I do not know how, but I fell asleep while invoking Allah, and it was then that I experienced the first of four visions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that I was to see during my stay in prison. There in front of me, praise be to Allah, was a vast desert and camels with hawdahs as if made of light. On each hawdah were four men, all with luminous faces. I found myself behind this huge train of camels in that vast, endless desert, and standing behind a great, reverent man. This man was holding a halter which passed through the neck of each camel. I wondered silently: Could this man be the Prophet (peace be upon him)?
Silence has no safeguard with the Prophet, who replied:
“Zainab! You are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger.”
“Am I, master! Following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger?”
“You, Zainab Ghazali, are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger.”
“O my Beloved! Am I truly following in your footsteps?”
“Zainab! You are on the right path. You are on the right path, Zainab! You are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger!”
Twice more I repeated my question, receiving the same response from the Prophet.
Silence has no safeguard with the Prophet, who replied:
“Zainab! You are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger.”
“Am I, master! Following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger?”
“You, Zainab Ghazali, are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger.”
“O my Beloved! Am I truly following in your footsteps?”
“Zainab! You are on the right path. You are on the right path, Zainab! You are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah’s Servant and Messenger!”
Twice more I repeated my question, receiving the same response from the Prophet.