Aslam

When an unbeliever advances towards the next world and cuts off connections with the world an angel with an hideous and ugly look comes to him with clothes of fire and shirt of tar to cover him with. When his life comes out, the angels of heaven and earth curse him and the doors of heaven are closed against him. When his soul is taken up, it suddenly falls down. Then it is said : O Lord, the heaven and earth do not accept the so-called servant of yours. God says : Return him and show him the punishment I have kept prepared for him. From it (earth) I have created him and unto it I will return him. When they go away, they hear their footsteps. He is then said : O servant, Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet? He says : I don't know. He says : Has he not communicated to you? Then an angel with the most ugly face full of stench comes to him and says : Take good news of God's displeasure and lasting chastisement. He then asks : Who are you? He says : I am your evil deeds. By God, then an angel, blind, dumb and deaf is fixed for him. In his hand, there is a stiff iron rod. If all men want to lift it up, they can't do it. If a mountain is beaten therewith, it will be crushed to pieces. He beats him therewith and he is then crushed to dust. Then his soul is returned to his body again and he is then beaten on his face. Then everything except jinn and men hear its sound.

Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 415

Then a proclaimer proclaims : Spread out to him two planks of fire and open a door towards Hell. Then it is complied with.

The Prophet said : The punishment of an unbeliever is is that in his grave, ninety nine serpents will be biting him and each serpent will have seven heads. This will continue upto the Resurrection Day.

Your must not express surprise at hearing the number of snakes as their number will increase according to the misdeeds of the unbeliever-pride, show, hatred and other evil characters and conducts. These will turn into snakes. Those who are well aware of soul realise and find these destructive sins. Those who cannot see them should not deny this, but seek its proofs. There are three matters to prove it.

PROOFS OF PUNISHMENT OF GRAVE

(l)The cause of your not seeing the sting of a serpent is this that your outward two eyes of this world were not made for its sight. The thing which can see the affairs of the next world belongs to the spiritual word. Don't you see how the companions of the Prophet believed in the descent of Gebrail although they did not see him with a physical body. They believed him as the Prophet testified it. If you believe him, then why do you disbelieve punishment in the grave? As an angel is not like man and animal, so the serpents which will bite the sinners and unbelievers in the grave do not belong to the class of serpents of the world. These are serpents of the next world and this can be understood by the senses of the next world.