Answer
Short Answer:
- What is available in Paradise is beyond our imagination. The hadith states that there will be what has not crossed the “heart” of humans. The most important blessing ever in Paradise will be encountering God.
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As-salamu Alaykum Chevalnoir,
Thank you for your question.
Paradise For the Believers and the Righteous
The Quran and Sunnah are full of references to Paradise and the great reward that is in store for those who believe and do righteousness in this life. The reward for goodness is eternal goodness.
Rewards for males and females are equally gratifying. No one will feel any resentment towards others, nor envy.
Peace is the state in which all will exist forever, regardless of any differences they may have had in this life.
The Quran says what means:
{If any do deeds of righteousness—be they male or female—and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.} (An-Nisaa’ 4:124)
They will wear the finest clothing and live in the best of surroundings.
It was narrated by Imam Muslim that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said that in Paradise there would be for a believer a tent of a single hollowed pearl the breadth of which would be sixty miles.
It would be meant for a believer, and the believers would go around it and none would be able to see the others.
Description of Paradise
In the same regards, Allah says in His glorious Book what means:
{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.} (Al-Hajj 22:23)
He also says what means:
{[Other] faces that Day will be joyful, pleased with their striving, in a Garden on high, where they shall hear no [word] of vanity: Therein will be a bubbling spring: Therein will be thrones [of dignity], raised on high, goblets placed [ready], and cushions set in rows, and rich carpets [all] spread out.} (Al-Ghashiyah 88:8-16)
Trees bearing fruits of all kinds, and of types we have not seen or imagined will be there for those who strived to do their best in this life.
The trees will bend their branches down for believers to reach them. All we need to do is to long for a particular one.
Rivers of wine that does not intoxicate, rivers of honey, the purest of waters, and milk are all waiting for believers to enjoy.
Eternal youth will be the state of existence for those who inhabit Paradise. The food of Paradise is so pure that bodies will not produce any waste after consuming it, only sweat whose fragrance is musk.
Live a Righteous Life
But just as the best things in this life do not come easy, neither does the reward of Paradise come cheap. It is something that requires great effort on our part as Muslims to live a righteous life in Islam and invite others to it as well.
We must struggle with our utmost effort to achieve excellence in everything we do and in every relationship we have so that we can achieve the utmost in rewards, Paradise.
The Quran says what means:
{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.} (Aal `Imran 3:133)
Sister Dalia Salaheldin adds:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly stated in his description of Paradise that in it there is:
What an eye has not seen, what an ear has not heard, and what has not crossed the heart of a human.
All the physical descriptions of Paradise mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah are merely but examples of what Allah has promised His righteous believers.
Yet, the ability of Allah to create and prepare for them is much more. He has created all the beauty in existence out of nothing, simply by His own will.
Logically, He can create more and more that is beyond the human imagination.
Someone might say, well, we do have fine clothes and great wonderful parks and beaches, let alone the great architectural and technological accomplishments that enable the rich to live in wonders in this era. Thus, these promises of nice gardens and great castles are no longer appealing.
Hadith of the Prophet on Paradise
And here comes the hadith of the Prophet that really explains that these physical promises are just a small simple part of what God can provide those whom He elevates to enter His Paradise.
What is available in Paradise is beyond our imagination.
Also, the hadith states that there will be what had not crossed the “heart” of humans. It does not say the “mind”, but the heart. The heart longs more and dreams more than the logical mind. The mind might have limits in its dreams.
It is limited by logic and by what is “possible”. As for the heart, it only longs and dreams of what it wants and loves, whether it is logical or not.
What can explain this more is a verse that is one of my favorites. It says what means:
{They shall have what they will of their Lord’s bounty. That is the reward of the good-doers.} (Az-Zumar 39:34)
We get what we Will
The situation there is completely different. Here we get what we strive for. But there, we get what we will. So, we simply need to will. A person might will to eat a piece of fruit, while another might will to meet with God!
And this is another promise. In my eyes, it is the most important in Paradise ever: encountering God! It would be such a loss to come to this life not knowing Who brought one here.
It would be an even greater loss never to encounter Him. It is the blessing of people of Paradise to encounter Him.
Allah knows best.
I hope this helps.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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