About the Souls (spirits) of the Unbelievers

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَرْوَاحِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ فِي النَّارِ يُعَذَّبُونَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا لَا تُقِمْ لَنَا السَّاعَةَ وَ لَا تُنْجِزْ لَنَا مَا وَعَدْتَنَا وَ لَا تُلْحِقْ آخِرَنَا بِأَوَّلِنَا.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about the souls (spirits) of the pagans. He replied, ‘They are in the fire where they are punished. They say, “O Lord, do not make it the Day of Judgment for us. Do not allow what You have promised us to come true and do not join the last of us with our first.””’

إِنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الْكُفَّارِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا لَا تُقِمْ لَنَا السَّاعَةَ وَ لَا تُنْجِزْ لَنَا مَا وَعَدْتَنَا وَ لَا تُلْحِقْ آخِرَنَا بِأَوَّلِنَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the souls (spirits) of the unbelievers are exposed to hellfire. They say, ‘O Lord, do not make any Day of Judgment for us. Do not allow what You have promised us to come true and do not join the last of us with our first ones.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ شَرُّ بِئْرٍ فِي النَّارِ بَرَهُوتُ‌[1] الَّذِي فِيهِ أَرْوَاحُ الْكُفَّارِ.

‘The worst well in the fire is the well of Barahut in which the souls (spirits) of unbelievers live.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ شَرُّ مَاءٍ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ مَاءُ بَرَهُوتَ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي بِحَضْرَمَوْتَ تَرِدُهُ هَامُ الْكُفَّارِ[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah from his ancestors (a.s.), has narrated that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘The worst water on earth is the water of Barahut which is in Hadramawt where the souls (spirits) of unbelievers camp.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ شَرُّ الْيَهُودِ يَهُودُ بَيْسَانَ‌[3] وَ شَرُّ النَّصَارَى نَصَارَى نَجْرَانَ وَ خَيْرُ مَاءٍ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ مَاءُ زَمْزَمَ وَ شَرُّ مَاءٍ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ مَاءُ بَرَهُوتَ وَ هُوَ وَادٍ بِحَضْرَمَوْتَ يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِ هَامُ الْكُفَّارِ وَ صَدَاهُمْ.

‘The worst ones among Jews are the Jews of Baysan, the worst ones among Christians are the Christians of Najran. The best water on earth is the water of Zamzam and the worst water on earth is the water of Barahut and it is in the valley of Hadramawt where the souls and spirits of unbelievers camp.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع أَنَّ النَّاسَ يَذْكُرُونَ أَنَّ فُرَاتَنَا يَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَكَيْفَ هُوَ وَ هُوَ يُقْبِلُ مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ تُصَبُّ فِيهِ الْعُيُونُ وَ الْأَوْدِيَةُ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع وَ أَنَا أَسْمَعُ- إِنَّ لِلَّهِ جَنَّةً خَلَقَهَا اللَّهُ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ وَ مَاءَ فُرَاتِكُمْ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَ إِلَيْهَا تَخْرُجُ أَرْوَاحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ حُفَرِهِمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسَاءٍ فَتَ

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad as well as Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, all from ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn Ri’ab from Durays al-Kunasiy who has said the following: “I said to abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘People say that our Euphrates gushes forth from