The Journey into the Hereafter (part 4 of 8): The Believer and Paradise
Description: How those achieving the success of Paradise on account of faith are received therein.
- By Imam Mufti (co-author Abdurrahman Mahdi)
- Published on 18 Sep 2006
- Last modified on 12 Nov 2021
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Paradise
The believers will be ushered on towards the grand eight gates of Paradise. There, they will receive a joyous angelic reception and be congratulated on account of their safe arrival and salvation from Hell.
"But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, ‘Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein." (Quran 39:73)
(It will be said to the pious): "O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter you then among My honored slaves. Enter you My Paradise!" (Quran 89:27-30)
The best of the Muslims will enter Paradise first. The most righteous of them will ascend to the highest levels.[1]
"But whoever comes to God as a believer (in His Oneness, etc.) and has done righteous good deeds; for such are the high ranks (in the Hereafter)." (Quran 20:75)
"And the foremost 'in faith' will be the foremost 'in Paradise'. They are the ones nearest 'to God', in the Gardens of Bliss." (Quran 56:10-12)
The Quranic description of Paradise gives us a vision of just what a fantastic place it is. An eternal home that will fulfill all our wholesome desires, seduce all our senses, grant us everything we could possibly want and much more besides. God describes His Paradise as having earth made of is fine musk powder,[2] soil of saffron,[3] bricks of gold and silver, and pebbles of pearls and rubies. Beneath the gardens of Paradise are flowing rivers of sparkling water, sweet milk, clear honey, and non-intoxicating wine. The tents on their banks are domes of hollow pearls.[4] The whole space is filled with sparkling light, sweet-smelling plants and fragrances that can be savored from afar.[5] There are lofty palaces, huge mansions, grapevines, date palms, pomegranate trees,[6] lotus and acacia trees whose trunks of made of gold.[7] Ripe, abundant fruit of all kinds: berries, citrus, drupes, grapes, melons, pomes; all kinds of fruit, tropical and exotic; anything the faithful could possibly desire!
"…And therein is whatever each soul desires and delights the eyes..." (Quran 43:71)
Each believer will have a most beautiful, pious and pure spouse, wearing exquisite clothing; And there will be so much more in a new world of eternal, radiant joy.
"And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes [i.e. satisfaction] as reward for what they used to do." (Quran 32:17)
As well as physical delights, Paradise will also give its residents a state of emotional and psychological bliss, as the Prophet said:
"Whoever enters Paradise is blessed with a life of joy; he will never feel miserable, his clothes will never wear out, and his youth shall never fade away. The people will hear a divine call: ‘I grant you that you will be healthy and never fall sick, you will live and never die, you will be young and never age, you will be joyful and never feel miserable.’" (Saheeh Muslim)
Ultimately, the thing that will most delight the eyes will be the Countenance of God Himself. For the true believer, to see this blessed vision of God is to have won the ultimate prize.
"[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, looking at their Lord." (Quran 75:22-23)
This is the Paradise, the eternal home and final destination of the righteous believer. May God, Most High, make us worthy of it.
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