“Gabriel.” It was asked, “And who is with you?” He replied, “Muhammad.” They said, “Has he indeed been summoned?” He answered, “Yes.”

I then found myself before Adam, in the very form in which Allah created him. The souls of his believing descendants were presented to him; he would say, “A good soul, a pure soul—place it in ʿIlliyyīn (the highest register).” Then the souls of his wicked descendants were brought; he would say, “A foul soul, a wicked soul—consign it to Sijjīn (the dungeon below).”

We moved on for a short while and I beheld a serving board—a dining table—on which lay neatly sliced meat, yet no one approached it. Next to it was another board bearing meat that had rotted and stank, and people were eating from it. I asked, “O Gabriel, who are these?” He said, “These are members of your community who abandon the lawful and consume the unlawful.”

We continued for a little while and came upon people whose bellies were like houses. Whenever one of them tried to stand he toppled over, crying, “O Allah, do not let the Hour come!” They lay on the roadway of Pharaoh’s people; passers-by trampled them, and at every trampling they cried out to Allah. I asked, “Who are these, O Gabriel?” He replied, “They are those of your community who devour ribā (usury).”

A short distance farther on, I saw people whose lips were like the lips of camels. Their mouths were forced open and they were made to gulp down burning coals, which then emerged from their hindparts, and they wailed in agony. I asked, “Who are these?” He said, “They are those who consume the wealth of orphans unjustly.”

We went on a little and I saw women hanging by their breasts, crying out to Allah. I said, “O Gabriel, who are these?” He answered, “They are the fornicators from your community.”

We continued and I encountered people from whose sides flesh was being sliced off and forced into their mouths while it was said to them, “Eat what you used to eat of your brother’s flesh.” I asked, “Who are these?” He said, “These are the slanderers and backbiters among your community.”

Then we ascended to the second heaven. There I beheld a man whom Allah had endowed with unsurpassed beauty; he excelled all others as the full moon outshines the stars. I asked, “O Gabriel, who is this?” He said, “This is your brother Joseph, accompanied by a group of his people.” I greeted him and he returned my greeting.

We rose to the third heaven, where I saw John and Jesus with a company of their followers. Then we went up to the fourth, where I met Idris. Then we ascended to—