ABSTRACT
XVII 39'1
inform me distinctly as to what I must do regarding the wedding '. The angelic messenger replied , ' He has commanded that the gates of Paradise be thrown open ; that Paradise be splendidly orna mented ; that the doors of the criminals be closed ; that all of the angels, muqarribfn,1 kanlbfyfn,t. and rtlhdnfn 3 (those nearest to God, the cherubim, and the blessed spirits), in the seven spheres of heaven and earth, assemble together in the shade of the great arch, under the Tuba trees. He has also commanded that an odoriferous breeze shall blow over the angels, the sweetness of which is indescribable, and that when it blows it put in motion the leaves of the same trees, in such a manner as to create the most pleasant harmony, intoxicating the senses of those who hear
The sa ints, m uqarrab un, who have not to be judged , being justified in advance, a1·e assessors to the Judge. They arc enthroned with the salam or qaul, ' salutation ', as special symbols (Massignon , Lexique technique, p. H8).
