From the Twelfth Discourse—page 238-242
in Irshad: Wisdom of a Sufi Master, by Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak Al-Jerrahi, trans. Muhtar Holland. An Ashki Book of Amity House, Warwick: 1988.
A Woman Dreams of Taking Water From Paradise
According to the venerable ‘Ā’isha, Mother of the Believers, a woman with a withered hand came one day into the presence of the Messenger. She told him that she had experienced a dream, and how her hand had subsequently withered, and she begged his intercession so that she might recover its use. The Messenger of Allāh asked what manner of dream it was, that her hand should have withered after it, and so the woman explained:
“Messenger of Allāh, in my dream the Resurrection had begun and all mankind had gathered at the Place of Resurrection. The Balance had been set up, and Hell had been brought to that place. Paradise had also been brought near, with its adornments and finery, its pavilions, houries and attendants. Then I looked and saw my mother, with a piece of suet in one hand and a bit of old cloth in the other. She was trying to protect herself with this suet in one hand and a bit of old cloth in the other. She was trying to protect herself with this suet and cloth from the fires in Hell, attempting to use them as a shield against the flames. I wept when I saw her in this condition, crying: ‘My dear Mummy, what are you doing in this valley of Hellfire? In this world below, you were obedient and faithful to the Lord of all Worlds. You were dind to my father, and he was happy with you.’ But my mother said: ‘That is true, my dear heart, but I was a greedy, stingy person. All I could ever bring myself in my whole life to donate in Allāh’s cause was this suet and this bit of cloth in my hand. Now I am trying to use them as my protection against the fire. For this valley is a part of Hell, where the stingy and the greedy suffer torment.’ Then I asked where my father was. He had been a generous person. She told me that he was now in Paradise, the home of the generous. I moved on to Paradise, where my father was standings beside your pond, giving water to the people of Paradise. Those arriving thirsty and tired from the Place of Resurrection would slake their thirst at the Messenger’s pond, either from the hand of Muhammad himself, from the hands of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, or from those of our masters ‘Alī the Elect, Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān, and the other Intimates of Allāh and generous persons. Here was this man, also giving water to the Community of Muhammad from the Prophet’s pond. That was how he acted during his life. I went up to my father and said: ‘My dear Daddy, here you are, being kind to everyone. This station has been conferred upon you. My mother was a lady obedient to Allāh, who avoided unlawful things in her prayers and in her fasting. You were pleased with her, too. But now she is burning in Hell, while you are giving people water from the Prophet’s pond. Since this task has been allotted to you, fill a cup for me to take to my dear mother.’ My father replied: ‘O light of my eyes, what you say is true. But the greedy and stingy have been forbidden to drink from the pond of the Messenger, so I am not allowed to give you what you ask.’ I nevertheless filled a cup and was walking toward Hell to give it to my mother, when I heard a voice behind me saying: ‘May Allāh cause your arm to wither! How dare you give water from the pond of the Prophet, on him be peace, to a miser?’ When I awoke, I saw that my right arm had withered.” The noble intercessor-by-divine-leave then laid his staff on the woman’s hand, saying: “My Lord, if what this woman says is true, please heal her arm.” Her arm was immediately restored to health, in better condition than it had ever been before.
The following story also concerns the Prophet’s pond in Paradise:
A Rāfidī Experiences an Instructive Dream
A Rāfidī is a schismatic who hates the venerable Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān, and who dares to pretend that he thereby proves his love for our master ‘Ali the elect. See what befell one of these, how he met with a welcome and a rebuff:
A certain Rāfidī once dreamt that the Resurrection had begun; mankind had gathered at the Place of Resurrection and when he approached the pond of the Prophet, on him be peace, a blessed individual filled a cup and offered it to him. “Who are you?” asked the Rāfidī, and the reverend being replied: “I am that person who was the first of the great to believe in the Most Noble Messenger. I am the one who accompanied the Messenger throughout his life in all his battles, who spent all his wealth in his cause and was content to wear a simple cloak. His minister in his lifetime, his successor at his death, his companion in the cave, his father-in-law by divine decree; it was I who led the prayer in his prayer-niche while he was still alive. Intercessor for hlf of this Community, I am the one who prayed that my body might be enlarged to fill all the space in Hell, leaving no room in the Fire for the Community to burn!” The Rāfidī withdrew, saying: “I understand. You are Abū Bakr. I shall not drink water from your hand! ‘Ali is all I need.” A little further on, he encountered another blessed individual, likewise dispensing from the Prophet’s pond. He asked him who he was…
This person replied: “I was the fortieth Muslim, whose true faith and submission were manifested together, father-in-law to the Messenger, father of Hafsa, together with the Messenger of Allāh in all his battles, my judgment the subject of seventy-seven Verses of the Qur’ān, the second Caliph of the Prophet, his consultant during his lifetime, the son-in-law of ‘Alī the Elect. Of me he said: ‘Had there been a Prophet to come after me, it would have been ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb.’ I am the man who conquered Syria, Egypt and Persia; who gave commands to an army at a distance of three months’ marching time; who drove the fire from the Yemen; who made the River Nile comply with my orders; deliverer of the Aqsā Mosque; who cared nothing for the world below; who wore a cloak f forty patches, even though the Muslim Treasury was filled to overcrowding; in whose Caliphate the sheep and the wolf shared pasture, the wolf not daring to attack the sheep.” The Rāfidī withdrew once more, saying: “I understand. You are ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. I shall not drink your water, either. I shall drink from the hand of ‘Alī the Elect.” Again he was met by a blessed individual, who offered him a cup of water from the pond of the Messenger, and again he asked: “Who are you?” This time, the reply was:
“I am the one who married two of the Messenger’s precious daughters; when my wives passed over to the Hereafter, the Messenger said of me: ‘If I had hundreds of daughters, I would have given them to ‘Uthmān.’ I am the one to whom the Messenger said: ‘O righteous ‘Uthmān, pray for me.’ I am the amanuensis of the Qur’ān. The angels are shy of me. Victim and martyr am I. With fasting mouth I made the final testimony. I spent my wealth in the cause of Islam. Although an Umayyad, I was one of the first to believe. I was congratulated in my lifetime on the promise of Paradise. I am the Messenger’s Third Caliph.”
When the Rāfidī heard this, he said: “You are ‘Uthmān. Your water is no good to me, either.” His words saddened ‘Uthman. The man moved away, to be met by a blessed individual with the build of a lion, who also greeted him kindly. Once again he asked: “Who are you?” and that worthy individual said: “I am the Lion of Allāh; owner of the sword called Dhūl Fiqār; victor of Khaybar; cupbearer of the water of Paradise; husband of the Messenger’s dearly beloved daughter Fātima the Radiant; father of Hasan and Husayn; greatest of the People of the Prophet’s Household; concerning whom many Qur’ānic Verses were sent down; of whom the Messenger said that those who hate me are hypocrites, while those who love me are believers; whose dignity is proclaimed in the Prophetic Tradition: ‘Of those whose master I am, ‘Alī is master also;’ the first child to believe in the Messenger; at the Messenger’s side in all his battles; who lay in the Messenger’s bed at the Hijra, ready to sacrifice his life to help him escape; drowned in the sea of affliction; the compliant and open-handed one am I.”
When the Rāfidī heard this, he cried: “You are ‘Alī the Elect. I recognize you. O Imam, before I met you I was offered water by Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān, but I did not accept their offerings.” The face of the Lion of Allāh became suddenly flushed at these words. He gave the Rāfidī a mighty slap in the face, saying: “One who does not drink their water, shall not drink our water either!” When the Rāfidī recovered consciousness, he saw that he had spewed thirty-two teeth into the palm of his hand. He repented, felt remorse for his actions and forsook his hatred of our masters, the venerable Sheikhs Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān, may Allāh be pleased with them all.
These, and all the generous ones, are cupbearers of the Prophet’s pond in Paradise. Be generous! Sacrifice not just your money, but all you possess, in Allāh’s cause….