Jesus (a.s.) & the Skull

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

It is mentioned that Jesus (a.s.) passed a wadi called the “Wadi of the Resurrection”, one day.  He saw a white skull whose bones were crumbling.  Its whiteness astonished him, for its owner had been dead for seventy-two years; so, Jesus (a.s.) said, “O God, whom the eye cannot see, or opinions disorder, or men describe; I ask You to Permit this skull to tell me to what people it belonged.” 

God Revealed to him, “O Jesus, speak to it and it will speak to you by My Power, for I am Omnipotent.” 

Jesus performed (a.s.) his ablutions, and having prayed two raka’ah, approached it and said, “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.” 

Then, the skull answered him, saying, “O Spirit of God, you have named the best of the Names.” 

Jesus (a.s.) said to it, “I ask you, by Almighty God, will you not tell me where are the beauty and the whiteness, and where are the flesh and the fat, and where are the bones and the spirit?” 

The skull replied, “O Spirit of God, as regards the beauty and the whiteness, the dust has changed them; and as regards the flesh and the fat, the worms have eaten them; and as regards the bones, they have crumbled; and as regards the spirit, it is, today, in Hell, in severe torment.” 

Jesus (a.s.) said to it, “I ask you, by Almighty God, to what people did you belong?” 

It replied, “O Spirit of God, I belonged to a people with whom God was Angry with.” 

Jesus (a.s.) asked it, “Why was God Angry with you?” 

The skull replied, “O Spirit of God, God Sent us a prophet who brought us the truth, but we rejected him, and who commanded us to obey God, but we disobeyed Him; so, God Sent Down on us rain and thunderbolts for seven years and seven months and seven days.  Then, one day, some of the avenging angels alighted upon us, every one of whom had two whips, one of iron and one of fire; and an angel kept grasping my soul from joint to joint, and from vein to vein, until the soul reached the windpipe.  After that, the Angel of Death stretched out his hand and took out my soul.” 

Jesus (a.s.) said to it, “I ask you, by Almighty God, will you not describe to me the Angel of Death?” 

The skull replied, "O Spirit of God, he has a hand in the East and a hand in the West; his head is in the top of the Seventh Heaven and his feet are in the lowest borders of the Seventh Earth; the world is between his knees and Created things are before him.”  It continued, “O apostle of God, only an hour later, two black and blue angels came to me with voices like resounding thunder and eyes like swift lightning and short, curly hair, who were piercing the earth with their nails.  Then, they asked me, ‘Who is your Lord, and who is your prophet, and who is your imam?’ 

I was terrified at them, O Spirit of God, and said to them, ‘I have no Lord, or prophet, or imam but God.’ 

They said to me, ‘You are lying, O enemy of God and of your soul’; and gave me a terrible blow with a sledge-hammer of iron, from the violence of which blow I felt my bones were broken and my chin rent; and they threw me into the depths of Hell where they punished me as God Wills. 

While I was in that condition, the two recording angels came and said to me, ‘O enemy of God, journey with us to the dwellings of the people of Paradise.’  So, I journeyed with them to the first of the gates of Paradise, and Paradise had eight gates made of bricks of gold and silver; its earth is musk, its grass is saffron, its stones are pearls and jacinths, its rivers are milk and water and honey, its inhabitants have the neighbouring worlds as friends restricted in tents, the work of Him who possesses glory and honour.  I rejoiced in it, O Spirit of God; then they said to me, ‘O enemy of God and of yourself, you did not do good in the world that this might be yours; but journey with us to the dwellings of the people of Hell.’ 

Then I journeyed with them to the first of the gates of Hell in which snakes and scorpions were whistling.  And I asked them, ‘For whom, is this punishment?’ 

They replied to me, ‘For you and for those who devour the property of orphans by oppression.’ 

Thereafter, I journeyed with them to the second gate and there were men suspended by their beards like dogs, with blood and pus before them for food.  I asked the angels, ‘For whom, is this punishment?’ 

They replied, ‘For you, and for those who drink wine in the world and eat what is forbidden.’ 

Then I journeyed with them to the third gate, and there were men with fire entering their mouths and coming out at their backs.  I asked, ‘For whom, is this punishment?’ 

They replied, ‘For you, and for those who reproach virtuous women in the world.’   

Then I journeyed with them to the fourth gate, and there were women hanging by their tongues with fire coming out of their mouths.  I asked the angels, ‘For whom, is this punishment?’ 

They replied, ‘For you, and for those who neglect prayer in the world.’ 

Then I journeyed with them to the fifth gate, and there were women suspended by their hair with fire above them.  I asked the angels, ‘For whom, is this punishment?’ 

They replied, ‘For you, and for those who adorn themselves in the world for people who are not their spouses.’ 

Then I journeyed with them to the sixth gate, and there were women suspended by their hair and their mouths.  I asked the angels, ‘For whom, is this punishment?’ 

They replied, ‘For you, and for the women who go astray in the world.’ 

Then I journeyed with them to the seventh gate, and there were men under whom was a well called Hell’s Well into which I was thrown, O Spirit of God, and in which I have endured fierce punishment and seen many terrible things.” 

Then Jesus (a.s.) said, “O skull, if you wish, ask me for something, by the permission of God.” 

It said, “O Spirit of God, pray to God for me, to Send me back to the world.” 

So, he prayed to God for it, and He Brought it to life.  He remained for twelve years, worshipping God along with Jesus (a.s.) until the inevitable came to it.  He died in faith, and God, in His Mercy, Made him one of the people of Paradise. 

This story is interesting, although I personally doubt it, since in previous umam, it was not a sin to consume wine.