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faster in terror, desperate for my life, the horrible serpent still
running after me and drawing closer. I saw an old man, dressed in
elegant white clothes, with rich perfumes wafting all around his
person. I greeted him saying, "Assalamu 'alaykum" and he returned
my greetings.
“For the sake of Allah, help in my misery.”
“I am too weak to help you against such a mighty foe; it is
beyond my powers. But you must go on running; perhaps you may
find some help to save you from it,” he said.
Running wildly I saw a cliff in front of me and climbed it, but on
reaching its top, I saw, beyond it, the raging fire of Jahannam (Hell),
with its most horrifying spectacles. I was so terrified by the snake
that I ran on, until I was afraid that I would fall into Jahannam.
Meanwhile I heard a voice calling aloud,
“Get back, for you are not one of them (Jahannamis)!”
I came away and began to run in the opposite direction. The snake
also turned around and came after me. I saw again, the white-robed
old man and said to him,
“Old man, can't you save me from this serpent; I asked you
before but you did not help me.”
The man began to cry and said,
“I am too weak to help you against such a mighty serpent, but I
can tell you there is a hill nearby where they keep ‘sacred trusts’ of
the Muslims. If you go up that hill, you might find something of
yours, kept in trust, which might save you from the serpent.”
I rushed towards the hill, which was round in shape, with a large
number of open curtained casements. The casements had golden
shutters studded with rich rubies, and most precious jewels; on each
shutter hung a curtain made of the rarest silk. When I was about to
climb onto the hill, the angels called aloud,
“Open the windows and raise the curtains and come out of your
closets! Here is an unfortunate man in misery; maybe you have some
‘trust’ of his, that might help him in his distress.”
The windows opened at once, the curtains went up there issued forth
from the casements a host of children, with faces bright as the full
moon. By this time I was utterly despondent, for the snake had
drawn very close to me. Now the children called their friends,
“Come out quickly all of you, for the serpent has come very close
to him."
Hearing this, more children came out of the windows, in large
crowds, and among them I saw my own dear daughter who had died
some time ago. She also saw me and began to weep, exclaiming,
"By Allah, he is my own dear father.”
She jumped on a swinging cradle, which seemed to be made of
heavenly light (noor) and darted across to me. The next moment, she
was standing by my side and I took her to my bosom; she lifted her
10
left hand towards me and with her right motioned the serpent away.
The snake went away immediately. Then, she gave me a seat and sat
in my lap and began to stroke my beard with her right hand, saying,
My dear father, has not the time come for the believers (who
indulge in sins) that their hearts should submit in all humility
to the remembrance of Allah and to the truth which is
revealed.
(Qur'an: al-Hadeed : 16)
I was moved to tears and asked her,
“My daughter, do all of you know the meanings of the Qur'an?”
“We understand the Noble Qur'an even better than you,” she
replied.
"My dear child, what was this serpent?"
She said, “It was your own evil deeds which had made it so strong
that it was about to push you into Jahannam.”
“And who was that white-robed old man?”
She replied, “That were your good deeds and you had made them so
weak with your scanty good deeds that he could not help you against
the serpent (though he suggested to you a means of escape).”
“What are all of you doing on this hill?”
“We are the children of Muslims, who died in infancy. We shall
live here until the day of Resurrection, waiting to be re-united with
you when you come to us at last and we shall intercede for you with
your Lord.”
And then I awoke from the dream, with the fright (of the snake) still
heavy on my heart. I turned to Allah in repentance, as soon as I
arose, and abandoned my evil ways. I became a lover of fasts, and a
scholar, and I was reunited with my family in this garden.
(Reported by Shaykh Maalik bin Dinar Rahmatullah alayh; one of
the renowned Shaykhs of his time, i.e, a few centuries after the
hejira.)
Each one his own destiny
Waali was very astonished to hear the man's words. He thought of
his grandpa who had tried so many times to explain him how to take
advantage of his time, how to conduct his life. Now, everything was
clearer. One had to be good, not drink wine, pray every prayer
without omitting one. Leisure time could be used for doing good
deeds; wealth could be used to help those who needed it; life could
be reformed by studying and learning; health was important to
achieve all this. Health! Sighed Waali. Yes, health. What was more
important than health?
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