* 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.
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