Seâdet-i Ebediyye Endless Bliss Third Fascicle

grave is like the torment seen in dreams results from not knowing,
not understanding the torment in the grave. It originates from
mistaking the torment itself and its vision for each other. This
wrong thought may also be because of supposing that torment in
the next world and worldly torment are the same. It is quite a
wrong supposition. It is obvious that it is wrong and unsound.
Question: The forty-second âyat of Zumar Sûra declares: “It is
Allâhu ta’âlâ Who takes the souls (of men) at death; and those
that die not (He takes) during their sleep; ... .” As is understood
from this âyat, as man’s soul parts from him as he dies, likewise
his soul parts from him when he goes to sleep. Accordingly, how
could it ever be correct to deem the torment in dreams as one of
the worldly torments while deeming the torment in the grave as
one of the torments in the next world?
Answer: The soul’s parting from the body when asleep is like
a person’s leaving his own country smilingly, with pleasure, in
order to go on a journey or on a picnic; he will return to his home
happily. The place where the soul will travel is the ’âlam-i mithâl.
There are interesting, sweet things to be seen in this ’âlam. Not so
is the case with the soul’s leaving the body when dying. This
leaving is like that of a person who leaves his country because his
country has been demolished, his houses, apartment houses have
been destroyed. It is for this reason that there is no trouble or
pain in its leaving the body when going to sleep. On the contrary,
there is happiness and comfort. But there are many pains,
hardships in its leaving the body when dying. The sleeping
person’s country is the world. They practise on him the same
exercises as those in the world. But the dead person’s world has
been demolished. He has migrated to the next world. They
practise on him excercises pertaining to the next world.
Therefore, a hadîth [reported by Daylamî] declares: “When a
man dies his Doomsday has come.”
Mind you, do not stray from the belief taught by the savants of
Ahl as-sunnat wa-l-jamâ’at by being deceived by the kashfs
happening in the imagination and the things seen in the ’âlam-i
mithâl! May Allâhu ta’âlâ plentifully reward those great savants
for their work! Do not trust dreams, illusions! For, unless this
Madhhab of salvation is followed escaping torment in the next
world cannot be thought of. Those who want to be saved in the
next world should give up their own opinions and do their utmost
to follow those great people. A messenger’s duty is to say what he
knows. Seeing the slackness in your writing, I feared much that
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