Part 24

You will always have good health and never fall ill; you will live for ever and never die; you will always be young and never grow old; and you will always be rich and never grow poor; for the words of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, are: ( It will be proclaimed to them: 'This is your Garden which you have inherited for what you did.' ) (7: 42) 80 Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "Allah has said, 'I have prepared for My righteous slaves things which have never been seen by any eye, nor heard by any ear, nor imagined by any human being.' If you wish, you can recite this verse from the Noble Quran: ( No self knows the delight that is hidden away for it in recompense for what it used to do." ) (32: 17) 81 Ibn Abbas said, "There is nothing in the life of this world which is exactly the same as what is in Paradise - except the names - but honey in this life is not like the honey of Paradise, the wine is not same, and the grapes here are not the same as grapes there." No matter how much we read about the grace, well being and abundance of the Garden we cannot imagine how wonderful and marvellous it is. Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "There is a tree in Paradise in whose shade a rider can travel for a hundred years. If you wish, you can recite, ( and wide-spreading shade ) (56: 32). And even a place in Paradise as small as a bow is better than everything on which the sun rises and sets." 82 The Gates of Paradise Sahl Ibn Sad related that the Prophet said, "Paradise has eight gates, one of which is called Ar-Rayyan, through which none will enter except those who used to fast." 83 Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "Whoever gives two kinds of sadaqa in the Way of Allah will be summoned from all of the gates of Paradise — and Paradise has eight gates. Whoever is from amongst the people who used to do the prayer will be summoned from the Gate of Prayer; and whoever is from amongst the people who used to fight jihad will be summoned from the Gate of Jihad; and whoever is from amongst those who used to fast will be summoned from the Gate of Fasting; and whoever is from amongst those who used to give sadaqa, will be summoned from the Gate of Sadaqa." Abu Bakr said, "Whoever is summoned from any of these gates will not feel any distress or need. Will there be anyone who will be summoned from all of these gates?" The Prophet replied, "Yes, and I hope you will be one of them."84 The Ranks of Paradise It is related in the Sahihain that the Prophet said, "Paradise has one hundred degrees and the distance between each degree is like the distance between the heavens and the earth." In another sahih hadith it is related that he said: "Paradise has one hundred degrees which Allah has reserved for the mujahidin who used to fight in His Way, and the distance between each 80 Muslim, 17 / 175; Al-Tirmidhi, 12/124-125. 81 al-Bukhari, 6/318; Muslim, 17/166; Ibn Majah, 4328. 82 al-Bukhari, 6/320; Muslim, 13/26; Al-Tirmidhi, 7/ 155. 83 al-Bukhari, 6/328; Muslim, 8/32. 84 al-Bukhari, 7/ 19; Muslim, 7/115-116; Malik, 2 / 469; Al-Nasa'i', 6/22-23. degree is the same as the distance between the heavens and the earth." 85 So there are degrees in Paradise and the highest degree belongs to our beloved Prophet He said in a sahih hadith, "So if you ask Allah for anything ask Him for Firdous, for it is the highest part of the Garden and the most exalted part of the Garden and above it is the Throne of the Merciful from which the rivers of the Garden gush forth."86 Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri related that the Prophet said, "The people of the Garden will gaze at those who dwell in its lofty mansions in the same way as you look at a brilliant star on the far horizon in the east or west — and all of this will be because of their excellence over each other."87 The Dwellings in Paradise Allah says: ( But those who have taqwa of their Lord will have high-ceilinged Halls and more such Halls built one above the other, and rivers flowing under them. That is Allah's promise. Allah does not break His promise. ) (39: 19) So Allah has told us that there certainly are lofty mansions in the Garden, one above another. Abu Musa' al-Ash'ari related that the Prophet said, "A dwelling (in the Garden) is like a hollow pearl which is sixty miles high and in every corner of the dwelling the believer will have a family which cannot be seen by the others." 88 Abdullah ibn Qais related that the Prophet said, "In the Garden there is a Hall made of a single hollow pearl sixty miles wide, in each corner of which there are wives who will not see those in the other corners — and the believer will visit all of them and enjoy their company.