People of Rass: Difference between revisions

'''People of Rass''' or '''Asḥāb al-Rass''' (Arabic: {{ia|أَصْحَابُ الرَّس}}) are people who threw their prophet into a well. People of Rass are introduced as those who refused to worship [[God]] and their women were lesbians. God sent a [[prophethood|prophet]] to guide them, but they threw him into a well and thus God punished them. There are different views about the time and place they lived and also the name of their prophet.

There are different reports about who were the people of Rass:

'''First Report'''

In a [[hadith]] from [[Imam Ali (a)]], the people of Rass are introduced as people who lived after [[Prophet Solomon (a)]] and worshipped a poplar tree. It is said that it was planted by Japheth b. Noah (a) beside a river called "Roshab" and no one was allowed to drink or use that water. Every year they gathered there during Eid times and tied different piece of cloth to it and then began supplicating and made [[sacrifice]]. Then, [[Satan]] went and shook the branches of the tree and expressed happiness for their actions. The people of Rass engaged in pleasure-seeking actions including lesbian acts. God sent the grandson of Judah, son of [[Prophet Jacob (a)]] to guide them, but they did not believe in him and began harassing him. After the [[supplication]] of their prophet, that tree became dry and the people of Rass considered him guilty for it and threw him in a well. It brought the wrath of God upon them; so, God sent them clouds and winds and made the earth for them hot like fire and they were melted like iron.

'''Second Report'''

In a number of hadiths, the place the people of Rass lived was mentioned Hadramaut in [[Yemen]] and their prophet was mentioned Hanzala b. Safwan. It is also mentioned that they committed lesbian acts. Hanzala tried to stop them from doing such actions, but they began harassing him and threw him in a well; so, God sent 'Aram flood to them. It is said that a note was found in the grave of Hanzala on which he wrote that he was the prophet of God and was chosen from Yemen to guide Himyar, 'Arib and 'Aziz, but they killed him. In some of these hadiths, a woman called Dilhath, daughter of [[Iblis]] is mentioned who taught women lesbian acts and urged them to commit those acts.