The Rising and the Hereafter
Allâhu ta’âlâ pities all the people on the earth, and sends them the useful things He creates. He has taught the entire humanity how they should act and behave so that they may lead a life of comfort and peace in the world and in the Hereafter. Choosing some of the people whose deserved destination in the Hereafter is Hell, He will magnanimously forgive them and bless them with Paradise....
Allâhu ta’âlâ pities all the people on the earth, and sends them the useful things He creates. He has taught the entire humanity how they should act and behave so that they may lead a life of comfort and peace in the world and in the Hereafter. Choosing some of the people whose deserved destination in the Hereafter is Hell, He will magnanimously forgive them and bless them with Paradise....
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
SECOND CHAPTER<br />
<strong>The</strong>reafterAllâhuta’âlâmakesmanstayin<strong>the</strong>worldaslong<br />
ashislifespan.Hestaysin<strong>the</strong>worldtillhisdeterminedtimeof<br />
death comes <strong>and</strong> his rizq has been exhausted <strong>and</strong> his deeds<br />
predeterminedin<strong>the</strong>eternalpasthavecometoanend.Whenhis<br />
worldlydeathdrawsnear,fourangelscometohim.<strong>The</strong>yextract<br />
hissouloutofhisbody,onepullingitfromhisrightfoot,ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
fromhisleftfoot,<strong>the</strong>thirdonefromhisrighth<strong>and</strong>,<strong>and</strong><strong>the</strong>fourth<br />
onefromhislefth<strong>and</strong>.Inmostcases,hebeginstosee<strong>the</strong>’âlam of<br />
melekût (<strong>the</strong> second ’âlam) before his soul turns into a state of<br />
gargling. He sees angels <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> inner essence of <strong>the</strong>ir deeds<br />
exactlyin<strong>the</strong>stateswherein<strong>the</strong>yexistin<strong>the</strong>ir’âlam.Ifhistongue<br />
is capable of speech, he informs about <strong>the</strong>ir existence. In many<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rcases,however,hethinksthat<strong>the</strong>eventsheiswatchingare<br />
tricks being played by <strong>the</strong> devil; he remains motionless until he<br />
becomesquitespeechless.Asheisinthatstate,<strong>the</strong>angelstugat<br />
hissoulagain,bygrabbing<strong>the</strong>endsofhisfingers<strong>and</strong>toes.Atthis<br />
stagehisbreathgarglesasifwaterwerebeingpouredoutfroma<br />
watercarrier’sdemijohn.<strong>The</strong>fâjir’ssoulisextractedasharshlyas<br />
ifthornsstuckondampfeltwerebeingforcedapart,whichisafact<br />
statedbyourProphet‘sall-Allâhu’alaihiwasallam’,<strong>the</strong>highestof<br />
mankind.Atthisstate<strong>the</strong>dyingmanfeelsasifhisstomachwere<br />
filledwithtorns.Hefeelsasifhissoulwerebeingdrawnthrough<br />
a needle-hole <strong>and</strong> as if heaven <strong>and</strong> earth were being pressed<br />
againsteacho<strong>the</strong>r,withhimselfleftbetween<strong>the</strong>m.<br />
HadratKâ’b‘radiy-Allâhu’anh’wasaskedhowdeathfelt.He<br />
said: “I felt it like this: A branch of thorns placed into you.<br />
Someonestrongisforcingitout.Ittearsawaywhatitcan,leaving<br />
<strong>the</strong>rest<strong>the</strong>retorueit.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>MasterofallProphets‘sall-Allâhuta’âlâ’alaihiwasallam’<br />
stated: “Vehemence of a single one of <strong>the</strong> pangs of death is<br />
definitely worse than <strong>the</strong> pain to be felt under three hundred<br />
sword-strokes.”<br />
At that time man’s body pours with sweat. His eyes swiftly<br />
movefromonesideto<strong>the</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r.Hisnoserecedesfrombothsides.<br />
Hisribsrise,hisbreathswells,<strong>and</strong>heturnspale.Asourblessed<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>r’Âisha-i-siddîqa‘radiy-Allâhu’anhâ’held<strong>the</strong>Messenger<br />
of Allah in her lap, she saw <strong>the</strong>se symptoms (of death) <strong>and</strong>, in<br />
–13 –