"He looked down from Paradise and saw his companion in Hell Fire"

أَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُہُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ (٥٠) قَالَ قَآٮِٕلٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ إِنِّى كَانَ لِى قَرِينٌ۬ (٥٢) أَءِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابً۬ا وَعِظَـٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ (٥٣) قَالَ هَلۡ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ (٥٤) فَٱطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (٥٥) قَالَ تَٱللَّهِ إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرۡدِينِ (٥٦) وَلَوۡلَا نِعۡمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡضَرِينَ (٥٧) أَفَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ (٥٨) إِلَّا مَوۡتَتَنَا ٱلۡأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ (٥٩) إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (٦٠) لِمِثۡلِ هَـٰذَا فَلۡيَعۡمَلِ ٱلۡعَـٰمِلُونَ

Then (in Paradise) they will turn to one another and question one another. One of them will start the talk and say: "I had an intimate companion (on the earth) who used to say `What! are you amongst those who bear witness to the truth (of the Message)? When we die and become dust and bones shall we indeed receive rewards and punishments?'"

(A voice) said: "Would you like to look down?" He looked down and saw him (his companion) in the midst of the Fire.

He said: "By Allah! You had nearly ruined me! Had it not been for the Grace of my Lord, I should certainly have been among those brought (there)! Is it (the case) that we shall not die (anymore), except our first death, and that we shall not be punished?" Verily this is the supreme achievement! For the like of this let all strive, who wish to strive.

(Qur'an 37:50-61)


Related to the above verses, Furat bin Tha`labah Al-Bahrani narrated a story of two men of Israel. "There were two men who were partners and had collected eight thousand Dinars. One of them had a craft and the other did not. The one who had a craft said to the other, `You do not have a craft, so I think I will divide the money with you and leave you.' So he left him. Then the man bought a house, belonging to a king who had died, for the price of one thousand Dinars. He called his companion and showed him the house, saying, `What do you think of this house I bought it for one thousand Dinars.' He said, `How beautiful it is.' When he went out he said, `O Allah, this companion of mine has bought this house for one thousand Dinars; I ask You for one of the houses of Paradise' -- and he gave one thousand Dinars in charity. Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass. The first man married a woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars, and invited his companion and made food for him. When he came, he said, `I have married this woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars.' He replied; `How beautiful this is.' And when he left, he said, `O Lord, my companion has married a woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars; I ask you for a wife from among Al-Hur Al-`Iyn' -- and he gave one thousand Dinars in charity. Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass. Then the first man bought two gardens for two thousand Dinars, then he called his companion and showed them to him. He said, `I have bought these two gardens for two thousand Dinars.' He replied, `How beautiful this is.' When he came out, he said, `O Lord, my companion has bought two gardens for two thousand Dinars; I ask you for two gardens in Paradise' -- and he gave two thousand Dinars in charity. Then the angel came to them and took their souls in death. He took the one who had given his money in charity and put him in a house (in Paradise) that he liked. There, there was a woman who was so beautiful that the ground that she stood on glowed, then he (the angel) took him to two gardens and gave him other things which are known only to Allah. The man said, `This is like a man who had such and such.' The angel said, `That is exactly what it is; this house, these gardens and this wife are all for you.' The man said, `I had a companion who used to say: Are you among those who believe' It was said to him, `He is in Hell. Will you look down' So he looked down and saw him in the midst of Hell. At this, he said the words that are mentioned in the above verses.