Visions of Hell and Paradise

One day, as the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, sat with his companions he told them that during the night he had been shown a vision of Hell and Paradise.

He told his companions that in his vision two strangers came to him and said: "Come with us". So he went with them until they reached a man lying on his back. As they watched another man threw a stone at the other man's head, then, as the stone rolled away, he ran after it, picked it up and returned to strike the man on his head again. The same thing happened over and over again whereupon our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed."
Next, the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, and his companions came across another man who was also laying on his back, but this time a man stood over him with an iron hook which he used to beat and tear open the man's face and neck. After each beating the man's face recovered, and he was punished over and over again. The Prophet exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed."
As they journeyed, the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, and his companions came across a pit-like oven in which fearsome flames leapt. As he drew near he heard cries coming from it then saw that the cries came from naked men and women who were trying to get out of the fire, however none were able. The Prophet, exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who are they?" But his companions replied: "Proceed, proceed."
Next they came across a river with water as red as blood. Now in the river there was a man swimming towards the riverbank, but as soon as he was in reach of the bank another man pelted his head with stones until the swimmer was driven back into the river. The swimmer never gave up trying to reach the river bank, but each time he was in reach of it he was stoned and driven back into the river. The Prophet exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed."
Then they came across a very, very ugly man walking around a blazing fire. Once again the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who is this?" But his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed."
At last they reached a Garden, it was so very beautiful and full of spring flowers. Now in the middle of the Garden there stood a very tall man. In fact he was so tall that they could not see his face as his head was hidden by clouds and around him were so many children, the number of which our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, said that he had never before seen so many. The Prophet exclaimed: "Exalted is Allah! Who are these?" But as before his companions just said: "Proceed, proceed."
After this the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, and his companions came across a tree. It too was very, very tall and so very beautiful and his companions invited him to climb it with them. When they finished their climb, there lay before them a most wonderful city built of alternate bricks of gold and silver and they walked towards its gate. At the gate they asked permission to enter and the doors were opened.
In the city were people, half their body was the most beautiful body one could ever see, yet the other half of their body was the most ugly you could ever imagine. Now in the city was a stream, the water of which was as white and as pure as milk. The Prophet's companions told the people to jump into the river and as they did their ugliness disappeared and they became the most beautiful people you could ever imagine.
The Prophet's companions told him that this was the Garden of Eden, then pointed to a palace in the sky and informed him that it was his residence. Our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, was very happy and asked if he may enter, but his companions told him that the time had not yet come, but he would undoubtedly enter it.
The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, turned to his companions and said: "Tonight, I have witnessed many strange things, what are their meanings?"
His companions replied: "Now is the time to tell you. The first man you saw being struck upon the head, was a man who had committed the Koran to heart, then forgot it and neglected to say his obligatory five daily prayers.
As for the man who was being beaten with an iron hook, he was being punished on account of the lies he told and spread.
The naked men and women were adulterers, people who had slept illegally with one another.
The man swimming in the river and pelted with stones was the man who earned interest on his money, which is called usury.
The ugly person walking around the Fire, was the Angel Malik, the Guardian of Hell who never smiles.
As for the very tall man, he was Prophet Abraham, and the children around him were those who had died with an upright character.
At that point, one of the Prophet's earthly companions asked if any of the children were the children of unbelievers. The Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, replied "yes". Then he continued to tell them that the half beautiful and half ugly children were those who had done both good and bad deeds, but whom Allah had forgiven.
Now the two companions in the vision weren't ordinary companions, they were two very special angels and none other than the Arch Angels Gabriel and Michael