Question
Our valued Sheikh, when we enter Paradise – with Allah’s Willing- shall we find a life like our modern life?
Answer
All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow him.
The pleasures of Paradise as was reported in the Qur’an and the Sunnah are completely different from the pleasures of the world, only names are similar to make us understand the meanings of these items as was reported by Ibn `Abbas: “Nothing in Paradise looks similar to the items of the world, they are only similar in names.”
Abu Nu`aym reported in Sifat Al Jannah (21 / 2) Al Bayhaqy and Ad-Diya’ Al Maqdisy in “Al Mukhtarah” and Al Mundhiry said in At-Targhib wat-Tarhib (4 / 278):
With a good chain of narration, and Al Albany graded it as authentic in As-Silsilah As-Sahihah (2188).
The common amount between the names of worldly items and the items of Paradise is general and is not determined by specification as in some worldly creatures agree in names and differ in facts, like the hand of an ant and the hand of the elephant; they agree in the name of the hand and they differ in reality; these have special descriptions that are different from the other in shape, form, and quality.
In the world, we have fruits, meat, pomegranate, and date palm, and in Paradise there are meat, fruits, pomegranate, date palm, among others which have the same name in the world. These items do not look like worldly items not in shape, form, or quality. Allah likened the items of Paradise to items we know in the world to imagine these items which we do not see with our eyes, so the difference is in names only. Sheikh Al Islam, Ibn Taymiyah said in Al Fatwa Al Hamawiyyah Al Kubra (p. 544): It was authentically reported from Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “There is nothing in Paradise of the things we have in the world but names only.” Allah told the people: No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) told that there are things which have never been seen by an eye, or heard by an ear, or imagined by a human being in Paradise.
If you ponder over the narrations reported about the pleasures of Paradise, you shall be sure about what I am saying and you would realize the truth because there is a big difference between the pleasures of the world and the pleasures of the Paradise. All the rivers, beds, mattresses, and cups of the world are different from the things that exist in Paradise which Allah prepared for them in heaven. However, there is a big difference between both items: A man spends his entire life in building and when he finishes, the building will be subject to corruption, collapse, and reformation, but the building of Paradise is as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described: “A brick of silver and a brick of gold and its mortar is musk, strong in scent, and its pebbles are pearls and rubies, and its soil is saffron. He who enters it will be well blessed, not sad. He will live forever, never to die, there dresses will never wear out and their youth will never end.” [Reported by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhy, and Ad-Darimy]. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “And beautiful mansions in Gardens of ‘Adn (Eden Paradise).” [Surat As-Saf: 12].
Some of these tents are not made of cloth, but they are made of hollow pearls as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “In Paradise the believer will have a tent made of a single hollowed pearl of which the length will be sixty miles in the sky. The believer will have his wives with him and he will visit them and they will not be able to see one another.”
The rivers of the world may be contaminated with impurities, dust, saltiness, dryness, and reliction, but the rivers of Paradise are: “Rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed, rivers of milk of which the taste never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure).” [Surat Muhammad: 15].
The strips of Al Kawthar are made of gold, its stream is made of pearl and sapphire, its dust smells better than musk, its water is more delicious than honey, and its color is whiter than snow. The women of the world are not like the women of Paradise because you enjoy them despite their defects but the women of Paradise are purified [purified wives] [Surat Al Baqarah: 25] from menstruation, post childbirth blood, semen, urine, defecation, mucus, and bad smells. They have no defect or ugliness, but they are beautiful in shape and manner “Qâsirât-at-Tarf [chaste females (wives), restraining their glances (desiring none except their husbands)], with wide and beautiful eyes.” [Surat Ar-Rahman: 56]. They do not look to anyone but their husbands “Hûr (beautiful, fair females) guarded in pavilions;”[Surat Ar-Rahman: 71] and do not leave their houses. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “And if one of the women of Paradise looked at the earth, she would fill the whole space between them (the earth and the heaven) with light, and would fill whatever is in between them, with perfume, and the veil of her face is better than the whole world and whatever is in it.” [Reported by Al Bukhari].
As for the food of the world, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said about it “The food of the son of Adam was given as an example to the world and if a person adds spices and salt to it, look what it will be.” [Reported by `Abdullah ibn Ahmad in his additional narrations with a good chain of transmission, reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Al Bayhaqy].
As for the food of Paradise, it is good. “[And with the flesh of fowls that they desire.” [Surat Al Waqi`ah: 21].
Likewise the fruits “And with fruit that they may choose.” [Surat Al Waqi`ah: 20].
Likewise all types of pleasures and the different kinds of food without harm. A person is given the appetite of 100 persons, whereas the rich sit today at a table full of different kinds of food but they do not reach their hands to it. As for the food of Paradise, it is near and does not need any difficulty in gaining it. “And the shade thereof is close upon them, and the bunches of fruit thereof will hang low within their reach.” [Surat Al Insan: 14].
Likewise the case in wine, markets, and the atmosphere.
Dear valued brother, ponder over all these things and you shall find yourself repeating Allah’s Saying: “No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” [Surat As-Sajdah: 17].
It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Allah said: “I have prepared for My Pious slaves things which have never been seen by an eye, or heard by an ear, or imagined by a human being.” If you wish, you can recite this Verse from the Holy Qur’an:-“No soul knows what is kept hidden for them, of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” [Surat As-Sajdah: 17].
I ask Allah to forgive our sins and make us from the inhabitants of Paradise without prior torment or reckoning.
