His dead brother talked to him

[إبن سينا]

In the thirteeth of the twentieth century, the timing in Iraq and many other Muslim countries was calculated [as in the Ottoman system] from the sunset time, then the one o’clock was one hour after sunset.

Moreover, people at that time used the pocket watch which was put in the pocket of their jackets.

Abu abd-Allah was a photographer. He dwelt in Hilla, a city about 100 km to the south of Baghdad, while another city Diwaniyah was
about 70 km to the south of Hilla

He told this story in his book Man after Death
http://www.quran-ayat.com/man/1.htm#..._inspire_us_]_

[إبن سينا]

This is the story that he told in his book Man after Death
“One day, I traveled from Hilla to Diwaniyah [: two cities in Iraq, to the south of Baghdad, about seventy miles apart.] I stayed there for four days working as a photographer.

On the fifth day, I decided to return back to Hilla; so when I went to bed, I asked God to send me someone to awaken me from sleep at 9.30 p.m. [This was according to the Arabic timing calculated from sun-set time], i.e. two hours before dawn to go to the railway station and travel by train to Hilla; the train leave Diwaniyah about 10 p.m.; so that I would have one hour from my awaking until the departure of the train, and it would be enough time because Diwaniyah station was near to the city. [I think this story happened about the year 1935, or few years before or after – The translator.]

Then I slept in 'Al-Bahrany Hotel', to awake from sleep a few hours later. There wasn't in that room anybody other than myself;
I asked myself:" I don't know what's the time now!" i.e. I didn't know was it late so that it was morning time, or was it early so that I can return to sleep again. I said these words with myself, but my lips moved slightly so that if a person puts his ears on my mouth, he cannot hear that from me.

And it was inspired into my mind that the time was 9.25 p.m. This was just as if there was somebody beside me and he told me the time; his words were fixed in my mind, I understood them, and recognized the direction of the speech too, and I would not forget that the talking was inspired to me from the right side, i.e. from the direction of the middle of the room, not from its wall direction.

I went on repeating those words with my tongue saying: "9.25", but I didn't hear to those words any voice, but only they were inspired into my mind with an inspiration,

so that I astonished of that and said to myself: "Who is such one that knew what I thought with myself, so as to answer me about it?"

Therefore, he answered me about that and I understood from that inspiring person that he said: "I am your brother Salih!"
So my astonishment increased furthermore, and I lifted my head from the pillow, and turned my face right and left; but I did not find anyone in the room other than myself.

But I didn't bother myself with his talking and his saying: "I am your brother Salih!"; instead I said to myself that my brother had died when he had been seven years old and had been buried in the city of Kerbala, then how does he talk to me the while he is dead!? And how does he come to me at Diwaniyah, the while he was buried at Kerbala?

Then, I got up from sleep, and picked my watch [: a pocket watch] from the pocket of my jacket, which was hanged on the wall beside me; I looked at it, and it was 9.28 p.m., so that 3 minutes of time had passed, i.e. from the moment when my brother told me the time until I saw the watch; so that the time was exactly as did he tell me with no increment or decrease of even one minute; therefore, that added more to my astonishment.

Many other questions came to my mind, and I wished that he might answer me about them, but I did not hear from him any answer, and that was, as I think, because the air in the room started to move and wave because of the movements and coughing that I did. So that his talking stopped and I did not understand anything more from him for this reason."

[إبن سينا]

Then he said commenting on the story
"I say: No doubt that God – be exalted – sent to me the soul of my brother to awaken me from sleep as an answer to my prayer and supplication; then when my brother awakened me and heard my question about the time, he answered me about it and acquainted me about the time. Then when he heard me asking about who was the talking person, he answered me: "I am your brother Salih!"

After that, I got up, wore my clothes and went to the station, and I took the train and returned to Hilla.

I say that my brother Salih did not come from the city of Kerbala to Diwaniyah at that time, but I think that he descended from heaven, and God – be exalted – sent him to awaken me, as had I asked from Him.

Moreover, as regards the children of the believers, after their death, the angels take them to Paradise, and they do not stay upon the earth except those who exceeded ten years of age. This is confirmed by the observations that I saw in the world of souls, when I fell down from a high place, and that has been mentioned in this book under the title of Was it death or fainting?

And I saw my sister, in our house, whose age had been twelve years. I saw also my uncle Ali who had been a young man, but I did not see my little brothers in the house, who died before my birth; because the angels had taken them to Paradise; specially, my brother Salih who had been seven years old [when he had died], and who prayed, sometimes during his Worldly life], but his prayer was not by reciting the opening soora of the Quran, but he complained to God his needs; because he was an orphan, and there was none to give him the toys, clothes and other things which he liked. Therefore, no doubt that God – be exalted – gave him what he wished, but in Paradise."
[ How can souls inspire us? ]

[إبن سينا]

"First: That must be at night, or in a dark place; because the soul avoids the sun-light

Second: The place must be quiet: without sounds and noise; in order that man can understand the words of the soul

Third: The air must be calm; in order that their talking may reach our minds. Hence, the most suitable time for that is at midnight; because people are sleeping and sounds are low [: there is silence

Fourth: The person, to whom they talk, should be clever and alert in order to understand their talking; or otherwise he will not understand

Fifth: You must talk with them with a low voice, mustn't sneeze, nor cough; because the loud sound annoys the soul; in addition to that, the air will start to move and wave because of our voices; so that the talking of souls with us will be interrupted