BRIDGE OF SERAT (POOLE SERAT)
Serat' in the grammatical sense means a way or a road, and it's meaning
according to the Shari'ah is a bridge or a road which passes from the
top of hell. In a tradition from Ma'soom (A.S.) it is stated that
`Poole Serat' is a bridge thinner than a hair, sharper than a sword,
and hotter than fire (of this world). The true believers (Mo'meneen)
will pass over it speedily like lightening. Some will find some
difficulty over it, but will later find relief. While there will be
some who will slip and fall down in the pit of hell. The likeness of
'Poole Serate' is of "The Right Path (Seratal Mustaqeem) of this world,
the path of Ali (A.S.) and Aimmah (A.S.)'s obedience.
The
person who in this world turned away from the `Seratal Mustaqeem' (The
path of Ahlulbait) in word and deed, and was attracted towards
falsehood, on the day of
Qayamat he will slip over the Poole Serat and fall into hell. In
Surah-al-Hamd, Seratal Mustaqeem' refers to both these paths (The path
of Ahlulbait and Poole Serat ).
Allamah
Majlisi in his book `Haqqul Yaqeen' quotes from Shaikh Sadooq that: Our
belief concerning Qayamat is that the Passes (Aqabaat) have each a
specific name.
some are called Farz (compulsory Acts), others Amr(Commands), yet others Nahy
(Prohibitions). So when a man will reach
the Pass of Farz, and he had neglected it (in his life), he will be
stopped there and imprisoned for a thousand years, and the dues of
Allah will be demanded of him. Now if he goes out of it by means of
some good act performed by him in the world, or by the Mercy of Allah,
then he escapes from it and goes on to another Pass. He will not cease
to be sent from one Pass to another, and be stopped and questioned
regarding his shortcomings in respest of each stage.
If
he escapes safely from all the Passes, he will arrive at the abode of
Permanence (Darul Baqa). Here he comes upon everlasting life, and
perpetual beautitude, without any affliction what so ever. He will
reside in the neighbourhood of Allah, with the Prophets (A.S.), and the
Imam (A.S.), the vercaious ones, the Martyres (Shohada), and the
righteous ones from among His slaves. And if he is stopped at a Pass,
and is questioned about a certain due in respect of which he is found
wanting. and neither a good action on his part nor the Mercy of Allah
reaches him, his step will stumble and he will be hurled down in the
fire of hell. (E teqadatul Imamiyah).
Imam
Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) says, that when the verse (Ayah) "And hell is
made to appear on that day" (Surah-al-Fajr: 23) was revealed, the Holy
prophet(S.A.W.S.) was asked regarding it's
interpretation. He replied, "Jibra'eel has informed me that when Allah
will have gathered everyone from the beginning to the end on
the day of Qayamat, one thousand Angels will bring the hell pulling it
with a thousand ropes with great difficulty. Hell will be roaring and
raging with anger and the voice of breaking (of bones) will be heard
from it. At that moment a ferocious voice will erupt from it, which
Allah has reserved to take the account of people, and every one will
perish (with fear). Men, Angels, and the Prophet will be wailing with
fright. Man will cry out, "Our Lord! save me, save me", while the
Prophets will cry out, "O Lord! save my people (umrnat)". So each
Prophet will take account from Their people (ummat) and walk over the
Poole Serat. No one will have any escape from walking over it. Allah
says in the Qur'an And there is not one of you but shall come to it,
this is an unavoidable decree of your Lord. And we will deliver those
who guarded (against evil,) and we will leave the unjust therein on
their knees". (Surah-al -Maryam: 71-72)"".
Then
the Prophet (S.A.W.S.) said, "This bridge contains seven Passes
(Aqabat), and each Pass has got a station equal to seventy farsakh, and
seventy thousand Angels
have be pogted on each station. All the people will have to cross these
Passes".
1 st. Pass: kindness (Sile Raham), Trust (Amanah), Love of Ahlulbait (A.S.)
(Walayah).
The
first station here is of kindness (Sile Rahm). The person who in this
world is not merciful towards his parents will have a short life . He
will not prosper (in wealth), and in the Hereafter will be stopped on
the first station on poole Serat, and no mercy will be shown towards
him. The Holy Qur'an admonishes us in the following words: "And be
careful of (your duty to) Allah, by whom you demand one of another
(your rights), and to the ties of relationship". (Surah- an- Nisa: 1)
So
when one of your relatives is sick visit him, if he is indigent help
him and fulfil his wants, and visit them ( your relatives) on important
days (of Idd etc.).
The
second station is of Trust (Amanah). Trust does not only include welth,
but also if someone confides in you and tells a secret requesting you
not to reveal it to anyone, this too is included in trust. If you
disclose it to another, you have committed breach of trust. If you
disgrace someone, you have committed breach. And also if someone keeps
some wealth with you as a trust and even after promising to return it,
you refuse to do so, you are said to have committed breach (of trust).
The same rule applies for hire. If you borrowed something from someone
for a fixed period, after the period having expired you do not return
it,
it will be deemed as being a violation of trust.
Shaikh Husain bin Sa' eed al Ahwazi relates from Imam Mohammad -al-
Baqir (A.S.) that one day someone gave the good news to Abu zarr that
his sons had brought a huge stock of cattle, and that his Property had
increased. To which Abu zarr replied, "The increasment of property will
not make me happy, nor do I consider it to be a prosperity for I
believe in being moderate and little is sufficient for me. The guarding
of this property would have made me busy and being negligent (of my
duty towards Allah). I have heard the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.S.) as
saying that, on the day of Qayamat when a person who is trustworthy and
kind passes over the poole Serat'
kindness and trust will be on both the sides to support him.
It
is also related that the person who has committed breach of trust or
severed relations with his kith a kin, on the day of Qayamat when he
will walk over the poole
Serat, none of his deeds will be of any help to him, and he will fall
flat into the pit of hell.
The
third station is of Love of Ahlulbait (A.S.) (Walayah). Regarding the
love of Ahlulbait (A.S.) many traditions have been quoted in the Shi'ah
as well as Sunni books, that Walayah means the Love of Imam Ali (A.S.).
In Tafseere Sa'labi it is written regarding the verse : "And stop them,
for they shall be questioned". (Surah- al-Saffat : 24). It is
said that people will be stopped and asked
if they accepted the walayah' of Imam Ali (A.S.) in the world and said,
"Aliyyun Waliyullah", while believing in it. Allamah Huwainee and
Tabari both great scholars of the Ahle Sunnat quote the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.S.) as saying O' Ali ! Whoever denies your love will be stopped
(from going further) over the poole Serat". In Sawaeqe Muhriqa it is
written that whoever has got the passport of the Love of Ali (A.S.)
will pass easily over the Serat. Many other traditions are quoted which
cannot be written here due to lack of space.
2nd. pass-Namaz.(Salat)
On this pass a person will be stopped and questioned regarding the five
daily prayers, the prayer of Signs (Namaze Ayaat), and elapsed prayers
(Namaze Qaza), about which it has been discussed in the chapter of
"Accounting"
Imam
Ja'far- as-Sadiq (A.S.) in his last will said "Whoever considering
Namaz to be unimportant (or lowly) will not receive our Intercession
(in Qayamat)".
Allah says in the Qur'an, "Woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their
prayers". (Surah- al-Ma'oon : 4-5).
The person who does not offer Namaz dies thirsty, andwill also arise thirsty
from his grave.
People should themselves recite Namaz &) advice others to do so. We
should adapt our children to offer Namaz before they reach puberty,
because parents of a child reciting Namaz too get a share in their
rewards. Parents who advise their children (while they are still young)
to do good deeds and their children in turn follow them, such parents
receive the reward thereof. And after a child reaches puberty the good
deeds are recorded in his own scrolls. Once a Prophet was passing from
near a grave with his companions, when suddenly he told them to pass
away quickly for the person in the grave was being chastised by Allah's
wrath. One year later when he passed by that same grave, he sensed that
the wrath of Allah had been lifted up from the grave. He was astonished
and asked Allah the reason for it. Allah relied, "This person had left
behind him a child who was sent to school, his teacher taught him to
recite "Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem" .Thus when his child addressed Me
as being a Beneficent and Merciful Lord, I forgave his parents, for
they have been a medium for his birth. I felt ashamed that in spite of
their child addressing me thus, I should punish them".
"O' you who believe ! save your selves and your families from a fire whose
fuel is men and stones". (Surah- at Tahreem: 6)
Then we should warn our relatives and friends (from the wrath of Allah)
by enjoining good (Amr bil Ma'roof) and forbidding evil (Nahy anil
Munkar).
3rd .Pass --zakat.
If a person in his life has not paid zakat or khums due on him (even
equal to a dirham) to the deseeving persons will be stopped at this
pass. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, that on the day of Qayamat, the
non-payer of zakat' will be in a state that a python (called Aqra) will
be wound around his neck. (Aqra is the name of a python, the hairs of
whose body have fallen off due to intense poison in it). In another
tradition it is stated that if a person does not pay ukhums' due on his
agricultural field, on his neck will be placed a chain of the seven
worlds on the day
of Qayamat. It is also related that when Imam- al- Mahdi (A.T.F.S.)
reappeares, He shall put to death those who do not pay zakat due on
them. The person hoards large
provisions of gold and silver (will zakat due on them), on the day of
Qayamat these dirhams and dinars will be made red hot in fire and will
be placed on their foreheads and their sides.
As
said in the Qur'an, "on the day when it shall be heated in the fire of
hell, then their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be
branded with it, this is what
you hoarded up for yourselves, therefore taste what you hoarded".
(Surah- al - Bara'at: 35) There is no difference between the Zakat of
wealth and the Zakat of body
(Fitrah).
Many
harsh words have been used regarding the non payment of khums’, and
many traditions are found regarding it. One tradition needs to be
quoted here from
Usul’al kafi’ that Imam Ja'far- as-Sadiq (A.S.) says that on the day of
Qayamat the most difficult time will be when the deserving person of
khums will catch hold of the end of the shirt of the one who did not
pay it. They will ask for their right from them on this pass, and will
not allow him to move further until he gives them their due rights. But
the situation will become even worse when the Interceders (Ahlulbait)
themselves will ask for Their Rights (khums) from people.
4tn. Pass-Fasting(Saum).
On
the fourth pass people will be questioned regarding fasting. If a
person has been fasting in this world, only then shall he be permitted
to pass over it easily, otherwise he shall be stopped there. The Holy
Prophet (S.A.W.S.) has said, "Fasts act as a shield against the flames
of the fire of hell". The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) has said, "For the
one who fasts there are two good tidings for him, one at thetime of breaking
the fast (Iftaar), while
the second when he shall meet his Lord. He will then pass over the
poole Serat easily and enter the presence of his Almighty.
5th .Pass-pilgrimage (Haj)
If
the performance of Haj becomes obligatory (wajib) on a person in his
life- time, and he does not perform it, then he shall be stopped at
this pass. It is stated that during death it will be said unto him "You
have died the death of a jew or a christian. You are not associated
with Islam”. It is said in the Qur'an, "And pilgrimage to the House is
incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) everyone who is able
to undertake the journey to it, and whoever disbelieves, then surely
Allah is Self-sufficient, above any need of the world". (Surah-al-Aale
Imraan : 96)
6th . pass-Cleanliness(Taharah).
According
to Ibne Abbas purification (Taharah) is of three types Ablution
(Wuzu'), Bath (Ghusl), and Tayammum, while others consider it to be
absolute purification (of the body as well as the soul). If a person
does not take care of cleanliness (or purification), specially those
men and women who do not perform the ceremonial
bath (Ghusle Janabat) correctly or on it’s prescribed time, shall be
stopped at this pass. Women should also take careabout the performance of other
baths (viz.
Qhusle Haiz, Nifaas, lztahaza etc.), and not be negligent about it as
is the custom amongst. ignorant people. It is related that a person who
does not keep himself away from impurities, he will face the squeeze in
the grave (as has been discussed in the chapter of “Grave”).
7 th .pass-Rights (Mazalim).
Mazalim
is sometimes interpreted as justice while sometimes it refers to the
rights of others. The Holy Qur'an says about this pass: ".Most surely
your Lord is watching". (Surah-al-Fajr : 14) In interpretation of this
verse Lord is said that some people will be passing over the poole
Serat in a manner that they will be clasping it by their hands. Others
will be walking in manner that one leg of their's will be slipping and
they will be taking help of their second leg, while the Angels will be
standing on both sides.
People will be falling into the fire of hell like bats (falling on the
ground). The person who is fortunate to get the Mercy and Blessings of
Allah will pass over the poole
Serat easily and will say, "All praise be to Allah, for verily He has
completed my good deeds with His Mercy and Blessings and increased my
reward. I thank Him that He
with His Beneficence and kindness gave me freedom, when I had lost all
hope". Without doubt Allah is the forgiver of sins of His servants and
the rewarder of their good deeds. Ifa person has troubled someone with no fault
of his, he will be imprisoned for five hundred years on this pass so
much so that his bones will break. If a person has usurped someone's
wealth, he will be imprisoned for forty years on this pass and then he
shall be thrown into the fire of hell. In traditions it is narrated
that in exchange for one (usurped) dirham, seven thousand (accepted)
prayers of the usurper will be given to the person whose dirham he
acquired. (It has already been discussed in detail in the chapter of
Accounting).
Incident.
Allamah
Bahauddin Sayyed Ali bin Abdul karim Neeli Najafi (whatever praise of
his is done will be quite less, who was the student of Shaikh Shaheed),
in his book
Anwarul Maziyyah (written in praise of Imam Ali) narrates an incident
from his father who says that : In Neela (a village in Abaee) there
lived a person who was the
superintendent of the Mosque. One day he did not come out of his house,
when people called him he excused himself. People inquired about it and
they found out that his entire body was charred except his thighs, and
he was groaning with pain and sorrow. When people asked him how he
burnt himself he replied that, “I dreamt that Qayamat has dawned, and
people are in anguish because majority of them are been thrown into
hell, while a small minority will be going towards paradise. I was among those
who were going towards paradise. Suddenly I reached a large and lengthy
bridge which was referred to as poole Serat.’ I started walking on it,
and as much as I walked its breadth became narrow and it's length
increased until I reached a place where it turned sharper than a sword.
Beneath was a large valley full of black and roaring fire whose flames
were spurting out like large mountain peaks. Some people walked away
easily while some slipped and fell down. And I was so much scared that
I had no other wish except to cross the bridge rapidly. Suddenly I
reached that place where I could no longer control myself and I fell
head- long into the pit of the blazing fire. it's pit had no end and
the fire pulled me down. I could not even scream and my mind went
blank, and I reached down equal to the distance of seventy years.
Suddenly I was inspired and I called out "O Ali ibne Abi Talib! O
Amiral Mo'meneen! help me my Lord". At that moment I saw a person
standing on the edge of the valley. I recognized him to be no other
than my Master Ali (A.S.). I called out to Him and He commanded me to
extend my hand. I did so and He pulled me out of the blazing fire. Then
He (A.S.) started extinguishing the fire
from my thighs with His blessed hands. I suddenly woke up from my dream
and found that my whole body was burnt, except my thighs where my
Master had laid His hands". This person treated his wounds for three
months and was cured.
Now whenever I relate this incident to anyone, he develops fever (due to
fear), while only some remain un effected.
Ref: Manazelul Akherah
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"shiagroup" group.
To post to this group, send email to shiagroup@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
shiagroup+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/shiagroup?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
