Part 26

The Market of the People of Paradise Muslim reported from Anas ibn Maalik that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said; "In Paradise there is a market to which the people will come every Friday, then a wind will come from the north and blow on their faces, and clothes, and they will increase in beauty. Then they will return to their wives, who will also have increased in beauty. Their wives will say to them, "By Allaah, you increased in beauty after you left us." And they will say, "And you too, by Allaah, you have increased in beauty since you left us." [sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab fi Sooq alJannah, 4/2178, no. 2833] Al-Nawawi commented on this hadith, "What is meant by a market is a gathering place where the people will come together, just as they gather in marketplaces in this world. Gathering together every Friday means that they will meet once a week, or what approximates to once a week; there will be no real weeks there, as

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

there will be no sun or moon or days. The wind of Paradise was described specifically as being the north winds, because for the Arabs this is the wind that brings rain, coming from the direction of Syria, so they always hoped for a wind coming from the north. In the hadith this wind is called al-Mutheerah, i.e. something that carries things, because it will blow the sand or dust of Paradise into their faces, which is musk." [Sharh Al-Nawawi ala Muslim, 17/170]

The Gatherings and Conversations of the People of Paradise The people of Paradise will visit one another, in delightful gatherings where they will remember their lives in this world and how Allaah (swt) has blessed them by admitting them to Paradise. Allaah (swt) described the gatherings of the people of Paradise: "And We shall remove from their breasts any lurking sense of injury, [they will be like] brothers, [joyfully] facing each other on thrones [of dignity]." [15:47] Allaah (swt) has also described some of the kinds of conversation that will take place in their gatherings: "And some of them draw near to others, questioning, saying, "Aforetime we were afraid with our families [of the punishment of Allaah], but Allaah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire. Verily, we used to invoke Him [Alone and none else] before. Verily He is Al-Barr, the All-Merciful." [52:25-28]

The Wishes of the People of Paradise Some of the People of Paradise will wish for things that will be fulfilled in the strangest ways, unlike anything that happens in this world. The Messenger (saw) told of some of these and how they will be fulfilled. Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (saw) was speaking and a bedouin man was present. The Prophet (saw) said: "A man from the people of Paradise will ask his Rabb for permission to grow things. Allaah will ask him, "Do you not have what you want?" He will say, "Of course, but I love to grow things." So he will sow the seeds and in the blinking of an eye the plant will grow and its fruit will ripen and become like mountains. Allaah (swt) will say, "Here it is. O son of Aadam nothing satisfies you!" The Bedouin said, "By Allaah! you wont find him except he is from Quraysh or the Ansaar for these are the people that love to grow things. As for us, we don't grow anything!" The Messenger of Allaah (saw) laughed." [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/95, no. 5653]

The Wives of the People of Paradise (i) The Wife Of The Believer In This World Will Be His Wife In The Hereafter If She Is Righteous "Gardens of 'Adn, which they shall enter, and [also] those who act righteously from among their fathers, and their wives and their offspring..." [13:23] "They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones." [36:56]

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

"Enter Paradise, you and your wives, in happiness" [43:70]

(ii) A Woman [Who Was Married More Than Once] Will Be With The Last of Her Husbands In Taareekh ar-Raqqah, Abu 'Ali al-Hurani reported from Maymun ibn Mahran that "Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (ra) proposed to Umm ad-Darda' but she refused to marry him, saying, "I heard Abud-Dardaa' say that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "A woman will be with the last of her husbands."" The men in its isnaad are trustworthy apart from al-'Abbaas ibn Saalih, whose biography is unknown. Abul-Shaykh reported it in at-Taareek with a sahih isnaad only quoting the marfoo' version of it. at-Tabaraani reported it with a da'if isnaad in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat but taking both isnaads into account strengthens it. The marfoo' version is sahih, and it also has two corroborating reports that are mawquf. The first of these was reported by Ibn 'Asaakir from 'Ikrimah: "Asmaa bint Abi Bakr was married to az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwaam who was harsh towards her. She came to her father and complained to him, and he said, "O my daughter, have patience, for if a woman has a righteous husband, and he dies and she does not remarry after his death, they will be reunited in Paradise." [The men of its isnaad are thiqaat [trustworthy] but is it mursaal because 'Ikrimah never met Abu Bakr; he only heard it from Asmaa] The second report was narrated by al-Bayhaqee in as-Sunan, where he says that Hudhayfah said to his wife, "If you want to be my wife in Paradise, do not remarry after I die, for the woman in Paradise will be with the last of her husbands on earth." For this reason, Allaah forbade the wives of the Prophet (saw) to remarry after his death, because they will be his wives in the Hereafter.

(iii) al-Hoor al-'Eeyn Allaah (swt) will marry the believers in Paradise to beautiful women who were not their wives in this world, as Allaah (swt) says: "So [it will be] and We shall marry them to Houris with wide lovely eyes." [44:54] al-Hoor is the plural of Hooraa', which is a woman, the white parts of her eyes intensely white, and the black is intensely black. al-'Eeyn is the plural fo 'Aynaa, which is the woman whose eyes are wide. The Qur'aan describes al-Hoor al-'Eeyn as being firm and full-breasted: "Verily, for al-Muttaqoon, there will be a success; gardens and grapeyards and young fullbreasted [mature] maidens of equal age." [78:31-33] Al-Hoor al-'Eeyn are creatures that Allaah (swt) has made especially for Paradise, and has made them virgins: "Verily, We have created [their companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled], beloved [by nature], equal in age." [56:35-37]

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

The fact that they are virgins means that no-one has ever married them before: "...whom no man or jinn has touched before them." [55:56] This refutes the idea that the wives that Allaah (swt) will create for them in Paradise will be their wives from this life, made young again after old age had overtaken them. That idea if correct in that Allaah (swt) will admit the believing women to Paradise with their youth restored but they are not al-Hoor al-'Eeyn whom Allaah created in Paradise. The Quran also speaks of the beauty of the women of al-Jannah: "And [there will be] Houris with wide lovely eyes [as wives for the pious], Like unto preserved pearls." [56:22-23] Maknoon ["preserved"] means hidden or protected, something whose colour is not changed by exposure to sunlight or by being tampered with. Elsewhere, Allaah likens them to rubies and coral, two beautiful precious stones: "In them will be [maidens] restraining their glances, whom no man or jinn has touched before them, Then which of the favours of your Rabb will you deny? Like unto rubies and coral." [55:5658] al-Hoor are also described as restraining their gaze upon their husbands i.e. they restrict their gaze and don't let their eyes wander to others. Allaah (swt) has stated that they are very beautiful, and it is sufficient to know that Allaah (swt) said: "In them will be fair [companions] good and beautiful; then which of the favours of your Rabb will you deny? Companions restrained [as to their glances] in [goodly] pavilions" [55:70-72] The women are not like the women of this world. They are free of al-Hayd [menstruation], an-Nifaas [postnatal bleeding], spittle, mucus, urine and stools. This is what is referred to in the aayah: "..And they shall have therein Azwaajun Mutahharatun [purified mates]" [2:25] The Prophet (saw) told us about the beauty of the wives of the People of Paradise. al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger (saw) said, "...the marrow of whose leg-bones will be visible through the flesh because of their extreme beauty." [as-sahih, Kitaab al-Khalq, Baab Maa Jaa'a fi Sifaat al-Jannah, Fath al-Baari, 6/318 and Muslim in Kitaab al-Jannah wa Sifaat Na'eem ahlilhaa, Baab awwal zumrah tadkhul al-Jannah, 4/2178, no. 2834] Look at this beauty that the Prophet (saw) described! Can you find any comparison to it in the world that you know?! : "If one of the women of Paradise were to look at the people of this world, everything in between them would be lit up and filled with her fragrance. The veil on her head is better than this world and everything in it." [al-Bukhaari, in as-sahih, Kitaab al-Jihaad, Baab wa Zawwajnahum bi Hoor-'Eeyn. Fath al-Baari, 6/15] The smallest number of wives that any one man will have in Paradise is seventy-two. It was reported that the Shaheed will have seventy two wives from amongst al-Hoor a--'Eeyn [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/357, no. 3834, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah from al-Miqdaam ibn Ma'd Yakrib]

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

The Song of al-Hoor al-'Eeyn The Messenger (saw) told us that al-Hoor in Jannah sing with sweet, beautiful voices. In al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, at-Tabaraani reports with a sahih isnaad from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (saw) said, "The wives of the people of Paradise will sing to their husband in the most beautiful voices that anyone has ever heard. What they will sing is: "We are good and beautiful, the wives of a noble people, who look at their husbands content and happy." And they will sing, "We are eternal, and will never die, we are safe and will never fear, we are remaining here and will never go away."" [sahih al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 2/48, no. 1557; also Abu Na'eem, ad-Diyaa in Sifaat al-Jannah] Samawayh reported in al-Fawaa'id from Anas that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "al-Hoor al-'Eeyn are singing in Paradise saying, "We are the beautiful houris, we are being kept for noble husbands."" [sahih al-Jaami', 2/58, no. 1598]