- What is heaven
- Film about heaven in Islam
- Islamic terminology
- Questions and Answers When will Muslims go to Heaven?
- Is Paradise Eternal?
- What is the highest reward in Paradise?
- Is Paradise Guarded?
- How big is Paradise?
- What awaits women in Paradise?
- Paradise Rivers
Paradise is one of the most exciting concepts, which is characteristic of all religions and has firmly entered into human life, as a symbol of complete contentment, joy and happiness that God gives as a reward for a righteous life on earth.
The very concept of “Paradise” refers to both philosophy and religion, and in both sciences it is interpreted as a place or state of eternal life, perfect being.
No matter how many films are made about Paradise, people’s imagination is not enough to capture even a small part of the beauties and pleasures that God has prepared for believers in Paradise. The film below shows only some of the descriptions that are given in the hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ and the Holy Quran.
Questions and answers
When will Muslims go to Heaven?
Answer : According to Islam, believers will go to heaven after the Day of Judgment, and those who do not believe in the Lord will go to Hell and will remain there forever.
Is Paradise Eternal?
Answer : Believers in Paradise will forever enjoy the benefits that Allah Almighty has prepared for them.
What is the highest reward in Paradise?
Answer : the main benefit and reward for a Muslim will be the opportunity to contemplate Allah Almighty. Ibn al-Athir said: “The sight of Allah is the highest of pleasures in the Hereafter, the best of the generous gifts to Allah, and may the Almighty allow us to enjoy it as much as we wish.”
Muslim and others reported from the words of Suhaib ar-Rumi that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “ When the inhabitants of Paradise enter there, the Almighty and Most High Allah will ask: “Do you want more?” They will say: “Didn’t You make our faces white? Didn’t You bring us into Paradise and save us from the Fire?” Then He will lift the veil, and they will receive nothing more desirable than the opportunity to behold their Lord.” One of the versions reports that after this he read the verse: “For those who did good, the Best and the addition were prepared ” (Sura Yunus (Jonah), 26th verse).
Is Paradise Guarded?
Answer : Paradise is guarded by angels, which is headed by an angel named Ridwan.
How big is Paradise?
Answer : according to Islam, the size of Paradise is enormous, and different levels are provided for different categories of righteous people with love by the Lord. Read more about the levels of Paradise.
Illness and death
Another cause of pain and suffering in this life is illness, death of loved ones and loved ones, which does not exist in Paradise. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described to us the inhabitants of Paradise in one of his hadiths: “No one will get sick or feel pain in Paradise.” Another hadith says: “They never get sick, do not suffer from a runny nose and do not drool” (Sahih Al-Bukhari). Nobody dies in Paradise. Everyone will live forever, enjoying pleasures. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that when people enter Paradise, a voice will be heard: “Verily, you will be healthy and never get sick, you will live and never die, you will be young and never become weak, you will enjoy and never you will not feel grief or regret” (Sahih Muslim).
Description
The Koran and hadiths mention Paradise, but the Koranic text about the heavenly abode gives only a general idea, although this idea is presented in a form understandable to any person, regardless of the level of education and erudition. Since the Holy Book of the Koran was revealed by the Almighty in earthly language, the information that the Koran presents is accessible to man.
A Paradise was created from gold and silver bricks, from which the smell of musk emanates. It is neither cold nor hot in Paradise. The hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ indicate that in Paradise there is the paradise tree Tuba among many other trees, and the crown of Paradise is called the tree “sidrat al-muntaha”, which translated means “lotus of the extreme limit”.
The Koran contains the following words: “ Give joy to the believers who do good deeds!” They are the Gardens of Eden where rivers flow. Each time they are given fruit from the Garden of Eden, they will be surprised: “This is the same as what was provided to us earlier.” And they will be given only the like ” (Surah 2:25).
The Holy Book of the Koran also gives a description of the Gardens of Eden: “ gardens and vineyards ” (Sura 78:32) - “ the reward from the Lord, which is a complete, generous gift ” (Sura 78:36), and this means that the righteous can enjoy the gifts of Paradise incessantly, and their beauty will never become boring to them.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spoke about two gardens of paradise, in which everything is made of silver, and about two more gardens of paradise, in which everything is made of gold, but this gold and silver have nothing in common with earthly metals.
Paradise Rivers
Descriptions of Paradise constantly mention four main sources that nourish human life - a source of water, a source of milk as a source of human nutrition, a source of pleasure or wine, and a source of healing - honey. Paradise water cannot be compared with even the purest water on earth, and the purest and most exceptional quality honey on earth cannot be compared in its taste and healing properties with heavenly honey. Milk in Paradise has nothing in common with the milk that earthly animals bring, and even the most beautiful wine on earth cannot be compared even close to the wine that the righteous will taste in Paradise. Paradise wine has nothing to do with drunkenness - in Paradise there is no place for lack of culture and other wicked manifestations of man, this wine will not have the properties of intoxicating a person.
In the Qur'an, paradise is presented as shady endless gardens, which have many springs and canal ponds - these are the four gardens of Firdaus , Adn , Naim and Mawa , and four rivers flow through them - Kausar , Main , Tasmim and Salsabil . The Firdaus Garden is on the top level and above it is only the Throne of the Lord.
Paradise utensils and objects
According to one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Ibn Abbas, in the worldly abode from Paradise you can only find names, but the objects themselves there are of a completely different quality and form, from the category of what a person has never heard or known.
The Holy Book of the Koran says that even the human soul, although it has a metaphysical beginning, and it has incredible possibilities in terms of sensations, fantasies and impressions, does not know anything about Paradise, since it is hidden from the righteous, but this awaits them as a reward for the good deeds they have done in their worldly life. There are no restrictions on the wishes of a person who has entered Paradise - all his needs, whether they relate to taste or sounds, aesthetic or moral needs, will be satisfied. Believers will not experience any weariness or fatigue in Paradise.
The Holy Book of the Koran also tells about what luxury will appear before the eyes of those who enter the Gardens of Eden. It is said about Paradise that there the righteous will find everything he desires, and his life there will be in absolute ecstasy in whatever form he desires. There awaits the righteous man any dishes he desires, and only in name will they be similar to those that he had the opportunity to eat on earth - but their taste will surpass the earthly taste familiar to us many times over.
Paradise residents
The Prophet ﷺ described the inhabitants of Paradise as follows: they will eat and drink, they will not have an unpleasant odor, they will not urinate or defecate, and they will not blow their nose. Surprised companions asked him: “ Where will the food go?” To which the Prophet ﷺ replied: “Food will be removed from the body through belching and sweat, sweat like a bowl (i.e. it will have a flavor) .” And all this luxury will be Allah’s reward to those righteous people who were pious and believed in Allah Almighty in their earthly life and followed all the commandments of the Lord, avoiding the forbidden.
It is also said in the Holy Book of Allah, the Qur'an, that people who live in paradise have the opportunity to adorn themselves with any jewelry they want and put on any luxurious clothes they want to wear. People who go to Paradise will have the opportunity to sit on the most comfortable furniture they want, look around and find no greater luxury in the whole world than what awaits the righteous in Paradise. The Koran also says that on the faces of the righteous, who will sit on their comfortable luxurious beds and look at the beauties of paradise, there will be an expression of complete contentment and bliss - “On their faces you will see the sparkle of prosperity ” (Sura 83:24).
Levels
Heaven is described as having levels, they go up, and the levels of Hell go down. But one cannot judge the structure of Paradise according to the laws of physics that are known to mankind.
As the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, there are one hundred levels in Paradise, which are prepared for those who diligently follow God’s path, show perseverance in working on themselves, cultivate love for the Almighty, and try to become a spiritual model and moral example for other people in various fields.
The distance between each level is equal to the distance between heaven and earth, from earth to the stars in the sky. At this level there is enough space for representatives of all worlds that have existed on earth since the time of Adam to those currently living on earth. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “ When asking the Almighty for a heavenly abode, ask Firdavs, this is the best and highest heavenly abode. Above her is the Throne from which the rivers of paradise originate .”
Also, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that there are such abodes in Paradise in which when you are, you can see what is outside, and vice versa - such abodes are prepared for those people who showed hospitality in their earthly life, were polite in their speeches, observed fasting and praying when everyone else was sleeping.
Also, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spoke of Paradise as an indescribable splendor that cannot be imagined by its beauty, the breadth of which is comparable to the breadth of the earth and sky.
Social relations
As for the worries and problems that arise in relationships between people, no one will ever hear an evil word or hurtful speech in Paradise. In the Koran, the Creator says: “They will not hear empty speeches or criminal words there. It will only sound: “Peace be with you! World!" (Quran 56:25-26). There will be no enmity or hostility between people: “We will free their hearts from all hostility” (Quran 7:43). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There will be no hatred or ill will among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will praise God day and night.” (Sahih al-Bukhari) People will have the best companions in the Hereafter, who were also the best people in this world: “Whoever obeys Allah and the Prophet (will) be in the community of those upon whom His mercy is extended from the prophets, the righteous, the martyrs and the virtuous (of people). What glorious comrades!” (Quran 4:69). The hearts of the people of Paradise will be pure, their speech will be good, their deeds will be just. There will be no harmful, upsetting, offensive or provocative conversation because Paradise is free from any worthless words or deeds.
Heaven in Christianity
If we consider the description of Paradise in the Bible, then we will not be able to find any detailed description of this place, since the Bible only contains references to Paradise as a “dwelling in heaven,” which is an eternal house not made by hands. The Bible also speaks of Paradise as something that the human ear has not heard and the human eye has not seen, but something that God himself has prepared for a believer who loves the Lord. It is also mentioned that a person will not be able to retell the words that are used to talk about Paradise, and only a sinless person like a child can enter Paradise.
The Old Testament says that in Paradise God placed a man who “planted ... in Eden in the east” and “out of the ground the Lord God made every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food to grow.” It is mentioned that in the center of Paradise there is the tree of the knowledge of evil and kindness. From Eden, a river emerges to irrigate Paradise, which then divides into four rivers: the Pison, which flows around the land of Havilah, which contains good gold, onyx stone and bdellium, the Gihon or Geon, which flows around the land of Cush, the Hiddekel or Tigris, which flows around Assyria, and Euphrates.
The Old Testament explains that God placed man in the Garden of Eden so that he would cultivate the garden and keep it, commanding man to enjoy the fruits of the entire garden, but threatened to punish him with death if he touched the fruits of the tree of knowledge. From these data, learned theologians concluded that the Gardens of Eden, like the country of Eden itself, is located near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The privileges of man in Paradise became power over any elements and living creatures: “they have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth,” and also gave man the right to give names for everything that exists: “from the earth he formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought it to man, to see what he would call them, and that whatever man called every living soul, that was its name.”
Paradise is the place where Eve, the first woman and wife of Adam, was created, and it is said that “they were both naked, Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Adam and Eve had the opportunity to communicate directly with God and were immortal and sinless. Also in the Old Testament, when describing the consequences of the Fall, it is indicated that the Lord said to Adam: “Cursed is the earth for your sake; you will eat from it in sorrow all the days of your life; She will bring forth thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the grass of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return,” and here there are indications that while man was in Paradise, he was freed from all illnesses and sufferings .
Along with the original Paradise, the acquired Paradise is also described. Christianity reveals the meaning of Paradise as the Kingdom of Heaven, which was prepared from the beginning of the world, which people later lost as a result of their fall and which will be regained when Jesus Christ defeats the forces of Hell.
The idea of Paradise combines the original past and the final future, but the Paradise that awaits the righteous at the end of the path will be fundamentally different: it will become Paradise after the knowledge of sin, after suffering has been experienced and tests have been passed, it will show the true power of God and the weakness of man . The final, acquired Paradise is Paradise after Hell, after humanity has experienced acquaintance with evil and freely rejected Hell. Paradise will be inherited by the saints after their earthly death, after their resurrection in the new universe, when they will know neither illness nor suffering, but will feel only endless joy. According to the Gospel, Paradise is the place where Jesus Christ is.
Christians associate heaven with such a concept as the “Kingdom of Heaven,” that is, the abode into which the souls of the righteous, those sinners who repented and atoned for their guilt, and were reunited with the Lord for eternal life, will go after death.
In the Revelation of John the Theologian, Paradise is described as the Heavenly Jerusalem: “coming down from God from heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband.” It is described that this city has a high and large wall, there are twelve gates on which twelve angels stand. This city has streets made of pure gold, like transparent glass. The gates to the city are not locked during the day, and there are no nights in this city. Also mentioned are rivers on both sides of the streets, a tree of life that bears fruit twelve times throughout the year, and the leaves of this tree heal the nations. It is described that in Heavenly Jerusalem there is nothing cursed - only the throne of the Lord God and God’s servants serving Him. People in this city will see the divine face. Theologians interpret this description to mean that the “first heaven” is described here, that is, the monastery closest to the earth, but behind this monastery there is also heaven.
The earliest mention of Paradise can be found in the martyr Saint Perpetua, who died in 203 - it speaks of Paradise as a vast, beautiful garden, in which marvelous trees and fragrant flowers, and birds sing wonderfully.
Eternity of Hereafter
Indeed, the pleasures of this world are temporary, while the joys of the Hereafter are lasting and eternal. In this life, if a person enjoys something, then it is not for long, until he gets tired and starts looking for something else, which, as it seems to him, is better than before, otherwise he will completely lose interest in everything. Regarding the blessings of Paradise, a person will never feel bored, but on the contrary, every pleasure will increase every time he enjoys something. The life of this world is very short. People live on this earth for a short period of time, few people reach the age of seventy years. “Say: the pleasures of this world are short, the hereafter is a true blessing for the pious. And you will not be offended even by (date) hymen (weight) ” (Quran 4:77). As for Paradise, people live there forever. “... food is eternal there and shadow...” (Koran 13:35). “Whatever you have will be exhausted, but what Allah has will last forever...” (Quran 16:96). “This is Our allotment and it is inexhaustible” (Quran 38:54).
Heaven in various ideologies
Buddhism speaks of Heaven as a land of endless joy, where all who invoke the name of Buddha can be reborn into their future life.
The concept of Heaven exists in different mythologies and different religions. The mention of such a concept as Iaru is found in Egyptian mythology - this is the paradise of Osiris, which is located in the west and is the final goal of the soul after a person dies. This place or state can be reached as a result of a long journey on a solar boat and having passed the test that is offered to the deceased in the hall where Osiris administers his judgment.
The concept of Heaven has inspired numerous works of literature and art, documentaries and feature films.
What does heaven look like?
Much has been written in Islam about what heaven looks like. This topic is given serious attention in all sacred texts. We have already mentioned that paradise is an endless garden located on several levels. It has no end or edge, but souls located at different levels can, if desired, meet and communicate with each other.
Everyone who comes here will enjoy the benefits forever. The same is destined for sinners - they are destined to spend endless time in torment. Heaven and hell cannot be destroyed; they will exist even after the death of the world as we know it. This feature is connected with the fact that even before the creation of all things, Allah made efforts to create these two places. Therefore, they are eternal and are not subject to laws and rules known to people.
According to what is learned in Islam, there are 8 doors in heaven. They are guarded by angels, the main one in the angelic guard is Ridwan. All the righteous after the Day of Judgment will be divided into categories and placed on different levels according to them. However, I can see souls regardless of my permanent location.
One of the distinctive features of heaven is a comfortable temperature - the righteous will not suffer from heat or cold. Theologians claim that the Gardens of Eden consist entirely of bricks smelted from gold and silver. They will emit a pleasant aroma reminiscent of musk. The Koran also lists trees growing in gardens. According to the description, they are similar to ordinary fruit trees, but without their disadvantages. For example, if a plant has thorns that can hurt you, then there won’t be any in heaven.
Often, theologians draw an analogy between the description of the Gardens of Eden and the ideas about pleasure and the highest good that developed among the ancient nomadic tribes living in the East. However, many peoples had similar descriptions of paradise. This is typical for Jews, Christians and other more ancient religious movements.
At different stages of the development of Islam, the characteristics of Jannah were supplemented and expanded. If initially there were more emotions in the descriptions, then as religion strengthened, the images acquired clarity and distinctive features.
Are there animals in the Gardens of Eden?
Animals accompany a person throughout his life. He becomes so attached to some that he experiences real melancholy after the death of a living being. Therefore, sooner or later, every Muslim has thoughts about whether there are animals in paradise.
Islam is clear on this matter - on the Day of Judgment they will also be resurrected and put on trial. However, animals do not have the same degree of intelligence as humans, so they lack the understanding of good and evil, as well as other categories with which Allah evaluates the deeds of each soul. But still, the Koran mentions that animals will be subject to their own measure of judgment. If they have fully fulfilled their earthly destiny, then they are entitled to a reward, the specifics of which are not written in the sacred texts. It is known that after the Day of Judgment all the bodies of animals will turn to dust, but their souls have immortality in the same way as human ones.
In general, the fate of their souls is not determined, so it is difficult to say what is in store for them. This is known only to Allah, but there are ten animals that managed to earn a place in heaven by helping the righteous or protecting them from evil. We will not list them all, but will only note a few. This list includes Ibrahim's bull, Suleiman's ant, Saliha's camel, and so on.
In addition to this category of animals, those that were sacrificed to Allah are destined for life in paradise. They are entitled to a reward in the form of being in luxurious gardens along with the righteous and righteous.
