Hadith
Semüre İbni Cündeb radıyallâhu anh said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked his companions: “Is there anyone among you who dreams?” And when someone said, “Yes,” he would interpret their dream in the way that Allah willed. One morning, he said to us: “Last night, two men came to me in my dream and said, ‘Come on, we are going.’ So I went with them. We came to a man lying on his side, and another man was standing by his head, holding a piece of stone, which he brought down upon the man’s head, splitting it open. The stone rolled away, and the other man ran after it, picking it up, and as soon as he returned, the man’s head would heal, returning to its former state. The man kept repeating what he had done exactly. I said to my companions: “Glory be to Allah! What is this?” They replied, “Go on, go on.” So we went on. Then we came to a man lying on his back, and another man standing by his head holding an iron hook. This man would pass to one side of the lying man and with the hook he would tear his flank, nose and eye all the way to his neck, then pass to the other side and do the same there. As soon as one side healed, he would start tearing the other side again, and the man kept doing it continuously. I said: “Glory be to Allah! What are these?” They replied, “Go on, go on.” So we went on. Then we came to a structure like an oven. (The narrator says that I think the Messenger of Allah continued his speech as follows:) There were cries and lamentations mixed together, unintelligible. We realized that there were many naked men and women inside that structure. As flames rose from beneath them, they cried out and wailed. I said: “What is happening to these people?” They replied, “Go on, go on.” So we went on. Finally, we came to a river. (The narrator says, ‘I think he said,’) It was a river of blood. There was a man swimming in the river, and another man standing on its bank with many stones piled up beside him. The swimmer would swim as far as he could, then come to the shore and open his mouth. The man on the shore would put a stone into his mouth, and the swimmer would turn around and continue swimming, then return to the shore again, opening his mouth, and the other would throw another stone into it, and he would go back again. I said to my two companions who were with me: “What is the matter with these two?” They replied, “Go on, go on.” So we went on. We came to a man – you might say he was the most hideous of all men – constantly lighting fires and walking around them. I said: “What is this man doing?” They replied, “Go on, go on.” Then we came to a wide, lush garden full of all kinds of flowers. In the middle of the garden was a very tall man, so tall that I could hardly see the top of his head reaching towards the sky. Around him were more children than I had ever seen in my life. I said: “Who are these men and children (what are they doing)?” They replied, “Go on, go on.” So we went on, until we came to a large forest that I have never seen so beautiful or wide. Those who were taking me said, “Enter there!” We entered together and found ourselves in a city built of gold bricks and silver mortar. When we reached the gate of the city, we asked it to be opened, and it was opened, and we went inside. We were greeted by men whose bodies were half the most beautiful ever seen, and the other half the ugliest ever seen. My two companions said to them: “Go and enter that river!” And behold, the water was like milk, pure white, flowing horizontally. The men went into the river and came out beside us, all their ugliness gone, and they were all extremely beautiful. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, continued his speech: “The two men who took me said to me: ‘This is Paradise, and this is your abode.’ I raised my head and behold; a pavilion like a white cloud. ‘This is yours,’ they said. Then I said to those two men: ‘May Allah grant you great blessings, let me enter it now.’ They replied, ‘No, not yet! You will enter it later.’ Then I said: ‘Tonight, I have seen many amazing things. What is the meaning of what I saw?’ They said: ‘We will tell you,’ and they told me: ‘The man whose head was split with a stone is someone who learned the Qur’an but abandoned it, and spends the time of obligatory prayer in sleep. The man whose flank, nose and eyes were torn by an iron hook is someone who leaves his home and spreads lies. The naked men and women inside the oven are those who commit adultery. The man who swims in the river and swallows stones is one who eats interest. The ugly-looking man constantly lighting fires and walking around them is a servant of Hell.’
It is narrated by Malik.
Narrator
The tall man in the garden is Ibrahim, peace be upon him. The children around him are young children who died on the fitrah of Islam.” In the narration of Burkani, there is a note that “those born on the fitrah.” A Muslim asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Are the children of the polytheists also included in this?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The children of the polytheists are also included.” As for those men whose bodies were half beautiful and half ugly, they are those who mix good deeds with bad ones. (But) Allah has forgiven them.” Bukhari, Ta’bir 48. In another narration by Bukhari, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “Last night two men came to me and took me to a sacred place,” and then related how he got there: “We came to a hole resembling an oven with a narrow top and a wide bottom, and a fire burning at its bottom. As the flames rose, people also rose, almost coming out of the hole, and when the flames subsided, they went down.” In this narration, there is also the expression “There were naked men and women together inside.” Again in this narration, it is stated with certainty: “Finally, we reached a river of blood.” It is said, “A man was standing in the middle of the river, and another man was on its bank with a pile of stones beside him. The swimmer would swim as far as he could, then come to the shore and open his mouth. The man on the shore would put a stone into his mouth, and the swimmer would turn around and continue swimming, then return to the shore again, opening his mouth, and the other would throw another stone into it, and he would go back again.” Again in the same narration, these expressions are found: “Those two men took me to a tree and brought me into a house more beautiful than I have ever seen. There were old and young people inside.” “And that man whose mouth you saw being torn is one who was a liar. He constantly lied. His lies covered the horizons. That liar will be punished until the Day of Judgment.” “And that man whose head you saw being crushed had been taught the Qur’an, but he spent the nights sleeping and not reciting the Qur’an, and did not act upon it during the day. He too will be punished until the Day of Judgment.” “The first house you entered is for the believers; this house is for the martyrs.” I said, “I am Gabriel,” and this is Michael.” Lift your head! They said. I raised my head and behold; something like a cloud was standing above me. This is your abode,” they said. Then I said: “Let me enter it now.” They replied, “No, you have not yet completed your life. You will enter it when you complete it.” Bukhari, Janaza 93.
What We Learn
- 1Those who learn the Qur’an must strive not to forget it. Forgetting the Qur’an as a book of life certainly entails much heavier responsibilities.
- 2There is no room for laziness in prayer. The punishment for those who abandon obligatory prayer, which is the pillar of religion, is very severe.
- 3The punishment for lying is tearing one’s cheeks, nose and eyes with iron hooks until they reach their necks.
- 4Adultery is forbidden.
- 5Interest is haram in its entirety.
- 6Good deeds should not be mixed with bad and forbidden deeds.
- 7The rank of the martyrs in the hereafter is worthy of envy.
- 8Young children who die at a young age are in Paradise.
- 9The Messenger of Allah’s position is very exalted.
- 10The Prophet has been informed by Allah in various ways. The Messenger, who always tells the truth (the truthful reporter), has also enlightened us about the afterlife.