Part 22

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

al-Qurtubee said, in at-Tadhkirah [p.514]: "What makes this idea [that they will be tested in the Hereafter] weak is the fact that the Hereafter is not the place of testing; it is the place of recompense - reward of punishment. al-Hulaymee said "This hadith is not proven to be sound, and it contradicts the basic beliefs of the Muslims, because the Hereafter is not the place of testing. Everyone will inevitably know about Allaah, and there is no test when a thing is inevitable." This is incorrect and was refuted by Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah who said, "Responsibility only ceases when one enters the abode of recompense, which is either Paradise or Hell. In the arena of judgement they will be tested just as they are tested in al-Barzakh. The individual will be asked, "Who is your Rabb? What is your deen? Who is your Prophet?" Allaah (swt) says, "[Remember] the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare and they shall be called to prostrate to Allaah but they [hypocrites] will not be able to do so" [68:42]..." [Majmu' Fataawa, 24/ 372] Testing will only cease when a person enters Paradise or Hell. al-Qurtubee's suggestion that everyone will inevitably know Allaah on that Day is correct, but the testing will take the form of orders and prohibitions as is reported in a number of texts. Allaah (swt) will test them by ordering them to enter the Fire: whoever obeys will be blessed, whilst whoever disobeyed will be doomed.

The People of Paradise: The Number of People from This Ummah Who Will Enter Paradise Many people from this ummah will enter Paradise, but only Allaah knows their exact number. al-Bukhaari reports from Sa'eed ibn Jubayr who said, "Ibn 'Abbaas told me that the Prophet (saw) said, "I was shown the nations, and I saw a Prophet passing by with his ummah, another with a band of followers, another with ten followers, another with five, and another who was alone. I looked and saw a huge crowd of people, and I asked, "O Jibreel, are these my ummah?" He said, "No look at the horizon." I looked and saw a vast multitude. He said,"These are your ummah, and the seventy thousand in front will not be brought to account or be punished." [al-Bukhaari, Kitaab ar-Riqaaq, Baab Yadhkul al-Jannah Sab'oona Alfaan, Fath al-Baari, 11/406] The first crowd which the Prophet (Saw) thought was his ummah was in fact the Children of Israel as is stated in a number of sahih reports, "I hoped that this would be my ummah, but I was told that this was Musa and his people." [Fath al-Baari, 11/407]. Concerning the words "a vast multitude" Ibn Hajar said, "A report from Sa'eed ibn Mansoor says, "huge" [Adheem] and adds, "It was said to me, "look at the horizon" So I looked and I saw a huge multitude. Then I was told, "Look at the other horizon, it is just like the first one."" According to a report given by Ibn Faadil, "[I saw] a multitude that filled the horizon and it was said to me "Look here and here, all across the horizon". According to a version narrated by Ahmad, "I saw my ummah filling the plains and the mountains, and I was amazed at the numbers and their appearance. I was asked, "Are you pleased O Muhammad?" and I said, "Yes O Rabb."" [Fath alBaari, 11/408] Some hadiths state that along with every thousand of the seventy thousand will be another seventy thousand plus three handfuls added by Allaah. Our Prophet (saw) hoped that this ummah would constitute half of the population of Paradise. In a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon, Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said that when the Messenger of Allaah (saw) was speaking about who would be sent to hell, he said, "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise. Among the people you are no more than a black hair on the hide of a white bull.." [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/8]

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

Some hadith state that this ummah will constitute two thirds of the population of Paradise. Al-Tirmidhi reports with a hasan isnaad and ad-Daarimee and al-Bayhaqee also report, from Buraydah, that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "The people of Paradise are one hundred and twenty ranks, eight from this ummah and forth from the rest of the nations." [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/92, no. 5644]

Muslim reports from Anas (ra) that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "I will be the first intercessor in Paradise. No Prophet was believed in as I was believed in. Among the Prophets is one who was believed in by only one man." [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/124, no. 5744]. The reason why so many people of this ummah believed is because of the great miracle of the Messenger of Allaah (saw), which was a recited revelation which is addressed to hearts and minds. It is a miracle that is preserved and will remain until the Day of Judgement. al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "There is no Prophet who was not given a sign [or miracle] in which people believed and followed him. That which I have been given is a Revelation from Allaah and I hope that I will have the greatest number of followers on the Day of Resurrection." [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/142, 5746]

The Leaders of the People of Paradise (i) The Leaders of the Men A number of the Sahaabah, including 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Anas ibn Maalik, Abu Hudhayfah, Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah, and Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger (saw) said, "Abu Bakr and 'Umar will be the leaders of men of Paradise from the earlier and later generations." [Silsilat al-Hadith asSaheehah, 12/487, no. 824]

(ii) The Leaders of the Youth Al-Tirmidhi, al-Haakim, at-Tabaraani, Ahmad and others reported that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said, that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of Paradise". This is proven by so many reports that reach the level of tawatur. [see also the narration from Hudhayfah and from 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar in Ibn 'Asaakir - Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, no. 797]

(iii) The Leaders of the Women The true female leader is the one with whom her Rabb is pleased and whose deeds He accepts. The best women are those who attain the Paradise of delights. The women of Paradise are of different levels, and the Messenger (saw) told us about their leaders: "The Messenger of Allaah (saw) drew four lines and said, "Do you know what these are?" They said, "Allaah and His Messenger know best." He said, "The best women of Paradise are Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, Faatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint 'Imraan and Aasiyah bin Muzahim, the wife of Fir'awn" [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 4/13, no. 1508, from Ahmad at-Tahhaawi, al-Haakim from Ibn 'Abbaas, sahih]

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

Maryam and Khadeejah are the best of the four - "The best of its women is Maryam and the best of its women is Khadeejah" [from 'Ali in al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Manaaqib al-Ansaar, Fath al-Baari, 7/133] - and Maryam is the "First Lady" - "The leaders of the women of Paradise, AFTER Maryam bint 'Imraan will be.." [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 3/410, no. 1424, from Jaabir in at-Tabaraani, sahih]. The reason why Maryam is considered the best of all women is clearly stated in the Qur'aan: "Behold! the angels said, "O Maryam! Allaah has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations." [3:42] How could she not be the best of women when Allaah has clearly stated that, "..her Rabb accepted her with a goodly acceptance. He made her to grow in a good manner". [3:37] These four women are beautiful examples of perfect, righteous women. Maryam, the daughter of 'Imraan, is praised by Allaah in the Qur'aan: "And Maryam, daughter of Imraan, who guarded her chastity; and We breather into [the sleeve of her shirt/garment] through Our Ruh [i.e. Jibreel] and she testified to the truth of the Words of her Rabb, and [also believed in] His Scriptures and she was one of the Qaaniteen [obedient to Allah]" [66:12] Khadeejah as-Siddeeqah believed in the Messenger (saw) without hesitation; she consoled him and supported him in every way. Her Rabb gave her the good news, during her lifetime, of a place in Paradise in which there would be no noise or exhaustion [al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-Manaaqib, Fath al-Baari, 7/133] Aasiyah the wife of Fir'awn, despised the power and luxuries of this world and rejected Pharaoh and his false claims of divinity, so her husband tortured her until her soul departed to her Creator: "And Allaah sets forth an example for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Rabb! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the Dhaalimoon [those that do wrong]" [66:11]. Faatimah az-Zahraa, the daughter of the Prophet (saw) was patient and forbearing, and feared Allaah. She was a branch from the pure tree, brought up by the educator of humanity.

The Ten Who Were Given Glad Tidings of Paradise The Messenger (saw) clearly stated that ten of his Companions would be in Paradise: "Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, 'Umar will be in Paradise, 'Uthmaan will be in Paradise, 'Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, az-Zubayr will be in Paradise, 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf will be in Paradise, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas will be in Paradise, Sa'eed ibn Zayd will be in Paradise and Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarraah will be in Paradise." [sahih, Ahmad from Sa'eed ibn Zayd, Al-Tirmidhi from 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf, sahih al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 1/70, no. 50] "Ten will be in Paradise: the Prophet will be in Paradise. Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, 'Umar will be in Paradise, 'Uthmaan will be in Paradise, 'Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, azZubayr ibn al-Awwaam will be in Paradise, 'Sa'd ibn Maalik will be in Paradise, Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf will be in Paradise, and Sa'eed ibn Zayd will be in Paradise." [sahih, Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, ad-Diyaa, from Sa'eed ibn Zayd sahih al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 4/34, no. 3905]

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

The Books of the Sunnah tell us that one day the Prophet (saw) was sitting at the well of 'Arees, with Abu Musa al-Ash'ari acting as his gatekeeper. Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq came and asked permission to see him, and the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "Let him in, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise". Then 'Umar came and he said, "Let him in and give him the glad tidings of Paradise". Then 'Uthmaan came and he said, "Let him in, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise because of an affliction that will befall him" [al-Bukhaari, Muslim and Al-Tirmidhi. Jaami' al-Usool, 8/562, no. 6372] Ibn 'Asaakir reported with a sahih isnaad from Ibn Mas'oud that the Prophet (saw) said, "My successor will be in Paradise, his successor will be in Paradise, and the third and fourth will be in Paradise." [namely, the Khulafaa Rashida] [sahih al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 4/149, no. 4311] Al-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim reported with a sahih isnaad from 'Aa'ishah that the Prophet (saw) said to Abu Bakr, "You are free from the Fire." [sahih al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 2/24, no. 1494]