The Tenth Ring (7)

"So, I explored this Bhumi Svatantra," the Moon added, "And I came to know that in another side of this land, long ago, around a thousand years ago, there was a legend about the Mystical Ten Rings, which the Nine Rings would granting longevity, except immortality, and powers and wealth, to his owner, and the Tenth Ring, could reveal to the wearer, something he has never seen before.

It is said, a mighty Lion, discovered by chance, the Mystical Ten Rings. He established his clan, conquering the Kingdom of Svatantra. He reigned and was titled as Prabhu Kusam Mukha, for he never smiled. The King's power, expanded, and he claimed to be an Emperor. Wherever the Emperor was, he had with him, his right-hand man, Gadha, the Hawk, a loyal knight and obedient to the Emperor. And instead of choosing the capable, he tend to trust the Eunuchs, those whom actually, spoiled the manners of the Empire. These Eunuchs, came from the four clans, the snakes; the wolves; the foxes; and the mice. The honest Gadha, tried to get rid of these eunuchs, but failed because they were cunning, even more powerful.

One night, in his bed, the Emperor, having not worn the Tenth Ring since the first time he found it, slowly put it on. The Emperor looked surprised and his face was pale. That night, he saw something, he had never seen before.

Next day, the Emperor issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and promised a royal reward to the one whose son, should be deemed the handsomest.

A mother monkey came with the rest and presented, with all a mother’s tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairless, ill-featured young Monkey as a candidate for the promised reward. A general laugh saluted her on the presentation of her son. She resolutely said, 'I know not whether the Emperor will allot the prize to my son, but this I do know, that he is at least in the eyes of me, his mother, the dearest, handsomest, and most beautiful of all. And one day, he will be an Emperor.' Indeed, a mother love, is blind.

Time passed, the animals had forgotten the event. And on the bank of a river, sat a monkey, whom his mother brought before the Emperor, was contemplating, and came to a conclusion, 'I have to reform the time! I've got to visit foreign climes, where men in distant regions, roaming, to bring home, politer manners.'

Instantly, he left, but instead of going through time and space, his footsteps, carried him out of the forest, and came to a city. The poor monkey was caught, and he was sold to a lady who lost his husband in a war. The Lady dressed the monkey in medieval-era costumes, including the curly, white-haired wig and clothes, like those worn in George Washington's painting.

Day by day, the monkey became a circus spectacle, and became the mistress's favourite. At length, bored with the situation, the monkey jumped up and down, twirling the lady's knots and cracked her fan. The lady kicked the monkey out of his house, who ran, as far as he could, delivering him back to the Forest. A pack of monkeys, passed by, recognized him, and said, 'Where have you been? Wow great! Look at your clothes!' while holding the hairy sylvans round him. Some astonished at his strut and dress. Some praise his sleeve and his dapper periwig. Soon, the story of the Amazing Monkey, became viral.

Meanwhile, the Emperor and his righteous right-hand man, Gadha, were hunting in the forest. Since morning until noon, they had not found the prey, they then rest in a cave. A snake, stalking the two, who was opening their supplies. With his sharp instincts, the lion growled. An Echo from a distant cave, re-growled, articulately grave. The Emperor surprised, at first, thought to think that it was another lion, 'Whose voice is that which growls at mine?' his Highness asked. The echo replied, 'Mine!' 'You,' the Lion snapped, 'Who art thou?' Echo as stern cried, 'Who art thou?' 'Know I’m a lion, hear and tremble!' replied the Enperor. Cried Echo, 'Tremble!'

'Come forth,' the Lion was getting angry, 'Show thyself!' Laconic Echo answered, 'Elf!' 'Elf, dost thou call me, vile pretender?' Echo as loud replied, 'Pretender!' At this, as jealous of his reign, he growled in rage, but the echo growled again. He became irritated, his anger was foaming up, to find the rival of his throne, who durst with him dispute the crown.

Gadha, who listened all the while, addressed the monarch with a smile. 'O the one whom I esteemed, most humbly I make bold, though truth may not be always told, that this very phantom that thou hear, that so alarms thy royal ear, is not a rival of thy throne, the voice and fears are all thyne.'

Suddenly, there was a sound of rocks crackling, the Emperor, who was starting to calm down, asked, 'Was it, an echo as well?' Gadha, aware of the danger, replied, 'No, Your majesty, that's for sure, a scout!' Immediately he stood up, and shouted, 'You who are hiding there, come out!' The snake, enraged by the Hawk's challenge, immediately came out of his hiding place. Seeing this, the Emperor panicked, immediately pounced on the snake, but missed because the grovelling reptile, dodged. The enraged Snake turned on him, and giving him a mortal sting, thus addressed the expiring hero of the forest, 'Die, imperious tyrant! And let thy example show that no strength or power is sufficient at all times to screen a despot from destruction, but that even reptiles, when provoked, may be the cause of his annihilation.' Not yet finished with his words, his life was released by Gadha's beak and sturdy grip.

In his last breath, the Emperor handed a ring to Gadha, 'Keep this, and take my body home for burial as befits an Emperor. After that, go into seclusion, and give later this tenth ring, to the seekers of justice, wait for them!' Gadha asked, 'What about the other nine rings?' For the time being, the Emperor's answer,  we'll put it off until near the end of this story.

Condolences poured in from across the forest. The Lion was death, leaving no heir, and after the funeral, the Eunuchs, started looking for the Emperor's Rings. They found nine rings on the Emperor's bed. The snake, with his deadly venom deceitfulness, the wolf with his greed, the fox with his cunning, and the mouse, with the desire to steal, rushed at the ring. The struggle was inevitable, and in the end, each got two rings, except the snake, got three, who then said, 'I am your leader, for I have three rings!'

Afterwards, they then discussed who deserved to be the new Emperor. And after a grueling argument, they came to a view that they, could not to be the chosen one. They had to find one, to become an Emperor, that they could control. The mouse gave information, 'I know the one!' Another asked, "Who is he?' The rat replied, 'It is he who the beasts know as the Amazing Monkey!' Then they finalized their plan.

In early hours, a Commission set up by the Eunuchs, announced, the so-called Emperor Election Threshold, 'In viewing etc etc... Considering etc etc... Decided, that the terms and conditions for the becoming an Emperor, that the candidates must find the Emperor's Nine Rings.'

On the appointed day, none of the animals came forward, because they could not find the Emperor's nine rings. At the great meeting of the Animals, pretending not to know the monkey, the snake asked him to dance. On this, he did so well, with a thousand funny capers and grimaces, that the Animals were carried entirely off their feet with enthusiasm. The Snake made an inquiry, 'Have you found the Nine Rings?' Confidently, the monkey replied, 'Those rings, I've handed over to you, three of them?' The Snake immediately replied, 'That's right!' while showing three rings. 'The other rings, I've handed over to the Fox, the Wolf and the Rat, two each!' The three designated animals instantly exclaimed, 'That's right!' while showing their respective rings. Then, someone shouted, 'Let's choose the monkey as our new Emperor!' In other corner, chimed in, 'Yes, he deserves to be our Emperor!' Another, suddenly shouted, 'Yes, choose him!' Still others, shouted, 'Long live monkey, the new Emperor!' and then and there, elected him their new Emperor. The Seniors, who should be wise to see the situation, were also amazed, some even said, 'Although he is not a lion, but I fell in love with him!' But the birds did not vote for the Monkey and was much disgusted with the Animals for electing so unworthy a ruler.

On the day of Coronation, the New Emperor, with the black tail behind depending, his powdered back, like hoary frost, proudly delivered his speech, 'I come to make this nation better. Weigh your own worth, support your place, to be the next in rank to human race. In cities long I passed my days, conversed with men, and learned their ways. I saw their dress and their courtly manners. Reform your state, and copy me. If you want to develop your manners, deal with flattery. Conceal it with your scorn and hate. use your friend as your private ends. If necessary, lie a lot, do not tell the truth, because the truth is bitter. Don't use your brain, use your knee, the important thing is, all flattery, flows. Be brave to embrace all forms of pretense. And you will be tested, so follow my words. You shall grow like the man of polite.' The audience, all standing, applauded, in awe.  Backstage, the fox whispered to the snake, 'What a concept speech I made!' The snake hissed, 'Yes, the content, shows who made it!'

The Commission announced that the animals had to make an oath of allegiance to the new Emperor. All animals, did, except the birds. By diplomacy, they said that, because most had taken an oath of allegiance, it was enough. After all, they want to fly freely, without any attachments. All agreed. And on the same day, as a tribute to the Seniors, they were sworn in, there were those who became advisers to the Emperor, ambassadors, or other positions, 

or facilities to develop their business, and some even got a share of a land. At firts, the animals had not realized, that all this was about something, which later, they described as the finger heart gesture, a trend that was popularized by Korean Oppa. The thumb and index finger of one hand are crossed to form a heart shape: an invisible heart is implied above it, then the two fingers, repeatedly rubbed, just like the "Pay Me" gesture.

Days passed, the animals who hoped for good developments during the reign of the new Emperor, felt many setbacks. Prices of goods are getting high and daily necessities are getting scarce,  such as cooking oil, soybeans and sugar. However, what they saw, contrary with the official reports And day by day, the condition was getting heavier. But the Emperor and his eunuchs, lived on revelry and lavish horses. And one by one, those who shouted in support of the Emperor, became important officials. The seniors, who were supposed to be giving advice, remained silent, for they were comfortable with their respective positions.

In the market, a merchant shouted, 'The Emperor deserves a prize of Cendol!' Feeling fed up with the existing situation, let alone responding, the buyers who passed by, put a brick in front of him, one by one, till it cover the merchant's face. Another trader, asked a buyer, 'What's this of action meant for?' 'The buyer replied, 'Cendol is green, and we offer a red bricks, meaning, instead of giving five stars, even one star, the answer is 'Big No!'

In fact, it was the birds who noticed that there were irregularities in the selection. Before the Coronotaion, they prepared a bit meat as a trap, and one of their members, hurrying to the future Emperor, told him, he had found a rich treasure, which he had not touched because it belonged by right to his majesty, the Monkey. The greedy Monkey followed the bird to the trap. As soon as he saw the meat, he grasped eagerly for it, only to find himself held fast in the trap. The Birds stood off and laughed, 'You pretend to be our Emperor, but cannot even take care of yourself! The true leader proves himself by his qualities.'  From then on, the birds called him 'Prabhu Chari Mukha,' and later, the birds learned that the Emperor had a hobby, collecting barbie dolls, and they called him, 'Prabhu Muchi Khari.'

Moreover, the birds wondered about the Emperor's ring, why only nine instead of ten? Finally, with great difficulty, they searched for Gadha, in exile on a mountain. At first, Gadha didn't want to meet them, but when one of them accidentally said, 'We want to seek Justice!' So, Gadha turned to them and told them what was really happened.

He also showed the tenth ring, and let each of his guests, wear it. After everyone saw something what they had never seen, Gadha said, 'Before his death, the Emperor handed this ring to me and told about the nine rings, 'Those nine rings, is a falsehood. It was a fake, I had it made by the side of the road, a metal ring plated with gold, and it had no power whatsoever. All the stories about their powers, were my own creations. I told about it to the eunuchs and they spread the lies.'

Then Gadha said, 'What you saw and experienced, like a story in the traditional Irish Drinking song, the Drunken Scotsman. Listen,

Well a Scotsman clad in kilt, left a bar one evening fair

And one could tell, by how he walked, that he'd drunk more than his share

He stumbled round, until he could no longer keep his feet

Then he stumbled off into the grass, to sleep beside the street

About that time, two young and lovely girls just happened by

And one says to the other, with a twinkle in her eye

'See yon sleeping Scotsman so strong and handsome built,

I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath the kilt!'

They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman, quiet as could be

Lifted up his kilt about an inch, so they could see

And there behold, for them to view, beneath his Scottish skirt

Was nothing more than God had graced him with, upon his birth

They marveled for a moment, then one said 'We must be gone!

Let's leave a present for our friend, before we move along!'

As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow

Around the bonnie star, the Scot's kilt did lift and show

Now the Scotsman woke to nature's call and stumbled toward the trees

Behind a bush, he lifts his kilt and gawks at what he sees

And in a startled voice he says to what's before his eyes.
'O lad, I don't know where you been, but I see, you won first prize!'
Ring ding diddle diddle i de o ring di diddly i o

"Unfortunately," said the Moon, "I have to take my leave and go. But let me tell you about the seekers of justice, the Birds. They relentlessly echoed that the Nine Rings threshold, was unfair and should be abolished. They realize this, that what they have seen and experienced so far, is nothing but a mere Monkey Circus Show. And Allah knows best."

Citations & References :

- 'Umar S. Al Ashqar, The World of the Noble Angels, translated by Nasreddin Al-Khattab, IIPH

- 'Umar S. Al Ashqar, The World of the Jinn and Devils, translated by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, IIPH

- Thomas Bewick, Bewick's Select Fables, Bickers & Sons

- Samuel Croxall, D.D., Fables of Aesop and Others, Simon Probasco

- Capt. Anas Abdul-Hameed Al-Qoz, Men and The Universe - Reflections of Ibn Al-Qayyem, Darussalam

[Part 1]

Bahasa

The Tenth Ring (6)

'The Jinn said, 'This evil enemy of the human, is always anxious to mislead mankind. He does this through a number of means. One must beware of this enemy. One must be aware of his goals and his stratagem in order to be victorious over him. If man is heedless about these affairs, then Satan can attack him through any means that he pleases. The greatest thing that can be used as a defense against the devils, is sticking to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah, by one's knowledge and by one's actions. The Book of Allah and the Sunnah, present the straight path, and it is Satan who struggles to steer us from this straight path. what has come from Allah in his beliefs, adherents, words, and laws, and so on, and avoids He has forbidden, then he will be protected from Satan. Allah says,

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا ادْخُلُوْا فِى السِّلْمِ كَاۤفَّةً ۖوَّلَا تَتَّبِعُوْا خُطُوٰتِ الشَّيْطٰنِۗ اِنَّهٗ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ

'O you who have believed, odkhuloo fee alssilmi kaffatan (Enter into Islām completely and perfectly) and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.' [QS. Al-Baqarah (2):208]

The Arabic word al-silm in that verse, refers to Islam, while some say it means obeying Allah, and same say, it refers to all acts in which there is righteousness. From that we see, it is an order to apply all of the branches of Islam and all the aspects of its laws according to one’s abilities; and the verse prohibits the following of the footsteps of Satan. Whoever enters completely into Islam is far away from the steps of Satan. Whoever does not follow any part of Islam has, in fact, followed in some of the footsteps of Satan. Therefore any kind of allowing what Allah has prohibited or vice-versa, is a following of Satan.

The best way to take shelter from Satan and his soldiers is to seek refuge and aid in Allah from the accursed Satan. Allah has power over Satan. If the slave seeks refuge in Him, how can Satan get to him?
Allah even ordered the Prophet (ﷺ) to seek refuge from the suggestions of the devils and from having them present with him. Allah says,

وَقُلْ رَّبِّ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزٰتِ الشَّيٰطِيْنِ ۙ وَاَعُوْذُ بِكَ رَبِّ اَنْ يَّحْضُرُوْنِ

'And say, 'My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Rabb, lest they be present with me.' [QS. Al-Mu'minun (23):97-98]

This invocation, is asking that we don't fall prey to what they whisper to us, and we do not follow such whispers up. Allah has ordered us to seek refuge in Him from the Satanic enemy from which there is no other escape, since he does not accept acts of kindness and courtesy. He only desires the destruction of humans due to his enmity for them.
The Prophet (ﷺ) teaches us to seek refuge in the Rabb from Satan, in different ways and on many different occasions, including, seeking refuge upon entering bathrooms, during the time of anger, entering a Valley or a Strange land, at the time that a man goes to his wife, when hearing the braying of a donkey, before reciting the Quran, to pray for one's children and family from every Satan and evil suggestion.
Seeking refuge in Allah is like a sword that is in the hands of a warrior. If his arm is strong, he is able to penetrate and kill his enemy. If his arm is weak, he may leave no mark at all on his opponent, even if it is a very sharp sword. The same is the case with seeking refuge from Satan. If one is pious and God-fearing, this invocation becomes like a fire that bums Satan. If the person is of weak faith, one whose faith is mixed with evil, then this weapon hardly harms Satan whatsoever. Therefore, the Muslim who wants safety in Allah from Satan and his plots must work to increase his faith and he must turn to Allah for help and security. And there is no power or strength except Allah.
Remembering Allah in every affair, will make Satan despised, belittled, disparaged and defeated. Imam Ahmad related that Tameema heard from one of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) who related that he was riding behind the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Prophet's donkey stumbled. The companion said, 'Perish Satan!' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Do not say, 'Perish Satan,' for in that case you give him some honor and he said, 'By my strength it fell down.' If you said, 'In the name of Allah,' Satan would have been belittled until he became like a fly.'

What makes the Muslim even farther away from Satan and his tricks, is living in unity, and togetherness adds strength to strength and is a special strength. So, be among those who follow the truth, are pleased with Allah as their Rabb, with Islam as their religion and with Muhammad (ﷺ) as their messenger. They are the ones who recognize Satan and the followers of Satan and fight against them with hatred in their heart, speech, and writings, and by doing the works of truth and by fighting against the devils with evidence, proofs, good words and speech. Before that, one should turn to the Merciful and cling to His religion. We ask Allah to make us, by His grace and generosity, among those who enter into Islam completely and perfectly, and who do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His slave and Messenger (ﷺ).'

Then the Jinn said, 'O human, that's all I can say to you. There's still a lot of knowledge out there that I can't pass on to you, and indeed, all perfections, belong only to Allah.'
And the two Allah's creations, separated.

The disciple asked, 'O teacher, if a human is being obeyed by the jinn, not by mastery over them, but by their own pleasing, is this considered permissible?' The teacher replied, 'Ibn Taimiya has written a response to this question, 'Jinn, with humans, are in different situations. If one orders the jinn to what Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) has ordered from the worship of only Allah and obedience to Him and His Prophet (ﷺ), and he also orders mankind to the same, then that person is from the most virtuous of the patrons of Allah. And he is acting as the successor of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his lieutenant. If a person uses the jinn for activities that are permissible and he also orders them to what is obligatory for them and prevents them from what is prohibited for them, then he is similar to a king that behaves in the same manner. Then the most he can become is a devotee of Allah among the general devotees of Allah, like the comparison between a Prophet who was given rule and a worshipping messenger of Allah: like Solomon and Joseph with respect to Abraham, Moses, 'Isa, alayhimussalam, and Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

If he uses the jinn for activities that have been prohibited by Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), as idolatry, or killing one who has no right to be killed, or being an enemy of the people without fighting them, such as harming others or making them forget knowledge and other acts of oppression, or committing lewd acts- that is, he uses them to help him in sin and transgression, and, he is a disbeliever. If he uses them for acts of disobedience then he is a sinner, either a faasiq (wicked evildoer) or a sinner who is less than that.

If the person is completely ignorant of Islamic law and uses the jinn for what he believes to be noble deeds, such as having the jinn take him to the pilgrimage, listen to innovations or take him to Arafat, then this does not fulfill the requirement of the pilgrimage, and similar other activities. The person is mislead and has been duped by such actions.' And Allah knows best.

The disciple then inquire, 'Concerning the Angels, who is superior, the Angels or the Sons of Adam?' The teacher replied, 'Ibn Taymiyah, suggests that righteous human beings will be better in the end, when  they enter Paradise, attain near access to Allah, dwell in the highest levels, are greeted by the Most Merciful, are brought even closer,  Allah manifests Himself to them and they have the joy of looking upon  His Noble Face, and the angels will stand to serve them by the  permission of their Rabb.
But the angels are better at the beginning, for the angels now are closer  to Allah. They are above the things that the sons of Adam indulge in, and  they are devoted to the worship of their Rabb. Undoubtedly at this point  their situation is more perfect than that of mankind.' And Allah knows best.''

The Moon said, "If one takes a cursory glance at the history of humans, one will find humans being misguided and denying the messengers and the books and Allah and making partners with Allah from among His creation. Therefore, they have earned the anger and punishment of Allah. The one who ponders over what is happening will see the servants of Satan swarming all around us. They are raising their banners and calling others to it. They are punishing the servants of Allah. This proves that Satan certainly has been given respite and that he is taking the offspring of Adam and leading them to the hell-fire. And Allah knows best."

[Part 7]

Bahasa

The Tenth Ring (5)

The Jinn proceeded, 'The Prophet (ﷺ) stated, 'The end of this nation, would come through calumnies and plague. These are the pierces from the enemy of the humans of the jinn. And whoever dies due to this infliction has attained martyrdom.' Perhaps, what occurred to the Prophet Job, alayhissalam, was from the jinn, Allah stated,

وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَآ اَيُّوْبَۘ اِذْ نَادٰى رَبَّهٗٓ اَنِّيْ مَسَّنِيَ الشَّيْطٰنُ بِنُصْبٍ وَّعَذَابٍۗ

'And remember Our servant Job, when he called to his Lord, 'Indeed, Satan has touched me with hardship and torment.' [QS. Sad (39):41]

Allah warns humans about Satan's misguidance and his desire to mislead people. O human, satan is an enemy for you, so treat him as an enemy. Whoever chooses Satan for an ally instead of Allah, is verily a loser and his loss is manifest. The enmity from Satan, will not change or vanish. It is because Satan sees the father of the humans, Adam, as the cause for his being expelled from paradise and the reason behind Allah's curse upon Satan. There is no doubt that he will seek revenge from Adam and his offspring.

Satan has one long term goal. This is his ultimate ambition. This goal is to see humans thrown into the hellfire and prevented from entering paradise. Aside from the long term goals, he has many short-term goals including, to get the slave involved in disbelief and idolatry. If he is not able to lead the slave to idolatry or disbelief, Satan does not despair. He then becomes pleased with things that are less than that, such as sins and disobedience to Allah. He also plants enmity and hatred in their ranks. Any action that is loved by Allah is hated by Satan and every act of disobedience that is hated by the Merciful is loved by Satan. If it is not for him to call people to disbelief, idolatry and evil deeds. He also tries to block the way to any good deed. There is no ath of goodness that man may follow except that he sits there, lurking and turn mankind away. If Satan is not able to block the way to acts of obedience, then he will do his best to ruin the act of obedience or worship by making it such that the person will not receive reward for the action. Every disobedience to the Merciful is obedience to Satan. Everything that is worshipped instead of Allah, be it statues, idols, sun, the moon, one's desires, another human, some ideology or whatever, is actually the worship of Satan. This is true whether the person is pleased with that fact or denies it, because it was Satan that ordered and sought that action. Satan orders and encourages every evil and strives his best for evil; he tries to forbid every good and, in fact, he fears every good deed. He wants the person to do the former and to leave the latter.

Besides from misleading mankind by disbelief and sins, there are also his another goal, to physically and psychologically harm the Muslim, among others, attacking the Prophet (ﷺ); to bring dreams to the human while he is sleeping, to molest and distress him; Satan may use animals that he spurs on for burning down houses. That's why, when you are going to sleep at night, extinguish your lamps; Satan fights and plays with the human at the time of death, so seek refuge in Allah from that; Satan harms the child at the time of its birth; Satan brings various diseases; Satan shares in the food, drink and lodging of the humans, this occurs if the human contradicts the guidance of Allah or if he is unmindful of Him; Satan enters the human body and possessed by the satan who onters them. The possessed person speaks a language that he himself does not understand. And his body, may be struck with a ferocious beating, such that it would leave a great mark on a camel. The possessed person does not perceive the strike nor does he perceive the words that he is speaking. The possessed may others heavier than him. And those who swallow usury, cannot rise up save as he arises whom the devil has prostrated by his touch.

Iblees is the one who lays out the strategy of the battle against humans and is the leader. From his seat, he sends his troops and armies to different places for different purposes. He meets with his troops and reviews what they have accomplished. He praises those who created a great deal of mischief and misguidance among the people. From the Prophet (ﷺ), we know that Iblees sets his throne on the water. From there, he sends out his troops to tempt mankind. The one whom he regards as closest to him is the one who causes the greatest temptation. One of them returns to him and says, 'I stayed with so and so, and did not leave him until he did such and such,' and he is told, 'You have done nothing.' Then one comes and reports, did not leave him until he separated from his wife.' Iblees then brings him near to him and says, 'How fine you are.'

Satan has two types of soldiers: one from among jinn and one from among humans. Satan is man's first enemy who rushes to take him to his eternal destruction. Although that is the case, most humans take him as their friend and ally. They follow in his footsteps. They are pleased with his thoughts. It shows how senseless the human, who has been bestowed a mind, is that he takes his most devoted enemy as his loyal ally.

Many humans follow and support Satan. He is deceiving them and leading them to what will end in their ultimate destruction and ruin. He will, in the end, abandon them and forsake them. He even laughs at them. Furthermore, he will point them out and even expose them. He orders them to steal, kill, commit adultery, and so on, and then he discloses their acts to others and disgraces them.

Humans are of two groups: allies and servants of Allah, the Most Merciful, and allies of Satan. The patrons of Satan are all of the unbelievers, regardless of what group they belong to or what affiliation they may profess. Satan gets power over them to mislead the believers by way of doubts and skepticism. He also urges the unbelievers to fight against the believers. And he always tries to put the fear of his patrons into the believers.

Satan does not come to the human and say, 'Leave this good deed and do this evil deed in order to make your life in this world and he next a miserable one.' If he behaved in that manner no one would follow him. Instead, he uses many ways to deceive the slaves of Allah, including : Making evil look good, he makes the false appear in the form of truth. And he makes what is true appear like falsehood. He will always try to make humans like falsehood and dislike truth until the human is pushed to doing evil deeds and turning away from the truth; He is also Radical; He hinders the slave from acting by means of procrastination and laziness; Satan makes false promises to humans and gives them sweet dreams in order to mislead them; Satan calls man to disobedience of Allah and he alleges that he is giving him sincere advice and he only desires the best for him; He uses a step-by-step approach to misguide mankind; The slave of Allah is made to forget what is good and best for him; He makes the believers fear his supporters; He gets to the person through what the person loves or desires; He casts doubts in the person's mind; and so on.

Satan is able to reach the thought and the heart of the human. He does it in such a way that the human does not perceive it or recognize it. He has been helped, in this manner, by the nature in which he has been created. This is the thing known as the 'whisper' or thought that enters a humans mind. Sometimes, Satan does not approach humans by way of whispering into his soul. Instead, he appears to them in the shape of a human; his voice can be heard but his body cannot be seen. Or he might take on a strange shape. Sometimes the jinn appear in front of humans and inform them that they are jinn. Sometimes they falsely claim to be angels. Sometimes they call themselves 'invisible men' while at other times, they claim to be from the world of the spirits.

All of these things have been related from people throughout the ages. Sometimes, the devils speak directly to a person while at other times they speak through a medium or using the tongue of that person for a while. Sometimes, they may respond to humans in writing.

They can do much more than that. They have been known to carry humans through the wind and take them from place to place. Or they may bring the person something he desires. But this is only done with the evildoers who do not believe in Allah as the Rabb of the Heavens and the Earth or those people who do sinful acts. Many times, such people, appear like the most pious of people, but in reality, they are the most misguided and corrupt people. Many of the past and present, have related such incidents, and they cannot be denied, since the reporting of such occurrences has been widespread and continuous.

Those who believe that they have been granted special powers and consider themselves special devotees of Allah, are actually just being served by the devils. There is no doubt that they get close to the devils, by way of what they love of disbelief and idolatry. Many of those people, write the Word of Allah in impure substances and they invert the letters of the Quran, either the words of surah al-Fatiha, al-Ikhlas or other verses. And they write the Word of Allah in blood or other impure substances. And they write or make other statements that are pleasing to Satan. If they say or write what is pleasing to the devils, then the devils aid them in satisfying some of their desires, such as transforming water or transporting them in the air to some places. Or they might steal wealth from other treacherous people, who do not mention Allah's name over it and bring it to some of their selected friends, and so on.

The human must always have some balance that can be used to distinguish between the devotees of the Merciful and the devotees of Satan and between the righteous and the impious. Otherwise, he will himself stray. That standard is the book of Allah and the sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ). If a person adheres to them, it is fine and good. If not, then he is not upon anything sound or praiseworthy, even if we see him resurrecting the dead or performing alchemy.

It is spread among many people that the jinn know the unseen. And the jinn do their best to spread this wrong notion among humans. But Allah has shown the falsity of their claim in the story of the Prophet Solomon. After his death, his body stayed erect, leaning on a staff, and the jinn continued to work. They were not aware that he had died until some crawling creatures ate away the staff he was resting on. Then Solomon fell, and it was made clear to the people, that the jinn are liars when they claim to know the unseen.

By that we know, one of the greatest mistakes that the masses make, when they believe that some people, like fortune tellers and soothsayers, know the unseen. We see them, going to them and asking them about things that were stolen, or crimes that were committed. And they ask them about things that have not happened yet to themselves and their children. Both the questioner and the questioned will be thwarted. The knowledge of the unseen rests only with Allah. Allah does not disclose any of it, except to whom He chooses of his righteous servants. Allah is the Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals unto none His secret, save unto every messenger who He has chosen, and then He makes a guard to go before him and a guard behind him that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He surrounds all their doings, and He keeps count of all things.

To believe that a certain person has the knowledge of the unseen is a sinful and wrong belief that goes against the authentic Islamic belief that only Allah has the knowledge of the unseen. To go to some people to ask for a verdict that involves the unseen is a very great sin. To believe in what they say is disbelief.

Astrologers are the people who use the stars or the celestial bodies to predict the affairs of the earth. This is a practice that is prohibited by the Book of Allah and the sunnah. In fact, all of the messengers of Allah have prohibited it. Some people allege that the astrologers, soothsayers, fortune tellers and others, are sometimes truthful. Their being truthful in many situations is just a form deception of mankind. As they usually make a general statement that can be interpreted in numerous ways. When the event occurs, they interpret their statement in the way that would make it seem correct. Other times when they are correct, it is the result of acumen and a keen eye. Other times, it comes from the jinn who meet them and give them some news they stole from the heavens. Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about diviners. He (ﷺ) said, 'They have nothing.' They said, 'But sometimes they give some words that turn out to be true.' He (ﷺ) answered, 'Those words of truth are from what the jinn stole. He says them into the ears of his patron and mixes with it one hundred lies.'

If the information they give that is correct is related to something similar to the name of a thief or knowing the name of a person and his family members, before the first meeting with him, this could all be done through some trickery. This could be done by having an assistant who gets information from the people or is able to listen to their discussions before the time of the meeting. Or it could be from the acts of the devils as devils knowing about things that happenned in the past, is not something strange or marvelous.

Many times we hear about the sightings of unidentified flying objects. Perhaps a week cannot go by, without hearing of one person or a group of people, who have reported a sighting. They are seen either flying through the skies or stationed for a time on earth. Some people have reported a creation different from that of humans emerging from the vehicles. Some have even claimed that the creatures, have asked them to join them on the vessels, and so on. All of this, are nothing but the jinn use, in their schemes, whatever happens to be the mode of the day. During this time, scientific progress is the fad of the day. Therefore the jinn mislead them by the use of this medium that interests them. Today people are beginning to explore space and the possibility of life in outer space. Hence, the jinn are appearing in the form of and space creatures in order to mislead and deceive mankind.'

The fisherman asked, 'Then what is the weapon of the believers in their war against satan?'

[Part 6]

Bahasa

The Tenth Ring (4)

'Before continuing, the Jinn asked, 'I've heard, one have said, it's not allowed to speak in local language. Is he a human or an ambtenaar?' The fisherman responded, 'Just ignore it! There is no prohibition against speaking local languages, after all, to keep local languages from becoming extinct, the important thing is, to speak in local language, we are aware of the place and time, lest, people who do not understand the local language, think that they are neglected.' The Jin nodded, and the fisherman said, 'You're just nodding, please, tell me your story!'

The Jinn went on by revealing, 'Satan has a very ugly appearance, something accepted by the mind. Christians of the Middle Ages, used to picture Satan as a black man with a pointed beard, raised eyebrows, a mouth that emits flames, horns and hoofs and a tail. Allah compares the branches of the tree of Zaqqum, a tree that springs in the heart of hell, its crop is as it were the heads of the devils. And satans have two horns.

Allah has given the jinn power and ability that He, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, has not given humans. Allah has informed us of some of their ability, including great speed and movement. One of the Afreet of Satanic Jinn, promised Solomon that he would be able to bring the throne of Sheba to Jerusalem in a period of time that was so short, that a man would not be able to stand from his of sitting. But one who had knowledge of the Book said, 'I will bring it before your gaze returns to you.' From this, we come to know that those who can overcome Satan, are those who have knowledge.

The jinn preceded mankind in matters related to space. They used to go to the lowest heaven to eavesdrop on the inhabitants of the heavens in order to find out what event would occur in the future, but when our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) was sent with his message, the number of guards in the heavens were increased. When the angels notice them, they attack them with meteors. Hence, these eavesdroppers, obtained information from the heaven, incompletely. So, if all that the jinn would relate, is only that which they actually had heard, they would be truthful; but, instead, they mix it with lies and make additions to it. As a result, the magicians who obtain information from the demons, more telling lies, although in the real world, perhaps, we sometimes find, there is a piece of truth in it. Knowledge of the reason why the Jin were being pelted with meteors put an end to superstitious belief that the people of ignorance used to pass on. They assumed that the shooting star, on that night an important person was born or an important person had died. Moreover, they invite people who see the shooting stars, to make a wish. This is a falsehood! The truth is, when Allah decides an affair, the inhabitants who carry the Throne sing His praise, and so do the ones of the next heaven and so forth until the lowest heaven. Then those are close to those who carry the Throne say to those who carry the Throne, 'What did your Rabb say?' And they are then informed about what Allah has decreed. And they pass this news to the next heaven and so forth until it reaches the lowest heaven. Then the jinn listen in and pass on the word to their servants. When the angels notice them, they attack them with meteors.

Allah created stars for three purposes, to adorn heavens, to stone devils, as signs by which to navigate. Whoever seeks anything else in them, is mistaken, and does not benefit them, it is wasting their time and effort in seeking something of which they have no knowledge.

So, there is no directions of specific duaa to be recited, either in the Quran or the hadiths, when one witnesses the phenomena of the shooting stars. But, the Prophet (ﷺ) give us a clue, that whoever sees something that amazes him and then says, 'Masha Allah la haula walaa quwwata illa billah,' then that thing will not harm him. In addition, when you see a shooting star, you can also do the tasbeeh, tahmeed and takbeer to glorify Allah.

Allah has informed us that the jinn, which were subjected to the control of the Prophet Solomon, performed many feats which evidence of their physical ability, intelligence and skill. The jinn have the ability to take on the shapes of humans or animals. They may also take the form of certain animals, for example, camels, donkeys, cows, dogs or cats. But, in particular, they take the form of a black dog. The jinn take the forms of snakes and appear in front of humans. Satan of the Jinn, is able to flow in the descendants of Adam like blood flows through a vein.In some aspects, the jinn and satan are strong, while in others, they are weak. Allah did not give Satan, the ability to compel mankind or force them to misguidance and disbelief. Satan has no means of mastery over them, either through proofs against them or through any power over them. Satan, himself, recognizes it. His mastery, is over those humans and jinn, who are pleased with his ideas and those who are pleased to follow and obey him. His mastery over them, is through seduction and misguidance. He agitates and stirs them and leads them to disbelief and polytheism. He harasses them until they enter into it. And he never leaves them alone.

His power over them, is not due to any proofs or arguments, but is simply because the actions that he calls them to, are in accordance with their own desires and wishes. They have harmed themselves. They allow their true enemy, Satan, to become their friend and master, because they are in agreement with what he wants from them. When they stretch their hands to him, they become his prisoner as a type of punishment for their own acts. Allah did not give Satan power over any of his slaves, until the himself opened the way for Satan by obeying him and associating him with Allah. Then Allah allows Satan to subjugate the slave and have power over him.

The jinn are not able to perform miracles like those of the Messengers that are meant as proof for the truth of their missions. The devils are incapable of appearing in the shape of the Prophet (ﷺ) in a vision or a dream. The devils are incapable of taking the true form of the Prophet (ﷺ). But this does not prevent them, from taking a form other than that of the Prophet (ﷺ) and claiming that they are the Prophet (ﷺ). Therefore, it is not permissible to argue, that everyone who sees who he thinks is the the Prophet (ﷺ) in a dream, has actually seen him, unless, of course, who he meets the description of the Prophet (ﷺ) that is found in the books of hadith. Many people claim that they had seen the Prophet (ﷺ), yet they give a description of him that differs from what has been recorded in the trustworthy books.

Satan has power over the believers due to their sins. A hadith states, 'Allah is with the judge as long as he does not commit any injustice. If he commits any injustice, Allah is free from him and keeps Satan with him.'

If a slave holds fast to Islam, has a sincere belief in his heart and stays within the bounds set by Allah, then Satan departs and flees from him. Whoever possesses a strong faith, can overcome Satan, defeat him and belittle him.

The jinn are responsible for their actions and have been ordered to perform some acts and to abstain from performing others, because they were created for the same purpose that mankind was created, to worship Allah. Concerning he who is obedient, Allah will be pleased with him and he will enter paradise. For whosoever disobeys and rebels, he is given the hell-fire.

Since they are responsible for their actions, there is no doubt that the revelation of Allah must reach them and establish 'the proof' against them. But how does this occur? Do they have messengers from among themselves like humans do, or are the same human messengers also to them? Basically, there are two opinions. The first opinion is that the jinn received messengers of their own kind. The second opinion is that all of the messengers that were sent to the jinn were humans. The majority of the early and later scholars, stated that the jinn never had a messenger or prophet from their kind. The debated question does not require any action on the part of the Muslims, nor is there any clear text concerning it; therefore, there is no need to discuss this question in any greater detail.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was sent to both jinn and humans. Some of the jinn quickly became believers when they heard the Quran recited. They heard the Quran, they believed in it and returned to their people to call them towards the oneness of Allah and faith, and they gave them good tidings as well as a warning.

Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) departed with some of his companions, intending to go to the bazaar at Ukaz. At that time, there had been obstruction between the devils and the news from the heavens. And flames were being hurled at the jinn. Therefore, the jinn went back to their people and were asked about what had happened. They answered, 'Some barriers have been put between us and the news from the heavens.' They said, 'This could only happen due to some important event. So go to the eastern parts of the earth and its western parts, to find out what has happened to cause these barriers between us and the news from the heavens.' They did so. A group of them proceeded to Tihama which is a palm grove close to the fair of Ukaz. At that time, the Prophet (ﷺ) was leading his Companions in the dawn prayer. When the jinn heard the recitation of the Quran, they said, 'Listen to it.' Then they said, 'This is what has caused the barriers between us and the news of the heavens.' They returned to their people and said, 'Our people, we have heard a marvelous Quran that guides us to the straight path and we believe in it.'

After that incident, a delegation of the jinn met with the Prophet

(ﷺ) to gain some knowledge from him. The Prophet (ﷺ) gave them an appointment and met with them and taught them what Allah prescribed for them, and he read the Quran to them and informed them of the news of the heavens. This latter incident occurred in Makkah before the Prophet's (ﷺ) migration to Madina. From among the verses that he recited to them was surah Ar-Rahmaan. That was not the only time that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited to the jinn, but such meetings were repeated a number of times afterwards.'

The Jinn, silence for a moment, then revealed, 'Indeed, plague is the piercing of your enemies, from among the jinn.' The fisherman reacted, 'Really? Tell me more, please!'

[Part 5]

Bahasa

The Tenth Ring (3)

'When the wind sweeps across the grass, the field has a ripple like a pond, and when it sweeps across the corn, the field waves to and fro like a high sea. That is called the wind's dance; but the wind does not dance only, he also tells stories; and how loudly he can sing out of his deep chest, and how different it sounds in the tree-tops in the forest, and through the loopholes and clefts and cracks in walls ! Do you see how the wind drives the clouds up yonder, like a frightened flock of sheep ? Do you hear how the wind howls down here through the open valley, like a watchman blowing his horn ? With wonderful tones, he whistles and screams down the chimney and into the fireplace. The fire crackles and flares up, and shines far into the room, and the little place is warm and snug, and it is pleasant to sit there listening to the sounds. Let the wind speak, for he knows plenty of stories, many more than are known to any of us. Just hear what the wind could tell.The wind tell a saga, 'There was a fisherman who, when young, had indiscreetly vowed not to cast his net above four times a day. This vow he religiously observed; though when he came to have a numerous family, he had often occasion to regret his having made it.

One morning, having thrown his net three times without the least success, he was almost wild with grief. Another cast only remained, which he determined to take with particular attention.

Having thrown it, instead of a fish he drew up only a small vessel of copper with a leaden seal to it. This seal he eagerly removed, in hopes of finding something valuable; but to his great mortification, the casket was empty. He threw it on the ground, and continued to eye it in a kind of despair, when he perceived a thick smoke to come out of it, which mounted to the clouds, and extending itself along the sea and shore, formed a great mist. When the smoke was all out of the vessel, it connected itself into one body which formed an enormous Jinn, who immediately said, 'Finally, I'm free!'

At the sight of so terrible a figure, at first, the fisherman would have fled, but was too much terrified that his legs seemed to be paralyzed. After calming down, and remembering Allah, took courage, and said, 'Thou proud spirit, what are you doing here?' The Jinn turning to his deliverer, with a fierce look said, 'Thou art very bold to call me a proud spirit. Speak to me more civilly before I kill thee.' 'Hah! Kill me?" replied the fisherman, 'I was never afraid of you!' Hearing this, without realizing it, the Jinn became smaller and smaller. Suddenly, the fisherman cupped him with the small vessel earlier. The fisherman instantly shut down the cover, 'Now, o Jinn, it is thy turn to entreat in vain. I will return thee to the sea whence I took thee, and will erect a monument to caution other fishermen if they chance to meet with thee, that they may be aware of such a wicked genie as thou art, who hassworn to kill thy deliverer!” The Jinn endeavored with his utmost force to get out of the vessel again; but the seal restrained him. Dissembling, therefore, his anger, he addressed the fisherman in a more pleasant tone ; begged him once more to remove the cover, and promised to reward him to his full satisfaction.

'Thou art a traitor!' replied the fisherman, 'And I should deserve to lose my life, if I was so foolish as to trust thee. I am more fortunate in being now out of your power, and having you in mine. I am now about to return you to the sea.'

'O my good friend,' replied the Jinn, 'Remember, revenge is forbidden, don't you want to know about me and my people?' 'How was that?' asked the fisherman. 'Ho!' replied the Jinn, 'Do you think I can tell stories in this confinement? Let me out, and I will tell you as many as you please.' 'No,' said the fisherman, 'I will not let you out; on the Contrary, I will this moment cast you back into the sea.' 'Hear me, I charge thee,' exlaimed the Jinn, if thou wilt deliver me, I swear, in the most solemn manner, that I will not hurt thee: on the contrary, I will tell you whatever thou desire.'

Overcome by this promise, the fisherman once more opened the vessel; and the Jinn, resuming his form, instantly kicked it into the sea. The fisherman was alarmed at this action, but the Jinn assured him, 'You are safe with me!'

Moments later, the fisherman said, 'Now tell me about thee and thy people!' The Jinn started to talk.

'We are Jinn, we are a world of our own, different from that of the humans or the angels. We do, common with humans, such as also have the ability to however, possess some characteristics in the ability to think and reflect. Similarly, choose between the path of good and the path of evil in the same manner as humans. We, though, differ from humans in other characteristics, including one very important characteristic: our origin.

We are called Jinn, because we are obscured from human sight. There is no doubt that the jinn were created before mankind, and Allah created us from marajin-min-naar (ما راج من نار ), the smokeless flame of fire, meaning something that mixed with the blackness of the fire. According to the scholars of language, the jinn are of different types. If one is mentioning the jinn purely of themselves, they are

called Jinni. If one is mentioning the jinn that live among mankind, they are called aamar, whose plural is amaar. If one is mentioning the ones that antagonize the young, they are called arwaah. If one is mentioning the evil ones that antagonize humans, they are called shaitan, for the singular, and shayateen, for plural. If they cause even more harm and become strong, they are called afreed. According to our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), there are three types of jinn: one that flies through the air, one that are snakes and dogs, and one which stay in places and travel about.

Satan, in the Arabic language, is a general term for any arrogant rebel. It is used, in general, for that one specific being because he was so arrogant and rebelled against his Rabb. Satan, which Allah mentions to us many times in the Quran, is from the world of the jinn. He used to worship Allah at the beginning of his creation. He lived among the angels in the heavens. He entered Paradise. But then he disobeyed Allah when he refused to prostrate to Adam, out of pride, arrogance and envy. Therefore Allah cast him out of from His mercy. He is called taaghoot, because he has transgressed the limits, rebelled against his

Rabb and tried to set himself up as a god to be worshipped. Satan has despaired of any chance of mercy from Allah and for that reason, Allah has named him Iblees, means he has no good in him, and also means despaired and lost. Many of the early scholars have mentioned that his name before he disobeyed his Rabb was azaazeel. Allah knows best.

The jinn, and Satan among them, eat and drink. The food for the Jinn, are bones or dung, and everything which the name of Allah has not been mentioned. So, humans are not allowed to clean themselves with that kind of things. Satan eats and drinks with his left hand, and you, humans, are ordered to be different from them in this respect, for whoever eats with his or her left hand, Satan eats with him or her, and whoever drinks with his or her left hand, Satan drinks with him or her.

In the same manner that it is prohibited for man to eat any meat that has not had the name of Allah pronounced over it, it is permitted the believing jinn to eat any bone that has had the name of Allah pronounced over it. They are not permitted to eat meat over which Allah's name has not been mentioned. All that has been eaten without having the name of Allah mentioned over it, provides food for the non-believing jinn who are the shayateen. In other words, the shayateen seek as permissible all the food that has not had the name Allah mentioned over it. This is why many scholars are of the opinion that carrion that have died by themselves, are food for the shayateen, for the name of Allah was not mentioned over them. As for how the Jinn eat and drink, neither Allah or His Messenger (ﷺ) have informed you, o human, of such matters, so let such knowledge stays in the hand of Allah, the Wise.'

The fisherman wanted to know, 'Do the jinn marry and procreate?' The Jinn replied, 'It is apparent that the Jinn do have sexual intercourse. To prove this, some of the scholars refer to the description of the maidens in paradise. Allah says concerning them,

فِيْهِنَّ قٰصِرٰتُ الطَّرْفِۙ لَمْ يَطْمِثْهُنَّ اِنْسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ وَلَا جَاۤنٌّۚ

'In both ˹Gardens˺ will be maidens of modest gaze, who no human or jinn has ever touched before.' [QS, Ar-Rahman (55):56]

One still hears about some man marrying a jinn or some woman marrying one of the jinn or a woman being proposed to by one of the jinn. Many such reports from the early generations and scholars pointing to the existence of marriages between humans and jinn. Assuming it is possible, many of the scholars showed a dislike

for such a marriage. Scholars such as Imam Malik, rahimahullah, could not find any text that would prohibit it, but he himself did not like for it to occur and he gave his reason for saying so, 'I hate that it would be the case that we would find a woman who is pregnant and we ask her, 'Who is your husband?' and she replies, 'One of the jinn.' Much evil would be the result of that.'

A group of people are of the opinion that it is not permitted to marry from the jinn. From the blessings of Allah, is that He created for mankind spouses of their own species. If it could occur, it would not be possible to have that companionship and love between the spouses, due to their different species. The goal and wisdom of marriage would not be attainable.

In any case, although people claim that such marriages occur and have occurred in the past, if such does occur, it is rare and strange. Furthermore, the one who performs it must seek the Islamic ruling concerning it. It could be the case that the one who does it is, in a sense, overpowered and has no way to escape that situation.'

The fisherman further asked, 'Do the satan die?' The Jinn answered, 'There is no doubt that the jinn, and the devils among them, do die. Concerning the length of their lives, we do not know much except what Allah has said concerning the accursed Satan who has been given respite and life until the Day of Judgment. Concerning other jinn or satan, we do not know their lifespans. But we do know that their lifespans are longer than that of the humans. Further evidence that they do die is the report that Khaalid ibn Waleed, killed the satan of al-Uza, a tree that the Arabs used to worship. And a Companion killed a jinn that took the shape of a serpant.

The jinn live upon the same earth as humans do. Most of them, can be found among the ruins and dilapidated areas, as well as the places where there are many impure things, such as, bathrooms, hashish dens, the places of the camels, cemeteries. For that reason, those people who are close to Satan, usually inhibit such areas. One should not pray in bathrooms due to the impurities present and because it is the abode of Satan, or in cemeteries as this leads to polytheism and it is also a home for the shayateen.

Many of them, are in the places which may be sources of evil, such as the marketplaces, where the shayateen raise their banner. So, if you can, do not be the first one to enter the marketplace, and do not be the last to leave it.

The shayateen live in the same houses in which people live. One can stop them from entering or repel them from such houses by mentioning Allah, reciting the Quran, in particular, surah al-Baqara and verse 255 of that surah, the verse of the Throne. The shayateen spread out and roam about increasingly when the dark first comes, and, therefore, he has advised Muslims to bring in their children during that period of time. And the shayateen run away from the call to prayer and cannot stand listening to it. And in the month of Ramadhaan, they are chained.

The shayateen love to sit between the shade and the sunlight, hence the Muslims are forbidden to sit in such places. They also possess animals and that the fodder for their animals is the dung of the animals of mankind. The shayateen accompany some animals such as camels, therefore, Muslims are prohibited from praying in the pastures of the camels, but it is permissible to pray in the fields of the sheep, for they are blessed. Some say the reason it is forbidden to pray in the places of the camels, is that their urine and dung are impure. Actually, the urine and the dung of any animal that is permissible to eat, is not considered impure.'

The shayateen love to sit between the shade and the sunlight, hence the Muslims are forbidden to sit in such places. They also possess animals and that the fodder for their animals is the dung of the animals of mankind. The shayateen accompany some animals such as camels, therefore, Muslims are prohibited from praying in the pastures of the camels, but it is permissible to pray in the fields of the sheep, for they are blessed. Some say the reason it is forbidden to pray in the places of the camels, is that their urine and dung are impure. Actually, the urine and the dung of any animal that is permissible to eat, is not considered impure.'

The fisherman asked again, 'What are their abilities and strength? And what are their weaknesses?' The Jinn replied, 'Pardon me! Thou art asked more than three. Normally, in fairy tales, the Jinn only offers three wishes.' The fisherman retorted, 'Really? You've promised me, you would tell me whatever I pleased? Don't be like Mukeedee, who often breaks his promise.' The genie retorted, 'Careful my friend, someone will tell the police, on charges of leaking the trench secrets!' The fisherman chuckled, saying, 'Mukeedee often breaks his promises, because he has amnesia!' The Jinn nodded. Then the fisherman said, 'Now, please, tell me what I ask for!'

[Part 4]

Bahasa

The Tenth Ring (2)

"The angels also love the gatherings that Allah loves,' the Teacher added. 'They like to accompany those who pray, recite the Quran, mention Allah, or do other good deeds. Thus, a sinner loses the company of angels and gains the company of devils. He can only change this by quickly repenting to Allah.

One of the Sahabah called Usayd Bin Hudayr, radhiyallahu 'anhu, that while he was reciting Surat Al-Baqara at night, and his horse was tied beside him, the horse was suddenly startled and troubled. When he stopped reciting, the horse became quiet, and when he started again, the horse was startled again. Then he stopped reciting and the horse became quiet too. He started reciting again and the horse was startled and troubled once again. Then he stopped reciting and his son, Yahya was beside the horse. He was afraid that the horse might trample on him. When he took the boy away and looked towards the sky, he could not see it. The next morning he informed the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, 'Recite, O Ibn Hudayr! Recite, O Ibn Hudaiyr!' Ibn Hudayr replied, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My son, Yahya was near the horse and I was afraid that it might trample on him, so I looked towards the sky, and went to him. When I looked at the sky, I saw something like a cloud containing what looked like lamps, so I went out in order not to see it.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Do you know what it was?' Ibn Hudair replied, 'No.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Those were Angels who came near to you for your voice, and if you had kept on reciting till dawn, it would have remained there till morning, when people would have seen it, as it would not have disappeared.' [Sahih Al-Bukhari]Imam Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Bazzar, recorded a hadith, it is shahih according to Al-Albani, that our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) also said, 'When a person uses siwak, and then stands for the night prayer, an angel comes and stands behind him. The angel listens to the Qur’anic recitation and slowly moves closer. He continues to listen and move closer until he finally places his mouth against the mouth of the person. Every ayah that the person recites thereafter would go into the angel. Thus, clean your mouths for reciting Qur’an.'

This shows the importance of standing in the prayer with nice smelling breath. If we then properly recite Qur’an, an honorable guest, an angel, would come to us and receive our recitation straight into his mouth so as to take it up to the heavens.

There is a myth about an angel of love called Cupid—the winged baby that carries a golden bow and arrows—is one of the most famous symbols of Valentine’s Day. His image, or sometimes one of a heart pierced by one of his arrows, is used to symbolize love. So how did a baby become such a big part of February 14th?

In Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. And he is known as the god of affection. Legend has it that Cupid shoots magical gold-tipped arrows at gods and humans alike. By piercing their heart with an arrow, he causes individuals to fall deeply in love. Some legends also say that Cupid is known to change his mind a lot. Not only does he carry golden arrows to make someone fall in love, but he also carries another kind of arrow. This other arrow has a blunt lead tip that makes people fall out of love.

During the 14th to 17th centuries, painters created many works of art that showed Cupid as a baby angel. This same version began to appear on Valentine’s Day cards during the late 1800s. Ever since, the image of Cupid as a flying infant who inspires love has stuck in people's minds. And it’s the version of Cupid that we are most familiar with to this day. 

In Islamic perspective, this is the great falsehood, because true angels, only love and bring love, with Allah's permisson. From an Islamic perspective, there is no day without love. So, for a Muslim, it is forbidden and a grave sin to engage in celebrations such as Valentine's Day or the like, even if just using the attributes though, because it is against the pillars of Islam.

Hopefully, knowing this, our esteemed non-Muslim neighbors, would understand it. We believe that they have never forced us to join in its celebration, just as Muslims will never force their belief. I would rember that John Lennon said 'Imagine, all the people, livin' life in peace?'

In the Quran, Allah mentions the names of five angels: Jibril, Mika’il (or Mikal), Malik, Harut, and Marut. Among the angels that are mentioned by name in the hadiths, are Israfil, Munkar, and Nakir. Some angels are mentioned in the Qur’an or the Sunnah, but we are not told their names. For example, we are told about the Angel of Death, and the Angel of Mountains.

Many of the ‘ulama’ dislike to carry an angel’s name, such as Jibril, Mikail, or Israfil, because the salaf did not name their children such names, and we should always follow their example. For the same reason, it is disliked to name a girl Malak or Malaak, both of which mean 'angel.'

Jibril, alayhissalam, is mentioned many times in the Quran, sometimes by name and sometimes by description. Jibril is called in the Qur'an "ar-Ruh" which means “the Spirit” or “the Life”. The reason for this name is that Jibril is the angel who carried the teachings from Allah to the Prophets. These teachings gave life and spirit to the hearts of many people.

Jibril was also chosen to blow the life of the noble prophet ‘Isa, alayhissalam, into the body of his mother, Maryam. He breathed into an opening in her clothes. The breath traveled into her body, and as Allah's will, she became pregnant with ‘Isa, alayhissalam

Jibril is also called “ar-Ruh-ul-Amin” which means “the Trustworthy Spirit”. Allah gave Jibril the most important responsibility of delivering His messages to the human messengers. Jibril is also called “Ruh-ul-Qudus”, which means “the Spirit that Belongs to the Holy One.” “The Holy One” or “al-Qudus” is Allah. Allah also called Jibril “Ruhuna”, which means, “the Spirit that Belongs to Us.”

Mika’il is one of the nearest angels to Allah. Some of the scholars believe that his jobs include bringing rain, plants, and food to the creation, all by Allah's permission. Mika’il is appointed over the rain and vegetation from which is created the provision of this world. He has helpers who do whatever he commands them to do by the command of his Rabb. They control the winds and clouds as their Rabb wills.'

So, by seing with the mind's eye, it is, then, that gates are opened for him, one by one, until his mind's journey carries him to the Throne of the Compassionate, where he envisions its huge and great size, its majesty, glory and elevation; he envisions the seven heavens, and the seven earths, whose mass is, compared to the Throne's, like a ring to a desert; he envisions the angels circumambulating the Throne, with their hymns of praise and glorification of the Rabb, rising in chorus. He sees with the mind's eye, the commandments of the Rabb descend from above, managing the worlds and directing the Almighty's soldiers, whose swarms no one can count but their Rabb and King. He realises how directives descend to determine the reviving of multitudes of creatures and the perishing of other multitudes; the honouring of some and the suffering of others; the enthroning of someone and the dethroning of another; the transporting of a blessing from one place to another place; and the fulfilling of all sorts of needs, in all their variety and abundance: the rescue of a bankrupt, the enrichment of an indigent, the healing of an invalid, the saving of someone stricken with disaster; the forgiveness of a sin, the resolution of a crisis, the supporting of a persecuted one, the guiding of a lost one, the educating of an ignorant one, the reclamation of an escaped slave, the safety of a terrified one, the succour of a succour seeker; the empowering of a feeble person, the support of a distressed one, the help of someone who is handicapped, the revenge on an oppressor, the stopping of aggression; all decrees towards the establishing of justice, sympathy, wisdom and mercy, covering all corners of the world. No call distracts Him from another call, the great succession of pleas and petitions do not confuse Him, no matter how numerous, diverse, or simultaneous. He does not complain at the insistence of insistents, and His bountiful bestowings, do not decrease the riches of His treasure by a fraction, for there is no god but He, the Most Proud, the All Wise.

Conceiving this, the believing heart, is prostrated in the presence of the Compassionate, bending in awe of Him, subservient to His might; bound to His hegemony; it will prostrate in front of the King, the True, the Clear, a prostration that is never interrupted until the day of recompence. All this, the heart does while it is still in its place, at home, and not leaving its residence which is a most marvelous wonder of the Rabb's and an over whelming occurrence.

Blessed be the journey, a most rewarding trip, lifting the human and blessing his life and rewarding him amply and ensuring good consequences. It is the trip that revives souls and wins the key to happiness; fills the minds and hearts with peace, not borne with hardship like other trips.'

The disciple asked, 'What about the world of the Jinn?' The teacher replied, 'Listen to the following story!'

[Part 3]

Bahasa

The Tenth Ring (1)

"He who has a competence, should has a Bashirah," said the Moon after greeting with Basmalah and Salaam. Then she said, "I once visited a land called Bhumi Svatantra and my reflection of light, caught the conversation between a teacher and his disciple.

The Disciple inquered, 'O my teacher, are all religions, the same? Or do all religions lead to the same place?' The teacher replied, 'No. The world's religions don't even agree on what the destination is. The doctrine of religious equality existed side by side in eighteenth century Europe, with doctrines of equality based only on rational argument that men are created equal. Whatever theological basis there may be for the doctrine that men are created equal, is surely doubtful, whether Christian, Buddhist, or followers of other religion, would have different views.

A theoretical religious equality had little practical application in Europe until the period of the Reformation. It remained important, nevertheless, in restraining the lengths to which inequality might otherwise have gone. The idea arose when democracy was supported in modern Europe, came from religious minorities intent on justifying their resistance to persecution—and it's really strange, it happened a long time ago, but it's happening again and again in our Land.

These minorities, were Catholic or Protestant, were often composed of quite humble people. Having lost their natural leaders, whom they had to regard as heretical, they vested authority in themselves. So, actually, what is meant by that, in a country, there should be a guarantee that every citizen has the right to practice their own worship. That is why, our 'Founding-Parents', took the middle way, stating, 'The state guarantees the freedom of every citizen to embrace his\her own religion and to worship according to his\her religion and beliefs.'

'Know that our 'Founding-Parents' are the people of competence, they are able to see, they have bashirah.' The disciple asked, 'What is Bashirah?' The teacher explained, 'Bashirah, from the Arabic word بصيرة, meaning perception, insight and foresight of a transcendental truth.

In short, it can be said that bashirah is the light of the heart. There are three levels of men who have bashirah. Firstly, he\she who uses the Light of his Intellect, will continue to feel his existence and closeness to Allah. This is called Shu'aa al-Bashirah. Secondly, he\she who uses the Light of Knowledge, will feel that their existence does not exist, and that there is only Allah. This is called 'Ain al-Bashirah. Third, he\she who has reached the stage of Divine Light, in fact, he\she only looks at Allah and sees nothing besides Him. It's not that they don't see the nature around them, but because the nature around them is essentially not independent, but is always subject to, and in need of, Allah, then the existence of this nature does not attract their attention, therefore, they perceive the universe and the wealth in it as if it doesn't exist. This is called Haqq al-Bashirah. All the light of this heart's eye, will emit all kinds of glory and very useful benefits so that he\she will istiqamah in settling on the Ultimate Truth and having character of Akhlaq al-Karimah. The deeper discernment of certain knowledge from that truth, is called firasa.'

The teacher was silent for a moment, then said, 'Now, let's start by Looking. In Islamic perspective, Looking has two senses, there is 'looking' with the eyes, the external organ, by which one may see, for instance, the blue of the sky, its stars, its height and vastness. In such vision, man is equal to other species, and so, it is not the vision that man is exhorted to practice. In the other sense, 'looking' is to go beyond the first external vision, to see with the mind's eye. The concept of seeing with the mind's eye, can only be done with a sound reason, combined with the role of the sound heart and good deeds, so that the heaven's gates are opened to the observer; he wanders among its territories and lands, and associates with its angels.

Our external organ, the eyes, couldn't see the unseen or Al-Ghayb. Believing the Unseen is one of the basic tenets of Islam, and one of the Unseen World of which Islam tells us is, the world of the Angels, who are described in great detail in the Quran and Sunnah. Some people think that Iblis, was a fallen angel or that he used to be an angel. Iblis was never an angel, but was actually from the jinns. Allah says,

وَاِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلٰۤىِٕكَةِ اسْجُدُوْا لِاٰدَمَ فَسَجَدُوْٓا اِلَّآ اِبْلِيْسَۗ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ اَمْرِ رَبِّهٖۗ اَفَتَتَّخِذُوْنَهٗ وَذُرِّيَّتَهٗٓ اَوْلِيَاۤءَ مِنْ دُوْنِيْ وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۗ بِئْسَ لِلظّٰلِمِيْنَ بَدَلًا

'And [mention] when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' and they prostrated, except for Iblis. He was of the jinn and departed from [i.e., disobeyed] the command of his Rabb. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.' [QS. Al-Kahf (18):50]

Allah created the angels different from us. We cannot see them, hear them, touch them, or subject them to any of our human senses. How then can we learn about the angels? Like other matters of ghayb, we learn about them from what Allah tells us in His Book, or what our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) tells us in his hadiths.

The eyes of man, in plain view, could not see the Angels, but not in some animals. The animals can see or hear some things better than men. Sometimes, the animals can see the Angels. Abu Hurayrah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,

إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ صِيَاحَ الدِّيَكَةِ فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ، فَإِنَّهَا رَأَتْ مَلَكًا، وَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ نَهِيقَ الْحِمَارِ فَتَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، فَإِنَّهُ رَأَى شَيْطَانًا

'When you hear the crowing of roosters, ask for Allah's Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan.' [Sahih Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

The angels usually stay in the heavens. They come down to Earth when Allah orders them. The angels cannot descend from the heavens whenever they wish, but only when Allah tells them. Once, the Prophet told Jibril, 'Why don’t you visit us more often?' Allah then revealed,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ اِلَّا بِاَمْرِ رَبِّكَۚ لَهٗ مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْنَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا

'[Jibril said], "And we [angels] descend not except by the order of your Rabb. To Him belongs that before us and that behind us and what is in between. And never is your Rabb forgetful.' [QS. Maryam (19):64]

The Angels, are appointed over the heavens and on earth. Every moment in the universe, stems from the Angels. Some poeple claim that it is the Star which do all that, but this claim is not true, the ones who do that, are the Angels. Allah says,

وَالْمُرْسَلٰتِ عُرْفًاۙ فَالْعٰصِفٰتِ عَصْفًاۙ وَّالنّٰشِرٰتِ نَشْرًاۙ فَالْفٰرِقٰتِ فَرْقًاۙ فَالْمُلْقِيٰتِ ذِكْرًاۙ

'By those [winds] sent forth in gusts, and the winds that blow violently, and [by] the winds that spread [clouds], and those [angels] who bring criterion, and those [angels] who deliver a message.' [QS. Al-Mursalat (77):1-5]

Since the angels are part of ghayb that is beyond our physical world, they are not like anything we see around us. We have to keep this in mind when we discuss some of their qualities. For example, we are told that they have wings, but this does not mean that their wings are similar to the wings of birds, bees, or airplanes.

The angels are among Allah’s soldiers, that they are very large in number, and that He, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, alone knows their count. The angels have wings. Some are stronger than anything we know in this world. Some are larger than anything that we have seen. They usually have a good appearance. They never need sleep or rest, they never have to eat. Many ignorant people, think that all angels are white in color. However, we learn from the Sunnah, that when the angels would appear to some people in this world, they would have colors that fit the occasion. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw Jibril for the first time, Jibril was dressed in green. Munkar Nakir are blue-black in color. The angels of death, come to the believers with white faces, and to the disbelievers with dark faces.

The angels can change their form whenever Allah wants them to do so. For example, Jibril, alayhissalam, often came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions in the form of a man, just as the angels came to Ibrahim, alayhissalam, as men. And Jibril came to Maryam in the form of a man.

The angels travel very fast. They travel between the Heavens and Earth in a short time, bringing down Allah’s orders, taking up records of our deeds, and so on. The angels must then be faster than horses, rockets, sound, light, or anything else that we know. In our physical world, we say that nothing can travel faster than light. But the angels are not controlled by the laws of this world. Allah is the Creator of the world and its laws. He gives the angels speeds and powers that suit their missions.

We talk about the angels using the male gender: 'he', 'his', 'him', and so on. But this does not mean that the angels are male—nor are they female. The disbelievers during the Prophet's (ﷺ) time said that the angels were the daughters of Allah. It is not right to say that Allah should have a child, whether male or female, because He is the Rabb and Owner of everything. He does not have a child, nor does He need one. Furthermore, we cannot say that the angels marry or have children, because nothing like this is mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah. Aren't the Qur'an and Sunnah our guide so that we don't go astray?

Allah made the angels a most noble and good creation. They are obedient and precise in fulfilling His commands. Thus, Allah entrusted them with the delivery of His messages to the prophets. He also entrusted them to care for the Qur’an that is in the heavens. A person who is good in reading the Qur’an will be with those righteous angels.

The angels receive their knowledge from Allah. They cannot know more than what He teaches them, nor do they know any less than that.

The angels like to listen to good things and hate hearing bad things. They like to listen to Qur’an and to the praise of Allah. They hate listening to music, lies, and other things taught by Shaytan. When the Qur’an is recited nicely and sincerely to please Allah, the angels come close to listen to it.

Our beloved (ﷺ) said,

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَلاَئِكَةً يَطُوفُونَ فِي الطُّرُقِ، يَلْتَمِسُونَ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ، فَإِذَا وَجَدُوا قَوْمًا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ تَنَادَوْا هَلُمُّوا إِلَى حَاجَتِكُمْ‏.‏ قَالَ فَيَحُفُّونَهُمْ بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا‏.‏ قَالَ فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ وَهْوَ أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمْ مَا يَقُولُ عِبَادِي قَالُوا يَقُولُونَ يُسَبِّحُونَكَ، وَيُكَبِّرُونَكَ، وَيَحْمَدُونَكَ وَيُمَجِّدُونَكَ‏.‏ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ رَأَوْنِي قَالَ فَيَقُولُونَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَوْكَ‏.‏ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ وَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْنِي قَالَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ رَأَوْكَ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ لَكَ عِبَادَةً، وَأَشَدَّ لَكَ تَمْجِيدًا، وَأَكْثَرَ لَكَ تَسْبِيحًا‏.‏ قَالَ يَقُولُ فَمَا يَسْأَلُونِي قَالَ يَسْأَلُونَكَ الْجَنَّةَ‏.‏ قَالَ يَقُولُ وَهَلْ رَأَوْهَا قَالَ يَقُولُونَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَبِّ مَا رَأَوْهَا‏.‏ قَالَ يَقُولُ فَكَيْفَ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَأَوْهَا قَالَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَأَوْهَا كَانُوا أَشَدَّ عَلَيْهَا حِرْصًا، وَأَشَدَّ لَهَا طَلَبًا، وَأَعْظَمَ فِيهَا رَغْبَةً‏.‏ قَالَ فَمِمَّ يَتَعَوَّذُونَ قَالَ يَقُولُونَ مِنَ النَّارِ‏.‏ قَالَ يَقُولُ وَهَلْ رَأَوْهَا قَالَ يَقُولُونَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَوْهَا‏.‏ قَالَ يَقُولُ فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْهَا قَالَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ رَأَوْهَا كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهَا فِرَارًا، وَأَشَدَّ لَهَا مَخَافَةً‏.‏ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ فَأُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنِّي قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ‏.‏ قَالَ يَقُولُ مَلَكٌ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ فِيهِمْ فُلاَنٌ لَيْسَ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّمَا جَاءَ لِحَاجَةٍ‏.‏ قَالَ هُمُ الْجُلَسَاءُ لاَ يَشْقَى بِهِمْ جَلِيسُهُمْ

'Allah has some angels who look for those who celebrate the Praises of Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people celebrating the Praises of Allah, they call each other, saying, "Come to the object of your pursuit.' " He added, "Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky of the world." He added. "(after those people celebrated the Praises of Allah, and the angels go back), their Rabb, asks them (those angels)----though He knows better than them----'What do My slaves say?' The angels reply, 'They say: Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Alham-du-li l-lah, Allah then says 'Did they see Me?' The angels reply, 'No! By Allah, they didn't see You.' Allah says, How it would have been if they saw Me?' The angels reply, 'If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and celebrate Your Glory more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.' Allah says (to the angels), 'What do they ask Me for?' The angels reply, 'They ask You for Paradise.' Allah says (to the angels), 'Did they see it?' The angels say, 'No! By Allah, O Rabb! They did not see it.' Allah says, How it would have been if they saw it?' The angels say, 'If they saw it, they would have greater covetousness for it and would seek It with greater zeal and would have greater desire for it.' Allah says, 'From what do they seek refuge?' The angels reply, 'They seek refuge from the (Hell) Fire.' Allah says, 'Did they see it?' The angels say, 'No By Allah, O Rabb! They did not see it.' Allah says, How it would have been if they saw it?' The angels say, 'If they saw it they would flee from it with the extreme fleeing and would have extreme fear from it.' Then Allah says, 'I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them."' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) added, "One of the angels would say, 'There was so-and-so amongst them, and he was not one of them, but he had just come for some need.' Allah would say, 'These are those people whose companions will not be reduced to misery.'' [Muttafaqun Alayh (Agreed upon Sahih Al-Bukhari & Muslim)]

[Part 2]

Bahasa