The Essence of Islam – Volume V — Page 107
The Plague 107 earth by Providence, came and sat down near me with its face pointing to the north. It seemed to be a silent creature and modesty was apparent from its eyes. Every few minutes it would run into one of the forests, and, the moment it entered, cries like doomsday would be heard from there. It would start devouring the animals and one could hear it chewing their bones. After every such raid it would come back and sit down close to me for some ten or so minutes, after which it would charge into some other forest, and the same things would take place as before, after which it would again return to me. Its eyes were very large and I studied it carefully each time it came back. It would convey to me, by the expression of its face, that it was helpless in the matter, and was only doing what it was commanded. It appeared to me to be a gentle and pious creature, who did nothing on its own, but only did whatever it was commanded to do. . Then it was conveyed to me that this animal was in fact the plague, and was [the insect of the earth], regarding which God had promised in the Holy. Quran that He would bring it out in the latter days, and it would bite people because they did not believe in His signs. God Almighty says: وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ