This anecdote tells of a vision of Rabia al Adawiyya seen in a dream after she passed on. The dream mentions Munkir and Nakir – these are the fearsome ‘examining’ angels, said to have eyes of solid black, shoulders a mile wide and to carry enormous hammers with which they beat the unfaithful until God gives permission for them to stop. The first question they are said to ask is, “Who is your Lord?” For more about Rabia, see this post.

It is related that Rabia was seen in a dream. She was asked, “Tell us about Munkir and Nakir.”

She said “When those young gentlemen came to me and said, “Who is your Lord?” I said, “Go back to the real and say, “Out of so many thousand creatures, you didn’t forget an old woman? Out of all the world, I have only you. Do I ever forget you so that you need to send someone to ask, ‘Who is your Lord?'”