The Pool of the Prophet (ḥawḍ): ḥadīth and eschatology in early Islam

Islamic eschatological reports and literature include descriptions and details regarding a Pool (ḥawḍ) at which men will gather before entering Paradise. Although never mentioned in the Qur'ān, and very little investigated in Islamic studies, this Pool often appears in Islamic ḥadīth and traditions. The Pool becomes emblematic of man's final destiny and is described with all kinds of details about its dimensions, its prerogatives and how the Muslims will join the Prophet there before entering Paradise. The combination of these traditions and the many others adding further descriptions highlights the centrality of a concept whose origin is difficult to trace, but which, at the same time, constitutes one of the most significant and original elements of Islamic eschatology.