The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 270
Seal of the Prophets - Volume I 270 The Holy Prophet sa also presented him with greetings of peace. The shadow of a large number of spirits fell upon this man. When he looked to his right, his face would glow in delight. But when he looked to his left, his face would shrivel in grief. The Holy Prophet sa asked Gabriel as , “Who is this honourable man?” “This is Adam as ” responded Gabriel, “and to the right of him, among his progeny, is the shadow of the people of paradise, looking towards whom he becomes delighted. To the left of him is the shadow of the people of fire, looking towards whom he feels grief. ” After this, Gabriel as took the Holy Prophet sa forward, and at the gate of the second heaven, he was confronted with the same occurrence. Upon entering, the Holy Prophet sa saw two men who warmly received him saying, “Welcome O righteous Prophet! Welcome O righteous Brother!” The Holy Prophet sa also presented them greetings of peace and Gabriel as told him that this is Jesus as and John as , who are cousins. Similarly, Gabriel as took the Holy Prophet sa with him to the third, fourth and fifth heaven, where he met Joseph as , Enoch as and Aaron as correspondingly. At the sixth heaven, the Holy Prophet sa met Moses as , and he welcomed him in the same manner. The Holy Prophet sa also gave him greetings of peace. When the Holy Prophet sa started ahead, Moses as began to weep. At this a voice was heard, “O Moses, why do you weep?” Moses as said, “O my Lord! This young man came from behind me, but his community shall enter paradise more so than my own. O my Lord! I did not believe that someone could come after me yet surpass me still. ” 1 After this, the Holy Prophet sa entered the seventh heaven, where he met Abraham as , who was leaning against the Baitul-Ma‘mūr. The Baitul-Ma‘mūr was the centre of the heavenly places of worship (for which the Ka‘batullāh was erected in this world as its symbolic representation). Abraham as also greeted the Holy Prophet sa in the same way as Adam as (because in the likeness of Adam as , he was also a grandfather to the Holy Prophet sa ), and the Holy Prophet sa also presented him with greetings of peace. After this the Holy Prophet sa moved forward and reached where no man had laid foot before. The Holy Prophet sa heard the sound of many pens writing from above him (which were as if the pens of decree and destiny). The Holy Prophet sa saw a Lote-tree, which was as if the final point of relation between the heaven and this world, and from it began the final abode of paradise. The fruit and leaves of this Lote-tree were very large and of a strange type. When the Holy Prophet sa looked to this tree, an inexplicable manifestation was shown 1 God-forbid, this statement by Moses as was not one of jealousy; rather, it was a natural expression of envy, which in order to exhibit the lofty status of the Holy Prophet sa , perhaps was said by divine influence. (Author)