Page:Selections from Muhammadan Traditions - tr. William Goldsack (1923).djvu/131

Rh who remember God, they cry out, 'Come ye to what ye seek.'" He said, "Then they surround them on all sides with their wings,, even to the skies of the world. Then their Lord asks them—and He knows better than they—'What say My servants?' They reply, 'They adore Thee and magnify Thee and praise Thee and glorify Thee.' Then He says, 'Have they seen Me?' They reply, 'No, by God! they have not seen Thee.' He says, 'How would it be if they had seen me?' They reply, 'If they had seen Thee, they would have worshipped Thee still more earnestly and glorified Thee still more earnestly and praised Thee still more.' He says, 'And what do they ask?' They say, 'They ask of Thee paradise.' He says, 'And have they seen it?' They say, 'No, by God! O Lord, they have not seen it.' He says, 'How would it be if they had seen it?' They say, 'If they had seen it, they would have longed still more for it, and would have searched still more for it, and would have desired it still more.' He says, 'From what do they seek protection?' They say, 'From the fire.' He says, 'Have they seen it?' They say, 'No by God! O Lord, they have not seen it.' He says, 'Then how would it be if they had seen it?' They say, 'If they had seen it, they would have fled from it still more, and would have feared it still more.' He says, 'I call you to witness that verily I have forgiven them.' Then one of the angels says, 'Such an one amongst them is not (really) of them. He only came of necessity.' He says, 'They are sitting (with those who remember me). Their sitting will not render them unhappy.'"'—Al Bukhárí.

It is related from Ḥanzalah bínuʾl-Rubaiʾul-Usaidi that he said, ʿAbú Bakr met me and said, "How art thou, O Hanzalah?" I said, "Hanzalah has become a hypocrite." He replied, "Praise be to God! What sayest thou?" I said, "We stay with the Apostle of God when he reminds us of the fire and paradise, and it seems as if we see them with our eyes; but when we go out from the Apostle of God we become busy with our wives and children and cultivated lands, and we forget much." Abú Bakr said, "By God! verily we meet (difficulties) like this." Then Abú Bakr and I departed until we entered in to the Apostle of God. And I said, "O Apostle of God,