The Sixth Paradise: The Garden of Eden

The Prophet travelled again on the Buraq for five hundred thousand years. On his way to the Sixth Paradise which is called Jannat Adn: "the Garden of Eden," he saw nations and nations of saffron-colored angels standing on pedestals of pink marble. They had one thousand wings and on each wing there were one thousand faces. Each face had one thousand mouths saying: "Praise be to the Lord of Majesty and Splendor!" Gabriel knocked at the door of the Sixth Paradise which was made of aquamarine and gold. As usual, a voice asked from behind the door who was there and the answer was given: "Gabriel, bringing the Prophet, Peace be upon him." "Has he been sent for?" said the voice. "Yes," replied Gabriel. The door was opened. The Prophet entered and what he saw passed all imagination and all recorded books, all fabled accounts, all legends, all histories.

Silent gold sat on stars of pearl. Under every pearl fifty thousand angels whirled in a lake of galaxies producing a heavenly sound like a million million birds humming on top of the buzzing of a million million bees. Everything is moving at the speed of light but at the same time everything is silent and still. Each angel spoke words of greetings to the Prophet at the same time in a different language but distinctly and without any clash one with the other. Their words were phrased in diadems and garlands of light which he wore one after the other on his head and around his neck. A huge angel named Semla'il appeared at the head of ten thousand processions of similar angels wearing a crown of multi-colored garnets and reciting praise of God in an angelic language which made each angel swoon and rise up in turn. These were the karubiyyun or cherubim: 'Those Brought Near.' No-one on earth can see them and live because of the intensity of their light which they borrow from the One they behold.

The Prophet asked: "O Gabriel! what is this untarnished heavenly sound?" "O Prophet!" Gabriel answered, "this is the music of the angelic souls in the presence of their Lord trembling like a leaf, not daring to move or speak, awed and annihilated by perfection, yet vivified and moved by divine Light, rushing to the divine meeting and announcing your coming."

The Prophet saw a honey-colored angel of astounding beauty and of yet even greater majesty so that his majesty overpowered his beauty. He had a long mane of hair and a long beard out of which light flashed like thunderbolts. He had a stern face and yet a child's eyes. His enormous chest seemed to heave like a dormant volcano under his shirt of heavenly brocade. When the Prophet enquired about him, Gabriel said: "This is your brother Moses. He is the one who prayed six times on the Mount of Sinai in order to be a simple servant in your Nation. He is the vanquisher of tyrants and the secret of his father Jacob. God wrote for him the character of a fiery servant. That is why he approached the burning bush and was not afraid when His Lord wanted to speak to him."

Moses was crying and he said to the Prophet: "O Prophet of the Last Nation! Intercede for me and my people." The Prophet said: "Why are you crying, O my brother Moses?" He replied: "I cry for love of you and for the great honor where God has raised you and made your nation countless people and other nations very few, even mine. O Muhammad! you are the seal of prophets and the light of creation. God is raising you today to His presence, to a station where no-one can reach. Remember me there as God made you the intercessor for all human beings including prophets, from Adam to Jesus. Then he recited:

"O Prophet sprung from Hashim's line, Lover of Him Who is lauded above, Sealer of every book revealed to mankind. Opener of treasured knowledge sublime Who mounted the Buraq to ascend to his Lord, The God in Whose presence none before had remained, Approach that place where only angels draw near O Messenger of God before whom winds and clouds move And lay open clear myriad paths to celestial light. For your intercession human souls plead and yearn, O Prophet at whose sight angels delight! It is you for whom Paradise was made and adorned, For you the lote-tree of farthest limit is made to stand And bear the fruit of compassion in every land. O beloved Muhammad, may God grant us to be Always numbered in your noble band."