بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
A hadith was narrated in Sahih Bukhari, describing a dream the prophet (ﷺ) had one night. The dreams of the prophets are very significant – they all have meanings.
The prophet (ﷺ) often asked his companions if they had seen a dream and he would narrate to them what the dream meant, if it had any true meaning. One day he said to his companions that he himself had a vision, a daunting one.
Two angels came to him in the dream, woke him up and told him to proceed with them. He set out with them and came across a man lying down and another man standing over his head holding a huge rock. The man with the rock would throw the rock at the other man’s head smashing it.
When he struck him, the rock would roll away and went to retrieve it. No sooner had he returned to the man lying down, his head would be restored to its former condition and the process was repeated.
The prophet (ﷺ) was startled, he said to the two angels, “Subhan’Allah! Who are these?”. The angels would only reply, “proceed, proceed”.
So they proceeded and came across man lying down in a prone condition with another man standing over his head with an iron hook. He would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck; then a similar tear with his nose; and a similar tear with the eyes.
He then turned to the other side of the man’s face and did the same. He had hardly completed that side and the other was restored to its former condition and the process was repeated.
The prophet (ﷺ) said to the two angels, “Subhan’Allah! Who are these?”. The angels would only reply, “proceed, proceed”.
So they proceeded and came across something similar to a Tannur (a sort of baking oven, a pit usually lined with clay for baking bread):
The prophet (ﷺ) mentioned hearing much noise and voices. He looked into it and found naked men and women whom the flame of the fire was reaching them from below and they would scream out intensely.
The prophet (ﷺ) said to the two angels, “Subhan’Allah! Who are these?”. The angels would only reply, “proceed, proceed”.
So they proceeded and came across a river red like blood. In the river they saw a man on the bank who had collected many stones and another man in the river swimming. While the other man swam and went near the man on the bank the swimmer would open his mouth and the other man threw a stone into it. He would swim away and return, then the process was repeated.
The prophet (ﷺ) said to the two angels, “Subhan’Allah! Who are these?”. The angels would only reply, “proceed, proceed”.
So they proceeded and came across a man with a repulsive appearance, the worst they have ever seen. Beside him was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it.
The prophet (ﷺ) said to the two angels, “Subhan’Allah! Who is this?”. The angels would only reply, “proceed, proceed”.
So they proceeded and reached a garden of deep green vegetation having all sorts of spring colours. In the midst of a garden there was a very tall man who’s head can hardly be seen because of his great height. Surrounding him were children in such a large number, more than the prophet (ﷺ) has ever seen.
The prophet (ﷺ) said to the two angels, “Subhan’Allah! Who is this?”. The angels would only reply, “proceed, proceed”.
So they proceeded and came to a majestic, huge garden, greater and better than any he’s ever seen. The two companions said to him, “ascend up”, and the prophet (ﷺ) ascended until they reached a city built with gold and silver bricks. They went to a gate and asked the gate keeper to open it and they entered the city.
In the city they found people with one side of their bodies as handsome as anyone has ever seen and the other side as ugly as anyone has ever seen. The two companions with the prophet (ﷺ) ordered those people to throw themselves into a river that was flowing across the city and its water was like milk.
After they came out they returned with the ugliness disappeared and in best of shape. The two companions mentioned that the place they are in is ‘Adn Jannah. They pointed up and said, “that is your place” – a palace like a white cloud.
The prophet (ﷺ) said, “may Allah bless you both, let me enter it”, they replied, “as for now, you will not enter, but you shall one day”.
The prophet (ﷺ) said, “I have seen many wonders tonight. What does it all mean?”
They explained starting with first man who’s head was being smashed. He is the symbol of a person whom the Qur’an comes to him and refuses to recite it nor act upon it. He also sleeps upon the obligatory prayers e.g. Fajr time comes and he sleeps through it until after sunrise; Asr time comes and sleeps through until Maghreb.
Why is the head being smashed we may wonder? What does it symbolise? Scholars explain that the sweetness of sleep is in the brain, thus why it is being punished.
As for the man whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of a person who tells lies that spread across the globe. In our time this could be big lies told on the internet – they can easily spread in modern times.
As for the men and women being burnt on what seems like a Tannur, those are the adulterers and adulteresses.
As for the man in the red river swallowing stones, he is a symbol of those who eat Riba (usury and interest) and the ugly man near the fire, kindling it and going around, that is the gatekeeper of hell.
As for the tall man in the garden, that was prophet (ﷺ) Ibrahim and the children around him, they were the children that died upon the Fitrah i.e. before puberty.
Some Muslims listening to this narrations asked the prophet (ﷺ) if the children of the disbelievers were also amongst the children in the garden; he clarified that indeed they were. This is because in Islam everybody is born with the Islamic faith of believing in Allah; it is only at puberty that our faith starts to be tested.
As for the people that were half beautiful and half ugly, these were the people who mixed an act of good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them.
This was the vision that the prophet (ﷺ) had. Scholars explained that what the prophet (ﷺ) was narrating is the life of the Barzakh; the life between death and the day of resurrection.
This is due to the last part of the vision explaining the people that were half beautiful and half ugly. If they were already in Jannah, they would not have the half ugliness – it is as if Allah gave them that side to remember their sins as they wait for end of time; where Allah says:
“..And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval..” [57:20]
For those who are being punished in the Barzakh, it will only be worse after the day of judgement; and those who are in bliss, it will only be better after that day.
The reason why the prophet (ﷺ) was narrating this vision to the Muslims is as a reminder. When prayer time comes, when we think about lying, when we are about to sign a contract with usury or interest, when we think about doing any sin, let us remember what awaits.
Let us also remember that our deeds are not going unnoticed. A blissful life in the Barzakh and even more bliss in the afterlife is what is waiting for those who do good.
Allah knows best.