Chapter 22 : Meraj II - The Ascension I Flashcards
What happened during Mi’raj [ The Ascension ] - Seeing Hellfire
- This is a continuation of the earlier narration [ Previous Chapter ] from Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad Al Sadiq :-
” I said ‘ After that, I heard a sound that really frightened me. ‘ When I asked as to what it was, the reply came ‘ That sound was from a rock which had been thrown into the fire of hell 70 years ago that just now landed in its spot and just settled. ‘ [ It has been said that from that time on, The Prophet was never seen to laugh as long as he was alive ]. We continued our trip upwards until we reached the upper atmosphere of the world. There, I saw an angel named Isma’il. He was the custodian of Khitfah which the Quran explains in Surah 37 Verse 10 [ Except for the one who snatches a fragment ( Khatfah ) then is chased off by a piercing flame ]. Under the supervision of Isma’il was 70 000 Angels and under the supervision of each of these 70 000 angels were another 70 000 Angels. He [ Isma’il ] asked Gabriel ‘ Who is this person with you ? ‘ The answer was give that ‘ He is Muhammad who has been raised up with The Message. ‘ That Angel [ Isma’il ] opened the door and we entered into the heavens. I greeted him and prayed for his forgiveness. He too greeted me and prayed for his forgiveness. He [ Isma’il ] said ‘ Welcome O Brother and O Great Prophet. ‘ At that time a group of Angels greeted. All of them were smiling and were cheerful except for one of them whose appearance was unpleasant and wrath was evident on him. No sign of happiness could be seen on his face. I said ‘ Who is this O Gabriel ? I felt frightened from him. ‘ You are permitted to be frightened from him and indeed all of us fear him. This is Malik. This Angel is the igniter of the fire of Hell. From the time that Allah appointed him as the one who would ignite the fire of hell up until now, he has never smiled. Every day, his anger on the enemies of Allah and those who commit sins increases. It is through this Angel that Allah will punish the sinners. If it was decreed that there should be a smile on his face then because of you it would have been but never has he smiled nor will he ever neither before you nor after you. ‘ I greeted him and he replied my greeting and he gave me glad tidings of paradise. Malik asked ‘ Do you give me permission to show [ You ] the fire of hell ? ‘ Gabriel replied ‘ Yes, show The Prophet The Fire of Hell. ‘ Malik lifted up the cover of the hellfire and opened the door. Flames from the fire shot up into the sky, flames that were boiling and continuously shooting up. I thought that soon the flames would come close to me. I said ‘ Gabriel, tell the Angel to cover up the fire. ‘ He gave the command and the fire went back to its place and Malik closed the doors of hell. “
- Bihar Al Anwar [ Volume 18, Page 320 - 321 ]
What happened during Mi’raj [ The Ascension ] - Meeting Prophet Adam
- This is a continuation of the earlier narration from Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad Al Sadiq :-
” I continued along. On the way, we met a strong, muscular man. I asked [ Gabriel ] ‘ Who is this person ? ‘ Gabriel replied ‘ He is your father, Prophet Adam. ‘ Adam introduced his children to me and said ‘ A pleasant aroma is coming from your pure body. ‘ I read Surah 83 Verses 18 - 28 to him ‘ Nay ! The record of the virtuous is indeed in Illiyyun [ Elevation Above Elevation which could be referring to the 7th Heaven or The Lote Tree of The Ultimate Boundary ]. And what will show you what is Illiyyun ? A written record. Witnessed by those brought near [ To Allah ]. Indeed the virtuous shall be amid bliss, observing [ As they recline ] on couches. You will perceive in their faces the resplendence of bliss. They are served with a sealed distilled wine. Its seal is musk and for such let the viers vie [ One should really aspie to ]. And whose seasoning is from Tasnim, a spring where those brought near [ To Allah ] drink. ‘ I greeted Prophet Adam and prayed for his forgiveness. He too greeted me and then prayed for my forgiveness and said ‘ Welcome O Prophet and O Righteous Offspring who has been designated at a good time. ‘ “
- Bihar Al Anwar [ Volume 18, Page 321 - 322 ]
What happened during Mi’raj [ The Ascension ] - Meeting The Angel of Death
- This is a continuation of the earlier narration from Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad Al Sadiq :-
” We continued on our way until we saw an Angel sitting down and the entire world is between his knees. In his hand was a tablet of light. That Angel looked at what was written on the tablet with sadness and gloom on his face and paid no attention to what was happening around him except when someone came close to him. I asked Gabriel ‘ Who is this Angel ? ‘ Gabriel said ‘ This is the Angel of Death [ Malik Ul Mawt ] and he is busy taking the souls [ Of People ]. ‘ I said ‘ Take me closer to him. ‘ We went closer to him and Gabriel introduced me to the Angel. I greeted him. He welcomed me, returned the greeting and sent salutations upon me. He said to me ‘ O Muhammad, give the glad tidings to your Ummah since I see good and moral works only from them. ‘ I thanked Allah only because of this blessing and said to him that this was from the grace of My Lord. Gabriel said ‘ The Angel of Death is the most diligent Angel when it comes to carrying out his responsibility. ‘ I asked him ‘ Does Izra’il [ Another name for The Angel of Death ] take the soul of anyone who has died or anyone who will die ? ‘ Gabriel replied ‘ Yes it is so. ‘ I then asked The Angel of Death ‘ Do you see where the people are ? ‘ He replied ‘ Yes. I see then and [ I also see ] the entire universe which is in front of me. ‘ The Angel of Death continued ‘ Allah has given me the permission to have complete awareness over all of them. They are to me just like a dirham [ Coin ] in the hand of a person, such that any way he wants to hold the coin, he can [ So too, he has control and perception over all of Allah’s creations ]. There is not a single house which I do not visit 5 times per day. I say to the people of each house, Do not cry over your deceased because I will continuously come and go from your house until the time comes when not a single person will remain there. ‘ I asked Gabriel ‘ Is death enough for the one who is facing trials and tribulations ? ‘ He replied ‘ After death, the trials are increased. ‘ “
- Bihar Al Anwar [ Volume 18, Page 322 - 323 ]
