The
Souls of the Dwellers of Paradise and Hell
"The Prophet ﷺ noticed some people to the right and left of Prophet Ādam عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Whenever Prophet Ādam عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام looked to his right, he would smile, and
whenever he looked to his left, he would weep. Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام mentioned, "These forms on his left
and right are his offspring. The ones on his right are the people of Paradise
and those on the left are the people of hell."¹
The
second sky
Then the beloved Prophet ﷺ began the ascent to the second sky. In no
time, they came upon the second sky. Here, the same process transpired as
before. Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, "Who is this?"
Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
replied, "I am Jibrīl." It was then asked, "Who is with
you?" He replied, "The chosen one, Muhammad ﷺ."
It was asked, "Has he been sent for?" He replied, "Yes."
Upon this, it was said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِهٖ وَقُعْمَ
الْمَجِیْءُ جَاءَ "Welcome to him! What an excellent
visitor has arrived!" Then the gate was opened.
When the Prophet ﷺ entered through the gate and went upwards in this sky, he saw
Prophet Yaḥyā and Prophet ʿĪsā عَلَيْهِمَاالسَّلَام.
Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
said, "These are Prophet Yaḥyā and Prophet ʿĪsā عَلَيْهِمَاالسَّلَام,
greet them." The Prophet ﷺ greeted them and they
replied. Then, welcoming the Prophet ﷺ,
they said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِالْاَخِ الصَّالِحِ
وَالنَّبِیِّ الصَّالِحِ "Welcome to the righteous brother and
the righteous Prophet!"²
¹ Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī: 349
² Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3787
The
third sky
Then the beloved Prophet ﷺ began the ascent to the third sky. When
they reached it, Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, "Who is this?"
Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام replied, "I am Jibrīl." It was then asked,
"Who is with you?" He replied, "The chosen one, Muhammad ﷺ." It was asked, "Has he been
sent for?" He replied, "Yes." Upon this, it was said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِهٖ وَقُعْمَ الْمَجِیْءُ جَاءَ
"Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has arrived!" Then the
gate was opened.
When the Prophet ﷺ entered through the gate and went upwards, he saw Prophet Yūsuf
عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام said, "This is Prophet Yūsuf عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, greet him." The Prophet ﷺ greeted him and he replied. Welcoming the
Prophet ﷺ, he said, مَرْحَبًۢا
بِالْاَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِیِّ الصَّالِحِ "Welcome to the
righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!"¹
The
fourth sky
Then the ascent to the fourth sky
began. When they reached there, the same process occurred. Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام asked for the gate to be opened. It was
asked, "Who is this?" Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ
السَّلَام replied, "I am Jibrīl." It was then asked, "Who
is with you?" He replied, "The chosen one, Muhammad ﷺ." It was further asked, "Has he been sent for?"
He replied, "Yes." Upon this, it was said, مَرْحَبًۢا
بِهٖ وَقُعْمَ الْمَجِیْءُ جَاءَ "Welcome to him! What an excellent
visitor has arrived!" Then the gate was opened.
When the Prophet ﷺ entered through the gate and went upwards, he saw Prophet Idrīs
عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام said, "This is Prophet Idrīs عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, greet him." The Prophet ﷺ greeted him and he replied. Welcoming the
Prophet ﷺ, he said, مَرْحَبًۢا
بِالْاَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِیِّ الصَّالِحِ "Welcome to the
righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!"²
¹ Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī: 3887
² Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3887
The
fifth sky
Then the beloved Prophet ﷺ began the ascent to the fifth sky. When
they reached it, Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
again asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, "Who is this?"
Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
replied, "I am Jibrīl." It was then asked, "Who is with you? He
replied, "The chosen one, Muhammad ﷺ."
It was asked, "Has he been sent for?" He replied, "Yes."
Upon this, it was said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِهٖ وَقُعْمَ
الْمَجِیْءُ جَاءَ "Welcome to him! What an excellent
visitor has arrived!" Then the gate was opened.
When the Prophet ﷺ entered through the gate and went upwards, he saw Prophet Hārūn
عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام said, "This is Prophet Hārūn عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, greet him." The Prophet ﷺ greeted him and he replied. Welcoming the
Prophet ﷺ, he said, مَرْحَبًۢا
بِالْاَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِیِّ الصَّالِحِ "Welcome to the
righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!"¹
The
sixth sky
After meeting Prophet Hārūn عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, the beloved Prophet ﷺ ascended to the sixth sky. When they reached it, Sayyidunā
Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام asked for the gate to
be opened. It was asked, "Who is this?" Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام replied, "I am Jibrīl." It was
then asked, "Who is with you?" He replied, "The chosen one,
Muhammad ﷺ." It was asked, "Has he been
sent for?" He replied, "Yes." Upon this, it was said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِهٖ وَقُعْمَ الْمَجِیْءُ جَاءَ
"Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has arrived!" Then the
gate was opened.
¹ Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī: 3887
When the noble Prophet ﷺ entered through the gate and went upwards,
he saw Prophet Mūsā عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام.
Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
said, "This is Prophet Mūsā عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام,
greet him." The Prophet ﷺ greeted him and he
replied. Welcoming the Prophet ﷺ, he said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِالْاَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِیِّ الصَّالِحِ
"Welcome to the righteous brother and the righteous Prophet!". After
this meeting when the noble Prophet ﷺ
moved onwards, Prophet Mūsā عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
began to weep. It was asked, "What is it that makes you weep?" He
replied, "I weep because more people will enter Paradise from the Ummah of
a young man who was sent after me, than will enter mine."¹
The
seventh sky
Then the Prophet ﷺ ascended to the seventh sky. When they reached it, Sayyidunā
Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام asked for the gate to
be opened. It was asked, "Who is this?" Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام replied, "I am Jibrīl." It was
then asked, "Who is with you?" He replied, "The chosen one,
Muhammad ﷺ." It was asked, "Has he been
sent for?" He replied, "Yes." Upon this, it was said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِهٖ وَقُعْمَ الْمَجِیْءُ جَاءَ
"Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has arrived!" Then the
gate was opened.
¹ Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī: 3887
² Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3887
³ Bayt al-Ma'mur is the qiblah of the Angels. It is parallel to the Ka'bah
above the seventh sky. In some narrations, it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ led the angels in prayer there just as he
led the Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام
in prayer in Masjid al-Aqsa. (Mir'aat Al-Manajih, Mi'rāj Ka bayan, vol. 8, p.
135); Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 162
When the noble Prophet ﷺ entered through the gate and went upwards,
he saw Prophet Ibrāhīm Khalīlullah عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام²
resting against Bayt al-Ma'mūr.³ Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ
السَّلَام said, "This is your father, Prophet Ibrāhīm, greet
him." The Prophet ﷺ greeted him and he
replied. Welcoming the Prophet ﷺ he said, مَرْحَبًۢا بِالْاِبْنِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِیِّ الصَّالِحِ
"Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous Prophet!"¹
Sidrat
al-Muntahā (The Lote Tree of the Farthest Limit)
After meeting Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام on the seventh sky, the noble Prophet ﷺ ascended to Sidrat Al-Muntahā.² It is a
luminous lote tree whose roots are in the sixth sky and branches are above the
seventh.³ Its fruit is large like the jars of the place known as Hajar and its
leaves are like the ears of the elephant.
Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام said, "This is Sidrat
Al-Muntahā." The Prophet ﷺ noticed four rivers
emanating from the base of Sidrat Al-Muntahā, two hidden rivers and two visible
ones. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "What are
these rivers, O Jibrīl?" He replied, "The hidden ones are two rivers
of Paradise⁴. The visible ones are the Nile and the Euphrates."⁵
¹ Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī: 3887
² Mir'aat Al-Manajih, Mi'rāj Ka bayan, vol. 8, p. 143
³ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3887; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 162
⁴ These heavenly rivers are Kawthar and Salsabil, or Kawthar and the River of
Reḥmah (mercy). (Mir'aat Al-Manajih, Mi'rāj Ka bayan, vol. 8, p. 144)
⁵ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3887; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 162
⁶ Al-Mawahib, Al-Maqsad Al-Khamis, vol. 8, p. 103
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