What is Paradise like?

04/19/2012 12:42

The following table breaks down a variety of Surah's that talk about Paradise.  The following text summarizes what both Allah revealed to Muhammad in the Quran and what Muhammad himself mentioned to his followers.  For this study I have used the Tafsir (commentary) of Ibn Kathir1, a widely accepted master scholar of the Quran.  His commentary on the Quran is based on his compiled list of sayings by Muhammad that are found in the Hadith (i.e. Sahih al Bukhari2).  You can read more about Ibn Kathir  here .  The website of Ibn Kathir's commentary for each Surah can be found at www.qtafsir.com3. 

 

Surah What Allah Says
44:51-57
  • We are safe from death, worry, grief, terror, exhaustion, troubles, natural disasters, sickness and the devil
  • There are gardens and springs
  • We are dressed in sudus (the finest silk clothing)
  • We are dressed in Istabraq (silk woven with tiny threads, worn over the clothes)
  • We will face each other while sitting on thrones
  • We will be married to Hur (fair females) with lovely wide eyes as a gift from Allah where:
    • ​No man or Jin has touched or had Tamath (sex) with them
    • Hurs are like rubies and Marjan
  • ​We will enjoy a life of luxury
  • Clothes will never wear out
  • We are healthy and youthful forever
52:20-40
  • We will enjoy various types of food, drinks, clothes, dwelling places, and mounts
  • There are delights that no eye has ever seen, nor ear has ever heard, nor has the heart imagined
  • We will be sitting on thrones
  • We will be married to Hur (fair females)
  • Allah makes for us in paradise righteous spouses, beautiful wives from al-hur al-ayn
  • There are higher and lower ranks of Paradise
  • Parents will see their children in Paradise in the same rank level
  • Women will be made virgins again in Paradise
  • Wives will be passionate with their husbands, beautiful and cheerful
  • Men will be given such and such strength for women (strength of 100-men)
  • The man will be able to have sexual intercourse with 100-virgins a day
  • Wives are infatuated with their husbands like a she-camel in heat
  • These women are created, kept or given in marriage and are 33-yrs old
55:54-56
  • There are couches lined with Istabraq (thick silk) embroided in gold
  • Fruits will be easy to reach if we are sitting down or reclined
  • There are couches and beds
  • There are quasitat at-tarf, chaste females and wives restraining their glances and desiring their husbands that see their husbands as the most beautiful to them
  • Women are virgins
  • Jins are also in paradise
  • Jins will get married to female virgins
  • Humans will get married to female virgins
  • Allah says that women are lik eyaqut and marjan (pure as rubies and white as marjan) like perls
  • Each will marry two wives
  • You can see through the flesh of the woman, the marrow of their bones
55:62-78
  • There are gardens made of gold and silver
  • There are all kinds of fruit
  • The al-khayrat are created for honorable husbands
  • The al-khayrat are well mannered beautiful women
  • There are hur females guarded in pavilions
  • The believer will have a tent from a hollow pearl, 60-miles wide
  • In each corner of the tent there are wives for the believer that do not see the other wives and the believer will visit them all
  • There are cushions called rafraf
  • There are beautiful rich carpets called abqariy
56:17-36
  • There are ranks among the believers in heaven
  • 70,000 among the prophet's "ummah" enter paradise without judgment
  • There are immortal boys that will be around you in paradise
  • There will be wine flowing from rivers
  • There are cups that do not have handles or spouts
  • You will not get intoxicated or sick from drinking wine in paradise
  • You can choose from any fruit and any flesh of birds that you desire to eat
  • There is no foul speech in paradise
  • You will greet one another with "salam"
  • Trees will be full of fruit and no thorns
  • There are trees so big that you can travel 100-yrs under its shade
  • Fruit will have the same shape as what we are use to seeing but a different taste
  • There are high and soft couches
  • Allah made virgins for those on the right (atrab, urub) and they will be on beds and couches
  • The 1st group to enter paradise will be "shining" like the moon when its full
  • The 2nd group to enter paradise will be like the most radiant planet in the sky (they will not urinate, relieve nature, spit or blow their noses)
    • They will have gold combs
    • Their sweat smells like musk
    • Their wives will be from al-hur al-ayn
    • Their shape will be like Adam (60-cubits high) 
43:71
  • There are trays of gold cups passed around with food and drink
  • There are beautiful scents
  • No one will enter paradise by their deeds alone
18:31
  • There are bracelets of gold and silk garments
69:24
  • There are elevated castles
  • There are beautiful wide-eyed maidens
  • There is eternal joy
  • Paradise has 100-levels and in-between each level is a distance like the earth is to the sky
  • There are fruits
37:46
  • There is wine to drink and fruit
Bukhari 4:479, 546, 464, 5:318
  • Paradise has 8-gates
  • The 1st meal in paradise is the extra-lobe of fish liver
  • You will resemble Adam in appearance and figure
  • Poor people are the majority in paradise and the majority of those in hell are women
  • There are many paradises

 

After a general examination one may notice a major focus on carnal elements of Islamic paradise.  The first surah starts off well in which many would agree (there is no more death, worry, grief, terror, sickness etc.).  However surprisingly the other verses of Allah and Muhammad speak strictly about women, marriage, food, wine, sex and extravagant luxuries. 

 

Questions:

  • If the Quran is the final revelation that has been sent down from Allah, that confirms the Torrah and the Injil sent down before it (S 2:41) do you believe that the Bible has the same message as the Quran in regards to paradise?
  • What is the point of marriage in paradise and having multiple wives?
  • Will there be procreation in paradise?
  • How many paradises are there and can you visit between each level?
  • How can any man enter paradise without being judged (i.e. the 70,000 of the prophet's ummah)?
  • Will you see Jins or will they still be invisible?

 

References:

[1] Ibn Kathir:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Kathir 

[2] Sahih al-Bukhari:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahih_al-Bukhari 

[3] Tafsir Ibn Kathir Online: www.qtafsir.com

[4] https://muttaqun.com/paradise.html

[5] https://www.thedeenshow.com/newmuslims.php?id=429

 

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