Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
The Quranic verse in Surat At-Tur (52:21) mentions that believers’ offspring may be elevated to join them in Paradise. However, this divine act of mercy doesn’t necessarily mean equal rewards. Islamic scholars affirm that while Allah can raise ranks to reunite families, reward distribution remains based on His justice and wisdom, not solely on association.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Descriptions of Heaven and Hell go beyond our worldly or mundane standards. They exist in the realm of the ghayb —the unseen—out of our reach.
Confusion happens when we try to understand the Hereafter using our earthly perspective. Such comparisons are flawed, like comparing life in the womb to life on earth; they are two very different experiences.
The realities of Paradise and Hell cannot be fully grasped with our limited concepts.
When we hear descriptions, like families reuniting in Paradise from different levels, we accept their truth. We trust Allah’s wisdom and knowledge regarding these realities. He has complete power over everything and can unite whom He chooses, whenever He chooses. Indeed, “Allah has power over all things.” (Al-Baqarah 2:106)
Expanded rulings are found in these fatwas:
- Entering Paradise: Is It Grace or Good Deeds?
- How Will Women Be Rewarded in Paradise?
- Will We Hear Noise in Paradise?
- Shall all Muslims Enter Paradise?
- Difference between Paradise and Heaven in Islam
- What Are the Rewards for Women in Jannah?
- Will a Non-Muslim Child Go to Jannah?
Almighty Allah knows best.