Al-Kafi 2609

Translation

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Mansour Bin Al Abbas, from Saeed Bin Janah, from Usman Bin Saeed, from Abdul Hameed Bin Ali Al Kufy, from Muhajir Al Asady, (It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah^asws having said: ‘Isa^as Bin Maryam^as passed by a town whose inhabitants had died, along with its birds and its animals. So he^as said: ‘But they did not die except by Wrath (of Allah^azwj), and had they died separately, they would have buried each other’. So the disciples said, ‘O Spirit of Allah^azwj and His^azwj Word! Supplicate to Allah^azwj that He^azwj should Revive them so they can inform us what their deeds were (that led them to this destruction), so that we can stay away from these’. So Isa^as supplicated to his^as Lord^azwj, and there was a Call from the air: ‘Call them!’ So Isa^as stood at night upon a high ground and he^as said: ‘O inhabitants of this town!’ So one of them responded answering, ‘O Spirit of Allah^azwj and His^azwj Word, here I am!’ So he^as said: ‘Woe be unto you all! What were your deeds?’ He said, ‘Worshipping the tyrants and love of the world along with little fear, and has long hopes and neglectfully engaged in the‘لَهْوٍ وَ لَعِبٍ’ in useless and playful activities’. So he^as said: ‘How was your love for the world?’ He said, ‘Like the love of the child for its mother. Whenever it came upon us, we were happy and joyful, and when it was distant from us, we cried and grieved. He^as said: ‘How was your worship for the tyrants?’ He said, ‘The obedience to the disobedient ones’. He^as said: ‘How was your end of your affairs?’ He said, ‘We slept at night in good health and we woke up in the morning in the Abyss’. So he^as said: ‘And what is the Abyss?’ So he said, ‘A prison’ He^as said: ‘And what is the prison?’ He said, ‘A mountain of burning coal inflamed upon us up to the Day of Judgment’. He^as said: ‘So what did you all say and what was said to you?’ He said, ‘We said, ‘Return us to the world and we would be ascetic therein’. It was said to us, ‘You are all lying’. He^as said: ‘How come there did not speak to me^as anyone apart from you, in among them?’ He said, ‘O Spirit of Allah^azwj! They are being reined by the rein of Fire at the hands of intensely harsh Angels, and I was among them and did not happen to be from them. So when the Punishment descended, I was generalised with them, and I was attached to a branch upon the edge of Hell, not knowing whether I would be plunging into it or whether I would be Rescued from it’. So Isa^as turned towards the disciples and he^as said: ‘O friends of Allah^azwj! Eating the dry bread with the crushed salt, and sleeping upon the garbage is much better for the well-being in the world and the Hereafter’.

Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.