عمر بن سهل

My grandmother told me that she was alive at the time of the killing of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.). She said, “The heavens turned red like blood after the killing of Ḥusain (a.s.) for one year and nine months, and we could not (even) see the sun.”

A female genie called Afra’e used to go to the Prophet (MGB), hear his sayings, go to the good genies, invite them to Islam. They accepted Islam due to her efforts. She did not go to the Prophet (MGB) for a few days. The Prophet (MGB) asked Gabriel about her condition. Gabriel replied, ‘She has gone to visit one of her believing sisters.’ The Prophet (MGB), ‘Blessed be those who make friends in the way of the Blessed the Sublime God. God The Blessed The Exalted has created a pillar from red ruby in Heaven upon which there are seventy-thousand palaces each with seventy-thousand rooms. God has created them for those who make friendship for the sake of God and visit each other.’ When Afra’e went to see the Prophet (MGB), he (MGB) asked her, ‘O Afra’e! What did you see?’ She replied, ‘I saw many strange things.’ The Prophet (MGB) asked, ‘Whatwas the strangest thing?’ She replied, ‘The strangest of all was that I saw that Satan was sitting on a white stone in a green sea and had raised his hands to the sky and said, ‘O my God! When you fulfill your promise and throw me into the Fire of Hell, I beseech you in the rightfulness of Muhammad (MGB), Ali (MGB), Fatimah (MGB), Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB) to release me from the Fire of Hell and unite me with them on the Resurrection Day.’ Afra’e added, ‘I told Satan, ‘O Satan! What are these names with which you beseech God?’ Satan replied, ‘I saw them on the foreleg of God’s Throne seventy-thousand years before God created Adam and I knew that they are the dearest of the creations to God. That is why I beseech God by their rightfulness.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Whenever the people on the Earth beseech God using these names, God would fulfill their supplications.’”