shroud and that burial perfume, and from it comes a fragrance like the finest scent of musk ever found on the face of the earth.’

He said, ‘They ascend with it, and whenever they pass a company of angels, they ask, “What is this good soul?” They reply, “So-and-so, son of so-and-so,” using the finest names by which he was called in this world. They reach the lowest heaven with it, then the next, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah Most High says, “Record My servant’s record in ‘Illiyyīn and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I shall return them, and from it I shall bring them forth once more.”’

He said, ‘His soul is then returned to his body. Two angels come to him and make him sit up. They ask him, “Who is this man who was sent among you?” He replies, “He is the Messenger of Allah.” They ask him, “How did you come to know this?” He replies, “I read the Book of Allah, believed in it, and accepted it as true.”’