He told that once when the Prophet (ﷺ) was brought some meat and was offered the foreleg, which was a part he liked, he bit off a piece of it and then said, ``I shall be the lord of mankind on the day of resurrection, the day when mankind will stand up before the Lord of the universe and the sun will draw near. Mankind will then experience a degree of care and anxiety which they will be unable to bear, so they will ask one another whether they cannot see anyone who may intercede for them with their Lord and will go to Adam." He then mentioned the tradition about intercession and said, "I shall then set off and come below the Throne and fall down prostrating myself before my Lord, and after God has revealed to me some utterances of His praise and of a worthy manner of extolling Him which He had not revealed to anyone before me He will say, `Raise your head, Muhammad. If you make a request, it will be granted, and if you make intercession, it will be accepted.' I shall then raise my head and say, `My people, O my Lord; my people, O my Lord; my people, O my Lord,' and the reply will be given, `Bring in by the right gate of paradise, Muhammad, those of your people who are not taken into account, though they may equally enter by other gates along with mankind'." He then said, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, the distance between the two halves of the gates of paradise is like that between Mecca and Hajar." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that when some people asked God's messenger whether they would see their Lord on the day of resurrection he replied, "Yes. Do you disagree about seeing the sun at noonday when it is unconcealed and there are no clouds, or do you disagree about seeing the moon on the night when it is full when it is unconcealed and there are no clouds?" On their replying that they did not, he said, "You will not disagree about the vision of God on the day of resurrection any more than you do about seeing one of them. When the day of resurrection comes a mu'adhdhinwill cry, `Let every people follow what it was worshipping.' Then all who worshipped idols and stones apart from God will fall one after the other into hell, and when only the righteous and wicked who worshipped God are left the Lord of the universe will come to them and say, `What are you waiting for? Let every people follow what it was worshipping.' They will reply, `Our Lord, we kept separate from the people in the world though we felt great need of them, and did not associate with them.' (In Abu Huraira's version they will say, `This is our place till our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes to us we shall recognize Him.') In Abu Sa'id's version He will say, `Is there a sign between you and Him by which you will recognize Him? On their replying that there is, things will be made plain[1]. Those who prostrated themselves before God for His sake will all be permitted by God to prostrate themselves, but those who prostrated themselves for self-protection and show will all have their backs made into one piece by God and will fall on the back of their necks as often as they wish to prostrate themselves. The bridge will then he set up over Jahannam and intercession will be allowed, and they[2] will say, `O God, keep safe, keep safe.' The believers will then pass over like the twinkling of an eye, like lightning, like wind, like a bird, like the finest horses and camels. Some will escape and be kept safe, some will be lacerated and let go, and some will be pushed into the fire of Jahannam. Then when the believers are safe from hell, I swear by Him in whose hand my soul is that none of you is more eager to claim a right when it has become clear to you than those who believe in God will be on the day of resurrection to make claims on behalf of their brethren who are in hell. They will say, `0 our Lord, they were fasting along with us, praying and performing pilgrimage, and will be told to bring out those they recognize. Their faces will be protected from the fire and they will bring forth a large number of people, then say, `O our Lord, not one of those about whom Thou didst give us command remains in it.' He will reply, `Go back and bring forth those in whose hearts you find as much as a dinar of good.' When they have brought forth a large number of people He will say, `Go back and bring forth those in whose hearts you find as much as half a dinar of good.' When they have brought forth a large number of people He will say, 'Go back and bring forth those in whose hearts you find as much as an atom of good.' When they have brought forth a large number of people they will say, `O our Lord, we have not left in it any good.' Then God will say, 'The angels have interceded, the prophets have interceded, the believers have interceded, and only the Most Merciful of the merciful ones remains.' He will then take a handful from hell, bring forth from it people who never did any good, who have been turned into charcoal and cast them into a river at the outskirts of paradise called the river of life. They will come out as a seed comes out from the rubbish carried away by a flood, and they will come forth like pearls with seals on their necks. The inhabitants of paradise will say, `Those are they who have been set free by the Compassionate One who has brought them into paradise without anything they have done or any good they have sent before them.' They will then be told that theirs is what they see and a like quantity along with it." Quran, 48:42 The reference is either to the beginning of terrors, or to the end of all mystery. The second of the two meanings given seems to fit this passage. Presumably the Prophets, but later in this tradition reference is made to intercession having been made by angels, prophets and believers. Abu Huraira's tradition however states that the messenger will say these words. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "When the inhabitants of paradise enter paradise and the inhabitants of hell enter hell God most high will say, `Bring forth those in whose hearts there is as much faith as a grain of mustard-seed.' They will then be brought forth burned and turned to charcoal and be cast into the river of life, and they will sprout as does a seed in the rubbish carried away by a flood. Have you not seen that it comes out yellow and twisted?" (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told that the people asked, "Messenger of God, shall we see our Lord on the day of resurrection?" and then mentioned something to the same general effect as Abu Sa'id's tradition, except for "things will be made plain[1]." The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "The Path will be set over the main part of jahannam and I shall be the first of the messengers to take his people across. On that day only the messengers will speak and what they say that day will be, `0 God, keep safe, keep safe.' In jahannam there will be pronged flesh-hooks like sadan[2] thorns whose size is known only to God, and they will seize people for their deeds, some being confined for what they have done and others being cut in small pieces and escaping. Then when God finishes judging His servants and desires to take out of hell such people as He pleases among those who testified that there is no god but God, He will command the angels to bring out those who worshipped God. They will do so, recognising them by the marks of prostration, God most high having prevented hell from devouring the mark of prostration, for hell will devour everything in the sons of Adam except the mark of prostration. They will come forth from hell having been burned, the water of life will be poured over them, and they will sprout as a seed does in the rubbish carried away by a flood. Bat a man who will be the last of the inhabitants of hell to enter paradise will remain between paradise and hell facing hell and will say, `0 my Lord, turn my face away from hell, for its odour has annoyed me and its fierce blaze has burned me; but God will reply, 'If I do that you will perhaps ask something else.' He will say, `No, by Thy might,' giving God such covenant and agreement as God wishes, and He will turn his face away from hell. When he is turned to face paradise and sees its beauty, he will remain silent as long as God wishes him to remain so, and will then say, 'O my Lord, bring me forward to the gate of paradise.' God who is blessed and exalted will reply, `Did you not give covenants and agreement that you would not ask anything beside what you have asked?' and he will say, `O my Lord, let me not be made the most miserable of Thy creatures.' He will ask, `What else are you likely to ask for if you are granted that?' and he will reply, `No, by Thy might, I shall ask nothing else.' He will then give his Lord such covenant and agreement as He wishes, and He will bring him forward to the gate of paradise. Then when he reaches its gate and sees its freshness and the splendour and joy it contains, he will remain silent as long as God wishes him to remain so, and will then say, `O my Lord, bring me into paradise.' God who is blessed and exalted will reply, `Woe to you, son of Adam, how treacherous you are! Have you not given covenants and agreement that you would not ask anything more than you have been granted?' and he will say, `O my Lord, do not make me the most miserable of Thy creatures.' He will continue making supplication till God laughs at him, and when He does so He will give him permission to enter paradise, and will say, `State your wish.' When he has done so till his wishing has come to an end God most high will say, `State your wish from such and such,' his Lord mentioning the matters to him. Then when there is nothing more he can wish God will say, `You can have that and a similar amount along with it'." In Abu Sa'id's version God says, "You can have that and ten times as much." i.e., they will have everything as far as their eyes can see. The name of a plant with a prickly head on which camels pasture. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A version has "Some of my people will come forth from hell by my intercession and be named the Jahannam is." `Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God's messenger as saying, " I know the last of the inhabitants of hell to come out of it and the last of the inhabitants of paradise to enter. He is a man who will come crawling out of hell and God will say, `Go and enter paradise.' When he comes to it he will be made to think it is full, so he will say, `O my Lord, I have found it full.' God will reply, `Go and enter paradise, for you will have the equivalent of the world and ten times as much.' He will say, `Art Thou making fun of me?' or `Art Thou laughing at me when Thou art the King?' "He told he had seen God's messenger laughing to such an extent that his back teeth were visible. It was said that that was the inhabitant of paradise who would have the lowest rank. (Bukhari and Muslim,)

Ibn `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "When the inhabitants of paradise come to paradise and the inhabitants of hell come to hell, death will be brought and placed between paradise and hell, then slain. A crier will call, `Inhabitants of paradise, there is no death, and inhabitants of hell, there is no death.' This will add joy to the joy of the inhabitants of paradise and grief to the grief of the inhabitants of hell." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "Before you will be my pond, the distance between whose sides is like that between Jarba' and Adruh." One of the transmitters said they are villages in Syria three days' journey apart[*]. A version has "Beside it there are vessels as numerous as the stars in the sky. He who comes down to it and drinks of it will never thirst afterwards." *Yaqut, Mu'jam, 1:174, says Adhruh was in the neighbourhood of al-Balqa' and 'Amman and quotes statements that the distance between Adhruh and Jarba', which he calls al-Jarba', was s mile or less. For Jarba' see also 2:45. Mirqat, 5:281. says the tradition really means the distance between Medina and those two villages, and refers to a version by Daraqutni to that effect. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Hudhaifa and Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "God who is blessed and exalted will collect mankind and the believers will stand till paradise is brought near them. They will then go to Adam and say, `Ask, father, that paradise may be opened for us,' but he will reply, `Has anything but your father's sin put you out of paradise? I am not the one to do that; go to my son Abraham, God's friend.' Then Abraham will say, `I am not the one to do that, for I was only a friend long, long ago; but apply to Moses to whom God spoke.' They will then go to Moses, but he will say, `I am not the one to do ta t; go to Jesus, God's word and spirit.' Jesus will say, `I am not the one to do that, so they will go to Muhammad and he will stand and be given permission. Faithfulness and ties of relationship will be sent and will stand on the sides of the Path, right and left, and the first of you will pass like lightning (Abu Huraira telling that he interpolated, " You for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, what is there like the movement of lightning?" and received the reply, "Have you not seen how the lightning goes and returns like the twinkling of an eye?"), next like the passing of the wind, next like the passing of a bird and the running of men whose deeds cause them to run, your prophet standing on the Path and saying, 0 my Lord, keep safe, keep safe,' till men's deeds are so weak that a man comes able only to creep. On both sides of the Path pronged flesh-hooks placed under command will be hung and will seize those about whom they receive command, some being lacerated and escaping and others being thrown Pell Mell into hell. By Him in whose hand Abu Huraira's soul is[*], the pit of Jahannam is a seventy years' journey down." *There is some doubt as to whether the end of the tradition gives the Prophet's or Abu Huraira's word, this oath suggesting the latter. In the text "on both sides of the Path" is preceded by "he said." One wonders. Therefore, whether from there to the end Abu Huraira is making an addition to his own. Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported God's messenger as saying, "People will come forth from hell like tha'arir because of the intercession." He was asked the meaning of tha'arir and replied that it meant small cucumbers. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told that after God's messenger had stated that God most high has said, "I have prepared for my upright servants what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man," 1 he added, "Recite, if you wish, `No soul knows what comfort has been concealed for them'." [2] 1. Cf. 1 Corinthians, 2:9. 2. Quran, 32:17. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger us saying, "The place occupied by a whip in paradise is better than the world and what it contains." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "In paradise there is a tree in whose shade a rider can travel for a hundred years without reaching the end of it, and the length of a bow of one of you in paradise is better than that on which the sun rises or sets." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa reported God's messenger as saying, "In paradise the believer will have a tent of a single hollowed pearl whose breadth (a version saying, whose length) is sixty miles, in each corner of which there will be a family out of sight of one another, each of which the believer will visit in turn. He will also have two gardens whose vessels and contents will be of silver and two gardens whose vessels and contents will be of gold. The only thing intervening to hinder the people from looking at their Lord will be the mantle of grandeur over His face in the garden of Eden." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Aba Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The first party to enter paradise will be in the form of the moon on the night when it is full; then will come those who will be near them, like the brightest shining planet in the sky, their hearts like one man's heart with no disagreement or mutual hatred among them. Every man among them will have two wives from the large-eyed maidens the marrow of whose legs will be visible through the bone and the flesh owing to their slender beauty. They will glorify God morning and evening, they will not become ill, or pass water, or void excrement, or spit, or suffer from catarrh. Their vessels will be of gold and silver, their combs will be of gold, the fuel of their braziers will be aloes, and their sweat will be musk. All will be alike in the form of their father Adam, sixty cubits tall." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "The inhabitants of paradise will look at those in the upper apartments above them as you look at a shining planet which remains in the east or west horizon[*], on account of the superiority some have over others." God's messenger was asked whether those were the dwellings of the prophets which no one else would reach and replied, "Yes, they will. By Him in whose hand my soul is, men who believed in God and acknowledged the truth of the messengers will reach them." *It can be seen in the morning after daybreak, or in the west before the darkness descends. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Peoples will enter paradise with hearts like the hearts of birds[*]." *Mirqat, 5, 291, gives three possible meanings: (1) with no jealousy, rancour, deceit, or hatred; (2) in trepidation, being on their guard; (3) with complete trust, as birds trust God for their food. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as telling that God most high will say to the inhabitants of paradise, "O inhabitants of paradise," to which they will reply, "At Thy service and pleasure, our Lord, in whose hands is all good." He will ask them if they are pleased, and they will reply, "Why should we not be pleased, O Lord, when Thou hast given us what Thou hast not given to any of Thy creatures?" He will say, "Shall I not give you something more excellent than that?" and they will reply, "0 Lord, what can be more excellent than that?" He will say, "I shall cause my good pleasure to alight on you and I shall never afterwards be displeased with you." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, `Saihan, Jaihan', * the Euphrates and the Nile are all among the rivers of paradise." *The Sarus and Pyramus respectively, frontier rivers in the early Muslim period between the Islamic territory and that of the Byzantines. See G. Le Strange, The Lands of the Eastern Caliphate (Cambridge, 1930), pp. 129 ff. Muslim transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying regarding the words of God most high, "And couches raised high[*]," that their height is like the distance between heaven and earth, a distance of five hundred years. *Quran; 56:34 Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Asma' daughter of Abu Bakr told that she heard God's messenger say when the lote-tree of the boundary[*] was mentioned to him, "A rider can travel in the shade of a branch of it for a hundred years," or "a hundred riders can take shelter in its shade (the transmitter being in doubt); in it there are golden butterflies and its fruit looks like earthenware jars." *Quran; 53:14 Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying th is is a gharib tradition