[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Heaven And Hell (4/4)

Ahmad Farid

The Drink of the People of Paradise
Allah says: “The truly good will drink from a cup mixed with the coolness of camphor, a spring from which Allah's slaves will drink, making it gush forth at will abundantly.” (Surah Al-Insan, 76:5-6)
Allah also says: “They will be given there a cup to drink mixed with the warmth of ginger. In it there is a flowing spring called Salsabil.” (Surah Al-Insan, 76:17-18)
And He says: “And their Lord will give them a pure draught to drink.” (Surah Al-Insan, 76: 21)
The Garments of the People of Paradise
Allah says: “They will enter Gardens of Eden where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls, and where their clothing will be of silk.” (Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 33)
He also says: “They will have Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them. They will be adorned in them with bracelets made of gold and wear green garments made of the finest silk and rich brocade, reclining there on couches under canopies. What an excellent reward! What a wonderful repose!” (Surah Al-Kahf, 18: 31)
Al-Bara' Ibn Azib related, "The Prophet was given a silk garment as a gift and we started touching it with our hands and admiring it. At that the Prophet said, 'Are you impressed with this?' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'The handkerchiefs of Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this.'"[1]
It has been related by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said, "Believers will be adorned as far as the places where their wudu reached."[2]
It has been related by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said, "Whoever enters the bliss of the Garden will never be destitute, and their garments will never wear out, and they will never lose their youth."[3]
The Attributes of the People of Paradise
It has been related by Mu'adh Ibn Jabal that the Prophet said, "The people of Paradise will be in the Garden without hair, without beards and with their eyes anointed with kohl, aged thirty-three years."[4]
It has been related by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said, "The first group of people to enter Paradise will shine like the full moon and those who follow them will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. They will not have to pass water, answer the call nature, spit, or blow their noses. Their combs will be made of gold and their perspiration will smell like musk. Aloes-wood will be used in their dwellings. Their wives will be houris. All of them will look alike and they will resemble their father Adam (in stature), sixty cubits tall."[5]
As for their inward state and disposition, Allah says:
“We will strip away any rancour in their hearts — brothers, resting on couches face-to-face.” (Surah Al-Hijr, 15: 47)
It has been related by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said, "They (the people of the Garden) will not have any disagreements or rancour between them. Their hearts will be like one heart and they will glorify Allah in the morning and in the evening.”[6]
The Lowest and Highest Degrees of the People of Paradise
It has been related by Al-Mughirah Ibn Shu'bah that the Prophet said, "Moses asked his Lord, 'Who amongst the people of the Garden will be the lowest in rank?' He replied, 'It will be the last person to be allowed into the Garden from amongst those who deserve to enter it. I will say to him, "Enter the Garden." He will reply, "O my Lord! how can I, when all its people have already settled in their dwellings and have been given what is due to them? '"
"It will be said to him, 'Will you be content if you have a kingdom the size of one of one of the kings of the world?' He will reply, 'I will be content, my Lord.' He will say, 'This is for you, and this, and this, and this, and this.' After the fifth time he will say, 'I am very content, my Lord.' He will say, 'It is all for you and ten times more again like it — and for you is what yourself desires and your eye enjoys.' He will say, 'I am very content, my Lord.'”
"He (Moses) then asked, 'Who will be the highest in rank?' He (Allah) replied, 'Whomever I have chosen — I have established their honour with My own Hand and set a seal on it with what no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor mind imagined.'”
This is confirmed by the Book of Allah, the Exalted, the Great:
“No self knows the delight that is hidden away for it in recompense for what it used to do." (Surah As-Sajdah, 32: 17)[7]
The Houris of Paradise
Allah says: “They will have their spouses of perfect purity and will remain there timelessly, forever.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 25)
He also says: “We will marry them to dark-eyed maidens.” (Surah Ad-Dukhan, 44: 54)
It has been related by Anas Ibn Malik that the Prophet said, "A morning's journey or an afternoon's journey in the Way of Allah is better than the whole world and everything in it; and a place which is a bow's shot of any one of you — or even just a foot step — into the Garden is better than the whole world and everything in it; and if one of the houris of the Garden were to look at the earth, she would fill the whole space between them with light, and she would fill what is between them with perfume — and even the veil over her face is better than the whole world and everything in it."[8]
It has been related by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said, "The first group to enter the Garden will shine like the full moon, and the next group will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. Their hearts will be as if they are the heart of a single person, for they will have neither enmity nor jealousy between them. Every man will have two of the houris as wives — and the marrow of the bones in their legs will be visible through their flesh and bones."[9]
The Vision of Allah
Allah says: “Faces that Day will be radiant, gazing at their Lord.” (Surah Al-Qiyamah, 75: 22-23)
He also says: “Those who do good will have the best and more!” (Surah Yunus, 10: 26)
It has been related by Abu Hurairah that some (Companions of the Prophet) asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?" He replied, "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun at noon when it is not clouded over?" They said, "No." Then he said, "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the full moon on the fourteenth night when it is not clouded over?" They said, "No." Then he said, "By Allah Who is the One in Whose Hand my life is, you will have no more difficulty in seeing your Lord than you have in seeing either of them.”[10]
It has been related by Suhaib Ibn Sinan ar-Rumi that the Prophet recited the ayah of Allah, “Those who do good will have the best and more!” (Surah Yunus, 10: 26) and said, "When those who deserve the Garden have entered the Garden and those who deserve the Fire have entered the Fire, Allah the Blessed and Exalted will ask, 'Would you like Me to give you anything more?' They will reply: 'Have You not illuminated our faces? Have You not brought us into the Garden and saved us from the Fire?'" He continued, "Then He will remove the Veil - and of everything given to them nothing will be dearer to them than the vision of their Lord, the Mighty and Glorious."[11]
This indeed is the highest reward - and all other rewards are nothing compared to the moment when the people of the Garden enjoy the vision of their Lord. They will experience the greatest bliss when they meet their Lord.
All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Yours is the Glory, our Lord, and to You all praise belongs. I bear witness that there is no god but You, and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger and I seek Your forgiveness and I turn in repentance to You.

[1] Al-Bukhari, 6/319.

[2] Muslim, 3 / 140; An-Nasa'i', 1/93.

[3] Muslim, 17/174.

[4] At-Tirmidhi, 10/14, who classified it as hasan gharib.

[5] Al-Bukhari, 6/319; Muslim, 17/172-173.

[6] Al-Bukhari, 6/138; Muslim, 17/173.

[7] Al-Bukhari, 11 /419; Muslim, 2/45-46.

[8] Al-Bukhari, 6 / 15; At-Tirmidhi, 8/155.

[9] Al-Bukhari, 6/319; Muslim, 17/ 172-173.

[10] Muslim, 41 / 7078.

[11] Muslim, 3/17.