Aslam

Hazrat Ibn Abbas was asked about two God fearing men and he said: Their hearts are stricken with fear of God and their eyes shed tears. They say: When death is behind our back how can we make enjoyments? When graves are in our front when the Hour has been promised near when our path is over Hell and when we stand facing God, how can we engage ourselves in enjoyments?
The saint Hatem Asem said: Don't be deceived by your good abode as there is no better place than Paradise. Hazrat Adam got therein his enjoyments. Don't be deceived that you have done a good deal of divine service, as you know the condition of the_ devil although he did divine service for long. Don't take pride for your learning as you should look to the condition of Balaram even though he knew the greatest name of God Don't be overjoyed" because of the companionship of pious men, as nobody got such a fortune as the Prophet but his relatives got no benefit though they lived with him.

It has been reported that an Ansar youth used to weep for fear of Hell and stayed at home. The Prophet came to him and as soon as he embraced him, he fell down dead. The Prophet said:
Bury your companion as his liver has melted owing to fear of Hell. A man asked the saint Forqad: Inform us of any wonderful news of Banu Israil. He said: I heard that 500 unmarried girls once entered the sacred mosque at Jerusalem. They wore coarse cloths and blankets. When they were reminded of God's punishment, they all breathed their last in the same day.

142 FEAR AND HOPE Vol-IV

The saint Ali Salami was a God-fearing man. He did never pray for paradise and only prayed for forgiveness. When he was asked during his illness whether he had any desire, he said: Fear of Hell did not leave any place in my mind for any desire. It has been said of him that he used not to raise his head towards the sky out of fear and did not laugh for forty years. One day he raised up his head towards the sky and at once he fell down senseless out of fear and his intestines were cut.

Hazrat Ata said: One day we came out with Otbatul Golam.
There were old and young men with us. They used to pray Fajr prayer with the ablution of Isha prayers. Their feet got swollen owing to long standing in prayers. Their eyes went into sockets and their flesh was mixed with their bones and their glands remained like wood. When they got up at dawn, it was seen that their skins became like outer covers of water-melon as if they came out of their graves. They gave information how God honoured the pious and destroyed the sinners. When they travelled they used to fall in swoon whenever they heard the recitation of any verse. The companions of Otbah were weeping sitting round him in an intensely cold day. His perspiration began to come out in the state of swoon. They brought water and washed his face and he regained consciousness. When they asked him about his state, he said: I remembered that I committed a sin here.