mountain were five hundred cities, the likes of which I had never seen greater. I said: "O my Master, what are these cities?"

He said: "O Jabir, this is Jabilqa. I created it one hundred thousand years before the creation of Adam, and I created within it peoples who glorify Me and sanctify Me." Then He said: "O Jabir, cast your eyes [again]." I cast my gaze, and behold, to the left of the mountain were five hundred cities, even greater than the first ones.

I said: "Glorified, Holy! What are these cities, O my Master?"

He said: "This is Jabarsa. I created it five thousand years before the creation of Adam, and I created within these cities peoples who do not know that I have created a world or any creation other than themselves."

I said: "Glory be to the Doer of whatever He wills!" Jabir said: Then my Master stood, and we stood with Him, until we came with Him to the Barrier (al-Sadd). Behold, it was a massive mountain of solid iron, from which high smoke was emerging. He gestured to me with the staff and said to me: "Strike it, O Jabir."