Dream of Glad Tidings in the Transitionary Period

أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

‘I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil,

In the name of Allah; The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.’

Date: April 13, 2024

Journal Entry: Bushra Lana (Good News)/An Intermediary Phase  

Once again, I had an insightful dream in the morning of 4^th Shawwal, 1445; a few days after celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

 I saw the last moment of my life as I was passing away; I seemed to be bidding farewell to my family. Then, in the dream, I started to see from the point of view perspective. My burial was taking place, and I was being pulled down into my grave. I could see everything getting darker around me as I observed the horizon and the four corners of the ground as I rested six feet deep under. After being covered completely, I felt the contraction of the side walls. I started to feel scared for my experience in Hereafter. However, there after it started to expand and became spacious. The ground to my right starts unveiling from the top to bottom illuminating my grave as it unpacked to a room like environment. There was a man whose face was as clear as crystal with a fair skin tone dressed in all pure white sitting upright against the wall on a couch. His hair was seemingly white and parted from the middle reaching his broad shoulders. Similarly, he had an aura due to his beard that was white as well which made his appearance shine like a pearl. I felt as if he had been waiting for me. He gets up to embrace and welcome me. I asked him if we had met before because he seemed to have a unique appearance yet familiarity with his presence. He told to me that we had met at the plain of the souls (Alam-e-Arwa), and that he has kept watch on me since and was familiar with the tailored trails and tribulations of my life. He assured me to rest with ease and tranquility as the journey from here on now will be smooth. I started to weep out of awe knowing very well of the fact that I didn’t deserve to be given this glad tiding, yet felt a joy never experienced before waking up from the dream.

Now, I only bring this to the attention of others to mention that the struggle to remain sound in one’s faith should be a continuous task, until our very last breath, as believers in the religion of Islam. It may take form as small deeds, if done correctly with consistency, which can allow us to progress spiritually by staying upright. I am nowhere near perfect, nor do I claim to be righteous or pious, but I do make efforts consistently for an inward spiritual growth and outward practice as per the religion of Islam. Yearning to attain proximity of God (عزَّ وجلَّ) and His Beloved (ﷺ) is something I try to sincerely strive for by enacting the way of those [The Prophets, The Truthful, The Martyrs & The Righteous (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all)] who had been successful in following the spiritual path that leads straight to God Almighty’s acceptance & pleasure. May Allah (swt) always keep us sincere and steadfast on Islam as our way of life and grant us a good end with the last of our words to be the Testimony of Faith [لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ – There is no deity worthy of worship save God (alone), and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His servant & final messenger]. I ask Allah (عزَّ وجلَّ) to make the transitionary phase that is a barrier (Barzakh) between this life and the Hereafter to be better than this temporal abode as we hope for our soul to register in ‘Illiyeen’, God-willingly, and reunite with those who we love in the Hereafter.

The sentiment after this experience that resonates with me is from the poem “The House of healing” by Abū Muḥammad ibn Abū Sāliḥ ʿAbdol-Qāder al-Gīlānī al-Ḥasanī wa’l-Ḥusaynī, also known as ‘Abd-ol-Qāder Gīlāni (Persian: عبدالقادر گیلانی‎; 23 March 1078 – 21 February 1166). Gilani was a 12th-century faqih, Islamic scholar, theologian, and mystic originally from Gilan, Iran.

[In Persian]:

تا ابد یا رب زتو من لطف ها دارم امید
از تو گر امّید بُرَّم از کجا دارم امید
زیستم عمر بسی چون دشمنان ،دشمن مگیر
بی وفائی کرده ام از تو وفا دارم امید
هم فقیرم هم غریبم ،بیکس و بیمار و زار
یک قدح زان شربت دار الشّفا دارم امید
منتهای کارتو دانم چو آمرزیدنست
زان سبب من رحمت بی منتها دارم امید
هرکسی امّید دارد از خدا وجز خدا
لیک عمری شد که از تو ،من تو را دارم امید
هم تو دیدی من چه ها کردم وپوشیدی زلطف
هم تو میدانی که از تو من چرا دارم امید
ذره ذره چون جدا گرداندم خاک لحد
بهرِ هر ذره زتو فضل خدا دارم امید
دمبدم بد گفته ام بد مانده ام بد کرده ام
با وجود این خطاها من عطا دارم امید
روشنی چشم من از گریه کم شد ای حبیب
این زمان از خاک کویت توتیا دارم امید

[English Translation]:

Until eternity, oh Lord, in Your Favours I have hope

If I lose hope in You, from where could I ever gain hope?

Much of my life I lived in defiance: See me not defiant

I have been unfaithful, but in Your Faithfulness I have hope

I am a pauper and a stranger, helpless, ailing and weak

In one cup’s medicine of the House of Healing, I have hope

I know that in the end Your Way is Forgiveness

Because of that, in Your Endless Mercy I have hope

Everyone places their hope in God, yet in others too

But for a lifetime I seek [only] You, and in You [alone] I have hope

You saw all I have done, yet You concealed with Graciousness

And You know well why I have hope in You

As, bit by bit, the grave’s soil takes me apart

With every bit, in God’s Grace I have hope

Repeatedly, I spoke and acted badly and remained the same

Despite of these transgressions, in Forgiveness I have hope

The light of my eyes has weakened from my tears, oh beloved

Now, from Your Place’s Healing Kohl, I have hope

This ghazal, “Dar-osh-shafa”, is a love-poem dedicated to God, Glorified and Exalted is He. ‘Abdol-Qader Gilani expresses his hope in the Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace of God. In the face of his mortality and fallibility, he expresses his regrets, but nevertheless places his trust and hope in God, Mighty and Majestic is He.

Dream: Sacred Chamber

أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

‘I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil,
In the name of Allah; The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.’

Date: September 19, 2023
Journal Entry: Dream of Entering the Sacred Chamber

I have been consistent with my salutations on the prophet Muhammad ﷺ for some period. And, recently I have set a daily routine to recite the salutations & prayer upon him ﷺ from ‘Dalayl al-Khayrat’ by Imam Muhammad Al-Juzuli. My desire to see him ﷺ in a dream have been there ever since my spiritual vision (Green Dome & Minaret) of Masjid-e-Nabawi in Medina, which is where his ﷺ burial place is, in an awaken state during the time I was hospitalized in 2021 because of an unusual cause which occured by the will & decree of Allah (swt) of course.

The month of Rabi-ul-Awwal 1445 AH has arrived & it’s the month of his ﷺ birth which happen to occur on a Monday according to some of the Islamic scholars, historian & biographers of His ﷺ life (seerah); they note his departure from this temporal world in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, which also takes place on a Monday. The lovers of his ﷺ rejoice in account of the birth of their beloved prophet Muhammad ﷺ during this month praising him even more than the usual.

On the early morning of Tuesday the 4th of Rabi-ul-Awwal 1445 AH, I had a dream. I happened to walk upon a chamber, a house made of mud. At the gates were two people standing and pointing at me to come inside. To the right was a man wearing a pointed helmet with a green cloth wrapped around it on his head and a beige/camel garment. Standing beside him was a woman with the garment similar in color and wearing a green hijab. I couldn’t see both of their faces because it was radiant & bright as a light. As soon as I entered through the gate of the house, I kept walking straight ahead towards a see through curtain where I could see someone laying down on a straw mat cot. When I reached near the curtain, it pulled to my left side; I saw at first the reclining posture of a man wearing a pure white thobe laying on his right side with his head resting on his arms. My eye sight went blur as I saw his face. However, it was clear as crystal within a matter of seconds. His hair was black, wavy and long up to his neck parted from the middle, a slightly round face with fair skin tone of beige complexion & peachy cheeks. The symmetry of his nose perfectly proportioned, neither thick nor thin, bridging straight down between the eyes. He had, neither too thick nor thin, curved eye brows and his eyes were downturned & dreamy with thick eyelashes matching his coarse beard which was black, full, niether short nor too long. He had a captivating smile on his face with a glow around it which made me want to continue staring his face until I looked down out of having etiquette realizing that the man I was looking at was none other than prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The description of his ﷺ appearance was fitting accordingly with what I acknowledged myself through reading ‘ash-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya’ by Imam Al-Tirmidhi. I couldn’t hold back my tears, and so I sat down before him ﷺ crying not knowing whether it was tears of joy or being ashamed and feeling unworthy of his ﷺ holy & noble presence. I remember the highlight of our conversation being the mention of Iron as a metal, and about the people (Tatars) from the Turkic ethnic groups.

There maybe not much significance to this, but I know that the barrier (Iron gates) between his ﷺ resting place carries a historic precedence of rulers from different muslim ethnic groups adding a monumental value in safeguarding the place of his ﷺ place of burial. So, to see the realities of what is beyond that barrier takes a constant need for connecting with the prophet Muhammad ﷺ spiritually by sending many salutations on him ﷺ regularly, especially, if we want him ﷺ to get to know us individually. I have no doubt in my heart, that those two people in the dream who invited me inside the ‘chamber’ was Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib & Hazrat Fatima al-Zahra (May Allah’s peace & blessings be upon them). May Allah (swt) allow us all to meet & greet the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in this life, physically & spiritually, and be able to anxiously wait our turn to get called with our names to the ‘Hawd Al-kawthar’ (Pond of Abundance) by our beloved prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Hereafter quenching our thirst from the blessed hands of the beloved ﷺ to the beloved Insha’Allah.

I’m only sharing this experience for the purpose of getting other Muslim men & women to believe with certainty in the true reality of seen & the unseen with conviction, SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah). Have full certitude in the significance of which a sincere prayer can have in this life & the Hereafter Bi’ithnillah (by Allah’s will), Alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to Allah) .

“Allah sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allah to bless him), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As¬Salâmu ‘Alaikum)”- [Al-Ahzaab 33:56].

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ،

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Mercy on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious.

O Allah! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent your Blessings on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious. – (Sahih Bukhari)

Diligence during the Daily Prayer (An Islamic View)

It’s understood that human beings are created weak and in a state of forgetfulness. And, regardless of our continued efforts, we remain imperfect during the process to reach the level of praising Allah (swt) through worship as He, the Possessor of All Might and Majesty, ought to be entirely deserving awe for His Divine sublimity. As Muslims, most of the time, we struggle to keep up with our daily obligatory prayers prescribed for us as an honor during the most beautiful event (Al’Isra Wal-Mi’raj) in the history of mankind when the most beloved to Allah, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), was ascended beyond the physical realm of this earth crossing the celestial realm of the seven Heavens accompanied by the Angels, Prophets & Messengers (May Allah’s peace & blessings be upon them All) until he (ﷺ) came in the presence of his Lord, The Most-High.

An interesting way to go about praying while feeling Khushu (Complete devotion and mindfulness towards Allah, The Exalted) and becoming less distracted is to perceive it as a gift by which souls can take delight in and experience the proximity of God, The Benevolent. We know prayer is the means of direct communication between the Lord Almighty and His servants. It has been stated by the Salaf Al-Salih (Pious Predecessors), “The Salah (Prayer) is the Mi’raj (Ascension) for the Mu’min (believer).”

Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The servant is closest to his Lord during Sujud (prostration), so increase your supplications therein.” [Sahih Muslim 482]

Internalize the following with the certainty of belief & complete conviction in the world of the unseen as you stand up for Salah (prayer) hoping to lead your spirit to ascend towards the nearness of God Almighty:

1) Begin praying as if it is your last. Imagine Hazrat Izraeel, the angel of death, arriving to take your soul by the command of Allah (ﷻ). Remember death as a reality that is to come upon all at an appointed time.

2) Kiraman-Katibin (the noble scribes), an angel on the right shoulder penning down our good thoughts, intentions, and action. Whereas, the angel on the left shoulder notes the evils of our Nafs (self) and whispers of Shaitan (Satan) that take the form of bad thoughts causing distraction from our ultimate goal; to be in the complete submission of our Lord.

3) Ahead of you are Munkir and Nakir, the two angels, who will visit your grave for interrogation. Then, we will come to know of the life of Al-Barzakh (the period between death and resurrection on the Day of Resurrection after the final hour.) Think about whether our soul registers in Illyeen (the place belonging to where the good souls take residence) or is it bounded to Sijjeen (where those souls who disbelieved are imprisoned and damned).

4) Before you conclude the prayer by saying “Asalamu Alaykum Wa’rehmatallah” (Peace be upon you and God’s mercy) and point your head to the right shoulder and then to the left shoulder. ” Imagine the scene of the Akhira (Hereafter). To the right is Paradise and the gates of Heavens, where the guardian of it is the Angel by the name of Ridwan (عليه السلام) who takes pleasure in saying “Asalamun Alaykum” (Peace be upon you) to the fortunate inhabitants. And, to the left is the blazing fire of Hell where its custodian Angel Malik (عليه السلام) stands in seriousness without a smile never to flinch due to the severity of his role to punish its unfortunate dwellers by the command of Allah (ﷻ).

Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, when the believer is ready to depart the world and is facing the Hereafter, angels from heaven descend with bright faces, as if their faces were the sun, with them are the shrouds and perfumes of Paradise, until they sit from him a distance as far as the eye can see. Then, the angel of death, upon him be peace, comes until he sits by his head and he says: O pure soul, come out to the forgiveness of Allah and His pleasure! He takes it out like a drop from a water-skin and holds it, never to leave his hand for the blink of an eye until he places it in that shroud and perfume. The scent coming from it is more pleasant than any musk you would find on the face of the earth. He ascends and passes by no gathering of angels but that they say: What a pure spirit! They say he is this person, son of this person, calling him by the best names by which he was known in the world until he stops at the lowest heaven and seeks entry and it will be opened for him. The company of each heaven brings him closer to the heaven following it until he stops at the seventh heaven. Allah Almighty will say: Write the record of My servant in the righteous register and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I return them, and from it, I will take them out once again. His spirit will be returned to his body and two angels will come to sit by him, saying to him: Who is your Lord? He will say: My Lord is Allah. They will say: What is your religion? He will say: My religion is Islam. They will say: Who is this man sent to you? He will say: He is the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. They will say: How did you know? He will say: I read the Book of Allah, had faith in it, and believed in it. A heavenly announcement will be made: My servant has spoken the truth! Spread out carpets for him in Paradise, clothe him for Paradise, and open a gate for him to Paradise! Its comforts and fragrances will come to him and his grave will become spacious as far as his eye can see. A handsome man, with fine clothes and wonderful fragrance, will come and say: Glad tidings of what pleases you, for this was your Day you were promised! He will say: Who are you with such a handsome face? He will say: I am your righteous deeds! He will say: O Lord, begin the Hour that I may return to my family and property!”

The Prophet continued, “Verily, when the unbeliever is ready to depart the world and is facing the Hereafter, angels descend from heaven with darkened faces and with them sack-cloth. They will sit away from his as far as the eye can see. Then, the angel of death approaches until he sits by his head and he says: O filthy soul, come out to the displeasure of Allah and His wrath! He will be separated from his body like the tearing of skewers from wet wool and he holds it in his hand, never to leave it for the blink of an eye, until he places it in this sack-cloth. The scent coming from it is like the most foul corpse found upon the face of the earth. They will ascend with him and not pass by a gathering of angels but that they say: What a filthy spirit! They say he is this person, son of this person, calling him by the ugliest names by which he was known in the world, until he stops at the lowest heaven. They will request it to be opened for him but it will not open.” Then, the Prophet recited the verse, “The gates of heaven will never open for them, nor will they enter Paradise, until the camel goes through the eye of the needle,” (Holy Quran, 7:40). The Prophet said, “Allah Almighty will say: Write his record in the wicked register in the lowest earth. His spirit will be thrown down,” then the Prophet recited the verse, “It is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place,” (Holy, Quran, 22:31). The Prophet said, “His spirit will return to his body and two angels will come to sit by him, saying to him: Who is your Lord? He will say: Uh, uh, I do not know! They will say: What is your religion? He will say: Uh, uh, I do not know! They will say: Who is this man sent to you? He will say: Uh, uh, I do not know! A heavenly announcement will be made: He has lied! Spread carpets for him in Hellfire and open a gate for him to Hellfire! Its heat and its flames will approach him, and he will be squeezed in his grave until his ribs press together. An ugly man, with hideous clothing and a foul stench, will approach him and say: Glad tidings of what despairs you, for this is your Day you were promised! He will say: Who are with your evil face? He will say: I am your wicked deeds! He will say: O Lord, do not begin the Hour!”

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 18534, Graded Sahih (Authentic)

May Allah (ﷻ) always allow us to continuously be in a state of Tawba (repentance) & constantly seek His forgiveness. May He (ﷻ) include us as His sincere devotees. Ya Allah (ﷻ) keep us protected from the evils of our Nafs (self) and the Waswas (whispers) of Shaitan (Satan). May He (ﷻ) allow us to have a good ending in this world and the Akhira (Hereafter). O’ Allah, consider our departure from this temporal abode only when we are pleased with You & You are pleased with us, and count us from the successful in the life after this, Insha’Allah (God-willingly).