Another one of the Chapters about the Souls of the Believing People

قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ يَرْوُونَ أَنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي حَوَاصِلِ طُيُورٍ خُضْرٍ حَوْلَ الْعَرْشِ‌[1] فَقَالَ لَا الْمُؤْمِنُ أَكْرَمُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ رُوحَهُ فِي حَوْصَلَةِ طَيْرٍ وَ لَكِنْ فِي أَبْدَانٍ كَأَبْدَانِهِمْ.

“I asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ’May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, they narrate that the souls of the believing people are kept in the craw of green birds that live around the Throne.’ The Imam replied, ‘Believing people are very much respectable before Allah. He does not keep them in the craw of birds.

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَفِي شَجَرَةٍ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَأْكُلُونَ مِنْ طَعَامِهَا وَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِنْ شَرَابِهَا وَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَقِمِ السَّاعَةَ لَنَا وَ أَنْجِزْ لَنَا مَا وَعَدْتَنَا وَ أَلْحِقْ آخِرَنَا بِأَوَّلِنَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The souls of the believing people are in a tree of paradise. They eat and drink of fruits and water thereof, and say, “O Lord, make the Day of Judgment to come for us, make what You had promised to come true and allow the last of us to join our first.’””

إِنَّ الْأَرْوَاحَ فِي صِفَةِ الْأَجْسَادِ فِي شَجَرَةٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ تَعَارَفُ وَ تَسَاءَلُ فَإِذَا قَدِمَتِ الرُّوحُ عَلَى الْأَرْوَاحِ يَقُولُ دَعُوهَا فَإِنَّهَا قَدْ أَفْلَتَتْ مِنْ هَوْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ثُمَّ يَسْأَلُونَهَا مَا فَعَلَ فُلَانٌ وَ مَا فَعَلَ فُلَانٌ فَإِنْ قَالَتْ لَهُمْ تَرَكْتُهُ حَيّاً ارْتَجَوْهُ وَ إِنْ قَالَتْ لَهُمْ قَدْ هَلَكَ قَالُوا قَدْ هَوَى هَوَى‌[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the souls (spirits) with the quality of body are in a tree in paradise where they get to know each other and ask questions. Whenever a new coming soul (spirit) joins them, they say, ‘Leave him alone. He has just experienced a huge terrifying experience.’ Then they ask him, ‘What is

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ أَرْوَاحِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ فِي حُجُرَاتٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ يَأْكُلُونَ مِنْ طَعَامِهَا وَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِنْ شَرَابِهَا وَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَقِمِ السَّاعَةَ لَنَا وَ أَنْجِزْ لَنَا مَا وَعَدْتَنَا وَ أَلْحِقْ آخِرَنَا بِأَوَّلِنَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the souls (spirits) of believing people. He said, ‘They are in chambers in paradise, they eat and drink thereof and say, “O Lord, make it the Day of Judgment, allow what You had promised us to come true and join the last of us with those who were first.’””

إِذَا مَاتَ الْمَيِّتُ اجْتَمَعُوا عِنْدَهُ يَسْأَلُونَهُ عَمَّنْ مَضَى‌ وَ عَمَّنْ بَقِيَ فَإِنْ كَانَ مَاتَ وَ لَمْ يَرِدْ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا قَدْ هَوَى هَوَى وَ يَقُولُ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ دَعُوهُ حَتَّى يَسْكُنَ مِمَّا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when a dying person dies, other spirits gather around him and ask, ‘Who is still alive and who is dead?’ If someone is dead and has not joined them they say, ‘He then has fallen into the deep.’ Others among them say, ‘Leave him alone so he can gain comfort from what he has experien

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ مَا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ فِي أَرْوَاحِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ تَكُونُ فِي حَوَاصِلِ طُيُورٍ خُضْرٍ فِي قَنَادِيلَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْمُؤْمِنُ أَكْرَمُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ رُوحَهُ فِي حَوْصَلَةِ طَيْرٍ يَا يُونُسُ إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ أَتَاهُ مُحَمَّدٌ ص وَ عَلِيٌّ وَ فَاطِمَةُ وَ الْحَسَنُ وَ الْحُسَيْنُ

’Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he asked, ‘What do people say about the spirits of the believers?’ I then replied, ‘They say that they live in the craws of green birds in chandlers in paradise under the Throne.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘Allah is free of all defects. A believer is highly respected

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا نَتَحَدَّثُ عَنْ أَرْوَاحِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّهَا فِي حَوَاصِلِ طُيُورٍ خُضْرٍ تَرْعَى فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ تَأْوِي إِلَى قَنَادِيلَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَقَالَ لَا إِذاً مَا هِيَ فِي حَوَاصِلِ طَيْرٍ قُلْتُ فَأَيْنَ هِيَ قَالَ فِي رَوْضَةٍ كَهَيْئَةِ الْأَجْسَادِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ.

“Once, I said to abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘We speak about the spirits of the believing people that they live in the craws of green birds that graze in paradise and seek shelter in chandlers under the Throne.’ He said, ‘No, they certainly are not in the craws of birds.’ I then asked, ‘Where are they then?’ He replied, ‘Th