Part 23

Others Who It Was Reported Will Be In Paradise Ja'far ibn Abi Taalib and Hamzah ibn 'Abdul-Muttaalib Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said "I saw Ja'far ibn Abi Taalib flying like an angel with his two wings in Paradise" [Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Ya'laa, al-Haakim and others, sahih]

Ibn 'Abbaas narrated that the Prophet (saw) said "I entered Paradise yesterday and looked at it, and saw Ja'far flying with the angels, and I saw Hamzah reclining on a couch" [at-Tabaraani, Ibn 'Adiyy, al-Haakim, sahih al-Jaami', 3/140, no. 3358] In a sahih hadith the Prophet (saw) said, "The leader of the martyrs is Hamzah ibn 'Abdul-Muttaalib" [sahih al-Jaami', 3/219, no. 3569] Abdullaah ibn Salaam From Mu'aadh that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "'Abdullaah ibn Salaam is the tenth of the first ten to enter Paradise" [sahih al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 4/25, no. 3870, Ahmad, at-Tabaraani, al-Haakim] Zayd ibn Harithah ar-Rawayanee and ad-Diyaa reported from Buraydah that the Prophet (saw) said, "I entered Paradise and I was welcomed by a young girl. I asked, "Who do you belong to?" She said, "To Zayd ibn Harithah" [sahih al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 3/141, no. 3361] Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl From 'Aa'ishah (ra) that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "I entered Paradise and I saw that Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl had two levels." [sahih al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 3/141, no. 3362. Ibn 'Asaakir] This Zayd used to preach tawhid at the time of Jaahileeyyah; he was a Haneef, a follower of the way of Ibraaheem.

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

Harithah ibn al-Nu'maan Al-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim narrated from 'Aa'ishah that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "I entered Paradise and I heard someone reciting. I asked, "Who is that?" They said, "Harithah ibn alNu'maan; this is the righteous man" [sahih al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 3/142, no. 3366] Bilaal ibn Abi Rabah at-Tabaraani and Ibn 'Adiyya report with a sahih isnaad from Abu Umamah that the Prophet (saw) said, "I entered Paradise, and heard footsteps ahead of me. I asked, "What is this sound?" I was told, "This is Bilaal, walking in front of you"" [sahih al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 3/142, no. 3364] Ahmad reported with a sahih isnaad from Ibn 'Abbaas that the Prophet (saw) said, "I entered Paradise on the night of Israa' and I heard an indistinct sound from the side. I asked "What is this, O Jibreel?" He said, "Bilaal, the muadhin" [sahih al-jaami' as-Sagheer, 3/142, no. 3367] Abud-Dahdah Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad reported from Jaabir ibn Samurah that the Messenger (saw) said, "How many bunches of dates are hanging for Abud-Dahdah is Paradise!" This is the one who gave his garden called Bayrahaa, the best garden in Madinah, in charity when he heard that Allaah (swt) had revealed, "Who is he that will lend to Allaah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times?" [2:245] Waraqah ibn Nawfal al-Haakim reported with a sahih isnaad from 'Aa'ishah that the Messenger (saw) said, "Do not slander Waraqah ibn Nawfal for I have seen that he will have one or two gardens in Paradise" [sahih alJaami as-Sagheer, 6/1534, no. 7197] Waraqah believed in the Prophet (saw) when Khadeejah brought him to him at the beginning of his Call; he had asked Allaah to let him live until he saw His Messenger so that he could support him.

Paradise is Not the Equivalent of Deeds Paradise is something of immense value; a person cannot earn it by virtue of his deeds alone - Muslim reported from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said, "No one of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone." They asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Not even me, unless Allaah covers me with His Grace and Mercy" [sahih Muslim, 4/2170, no. 2816] The fact that some texts indicate that Paradise is the equivalent reward for deeds could be problematic, for example:

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

"No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as reward for they used to do." [32:17]. However there is no conflict between these aayaat and the meaning of the hadith. The aayaat indicate that good deeds will be a reason, not the price, for admission to Paradise. The hadith say that good deeds are not the price. Two groups were misled in this matter: The Jabaariyyah, who took the hadith to mean that the reward is not connected to deeds, because man has nothing to do with deeds [i.e. everything is foreordained]; and the Qaadariyyah who took the hadith to mean that Paradise was the equivalent of good deeds, and man has the right to enter by virtue of his good deeds. The commentator on at-Tahhaawiyyah said, "As for the idea that recompense results directly from one's deeds, the Jabaariyyah and the Qaadariyyah are misled, and Allaah has guided Ahl as-Sunnah. The ba' of negation [nafyi] is not like the ba' used for affirmation. The negation in the hadith "No one will enter Paradise by virtue of his deeds" [bi' amaalihi] is the ba' of substitution or exchange, as if good deeds were not the price of a man's admission to Paradise. This is like the [false] Mu'tazili claim that good deeds will give a person the right to enter Paradise, whereas the truth is that admission to Paradise is by the Grace and Mercy of Allaah. The bi' in the aayah "a reward for what they used to do [jazaa'an bi maa kanoo ya'maloon]" [32:17] is known in Arabic grammar as the bi' of causation, i.e. because of their deeds. But Allaah is the Creator of Cause and Effect, so everything is referred back to His Grace and Mercy" [Sharh atTahhaawiyyah, 495]

Description of the People of Paradise and the Delights They Enjoy Therein The people of Paradise will enter in the most perfect and beautiful form, in the image of their father, Aadam (as), for there is no human form more perfect and beautiful than that of Aadam, whom Allaah (swt) created very tall. He was as tall as a great palm tree, sixty cubits tall. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said,

"Allaah, Subhaanahu wa ta'aala, created Aadam in his own image, sixty cubits tall... everyone who enters Paradise will be in the image of Aadam, sixty cubits tall. People kept getting shorter and shorter after the time of Aadam." [sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab Yadkhul al-Jannah Aqwam Af'idatuhum mithl af'idatah at-Tayr 4:2183, no. 2841]

Their external appearance will be in harmony, and their hearts will be as one. Their hearts and souls will be clean and pure. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) a hadith in which the Prophet describes people entering Paradise including a group whose light will be like the full moon. He (saw) said, "Their form will be that of a single person, after the image of their father Aadam, sixty cubits tall." [sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab Awwal zumrah yadkhuluna al-Jannah, 4/2179, no. 2834]

Another aspect of their beauty is that they will have no body hair, and will look as if their eyes are anointed with kohl. Each of them will enter Paradise aged thirty-three, the age of strength, vitality and youth. Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi report from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless, looking as if their eyes are ringed with kohl, aged thirty three." [sahih al-Jaami' 6/337, no. 7928]

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

As reported in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim, from Abu Hurayrah (ra), the people of Paradise "will not spit, blow their noses or excrete".

The people of Paradise will not sleep. Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah and 'Abdullaah ibn Abi Awfaa reported that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "Sleep is the brother of death; the people of Paradise will not sleep" [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 3/74, no. 1087, al-Kaamil of Ibn 'Adiyy, al-Hilyah of Abu Na'eem, Taareekh Isbahaan, by Abul-Sheikh]

The Delights of the People of Paradise: The Superiority of Paradise Over the Pleasures of This World The pleasures of this world are tangible and present, whilst the delights of Paradise are as-yet unseen promises. People are readily influenced by what they can see and know instantly; it is hard enough for them to forgo something that is in front of them for the sake of something else that is in the future, so how much harder it is if the promise will not be attained until after death! So Allaah (swt) drew a comparison between the pleasures of this world and the joys of Paradise, and explained that the delights of Paradise are far superior to this world's pleasures. The Qur'aan speaks at length denouncing this world of instant, fleeting pleasures and stating that the rewards with Allaah as far better, to encourage man to strive hard for success in the next world: "And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given them for enjoyment to various groups of them [mushrikeen and kuffaar] the splendour of this life that We may test them thereby. But the provision [good reward in the Hereafter] of your Rabb is better and more lasting" [20:131] And "Beautified for men is the love of things they covet: women, children, much of gold and silver [wealth], branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life but Allaah has the excellent return with Him. Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For al-Muttaqoon there are Gardens with their Rabb, under which rivers flow. Therein [is their] eternal [home] and Azwaajun mutahharatun [purified mates or wives], and Allaah will be pleased with them. And Allaah is All-Seer of [His] Slaves" [3:14-15] There are many reasons why the delights of Paradise are superior to the pleasures of this dunyaa; Amongst them: (i) The Pleasures of this Dunyaa are Fleeting: "Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is [far] better for him who fears Allaah.." [4:77] The Prophet (saw) illustrated the inferiority of this dunyaa by comparing it to what Allaah has prepared in Paradise, "By Allaah, this world in comparison with the Hereafter is nothing more than as if one of you put his finger" - and he gestured with his forefinger - "in the sea; let him see how much water he would retrieve" [sahih Muslim, 4/2193, no. 2858]. A finger dipped in the ocean would not even pick up one drop; this is how little this world is worth when compared with the Aakhirah. Because these pleasures are so insignificant, Allaah (swt) has rebuked those who prefer the pleasures of this world to the joys of the Aakhirah: