How honorable is dwelling with mates,
In Paradise and that’s indeed the best company,
How great is neighborhood to persons of repute,
They will have the pleasure of seeing the Lord,
And listen with delight to His Sublime Word,
With silk brocade being their main garment,
They have their heads crowned with finest crowns,
Inlaid with ornate pearls and rare moonstones,
Or silver that is made of only pure gold
And golden rings and bracelets molded,
Of silver and prettily adorned forearms
Their served food is soft bird meat
The finest of camel that feed on all sorts
And bowls of precious pearls and gold,
Strewn, as seventy thousand, on a thousand tables,
If you feel a thirst and desirous for these,
As much as an exile who yearns for home,
Be as charitable as you can and then you will
Be rewarded for good with that which is best
Prepare for the Gardens of Eden and all
The blessings of it that surely never cease,
Observe fast always and rise in prayer,
For both are indeed acceptable deeds,
Wake in the night and recite Qur’an,
And have little sleep as an anxious one,
Perhaps, your death knell once suddenly tolls,
Your coffin then, not bed, will be the place to rest, How great to shed tears at night,
Due to the fear of the Lord, the Ever Compassionate,
So, lower your gaze and always avoid,
Any forbidden looks and strain to be modest,
Strive and beware of all women’s temptations,
You get them as mates as many hours in Paradise,
Blessed is life there and all its pleasures,
With all kinds of fruit as served in pairs,
Belittle you never any venial sin,
As fire begins with little sparks
Once you sin, be quick to repent,
For fear of sudden death, with no delay,
Sate not your whims and never be excessive,
Allah surely hates greedy persons,
The one who gives in to lust and appetite,
Will suffer forever their two-forked yoke,
So, fast by day to drink your fill
On the day people will be parched with thirst,
There is no good at all in musical instruments,
Or dancing or similar forms of merry-making,
The devout are always afraid of their Lord,
Avoiding listening to music and singing,
They rather recite the Glorious Qur’an,
Especially with melodious and tuneful to ears,
At night, than all those flutes and fifes,
If you just perceive the Doomsday’s horrors,
You would surely flee from kinfolk and home,
Due to its horrors, the skies would crack,
The infant’s hair will turn grey,
Austere and distressful that day will be,
And highly burdensome for humans at all,
that day the devout are driven to their Lord,
With finest of mounts carrying them all,
The wretched, however, are driven to Hell,
Where they will suffer the parching thirst,
So, Heaven and Hellfire respectively will be
For the devout and wicked an eternal abode.
(Published with permission from “On the Mountain Peak” by Dr. Muhammad Al-‘Areefi. Publisher: “Darussalam”)
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