The reality of Paradise is something which people will
never be able to understand until they actually enter it, but God has shown us
glimpses of it in the Quran. He has described it as a place essentially different
to the life of this world, both in the very nature and purpose of life, as well
as the types of delights which people will enjoy therein. The Quran tells
people about Paradise, which God offers to them, describes its great blessings,
and proclaims its beauties to everyone. It informs people that Paradise is one
of two ways of life prepared for them in the afterworld, and that every good
thing will be theirs in Paradise to a degree that surpasses our present ability
to imagine. It also shows that Paradise is a place where all blessings have
been created perfectly and where people will be offered everything their souls
and hearts will desire, and that people will be far removed from want and need,
anxiety or sadness, sorrow and regret. Every kind of beauty and blessing
exists in Paradise and will be revealed with a perfection never seen or known
before. God has prepared such blessings there as a gift, and these will be offered
only to people with whom He is pleased.
But what is
the nature of these delights in Paradise, and how will it be different
from the delights of this world? We will try to
highlight a few of these differences.
Pure delight without pain and suffering
While people in this world experience some delight,
they also face much toil and suffering. If one was to scrutinize the life
which they live, they will find that the amount of hardship they face is much
more than the ease and comfort. As for the life of the Hereafter, there will
be no hardship nor suffering in it, and people will live therein in pure joy
and delight. All the causes of sorrow, pain and suffering which people experience
in this life will be absent in the Hereafter. Let’s take a look at some of these
causes.
Wealth
When one thinks of success in this life, they
usually conjure the image of big houses, fine jewelry and clothing, and
expensive cars; financial stability is seen to be the key to a happy life. To
most people, success is inseparably related to wealth, even though this is the furthest
from the truth. How many times have we seen the wealthiest of people living
such miserable lives, that it sometimes even leads them to commit suicide! Wealth
is something which humans in their very nature desire at any cost, and this desire
has been created for a great and wise purpose. When this desire is not
satiated, it causes some extent of grief in a person. For this reason, God has
promised the inhabitants of Paradise that they will have all that they imagined
as far as wealth and belongings are concerned, both for those who were
extremely poor, experiencing even hunger and thirst, to those well-to-do but
who desired even more. God gives us a glimpse of this when he says:
“... there will be there all that the souls could
desire, all that the eyes could delight in …” (Quran 43:71)
“Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent
forth (good deeds) in days past!” (Quran 69:24)
“… 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 [is] the recompense! How
beautiful a couch [is there] to recline on!” (Quran 18:31)
Disease and Death
Another
cause of pain and suffering in this life
is the death of a loved one or disease, which are both non-existent in
Paradise. None will feel any sickness or pain in Paradise. The Prophet
Muhammad, may the
mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said about the people of
Paradise:
“They will never fall ill, blow their noses
or spit.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
None will die in Paradise. All shall live
eternally enjoying the pleasures therein. The Prophet Muhammad said that a
caller will call out in Paradise when people enter it:
“Indeed may you be healthy and never be
sick again, may you live and never die again, may you be young and never grow
feeble again, may you enjoy, and never feel sorrow and regret again.” (Saheeh
Muslim)
Social Relationships
As for the remorse felt due to a rift in personal
relationships, people will never hear any evil or hurting comments or speech in
Paradise. They will only hear good words and words of peace. God says:
“They will not hear therein ill speech or commission
of sin. But only the saying of: Peace! Peace!” (Quran 56:25-26)
There will be no enmity between people nor
ill-feelings:
“And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred
or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world)…” (Quran
7:43)
The Prophet said:
“There will be no hatred or resentment
among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify God, morning and
evening.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
People will have the best of companions in the
Hereafter, who were also the best people in the world:
“And whoever obeys God and the Messenger – those will
be with the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor – of the prophets, the
steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are
those as companions!” (Quran 4:69)
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. If we were to discuss all the causes for
anguish in this life, we would surely find its absence or opposite to be true
in Paradise.
The Eternalness of the Hereafter
The Pleasures of this world are transient whilst
the joys of the hereafter are lasting and eternal. In this life when a person
enjoys something, it is only a short while before they get bored with it and proceed
to search for something they feel is better, or they may not feel a need for it
altogether. As for the delights of Paradise, a person will never feel bored
with anything, but rather, its goodness will increase each time they indulge in
it.
Also, the life of this world is very short. Humans
only live on this earth for a short while, and very few people reach the age of
seventy.
“…Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world. The
Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears God...” (Quran 4:77)
As for Paradise, people will live forever. God
says:
“...its provision is eternal and so is its shade…” (Quran
13:35)
“What is with you must vanish, and what is
with God will endure …” (Quran 16:96)
“(It will be said to them): This is Our
Provision, which will never finish” (Quran 38:54)
Superior Delights
The delights of the people of Paradise, such as
their clothing, food, drink, jewelry and palaces, 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.
The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:
“The space of the bow of any one of you in Paradise is better than all that the sun rises upon” (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh 3/85,
no. 5615)
Free from all Impurities
Paradise is free from all the impurities of this
world. Eating and drinking in this life results in the need for excretion and
its associated unpleasant odors. 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” (Quran 37:46-47)
The water of Paradise does not become brackish,
and its milk never changes in flavor:
“...rivers of water incorruptible; rivers
of milk of which the taste never changes...” (Quran 47:15)
The women of Paradise are pure and free from
menstruation, postnatal bleeding and all the other impurities suffered by women
in this world, and all are free from stool and feces. God says:
“...and they shall have therein purified mates…” (Quran
2:25)
The prophet answered a person when they asked
how the people of Paradise will relieve themselves:
“They relieve themselves by perspiring
through their skins, and its fragrance will be that of musk, and all stomachs
will have become lean.” (ibn Hibbaan)
What we have mentioned has been a mere
comparison in order to understand the nature of Paradise, but as God said, its
delights are truly hidden:
“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy,
as a reward for what they used to do.” (Quran 32:17)
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”. (Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan)
The Sahabah asked the Prophet 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.” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, ad-Daarimee)
God says:
“And when you look there (in Paradise) you will see a
delight (that cannot be imagined), and a great dominion.” (Quran 76:20)
What God has kept hidden from us the delights of
Paradise is beyond our ability to comprehend. The Prophet said that God 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 knows what is kept hidden for them of joy
as a reward for what they used to do.” (Quran 32:17)
In another report:
“Never mind what God has told you; what
He has not told you is even greater.” (Saheeh Muslim)
In other articles, we will attempt to mention
some of the specific details of Paradise and the delights therein described to
us by God and His last Prophet.
