A Tour of Paradise

A TOUR OF PARADISE

A tour of Paradise inspired by the description of Paradise in Quran,authentic hadeeth and from the book “Description of Paradise in glorious Quran”

let’s start our journey to the land of wonderland. Some of us might have read the novel Alice in wonderland, this is the real wonderland; Jannah. In it are things that an eye has never seen and an ear that has never heard and a mind that cannot even imagine, but we all have our own personal ideas of what eternal bliss would probably be like.To prepare for our journey, we need to find out what our destination is like; who are its people, and most importantly, how to get there.

Allah has also described Paradise in many places in the Qur’an,hadith and tafsirs.It is a garden of Perpetual bliss,an everlasting abode.Let us try to visualise jannah and strive to attain it.

WE WILL PASS THE TEST OF QIYAMAH:

So the first thing that will happen is that we will pass and we ask Allah aza wa jal to make
everyone of us among the people of Jannah. So you are going to be placed in al-Kantara before
Jannah.

OUR FINAL PURIFICATION WILL TAKE PLACE

Kantara is a river or a stream and the final purification process will happen in this al-
Kantara. So anything between us and the other people of Jannah, anything that happened
between us will be sorted out in this Kantara.

WE WILL BE PRESENTED WITH APPETISER

When we would wish to eat something. we will be served a treat.Do you know what is the first thing that we will eat as soon as we get into Jannah?Caudate lobe of Fish liver.it’s different then any other fish we had but its going to be good and this is going to be the appetiser.

OUR MAIN COURSE DISH

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said the bull that used to graze from the plants of Jannah will be slaughtered for us. In other words, there is this bull right now that is grazing in Jannah and it is fattening itself and preparing itself for us to eat so it’s going around and eating from the plants of Jannah.

OUR DRINK

Do you Know what is the drink that will be served along with this food? RasulAllah sallallahu’alayhi wa sallam said that we will get to drink from the spring called Salsabeel. So this is the first thing that we will eat,the
appetiser and then the main dish and then the drinks.

WE WILL KNOW OUR DIRECTION TO OUR MANSIONS IN JANNAH

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in another hadith that, as soon as you enter the gates of paradise
you will know the directions to your mansion better than you knew the directions to your house
in Dunya. Because that is where we are from, you’re from Jannah, right? Where was Adam
‘alayhi sallam born, where did he live? In Jannah. we are his children so now we are going
back to our real home so our heart will guide us towards our address and we will know it
better than we knew your address in Dunya.

WE WILL BE EXCITED TO SEE OUR PALACE AND TENT

We will be rushing through the different streets of Jannah to make it towards our mansion
and as soon as we get there we will see a huge palace awaiting for us and it is something that cannot be
described because the architecture is completely different then anything we have in Dunya.
Allah aza wa jal says: (interpretation of meaning)”

Mansions on top of each other. We will
see rooms on top of each other, they are not next to each other they are hanging somehow over
each other and you have rivers flowing in between so it is an architecture that you can’t even
describe”. And then we will see that next to this mansion that we have there is another mansion which is
actually a tent, it’s not a palace it’s a tent but it is made out of a hollow pearl. RasulAllah
sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says it is sixty miles wide that’s the tent in Jannah.Masha Allah!

ref:Abu Musa al-Ash’ari narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “Verily, for the believers in Paradise, are tents made of a single hollow pear. The length of which would be sixty miles long from all sides, their wives being therein. The believer will go around them (i.e., visit them) and they will not be able to see each other.” [Sahih al-Jami]

ADVICE:
If we want to have more of those palaces? the prescription advised is;” if you build a Masjid Allah will
build for you a palace in Jannah. And there is even something even easier; if you pray the 12
voluntary Sunnan of Salaah you will receive a palace in Jannah; two rakat before Fajr, four
before Zuhr, two after Zuhr and two after Maghrib and two after Isha. You get your mansion in
Jannah”.

also see: Treasures of Paradise

WE WILL MEET OUR SPOUSE

Something will distract us from taking a look at the design of our mansion,it will be our wives .The men will be greeted by their wives in Jannah and as soon as she appears they will forget about everything
else.”

You are not going to pay attention to the mansion, you are not going to pay attention to the
trees because you have seen something that has obsessed your vision. And Ibn al-Qayyim says
you will be there staring at your wife for forty years, Allahu Alim (Allah knows best) how he got
that number but it could be possible and that is al-Hoor al-‘Ayn.And Allah subhana wa ta’aala has described al-Hoor, these are two gems and Allah aza wa jal says (interpretation of meaning) they are like protected pearls.

And RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in Bukhari, if one of the women of Jannah shows up in Jannah to the people of the earth and you are here on earth, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says she would fillthat distance with light and she would fill it with her scent. And then RasulAllah sallallahu’alayhi wa sallam says and the scarf that is on her head is better than the world and everything in it. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is not talking about her just the cloth that is on top of her, is better than the world and everything in it”, and this hadith is in Bukhari.

“Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds), and all that they will ask for. (It will be said to them): “Salamun” (Peace be on you), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful.” [36:55-58]

9)WE WILL BE AMAZED AT THE BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR OF OUR MANSION

Having met our spouse,we would explore the other beautiful gifts in jannah.We will see the furniture which Allah subhana wa ta’aala has provided for us in our mansion.We will recline in raised thrones.
Now we were not the one who designed the layout nor was it your wife.

The layout of the furniture in your mansion was designed by the angels and Allah aza wa jal says (interpretation of meaning) the layout of the beds is very high the pillows are spread out. So even the layout of the furniture not the just the fabric of it and the contents of it, is amazing. And then when we get into the fabric and material ,everything is simply amazing Allah subhana wa ta’aala has described the interior that we will have in Jannah but yes, the quality and standard of everything in Jannah will be different,.Masha allah!

WE WILL WANT TO EXPLORE JANNAH MORE

After spending some time in our mansion,We would love to go and explore jannah more. There will be a lot of surprises for us. So we won’t want to miss them and an angel will offer himself to accompany us and be our guide. So we will go with this angel to visit the different parts of your territory it will take us a long time just to see what Allah has given us.

We will walk around perplexed at the serenity of the place.At a time,we will be mesemerised by the beautiful scent coming out from the dirt of jannah. The dirt of Jannah is actually a musk. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says the soil of Jannah isvery fine, white in colour pure musk (Muslim).

WE WILL SEE RIVERS OF WATER,MILK, WINE AND HONEY

We will see the beautiful rivers with fresh water and laid cups of gold and silver.It will be so enchanting that we would like to sit there forever. The angel will tells us that those river belongs to us..We would just want to sit there forever,we won’t want to go anywhere just sit there drinking from this river. The angel will tell us,” if you want you can just sit here and drink as much as you want but you have another river, how about we go and visit it”.

So we will jump up and decide to go with the angel. We will get to that other river and to our amazement we will find it white.Yes,the river of milk! And the colour and taste of it does not go sour because of time. It does not expire.It is always fresh. So we sit there drinking from that river. Again we won’t want to move from there.

And the angel will tell us again,” it is up to if you want to stay here you can but you have a third river”. So
we will decide to see this other river that is reserved for us and we find out that it is
not water not milk but it is khamr.It is wine. It is pure enjoyment. So we drink from it and again we would like to sit there forever. And then the angel will tell us that we have a fourth river waiting for us. So now we go and visit this fourth river which is pure honey.
These four rivers were mentioned in the Quran in Surah Muhammad verse fifteen.(Surah Muhammad: 15)

WE WILL SEE THOSE FAMOUS TREES OF JANNAH

We will notice the trees of jannah and ask about them .I had read about the duas ,which if said would plant a tree in jannah,and I always wondered wht would anyone like to plant a tree in jannah?I found out that the trees are special.They are made of gold.Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,”There is not a tree in Paradise, except that its trunk is made of gold.” [Sahih al-Jami]The angel offers to take us to Shajarat Tuba, a tree in Jannah called Tuba.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says about Tuba, that the tree of Tuba, it will take you a
hundred years to cross it. And RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says the fruits of this tree
produce the clothes of the people of Jannah.

WE WILL SEE THE GRAEATEST TREE,SIDRATUL MUNTAHA

And then the guide will take us to the greatest tree of all and that is Sidratul Muntaha. Sidratul
Muntaha is a tree of Sidr. Sidr is a tree that exists in Dunya, it is a tree that grows in Arabia and
it is a special tree. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said the one who cuts down a sidr tree
will be thrown in hellfire head first. So it is a special tree and it is also the highest tree in Jannah,
it is right under the throne of Allah aza wa jal.

In the journey of al-Isra wal-Mi’raaj, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam got to see Sidratul
Muntaha. And he sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that I saw this tree and then the light of Allah
came over this tree so it was covered with colours that I can’t even describe. And it is mentioned
in Surah Najm, so this is the tree that is on the top of Jannah.
(Surah Najm: 14-15)

Now these trees are loaded with fruits, they are year round. There is never a season where we
won’t find fruits and no one will be prevented from eating the fruits of any tree. And there is
going to be a pair of everything, so there is two types of oranges, mangoes, two types of
everything. And if you eat an orange today, if you eat an orange tomorrow it will have a different
taste and its better. So Jannah is not the same, Jannah is always improving everyday is better
than the day before.

ADVICE:

How can we increase our share of the trees of Jannah?

In the journey of M’eraj,Ibrahim alayhi sallam said give your ummah my salaam and then he alayhi sallam said,” tell them that the trees of Jannah are

SubhanAllah Alhamdulilah Laa Ilaaha Illa Allah wa Allahu Akbar.”

also see: Treasures of Paradise

WE WILL HAVE LOTS OF OPTION OF FOOD

Jannah has all flavours and all delights.We won’t ever feel hungry in jannah.Just make a wish and get the food served instantly.Subhan Allah.The food will be of the taste like that of earth ,but of the finest quality.We won’t miss our chocolates and cakes too.Jannah has everything which we can’t even imagine.we will be served in unique transparent silver plates that would be crystal clear.

Crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure thereof (according to their
wishes).(Surah Al-Insan: 16)

WHAT A DELIGHT IT IS TO SIT ON RAISED THRONE WEARING THE FINEST SILK AND BEING SERVED THE BEST FOOD BY YOUNG BOYS

“And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shade will be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low within their reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passed around amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure of them according to their wishes.

They will be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabeel, and a fountain called Salsabeel. Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth. If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. When you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink.” [76:12-21]

OH,THE SUMMON! THE DEATH OF DEATH

So now decades will have passed since we entered into Jannah and we will suddenly hear an
announcement. Every single citizen of Jannah is summoned to appear next to the barrier that
separates between Jannah and Naar. So all of the people of Jannah will gather next to this barrier and
when everybody will be there both of the people of Jannah and the people of hellfire,the angels will come forth and they will bringwith them death.

And death will come in the form of a ram. The death will be placed between Jannah and Naar and then the angels will slaughter it and kill it.

So this is the death of death. And the people of Jannah will be told that it is pleasure and you will never die. And the people of hellfire will be told it is punishment and you will never die. It is eternity for both of you.(Allahumma ajirni min an naar)

And RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that will be one of the greatest moments for the
people of Jannah. When they will realise that this blessing is endless and that there is no death
that will follow them.

WE WILL REQUEST FOR AN APPOINTMENT WITH RASULALLAH

We would request for an appointment with RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and we
will go and meet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and we will spend a few years with
him, Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would love to meet us if we were a part of his ummah
and we are in Jannah,masha allah.

Remember that Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam cares for us so much that his wives are called Ummahatul Mu’mineen the mothers of the believers. He sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the father of the ummah and his wives are the mothers of this ummah.And RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has said it to the Sahabah radhiAllahu anhum I wish that I can meet my brothers.

So he sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is eager to meet you. And then the Sahabahs’ radhiAllahu anhum said aren’t we your brothers. And then he sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said you are my Sahabah my brothers are the ones who will come and they have never
seen me.
So just like RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is so eager to meet us, we are also eager to
meet him and we can spend a few years with him talking about whatever we want.

We will be able to meet everyone,from the sahabas to the prophets since prophet Adam.We would love to meet with our family and friends,rejoicing each second. And these meetings are
limitless and we can have them whenever we want wherever we want.

And We shall remove from their breasts any deep feeling of bitterness (that they may have), (So, (So
they will be like) brothers facing each other on thrones.
(Surah Al-Hijr: 47)

OUR GARDEN WILL BE MADE OF GOLD AND SILVER

We will be introduced to a pair of gardens that we had earned. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam says you will have two gardens everything in them is gold and you will have two gardens
everything in them is silver. The trees, the cups, the plates, everything.

HERE COMES THE DAY OF FRIDAY-A MEETING WITH ALLAH

The day of Friday is a special day in Dunya and it is also a special day in Jannah. RasulAllah
sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that the people of Jannah every Friday will go to a gathering
place and they will be seated according to how close they were to the Imam in Khutbah tul
Jummah.

So it is a reserved seating we can’t just go and pick a seat, it is reserved according to
where we used to be in the masjid in Jummah. The closer we were to the khateeb on Jummah
the closer we will be to Allah in that gathering because that gathering is between the people of
Jannah and Allah aza wa jal. And that is when the people of Jannah will get to see the face of
Allah aza wa jal.

And RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that this is the greatest pleasure they will be
given, it is to see the face of Allah aza wa jal.RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had said
that the people of the lower levels in Jannah will get to see Allah aza wa jal once a week on
Friday but the people who are in Al-Firdaus a’aala with get to see Allah aza wa jal twice
everyday, once in the morning and once in the evening. This is Al-Firdaus a’aala.

WE WILL VISIT THE MARKET,AND BECOME MORE BEAUTIFUL

Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,
“Verily in Paradise there is a market in which (the inhabitants of Paradise) will come to every Friday. The North wind will blow and scatter fragrances on their faces and on their clothes. This will add to their beauty and their attractiveness. They will then go back to their families after having an added luster to their beauty and their attractiveness. Their families will say to them, ‘By Allah you have been increased in beauty and loveliness after leaving us,’ and they will say, ‘By Allah you too have increased in beauty and attractiveness after us.'” (Muslim)

MAY ALLAH GIVE US JANNATUL FIRDAUS

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,
“The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star, far away in the East or in the West of the horizon. This is because of their superiority over one another (in reward).” One of the people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger, are these lofty mansions for the Prophets which no one else can reach?”

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) replied, “No! By Allah, in whose Hands is my life, these are for men who believe in Allah and also believe in the Messenger.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

“And those foremost (In Tawheed and obedience to Allah and His Messenger in this life) will be foremost (in Paradise). They will be those nearest to Allah in the Gardens of Delight. A multitude of those (the foremost) will be from the first generation (who embraced Islam) and a few of those (the foremost) will be from the later (generations). They will be reclining, face to face, on thrones woven with gold and precious stones. They will be served by immortal boys, with cups and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine, from which they will have neither any headache, nor any intoxication.

They will have fruit from which they may choose, and the flesh of fowls that they desire. There will be Houris with wide, lovely eyes (as wives for the pious), like preserved pearls, a reward for deeds that they used to do. They will hear no vain or sinful speech (like backbiting, etc.) but only the saying of: Salam, Salam, (greetings of peace). And those on the Right Hand, who will be those on the Right Hand?

They will be among thorn-less lote-trees among Talh (banana trees) with fruits piled one above another, in long-extended shade, by constantly flowing water, and fruit in plenty, whose season is not limited, and their supply will not be cut off. They will be on couches or thrones raised high. Verily, We have created for them (maidens) of equal age, loving (their husbands only). For those on the Right Hand.” [56:10-38]

Our brief and short tour of Jannah is over;we have tried to put together most of the descriptions of jannah from Quran and hadith,but there is lots more.Allah says in chapter 32 verse 17:

“So no soul knows the delights of the eyes which is hidden for them; a reward for what they did.” [32:17]

Reference:

This is a transcribed lecture of Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki with a furter consultation ofDescription of Paradise in the Glorious Qur’anand Tafseer of Quran

Did you enjoy the tour of jannah with us.Let us pray that Allah grant us jannatul Firdaus and we get to see Allah(s.w.t) everyday.