The meaning of the abyss
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حدثنا أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، قال: حدثنا يعقوب ابن يزيد، عن محمد بن عمرو، عن صالح بن سعيد، عن أخيه سهل الحلواني، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: بينا عيسى ابن مريم عليه السلام في سياحته إذ مر بقرية فوجد أهلها موتى في الطريق والدور، قال: فقال: إن هؤلاء ماتوا بسخطة ولو ماتوا بغيرها لتدافنوا. قال: فقال: أصحابه: وددنا أنا عرفنا قصتهم. فقيل له: نادهم يا روح الله، قال: فقال: يا أهل القرية، قال: فأجابه مجيب منهم: لبيك يا روح الله، قال: ما حالكم وما قصتكم؟ قالوا: أصحبنا في عافية وبتنا في الهاوية، قال: فقال: وما الهاوية؟ فقال: بحار من نار، فيها جبال من النار. قال: وما بلغ بكم ما أرى؟ قال: حب الدنيا وعبادة الطاغوت. قال: وما بلغ من حبكم الدنيا؟ فقال: كحب الصبي لامه إذا أقبلت فرح، وإذا أدبرت حزن، قال: وما بلغ من عبادتكم الطواغيت؟ قال: كانوا إذا أمرونا أطعناهم. قال: فكيف أنت أجبتني من بينهم؟ قال: لأنهم ملجمون بلجم من نار، عليهم ملائكة غلاط شداد وإني كنت فيهم ولم أكن منهم، فلما أصابهم العذاب أصابني معهم فأنا متعلق بشعرة على شفير جهنم أخاف أن أكبكب في النار. قال: فقال عيسى لأصحابه: النوم على المزابل وأكل خبز الشعير خير كثير مع سلامة الدين.
1. We were told by my father, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Yahya al-‘Attar, that he said: We were told by Ya’qoub ibn Yazid, from Muhammed bin Amru, from Saleh bin Sa’eed, from his brother, Sahl al-Halwani, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that he said: Once, Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, was on his journeying as he passed by a village and found its people dead on the road and in homes. He said: Then he said: Indeed, these people died due to a wrath. If they had died due to something else, they would have buried each other. He said: Then his companions said: We would like to know their story. It was then said to him: Call upon them, O Spirit of Allah. He said: Then he said: O people of the village. He said: Then a responder from them responded: I am at your service, O Spirit of Allah. He said: What is your condition and what is your story? They said: We woke up in the morning in comfort, and we slept in a state of the abyss. He said: Then he said: And what is the abyss? He said: Seas of fire in which there are mountains of fire. He said: And what lead you to what I see? He said: Love for this world and worship of the tyrant. He said: And to what did your love for this world reach? He said: Like the love of a child to his mother; when she approaches, he rejoices, and when she goes away, he grieves. He said: And to what did your worship of the tyrant reach? They said: When they would command us, we obeyed them. He said: Then how were you able to respond me from among them? He said: Because they are stoned with stones of fire, and upon them are Angels that are rough and harsh. I was, indeed, among them, but I was not from them, and so, when the torment afflicted them, it afflicted me with them. Hence, I am adhering to a hair on the edge of Hell, fearing that I fall upside down into the Fire. He said: Then Isa said to his companions: Sleeping on rubbish sites and eating barley bread is much goodness [1] along with safety of (faithfulness in) religion.