Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the Hawd (pool). He said: "It is the pool that lies between Busra and Sanaa. Would you like to see it?" I said: "Yes!" He took my hand and led me outside Medina, then struck the ground with his foot, and I saw a river flowing beside him — on this side water whiter than ice, on the other side milk whiter than snow, and in the middle of it a wine finer than ruby; I had never seen anything more beautiful than that wine between the milk and the water. I said: "Master, from where does this water come out, and where does it go?" He said: "These are the springs that Allah has mentioned in the Quran — in Paradise there is a spring of water, a spring of milk, and a spring of wine which flow in this river. Around that river were trees, and in those trees were houris hanging by their heads; I had never seen any more beautiful than them. In the hand of each was a vessel, exquisite, unlike the vessels of this world. The Imam (peace be upon him) approached one of them and gestured that she give him a drink. I saw her bend down to scoop up water, and the tree bent down with her. She took some water and gave it to the Imam (peace be upon him). He drank, then handed the vessel back to her and again gestured; she bent down to scoop water and I saw the tree bend with her. She gave the vessel back to the Imam, and he gave it to me. I drank, and I had never drunk water more delightful or softer than it; it had the scent of musk. My eye fell into the vessel and I saw there were three colours of drink." I said: "May I be your ransom! I have never seen a day like today. I did not imagine matters were like this." He said: "This is the least of what Allah has prepared for our Shia. When a believer departs from this world, his soul comes beside this river and strolls in these gardens and drinks from this water. But when our enemy dies, his soul goes to the valley of Barahut and is made everlasting in its punishment; he tastes of the zaqqum and drinks of the boiling water (hamim). Seek refuge with Allah from that valley."