Heaven-Description 2

Gates of Paradise

Paradise has gates through which the believers, like the angels, will enter: ".....And angels shall enter unto them from every gate [with the salutation]: (23) "Peace be unto you for that you persevered in patience! How excellent is the final home!" [Ar-Rad 13:23-24]

Allah (swt) has told us that these gates will be opened when the believers reach them, and they will be welcomed by the angels with greetings of peace: "...... till, when they reach it, its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say, "Salaamun 'alaykum! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein." [Az-Zumr 39:73]

The number of gates in Paradise is eight, one of which is called Ar-Rayyaan, which is exclusively for those who fast. Bukhaari and Muslim report from Sahl ibn Sa'eedi that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "In Paradise there are eight gates, one of which is called ar-Rayyaan. No one will enter it except those who fast, and when they have entered it will be locked behind them and no one else will enter it". [Ibn Katheer]

In addition to Ar-Rayyaan, there are also gates for those who pray much, those who give in charity and those who fight in jihaad; Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever spends a pair [of anything] from his wealth for the sake of Allah (swt) will be called from the gates of Paradise, and Paradise has eight agates. Whoever used to pray [regularly and properly] will be called from the gate of prayer; whoever use to give in charity will be called from the gate of charity' whoever used to fight in jihaad will be called from the gate of jihaad, and whoever used to fast [regularly] will be called from the gate of fasting". [saheeh, Ibn Katheer, an-Nihaayah, 2/214]

The Prophet (saw) also said, "Whoever performs wudhu and does it properly, then lifts his gaze to the sky and says, "Ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah, wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abdahu wa rasuluhu, the eight gates of Paradise will be opened to him, and he will enter it through whichever one he wishes". [Muslim, Ahmad and others on the authority of 'Umar, an-Nihaayah, 2/219]

The Prophet (saw) has told us that the gates of Paradise are opened during Ramadhaan. Bukhaari, Muslim, and Ahmad report from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "When the month of Ramadhan comes, the gates of heaven are opened".

People of Paradise

#Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Allah, 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." [Saheeh Muslim]

#People will not urinate, defecate, spit, blow their noses or excrete.

#There will be no sickness, pain or sadness.

#People will sit on gold-encrusted thrones, reclining on cushions and rich carpets, facing one another, eating and talking and drinking.

Immortal youths will serve them with goblets, and ewers, and cups filled with wine from unsullied springs by which their minds will not be clouded and which will not make them drunk.

The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said about the people of Paradise:

“They will never fall ill, blow their noses or spit.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The prophet answered a person when they asked how the people of Paradise will relieve themselves:

“They relieve themselves by perspiring through their skins, and its fragrance will be that of musk, and all stomachs will have become lean.” (ibn Hibbaan)

None will die in Paradise.  All shall live eternally enjoying the pleasures therein.  The Prophet Muhammad said that a caller will call out in Paradise when people enter it:

“Indeed may you be healthy and never be sick again, may you live and never die again, may you be young and never grow feeble again, may you enjoy, and never feel sorrow and regret again.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "The first group of my ummah to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon and those that come after them will be like the brightest shining star, and those that follow them will be ranked according to their status. They will not defecate, urinate or blow their noses or spit." [Muslim]

“They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin.  But only the saying of: Peace! Peace!” (Quran 56:25-26)

There will be no enmity between people nor ill-feelings:

“And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world)…” (Quran 7:43)

The Prophet said:

“There will be no hatred or resentment among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify God, morning and evening.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

People will have the best of companions in the Hereafter, who were also the best people in the world:

“And whoever obeys God and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor – of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous.  And excellent are those as companions!” (Quran 4:69)

"There they will have all that they desire - and We have more [for them, i.e. a glance at the All-Mighty, All-Majestic." [50:35]

The hearts of the people of Paradise will be pure, their speech will be good, their deeds righteous.  There will be no hurtful, upsetting, offensive or provocative talk there, for Paradise is free of all worthless words and deeds. If we were to discuss all the causes for anguish in this life, we would surely find its absence or opposite to be true in Paradise.

Messenger of Allah (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 Allah, you increased in beauty after you left us." And they will say, "And you too, by Allah, you have increased in beauty since you left us." [Saheeh Muslim]

An-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 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 an-Nawawi ala Muslim, 17/170]

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..." [Ar-Rad 13:23]

"They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones." [Yaseen 36:56]

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

One of the blessings of Paradise for men is that Allah will bestow upon them wives whose love and gaze will be only for them, and he will not see anyone who is better than them, and he will not desire anyone else.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And beside them will be Qaasiraat‑at‑Tarf [chaste females (wives), restraining their glances (desiring none except their husbands)]”      [Al-Saaffaat 37:48].

No woman will be unmarried in Paradise. Every woman will have a husband, and there will be no single people in Paradise. 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “…there will be no one in Paradise who is unmarried.” (Muslim 2834). 

Womens Status in Heaven

The Prophet says: "Women are the sisters of men."

This Hadith means that women have equal status with men and, with regard to religious duties and rights, they enjoy the same treatment. What this means in effect is that every type of enjoyment which is promised in the Qur'an to believers applies both to men and women in equal measure. Women do not have any lower status, nor are they neglected nor treated in an inferior way.

Read Verse 35 of Surah 33, entitled "The Confederates," or "Al-Ahzab". It may be rendered in translation as follows:

"For all men and women who have surrendered themselves to Allah, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves before Allah, and all men and women who give in charity, and all men and women who fast, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember Allah unceasingly: for all of them Allah has indeed readied forgiveness of sins and a great reward." (Al-Ahzab 33:35)

It is well known that with regard to religious duties, men and women are alike. Hence, their reward must be alike in order to maintain justice between them. Likewise, what they may receive in heaven must be the same.

Best Womens of Heaven

The Messenger of Allah (saw) drew four lines and said, "Do you know what these are?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "The best women of Paradise are Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, Faatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint 'Imraan (Mary) and Aasiyah bin Muzahim, the wife of Fir'awn" [Saheehah, 4/13, no. 1508, from Ahmad at-Tahhaawi, al-Haakim from Ibn 'Abbaas, saheeh]

Maryam and Khadeejah are the best of the four - "The best of its women is Maryam (Mary) and the best of its women is Khadeejah" [from 'Ali in Bukhaari, Kitaab Manaaqib al-Ansaar] - and Maryam is the "First Lady" The reason why Maryam is considered the best of all women is clearly stated in the Qur'an:

"Behold! the angels said, "O Maryam! Allah has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations." [Aale-Imran 3:42]

How could she not be the best of women when Allah has clearly stated that, "her Rabb (Lord) accepted her with a goodly acceptance. He made her to grow in a good manner...." [Aale-Imran 3:37]

These four women are beautiful examples of perfect, righteous women. Maryam, the daughter of 'Imraan, is praised by Allah in the Qur'an: "And Maryam, daughter of Imraan, who guarded her chastity; and We breather into [the sleeve of her shirt/garment] through Our Ruh [i.e. Jibreel] and she testified to the truth of the Words of her Rabb, and [also believed in] His Scriptures and she was one of the Qaaniteen [obedient to Allah]" [At-Tahreem 66:12]

Khadeejah as-Siddeeqah believed in the Messenger (saw) without hesitation; she consoled him and supported him in every way. Her Rabb gave her the good news, during her lifetime, of a place in Paradise in which there would be no noise or exhaustion [Bukhaari, Kitaab al-Manaaqib, Fath al-Baari, 7/133]

Aasiyah the wife of Fir'awn (Pharaoh), despised the power and luxuries of this world and rejected Pharaoh and his false claims of divinity, so her husband tortured her until her soul departed to her Creator: "And Allah sets forth an example for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Rabb! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the Dhaalimoon [those that do wrong]" [At-Tahreem 66:11]

Faatimah az-Zahraa, the daughter of the Prophet (saw) was patient and forbearing, and feared Allah. She was a branch from the pure tree, brought up by the educator of humanity.

Eternal Adobe

Humans only live on this earth for a short while, and very few people reach the age of seventy.

“…Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world.  The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears God...” (Quran 4:77)

As for Paradise, people will live forever.  God says:

“...its provision is eternal and so is its shade…” (Quran 13:35)

“What is with you must vanish, and what is with God will endure …” (Quran 16:96)

“(It will be said to them): This is Our Provision, which will never finish” (Quran 38:54)

Will we want More?

"When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, Allâh will say:

"Do you want anything more?"

They will say, "Have You not made our faces white [i.e. honoured us]? Have You not admitted us to Paradise and saved us from the Fire?" Then the veil will be lifted, and they will never have been given anything more dear to them than looking at their Rabb (Lord), may He be Blessed and Exalted."

Paradise is better than our Imagination.

What has been mentioned, has been a mere comparison in order to understand the nature of Paradise, but as God said, its delights are truly hidden:

“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.” (Quran 32:17)

The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description.  They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is as nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter.

“Never mind what God has told you; what He has not told you is even greater.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Allahs Word

God will say to the people of Paradise: “O People of Paradise! They will respond: “Here we are, Our Lord, and all the good is in Your Hands.” God will say: “Are you satisfied?  They will answer: “Why shouldn’t we be satisfied when You have bestowed on us what You have not bestowed on any of Your other creation.” He will say “Shall I not bestow upon you something even better than that?  They will say: “O Our Lord! What could be better than that?  God will say: “I bestow upon you My pleasure and I shall never hereafter be angry with you."

(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim)