Chapter VIII: Self-Examination and Self-Accounting
Hazrat Mu'az-b-Jala said: I heard the Prophet say: God created seven angels before He created seven heavens and the earth and placed one angel as guard of each heaven. The angel who presents actions raise up men's actions from morning to evening. When he reaches the first heaven with a man's actions, the guard of this heaven says to him: I am examiner of back-biting. My Lord ordered me not to lift the actions of a man who has back-bited. Then the angel leaves behind this bad action and takes the rest of his good actions to the second heaven. The guard of the second heaven says to him: My Lord prohibited me to allow those actions to go upward which have been done for worldly purposes. The angel then leaves those actions and takes the rest upwards. The guard of the third heaven says to the angel:
I am angel of pride. My Lord ordered me not to allow such actions as were done with pride upwards, because he took boast of some divine services in the assembly of men. Then he leaves such actions and takes the rest towards the fourth heaven. The guard of the fourth heavens says to him: My Lord prohibited me to allow such actions to go upwards as were done with self-praise as I am angel of self-praise. Then the angel leaves those actions and takes the rest towards the fifth heaven. The guard of the fifth heaven says to the angel: I am an angel of hatred. I have been ordered not to allow those actions of men going upwards as were done with hatred. Then he leaves those actions and takes the rest towards the sixth heaven. The guard of this heaven says to him:
My Lord ordered me not to allow such actions of a man going upwards who did not show kindness to My servants when they feel in dangers and calamities. I am an angel of kindness. Then the angel leaves those actions behind and takes the rest towards the seventh heaven.
The guard of this heaven says to the angel: My Lord ordered me not to allow going upwards such actions as were not done to please Him or for His sake, but for name an fame or for show.
Then this angel leaves those actions behind and takes the rest towards the seventh heaven and to God who says: You are presenting the actions of My servants. I am guard of man's heart.
VoI-III Love of power and show 227
I know that some of these actions were not done to please Me. So My curse is upon him. The angels also curse him and the seven heavens also curse him.
Then the Prophet gave some instructions to Mu'az: Don't allow others to hear your sins. Bear them yourself. Don't think yourself pure by back-biting others. Don't place yourself above them. Don't allow your worldly actions to enter your next worldly actions. Don't boast in any assembly of yours. Don't talk secretly with another with whom there are other men. Don't take pride before the people. Don't boast before the people. Don't cut jokes with the people lest the dwellers of Hell cut jokes with you on the Resurrection Day.