this Tasbih in his Sunna, since Muslims recite this phrase in every Sajda, so that they may ultimately reach to this felicity.
The Holy Prophet then continued:
“After this we reached a luminous green sea where there was a multitude of angels - Allah Almighty alone knows their number – and their Tasbih was this:
Subhanal-Qadiril-Muqtadir, Subhanal-Karimil-Akram, Subhanal-Jalilil-‘Azhim.
(Glory be to the Mighty, the All-Powerful;
Glory to the Most Generous of the Generous, Glory to the Glorious, the Illustrious.)
“I then asked, ‘What sea is this?’ and Jibra’il told me, ‘The name of this sea is ‘Bahr-al-Akhdar’, the Green Sea.’ Then Jibra’il recited the Adhan and Iqama, and I led the angels and inhabitants of the sixth Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then we rose up to the Seventh Heaven.”
The Seventh Heaven
Our beloved Prophet continued the narration of his visit to the Seventh Heaven:
“Allah Almighty has it created from Light. Its name is Ghariba and the name of its guardian angel is Afra’il. Jibra’il requested entry at the keeper of the gates as he had done before, and after a succession of questions and answers, the gates swung open and we were admitted. I beheld Afra’il and the seven hundred thousand angels under his command. Each one of these had in turn seven hundred thousand helpers, and their glorification was this:
Subhana-lladhi sataha-s-samawati wa rafa’aha, Subhana-lladhi basatal-arda wa farashaha, Subhana-lladhi atla’al-kawakiba wa azharaha, Subhana-lladhi arsal-jibala wa haya’ha.
(Glory be to Him who has fashioned the skies as a roof and raised them aloft;
Glory to Him who has flattened the earth and fitted it accordingly;
Glory to Him who brought forth the stars and made them to be adornments;
Glory to Him who has set up the mountains and fixed them in their places.)”
“I greeted Afra’il and he received my greetings with pleasure. He gave me glad tidings of many spiritual gifts of grace and much reward for accepted good works.
“Above the gate to this Heaven were written these words: La ilaha ill- Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, wa Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. There I beheld an angel whose head was at a level with the Throne, while his feet were placed firmly on the earth. He was so great that he might have swallowed up all the seven layers of Heaven with one gulp, had
Allah Almighty permitted him to do so. The Tasbih of this tremendous angel was this:
Subhanal-muhtajibi bi jalalihi,
Subhanal-musawwiri fil-arhami ma yasha’u.
(Glory be to Him who is veiled by His Majesty,
Glory be to Him who forms in the womb whatever He wills.)
“Then I saw an angel with seven hundred thousand heads, and each of these heads bore seven hundred thousand faces. On every single face there were seven hundred thousand mouths, and in every single mouth there were seven hundred thousand tongues and with each tongue he speaks seven hundred thousand different languages. This angel also has seven hundred thousand wings. Every day, this angel plunges seven hundred times into the Ocean of Light, which is in Paradise, and each time he comes up out of the water, he shakes himself. From every drop of light that flies off him, the Almighty creates an angel, which glorifies the Lord as follows:
Subhanaka ma ‘azhama sha’nuka, Subhanaka ma ’azhama makanuka, Subhanaka sayyidi ma arhamaka bi khalqika.
(Be Thou glorified, how immense is Thy dignity! Glory be to Thee, how high is Thy station!
Glory to Thee, my Lord, how great Thy Mercy on Thine creation!)
“After passing by this one, I beheld another angel, seated upon a throne. His head was beneath the Divine Throne, and his feet reached to the bottom of the earth. He was so great, that he could have swallowed up the world and what is within it in a single gulp. The tip of one of his wings touched the west, whereas the other touched to the east. Seven hundred thousand angels were at his service, and each one of these commanded another seven hundred thousand angels. ‘Who is this?’ I asked the angel Jibra’il. ‘This is Israfil,’ he told me. I went up to him and gave him Salams and he received them well and gave me great good tidings. His Tasbih was this:
Subhana-s-sami’-al-‘alim,
Subhanal-muhtajibi ‘an khalqihi, Subhana Rabbina wa ta’ala.
(Glory be to Him, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, Glory be to Him who is veiled from His Creation, Glorified and exalted be He, our Lord Almighty.)
“After this, I came upon a person all drowned in Light. He was seated upon a throne in an attitude of awesome dignity, and before him was a multitude of little children. I asked Jibra’il who was this person of such light, majesty and awe, and who were all the children with him. The angel answered me, ‘This is your great grandfather Ibrahim. He loves you and the entire nation that believes in you. He once prayed to the Lord of the Worlds that he might be of service to your nation, and the Lord heard his supplication. He gave him all these little children who are the little boys and girls from your nation who die before reaching adulthood. Allah Almighty has entrusted Ibrahim with their upbringing and education. Until the Day of Judgment, he will be instructing them in proper behavior and training their minds in the useful sciences. After having perfected their schooling, on the Day of Gathering he will lead them forth and bring them to the site of Resurrection. There, before the Lord’s Holy Presence, he will entreat Him with these words: ‘Oh my Lord, here are the youngsters of the nation of Your Beloved Muhammad who died before reaching the age of maturity. According to Your order and command, I have taught and trained them in all useful branches of knowledge, and brought them before Thy Majestic Throne. Thine is all kindness, favor and grace.’
“At this invocation, the Almighty Lord will reply with the full glory of His Majesty, ‘Oh children, go and enter the Gardens of Paradise.’ Thereupon, these children will reply, ‘Oh our Lord, by Thy Grace and Thy Munificence, let our parents go with us!’ The Almighty Lord will again direct His Divine Speech at them, and say, ‘You have nothing to answer for, go and enter into Paradise forthwith; as for your parents, they are accountable and there are things they have to answer for.’ Again, these children entreat the Lord, ‘During their lives in the material world, we caused them sorrow through our absence; now, by the vastness of Thine Mercy which floods the universal expanse, let us be the cause of happiness for them.’ Upon this plea, the All-Merciful
and Beneficent Lord accepts the children’s supplications and addresses them, saying, ‘Go then and take from the wine of the spring of Kawthar and give your parents to drink therefrom.’
“Thereafter, Jibra’il turned to me and said, ‘Go ahead and give Salams to Ibrahim.’ I stepped forth and greeted him, whereupon he honored me and received me well. Then he spoke to me, saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh virtuous son and righteous Prophet! Tonight you are to be honored in that you will witness the splendor of the Lord of the Universe, and you will be admitted to behold all manner of sacred displays. As for your nation, it is the last of all nations and it will be a very weak nation, so do not neglect to intercede with your Lord on their behalf.’
“And he continued, ‘Oh Muhammad ! Give Salams to your nation from me and convey to them my advice: the World (dunya) is of a passing nature and rapid in its decline. In the eyes of the Eternal Lord it is but base and contemptible matter. He attributes to it not even the value of a fly’s wing. Tell them not to waste their lives in the pursuit of its vain beauties, its pomp and palaces; not to be deceived by its many and varied tastes, by promises of grandeur and large followings. For it is the world to come, which is lasting, and eternal. Therefore, let them busy themselves in following the pure ways of the Shari’a (Divine Law) by night and by day, and the guidance contained in your Sunna (practice of the Prophet ) and thereby gain the good pleasure of the Almighty Lord. The Gardens of Paradise are vast, so let them plant there many, many trees.’
“I asked him then, ‘How does one plant a tree in the Jannah?’ He replied, ‘Through the recital of this Tasbih:
Subhanallahi wal-hamdu-lillahi
wa la ilaha ill-Allahu wallahu akbar,
wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil-aliyyil-azhim.
(Glory be to Allah and Praise;
None is worthy of worship but Allah alone, and Allah is Most Great!
There is no Might and no Power save with Allah, the Exalted, Majestic.)
Tell them to recite this Du’a (prayer), for each time they recite it, a tree is planted in Paradise.’
“Then Jibra’il called the Adhan to prayer and made Iqama; I then led the angels and inhabitants of the seventh Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats, then we ascended to the Bayt-al-Ma’mur.
The Bayt-al-Ma’mur (The Heavenly House)
“This is a highly revered building in the Seventh Heaven. It is of the same size as the revered Kaba, which stands upon the earth and it is situated right above it. Were it to be let down from the Heavens, it would land right on top of the Kaba. Allah has created it from red ruby stone and given it two doors made from green emerald. Ten thousand lamps of pure gold illuminate it and it has a minaret of pure silver, which has a height of five hundred years’ traveling. At the door of this building there is a Minbar (a pulpit), and every day since their creation up until the Last Day, seventy thousand angels come here to visit this house.
“In front of it there is a sea of light in which they first bathe, then take thereof a veil of light each and wrap it around themselves. This is their Ihram (ceremonial clothing of the pilgrimage). Then they begin to circumambulate the Heavenly House in Ihram, calling out Labbayk (‘At Your service!’), as the pilgrims do on earth. Having once completed their Tawaf (circumambulation), these angels do not return a second time until the Day of Judgment, and it is only the angels of the seventh Heaven who go there at all. Jibra’il then took me by the hand and we went inside.
“He said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , do lead us here in prayer too!’ Then he called the Adhan, and all the inhabitants of the seven heavens now followed as I led them in a prayer of two Rak’ats. When I beheld the immense multitude, it came to my mind, ‘Oh if only my nation were granted such a communal prayer.’ Thereupon, the Lord who knows all hidden thoughts, realized my secret wish in that He commanded, ‘Oh Muhammad ! Your nation will be granted such a communal prayer: it will be on a Friday, and it will be obligatory.’”
It is written in some of the books of admonition:
“Every Friday the great angels assemble round the Holy House. Jibra’il calls the
Adhan and Israfil delivers the Khutaba (sermon) while Mikha’il leads the prayer as Imam. All the angels of the seven heavens follow his lead. After the Jum’a{3} prayer is complete, Jibra’il addresses the gathering as follows, “Oh gathering of angels, bear
witness that I pass on the reward for this Adhan to the Muadhdhins {4} (callers to prayer) of the nation of Muhammad !”
Then Israfil rises and says, “Oh ye angels! Bear witness that I donate the reward for this Khutba to all the Khatibs{5} of the nation of Muhammad !” Then Mikha’il steps forth and says, “Oh angels, I too have made over the merit of leading this prayer to the Imam{6} of the nation of Muhammad !” All the angels then present the merit for their prayer to those of the nation of Muhammad who have prayed the Jum’a prayer.
Then there comes a call from the Highest Lord, saying, “Oh Angels of Mine! Do you seek to outdo Me in generosity, whereas I am He who created all Generosity and Munificence! Hear then My Decree: whoever honors the day of Jum’a from among the nation of Muhammad , man or woman alike, I will forgive them their sins and free them from the torments of Hell!” Thus He Almighty grants us His Grace and Mercy. Oh Allah, make us also recipients of Your Munificence and ease our way to reach such a degree of merit, for the honor of the Trusted Prophet Muhammad , oh Most Merciful of the Merciful, Amin!
“Then,” continued the Holy Prophet , “we ascended to Sidratul Muntaha.”
The Sidratul Muntaha
Concerning the ‘Sidratul Muhtaha’, the learned ‘Ulama have proffered various differing opinions, particularly with regard to the statement: “It is called ‘Sidratul Muntaha’ (the lotus tree of the extreme limit) because it is the end of all that is knowable, and nobody can know what is beyond it.” Some others have explained: “Whoever comes from above, arrives here and cannot pass on further down. Whoever comes from below, reaches this point and cannot ascend further. Therefore it is called by this name.” Yet others try to explain it in this way: “The world of spirits ends at this point, therefore it is called the Lote tree of the extreme limit.” Ibn ‘Abbas tells us: “It is a tree which is made all of gold. Some of its boughs are made of emerald, some are of ruby. The tree measures a distance of one hundred and fifty years journey from its foot to its top. Its leaves resemble the ears of the elephant, and they are very great: a single one of them would cover the entire world. Its fruits are shaped like water jugs. The whole
tree is engulfed by light.”
The Holy Prophet continues:
“Upon this tree I saw such a number of angels that only Allah Almighty can know. They enfolded all the leaves of that tree and glittered like locusts, flashing like stars.”
This holy verse was revealed concerning this vision:
Indeed, he saw him another time by the Lote-Tree of the Boundary nigh which is the Garden of the Refuge, when there covered the Lote- Tree that which covered; his eye swerved not, nor swept astray. Indeed he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 13-18)
The commentators interpret this verse as meaning that the whole tree was surrounded and embraced by the multitude of angels upon it. It is related that there were as many angels upon the leaves of that tree as there are stars in the sky and grains of sand in the earth. Some angels took the form of golden butterflies. All of them came to greet the Prophet of Allah , and when they beheld his saintly beauty, they all gave thanks to the Lord and gave to him the assurance of Allah’s Mercy. They also made over all the merit of their devotional actions to the nation of Muhammad .
Jibra’il, too, had his place upon the branches of this tree, and his was a branch made of green emerald. It was at a height of one hundred thousand years of journeying. There is a leaf there, the breadth of which is that of the seven layers of the heavens and the seven beds of the earth. Upon it there is a carpet spread of light, and on it there is a Mihrab made of red ruby. This Mihrab is the place of the Angel Jibra’il. Before it was placed a seat of honor reserved for the Holy Prophet upon which no one had sat since the day it was set in place.
Each of these was surrounded by forty thousand stools upon which angels sat reciting the Injil. To the left there were also ten thousand stools made of beryl, and the angels seated upon them were writing out the Zabur. Forty thousand other angels reciting the Zabur surrounded each seat. Behind us there were again ten thousand stools of red ruby. The angels seated on these were writing out the Holy Quran, and around each stool there were seated another forty thousand angels reciting the Holy Quran.
This has been explained as follows:
The wisdom of the Torah being placed before Muhammad , the Injil to his right, and the Zabur to his left is this: before the Holy Prophet , the Choice of all
Humankind, had yet appeared in the world and begun fulfilling his mission, those Holy Scriptures had already been revealed. All of them contained descriptions of the Prophet to come and told of his characteristics and excellence, and of the preeminent position of his nation among all other, previous nations. The Holy Quran was placed behind him because its Judgment is to remain valid and unsurpassed until the Day of Judgment, and even the Day of Judgment would be conducted by its rulings. It is a sign of its remaining free and safe from abrogation, substitution, alteration or corruption.
The Holy Prophet continues:
“Jibra’il then said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , I have a request to make of you: that you would deign to pray two Rak’ats here, so that my Maqam might gain blessings from it.’ I therefore prayed a prayer of two Rak’ats there and all the angels of the Holy House and the Sidratul Muntaha followed suit.” In this way the Holy Prophet was honored above the angels.
The Four Streams of Paradise
Rasulullah continues his account:
“Below this tree there flowed four streams, two of which were evident and two of which were hidden. Jibra’il told me, ‘The two hidden streams flow into the Gardens of Paradise, while the two visible ones flow down to the Earth. One of them is the Euphrates, the other is the Nile.’ Then I beheld another stream, by the banks of which tents had been set up that were of ruby, pearls and chrysolite. By their banks flew birds of emerald green whose necks resembled the necks of camels. Jibra’il then said to me, ‘What you see here is the spring of Kawthar. Allah Almighty has made you a gift of it.’
As it is written in the Holy Quran,
Surely, We have given thee abundance (Kawthar); so pray unto thy Lord and sacrifice. Surely he that hates thee, he is the one cut off. (Abundance)
“This stream flowed along over pebbles of rubies and emerald and its waters were whiter than milk. I took up a cup and drank from it. Its taste was sweeter than honey, and its scent more pleasing than musk. A spring gushed forth beneath that tree. Jibra’il told me its name: Salsabil. It was the source of two waters, one is Kawthar (Abundance);
the other is Rahma (Mercy). Both streams flow before the gates of the Garden.
“Those entering into Paradise drink from the waters of Kawthar, and when they do so, all the calamities of the heart, base character and bad habits disappear and they become cleansed. Then they bathe in the spring of Rahma (Mercy). The men assume the dimensions of Adam, who measured sixty yards in height and seven yards in breadth. They will all be thirty-three years of age and will have green moustaches. As for the ladies, they will emerge as virgin girls of eighteen and their virginity will not be rent. Thus they will enter into Paradise, and never again will they age and become old. The spring of Salsabil is the source of these waters.
“Then I saw groups of angels passing in rows before the Sidra, and their rows were joined together. They formed such a long formation, that were a bird of swiftest flight to fly along it for a hundred years, he would not reach its other end. They moved faster than the wind, as swiftly as the arrow flies. I then asked Jibra’il, ‘Whence comes this great multitude of angels, and whither are they going? And when did they begin their passage?’ Jibra’il explained to me, saying, ‘They have been passing by since the time they were created, ceaselessly in passage. I know not whence they come nor whither they are going.’ I marveled at their great number, remarking on it under my breath. Instantly this verse was revealed to me through Jibra’il:
...and none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. (Shrouded, 31)
“Then they brought before me three bowls; one containing wine, one containing honey and a third containing milk. I chose the one with milk and drank from it. Jibra’il then said to me, ‘You have chosen the natural disposition of Islam and your nation will be firmly established in the religion of Islam. Had you chosen the cup of wine, your nation would have been a rebellious and fickle one.’
“I saw an angel at the Sidra greater than all the other angels I had seen. He measured a thousand times thousand years’ wayfaring distance. This angel had seventy thousand heads. Every head had seventy thousand faces. On every face there were seventy thousand mouths. And each head was covered with seventy thousand cloths. Each one of these coverings was embellished with one thousand times thousand pearls. Each of these pearls was so great that there appeared a sea in its
midst in which fish were swimming. Upon their backs was written the
Kalimat-ut-Tawhid, the Declaration of Unity:
LA ILAHA ILL’ALLAH, MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAH.
“This angel engaged in exaltation of the Lord, placing one hand upon his head and one hand behind his back. The beauty of his voice was such that it caused a commotion at the Divine Throne itself. I asked Jibra’il to tell me who that angel was and he said, ‘The Lord Almighty created this angel two thousand years before He created Adam.’ I then asked where he had been all this time and where was his place of dwelling. Jibra’il replied, ‘In Paradise there is a place to the right of the Divine Throne, that is the abode of this angel. From there he was brought here.’
Ramadan, the Blessed
“I went up to him and greeted him and he rose in answer to my Salams. Then he spread his wings, and all the heavens and the Earth were covered by their expanse. He then kissed my face and said, ‘Good tidings to you, and to your nation! The Lord Almighty has d
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ghty, All-Knowing. (Ya Sin, 38)
The learned commentators, may Allah have Mercy on them, have said that the sun comes to rest beneath the Divine Throne. The angels take the sun to its place beneath the Throne every night where it bows and prostrates itself before the Almighty Lord. Thus it will continue until the Day of Judgment is nigh. Then a Divine Command will be heard, “Let the Sun stop in the west, and let it rise from there!” (A detailed interpretation of this vision is given in the work entitled ‘Ara’is-i-Salabi’.)
The Prophet’s narration continues:
“Thereafter, Jibra’il intoned the Adhan and Iqama, and I led all the angels and inhabitants of the fourth Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then we proceeded to ascend to the Fifth Heaven.”
The Fifth Heaven
The Beloved of Allah narrates details of his visit to the Fifth Heaven:
“Allah Almighty created this Heaven from red gold and its name is Safiya. The keeper of the gate is called Kalqa’il. As before, we requested entry at its gates. After a set exchange of certain questions and answers, the gates opened and we entered. Upon entering, I beheld
the guardian of this Heaven seated upon a throne of light. I greeted him, and he returned my Salams with much respectfulness. Five hundred thousand angels are at his service, and each one of these has another five hundred thousand attendants at his disposal. They are constantly engaged in glorification of the Lord, and their Tasbih is this:
Quddusun quddus Rabb-al-arbab, Subhana Rabbinal-‘alal-‘azham, Quddusun Rabb-al-malaikati wa-r-ruh (Holy, Holy, the Lord of All Lords!
Glory to our Lord, the Lofty, the Majestic!
All-Holy the Lord of the angels and the spirit.)
“Having passed by these angels, I came upon another flock, and Allah alone knows their number. These were seated in an attitude of perfect devotion in the posture of Qa’da, never raising their gaze from their knees as they recited this Tasbih:
Subhana Dhil-fadhlil-akbar Subhanal-‘adl illadhi la yajur.
(Praise be to the Possessor of Greatest Grace.
Praise be to the Perfectly Just One who wrongs none.)
“I turned to Jibra’il and asked, ‘Is that their form of worship?’ He replied, ‘Yes, since the day they were created, they have busied themselves with their devotion. Entreat your Lord that He might grant your nation this form of worship as well.’ I prayed for this and the Qa’da (kneeling position) was thus included in our ritual prayer.
Prophets Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Lut and Harun
“We passed on and met the Prophets Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Lut and Harun. I gave them my greetings and they replied, ‘Welcome to you, oh righteous son, our upright brother and truthful Prophet!’ They greeted me with full honors and gave good tidings of great good things to be.
“Their glorification was the following:
Subhana man la yasiful-wasifuna ‘azhmatahu wa muntahahu
Subhana man hada’at lahu-r-riqab wa dhallat lahu-s-sifaq. (Glory to Him before the Extremity of whose Majesty all attempts at description must pale,
Glory to Him before whom princes bow their heads and the brazen are humbled).
“Having passed by, we came to a sea the expanse of which is known to Allah Almighty alone, none but He can say aught about it. I asked, ‘What is this sea?’ Jibra’il answered, ‘This sea is called the Bahru-n- Niqam, the Sea of Vengeance. From here descended the waters of the flood of Nuh.’
“We passed on and Jibra’il called the Adhan and the Iqama, and I led all the inhabitants and angels of the fifth Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. After this we ascended to the Sixth Heaven.”
The Sixth Heaven
“Allah Almighty has created this Heaven from a yellow gem and has called it Khalisa. Its guardian is Samkha’il. We came to its gates and requested their opening; the customary question and answering took place and the gates opened for us. As we entered, I beheld the angel Samkha’il. He had six hundred thousand angels at his command, and each of these had another six hundred thousand helpers under him. All were engaged in glorification of the Lord, chanting these words:
Subhanal-Karim, subhana-n-Nur-al-mubin,
Subhana-lladhi huwa ilahu man fi-s-samawati wa ilahu man fil-ard.
(Glory be to the Munificent, Glory to the Unmistakable Light,
Glory to Him who is God of all that is in the heavens and on the earth.)
“I greeted the angel Samkha’il and he returned my greetings with full appreciation and ceremony. Then he made this supplication: ‘May the Almighty bless your good works, your works of sanctity and the light within your heart!’ to which I rejoined, ‘Amin!’
“Then we passed on until we came upon a group of angels who are called the Cherubim (Karubiyun). Only Allah knows their number. Their chief is a great angel who is given seventy thousand angels in
attendance. Each of these helpers had another seventy thousand angels to serve him. With loud voices, they are continuously chanting Tasbih and Tahlil. Passing by them, I met my brother, the Prophet Musa. I greeted him and he rose in response and kissed me between the eyes. Then he spoke and said, ‘Praise be to Allah who has sent you and shown you to me. The Lord has given me tidings of the great miracles about to be performed. Tonight, you are to be honored by meeting and conversing with the Lord of the Universe. However, do not forget your weak nation. Whatever bliss you are granted, also seek it for your nation. Should anything be made obligatory on them, ask for it to be reduced to a minimum.’
“The glorification of Musa was this:
Subhanal-Hadi man yasha’u. Subhanal-Mudillu man yasha’u; Subhanal-Ghaffur-ur-Rahim.
(Glory be to Him who leads to righteousness whomsoever He will; Glory to Him who leads astray whom He will;
Glory to the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.)
“Passing on, we reached the angel Mikha’il who was seated upon a tremendous throne. In front of him was a great set of scales. Each scale of the balance was so great that it might have contained all the heavens and earths. A great many scrolls of paper were stacked in front of him. I went up to him and gave him my Salams. He received my greetings and rose to greet me in return. Then he made this supplication on my behalf: ‘May Allah increase your powers of sanctity and your bliss,’ to which I replied, ‘Amin!’ He then gave me these joyous tidings, ‘No nation has ever before received such goodness and munificence as the blessings with which your nation will be favored. Therefore their scales weigh heavier than those of all other nations. Happy is the man who follows you with love, and woe upon the man who turns against you and rebels.’
“There were so many angels surrounding Mikha’il that Allah alone can know their number. They all spoke to me and said, ‘We are all subservient to your command, and we constantly recite Salawat upon you. From twenty-five thousand years before the creation of Adam
until this very moment, there has been one particular angel responsible for the delivery of every single drop of rain or snow. For all the growing plants and fruits and crops, there is an angel assigned to every single one of them, and he performs his duty perfectly. Having performed his duty once, he does not repeat his chore again until the Day of Judgment. From this you can gauge the immense number of angels that are created.’
“The Tasbih of these angels is this:
Subhana Rabbi kulli mu’minin wa kafirin,
Subhana man tada’u min haybatihi ma fi butunihal-hawamil.
(Glory be to the Lord of every believer and every infidel;
Glory to Him, from awe of whom pregnant women bring forth what is in their wombs.)”
“The glorification of the angel Mikha’il is this:
Subhana-Rabbil-‘ala
(Glory be to the Highest Lord.)”
According to one narration he is to have said: “If a person perseveres along his life in reciting this Tasbih, ‘Subhana Rabbil-‘Ala’, when his time to die has come, the angel Mikha’il will send the Angel of Mercy to him with a gift. He who is visited in his grave by the Angel of Mercy is made safe from the punishment of the grave.”
On account of this vision, the Holy Prophet included this Tasbih in his Sunna, since Muslims recite this phrase in every Sajda, so that they may ultimately reach to this felicity.
The Holy Prophet then continued:
“After this we reached a luminous green sea where there was a multitude of angels - Allah Almighty alone knows their number – and their Tasbih was this:
Subhanal-Qadiril-Muqtadir, Subhanal-Karimil-Akram, Subhanal-Jalilil-‘Azhim.
(Glory be to the Mighty, the All-Powerful;
Glory to the Most Generous of the Generous, Glory to the Glorious, the Illustrious.)
“I then asked, ‘What sea is this?’ and Jibra’il told me, ‘The name of this sea is ‘Bahr-al-Akhdar’, the Green Sea.’ Then Jibra’il recited the Adhan and Iqama, and I led the angels and inhabitants of the sixth Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats. Then we rose up to the Seventh Heaven.”
The Seventh Heaven
Our beloved Prophet continued the narration of his visit to the Seventh Heaven:
“Allah Almighty has it created from Light. Its name is Ghariba and the name of its guardian angel is Afra’il. Jibra’il requested entry at the keeper of the gates as he had done before, and after a succession of questions and answers, the gates swung open and we were admitted. I beheld Afra’il and the seven hundred thousand angels under his command. Each one of these had in turn seven hundred thousand helpers, and their glorification was this:
Subhana-lladhi sataha-s-samawati wa rafa’aha, Subhana-lladhi basatal-arda wa farashaha, Subhana-lladhi atla’al-kawakiba wa azharaha, Subhana-lladhi arsal-jibala wa haya’ha.
(Glory be to Him who has fashioned the skies as a roof and raised them aloft;
Glory to Him who has flattened the earth and fitted it accordingly;
Glory to Him who brought forth the stars and made them to be adornments;
Glory to Him who has set up the mountains and fixed them in their places.)”
“I greeted Afra’il and he received my greetings with pleasure. He gave me glad tidings of many spiritual gifts of grace and much reward for accepted good works.
“Above the gate to this Heaven were written these words: La ilaha ill- Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, wa Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. There I beheld an angel whose head was at a level with the Throne, while his feet were placed firmly on the earth. He was so great that he might have swallowed up all the seven layers of Heaven with one gulp, had
Allah Almighty permitted him to do so. The Tasbih of this tremendous angel was this:
Subhanal-muhtajibi bi jalalihi,
Subhanal-musawwiri fil-arhami ma yasha’u.
(Glory be to Him who is veiled by His Majesty,
Glory be to Him who forms in the womb whatever He wills.)
“Then I saw an angel with seven hundred thousand heads, and each of these heads bore seven hundred thousand faces. On every single face there were seven hundred thousand mouths, and in every single mouth there were seven hundred thousand tongues and with each tongue he speaks seven hundred thousand different languages. This angel also has seven hundred thousand wings. Every day, this angel plunges seven hundred times into the Ocean of Light, which is in Paradise, and each time he comes up out of the water, he shakes himself. From every drop of light that flies off him, the Almighty creates an angel, which glorifies the Lord as follows:
Subhanaka ma ‘azhama sha’nuka, Subhanaka ma ’azhama makanuka, Subhanaka sayyidi ma arhamaka bi khalqika.
(Be Thou glorified, how immense is Thy dignity! Glory be to Thee, how high is Thy station!
Glory to Thee, my Lord, how great Thy Mercy on Thine creation!)
“After passing by this one, I beheld another angel, seated upon a throne. His head was beneath the Divine Throne, and his feet reached to the bottom of the earth. He was so great, that he could have swallowed up the world and what is within it in a single gulp. The tip of one of his wings touched the west, whereas the other touched to the east. Seven hundred thousand angels were at his service, and each one of these commanded another seven hundred thousand angels. ‘Who is this?’ I asked the angel Jibra’il. ‘This is Israfil,’ he told me. I went up to him and gave him Salams and he received them well and gave me great good tidings. His Tasbih was this:
Subhana-s-sami’-al-‘alim,
Subhanal-muhtajibi ‘an khalqihi, Subhana Rabbina wa ta’ala.
(Glory be to Him, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, Glory be to Him who is veiled from His Creation, Glorified and exalted be He, our Lord Almighty.)
“After this, I came upon a person all drowned in Light. He was seated upon a throne in an attitude of awesome dignity, and before him was a multitude of little children. I asked Jibra’il who was this person of such light, majesty and awe, and who were all the children with him. The angel answered me, ‘This is your great grandfather Ibrahim. He loves you and the entire nation that believes in you. He once prayed to the Lord of the Worlds that he might be of service to your nation, and the Lord heard his supplication. He gave him all these little children who are the little boys and girls from your nation who die before reaching adulthood. Allah Almighty has entrusted Ibrahim with their upbringing and education. Until the Day of Judgment, he will be instructing them in proper behavior and training their minds in the useful sciences. After having perfected their schooling, on the Day of Gathering he will lead them forth and bring them to the site of Resurrection. There, before the Lord’s Holy Presence, he will entreat Him with these words: ‘Oh my Lord, here are the youngsters of the nation of Your Beloved Muhammad who died before reaching the age of maturity. According to Your order and command, I have taught and trained them in all useful branches of knowledge, and brought them before Thy Majestic Throne. Thine is all kindness, favor and grace.’
“At this invocation, the Almighty Lord will reply with the full glory of His Majesty, ‘Oh children, go and enter the Gardens of Paradise.’ Thereupon, these children will reply, ‘Oh our Lord, by Thy Grace and Thy Munificence, let our parents go with us!’ The Almighty Lord will again direct His Divine Speech at them, and say, ‘You have nothing to answer for, go and enter into Paradise forthwith; as for your parents, they are accountable and there are things they have to answer for.’ Again, these children entreat the Lord, ‘During their lives in the material world, we caused them sorrow through our absence; now, by the vastness of Thine Mercy which floods the universal expanse, let us be the cause of happiness for them.’ Upon this plea, the All-Merciful
and Beneficent Lord accepts the children’s supplications and addresses them, saying, ‘Go then and take from the wine of the spring of Kawthar and give your parents to drink therefrom.’
“Thereafter, Jibra’il turned to me and said, ‘Go ahead and give Salams to Ibrahim.’ I stepped forth and greeted him, whereupon he honored me and received me well. Then he spoke to me, saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh virtuous son and righteous Prophet! Tonight you are to be honored in that you will witness the splendor of the Lord of the Universe, and you will be admitted to behold all manner of sacred displays. As for your nation, it is the last of all nations and it will be a very weak nation, so do not neglect to intercede with your Lord on their behalf.’
“And he continued, ‘Oh Muhammad ! Give Salams to your nation from me and convey to them my advice: the World (dunya) is of a passing nature and rapid in its decline. In the eyes of the Eternal Lord it is but base and contemptible matter. He attributes to it not even the value of a fly’s wing. Tell them not to waste their lives in the pursuit of its vain beauties, its pomp and palaces; not to be deceived by its many and varied tastes, by promises of grandeur and large followings. For it is the world to come, which is lasting, and eternal. Therefore, let them busy themselves in following the pure ways of the Shari’a (Divine Law) by night and by day, and the guidance contained in your Sunna (practice of the Prophet ) and thereby gain the good pleasure of the Almighty Lord. The Gardens of Paradise are vast, so let them plant there many, many trees.’
“I asked him then, ‘How does one plant a tree in the Jannah?’ He replied, ‘Through the recital of this Tasbih:
Subhanallahi wal-hamdu-lillahi
wa la ilaha ill-Allahu wallahu akbar,
wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil-aliyyil-azhim.
(Glory be to Allah and Praise;
None is worthy of worship but Allah alone, and Allah is Most Great!
There is no Might and no Power save with Allah, the Exalted, Majestic.)
Tell them to recite this Du’a (prayer), for each time they recite it, a tree is planted in Paradise.’
“Then Jibra’il called the Adhan to prayer and made Iqama; I then led the angels and inhabitants of the seventh Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats, then we ascended to the Bayt-al-Ma’mur.
The Bayt-al-Ma’mur (The Heavenly House)
“This is a highly revered building in the Seventh Heaven. It is of the same size as the revered Kaba, which stands upon the earth and it is situated right above it. Were it to be let down from the Heavens, it would land right on top of the Kaba. Allah has created it from red ruby stone and given it two doors made from green emerald. Ten thousand lamps of pure gold illuminate it and it has a minaret of pure silver, which has a height of five hundred years’ traveling. At the door of this building there is a Minbar (a pulpit), and every day since their creation up until the Last Day, seventy thousand angels come here to visit this house.
“In front of it there is a sea of light in which they first bathe, then take thereof a veil of light each and wrap it around themselves. This is their Ihram (ceremonial clothing of the pilgrimage). Then they begin to circumambulate the Heavenly House in Ihram, calling out Labbayk (‘At Your service!’), as the pilgrims do on earth. Having once completed their Tawaf (circumambulation), these angels do not return a second time until the Day of Judgment, and it is only the angels of the seventh Heaven who go there at all. Jibra’il then took me by the hand and we went inside.
“He said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , do lead us here in prayer too!’ Then he called the Adhan, and all the inhabitants of the seven heavens now followed as I led them in a prayer of two Rak’ats. When I beheld the immense multitude, it came to my mind, ‘Oh if only my nation were granted such a communal prayer.’ Thereupon, the Lord who knows all hidden thoughts, realized my secret wish in that He commanded, ‘Oh Muhammad ! Your nation will be granted such a communal prayer: it will be on a Friday, and it will be obligatory.’”
It is written in some of the books of admonition:
“Every Friday the great angels assemble round the Holy House. Jibra’il calls the
Adhan and Israfil delivers the Khutaba (sermon) while Mikha’il leads the prayer as Imam. All the angels of the seven heavens follow his lead. After the Jum’a{3} prayer is complete, Jibra’il addresses the gathering as follows, “Oh gathering of angels, bear
witness that I pass on the reward for this Adhan to the Muadhdhins {4} (callers to prayer) of the nation of Muhammad !”
Then Israfil rises and says, “Oh ye angels! Bear witness that I donate the reward for this Khutba to all the Khatibs{5} of the nation of Muhammad !” Then Mikha’il steps forth and says, “Oh angels, I too have made over the merit of leading this prayer to the Imam{6} of the nation of Muhammad !” All the angels then present the merit for their prayer to those of the nation of Muhammad who have prayed the Jum’a prayer.
Then there comes a call from the Highest Lord, saying, “Oh Angels of Mine! Do you seek to outdo Me in generosity, whereas I am He who created all Generosity and Munificence! Hear then My Decree: whoever honors the day of Jum’a from among the nation of Muhammad , man or woman alike, I will forgive them their sins and free them from the torments of Hell!” Thus He Almighty grants us His Grace and Mercy. Oh Allah, make us also recipients of Your Munificence and ease our way to reach such a degree of merit, for the honor of the Trusted Prophet Muhammad , oh Most Merciful of the Merciful, Amin!
“Then,” continued the Holy Prophet , “we ascended to Sidratul Muntaha.”
The Sidratul Muntaha
Concerning the ‘Sidratul Muhtaha’, the learned ‘Ulama have proffered various differing opinions, particularly with regard to the statement: “It is called ‘Sidratul Muntaha’ (the lotus tree of the extreme limit) because it is the end of all that is knowable, and nobody can know what is beyond it.” Some others have explained: “Whoever comes from above, arrives here and cannot pass on further down. Whoever comes from below, reaches this point and cannot ascend further. Therefore it is called by this name.” Yet others try to explain it in this way: “The world of spirits ends at this point, therefore it is called the Lote tree of the extreme limit.” Ibn ‘Abbas tells us: “It is a tree which is made all of gold. Some of its boughs are made of emerald, some are of ruby. The tree measures a distance of one hundred and fifty years journey from its foot to its top. Its leaves resemble the ears of the elephant, and they are very great: a single one of them would cover the entire world. Its fruits are shaped like water jugs. The whole
tree is engulfed by light.”
The Holy Prophet continues:
“Upon this tree I saw such a number of angels that only Allah Almighty can know. They enfolded all the leaves of that tree and glittered like locusts, flashing like stars.”
This holy verse was revealed concerning this vision:
Indeed, he saw him another time by the Lote-Tree of the Boundary nigh which is the Garden of the Refuge, when there covered the Lote- Tree that which covered; his eye swerved not, nor swept astray. Indeed he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. (The Star, 13-18)
The commentators interpret this verse as meaning that the whole tree was surrounded and embraced by the multitude of angels upon it. It is related that there were as many angels upon the leaves of that tree as there are stars in the sky and grains of sand in the earth. Some angels took the form of golden butterflies. All of them came to greet the Prophet of Allah , and when they beheld his saintly beauty, they all gave thanks to the Lord and gave to him the assurance of Allah’s Mercy. They also made over all the merit of their devotional actions to the nation of Muhammad .
Jibra’il, too, had his place upon the branches of this tree, and his was a branch made of green emerald. It was at a height of one hundred thousand years of journeying. There is a leaf there, the breadth of which is that of the seven layers of the heavens and the seven beds of the earth. Upon it there is a carpet spread of light, and on it there is a Mihrab made of red ruby. This Mihrab is the place of the Angel Jibra’il. Before it was placed a seat of honor reserved for the Holy Prophet upon which no one had sat since the day it was set in place.
Each of these was surrounded by forty thousand stools upon which angels sat reciting the Injil. To the left there were also ten thousand stools made of beryl, and the angels seated upon them were writing out the Zabur. Forty thousand other angels reciting the Zabur surrounded each seat. Behind us there were again ten thousand stools of red ruby. The angels seated on these were writing out the Holy Quran, and around each stool there were seated another forty thousand angels reciting the Holy Quran.
This has been explained as follows:
The wisdom of the Torah being placed before Muhammad , the Injil to his right, and the Zabur to his left is this: before the Holy Prophet , the Choice of all
Humankind, had yet appeared in the world and begun fulfilling his mission, those Holy Scriptures had already been revealed. All of them contained descriptions of the Prophet to come and told of his characteristics and excellence, and of the preeminent position of his nation among all other, previous nations. The Holy Quran was placed behind him because its Judgment is to remain valid and unsurpassed until the Day of Judgment, and even the Day of Judgment would be conducted by its rulings. It is a sign of its remaining free and safe from abrogation, substitution, alteration or corruption.
The Holy Prophet continues:
“Jibra’il then said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah , I have a request to make of you: that you would deign to pray two Rak’ats here, so that my Maqam might gain blessings from it.’ I therefore prayed a prayer of two Rak’ats there and all the angels of the Holy House and the Sidratul Muntaha followed suit.” In this way the Holy Prophet was honored above the angels.
The Four Streams of Paradise
Rasulullah continues his account:
“Below this tree there flowed four streams, two of which were evident and two of which were hidden. Jibra’il told me, ‘The two hidden streams flow into the Gardens of Paradise, while the two visible ones flow down to the Earth. One of them is the Euphrates, the other is the Nile.’ Then I beheld another stream, by the banks of which tents had been set up that were of ruby, pearls and chrysolite. By their banks flew birds of emerald green whose necks resembled the necks of camels. Jibra’il then said to me, ‘What you see here is the spring of Kawthar. Allah Almighty has made you a gift of it.’
As it is written in the Holy Quran,
Surely, We have given thee abundance (Kawthar); so pray unto thy Lord and sacrifice. Surely he that hates thee, he is the one cut off. (Abundance)
“This stream flowed along over pebbles of rubies and emerald and its waters were whiter than milk. I took up a cup and drank from it. Its taste was sweeter than honey, and its scent more pleasing than musk. A spring gushed forth beneath that tree. Jibra’il told me its name: Salsabil. It was the source of two waters, one is Kawthar (Abundance);
the other is Rahma (Mercy). Both streams flow before the gates of the Garden.
“Those entering into Paradise drink from the waters of Kawthar, and when they do so, all the calamities of the heart, base character and bad habits disappear and they become cleansed. Then they bathe in the spring of Rahma (Mercy). The men assume the dimensions of Adam, who measured sixty yards in height and seven yards in breadth. They will all be thirty-three years of age and will have green moustaches. As for the ladies, they will emerge as virgin girls of eighteen and their virginity will not be rent. Thus they will enter into Paradise, and never again will they age and become old. The spring of Salsabil is the source of these waters.
“Then I saw groups of angels passing in rows before the Sidra, and their rows were joined together. They formed such a long formation, that were a bird of swiftest flight to fly along it for a hundred years, he would not reach its other end. They moved faster than the wind, as swiftly as the arrow flies. I then asked Jibra’il, ‘Whence comes this great multitude of angels, and whither are they going? And when did they begin their passage?’ Jibra’il explained to me, saying, ‘They have been passing by since the time they were created, ceaselessly in passage. I know not whence they come nor whither they are going.’ I marveled at their great number, remarking on it under my breath. Instantly this verse was revealed to me through Jibra’il:
...and none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. (Shrouded, 31)
“Then they brought before me three bowls; one containing wine, one containing honey and a third containing milk. I chose the one with milk and drank from it. Jibra’il then said to me, ‘You have chosen the natural disposition of Islam and your nation will be firmly established in the religion of Islam. Had you chosen the cup of wine, your nation would have been a rebellious and fickle one.’
“I saw an angel at the Sidra greater than all the other angels I had seen. He measured a thousand times thousand years’ wayfaring distance. This angel had seventy thousand heads. Every head had seventy thousand faces. On every face there were seventy thousand mouths. And each head was covered with seventy thousand cloths. Each one of these coverings was embellished with one thousand times thousand pearls. Each of these pearls was so great that there appeared a sea in its
midst in which fish were swimming. Upon their backs was written the
Kalimat-ut-Tawhid, the Declaration of Unity:
LA ILAHA ILL’ALLAH, MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAH.
“This angel engaged in exaltation of the Lord, placing one hand upon his head and one hand behind his back. The beauty of his voice was such that it caused a commotion at the Divine Throne itself. I asked Jibra’il to tell me who that angel was and he said, ‘The Lord Almighty created this angel two thousand years before He created Adam.’ I then asked where he had been all this time and where was his place of dwelling. Jibra’il replied, ‘In Paradise there is a place to the right of the Divine Throne, that is the abode of this angel. From there he was brought here.’
Ramadan, the Blessed
“I went up to him and greeted him and he rose in answer to my Salams. Then he spread his wings, and all the heavens and the Earth were covered by their expanse. He then kissed my face and said, ‘Good tidings to you, and to your nation! The Lord Almighty has d
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