HEAVEN.

Heaven contains apartments made of various gems, the outside of which is visible from the inside, and the inside from the outside. They abound with pleasures and comforts not tasted or conceived by men (on earth) .... Heaven is a vast palace made of a single pearl. It contains seven apartments of red ruby. Each apartment contains seven rooms of green emerald. Each room is provided with a gorgeous seat, 70 trays and 70 maid-servants. Each seat has 70 beddings of different colours, and a Houri as the bed-maker. Each tray is furnished with 70 dishes.

Heaven is intended for those who salute and feed others, fast and pray. . . .

When the dwellers of heaven wish to communi­cate with their brothers, their seats move the one towards the other. Thus they meet and talk of their past relationship on earth. There is procreation in heaven if so desired: conception, birth, and maturity all taking place instantaneously.

The dwellers of heaven are beautiful as Joseph, and well-behaved as Mohammad.

The duration of the lowest heavenly life is 500 years.

Such is the heaven of the ordinary soul.

Now as to the destiny of the Prophets, the purest Devotees, and the Saints. Theirs is the vision of the Divine Face, in the supreme relish of which the grosser enjoyments of heaven are forgotten. Orthodox Islâm does not regard the Divine Vision as the fruit of human works, but as the result of Divine Grace. It holds a similar doctrine as to the Faith in the Lord of human beings upon earth.—Letter 100.

[The following brief Note is added from the Series of 28 Letters.—Trs.]

Imâm Qasherî, explaining the Secrets of the Qurân, says:

“What the faithful will manifestly enjoy after death in heaven, is inwardly experienced by the Saints on earth.”—Loc. Cit., 28.