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next a grievous punishment; which punishment shall come down upon them when the Moslems drive the Greeks from the Holy House. God shall trample upon them; God shall repay them; nor shall one of them enter that land for ever, but with dread. They shall put on the robe of shame, and contempt, and livid paleness." Again, a tradition delivered by Abdallah-Ibn-Omar (may God's satisfaction rest upon him!) is as follows: that "the holy of holies in the seventh heaven is a counterpart (type, or measure) of the most venerable places on the earth, and that the Baitu-l-Mukaddas in the seventh heaven is a measure of that in the earth." Also, that "in heaven, one of the gates of Paradise is always open, whence every morning descend (streams) of affection and compassion upon the Baitu-l-Mukaddas at a certain moment.” Also, that "the Holy Land, compared with other lands, holds a rank in God's esteem, to which no resemblance can be found, but that of a man who hath great wealth, and a coffer of treasures amongst his other riches which he loves best of all, and who every morning thinks of no other thing before his wealth; so also is this the chief treasure of the Lord of the universe. Every morning he thinks of no other land before this. He pours down abundantly upon it the showers of his love and mercy, and then afterwards does the same upon all lands."

Again, we are informed that "the abode of spirits yearns with affection towards the Holy Abode, and that in the mansion of spirits the Holy House is Firdús (Paradise is properly so called); which Firdús is the flower, the most exquisitely beautiful of gardens, said to be the most splendid." This Firdús is said also to be a rising ground in the abode of angels, and is the very midst of that abode, the highest point, the most supremely glorious. Again, "Whosoever cometh unto the Baitu-1-Harám shall be forgiven, and be advanced up eight degrees (steps) (of beatitude): whosoever cometh into the mosque of the Apostle of God (the blessing and peace of God be with him!) shall be forgiven, and be advanced six degrees; whosoever cometh unto the Baitu-l-Mukaddas shall be forgiven, and advanced four degrees." Again, "Whosoever shall pray for pardon to be granted to all faithful men and women, standing within the Holy House, every day, five-and-twenty times, God shall preserve to him the communion of the holy ones, and cause him to enter among the ever-succeeding adorers.' Yet again, from Khalid-Ibn-Moad: "Unto the house is joined a gate from heaven, by which God despatches down every day seventy thousand angels, to remit the sins of all who chaunt and pray therein." Again, from another : "The inhabitants of the Holy Abode are God's

neighbours, and there is a claim of right upon God, that he shall not punish his neighbours. Again, That moment shall not tarry in coming, when God shall drive, as a flock of camels, his good servants unto the Baitu-l-Mukaddas; and therein shall God cause them to dwell. Again, In this Holy Land abides the redolence of the prophets, (peace be upon them!) the marks of their residence are therein, neither is there a handbreadth's space therein, in which some angel hath not prayed and stood. Again, One said to Naaman-Ibn-Ata, What sayest thou of the Baitu-l-Mukaddas? Who replied, There is not a place therein, where some prophet or angel is not praying; and if, perchance, I should hit you a blow upon the forehead, it would light upon the forehead of some prophet or angel : moreover, there is a tradition, that every night seventy thousand angels descend upon the Mosque of the Holy Abode, to sing Hallelujahs to God, to magnify, repeat thanksgivings, to praise, to ascribe holiness to, to glorify and to magnify him; nor will they return until the day of judgment. Again, it is told of Moáz, that he came to the Holy House, and remained there three days and three nights, fasting and praying. Then, when he came forth, his head was turned upwards, looking on high; when, therefore, he came in front of his companions, he said, Your sins have departed

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from you, and God hath pardoned you: see therefore that ye conciliate his favour in all your actions that yet remain to be done.

Let me now mention various other traditions, such as this; viz. That the rock of this Temple is the middle of the world; and if a servant were to say unto his master, Let us set off unto the Holy Land, then God would say, O my angels, be witnesses that I now pardon those two persons, before they set out, provided they persist not in sins. He says also, Whosoever shall dwell in the Holy Land, God will answer for his sufficient support, if his property fail him. If any one die here, his state at the resurrection is computed and settled, as if he died in Heaven; and if any one die in the precincts of the Temple, then (his reward is computed) as if he had died within the Holy House; and the Holy Land is the first land which receives God's blessing; and the glorious Lord shall take up his glorious stand on the day of judgment on the soil of the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, and shall make it clearly visible to all lands: also, this is that sacred land which God mentions in the great Korán, and says, This is the land whereby we will bless all the universe (or all generations), namely, the land of the Consecrated Abode. Also, said the Mighty One to Moses, (peace be with him!) Depart into the Holy Land, for therein

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my fire, and my light and my illumination; which signifies, my burning thick mass, (i. e. of bushes, hair, &c. &c.) And God spake to Moses in the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, and displayed his Majesty on the mountain, in the consecrated land; and Moses (peace be with him!) beheld the fiercely-burning light of the Lord when he displayed his Majesty in the land of the Baitu-l-Mukaddas. Moses also beheld the rocks of this Temple, which was in the very middle of all the land: also, if a man shall say unto his master, Let us set off for the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, and if they do so, God says, Happy is he who spake, and he who heard; he shall stand on high before me.

Al Makatil observes, In the land of the Baitu1-Mukaddas did God call David and Solomon (peace be with both!) unto repentance. In the Baitu-l-Mukaddas God sent his angel to Solomon ; in the Baitu-l-Mukaddas God announced joyful tidings to Zacharias and to John; in the Baitu-lMukaddas the angels showed a descriptive painting of the Tower to David; in the Baitu-l-Mukaddas God put all that walked the earth, or flew in the air, under subjection to David; in the Baitu-lMukaddas, the prophets (God's peace and blessing be with them!) offered sacrifice; upon the Baitu1-Mukaddas the angels (peace be with them!) descend every night; in the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, unto

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