Part 2

This mat has left marks on your sides and I can only see what I have seen of your stores. Caesar and Chosroes are leading their lives of plenty, while you are the Messenger of Allah, His Chosen One — and look what you have!' 'Ibn al-Khattab,' he answered, 'isn't it enough for you that for us there is the next world, and for them there is this world?'2 When the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was dying, he was given the choice of either living longer or returning to His Lord. He chose the Highest Company. He said, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, 'If My slave longs to meet Me, I long to meet him, and if he is averse to meeting Me, I am averse to meeting him.'"3 Heaven's Door is for those who are aware that time is passing, that this world is leaving them, that the next world is approaching them, and that Allah is Real. It is for those who would hate to be in the Fire and who long to be in the Garden. It is for those who find themselves knocking on heaven's door. The Messenger of Allah, our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say, when he rose for prayer in the middle of the night, "Oh Allah, praise belongs to You. You are the light of the heavens and the earth and praise belongs to You. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and praise belongs to You. You are the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them. You are the Truth and Your words are true. Your promise is true, and the meeting with You is true. The Garden is true and the Fire is true and the Hour is true. Oh Allah, I submit to You and I accept You and I trust in You and I turn to You and I argue by You and I summon to You for judgement. Forgive me what I have sent before me and what I have left behind, what I have kept secret and what I have proclaimed. You are my god — there is no god but You."4 Death is a doorway through which every one of us must pass. Both before and beyond this doorway there are many doorways through which we must pass if we are to find ourselves finally entering through one of the eight gates which are heaven's door. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Gardens have eight gates of gold inlaid with jewels: "Written on the first gate is La ilaha il'Allah, Muhammad arRasulu'llah — There is no god only Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. It is the gate of the Prophets, Messengers, Martyrs and the Generous. "The second gate is the gate of those who prayed, who were excellent in wudu and the basic elements of the prayer. "The third gate is that of those who gave zakah cheerfully. "The fourth gate is that of those who commanded good and forbade the reprehensible. 1 The Basic Research by Shaykh Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba, p.219 2 The Wives of the Prophet by Ahmad Thomson, p. 35 3 Al-Muwatta' Imam Malik, 16.16.51 4 Al-Muwatta' Imam Malik, 15.8.34 "The fifth gate is the gate of those who rooted out their appetites and prevented passions. "The sixth gate is the gate of those who did Hajj and 'Umra. "The seventh gate is the gate of those who fought Jihad. "The eighth gate is the gate of those who turned their eyes from haram things and did good actions of respect to parents, relatives and others. "There are eight Gardens: "The first is the Abode of Majesty, and it is of white pearl. "The second is the Abode of Peace, and it is of red ruby. "The third is the Abode of Shelter, and it is of green chrysolite. "The fourth is the Garden of Immortality, and it is of red and yellow coral. "The fifth is the Garden of Bliss, and it is of white silver. "The sixth is the Garden of Firdaws, and it is of red gold. "The seventh is the Garden of 'Adn, and it is of white pearl. "The eighth is the Abode of Rest, and it is of red gold, and it is the dome of the Gardens, and it is raised over the Gardens. It has two gates, and the two leaves are of gold and silver. Between each of the two leaves is what is between the heaven and earth. It is built of gold and silver bricks. Its mud is musk and its earth is amber and its straw is saffron. Its castles are of pearl and its rooms are of ruby. Its doors are of jewels, and in it are rivers. There is the River of Mercy which flows in all the Gardens, and its pebbles are pearls, with a white brighter than snow, and it is sweeter than honey. In it is the River of Kawthar (Abundance), and it is the river of our Prophet Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. Its trees are pearls and rubies.