A Dictionary of Islam Being a cyclopedia of the...

ḤAẒRAH (حضرة). Lit. “Presence.” This title of respect has no equivalent in English, as it is employed in a variety of acceptations. Applied to an officer of rank, it would mean “your honour”; to a clergyman, “your reverence”; to a king, “your majesty.” When applied to the names of prophets, apostles, or saints, it expresses the sacredness of his office and character, i.e. our Saviour is called Ḥaẓratu ʿĪsā, and the Virgin Mary, Ḥaẓratu Maryam. The word is much used in Persian theological works. It is seldom used in this sense in Arabic books. Ḥaẓratu ʾllāh, “the presence of God,” is an Arabic term in prayer.

HEAD. Arabic raʾs, rās (راس). Heb. רֹאשׁ. The author of the Raddu ʾl-Muḥtār, vol. i. p. 670, says: “It is abominable (makrūh) to say the prayers with the head uncovered, if it be done from laziness, but it is of no consequence if a Muslim say his prayers with his head uncovered from a sense of humility and unworthiness. But still it is better not to uncover the head, for humility is a matter connected with the heart.”

The Egyptians shave all the rest of the hair, or leave only a small tuft (called shūshah) upon the crown of the head. Mr. Lane says: This last custom (which is almost universal among them) is said to have originated in the fear that if the Muslim should fall into the hands of an infidel, and be slain, the latter might cut off the head of his victim, and finding no hair by which to hold it, put his impure hand into the mouth, in order to carry it, for the beard might not be sufficiently long; but was probably adopted from the Turks, for it is generally neglected by the Badawīs, and the custom of shaving the head is of late origin among the Arabs in general, and practised for the sake of cleanliness.

HEAVEN. Arabic Samāʾ (سماء); Persian Asmān (اسمان); Heb. שָׁמַיִם, which expresses the firmament as distinguished from Firdaus, or Paradise, the abodes of bliss. [PARADISE.] In the Qurʾān it is stated that there are seven paths, or stages, in heaven. Sūrah xxiii. 17: “And we have created above you seven paths, nor are we heedless of the creation.” By which the commentators understand that they are paths of the angels and of the celestial bodies. The creation of the heaven is declared to be for God’s glory and not for His pastime. Sūrah xxi. 16: “We created not the heaven and the earth, and that which is between them, by way of sport.”

According to the traditions (Mishkāt, book xxiv. ch. vii.), Muḥammad during the miʿrāj, or night journey, passed through these seven heavens, and they are stated to be as follows: (1) That which is of pure virgin silver and which is Adam’s residence; (2) of pure gold, which is John the Baptist’s and Jesus’; (3) of pearls, which is Joseph’s; (4) of white gold, which is Enoch’s; (5) of silver which is Aaron’s; (6) of ruby and garnet, which is Moses’; (7) which is Abraham’s. These accounts are, however, most confused; for in some books and according to popular tradition, the fourth and not the second heaven is assigned to Jesus.

This view is in harmony with the seven spheres of Ptolemy, the first of which is that of the moon, the second Mercury, the third Venus, the fourth the Sun, the fifth Mars, the sixth Jupiter, the seventh Saturn; each of which orbs was supposed by the ancients to revolve round the earth in its proper sphere. Muḥammad said the distance between each heavenly region is five hundred years’ journey. (Mishkāt, book xxiv. ch. i. pt. 3).

The Rabbis spoke of two heavens (cf. Deut. x. 14), “The heaven and the heaven of heavens,” or seven (ἑπτὰ οὐρανοὺς οὕς τινες ἀριθμοῦσι κατ’ ἐπανάβασιν, Clem. Alex. Strom., iv. 7, 636). “Resch Lakisch dixit septem esse cœlos, quorum nomina sunt, 1. velum; 2. expansum; 3. nubes; 4. habitaculum; 5. habitatio; 6. sedes fixa; 7. Araboth. (See Wetstein, ad. 2 Cor. xii. 2). St. Paul’s expression, “ἕως τριτοῦ οὐρανοῦ,” 2 Cor. xii. 2, has led to some discussion, for Grotius says the Jews divided the heaven into three parts, (1) Nubiferum, the atmosphere; (2) Astriferum, the firmament; and (3) Empyreum, the abode of God. But the statement, however, does not seem to be supported by any known Rabbinic authority.

HELL. The place of torment is most frequently spoken of in the Qurʾān and Traditions as an-Nār, “the fire,” but the word Jahannam occurs about thirty times. It is said to have seven portals or divisions. Sūrah xv. 44: “Verily, hell (jahannam) is promised to all together (who follow Satan). It has seven portals, and at every door there is a separate party of them.”

1. Jahannam (جهنم), γεέννα, the purgatorial hell for all Muḥammadans. For according to the Qurʾān, all Muslims will pass through the regions of hell. Sūrah xix. 72: “There is not one of you who will not go down to it (hell), that is settled and decided by thy Lord.”

The Muḥammadan commentators, with that utter recklessness which so characterizes their writings, distribute these seven stations as follows (see al-Bag͟hawī, al-Baiẓāwī, and others): (1) Jahannam, the purgatorial hell for Muslims. (2) Laz̤ā, a blazing fire for Christians. (3) Al-Ḥut̤amah, an intense fire for the Jews. (4) Saʿīr, a flaming fire for the Sabians. (5) Saqar, a scorching fire for the Magi. (6) Al-Jaḥīm, a huge hot fire for idolaters. (7) Hāwiyah, bottomless pit for the hypocrites. A reference to the Qurʾān will prove that there is not the least reason for assigning these regions to their respective tenants beyond the sentence already quoted: “At each portal a separate party.”