BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM VISIONS OF HELL AND PARADISE WITH A QUIZ Adapted for Children from an Authentic Hadith of Prophet Muhammad praise and veneration be upon him by Khadeijah Stephens Copyrighted 2000, Khadeijah Stephens and the Mosque of the Internet www.mosque.com TERMS OF PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION The Mosque of the Internet grants permission to Islamic schools, organizations or Muslim individuals to download, copy, print, publish, record and/or distribute this story either for profit or non-profit without reimbursement to the Mosque of the Internet providing the following six conditions are complied with in full and without exception. The Mosque of the Internet owns and retains the copyright of this story and no other person/s, school, organization or individual etc., owns or has any right or claim to the copyright. No alterations whatsoever are made. Reference to The Mosque of the Internet with its internet address www.mosque.com appears on the front cover. Should artwork be included in its publication the artwork must conform with Islamic principles, for example no drawings of human beings. The Mosque of the Internet is informed of its publication and ten copies of the published book sent to the Mosque of the Internet. If any of these conditions are not met then all previously mentioned permission/s are automatically revoked and legal action will be taken to the maximum extent of the copyright infringement jurisdiction law in the State of Delaware, USA will be sought. One day, as the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, sat with his companions he told them that during the night he had been shown a vision of Hell and Paradise. He told his companions that in his vision two strangers came to him and said: "Come with us". So he went with them until they reached a man lying on his back. As they watched another man threw a stone at the other man's head, then, as the stone rolled away, he ran after it, picked it up and returned to strike the man on his head again. The same thing happened over and over again whereupon our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed." Next, the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, and his companions came across another man who was also laying on his back, but this time a man stood over him with an iron hook which he used to beat and tear open the man's face and neck. After each beating the man's face recovered, and he was punished over and over again. The Prophet exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed." As they journeyed, the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, and his companions came across a pit-like oven in which fearsome flames leapt. As he drew near he heard cries coming from it then saw that the cries came from naked men and women who were trying to get out of the fire, however none were able. The Prophet, exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who are they?" But his companions replied: "Proceed, proceed." Next they came across a river with water as red as blood. Now in the river there was a man swimming towards the riverbank, but as soon as he was in reach of the bank another man pelted his head with stones until the swimmer was driven back into the river. The swimmer never gave up trying to reach the river bank, but each time he was in reach of it he was stoned and driven back into the river. The Prophet exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed." Then they came across a very, very ugly man walking around a blazing fire. Once again the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed." At last they reached a Garden, it was so very beautiful and full of spring flowers. Now in the middle of the Garden there stood a very tall man. In fact he was so tall that they could not see his face as his head was hidden by clouds and around him were so many children, the number of which our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, said that he had never before seen so many. The Prophet exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who are these?" But as before his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed." After this the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, and his companions came across a tree. It too was very, very tall and so very beautiful and his companions invited him to climb it with them. When they finished their climb, there lay before them a most wonderful city built of alternate bricks of gold and silver and they walked towards its gate. At the gate they asked permission to enter and the doors were opened. In the city were people, half their body was the most beautiful body one could ever see, yet the other half of their body was the most ugly you could ever imagine. Now in the city was a stream, the water of which was as white and as pure as milk. The Prophet's companions told the people to jump into the river and as they did their ugliness disappeared and they became the most beautiful people you could ever imagine. The Prophet's companions told him that this was the Garden of Eden, then pointed to a palace in the sky and informed him that it was his residence. Our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, was very happy and asked if he may enter, but his companions told him that the time had not yet come, but he would undoubtedly enter it. The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, turned to his companions and said: "Tonight, I have witnessed many strange things, what are their meanings?" His companions replied: "Now is the time to tell you. The first man you saw being struck upon the head, was a man who had committed the Koran to heart, then forgot it and neglected to say his obligatory five daily prayers. As for the man who was being beaten with an iron hook, he was being punished on account of the lies he told and spread. The naked men and women were adulterers, people who had slept illegally with one another. The man swimming in the river and pelted with stones was the man who earned interest on his money, which is called usury. The ugly person walking around the Fire, was the Angel Malik, the Guardian of Hell who never smiles. As for the very tall man, he was Prophet Abraham, and the children around him were those who had died with an upright character. At that point, one of the Prophet's earthly companions asked if any of the children were the children of unbelievers. The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, replied "yes". Then he continued to tell them that the half beautiful and half ugly children were those who had done both good and bad deeds, but whom Allah had forgiven. Now the two companions in the vision weren't ordinary companions, they were two very special angels and none other than the Arch Angels Gabriel and Michael! QUIZ TIME 1.Why were stones being thrown at the first man's head? 2.What was the punishment of the man you spread lies? 3.Who were crying in the fire? 4.What was the name of the Angel who circled the Fire? 5.Why was the man swimming in the river being punished? 6.Who was the very tall man with his head in the clouds? 7.What did the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, see after his climb? 8.Who did the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, see inside the city. 9.Where was the city? 10.Did the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, enter his home? QUIZ TIME ANSWERS 1. He was being stoned because he learned the Holy Koran by heart then forgot it and did not pray the five daily prayers. 2. He was beaten with an iron hook. 3. Men and women who had slept together illegally. 4. His name was Malik 5. Because he earned usury, or, as it is often called, interest on his money. 6. He was Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him. 7. The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, saw a city built with alternate gold and silver bricks. 8. The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, saw half beautiful and half ugly children. 9. The city was in the Garden of Eden. 10. The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, did not enter his home. If you said the prayer on the Prophet after his name was mentioned you may add an extra point to your score for each time you mentioned it! SCORE 1-3? We think you could do better if you read the story again, or ask a parent or teacher to read it to you, why not try again? 3-6 GOOD, you tried hard 7-9 VERY GOOD INDEED, nearly a perfect score! 10-10+ EXCELLENT! YOU ARE A STAR PUPIL OF THE MOSQUE OF THE INTERNET Don't forget, when you are older read the Hadith of the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, in Imam Nawawi's book called "The Gardens of Righteousness", there's lots of good things in it and it will, InshaAllah, bring you closer to Allah and His Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, wouldn't that be nice!