*

Section i. Death. The Angels, the Prophet and the Imáms are present at every death-bed, whether of a believer or an Death. unbeliever. When the spirit leaves the body, it attaches itself to a subtle invisible body (qálib-i-mithálí-i-laṭíf ) which is a simulacrum of the material body in the intermediate world or “World of the Barrier” ('Álam-i-Barzakh ). To believe, as do some of the common people, that these disembodied spirits enter the crops of green birds or lamps attached to the Throne of God ('Arsh) is an error. This disembodied spirit watches the body it has quitted and the preparations for its burial, urging haste if it be a believing spirit, and delay if unbelieving, but none hears or heeds its appeal. It also sees its place in Heaven or Hell, as the case may be. A believer's death is not always easy, nor an unbeliever's hard. The Prophet's description of the Angel of Death, whom he saw during his Night Ascent to Heaven.

Section ii. The Questioning of the Tomb. When the body has been buried and the mourners have dispersed, the spirit The “Question­ing of the Tomb.” returns to the body to undergo the Questioning of the Tomb (Su'ál-i-qabr) at the hands of the Angels Munkir and Nakír, whose terrible aspect is described. If the deceased is a believer and gives satis­factory answers to their questions on his beliefs, they leave him in peace, saying, “Sleep as the bride sleeps in her bridal chamber,” and they enlarge his Tomb as far as the eye can see, and open from it a door into Paradise, so that the air of Paradise enters it and gladdens the occupant. But if he is an unbeliever, they revile him and beat him with their clubs, and fill the tomb with fire; and he cries out in agony, so that if men and Jinn could hear, they would die of terror. But the animals hear, and that is why a sheep grazing or a bird gathering grain will suddenly stop and shiver and listen intently. Those of the Shí'a who are buried at Karbalá are said to be exempt from this Question­ing, and some believe that the whole plain of Karbalá, rid of all impurities, including the bodies of unbelievers and hypocrites, will be bodily transferred to Paradise. The good deeds and kindnesses of the dead may take the form of a beautiful companion who will bear them company in the tomb and dispel their loneliness.*

Section iii. The Squeezing of the Tomb. It is not certain whether all are subject to this, or only the unbelievers. This The “Squeezing of the Tomb.” squeezing is not confined to those who are buried in the ground, for those who are hanged, drowned or eaten by wild beasts are equally subject to it. After the Questioning and the Squeezing, the spirit again leaves the material body and reunites with the subtle invisible body. Opinions differ as to whether this last always existed within the material body, or apart from it in the “World of Similitudes,” or is specially created for each spirit at the moment of dissolution.

Section iv. * Concerning the Intermediate World ('Álam-i-Barzakh). Barzakh means something intermediate be- The “World of the Barrier.” tween two other things, in this case a state or world between this life and the next, more subtle than the former and more gross than the latter. Some identify it with the World of Similitudes ('Álam-i-Mithál ), others believe it to exist in this world, but in an Eighth Clime outside the Seven Climes, called Arḍ-i-Huwar-qilyá . * The Terrestrial Paradise is in the Wádi's-Salám in the western part of this region, and the Terrestrial Hell in the Wádí Barahút, * in the eastern part. In these places respectively the souls of the Blessed and the Lost congregate and experience pleasure or pain, and when a new spirit arrives they let it rest for a while to recover from the “Questioning” and the “Squeezing,” and then interrogate it as to the friends who survived them on earth, whether they be still living or dead.

Section v. * The departed spirits visit their former homes on earth to watch their families and friends, some daily,

State of the departed before the Resurrection. some weekly, some monthly, some yearly, some only once in several years. Some say they come in the form of green birds and perch on the roof or walls of the house and talk, but the living do not notice or attend to them because of their preoccupation with the things of this world. The spirits of the Blessed see only the good things which befall, or are wrought by, their families and friends. Some say that they come on a particular day, on Monday at noon, or on Thursday, or on Friday. If their friends remember them, offering good works, prayers or fasting as a present to them, they are pleased; the happiness of the Blessed is increased, and the torments of the Lost alleviated thereby. “Therefore, my dear friend,” says the author, “you must not forget the departed in this world, but must strive, so far as in you lies, to send presents to them.” The Earthly Paradise (Bihisht-i-Dunyá) is a place of rest and peace, there is no sorrow or weeping, nor any obligation to pray or fast.

Section vi. * On the spirits of the wicked. These are also permitted from time to time to visit their homes, but they State of the wicked after death. see only the evil done by their friends, and strive to warn them, but cannot, and return to the Earthly Hell more miserable than before. Dis­cussion as to the state after death of the children of believers and unbelievers, the ignorant and feeble-minded, and the insane; and concerning the Recording Angels. According to some, the male children of believers are, after their death, committed to the care of Abraham, and the female children to that of the Virgin Mary.

*

Section i. On his Occultation (Ghaybat). Three Occulta-tions are distinguished, entitled “Lesser,” “Greater” and The “Occulta­tion” (Ghaybat) of the Imám. “Least.” The “Lesser Occultation” (Ghaybat-i-Ṣughrà ) began on the 8th of Rabí' i, 260 (Jan. 1, 874), lasted 69 years, and ended with the death of the last of the four wakíls * who maintained communication between the Hidden Imám and his followers in 329/940-1. Then began the “Greater Occultation” (Ghaybat-i-Kubrà), wherein no one has direct access to the “Hidden Imám,” * and wherein we are now living. The “Least Occultation” (Ghaybat-i-Aṣghar) will last only from The Signs of the Last Time. noon on the Friday succeeding his “Return” (Raj'at), when he will behead the preacher (Khaṭíb) at Mecca and forthwith disappear again, until the morning of the next day (Saturday). The time of the Advent or “Return” of the Imám is known to God alone, but it will be heralded by numerous signs, of which forty-eight or more are enumerated by our author, and of which the most celebrated are the coming of the wicked and hideous Sufyání, whose army the earth will finally swallow up; the appearance of a figure in the sun; the multiplication of misleading divines and lawyers and of poets; the abounding of tyranny and oppression; the appearance of Antichrist (Dajjál) riding on his Ass; the assembling of 313 chosen supporters of the Imám in Ṭáliqán of Khurásán, etc. After a “reign of the Saints” lasting seventy years, the Imám will die, poisoned by a woman The “Lesser Resurrection.” named Malíḥa, and the Imám Ḥusayn will return to earth to read the Burial Service over him. This is the beginning of what is called the “Lesser Resurrection” (Qiyámat-i-Ṣughrà), when the Prophet and all the Imáms, as well as their chief antagonists, shall return to earth for a while, and fight their battles over again, but with a different result, since the unbelievers shall be uniformly defeated. In this first temporary Resurrection only those who are purely believers or unbelievers (Mú'min­i-Kháliṣ or Káfir-i-Kháliṣ) will come to life. Then they will again disappear from the face of the earth, and, after forty days' anarchy and confusion, the tribes of Gog and Magog (Yájúj u Májúj) will burst through the Wall (Sadd) which keeps them back, and will overrun the earth, and eat up all the grass and herbs, and drink up the rivers.

The “Greater Resurrection” (Qiyámat-i-Kubrà), when all the dead shall be raised to life in the same bodies they had The “Greater Resurrection.” while on earth, re-created by God's Power as a broken brick can be re-made from its original materials, will be inaugurated by the blast of Isráfíl's trumpet, which shall draw into itself all the spirits of the quick and the dead, so that no living thing shall remain on earth save the “Fourteen Immaculate Ones” (Chahárdah Ma'ṣúm). * Then, when their bodies have been re-created, Isráfíl will again blow his trumpet, and the spirits will emerge from it like a swarm of bees, and fly each one to its own body. All animals will also be raised to life to undergo the Reckoning and be judged for their acts of violence towards one another. Then the Balance (Mízán) will be set up for the weighing of the good and bad acts of each soul, and the scroll of each man's deeds, written down by the Recording Angels Sá'iq and Shahíd, will be placed in his hand.

The Seven Hells (Jihannam, Sa'ír, Saqar, Jaḥím, Laẓẓá, Ḥutama and Háwiya) are next enumerated, whereof the The Seven Hells. first is for Muslims who died in sin without repenting, and who will be released when adequately punished; the second for the Jews; the third for the Christians; the fourth for the Sabaeans; the fifth for the Magians; the sixth for the idolatrous Arabs; and the seventh for the hypocrites. Unbelievers will remain in Hell for ever, but some, on account of their virtues, will remain there without suffering torment, as, for example, Khusraw Anúsharwán on account of his justice, and Ḥátim of Ṭayy on account of his generosity.

Next follows a description of the Bridge of Ṣiráṭ, “finer than a hair, sharper than a sword, and hotter than fire,”

The Bridge of Ṣiráṭ. which spans Hell, and over which everyone must pass, even the Prophets and Imáms and Saints, to reach Paradise. A detailed descrip­tion of a very material Paradise succeeds, which in turn is Purgatory (A'ráf). followed by an account of the Purgatory or intermediate state called al-A'ráf. This is said to be a beautiful meadow or high ground situated on the Bridge of Ṣiráṭ, and peopled by the spirits of the feeble-minded, illegitimate children, and those who are neither good enough for Heaven nor bad enough for Paradise. Hell. By the intercession of the Prophet or the Imáms some of these will be subsequently admitted to Heaven. Other heavenly delights described, such as the Water of Kawthar, the “Lote-tree of the Limit” (Sidratu'l-Muntahà), and the Ṭúbà-tree. When every soul has been assigned its place in Heaven, Hell or al-A'ráf, Death will be led forth in the form of a black sheep and slain, to show that henceforth there is neither fear nor hope of death.