Shama' said, "Thank you Almond. For a while, let Almond take a some rest. And my brothers and sisters, are there any of you who wants to share?" The birds are silent. Then Murai said to Swan, "O Swan, is there a story from you?" Swan said, "I will continue the story of the young wayfarer." Murai said, "Please, my sister!" Swan continued her story, "The Pilgrim said to the yong wayfarer, "O young man, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'There is not in the seven heavens the space of a foot, or even a finger joint, or a hand which does not have a prostrating angel or a bowing angel in it."
So, there is no place in the seven heavens which is not occupied by the angels engaged in all kinds of worship. Some of them are continuously standing, others are continuously bowing and others are continuously prostrating. Others are involved in other forms of worship and Allah knows belter what they are. They are continuously occupied in worship, glorification and remembrance of Allah; deeds which Allah has commanded them to do and they have places near to their Lord. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. In Surah As-Saffat[37]:164-166, the angels say, " "There is not among us any except that he has a known position. And indeed, we are those who line up [for prayer]. And indeed, we are those who exalt Allah."
According Ibn Kathir, when Ibn Al-Kawwa" asked 'Ali ibn Abi Talib about Al-Bait Al-Ma'moor, he said: "It is a mosque in the seventh heaven, which is known as Ad-Durah. opposite the Ka'bah from above. Its sacredness in the heaven is like the sacredness of the House on Earth. Every day, seventy thousand angels pray in it and they never return to it."
Others said that in every heaven there is a House which is filled with angels, who come there in order to worship. They visit it in shifts, just as the people of the Earth visit the Sacred House in order to perform Hajj every year and to perform 'Umrah at all times and to make tawaf and offer prayers. The name of the House which is in the heaven is Bait Al-'Izzah and the name of the angel who leads the angels in it is Isma'eel. According to this, the seventy thousand angels who enter Bait AI-Ma'moor every day and they do not return to it again - i.e., they will never return to it until the end of time - are from the inhabitants of the seventh heaven alone. This is why Allah, Most High, says in Surah Al-Muddaththir[74]:31, "And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him."
Once, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to the Companions, " "Why don't you draw yourselves up in rows as angels do in the presence of their Lord?" The Companions said, "Messenger of Allah, how do the angels draw themselves up in rows in the presence of their Lord?" He (ﷺ) said, "They make the first row complete and keep close together in the row. "
He (ﷺ) said: "We have been favoured over the rest of the mankind in three matters: the earth has been made as a mosque (i.e. a place in which to pray) for us and its dust has been made a means of purification for us and our ranks (in prayer) have been made like those of the angels."
The Pilgrim paused, then continued, "Almighty Allah granted Adam the power to know the natures of all things and to summarize them by names; that is a bird, that is a star, that is a tree, etc. Allah implanted in Adam an insatiable need for and love of knowledge and a desire to bequeath knowledge to his children. This was the reason for his creation and the secret of his glorification. After Adam had learned the names of all things, along with their properties and uses, Adam learned another lesson, one about knowledge. Adam realized that Iblis was the symbol of evil in the universe and that the angels were the symbol of good. However he did not yet know anything about himself. Then Allah made him perceive his true identity and the reason for his creation, and the secret of his glorification.
Allah wanted the angels to know that He knew of their astonishment when He had told them about the creation of Adam and that He also knew of their confusion which they had not revealed, as well as what Iblis had concealed of his disobedience and ingratitude. The angels realized that Adam was the creature who knew what they did not know and that his capacity to learn was his noblest quality. His knowledge included knowledge of the Creator which we call faith or Islam, as well as the knowledge he would need to inhabit and master the earth. All kinds of worldly knowledge which are included in this. Adam was however a human being and man tends to forget. His heart changes and his will weakens. Iblis summoned all the envy within him and took advantage of Adam's humanity to exploit him."
The young wayfarer asked, "Could it be said that Adam and the rest of mankind were predestined to sin and to be expelled from Paradise and sent to the earth?" The Pilgrim said, "In fact, this fiction is as naive as the first one. Adam complete free will, and he bore the consequences of his deed. He disobeyed by eating of the forbidden tree, so Allah dismissed him from Paradise. His disobedience does not negate his freedom. On the contrary, it is a consequence of it. The truth of the matter is, that Allah knew what was going to happen, as He always know the outcome of events before they take place. However Allah does not force things to happen. He grants free will to His human creatures. On that, He bases His supreme wisdom in populating the earth, establishing the vicegerents, and so on.
Adam learnt his lesson well. He knew now in a practical way that Iblis was his enemy, the cause of his losing the blessing of living in Paradise, and the cause of his distress. Adam also understood that Allah punishes disobedience and that the way of Paradise has to be through submission to the will of Allah. And he learned from Allah Almighty to ask for forgiveness. Allah accepted Adam's repentance and forgave him. He then sent him to the earth as His first messenger.
Adam knew he bade farewell to peace and he left Paradise. On earth he had to face conflict and struggle. No sooner had one ended than another began. He also had to toil to sustain himself. He had to protect himself with clothes and weapons and protect his wife and children from the wild beasts. Above all, he had to struggle with the spirit of evil. Satan, the cause of his expulsion from Paradise, continued to beguile him and his children in an effort to have them thrown into the eternal hellfire. The battle between good and evil is continuous, but those who follow Allah's guidance and should fear nothing while those who disobey Allah and follow Iblis will be damned along with him.
Adam wept bitterly because of his sin and repented it. He asked Allah to accept his repentance and forgive his sin. In asking the Lord, according to Ibn 'Abbas, Adam said, "My Lord! Did you not create me with Your own hand?" Allah replied, "Yes." Adam said, "My Lord! Did You not blow some of Your spirit into me?" Allah replied, "Yes." Adam said, "My Lord! Did You not have me dwell in Your Paradise?" Allah said, "Yes." Adam said, "My Lord! Did Your mercy not come before Your wrath?" Allah said, "Yes." Adam said, "Don't You think that, if I repent and improve, You might let me return to Paradise?" Allah said, "Yes." This is the meaning of Allah's word in Surah Al-Baqarah[2]:37, "Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful."
In Tafsir Ibn Jareer at-Tabari, according to Al-Suddi, Allah drove Adam out of Paradise but did not cast him down from heaven. Then He, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, rubbed the right side of Adam's back and somehow brought forth from it progeny in the shape of tiny ants, white like pearls. He said to them, "Enter Paradise by means of My mercy!" Then He rubbed the left side of Adam's back and brought forth from it something in the shape of tiny black ants. He said to them, "Enter the Fire! I do not care." This is meant where Allah speaks of "companions of the right" and "companions of the left. Then He took the covenant and said: "Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes." And Allah gave Adam a willing group and an unwilling group pretending piety.
When Adam was cast down to earth and saw its vastness but did not see anyone but himself, he said, "My Lord! Does this earth of Yours have no one but me to live there and praise and sanctify You? Allah said, "I shall have some of your children praise and sanctify Me on it. I shall have houses raised for mentioning Me on it, houses in which My creatures will give praise and mention My name. I shall have one of those houses singled out for my generosity and distinguish it from all others by My name and call it My House. I shall have it proclaim My greatness, and it is upon it that I have placed My majesty. Then, I shall make that House a safe sanctuary whose sacredness will extend to those around, those underneath, and those above it. He who makes it sacred with My sacredness obligates Me to be generous to him. He who frightens its inhabitants there forfeits My protection and violates My sacredness. I shall have it be the first house to be founded as a blessing for mankind in the valley of Mecca. They will come to it disheveled and covered with dust upon all (kinds of) emaciated mounts from every deep ravine, shouting emotionally: At Your service (labbayka)! shedding copious tears and noisily proclaiming Allahu akbaru! He whose exclusive intention it is to go there and nowhere else comes to Me as My visitor and becomes My guest. It befits a noble person to show generosity to those who come to him and are his guests, and to take care of everybody's need. You shall dwell there, Adam, as long as you live. Then the nations, generations, amd prophets of your children shall live there, one nation after the other, one generation after the other."
So, Allah commanded Adam to go to the Sacred House which was cast down to earth for him, and to circumambulate it, just as he used to see the angels circumambulate Allah's Throne. The Sacred House was a ruby or pearl. It was said by al-Masan bin Yahya that the House was cast down being a single jewel (ruby) or pearl. Eventually, when Allah drowned the people of Noah, He lifted it up, but its foundation remained. Allah established it as a residence for Abraham, who rebuilt it in its later form.
When Allah cast Adam down from Paradise, accrding to Ata ibn Rabah, Allah saw the nakedness of Adam and Eve, then He commanded Adam to slaughter a ram from the eight couples of small cattle. He had sent down from Paradise. Adam took the ram and slaughtered it. Then he took its wool, and Eve spun it. He and Eve wove it. Adam made a coat for himself, and a shift and veil for Eve. They put on that clothing. Then Allah revealed to Adam, "I have a sacred territory around My Throne. Go and build a house for Me there! Then crowd around it, as you have seen My angels crowd around My Throne. There I shall respond to you and all your children who are obedient to Me." Adam said, My Lord! How could I do that? I do not have the strength to do it and do not know how."
Allah chose an angel to assist him, and he went with him toward Mecca. Whenever Adam passed by a meadow or place that he liked, he would say to the angel, "Let us stop here!" and the angel would say to him, "Please do!" This went on until they reached Mecca. Every place where he stopped became cultivated land. and every place he bypassed became a desolate desert .
Adam built the House with materials from five mountains: Mount Sinai, the Mount of Olives, Mount Lebanon, and al-Judi,' and he constructed its foundations with materials from Mount Hira' near Mecca. When he finished with its construction, the angel went out with him to `Arafat. He showed him all the rites connected with the pilgrimage that people perform today.
Accrding to Ata ibn Rabah, Allah sent down a yaqut ("ruby") of Paradise where the House is located today. Adam continued to circumambulate it, until God sent down the Flood. That jewel was lifted up, until God sent His friend Abraham to rebuild the House in its later form."
Time passed. Generation after generation. One day, Abraham woke up and asked his wife Hagar to get her son and prepare for a long journey. In a few days Abraham started out with his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael. The child was still nursing and not yet weaned. Abraham walked through cultivated land, desert, and mountains until he reached the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and came to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, no water. The valley had no sign of life. After Abraham had helped his wife and child to dismount, he left them with a small amount of food and water which was hardly enough for 2 days. He turned around and walked away. He wife hurried after him asking: "Where are you going Abraham, leaving us in this barren valley?"
Abraham did not answer her, but continued walking. She repeated what she had said, but he remained silent. Finally she understood that he was not acting on his own initiative. she realized that Allah had commanded him to do this. She asked him : "Did Allah command you to do so?" He replied: "Yes." Then his great wife said: "We are not going to be lost, since Allah Who has commanded you is with us." Abraham invoked Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, as in the Surah Surah Ibrahim[14]:37-38, "Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful. Our Lord, indeed You know what we conceal and what we declare, and nothing is hidden from Allah on the earth or in the heaven."
(Part 2)
