Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).
We ask Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) of His Reward and Bounty. Heaven is Paradise, the reward given to whomever Allah Wills. There is only one Paradise, but it consists of several levels. The people of Heaven will enter it with their soul and body reunited. They will enjoy its pleasures in the physical sense.
Creation of Heaven:
When Allah created Heaven, He cloaked it with hardship and misery.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When Allah created Paradise, He said to Jabriel, ‘Go and look at it.’ He went and looked at it, then came and said, ‘O my Lord! By Thy Might, no one who hears of it will fail to enter it.’ He then surrounded it with disagreeable things [i.e. hardship], and said, ‘Go and look at it, Jabriel.’ He went and looked at it, then came and said, ‘O my Lord! By Thy Might, I am afraid that no one will enter it.’” [Dawud: Book 40: Hadith 4726]
Heaven is also vast, as mentioned by the following verse of the Qur’an:
Description:
Heaven is the place of bliss in which the Believers will live for eternity. It will be a place with no obligations and only reward. Its beauty and grandeur have been mentioned in some verses of the Qur’an and hadith.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
…We [the Companions] said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell us about Paradise, what is it built of?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Bricks of gold and bricks of silver; its mortar is musk, its pebbles are pearls and rubies, its soil is saffron. Whoever enters it will be happy and will never be miserable, he will abide therein forever and never die. His clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade. There are three whose Dua will not be rejected: a just ruler, a fasting person until he breaks the fast, and the prayer of one who has been wronged. It is borne on the clouds and the gates of heaven are opened for it, and the Lord, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says: ‘By My glory, I will grant you help even if it is after some time.’” [Ahmad no. 8030]
The Gates:
There are eight gates leading to various gardens in Heaven. Some of these gates are mentioned below:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “In Paradise there are eight gates, among which is a gate called al-Rayyaan, through which no one will enter except those who fast.” [al-Bukhari no. 3257; Muslim no. 1125]
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A man entered Paradise and saw written on its gate ‘Charity receives a tenfold reward and a loan an eighteen fold reward.’” [narrated by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi; classed as hasan by al-Albaani. See Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/537]
The Gardens:
There are four gardens in Paradise. There are gardens for those who are in nearness to Allah and for the companions of the Right Hand. Within these gardens there are various degrees of honor and rewards specific to the people who fasted, gave in charity, and so forth. The description of the four gardens is mentioned in the following hadith:
Narrated Abdullah bin Qais:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “(There will be) two gardens of silver and all the utensils and whatever is therein (will be of silver); and two gardens of gold, and its utensils and whatever therein (will be of gold), and there will be nothing to prevent the people from seeing their Lord except the Cover of Majesty over His Face in the Paradise of Adn (eternal bliss).” [Bukhari: Book 9: Volume 93: Hadith 536]
In other reports there are many gardens in Heaven. Perhaps various other gardens may be contained within the four gardens mentioned. The reader should simply understand that there are magnificent gardens of varying excellence in Heaven and their number is known to Allah (The Exalted).
The Rivers:
The rivers of Paradise are numerous and they vary from water, to honey, milk, and rivers consisting of wine, which leave no sense of intoxication. Two rivers of this Earth, the Euphrates and the Nile, originate from Heaven.
The Inhabitants:
A great multitude of the inhabitants of Heaven will be Muslims from among the followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The majority of these dwellers will be from among the poor of this life. This is mentioned in the following hadith:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The people of Paradise are 120 rows, of which eighty are from this Ummah and the other forty from all the other nations.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 3469; he said this is a hasan hadith]
Their Clothing and Adornments:
The clothing of the inhabitants will be garments of silk and their adornments will consist of gold, silver, pearls, and more.
Their Homes:
The homes of the dwellers of Paradise will consist of enormous palaces decorated with sublime beauty. The higher the status of the individual, the greater there dwelling place.
Narrated Aanas bin Malik:
“The night Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken for a journey…Then Jabriel took him around that Heaven and behold, he saw another river at the bank of which there was a palace built of pearls and emerald…” [Bukhari: Book 9: Volume 93: Hadith 608]
Immortality:
The people of Heaven will live for eternity therein and they will never die, nor age. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A caller will call out [i.e. to the people of Paradise] ‘You will be healthy and never fall sick; you will live and never die; you will stay young and never grow old; you will feel joy and never feel sorrow.’” [Narrated by Muslim]
The Ability to Fly:
The inhabitants of Paradise may also be given the ability to fly, with a pair of wings. It was proven that Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) flies in Paradise with two wings, as an honor from Allah and to replace his arms, which were cut off in the battle of Mu’tah.
Abu Hurayrah said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I saw Ja’far flying in Paradise with the angels.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 3763; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ no. 3465]
Partake in the Activities of the Former Life:
Some people will desire to partake in the activities they enjoyed in this life. For example, a farmer will wish to cultivate the land in Heaven.
Reunited Families:
The people of Heaven will be able to reunite with their family members who have entered Heaven. This means that the believing men and women may also remain married in Paradise for eternity. In fact, everyone in Heaven will be married, whether they were married in this life or not.
Bodily Perfection:
The inhabitants of Paradise will have excessive beauty and perfection in bodily appearance.
Aanas ibn Malik reported:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “In Paradise there is a market to which they (the inhabitants) will come every Friday. Then the North wind will blow and will blow on their faces and garments, and increase them in beauty. Then they will return to their families having increased in beauty and their families will say to them, ‘By Allah, you have increased in beauty,’ and they will say, ‘By Allah, you too have increased in beauty.’” [Muslim no. 2833]
Servants:
The inhabitants of Paradise will be waited upon by the servants of Heaven. They are a special creation. They will appear as white pearls. This is an allusion to how plentiful and pure they are, so that they appear as white pearls.
Animals:
There are animals present in Paradise. For example, the following hadith mentions the horses present in Heaven.
Narrated Sulaymaan ibn Buraydah from his father:
A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah, are there horses in Paradise?” He said, “If Allah admits you to Paradise, any time you wish to be carried on a horse of red rubies that will fly with you wherever you want in Paradise, you will do that.” Another man asked him, “O Messenger of Allah, will there be camels in Paradise?” And he did not say to him something like he said to his companion. He said, “If Allah admits you to Paradise, you will have there whatever your heart desires.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 2543; this hadith was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3/522]
Anything the Heart Desires:
Other than what has been mentioned, the inhabitants of Paradise will be allowed to take enjoyment in whatever they desire.
Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) Knows Best.
*Also see the thread: "Proving ISLAM" http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40837
We ask Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) of His Reward and Bounty. Heaven is Paradise, the reward given to whomever Allah Wills. There is only one Paradise, but it consists of several levels. The people of Heaven will enter it with their soul and body reunited. They will enjoy its pleasures in the physical sense.
Creation of Heaven:
When Allah created Heaven, He cloaked it with hardship and misery.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When Allah created Paradise, He said to Jabriel, ‘Go and look at it.’ He went and looked at it, then came and said, ‘O my Lord! By Thy Might, no one who hears of it will fail to enter it.’ He then surrounded it with disagreeable things [i.e. hardship], and said, ‘Go and look at it, Jabriel.’ He went and looked at it, then came and said, ‘O my Lord! By Thy Might, I am afraid that no one will enter it.’” [Dawud: Book 40: Hadith 4726]
Heaven is also vast, as mentioned by the following verse of the Qur’an:
“Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the Earth, prepared for the righteous” [3:133]
Description:
Heaven is the place of bliss in which the Believers will live for eternity. It will be a place with no obligations and only reward. Its beauty and grandeur have been mentioned in some verses of the Qur’an and hadith.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
…We [the Companions] said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell us about Paradise, what is it built of?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Bricks of gold and bricks of silver; its mortar is musk, its pebbles are pearls and rubies, its soil is saffron. Whoever enters it will be happy and will never be miserable, he will abide therein forever and never die. His clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade. There are three whose Dua will not be rejected: a just ruler, a fasting person until he breaks the fast, and the prayer of one who has been wronged. It is borne on the clouds and the gates of heaven are opened for it, and the Lord, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says: ‘By My glory, I will grant you help even if it is after some time.’” [Ahmad no. 8030]
The Gates:
There are eight gates leading to various gardens in Heaven. Some of these gates are mentioned below:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “In Paradise there are eight gates, among which is a gate called al-Rayyaan, through which no one will enter except those who fast.” [al-Bukhari no. 3257; Muslim no. 1125]
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A man entered Paradise and saw written on its gate ‘Charity receives a tenfold reward and a loan an eighteen fold reward.’” [narrated by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi; classed as hasan by al-Albaani. See Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/537]
The Gardens:
There are four gardens in Paradise. There are gardens for those who are in nearness to Allah and for the companions of the Right Hand. Within these gardens there are various degrees of honor and rewards specific to the people who fasted, gave in charity, and so forth. The description of the four gardens is mentioned in the following hadith:
Narrated Abdullah bin Qais:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “(There will be) two gardens of silver and all the utensils and whatever is therein (will be of silver); and two gardens of gold, and its utensils and whatever therein (will be of gold), and there will be nothing to prevent the people from seeing their Lord except the Cover of Majesty over His Face in the Paradise of Adn (eternal bliss).” [Bukhari: Book 9: Volume 93: Hadith 536]
In other reports there are many gardens in Heaven. Perhaps various other gardens may be contained within the four gardens mentioned. The reader should simply understand that there are magnificent gardens of varying excellence in Heaven and their number is known to Allah (The Exalted).
The Rivers:
The rivers of Paradise are numerous and they vary from water, to honey, milk, and rivers consisting of wine, which leave no sense of intoxication. Two rivers of this Earth, the Euphrates and the Nile, originate from Heaven.
“(Here is) a parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water uncorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear…” [47:15]
The Inhabitants:
A great multitude of the inhabitants of Heaven will be Muslims from among the followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The majority of these dwellers will be from among the poor of this life. This is mentioned in the following hadith:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The people of Paradise are 120 rows, of which eighty are from this Ummah and the other forty from all the other nations.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 3469; he said this is a hasan hadith]
Their Clothing and Adornments:
The clothing of the inhabitants will be garments of silk and their adornments will consist of gold, silver, pearls, and more.
“Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds, to gardens beneath which rivers flow; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls; and their garments there will be of silk.” [22:23]
“For them will be gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; 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!” [18:31]
“For them will be gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; 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!” [18:31]
Their Homes:
The homes of the dwellers of Paradise will consist of enormous palaces decorated with sublime beauty. The higher the status of the individual, the greater there dwelling place.
“…He [Allah] could give thee palaces (secure to dwell in).” [25:10]
“He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to gardens beneath which Rivers flow, and to beautiful palaces in gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the Supreme Achievement.” [61:12]
“He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to gardens beneath which Rivers flow, and to beautiful palaces in gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the Supreme Achievement.” [61:12]
Narrated Aanas bin Malik:
“The night Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken for a journey…Then Jabriel took him around that Heaven and behold, he saw another river at the bank of which there was a palace built of pearls and emerald…” [Bukhari: Book 9: Volume 93: Hadith 608]
Immortality:
The people of Heaven will live for eternity therein and they will never die, nor age. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A caller will call out [i.e. to the people of Paradise] ‘You will be healthy and never fall sick; you will live and never die; you will stay young and never grow old; you will feel joy and never feel sorrow.’” [Narrated by Muslim]
“…And ye shall abide therein forever.” [43:71]
The Ability to Fly:
The inhabitants of Paradise may also be given the ability to fly, with a pair of wings. It was proven that Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) flies in Paradise with two wings, as an honor from Allah and to replace his arms, which were cut off in the battle of Mu’tah.
Abu Hurayrah said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I saw Ja’far flying in Paradise with the angels.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 3763; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ no. 3465]
Partake in the Activities of the Former Life:
Some people will desire to partake in the activities they enjoyed in this life. For example, a farmer will wish to cultivate the land in Heaven.
Reunited Families:
The people of Heaven will be able to reunite with their family members who have entered Heaven. This means that the believing men and women may also remain married in Paradise for eternity. In fact, everyone in Heaven will be married, whether they were married in this life or not.
“And those who believe and whose families follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their families: Nor shall We deprive them (of the fruit) of aught of their works: (Yet) is each individual in pledge for his deeds.” [52:21]
Bodily Perfection:
The inhabitants of Paradise will have excessive beauty and perfection in bodily appearance.
Aanas ibn Malik reported:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “In Paradise there is a market to which they (the inhabitants) will come every Friday. Then the North wind will blow and will blow on their faces and garments, and increase them in beauty. Then they will return to their families having increased in beauty and their families will say to them, ‘By Allah, you have increased in beauty,’ and they will say, ‘By Allah, you too have increased in beauty.’” [Muslim no. 2833]
Servants:
The inhabitants of Paradise will be waited upon by the servants of Heaven. They are a special creation. They will appear as white pearls. This is an allusion to how plentiful and pure they are, so that they appear as white pearls.
“And round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls” [76:19]
Animals:
There are animals present in Paradise. For example, the following hadith mentions the horses present in Heaven.
Narrated Sulaymaan ibn Buraydah from his father:
A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah, are there horses in Paradise?” He said, “If Allah admits you to Paradise, any time you wish to be carried on a horse of red rubies that will fly with you wherever you want in Paradise, you will do that.” Another man asked him, “O Messenger of Allah, will there be camels in Paradise?” And he did not say to him something like he said to his companion. He said, “If Allah admits you to Paradise, you will have there whatever your heart desires.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 2543; this hadith was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3/522]
Anything the Heart Desires:
Other than what has been mentioned, the inhabitants of Paradise will be allowed to take enjoyment in whatever they desire.
“Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire” [41:31]
Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) Knows Best.
*Also see the thread: "Proving ISLAM" http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40837
