Yes, the woman admitted that she heard people gossiping about the Prophet’s prayer for her. She immediately burst into tears and kissed the ground. That’s the only way I know how to worship God, she said.
The woman shook her head. She repeated that she didn’t have a group. She couldn’t be in a row. And now she was left far behind. She was at a distance too far from the promised paradise. The woman said, with her body in such a weak condition, she couldn’t possibly catch up to the row to reach paradise.
The dog shook its head again. It shifted and turned its body until it faced away from the woman. The dog’s body looked very large. It asked the woman to climb onto its back. It promised to run as fast as it could to escort her to paradise. After being convinced repeatedly, the woman finally climbed onto the dog’s back. She sat huddled over her body. Her hands hugged the dog tightly.
At first, the dog walked slowly. Its steps were regular. When it felt the woman’s body had merged with its own, it immediately leaped and ran as fast as it could. Soon, the dust clouds left behind grew thicker and continued to extend and rise high. The longer the dog ran, the faster it became, until its white body looked like a flashing light. It was difficult to estimate how far it had traveled, as difficult as estimating how long it had been. What’s clear is that they eventually arrived at their destination, albeit a little late. The rearmost row of the human line had passed through the gate, which had begun to close.
To the gatekeeper, the dog explained that it was escorting a woman who had a place inside but was far behind the row. The woman then got off the dog’s back, and the gatekeeper invited her to enter. But then the gatekeeper blocked her path when he saw the woman leading her dog to enter as well. He said there was no place for a dog. But the woman insisted. She said it was better if she didn’t enter if her dog wasn’t allowed to come along. A verbal dispute ensued.
Hearing the commotion, several people who were already inside finally approached the gate. They asked the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper explained that there was a woman left behind by the row who intended to follow in. He forbade it if the woman insisted on bringing her dog along. There was a moment of silence. Then, several people who recognized the woman shouted from behind the gate and continued to push forward.
“Just close the gate,” they yelled. “She’s not part of our row. There’s no place here for a prostitute and a dog!”
Seeing the gatekeeper still dumbfounded, the people continued to push forward. They dragged the gatekeeper in. And they themselves ended up closing the gate. The woman and her dog stood there, dumbfounded, in front of the gate.
Note:
* This story is inspired by a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim. In the hadith, Abu Hurairah said that Prophet Muhammad prayed for a prostitute who had given water to a dying thirsty dog to be forgiven her sins and admitted to paradise.
Translated from here.