The Delights People Will Enjoy In Paradise And Their Description From the Qur’an and the Hadith

* Description of the People of Paradise and the Delights They Enjoy Therein :

~ The people of Paradise will enter in the most perfect and beautiful form, in the image of their father, Adam, peace be upon him, for there is no human form more perfect and beautiful than that of Adam, whom Allah, the Exalted, created very tall. He was as tall as a great palm tree, sixty cubits tall. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"Allah created Adam in his own image, sixty cubits tall... everyone who enters Paradise will be in the image of Adam, sixty cubits tall. People kept getting shorter and shorter after the time of Adam."

~ Their external appearance will be in harmony, and their hearts will be as one. Their hearts and souls will be clean and pure. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah a hadith in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, describes people entering Paradise including a group whose light will be like the full moon. He (pbuh) said, "Their form will be that of a single person, after the image of their father Adam, sixty cubits tall."

~ Another aspect of their beauty is that they will have no body hair, and will look as if their eyes are anointed with kohl. Each of them will enter Paradise aged thirty-three, the age of strength, vitality and youth. Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report from Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal that the Messenger of Allah , peace be upon him, said: "The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless, looking as if their eyes are ringed with kohl, aged thirty three."

~ As reported in the hadith narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, from Abu Hurayrah, the people of Paradise "will not spit, blow their noses or excrete".

~ The people of Paradise will not sleep. Jaabir Ibn Abdullah and Abdullaah Ibn Abi Awfaa reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Sleep is the brother of death; the people of Paradise will not sleep"

* The Superiority of Paradise Over the Pleasures of This World :

~ The pleasures of this world are tangible and present, whilst the delights of Paradise are as-yet unseen promises. People are readily influenced by what they can see and know instantly; it is hard enough for them to forget something that is in front of them for the sake of something else that is in the future, so how much harder it is if the promise will not be attained until after death! So Allah, the Exatled, drew a comparison between the pleasures of this world and the joys of Paradise, and explained that the delights of Paradise are far superior to this world's pleasures. The Qur'an speaks at length denouncing this world of instant, fleeting pleasures and stating that the rewards with Allah as far better, to encourage man to strive hard for success in the next world:

"And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given them for enjoyment to various groups of them [mushrikeen and kuffaar] the splendour of this life that We may test them thereby. But the provision [good reward in the Hereafter] of your Rabb (Lord) is better and more lasting" (Qur’an, 20:131)

And "Beautified for men is the love of things they covet: women, children, much of gold and silver [wealth], branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life but Allah has the excellent return with Him. Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For al-Muttaqoon there are Gardens with their Rabb (Lord), under which rivers flow. Therein [is their] eternal [home] and Azwaajun mutahharatun [purified mates or wives], and Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of [His] Slaves" (Qur’an, 3:14-15)

~ There are many reasons why the delights of Paradise are superior to the pleasures of this dunyaa (world); Amongst them:

(i) The Pleasures of this Dunyaa are Fleeting:

"Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is [far] better for him who fears Allah.." (Qur’an, 4:77)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, illustrated the inferiority of this dunyaa by comparing it to what Allah, the Exalted, has prepared in Paradise, "By Allah, this world in comparison with the Hereafter is nothing more than as if one of you put his finger" - and he gestured with his forefinger - "in the sea; let him see how much water he would retrieve". A finger dipped in the ocean would not even pick up one drop; this is how little this world is worth when compared with the Aakhirah (afterlife).

Because these pleasures are so insignificant, Allah has rebuked those who prefer the pleasures of this world to the joys of the Aakhirah:

"O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to go forth in the Cause of Allah [Jihaad] you cling heavily to this earth? Do you prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter" (Qur’an, 9:38)

(ii) The Hereafter is also better from the perspective of quality:

The clothing, food, drink, jewellery and palaces of the people of Paradise will be far superior to their counterparts in this world. There is in fact no room for comparison, as even the smallest space in Paradise is better than this world and all that is in it. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The space of a whip in Paradise is better than this world and everything in it".

Also narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "The space of the bow of any one of you in Paradise is better than all that the sun rises upon"

The comparison between the women of Paradise and the women of this earth serves to demonstrate the superiority of that which is in Paradise. Al-Bukhaari reports from Anas that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"If a woman from the people of Paradise were to look at this earth, she would light up everything between it and fill it with her fragrance; the veil on her head is better than this world and all that is in it"

(iii) Paradise is free from all the impurities and disappointments of this world:

Eating and drinking in this life results in the need for excretion and its associated unpleasant odours. If a person drinks wine in this world, he loses his mind. Women in this world menstruate and give birth, which are sources of pain and hurt. Paradise is free from all of these discomforts: its people will not urinate, defecate, spit or suffer from catarrh. The wine of Paradise, as described by its Creator, is:

"Crystal-white, delicious to those who drink [thereof], free from intoxication, nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom" (Qur’an, 37:46-47)

The water of Paradise does not become brackish, and its milk never changes in flavour:

"..rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes.." (Qur’an, 47:15)

The women of Paradise are pure and free from menstruation, nifaas [postnatal bleeding] and all the other impurities suffered by women in this world, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"...and they shall have therein Azwaajun Muttaharatun [Purified mates having no menses, urine, stools, etc]" (Qur’an, 2:25)

The hearts of the people of Paradise will be pure, their speech will be good, their deeds righteous. There will be no hurtful, upsetting, offensive or provocative talk there, for Paradise is free of all worthless words and deeds:

"...free from any laghw [dirty, false, evil, vague talk], and free from sin" (Qur’an, 52:23)

The only speech that is heard there is good, sincere and pure, free from all the shameful shortcomings of earthly speech:

"No Laghw [dirty, false, evil talk] will they hear therein, nor lying" (Qur’an, 78:35)

"They shall not hear therein any Laghw, but only salaam [salutations of peace]" (Qur’an, 19:62)

"Where they shall hear neither harmful speech nor falsehood" (Qur’an, 88:11)

Paradise is the abode of purity and peace, "No laghw will they hear therein, nor any sinful speech [like backbiting, etc], But only the saying of Salaam! Salaam! [greetings with peace]" (Qur’an, 56:25)

For this reason, when the people of Paradise have been saved from the Fire, they will be detained of a bridge between Paradise and Hell, where they will be purified by settling any wrongs that may be outstanding, so that they may enter Paradise, pure of heart and soul, free from any resentment, envy or other negative emotions of this world. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report that when the people of Paradise enter Paradise, "There will be no hatred of resentment among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify Allah, morning and evening"

Allah, the Exalted, indeed spoke the truth when He said:

"And We shall remove from their breasts any lurking sense of injury: [they will be] brothers [joyfully] facing each other on thrones [of dignity]" (Qur’an, 15:47)

A "sense of injury" is hatred. It was reported from Ibn Abbaas and Ali ibn Abi Taalib, that when the people of paradise enter Paradise they will drink from one spring, and Allah will remove all sense of injury or hatred from their hearts, then they will drink from another spring, and their faces will become pure and bright. This is probably what is meant by the aayah (verse), "And their Rabb will give them a pure drink" (Qu’ran, 76:21)

~ (iv) The Pleasures of This World are Transient Whilst the Joys of the Hereafter are Lasting and Eternal:

This is why Allah, the Exalted, calls the pleasures of this world "temporary conveniences" because they are enjoyed for a short while, then come to an end, but the joys of Al-Aakhirah (afterlife) have no end:

"What is with you, must vanish, and what is with Allah will endure.." (Qur’an, 16:96)

"[It will be said to them]: This is Our Provision, which will never finish" (Qur’an, 38:54)

"...its provision is eternal and so is its shade.." (Qur’an, 13:35)

Allah (swt) gave an example of how quickly this world will pass away:

"And put forward for them the example of the life of this world, it is like the water [rain] which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But [later] it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allah is Able to do everything. Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds that last are better with your Rabb for rewards and better in respect of hope" (Qur’an, 18:45-46)

Allah (swt) likened this life to the rain that falls from the sky and causes plants to grow and flower and bear fruit. This lasts for only a short time, before they shrivel and are blown away by the wind. Such are the luxuries of this life, such as youth, wealth, sons, lands and fields. All of this passes away; youth fades, health and vitality are replaced by sickness and old age, wealth and children may disappear, a man may be taken from his family and wealth, but the Hereafter will never vanish or go away:

"...And excellent indeed will be the home of the Muttaqoon, 'Adn Paradise which they will enter, under which rivers flow.." (Qur’an, 16:30-31)

~ (v) Seeking to Enjoy the Pleasures of this World and Neglecting the Hereafter Will be Followed By Regret and Sorrow When One Enters the Fire of Hell:

"Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection will you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception [a deceiving thing]" (Qur’an, 3:185)

* The Food and Drink of the People of Paradise :

~ We have already discussed [see “the Description of Paradise’” post] the trees and fruits of Paradise, including the ripe fruits, which hang within easy reach, so that the people of Paradise may pick whichever fruits they desire. The people will also have whatever food and drink they desire:

"Any fruit [any] that they may choose, And the flesh of fowls that they desire" (Qur’an, 56:20-21)

"...there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that the eyes could delight in.." (Qur’an, 43:71)

~ Allah, the Exalted, will permit them to take whatever they want of the good food and drink of Paradise:

"Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!" (Qur’an, 69:24)

~ We have also mentioned that in Paradise there will be a sea of water, a sea of wine, a sea of milk and a sea of honey, and the rivers of Paradise will flow out of these seas. There will be also many springs in Paradise, and its people will drink from these seas, rivers and springs.

~ (i) The Wine of the People of Paradise:

One of the drinks that Allah, the Exalted, will bestow on the people of Paradise will be wine. The wine of Paradise is free of all the troubles and problems that characterise the wine of this world, which makes people lose their minds, and causes headaches, stomach aches and other physical disorders, or which may have something wrong in the way it is made, or its colour, etc. But the wine of Paradise is free from all such faults; it is pure and beautiful:

"Round them will be passed a cup of pure wine; white, delicious to the drinkers. Neither will they have ghoul [any kind of hurt, abdominal pain, headache, etc] from that, nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom" (Qur’an, 37:45-47)

Allah, the Exalted, described the beauty of its white colour, then explained that its drinker enjoy it very much, without is affecting their minds:

"..rivers of wine delicious to those who drink.." (Qur’an, 47:15)

And they will never be adversely affected by drinking it:

"..nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom" (Qur’an, 37:47)

Elsewhere in the Qur'an, Allah, the Exalted, describes the wine of Paradise:

"They will be served by immortal boys, With cups and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine, Wherefrom they will get neither any aching of the head, nor any intoxication" [56:17-19]

Commenting on this passage, Ibn Katheer said, "it does not cause their heads to ache or their minds to be fogged; it is pure, although it still contains the ingredients that make it a delight to the drinker. Ad-Dahhaak narrated that Ibn Abbaas said, "Wine produces four things: drunkenness, headache, vomit and urine. Allah, the Exalted, has mentioned the wine of Paradise, and He has purified it of all these things."

In another part of the Qur'an, Allah (swt) says:

"They will be given to drink pure sealed wine, the last thereof will be the smell of musk.." (Qur’an, 83:25-26)

This wine is sealed or covered, and at the end of it, the drinker will find the scent of musk.

~ (ii) The first food of the people of Paradise:

The first food which Allah, the Exalted, will present to the people of Paradise will be the caudate [extra] lobe of fish-liver. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"On the Day of Resurrection, the earth will be like one loaf of bread, which Allah will turn around in His hands, just as any of you prepares bread whilst he is travelling, to offer it as food to the people of Paradise." A Jewish man came and said, "May the Most Merciful bless you, O Abul-Qaasim. [i.e the Prophet (pbuh)] Shall I not tell you what food [nuzul] will be offered to the people of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Of course." The Jew said that the earth would be a single loaf of bread, just as the Prophet (pbuh) has said. The Prophet (pbuh) looked at us and smiled so broadly that his back teeth were visible, then he said, "Shall I not tell you of their food? Balam and noon [a large fish]". They asked, "What is that?" He said, "A bull and noon seventy thousand people will eat from the caudate [extra] lobes of their livers"

An-Nawawi's comments on this hadith may be summarised as follows: "Nuzul is the food prepared for a guest upon his arrival. Turning the bread around in one's hands means kneading it and tossing it from hand to hand, until it is flat and round like a disk. The meaning of the hadith is that Allah will make the earth like a huge loaf of bread to feed the people of Paradise. Noon is a whale or large fish; balam is a Hebrew word that means "bull"; the caudate [extra] lobe of a fish liver is the best part of it."

Muslim reports from Thawban that a Jew asked that the Prophet, peace be upon him, "What will they be presented with when they enter Paradise?" He said, "The caudate [extra] lobe of fish liver." The Jew asked, "What will they eat after that?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The bull, which is grazing now in Paradise, will be slaughtered for them." The Jew asked, "What will they drink after that?" He said, "From a spring called Salsaabeel." The Jew said, "You have spoken the truth."

~ (iii) The food and drink of the people of Paradise does not produce any impure excrement:

It might cross one's mind that the food and drink of Paradise might produce the same as the food and drink of this world, namely excrement, urine, mucus, saliva, and so on. But this is not the case. Paradise is a place that is free from all impurities, and its people are free of all the blemishes of people of this world. A hadith reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, clearly rejects such a nation: the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The first group to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon; they will not spit or blow their noses."

This does not only apply to the first group to enter Paradise, all those who enter will be similarly pure. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The first group of my ummah (nation) to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon and those that come after them will be like the brightest shining star, and those that follow them will be ranked according to their status. They will not defecate, urinate or blow their noses or spit."

It might be asked where will the waste produces go? This question was posed to the Prophet (pbuh) by his Sahabah (companions) and he replied, "[It will come out as] burps which are like musk.". Other parts the excretions will be turned into sweat like musk that will come out of their bodies.

~ (iv) Why Will the People of Paradise Eat and Drink and Comb their Hair?:

If the people of Paradise are to abide there forever, and it is free form all discomfort, pain and sickness, if there is no hunger or thirst there, and no impurities or dirt, then why will the people of Paradise eat and drink, and wear perfume and comb their hair?

Al-Qurtubee answered this question in At-Tadhkirah: "The luxuries and clothing of the people of Paradise will not be for the purpose of warding off potential pains; they will not eat because of hunger or drink because of thirst, or wear perfume because of some offensive odour, because Paradise is a never-ending succession of delight and joy. Do you not remember the words of Allah, the Exalted, to Aadam, peace be upon him?

"Verily you have [a promise from Us] that you will never be hungry therein nor naked. And you [will] suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun's heat." (Qur’an, 20:118-119)

The wisdom behind it [food and drink, etc] is so that Allah (swt) will introduce Paradise to them in ways similar to the good things that they enjoyed on earth, but He will increase it in ways known only to Him."

* The Vessels and Cups of the People of Paradise :

~ The vessels from which the people of Paradise will eat and drink will be of gold and silver. Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them.." (Qur’an, 43:71) i.e. cups of gold.

And Allah (swt) says, "And amongst them, will be passed round vessels of silver and cups of crystal, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure thereof according to their wishes." (Qur’an, 76:15) i.e it will combine the purity of crystal with the whiteness of silver.

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported from Abu Musaa al-Ash'ari, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The believer in paradise will have a tent made of a hollowed out pearl.. and two gardens of silver, their vessels and everything in them, and two gardens of gold, their vessels and everything in them."

~ Among the vessels from which they will drink will be cups and jugs and glasses:

"They will be served by immortal boys, with cups, and jugs and a glass from the flowing wine." (Qur’an, 56:17-18)

The "cup" [koob] is something that has no handle or spout, the "jug" [ibreeq] has a handle and a spout and the "glass" [kaa's] is a cup that is filled with drink.

* The Clothing, Jewellery and Incense-Burners Of the People of Paradise :

~ The people of Paradise will wear the most luxurious clothes, amongst other things, garments of silk and bracelets of gold, silver and pearls. Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And their recompense will be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient." (Qur’an, 76:12)

"...wherein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments will be of silk." (Qur’an, 22:23)

"'Adn Paradise they will enter, therein will they be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments there will be of silk." (Qur’an, 35:33)

"...They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Rabb will give them a pure drink." (Qur’an, 76:21)

~ Their clothes will be colourful, including garments of green silk and brocade:

"..They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade. They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on." (Qur’an, 18:31)

"Their garments will be of fine green silk, and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver.." (Qur’an, 76:21)

~ Their clothing will be far superior to any man-made garment. Al-Barraa Ibn Aadhib (ra) said, "A silken garment was brought to the Messenger, peace be upon him, and we began to admire its beauty and softness." The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "The handkerchiefs of Sa'd Ibn Mu'aadh are better than this [i.e. in Paradise]"

~ The Prophet (pbuh) also told us that the people of Paradise will have combs of gold and silver, and that they will perfume themselves with 'Ud at-Teeb, even though the scent of musk will be emanating from their pure bodies. Al-Bukhaari narrates from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said of those who will enter Paradise:

"Their vessels will be of gold and silver, their combs will be of gold and the coals of their incense-burners will be of aloe-wood [Abul-Yaman said, "of 'Ud at-Teeb] and their sweat will be musk."

~ Their jewellery will include crowns. At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah report from Al-Miqdaam Ibn Ma'd Yak rib that among the honours bestowed upon the martyr will be: "..there will be placed upon his head a crown of dignity, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it."

~ The clothing and jewellery of the people of Paradise will never wear out or fade. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever enters Paradise is blessed, and will never be miserable, his clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade away."

* The Couches of the People of Paradise :

~ The palaces of Paradise have been prepared, and in their gardens are places to sit and recline, beautiful couches of delightful colours and high beds whose interiors are lined with silk brocade, let alone how magnificent their outward appearance must be. There are cushions and splendid carpets laid out in the most delightful fashion. Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Therein will be thrones raised high, And cups set at hand, and cushions set in rows, and rich carpets [all spread out]" (Qur’an, 88:13-16)

"They will recline [with ease] on thrones arranged in ranks. And We shall marry them to Houris [female fair ones] with wide lovely eyes." (Qur’an, 52:20)

"A multitude of those [foremost] will be from the first generations [who embraced Islaam] and a few of those [foremost] will be from the later time [generations]. [They will be] on thrones woven with gold and precious stones,reclining thereon, face to face." (Qur’an, 56:13-16)

This reclining on those thrones and couches will be one of the luxuries that the people of Paradise will enjoy when they gather together, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And we shall remove from their breasts any lurking sense of injury; [they will be like] brothers [joyfully] facing each other on thrones [of dignity]." Qur’an, 15:47)

"Reclining on green cushions and rich beautiful mattresses" (Qur’an, 55:76)

"Reclining upon the couches lined with silk brocade" (Qur’an, 55:54)

* The Servants of the People of Paradise :

~ The People of Paradise will be served by boys whom Allah, the Exalted, will create to serve them and who will be most beautiful and perfect in form:

"They will be served by immortal boys, With cups, and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine." (Qur’an, 56:17-18)

"And round about them will [serve] boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls." (Qur’an, 76:19)

Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Boys of eternal youth will go around to serve people of Paradise, boys who remain in that youthful form forever, never changing or advancing in age. It was said that they will be wearing earrings, to emphasise their youth, because such a thing is appropriate for young people, but it does not befit those who are older. And Allah, the Exalted, said (Qur’an, 76:19) i.e. if you saw them going around to attend to the needs of their masters, with their beautiful faces and splendid colourful clothes and jewellery, you would think that they were scattered pearls. There is no more beautiful description than the picture of pearls scattered in a place of beauty."

Some scholars suggested that these boys are the children of the Muslims and Mushrikeen who die in childhood, but this was refuted by Al-Allaamah Ibn Taymiyyah, who explained that these boys of eternal youth are part of the creation of Paradise: "..they are not the children of this world. When the children of this world enter Paradise, they will do so in a perfect form, like all the other people of Paradise, in the form of their father, Adam."

* The Market of the People of Paradise :

~ Muslim reported from Anas Ibn Maalik, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"In Paradise there is a market to which the people will come every Friday, then a wind will come from the north and blow on their faces, and clothes, and they will increase in beauty. Then they will return to their wives, who will also have increased in beauty. Their wives will say to them, "By Allah, you increased in beauty after you left us." And they will say, "And you too, by Allah, you have increased in beauty since you left us."

An-Nawawi, commented on this hadith, "What is meant by a market is a gathering place where the people will come together, just as they gather in marketplaces in this world. Gathering together every Friday means that they will meet once a week, or what approximates to once a week; there will be no real weeks there, as there will be no sun or moon or days. The wind of Paradise was described specifically as being the north winds, because for the Arabs this is the wind that brings rain, coming from the direction of Syria, so they always hoped for a wind coming from the north. In the hadith this wind is called al-Mutheerah, i.e. something that carries things, because it will blow the sand or dust of Paradise into their faces, which is musk."

* The Gatherings and Conversations of the People of Paradise :

~ The people of Paradise will visit one another, in delightful gatherings where they will remember their lives in this world and how Allah, the Exalted, has blessed them by admitting them to Paradise. Allah described the gatherings of the people of Paradise:

"And We shall remove from their breasts any lurking sense of injury, [they will be like] brothers, [joyfully] facing each other on thrones [of dignity]." (Qur’an, 15:47)

Allah has also described some of the kinds of conversation that will take place in their gatherings:

"And some of them draw near to others, questioning, saying, "Aforetime we were afraid with our families [of the punishment of Allah], but Allah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire. Verily, we used to invoke Him [Alone and none else] before. Verily He is Al-Barr, the All-Merciful." (Qur’an, 52:25-28)

* The Wishes of the People of Paradise :

~ Some of the People of Paradise will wish for things that will be fulfilled in the strangest ways, unlike anything that happens in this world. The Messenger, peace be upon him, told of some of these and how they will be fulfilled:

Abu Hurayrah, said that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was speaking and a bedouin man was present. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "A man from the people of Paradise will ask his Rabb (Lord) for permission to grow things. Allah will ask him, "Do you not have what you want?" He will say, "Of course, but I love to grow things." So he will sow the seeds and in the blinking of an eye the plant will grow and its fruit will ripen and become like mountains. Allah, the Exalted, will say, "Here it is. O son of Aadam nothing satisfies you!" The Bedouin said, "By Allah! you wont find him except he is from Quraysh or the Ansaar for these are the people that love to grow things. As for us, we don't grow anything!" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) laughed."

* The Greatest Delight: Ridwaan Allah and Looking At His Face :

"Some faces that Day will be Nadhirah [shining, radiant], Looking at their Rabb." (Qur’an, 75:22-23)

Ibn Al-Itheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Seeing Allah is the ultimate joy in the Hereafter, the most precious gift of Allah. May Allah, the Exalted, help us reach that goal."

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that "Allah will say to the people of Paradise, "O People of Paradise! They will say, "We are at Your Worship, our Rabb, and all goodness is in Your hand." He will say, "Are you content?" They will say, "Why should we not be content, O Rabb, when you have given us what you have not given to anyone else of Your Creation?" He will say, "Shall I not give you better than that?" They will say, "O Rabb, what could be better than that?" He will say, "I grant you My pleasure and I will never be displeased with you after that."

Muslim and At-Tirmidhi, reported from Suhayb Ar-Rumi, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, Allah will say: "Do you want anything more?" They will say, "Have You not made our faces white [i.e. honoured us]? Have You not admitted us to Paradise and saved us from the Fire?" Then the veil will be lifted, and they will never have been given anything more dear to them than looking at their Rabb".

One report adds, "Then the Prophet (pbuh) recited the aayah (verse), "For those who have done good is the best [reward i.e. Paradise] and even more [i.e. the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allah]..." (Qur’an, 10:26)

Thus seeing the Face of Allah was interpreted as part of the "more" [mazeed] which Allah has promised to al-Muhsinoon [those who have done good]:

"There they will have all that they desire - and We have more [for them, i.e. a glance at the All-Mighty, All-Majestic." (Qur’an, 50:35)

* The Conclusion Of Their Prayer Will Be Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabbil-Aalameen :

"And they will say, "All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us [all] grief. For Our Rabb is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate [good deeds and recompense] Who out of His Grace, has lodged us in a home that will last forever, there, toil will not touch us, nor will weariness touch us" (Qur’an, 35:34-35)

"And they will say, "All the praises and thanks be to Allah Who Has fulfilled His promise to us and has made us inherit [this] land. We can dwell in Paradise where we will; how excellent a reward for the [pious good] workers!" And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne [of Allah] from all around, glorifying the praises of their Rabb. And they [all the creatures] will be judged with truth, and it will be said, "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Rabb of the Aalameen" (Qur’an, 39:74-75)

~ And the conclusion of their prayer will be al-Hamdulillaahi Rabbil Aalameen:

"Their prayer will be Glory to You, O Allah! and their greeting therein will be Peace, and the conclusion of their prayer will be, "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds"


* Source: http://www.kalamullah.com/ (Based on the Book by Dr. Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar).

* Image: http://www.wallnew.com

The People of Paradise from the Qur'an and the Hadith

* The Deeds for Which People Will Deserve to Enter Paradise :

~ The Qur'an often states that the people of Paradise are the believers who do righteous deeds, to quote one of many examples:

"But whoever comes to Him as a believer [in tawheed] and has done righteous good deeds, for such are the high ranks [in the Hereafter] - 'Adn [Eden] Paradise [everlasting gardens [under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever: such is the reward of those who purify themselves". (Qur’an, 20:75-76)

~ Believers may earn Paradise through their Imaan (Faith) and Islaam:

"My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve - [you] who believed in Our aayaat and were Muslims, enter Paradise you and your wives in happiness" (Qur’an, 43:68-70)

~ Or because they were sincere in their devotion to Allah, the Exalted:

"Save the chosen slaves of Allah [Al-Mukhliseen]. For them there will be a known provision, fruits and they shall be honoured, in the gardens of delight." (Qur’an, 37:40-43)

~ Or for the strength of their relationship with Allah (swt), their longing for Him and worship of Him:

"Only those who believe in our aayaat who, when they are reminded of them fall down prostrate, and glorify the praises of their rabb, and they are not proud. Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Rabb in fear and hope, and they spend [charity in Allah's Cause] our of what We have bestowed on them". (Qur’an, 32:15-16)

~ Or for their patience and reliance upon Allah (swt):

"..Excellent is the reward of the workers, those who are patient and put their trust [only] in their Rabb" (Qur’an, 29:58-59)

~ Or for their steadfastness in faith:

"Verily those who say "Our Rabb is Allah" and remain firm [on that path], on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Such shall be the Companions of the Garden dwelling therein: a recompense for their good deeds". (Qur’an, 46:13-14)

~ Or for their humility:

"Verily those who believe and do righteous deeds and humble themselves [in repentance and obedience] before their Rabb - they will be dwellers of Paradise to dwell therein forever" (Qur’an, 11:23)

~ Or for their fear of Allah, the Exalted:

"But for him who fears standing before his Rabb there will be two Gardens" (Qur’an, 55:46)

~ Some aayaat (verses) discuss in detail the righteous deeds for which a person may deserve Paradise; for example, Surah Ar-Ra'd states:

"But it is only the men of understanding who pay heed, those who fulfill the Covenant of Allah and break not the mithaaq, those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined, [i.e. good to relatives and not severing the ties of kinship], fear their Rabb and dread the terrible reckoning, and those who remain patient, seeking their Rabb's Countenance, perform as-Salaat (Prayers), and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and defend evil with good, for such there is a good end 'Adn [Eden] Paradise which they shall enter and [also] those who acted righteously from among their fathers and their wives, and their offspring. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate [saying] Salaamun ''alaykum (Peace be upon you) for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!" (Qur’an, 13:19-24)

~ And at the beginning of Surah Al-Mu'minoon, Allah, the Exalted, explains that success is for the believers and then described the deeds that will qualify them for success:

"Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salaah (prayers) with khushoo', and those who turn away from al-laghw [dirty, false, evil, vain talk, falsehood and all that Allah has forbidden], and those who pay the zakah (charity), and those who guard their chastity, except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame; but whoever seeks beyond that then those are the transgressors; those who are faithfully true to their amaanah [all duties that Allah has ordained: honesty, moral responsibility, and trusts] and to their covenants and those who strictly guard their prayers [at the fixed times]. These are indeed the inheritors who shall inherit Al-Firdaws (highest level in Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever" (Qur’an, 23:11)

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: "The people of Paradise are three: a ruler who is fair and just; a man who is compassionate and gentle towards every relative and Muslim; and a man with a large family who is proud and does not beg"

* The Number of People from This Ummah (Nation) in Paradise :

~ Many people from this ummah (nation) will enter Paradise, but only Allah, the Exalted, knows their exact number. Al-Bukhaari reports from Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "Ibn Abbaas (ra) told me that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I was shown the nations, and I saw a Prophet passing by with his ummah, another with a band of followers, another with ten followers, another with five, and another who was alone. I looked and saw a huge crowd of people, and I asked, "O Jib reel (Angel Gabriel), are these my ummah?" He said, "No look at the horizon." I looked and saw a vast multitude. He said,"These are your ummah, and the seventy thousand in front will not be brought to account or be punished."

The first crowd which the Prophet, peace be upon him, thought was his ummah was in fact the Children of Israel as is stated in a number of saheeh reports, "I hoped that this would be my ummah, but I was told that this was Musa and his people."

Concerning the words "a vast multitude" Ibn Hajar said, "A report from Sa'eed Ibn Mansoor says, "huge" [Adheem] and adds, "It was said to me, "look at the horizon" So I looked and I saw a huge multitude. Then I was told, "Look at the other horizon, it is just like the first one."" According to a report given by Ibn Faadil, "[I saw] a multitude that filled the horizon and it was said to me "Look here and here, all across the horizon". According to a version narrated by Ahmad, "I saw my ummah filling the plains and the mountains, and I was amazed at the numbers and their appearance. I was asked, "Are you pleased O Muhammad?" and I said, "Yes O Rabb.""

Some hadiths state that along with every thousand of the seventy thousand will be another seventy thousand plus three handfuls added by Allah.

Our Prophet, peace be upon him, hoped that this ummah would constitute half of the population of Paradise. In a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon, Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra) said that when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was speaking about who would be sent to hell, he said, "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise. Among the people you are no more than a black hair on the hide of a white bull.."

Some hadith state that this ummah will constitute two thirds of the population of Paradise. At-Tirmidhi reports with a hasan isnaad and Ad-Daarimee and Al-Bayhaqee also report, from Buraydah (ra), that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The people of Paradise are one hundred and twenty ranks, eight from this ummah and forth from the rest of the nations."

Muslim reports from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I will be the first intercessor in Paradise. No Prophet was believed in as I was believed in. Among the Prophets is one who was believed in by only one man."

The reason why so many people of this ummah believed is because of the great miracle of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, which was a recited revelation which is addressed to hearts and minds. It is a miracle that is preserved and will remain until the Day of Judgement. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"There is no Prophet who was not given a sign [or miracle] in which people believed and followed him. That which I have been given is a Revelation from Allah and I hope that I will have the greatest number of followers on the Day of Resurrection."

* The Leaders of the People of Paradise :

~ (i) The Leaders of the Men:

A number of the Sahaabah (companions), including Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Anas Ibn Maalik, Abu Hudhayfah, Jaabir Ibn Abdullaah, and Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with them, reported that the Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Abu Bakr and Umar will be the leaders of men of Paradise from the earlier and later generations."

~ (ii) The Leaders of the Youth:

At-Tirmidhi, Al-Haakim, At-Tabaraani, Ahmad and others reported that Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra) said, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of Paradise".

~ (iii) The Leaders of the Women:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, drew four lines and said: "Do you know what these are?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "The best women of Paradise are Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid (the wife of the Prophet), Faatimah bint Muhammad (the daughter of the Prophet and Khadeejah), Maryam bint Imraan (Mary, the mother of Prophet Jesus) and Aasiyah bin Muzahim, the wife of Fir'awn (the Pharaoh)"

Maryam (Mary) and Khadeejah are the best of the four - "The best of its women is Maryam and the best of its women is Khadeejah" [from Ali (ra) in Al-Bukhaari] - and Maryam is the "First Lady" - "The leaders of the women of Paradise, AFTER Maryam bint 'Imraan will be.."

~ The reason why Maryam (the Virgin Mary) is considered the best of all women is clearly stated in the Qur'an:

"Behold! the angels said, "O Maryam! Allah has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations." (Qur’an, 3:42)

How could she not be the best of women when Allah, the Exalted, has clearly stated that,

"..her Rabb accepted her with a goodly acceptance. He made her to grow in a good manner". (Qur’an, 3:37)

~ These four women are beautiful examples of perfect, righteous women. Maryam, the daughter of Imraan, is praised by Allah in the Qur'an:

"And Maryam (Mary), daughter of Imraan, who guarded her chastity; and We breather into [the sleeve of her shirt/garment] through Our Ruh [i.e. Jibreel (Angel Gabriel)] and she testified to the truth of the Words of her Rabb, and [also believed in] His Scriptures and she was one of the Qaaniteen [obedient to Allah]" (Qur’an, 66:12)

~ Khadeejah As-Siddeeqah believed in the Messenger, peace be upon him, without hesitation; she consoled him and supported him in every way. Her Rabb gave her the good news, during her lifetime, of a place in Paradise in which there would be no noise or exhaustion.

~ Aasiyah the wife of Fir'awn (the Pharaoh), despised the power and luxuries of this world and rejected Pharaoh and his false claims of divinity, so her husband tortured her until her soul departed to her Creator:

"And Allah sets forth an example for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Rabb! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the Dhaalimoon [those that do wrong]" (Qur’an, 66:11)

~ Faatimah Az-Zahraa, the daughter of the Prophet, peace be upon him, was patient and forbearing, and feared Allah, the Exalted. She was a branch from the pure tree, brought up by the educator of humanity.

* The Ten Who Were Given Glad Tidings of Paradise :

~ The Messenger, peace be upon him, clearly stated that ten of his Companions would be in Paradise:

"Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, Umar will be in Paradise, Uthmaan will be in Paradise, Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, Az-Zubayr will be in Paradise, Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Awf will be in Paradise, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas will be in Paradise, Sa'eed Ibn Zayd will be in Paradise and Abu Ubaydah Ibn Al-Jarraah will be in Paradise."

~ The Books of the Sunnah tell us that one day the Prophet, peace be upon him, was sitting at the well of 'Arees, with Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (ra) acting as his gatekeeper. Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (ra) came and asked permission to see him, and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Let him in, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise". Then Umar (ra) came and he said, "Let him in and give him the glad tidings of Paradise". Then Uthmaan (ra) came and he said, "Let him in, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise because of an affliction that will befall him"

~ Ibn Asaakir reported with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn Mas'oud (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "My successor will be in Paradise, his successor will be in Paradise, and the third and fourth will be in Paradise." [namely, the Khulafaa Rashidoon (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali)]

* Others Whom It Was Reported Will Be In Paradise :

~ Ja'far Ibn Abi Taalib (ra) and Hamzah Ibn Abdul-Muttaalib (ra):

Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said "I saw Ja'far Ibn Abi Taalib flying like an angel with his two wings in Paradise"

In a saheeh hadith the Prophet , peace be upon him, said: "The leader of the martyrs is Hamzah Ibn Abdul-Muttaalib"

~ Abdullaah Ibn Salaam (ra):

From Mu'aadh (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, said: "Abdullaah ibn Salaam is the tenth of the first ten to enter Paradise"

~ Zayd Ibn Harithah (ra):

Ar-Rawayanee and Ad-Diyaa reported from Buraydah (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I entered Paradise and I was welcomed by a young girl. I asked, "Who do you belong to?" She said, "To Zayd Ibn Harithah"

~ Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl (ra):

From Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I entered Paradise and I saw that Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl had two levels."

This Zayd used to preach tawheed at the time of Jaahileeyyah (before Islam); he was a Haneef, a follower of the way of Ibraaheem (Abraham).

~Harithah Ibn Al-Nu'maan (ra):

At-Tirmidhi and Al-Haakim narrated from Aa'ishah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I entered Paradise and I heard someone reciting. I asked, "Who is that?" They said, "Harithah Ibn Al-Nu'maan; this is the righteous man"

~ Bilaal Ibn Abi Rabah (ra):

At-Tabaraani and Ibn 'Adiyya report with a saheeh isnaad from Abu Umamah (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I entered Paradise, and heard footsteps ahead of me. I asked, "What is this sound?" I was told, "This is Bilaal, walking in front of you""

~ Abud-Dahdah (ra):

Muslim, Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad reported from Jaabir Ibn Samurah that the Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "How many bunches of dates are hanging for Abud-Dahdah in Paradise!"

This is the one who gave his garden called Bayrahaa, the best garden in Madinah, in charity when he heard that Allah, the Exalted, had revealed:

"Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times?" (Qur’an, 2:245)

~ Waraqah Ibn Nawfal (ra):

Al-Haakim reported with a saheeh isnaad from Aa'ishah (ra) that the Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Do not slander Waraqah Ibn Nawfal for I have seen that he will have one or two gardens in Paradise"

Waraqah believed in the Prophet when Khadeejah brought him to him at the beginning of his Call; he had asked Allah to let him live until he sees His Messenger so that he could support him.

May Allah be pleased with them all and all the family and companions of the Prophet and help us to be on their path and the path of His Messenger, peace be upon him.
Amin.


* Source: http://www.kalamullah.com/ (Based on the Book by Dr. Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar).

* Image: http://www.jimwarren.com/site/

The Description of Paradise from the Qur’an and the Hadith

* Paradise : the Eternal Abode :

~ Paradise is the tremendous reward which Allah, the Exalted, has prepared for His beloved (awliyaa) and those who obey Him. It is complete joy and pleasure, where nothing is lacking and nothing can disturb its purity. What Allah (swt) and His Messenger, peace be upon him, have told us about it makes our heads spin because our minds are not able to comprehend the greatness of such blessings.

~ Allah, the Exalted, says in the Qudsi Hadith:

"I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and has never crossed the mind of any human being".

Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Recite, if you wish: "No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do". (Qur’an, 32:17)

~ The joys of Paradise are far greater than the pleasures of this world, which pale into insignificance in comparison. Al-Bukhaari reports from Sahl Ibn Sa'd As-Sa'idee, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "A space the size of a whip in Paradise is better than this world and all that is in it".

~ Because admittance to Paradise and salvation from the Fire are according to Allah's (swt) will and judgement, is a great victory and tremendous success, as Allah (swt) says:

"Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden, will have indeed attained the object of life [or: been successful]" (Qur’an, 3:185)

"Allah has promised to believers - men and women - Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein [forever], and beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah. That is the supreme felicity [or success]". (Qur’an, 9:72)

"...and those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing underneath, to abide therein [forever] and that will be the supreme achievement". (Qur’an, 4:13)

* The First People to Enter Paradise :

~ The first of mankind to enter Paradise will be our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the first nation to enter Paradise will be his ummah (nation). The first member of this ummah to enter will be Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.

~ Ibn Katheer quotes a number of Hadith that state this such as the report of Muslim from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, according to which the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I will be the first one to knock at the gates of Paradise".

~ Muslim also reported from Anas (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I will come to the gates of paradise and ask for it to be opened. The gatekeeper will ask, "Who are you?" I will say, "Muhammad". The gatekeeper will say, "I was ordered not to open the gate for anyone else before you"".

~ Al-Bukhaari, Muslim and An-Nasaa'ee report from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "We are the last, but we will be the first on the Day of Resurrection. We will be the first of mankind to enter Paradise".

~ Abu Dawood reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra), that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Jibreel (Angel Gabriel) came to me, and showed me the gate of Paradise through which my ummah will enter". Abu Bakr (ra) said, "O Messenger of Allah, would that I had been with you to see it!". The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "But you, O Abu Bakr, will be the first of my ummah to enter Paradise".

* Those Who Will Enter Paradise Without Being Called to Account :

~ The first group of this ummah who will enter Paradise will be those who were pre-eminent in their imaan (faith), taqwaa (piety), righteous deeds and adherence to the true religion. They will enter Paradise in one rank: the first of them will not enter until the last of them enters, and they will be as beautiful as the full moon.

~ Al-Bukhaari reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra), that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"The first group to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon. They will not spit, blow their noses or excrete. Their vessels will be of gold, their combs of gold and silver, their incense of aloe, and their sweat of musk ..There will be no differences or hatred among them (the people of Paradise); their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify Allah (swt) morning and evening".

~ Al-Bukhaari reports from Sahl Ibn Sa'd (ra), that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Seventy thousand - or seven hundred thousand - of my ummah will enter Paradise; the first of them will not enter until the last of them does so, and their faces will look like the full moon".

~ It is true that with each one of these seventy, Allah, the Exalted, will give His Prophet seventy thousand. Ahmad, reports with a saheeh isnaad from Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"I have been given seventy thousand of my ummah, who will enter Paradise without being called to account. Their faces will be like the full moon, and their hearts will be as one. I asked my Rabb (swt) for more, and He gave me, along with each of them, seventy thousand more".

~ Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Hibbaan report with a saheeh isnaad from Abu Umaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "My Rabb promised me that seventy thousand of my ummah will enter Paradise without being called to account and without being punished, and with each one will be seventy thousand, and three handfuls of people picked up by my Rabb [i.e. it will be a great number]".

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, described the characteristics of these seventy thousand.

Al-Bukhaari reports from Ibn Abbaas (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I was shown the nations, and I saw a Prophet pass by with a group of his people, and another with a band of his people, another with only ten, another with five, and another on his own (with no followers). Then I looked and saw a large crowd of people. I asked, "O Jibreel (Angel Gabriel), are these my ummah?" He said, "No, but look at the horizon." So I looked, and saw a huge multitude of people. Jibreel said, "These are your ummah, and those seventy thousand in front will not be called to account or punished." I asked, "Why?" He said, "They did not treat themselves with branding (cauterisation) or with ruqyaa (charms) and they did not see evil omens in things (i.e they were not superstitious): they put their trust only in their Rabb"". Ukaasha Ibn Mihsan, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and said, "Pray to Allah, the Exalted, to make me one of them". The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "O Allah make him one of them". Then another man stood up and said, "Ask Allah to make me one of them". The Prophet said, Ukaasha has preceded you".

~ These may be the ones whom Allah, the Exalted has called Al-Muqarraboon (those nearest to Allah):

"And those foremost [in faith] will be foremost [in the Hereafter]. These will be those nearest to Allah [al-Muqarraboon], in the Gardens of Bliss". (Qur’an, 56:10-12)

* The Sinners Among the Believers Will Enter Paradise :

~ They will be brought forth from Hell and will enter Paradise by means of intercession.

The people of Paradise will call these people who are brought out of Hell and admitted to Paradise, al-Jahannamiyyoon. Al-Bukhaari reports from Imraan Ibn Husain (ra), that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Some people will be brought out of Hell through the intercession of Muhammad. They will enter Paradise and will be known as al-Jahannamiyyoon."

~ Muslim reports a lengthy hadith from Abu Hurayrah (ra), in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, describes the Hereafter, and in which he says: "...When Allah, the Exalted, has finished judging mankind, and wants to bring whomever He wills out of Hell by His Mercy, He will order angels to bring forth those upon who He wishes to bestow His mercy on the people who never associated anything in worship with Allah, and who said, "Laa ilaaha illaah Allah" (There is no God but Allah). The angels will recognise them in Hell, and will known them by the mark of sujood (Prostration) on their foreheads. The Fire will consume all of a man except the mark of sujood which Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume. They will be brought forth, having been burned in the Fire, the water of life will be poured on then, and they will grow like seeds left by still after a flood".

~ It was reported in more than one hadith that Allah, the Exalted, will bring forth from hell whoever has a dinaar's (coin's) weight of faith in his heart, or even half a dinaar's weight or an atom's weight. Moreover, people will be brought forth who never did any good deeds at all. Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Allah, the Exalted, will admit the people of Paradise to Paradise and He will admit whomsoever He will by His Mercy. And He will admit the people of Hell to Hell, then He will say, "Look for anyone who has the weight of a mustard seed of faith in his heart, and bring him out"".

* Paradise is Not the Equivalent of Deeds :

~ Paradise is something of immense value; a person cannot earn it by virtue of his deeds alone - Muslim, reported from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him said:

"No one of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone." They asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Not even me, unless Allah covers me with His Grace and Mercy"

~ The fact that some texts indicate that Paradise is the equivalent reward for deeds could be problematic, for example:

"No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as reward for they used to do." (Qur’an, 32:17)

However there is no conflict between these aayaat (verses) and the meaning of the hadith. The aayaat indicate that good deeds will be a reason, not the price, for admission to Paradise. The hadith says that good deeds are not the price.

* Paradise: There is Nothing Like It :

~ The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description. They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is as nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter. As is mentioned in several reports, there is nothing like Paradise:

"It is sparkling light, aromatic plants, a lofty palace, a flowing river, ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and abundant clothing, in an eternal abode of radiant joy, in beautiful soundly-constructed high houses".
The Sahabah (companions) (ra) asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, about the buildings of Paradise and he replied with a wonderful description:

"Bricks of gold and silver, and mortar of fragrant musk, pebbles of pearl and sapphire, and soil of saffron. Whoever enters it is filled with joy and will never feel miserable; he will live there forever and never die; their clothes will never wear out and their youth will never fade."

~ Allah, the Exalted, indeed spoke the truth when He said: "And when you look there [in Paradise] you will see a delight [that cannot be imagined]. and a great dominion" (Qur’an, 76:20)

~ What Allah (swt) has kept hidden from us the delights of Paradise is beyond our ability to comprehend: Al-Bukhaari reported from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that Allah (swt) said: "I have prepared for My slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can imagine". Recite if you wish, "No person know what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do." (Qur’an, 32:17).

~ In the version reported by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (ra), there is the addition, "Never mind what Allah has told you; what He has not told you is EVEN greater".

* The Gates of Paradise :

~ Paradise has gates through which the believers, like the angels, will enter:

"'Adn [Eden - everlasting gardens] of Paradise, whose doors will open for them" (Qur’an, 38:50)

"...And angels shall enter unto them from every gate [with the salutation]: "Peace be unto you for that you persevered in patience! How excellent is the final home!" (Qur’an, 13:23-24)

~ Allah, the Exalted, has told us that these gates will be opened when the believers reach them, and they will be welcomed by the angels with greetings of peace:

"...til, when they reach it, its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say, "Salaamun alaykum! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein." (Qur’an, 39:73)

~ The number of gates in Paradise is eight, one of which is called Ar-Rayyaan, which is exclusively for those who fast.

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Sahl Ibn Sa'eed (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "In Paradise there are eight gates, one of which is called ar-Rayyaan. No one will enter it except those who fast, and when they have entered it will be locked behind them and no one else will enter it".

~ In addition to Ar-Rayyaan, there are also gates for those who pray much, those who give in charity and those do jihaad; Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever spends a pair [of anything] from his wealth for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, will be called from the gates of Paradise, and Paradise has eight gates. Whoever used to pray [regularly and properly] will be called from the gate of prayer; whoever used to give in charity will be called from the gate of charity; whoever used to do jihaad will be called from the gate of jihaad, and whoever used to fast [regularly] will be called from the gate of fasting". Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "By Allah, it would not matter if a person was called from any of them but will anyone be called from all of them, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them".

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: "Whoever performs wudhu' (ablution) and does it properly, then lifts his gaze to the sky and says, "Ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah, wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abdahu wa rasuluhu, (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger), the eight gates of Paradise will be opened to him, and he will enter it through whichever one he wishes".

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us that there is a gate, which is only for those who will not be called to account: this is the right-hand gate of Paradise. Everyone else will enter Paradise with the rest of the nations through the other gates. In a hadith about ash-Shafaa'ah (intercession), Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Allah, the Exalted, will say: "O Muhammad, admit those of your ummah who do not need to be brought to account through the right-hand gate and the others will enter through the other gates like the rest of the people.""

~ In the same hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, described the width of the gates of Paradise:

"By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the distance between two panels of the gates of Paradise or between the two gateposts, is like the distance between Makkaah and Hajar, or between Makkah and Basra"

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, has told us that the gates of Paradise are opened during Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari, Muslim, and Ahmad report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of heaven are opened".

~ In some reports it states that the distance between the two gate-panels when they are open is that of a forty year journey.

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The distance between the two gate-panels of one of the gates of Paradise is the distance of forty-year's walking, but there will come a time when it is very crowded".

And in the narration of At-Tabaraani reported from Abdullaah Ibn Salaam (ra), it is said "..and it [the gate] will become as crowded as a drinking-trough surrounded by thirsty camels".

* The Levels of Paradise :

~ Evidence that Paradise has various levels and its inhabitants will be in different categories:

Paradise consists of levels, some of which are above others, and its people will be of different levels and categories according to their position in Paradise. Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Whoever wishes for the quick passing [transitory enjoyment of this world] we readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell, he will burn therein disgraced and rejected, [-far away from Allah's Mercy]. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due to it, [i.e. righteous deeds of obedience to Allah] while he is a believer [in tawheed] then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, thanked and rewarded [by Allah]. To each - these as well as those - We bestow from the bounties of your Rabb. And the bounties of your Rabb can never be forbidden" (Qur’an, 17:18-20)

~ Allah, the Exalted, explains how He gives more of His bounty in this world or the next, as He wills, and His Bounty is not withheld [forbidden] from either the righteous or the sinful. Then He says:

"See how We prefer one above another [in this world] and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preference." (Qur’an, 17:21)

~ Allah (swt) explains that the differences between people in the Hereafter will be greater than the differences between them in this life, and the difference between the levels or ranks of the Hereafter is greater than the differences here in this life. Allah (swt) also differentiates between His Prophets, peace be upon them, as He does between the rest of His believing slaves. Allah (swt) says:

"Those Messengers! We preferred some to others; to some of them Allah spoke [directly]; others He raised to degrees of [honour]; and to 'Eesa (Prophet Jesus) the son of Maryam, We gave clear proofs and evidence, and supported him with Ruh al-Quddus [Jibreel (Angel Gabriel)]..." (Qur’an, 2:253)

and "...And indeed We have preferred some of the Prophets above others.." (Qur’an, 17:55)

~ Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra), that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah, the Exalted, than a weak one although both are good..." and Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) and Amr Ibn Al-Aas (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If a judge seeks to form an independent judgement [ijtihaad] and is correct, he will have two rewards; if he seeks to form an independent judgement and is wrong, he will have one reward."

~ Allah, the Exalted, says: "Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquest [of Makkah] [with those among you who did so later]. Such are higher in degree than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all, Allah has promised the best [reward]." (Qur’an, 57:10)

~ "Is one who is obedient to Allah prostrating himself or standing [in prayer] during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Rabb [like one who disbelieves]? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember [i.e. learn a lesson from Allah's Signs]" (Qur’an, 39:9)

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, said - narrated by Al-Bukhaari from Abu Hurayrah (ra) - "...Paradise has one hundred levels which Allah has reserved for the mujaahideen and the distance between each of the two grades is like the distance between the heavens and the earth. So when you ask Allah for something, ask for Al-Firdaws which is the best and highest part of Paradise. Above it is the throne of the Most Merciful, and from it originate the rivers of Paradise".

~ Al-Bukhaari also reports from Anas (ra) that Umm Harithah (ra) came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, when her son Harithah (ra) had been martyred at Badr, killed by an arrow. She said, "O Messenger of Allah, you know how dear Harithah was to my heart. If he is in Paradise, I will not weep over him, but if he is not there, you will see what I do". He said, "Is there only one Paradise? There are many Paradises and he is in Al-Firdaws, the Highest."

* Differences between the Levels of Paradise :

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, explained that the people will be in different levels in Paradise according to their status. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The people of Paradise will look at the people dwelling in the chambers above them in the same way that people look at a brilliant star shining far away on the horizon, in the East or West, because of their superiority [in reward] over them." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah, are these the dwellings of the Prophets which no one else can attain?" He replied, "No by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, they are for the men who believed in Allah, and also in His Messengers."

~ Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Hibbaan reported from Abu Sa'eed (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The people in the higher levels will be seen by those below them as if they were looking at a star rising on the horizon. Abu Bakr and Umar will be among them; what good people they are!"

~ Al-Qurtubee, said: "Know that these chambers will differ in height, and appearance according to the deeds of their occupants. Some of them will be higher than others. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "No by the One is Whose Hand is my soul, they are for the men who believed in Allah, the Exalted, and also in His Messengers, peace be upon them; he did not mention deeds or anything other than faith and belief in the Messengers, with no doubts or questions. Otherwise, how could these chambers be reached through the faith and belief of the ordinary people? If that were the case, then all the Muslims would reach these highest levels, and that is impossible" as Allah (swt) says, "Those will be rewarded with the highest place [in Paradise] because of their patience.." (Qur’an, 25:75)

This patience often involved self sacrifice and being steadfast for the sake of Allah (swt), focussing on Him, being a true slave to Him. These are the attributes of Al-Muqarraboon, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us, but only he [will please Us] who believes and does righteous deeds; for such there will be twofold reward for what they did, and they will reside in the high dwellings [Paradise] in peace and security". (Qur’an, 34:37)

Here Allah mentioned the highest chambers or dwellings of Paradise and states that they will not be attained by means of wealth and children, but through faith and righteous deeds then they will have a double reward. Their place will be the high dwellings, which tells you that this is faith that gives one tranquility and certainty, and fills the heart. A person with such faith is content no matter what happens to him, and in all situations and circumstances. If he does a good deed, he does not mix it with the opposite, which are evil deeds. Good deeds that are uncontaminated with evil deeds cannot be achieved except by the one whose imaan (faith) is very great and who is content and has no doubts, no matter what his circumstances. The faith and deeds of the one whose good deeds are contaminated are not like that, so his status will be lower"

~ The inhabitants of the highest levels of Paradise will enjoy greater pleasures than the people below them. Allah, the Exalted, has promised two gardens to those who fear Him:

"But for him who fears the standing before his Rabb, there will be two gardens" (Qur’an, 55:46)

Allah (swt) described these Gardens, then He said, "And besides these two, there are two other Gardens [i.e. in Paradise]" (Qur’an, 55:62)

These two gardens will be lower in status. Whoever thinks of the characteristics of the two gardens which Allah mentioned second will realise that they are lower than the first two, because the first two are for the muqarraboon [those who are close to Allah (swt)], whilst the second two are for ashaab al-yameen [those of the Right Hand] as Ibn Abbaas (ra) and Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari said.

~ Al-Qurtubee said:

"When He (swt) described the two pairs of gardens, He referred to the difference between them. Describing the first two, He said "in them [both] will be two springs flowing free" (Qur’an, 55:50) whereas in the second two "..will be two springs gushing forth water" (Qur’an, 55:66). Gushing or bubbling water is not the same as flowing water; bubbling is of a lesser degree than flowing.

Allah (swt) says that in the first two gardens "..will be every kind of fruit in pairs" (Qur’an, 55:52) - all kinds of fruit, well known and rare, moist and dry; this is a general statement. But in the second two gardens "..will be fruits, date palms and pomegranates" (Qur’an, 55:68) Allah does not say that there would be every kind of fruit in pairs.

In the first two gardens the people will be "reclining upon the couches lined with silk brocade" (Qur’an, 55:54), while in the second two gardens they will be "reclining on green cushions and rich beautiful mattresses" (Qur’an, 55:76) which means embellished or embroidered, and there is no doubt that a couch lined with silk brocade is superior to an embroidered cushion.

The Hoor Al-'Eeyn in the first two gardens are described as "like rubies and coral" (Qur’an, 55:58) whilst those in the second two gardens are described as "fair [wives] good and beautiful" (Qur’an, 55:70); not everything that is beautiful is as beautiful as rubies and coral.

The first two gardens are described as "with spreading branches" (Qur’an, 55:48) while the second two are "dark green [in colour]" (Qur’an, 55:64) so intensely green that it is almost black. The first two clearly have many bushes and trees, whilst the second two are described simply as being green"

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, report from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Two gardens of silver, their vessels and everything in them and two gardens of gold, their vessels and everything in them, and there will be nothing between the people and their seeing Allah, except the garment of pride over His Face in the Paradise of 'Adn"

~ Allah, the Exalted, described the drink of the pious in Paradise:

"Verily the Abraar [pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil] will drink a cup [of wine] mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafoor" (Qur’an, 76:5)

"And they will be given to drink there a cup [of wine] mixed with Zanjabeel [ginger]" (Qur’an, 76:17)

It seems - and Allah Knows Best - that this is for Ahl Al-Yameen. Elsewhere Allah, the Exalted, says:

"It [that wine] will be mixed with tasneem, A spring whereof drink those nearest to Allah" (Qur’an, 83:27-28).

Ahl Al-Yameen will drink something mixed with Tasneem, whilst Al-Muqarraboon will drink a pure drink of Tasneem. Tasneem is the name of a spring in Paradise.

* The Highest and Lowest Positions in Paradise :

~ Muslim reports from Al-Mugheerah Ibn Shu'bah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"Musaa (Prophet Moses), peace be upon him, asked his Rabb, "Who will have the lowest position in Paradise?" Allah (swt) said, "A man who will come after the people of Paradise have entered Paradise. He will be told, "Enter Paradise", and he will say, "O my Rabb, how? The people have already taken their places." He will be asked, "Will you not be content if you could have the equivalent of a kingdom on earth?" He will say, "Yes, my Rabb". So he will be told, "You will have that and as much again, and as much again, and as much again, and as much again." On the fifth time, he will say, "I am content with that, my Rabb". He will be told, "You will have all that and ten times more; you will have whatever your heart desires and whatever will delight your eyes." The man will say, "I am content with that".

Musaa, peace be upon him, asked: "My Rabb, who will have the highest status in Paradise?" Allah (swt) said, "They are those whom I choose. I establish their honour with My own hand and then set a seal over it, [and they will be blessed with Bounties] which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human mind can comprehend."" This confirmed by the words of Allah, the Exalted, "No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do". (Qur’an, 32:17)

* The Highest Position in Paradise :

~ The highest position in Paradise which will be attained by only one person is called Al-Waseelah. It will be attained, insha'Allah, by the Chosen Prophet, the best of Allah's (swt) creation, our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

This is narrated in a hadith narrated by Al-Bukhaari from Jaabir Ibn Abdullaah, may Allah be pleased with him, according to which the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever says, when he hears the call to prayer, "Allahumma Rabba hadhihi-da'wati-tammah, was-salaatil-qaa'imah, aati muhammadan al-waseelata wal-fadeelata, wab'aththu maqaaman mahmoodan alladhi wa'adtahu [O Allah, Lord of this Perfect Call and the Prayer to be Offered, grant Muhammad Al-Waseelah - the highest position in Paradise - and also the eminence and resurrect him to the praised position You have promised], intercession for him will be granted on the Day of Resurrection."

~ The Sahaabah (companions), may Allah be pleased with them, asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, "What is Al-Waseelah?" He said, "It is the highest level of Paradise, which only one man will reach, and I hope that I will be the one".

* The Soil of Paradise :

~ A-Bukhaari and Muslim reported the hadith of Al-Mi'raaj from Anas Ibn Maalik (ra) from Abu Dharr (ra) in which Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I entered Paradise where I saw lights of pearl and its soil was musk". Muslim and Ahmad report from Abu Sa'eed (ra) that Ibn Sayyaad (ra) asked the Messenger, peace be upon him, about the soil of Paradise. He said, "It is a fine white powder of pure musk".

~ Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and Ad-Daarimi reported: "I asked "O Messenger of Allah, From what are people made?" He said, "From water." We asked, "From what is Paradise built?" He said, "Bricks of gold and silver and mortar of fragrant musk; its pebbles are pearls and rubies, and its soil is saffron. Whoever enters it is blessed with joy and will never be miserable; he will remain there forever and never die; his clothes will never wear out, and his youth will never fade away."

* The Rivers of Paradise :

~ Allah, the Exalted, has told us that rivers flow from beneath Paradise:

"And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous good deeds, that for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow.." (Qur’an, 2:25)

"For them will be Gardens of Eternity: beneath them rivers will flow" (Qur’an, 18:31)

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us clearly about the rivers of Paradise. He said that during his Israa' (Night Journey): "...I saw four rivers flowing out from beneath Sidrat Al-Muntahaa, two visible and two hidden. He asked, "O Jibreel (Angel Gabriel), What are these rivers?" He said, "The two hidden rivers are rivers of Paradise, and the two visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates".

~ Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Sihran, Jihran, the Euphrates and the Nile are all from the rivers of Paradise".

Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani said, "Perhaps what is meant is that these rivers originated in Paradise just as mankind did; this hadith does not contradict the well-established fact that these rivers spring forth from known sources on earth. If this is not in fact the meaning of this hadith, then it is one of the matters of al-Ghayb [the Unseen], which we must believe and accept because the Prophet, peace be upon him, has told us about it".

Al-Qaree' said, "These four rivers are considered to be among the rivers of paradise because they are so fresh and beneficial, and contain blessings from Allah (swt), and were honoured by the fact that the Prophets (as) came to them and drank from them".

~ Another of the rivers of Paradise is Al-Kawthar, which Allah (swt) has given to His Messenger, peace be upon him: "Verily We have granted you [O Muhammad] Al-Kawthar [a river in Paradise]" (Qur’an, 108:1)

Ibn Katheer compiled a number of hadith in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, spoke about Al-Kawthar, such as the report narrated by Ahmad from Anas (ra), according to which the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I have been given Al-Kawthar, which is a river flowing across the face of the earth; its banks are domes of pearl and it is not covered. I touched its mud with my hand, and found that it was fragrant musk and its pebbles were pearls".

Also narrated by Ahmad from Anas (ra), the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "It is a river that Allah (swt) has given to me in Paradise. Its mud is musk and its water is whiter than milk, and sweeter than honey. Birds with necks like the necks of camels drink from it."

~ The rivers of Paradise do not just contain water. There are rivers of water, of milk, of wine and of clear honey.

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"The description of Paradise which the Muttaqoon have been promised is that in it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey [clear and pure].." (Qur’an, 47:15)

At-Tirmidhi reports with a sahih isnaad from Haakim Ibn Mu'aawiyah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "In Paradise there is a sea of honey, a sea of wine, a sea of milk and a sea of water, and the rivers flow out of these seas."

~ He also told us of a river called Baariq, which flows by the gate of Paradise. During the period of Al-Barzakh [the time between death and the day of Judgement] the shuhadaa' (martyrs) are beside this river.

* The Springs of Paradise :

~ In Paradise there are many springs that provide drinks of different tastes:

"Truly al-Muttaqoon [the pious and righteous] will be amidst Gardens and Water-springs" (Qur’an, 15:45)

"Verily al-Muttaqoon shall be amidst shades and springs." (Qur’an, 77:41)

Concerning the two Gardens which Allah, the Exalted, has prepared for those who fear their Rabb, Allah (swt) said, "In them [both] will be two springs flowing [free]." [55:50]

And concerning the two Gardens beneath them, He said, "In them [both] will be two springs gushing forth water." (Qur’an, 55:66)

~ In Paradise there are two springs from which Al-Muqarraboon will drink pure and undiluted, whilst the Abraar will drink their water mixed with something else. The first is the spring of Kafoor, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Verily the Abraar [the pious, those who fear Allah and avoid evil], shall drink a cup [of wine] mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafoor, A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly." (Qur’an, 76:5-6)

He tells us that the pious will drink from it mixed with something else, whilst those close to Allah will drink it pure and undiluted.

The second spring is of Tasneem, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Verily Al-Abraar will be in delight [Paradise], On thrones, looking [at all things]. You will recognise in their faces the brightness of delight. They will be given to drink pure sealed wine, the last thereof [that wine] will be the smell of musk, and for this let [all] those who strive who want to strive [i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah]. It [that wine] will be mixed with Tasneem, a spring whereof drink those nearest to Allah." [83:22-27]

~ Another of the springs of Paradise is called Al-Salsabeel as Allah (swt) says:

"And they will be given to drink there a cup [of wine] mixed with zanjabeel [ginger], a spring there, called Salsabeel". [76:17-18]

This is probably the same spring as that mentioned above, i.e. Kafoor.

* The Palaces and Tents of Paradise :

~ Allah, the Exalted, will build good and beautiful dwellings for the people of Paradise:

"and beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting bliss" (Qur’an, 9:72)

~ In some places in the Qur'an, Allah, the Exalted, described these dwellings as ghurafaat [chambers or dwellings]:

"and they will reside in the high dwellings [Paradise] in peace and security." (Qur’an, 34:37)

~ The reward for the slaves of the All-Merciful (swt) will be:

"Those will be rewarded with the highest place [in Paradise] because of their patience. Therein they shall be met with greetings and the word of peace and respect" (Qur’an, 25:75)

~ Allah (swt) described these Ghurafaat:

"But for those who fear Allah and keep their duty to their Rabb [Allah], for them are built lofty rooms, one above the other, under which rivers flow. [This is] the Promise of Allah, and Allah does not fail in [His] Promise." (Qur’an, 39:20)

~ Ibn Katheer, said: "Allah (swt) has told us about His blessed slaves who will have rooms [or dwellings] in Paradise: these will be lofty palaces, "lofty rooms, one above another - story upon story, well-constructed, strong and decorated. The Prophet, peace be upon him, described these palaces to us. According to a hadith narrated by Ahmad, and Ibn Hibbaan from Abu Maalik Al-Ash'ari (ra) and by At-Tirmidhi from Ali (ra), the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"In Paradise there are dwellings whose inside can be seen from the outside, and the outside can be seen from inside. Allah [swt] has prepared them for those who feed the hungry, and speak softly and gently, fast continuously and pray at night whilst the people are asleep."

~ Allah, the Exalted, has told us that there are tents or pavilions in Paradise:

"Houris [beautiful, fair females] restrained in pavilions" (Qur’an, 55:72)

These pavilions are wondrous tents, made of pearls, each one is made from a single, hollowed-out pearl. They are sixty miles high; according to some reports they are sixty miles wide. Al-Bukhaari reports from Abdullaah Ibn Qays (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The tent is a hollowed out pearl, thirty miles high..“ Abu Abdus-Samad and Al-Haarith reported from Abu Imraan (ra) that the wording was "sixty miles high"

~ Muslim reported from Abdullaah Ibn Qays (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"The believer in Paradise will have a tent made out of a single, hollowed-out pearl, sixty miles long..”

~ The Prophet, peace be upon him, has told us of the way in which the believer may acquire more than one house in Paradise:

~ Ahmad reports with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn Abbaas (ra) that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever builds a masjid (mosque) for Allah (swt), even if it is as small as the nestling-place scratched out by the sane grouse for its eggs, Allah, the Exalted, will build a house for him in Paradise".

~ Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, An-Nasaa'ee, and Ibn Maajah report from Umm Habeebah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever prays twelve extra [supererogatory] rak'ahs every day, Allah, the Exalted, will build for him a house in Paradise."

* The Light of Paradise :

~ Al-Qurtubee said, "The scholars said there is no night and day in Paradise, rather they will be in eternal everlasting light. They will know when night comes because curtains or screens will be put up and doors will be closed, and they will know when day comes because the curtains or screens will be taken down and the doors will be opened. This was mentioned by Abul-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzee"

~ Ibn Katheer in his commentary on the aayah (verse): "And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening. Such is the Paradise, which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our slave who have been Al-Muttaqoon [pious and righteous]" [19:62-63] said, "This means something approximate to the times of day and night, it does not mean that there will be a day and night there. They will know the passing of time by the changes in the light"

~ On the same subject, Ibn Taymiyyah said, "There is no sun and moon in Paradise, and no day or night, but they will know morning and evening from a light that shines from the direction of the Throne"

* The Fragrance of Paradise :

~ Paradise is filled with a pure and beautiful fragrance, which the believers will be able to discern from a great distance. Ahmad, An-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Maajah and Al-Haakim report with a saheeh isnaad that the Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever kills a man of Ahl Ad-Dhimmah [non-Muslims living under Islaamic rule] will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, even though its fragrance can be discerned from a distance of forty years' travelling."

* The Trees and Fruits of Paradise :

~ (i) Its trees and fruits are of many kinds and everlasting:


~ The trees of Paradise are abundant and good and of many kinds. Allah, the Exalted, has told us that there are grapevines, datepalms and pomegranate trees in Paradise, as well as lotus trees and acacia trees:

"Verily, for the muttaqoon, there will be a success [Paradise], gardens and grape yards" (Qur’an, 78:31-32)

"in them [both will be fruits, date palms and pomegranates" (Qur’an, 55:68)

"And those on the Right Hand - who will be those on the Right Hand? [They will be] among thornless lote-trees, Among Talh trees with fruits piled one above another, In shade long-extended, By water flowing constantly, And fruit in plenty" (Qur’an, 56:27-32)

~ The lotus tree [As-Sidr] is a thorny plant, but in Paradise it will be thornless. At-Talh [acacia tree] is a tree of Hijaaz, a kind of 'idah [a fair sized thorny shrub], but in Paradise its fruits will be ready to eat, with no effort required.

~ What Allah, the Exalted, has told us about the trees of Paradise is only a small part of what Paradise contains. Hence Allah (swt) told us

"In them [both] will be every kind of fruit in pairs" (Qur’an, 55:52)

Because of its abundance, people will be able to leave what they want and take what they want:

"...and therein they will call for fruits in abundance and drinks". (Qur’an, 38:51)

"With fruits, any that they may select" (Qur’an, 56:20)

"Verily the Muttaqoon shall be amidst shades and springs, And fruits - such as they desire" (Qur’an, 77:41-42)

~ In short, Paradise contains all kinds of fruits and other joys that one's heart could desire:

"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them, [there will be] therein all that one's soul could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and you will abide therein forever" (Qur’an, 43:71)

~ Ibn Katheer, spoke very cleverly about the greatness of the fruits of Paradise, and concluded that by means of understatement, Allah, the Exalted, conveyed the abundance and greatness of those fruits. He said, "The lotus tree [as-Sidr] does not bear any fruit other than some insignificant, inferior fruits, and it is thorny. The acacia tree [at-Talh] is only used for shade in this world [not for fruit] but in Paradise there will be many of them, growing beautifully, and bearing such abundant fruit that a single fruit will have seventy kinds of taste and colour that resemble one another.

So how do you think the trees that are grown for their fruit on earth will be in Paradise, like apple trees, date palms, grape vines and so on? How do you think the flowers will be? In short, there will be what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can comprehend and we ask Allah (swt) to grant us some of this, by His Grace"

~ The trees of Paradise bear fruit constantly, unlike the trees of this world, which bear fruit only at certain times or seasons. The trees of Paradise always bear fruit and offer shade:

"The description of the Paradise which the Muttaqoon have been promised! -Underneath it rivers flow, its provision is eternal and so is its shade" (Qur’an, 13:55)

"And fruit in plenty, whose season is not limited, and their supply will not be cut off" (Qur’an, 56:32-33)

~ The supply is continuous and the people of Paradise are never denied. One of the delights that the people of Paradise will enjoy is finding that its fruits are similar in appearance, but different in taste:

"Everytime they will be provided with a fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before", and they will be given things in resemblance [i.e. in the same form but different in taste]" (Qur’an, 2:25)

~ The trees of Paradise are of rich and lush foliage - "With spreading branches" [55:48], and they are intensely green - "dark and green [in colour]" (Qur’an, 55:64). The intensity of the colour is because of the density of the trees in Paradise.

~ The fruits of the trees will be low-hanging, in easy reach of the people of Paradise:

"Reclining upon the couches lined with silk brocade, and the fruits of the two Gardens will be near at hand" (Qur’an, 55:54)

~ The shade of these trees will be as Allah, the Exalted, says:

"..and We shall admit them to shades wide and ever deepening". (Qur’an, 4:57)

"In shade long-extended" (Qur’an, 56:30)

~ (ii) Some of the trees of Paradise:

~ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, told us wondrous things about some of the trees of paradise which indicates that they are so amazingly huge that trying to imagine them makes one's head spin. We shall quote some examples here:

~ (a) A tree whose shadow it takes one hundred years to cross.

This is a huge tree, whose true size is known only to its Creator. The Prophet, peace be upon him, conveyed an impression of its size when he said that "In Paradise there is a tree which the rider of a swift horse would need one hundred years to pass beneath"

And in the narration of Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (ra) and Sahl Ibn Sa'd (ra) it is said that "In Paradise there is a tree under whose shade a traveller could travel for one hundred years and not reach the edge of it"

~ (b) Sidrat al-Muntaha.

There is a tree in paradise which Allah, the Exalted, has mentioned in a clear and unambiguous revelation. Allah (swt) told us that our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, saw Jibreel (Angel Gabriel), peace be upon him, in the form in which Allah (swt) created him at that tree. He also told us that it was veiled with something known only to Allah when the Prophet saw it:

"And indeed he [Muhammad] saw him [Jibreel] at a second descent [i.e. a second time] near Sidrat al-Muntaha [the Lote-tree of the utmost boundary beyond which none may pass] near it is the Paradise of Abode. When that covered the lote-tree which covered it! The sight of [Muhammad] turned not aside [right or left], nor did it transgress beyond [the] limit [ordained for it]" (Qur’an, 53:13-18)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us about what he saw of this tree:

"Then I was taken up until I reached Sidrat al-Muntaha and I saw its Nabq [fruits] which looked like the clay jugs of Hajar, its leaves were like the ears of elephants, and one of these leaves could cover the whole of this ummah (nation). It was veiled in colours indescribable. Then I entered Paradise, and its lights were pearls and its soil was musk".

~ (c) Tooba.

This is a huge tree which produces the fabric for the clothing of the people of Paradise. Ahmad Ibn Jareer and Ibn Hibbaan report from Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Tooba is a tree in Paradise, as big as a hundred year's journey; the clothes of the people of Paradise comes from its calyces [the outer parts of its flowers]"

Narrated by Ahmad from Abdullaah Ibn Amr (ra) who said, "A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about the clothes of the people of Paradise; are they created or are they woven?" Some of the people laughed. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Why are you laughing? Because someone who does not know has asked someone who does know?" Then he turned and asked, "Where is the one who asked the question?" The man said, "Here I am, O Messenger of Allah". He said, "No, they are produced by the fruits of Paradise" three times"

~ (iii) The best aromatic plants in Paradise:

Allah, the Exalted, told us that in Paradise there are aromatic plants:

"[there is for him] rest and provision [Rayhaan - literally - sweet smelling plants, here used as symbolical of complete satisfaction and delight]" Qur’an, 56:89)

In Mu'jam At-Tabaraanee Al-Kabeer, a report from Abdullaah Ibn Amr (ra) whose isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of Al-Bukhaari and Muslim states that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The best of the aromatic plants of Paradise is henna."

~ (iv) The trunks of the trees of Paradise are of Gold:

One of the wondrous things that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, told us is that the trunks of the trees are gold:

"There is no tree in Paradise that does not have a trunk made of gold"

~ (v) How can the Believer increase his share of the trees of Paradise?:

Khaleel Ar-Rahmaan and the Father of the Prophets, Ibraaheem (Prophet Abraham), peace be upon him, asked our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, on the night of the Israa' to convey his greetings to this ummah (nation) and to tell them the way in which they could increase their share of the trees of Paradise. At-Tirmidhi reported with a hasan isnaad from Ibn Mas'oud (ra) that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"I met Ibraaheem...and he said, "O Muhammad, tell your ummah that Paradise is a land whose soil is good and its water is sweet. It is an empty plain, which will be planted with SubhaanAllah, Al-Hamdulillaah, and Allahu Akbar"

* The Animals and Birds of Paradise :

~ The kinds of birds and animals that exist in Paradise are known only to Allah, the Exalted. He (swt) told us that among the delights enjoyed by the people of Paradise will be:

"..and the flesh of fowls any that they may desire" (Qur’an, 56:21)

At-Tirmidhi reports from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was asked, "What is al-Kawthar?" He said, "That is a river that Allah has given me... and in it are birds with necks like the necks of camels". Umar (ra) said, These birds will be in bliss". The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him said: "Those who eat them will be more blissful"".

Al-Haakim and Abu Na'eem reported from Ibn Mas'oud, may Allah be pleased with him, that "a man brought a haltered she-camel and said, "O Messenger of Allah, this she-camel is for the sake of Allah". He, peace be upon him, said: "You will have seven hundred haltered she-camels in Paradise"


* Source: http://www.kalamullah.com/ (Based on the Book by Dr. Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar).

* Image: www.wallnew.com.