Tales : Bahlool gives a lesson about Judgement Day

Once, when Bahlool was engaged in his devotions in the cemetery, the Khalif Harun al Rashid passed by on his way to go hunting. When he saw Bahlool, he stopped, and asked him “O Bahlool, why are you here?”

Bahlool replied, “I have come here to visit those who do not gossip about others, who have no expectations of me, and who cause me no harm.”

Then Harun asked, “Can you say something about the Day of Judgment, the bridge that all souls must cross, and the questions and answers of the hereafter?”

Bahlool said, “Tell your servants to build a fire here, and place a metal plate over it so that it becomes hot.”

Harun gave the order, and then when the plate was hot, Bahlool said, “Now, I will stand on the plate barefoot, and I will introduce myself, and say what I have eaten and what I have worn.”

Bahlool stepped onto the plate, and swiftly said, “Bahlool, with a cloak, and bread and vinegar,’ and then stepped off, unharmed.

“Now you do just the same,” he told the Khalif. “Take off your shoes, stand on the plate, and say what you have eaten and what you have worn.”

Harun tried to follow the instructions, but when he stepped on the plate, the heat caused him to fall.

Then Bahlool said, “O Harun, the questioning and answering on the Day of Judgment will be just like this. Those who have led a simple, humble life without indulging in luxuries will pass through easily, but those who who have been attached to worldly comforts will face great difficulties.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.