بَابُ صِفَةِ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَهْلِهَاDescription of Paradise and Its People

¹ His statement: “I have prepared”: This indicates that Paradise is created, supported by the fact that Adam and Eve resided in Paradise. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “and no human heart has conceived”: If you ask why “human” is specified here, unlike the previous two phrases, I say: Because humans are the ones who benefit from what has been prepared for them and are concerned with it, imagining it in their minds, unlike the angels. The hadith serves as an explanation of the verse, as the verse negates knowledge, and the hadith negates the means of attaining it. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “If Allah admits you to Paradise”: The word “if” is a conditional particle, with the verb in the apocopated form due to the meeting of two vowelless letters. Al-Tayyibi said: It is in the nominative case as a verb explained by what follows, namely, “Allah admits you to Paradise.” It cannot be nominative as a subject because it follows a conditional particle. His statement: “you will not wish to be carried in it” is the response to the condition, meaning you will not wish to be carried in Paradise. Al-Qadi said: The implied meaning is: If Allah admits you to Paradise, you will not wish to be carried on such a horse without being granted it. The meaning is that there is nothing the soul desires that is not found in Paradise as desired, even if one wishes to ride a horse with such qualities, it will be found and attainable. It is also possible that it means: If Allah admits you to Paradise, you will not wish for a mount of red ruby that flies with you wherever you desire and settle for it, seeking a horse like those in this world in reality and quality. The meaning is that you will have mounts that make you independent of the familiar horse. This is supported by another narration: “If you are admitted to Paradise, you will be brought a horse of ruby with two wings, and you will be carried on it.” Perhaps Allah intended to clarify the difference between the mounts of Paradise and those of this world, and the vast disparity between them through imagery and analogy. The horse of Paradise is likened in its essence to the most enduring, radiant, and pure jewel among us, and in its swift movement to a bird, reinforced in another narration by “two wings.” The same applies to the descriptions of Paradise’s buildings, gardens, and rivers, and so forth. The true nature of these is known to Allah, Exalted is He. Al-Tayyibi said: The first interpretation was adopted by Shaykh Al-Turbushti. The phrasing “without it being granted” requires that “except you did” be read in the passive voice, as it is an empty exception, meaning you will not be with your request except fulfilled. If it remains in the active voice, the meaning is you will not be with your request except successful. The second interpretation is closer to the style of the wise, as the man asked about the familiar horse of this world, and he was answered with what is in Paradise, meaning: Abandon what you requested, for you will be independent of it with this described mount. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “was speaking while a Bedouin was present: that a man…”: The word “that” is with a kasrah on the hamzah, indicating narration, as it is part of what he was speaking about. In some versions, it has a fathah, as the object of “was speaking,” and the phrase between them is an incidental condition. Al-Tayyibi said: It is with a kasrah on the hamzah, the object of “was speaking,” narrating what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) uttered, meaning: that a man from the people of Paradise, etc. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “for they are people of cultivation”: The Quraysh gained familiarity with cultivation after arriving in Madinah in the company of the Ansar; otherwise, they were not so in Makkah. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)

¹ His statement: “When a man desires a form, he enters it”: The hadith may have two meanings. First, it could mean that beautiful forms are presented to him, and when he desires and wishes for that form, Allah, Exalted is He, shapes him in its likeness by His power. Second, it could mean that the “form” refers to adornments with which a person beautifies himself in that market, choosing jewelry, garments, or crowns. It is said of someone: “He has a beautiful form,” meaning a pleasing appearance. Thus, if he desires something from it, it is given to him, and “entering it” means adorning himself with it. In both interpretations, the change is in attributes, not in essence. Al-Tayyibi said: It is possible to combine both meanings to align with Anas’s hadith: “A northern breeze blows, scattering on their faces and garments, increasing their beauty and charm.” This is derived from Allah’s saying: “And in it is whatever the souls desire and delights the eyes” [Az-Zukhruf: 71]. The specification of the place, the market, and the time, Friday, may be due to it being the day of increase, meeting, gathering, witnessing the eternal, and enhancing the pure. Allah, Exalted is He, knows best. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “In Paradise, there is a market they visit every Friday”: Al-Nawawi said: The market is a gathering place for the people of Paradise, where they meet every week, though there is no actual week due to the absence of the sun, night, and day. I say: The time of night and day is known by the lowering and raising of curtains of light, as mentioned in some narrations, by which Friday and the days of festivals are known, along with the visits, sightings, and various provisions and blessings associated with them. In Al-Jami’, it is stated that the people of Paradise need scholars in Paradise, as they visit Allah, Exalted is He, every Friday, and He says to them, “Wish for whatever you desire,” and they turn to the scholars, asking, “What should we wish for?” They reply, “Wish for such and such.” Thus, they need them in Paradise as they do in this world. Narrated by Ibn Asakir from Jabir. Naming Friday the “Day of Increase” in Paradise indicates its distinction from other days. Allah, Exalted is He, knows best. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “They reply, ‘And you, by Allah, have increased in beauty and charm’”: This is either because they were touched by that breeze, or due to the reflection of their beauty, or because of the influence of their state and the elevation of their condition. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “equivalent to a Friday”: In the marginal notes, it is said: meaning a week. The apparent meaning is that it refers to Friday itself, as the virtues of Friday indicate that it exists in Paradise as it does in this world, where they attend their Lord, and so on, as the hadith implies. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)

² His statement: “The lowest of them sit”: meaning those of the least rank and degree in Paradise relative to others. His statement: “none among them is lowly” negates any assumption of inferiority for the lowest among them. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)

³ His statement: “what eyes have never seen”: Al-Muzhir said: “what” is a relative pronoun, and it, with its clause, may be in the accusative case as a substitute for the implied pronoun referring to “what I have prepared.” Alternatively, it may be in the nominative case as the predicate of an omitted subject, meaning “what has been prepared for you.” The commentator said: Or it is a subject with an omitted predicate, meaning “is in it.” I say: The latter is more fitting. Al-Tayyibi said: The interpretation is that “what” is an adjective substituting for “market.” (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “we are the blissful ones”: meaning those in luxury, never in poverty or need; or the gentle and beautiful ones, never harsh or unpleasant; or the joyful ones, never sorrowful. Bliss refers to joy. (As stated in Al-Lama’at, quoting Al-Qamus)

¹ His statement: “The space of a whip”: This refers to a small portion of it. His statement: “better” means in both quantity and quality compared to this world and all it contains, for Paradise and its bliss are eternal, while this world and its contents are fleeting. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “in Paradise”: The word “Paradise” in the Qur’an follows the pattern of predominant proper nouns like “the star,” “the Pleiades,” and “the Book.” Originally, “Paradise” referred to any dense garden with intertwined tree branches, then it became predominantly used for the abode of reward. We say it is associated with proper nouns because it is not inherently tied to them. The precise statement is that it is a term transferred in Islamic law by way of predominance. It only became predominant because it was existent and known. Similarly, the term “Fire” is transferred to the abode of punishment by predominance, even though it includes frost, molten metal, and blazing straw, among others. Otherwise, there would be no need to seek palaces, Hur al-’Ayn, and youthful servants in Paradise, nor protection from frost, molten metal, and blazing straw in the Fire. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “Narrated by Bukhari”: In Al-Jami’, it is said: Narrated by Bukhari, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah from Sahl ibn Sa’d, and by Tirmidhi from Abu Hurairah. Thus, the statement of the author of Al-Mishkat that it is “Agreed Upon” is questionable for two reasons. In Al-Jami’, it is said: “The space of one of your whips in Paradise is better than what is between the heavens and the earth,” narrated by Ahmad from Abu Hurairah. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “A morning”: meaning a single instance of going out in the early part of the day. His statement: “an evening”: meaning a single instance of going out in the latter part of the day or early night. The word “or” is not for doubt but for variation, meaning each of them in the cause of Allah’s pleasure, such as fighting, pilgrimage, migration, or seeking knowledge. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “a tree”: Shaykh Ibn Hajar said: Ibn al-Jawzi said: This tree is called Tuba. I say: This is supported by narrations from Ahmad, At-Tabarani, and Ibn Hibban. His statement: “under its shade”: meaning under its protection, as shade in common usage protects from the heat of the sun, and there is no sun in Paradise. In general, the intent is to travel under it, like the shade of the Throne. It is possible that the tree has a radiant light that acts as a shielding veil for what is beneath it. His statement: “the space of a bow”: In Al-Faiq, it is said that “qab” means measure, and the apparent meaning is the measure of the space of one of your bows in Paradise. His statement: “or sets”: The word “or” means “and,” as the intent is what lies between the two horizons, which is an expression for this world and all it contains. (As stated in Al-Mirqat and Al-Lama’at)

¹ His statement: “whose trunk is of gold”: Its branches vary, sometimes of gold, sometimes of silver, ruby, emerald, or pearl, adorned with various flowers and radiant lights. Above them are all kinds of fruits, and beneath them flow rivers. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “the strength for such-and-such in intimacy”: This is a euphemism for intimacy with multiple women, such as ten, for example. His statement: “He will be given the strength of a hundred”: meaning the strength of a hundred men, as some have said, or a hundred instances of intimacy. The meaning is that if it is so, he will have the capacity for it. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “In each corner of it”: meaning of that tent, “family members” refers to the believer’s spouse and others, “who do not see” meaning those family members, with the plural referring to the meaning of “others.” His statement: “the believer visits them” means the believer is intimate with the family members, with “visiting” here being a euphemism for intimacy. His statement: “two gardens” is a subject with an omitted predicate, meaning the believer has two gardens. His statement: “and all they contain” refers to palaces, furnishings like beds, tree branches, and the like. His statement: “two gardens of gold, their vessels and all they contain”: The apparent meaning is that the two gardens are purely of silver, and vice versa. Reconciling this with the hadith describing Paradise’s structure as having one brick of gold and one of silver is that the former describes the vessels and other contents of Paradise, while the latter describes its walls. His statement: “Nothing stands between the people”: meaning no barrier prevents the people of Paradise from seeing their Lord except the veil of majesty, meaning the attribute of grandeur. Shaykh Al-Turbushti said: Nothing stands between the believing servant, once settled in his place in Paradise with the lifting of the veils of physical impurities and the removal of sensory barriers, and seeing his Lord except what restrains him from the awe of majesty and the splendor of glory. This is lifted only by Allah’s compassion and mercy as a favor to His servants. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “From water”: Scholars differ on the first thing Allah created among physical entities. Most say it is water, as it is receptive to all forms. Then the earth was made from it by condensation and solidification, and fire and air by rarefaction. When water is rarefied, it becomes air, fire is formed from the purest water, and the heavens from the smoke of fire. This hadith supports this view. As for what is mentioned in the marginal notes that “water” refers to the sperm-drop, this implies that “creation” refers to all living things, as Allah says: “And We made from water every living thing” [Al-Anbiya: 30]. Allah, Exalted is He, knows best. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)

² His statement: “never in distress”: With a silent ba and an open hamzah, meaning never in poverty or concern. Al-Tayyibi said: This reinforces “will be in bliss.” Originally, it would not include “and,” but it was included to affirm both the positive and negative aspects, like Allah’s saying: “They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them and do what they are commanded” [At-Tahrim: 6]. I say: In a narration of Al-Jami’, “never in distress” is without conjunction. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “A caller will proclaim”: meaning in Paradise. It is said: when they see it from afar. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “The first group”: meaning the first assembly, namely the prophets and saints, as the commentator said. The apparent meaning is that it refers specifically to the prophets. His statement: “will enter Paradise in the form of the moon”: Perhaps entering in the form of the sun is specific to our Prophet (ﷺ). His statement: “the next group”: meaning those close to that group in rank, such as saints, scholars, martyrs, and the righteous. His statement: “as one man’s heart”: meaning in agreement and love. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “two wives from the Hur al-’Ayn”: “Hur” is the plural of “hawra,” meaning intensely white-eyed with deep black pupils. “’Ayn” is the plural of “’ayna,” meaning wide-eyed. The intent is that each man has two wives with these qualities, which does not preclude having other wives. Al-Tayyibi said: The apparent meaning is that the dual form is for emphasis, not limitation, as in Allah’s saying: “Then look twice” [Al-Mulk: 4], for it is narrated that one person in Paradise will have many Hur al-’Ayn. (As stated in Al-Lama’at and Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “morning and evening”: meaning continuously, using these terms to imply day and night by mentioning a part to represent the whole metaphorically. Al-Tayyibi said: It refers to perpetuity. His statement: “Their vessels are of gold and silver”: meaning adorned, or some have gold vessels and others silver, with “and” meaning “or” for variation. His statement: “the fuel of their braziers is aloeswood”: “Fuel” is what the braziers are lit with. Al-Nawawi said: “Aloeswood” is Indian oud. In An-Nihayah, it is said: A brazier is where incense is burned. Some say there is no fire in Paradise, and it is answered that it emits fragrance without fire. I say: It may be with light, which is most evident. The purpose of mentioning “fuel” is that aloeswood itself is the fuel, unlike the common practice where fuel is wood. This is among the successive delights and elevated desires, as their hair does not mat, and their bodies and clothes have no filth or odor; rather, their scent is finer than musk, so they have no need for combing or incense except for added adornment and sensory pleasure. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁴ His statement: “of one character”: with a fathah on the first letter, meaning they are of the same age, thirty or thirty-three years, as in another hadith, which aligns with “in the form of their father Adam.” (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “What happens to the food”: meaning what becomes of its excess. His statement: “It becomes a belch and sweat”: meaning the excess food becomes like a belch, though a belch in Paradise is not unpleasant like in this world, and it becomes sweat. This may vary by person, time, or type of food, some food becomes a belch, and some becomes sweat. The apparent meaning is that eating transforms into a belch and drinking into sweat, as “food” can refer to both due to the concept of taste. His statement: “They are inspired to glorify”: meaning they are not wearied by glorifying and praising, just as you are not wearied by breathing, and nothing distracts them from it, as nothing prevents you from breathing, like the angels. Or it means it becomes an inherent trait they never part from, like breathing is for animals. The essence is that no breath leaves them except accompanied by Allah’s remembrance and gratitude. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “two wives”: Reconciling this with the narration that the lowest in Paradise has seventy-two wives and eighty thousand servants is to say that each has two wives described as having visible leg marrow. This does not preclude having many Hur al-’Ayn who do not reach this degree. The more apparent meaning is that each has two wives from the women of this world, and the lowest in Paradise has seventy-two wives in total, meaning two from the women of this world and seventy from the Hur al-’Ayn. Allah, Exalted is He, knows best. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “seventy years”: This is an accusative of specification for “years,” in the accusative by omitting the preposition, meaning on seventy supports or reclining one after another, each with a different color and type of adornment. His statement: “before moving”: meaning from one side to another, and it is an adverbial clause for “recline.” His statement: “tap his shoulder”: meaning a tap of affection and allure, drawing attention to the beauty observed. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “I am from the increase”: This refers to Allah’s saying: “They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more” [Qaf: 35]. The best of the “more” is what Allah says: “For those who do good is the best and more” [Yunus: 26], meaning Paradise and the vision of Allah, Exalted is He. It is called “more” because the best is Paradise, which Allah promised as a reward for the deeds of the accountable, and the “more” is an additional favor. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “returned to the age of thirty in Paradise”: meaning they become so. Al-Tayyibi said: If you ask how this reconciles with Muslim’s narration from Abu Hurairah in the Chapter on Crying that the young of Paradise are its “crawling creatures,” meaning they enter their abodes without being restricted from places as in this world, I say: “in Paradise” is an adverbial clause for “returned,” and it does not imply they were not crawling creatures before being returned. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “a brilliant star fading on the horizon”: Al-Tayyibi said: If you ask what is the purpose of specifying the star as brilliant and then fading on the horizon, I say: It indicates that this is an analogy. The resemblance is drawn from several imagined aspects in the likened object: the sight of one in Paradise seeing the occupant of the chamber is like seeing a brilliant star remaining on the eastern or western horizon in its radiance despite the distance.

² His statement: “due to the difference between them”: This is the reason for the sighting, meaning it is due to the increasing ranks between the general people of Paradise and those in the lofty chambers. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “In Paradise, there are a hundred levels”: It is possible that this refers to abundance, as narrated by Al-Bayhaqi from Aisha, raised to the Prophet: “The levels of Paradise are as numerous as the verses of the Qur’an. Whoever enters Paradise from the people of the Qur’an has no level above him.” It can also be said that in Paradise, there are a hundred levels for each of its inhabitants, indicating the least of its vastness and types of blessings. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “And raised couches”: The apparent meaning is that they are stacked one upon another or spread on beds and cushions, elevated in value and preciousness. It is said: The “couches” refer to the women of Paradise, elevated in beauty above the women of this world, as every superior thing is elevated. The context of the hadith supports the first interpretation. (As stated in Al-Lama’at) Al-Turbushti said in Al-Mirqat: The view that it refers to the elevation of the raised couches in the levels, with the distance between each level being like that between the heavens and the earth, is the most reliable and recognized of the mentioned interpretations, as the hadith states: “In Paradise, there are a hundred levels, with the distance between each two levels being like that between the heavens and the earth.”

¹ His statement: “It is a river”: meaning a stream of water, with two basins at its ends, one in Paradise and the other at the gathering place. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “In Paradise, there is a sea of water, etc.”: Al-Tayyibi said: By “sea,” he means something like the Tigris or Euphrates, and by “river,” something like the Mu’qil River, branching from one of them, then into streams. The apparent meaning is that the mentioned seas are the sources of the rivers described in the Qur’an, as Allah says: “In it are rivers of water unspoiled, rivers of milk whose taste does not change, rivers of wine delightful to those who drink it, and rivers of purified honey” [Muhammad: 15]. His statement: “branch out” omits one of the tas, meaning the rivers split into streams after the rivers are established, flowing through the gardens of the righteous and beneath the palaces of the virtuous. It can be said that the rivers are the rivers themselves, called so because they flow, unlike the seas of this world, which are mostly stationary. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “are all among the rivers of Paradise”: These four rivers are considered among the rivers of Paradise due to their sweetness, digestibility, divine blessing, and the honor of prophets drinking from them. This is like Allah’s statement about the dates of Madinah: “They are among the fruits of Paradise.” It is possible that the rivers that are the sources of Paradise’s rivers are named after them to indicate that they are in Paradise like these four rivers in this world, or they share the same names. The commentator said: Al-Qadi said: The four rivers are so called for the sweetness of their water and the abundance of their benefits, as if they were from the rivers of Paradise. It is possible that they are the rivers that are the sources of Paradise’s rivers, named after the greatest, most famous, sweetest, and most beneficial rivers of this world among the Arabs, by way of analogy, to show that they are comparable in Paradise, and that the benefits and delights of this world are samples of what is in the Hereafter, as are its harms and unpleasant things. In Al-Nawawi’s commentary on Muslim, Al-Qadi Iyadh said: Their being from Paradise means that the lands of these rivers are for the believers, and the bodies nourished by their water are destined for Paradise. The sounder view is that they are literally so, having a source from Paradise, as they exist today according to the Ahl as-Sunnah. Muslim narrated in the Book of Faith, in the hadith of the Isra, that the Euphrates and Nile flow from Paradise. In Bukhari, it is from the root of Sidrat al-Muntaha. Ibn Abbas narrated in Ma’alim at-Tanzil that Allah sent these rivers from a single spring in Paradise, from the lowest of its levels, on Gabriel’s wings, entrusted them to the mountains, and made them flow on earth, providing benefits to people, as Allah says: “And We send down water from the sky in measure” [Al-Mu’minun: 18]. When Gog and Magog emerge, Allah sends Gabriel to lift the Qur’an, knowledge, the Black Stone, the Station of Ibrahim, Moses’s ark, and these rivers from the earth, as Allah says: “And indeed, We are able to take it away” [Al-Mu’minun: 18]. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “It was mentioned to us”: This is in the status of a raised hadith, as it is typical for a senior Companion not to take from anyone but the Prophet (ﷺ) or other Companions, and the narrations of Companions are authoritative by consensus, meaning it reached us. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “there will come a day when it is crowded”: Both pronouns “it” and “when it is” likely refer to “what,” the first by meaning, as “what” refers to places, and the second by wording. The meaning is: while the space between them is so. His statement: “crowded”: meaning filled. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “for three”: An adverbial clause for “journey,” meaning three nights or years, the latter being more apparent as it conveys greater emphasis. It refers to abundance to avoid contradicting the earlier statement that the distance between two gates of Paradise is a journey of forty years. It is possible that he was first inspired with a smaller number, then informed of a greater one, or it refers to different gates for different people. Allah, Exalted is He, knows best. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “like the hearts of birds”: meaning in their tenderness, softness, compassion, and purity, free from envy, malice, rancor, and hatred, and overall, free from every sin and fault. Al-Nawawi said: It is said: like them in tenderness, as narrated: “The people of Yemen have the tenderest and softest hearts.” It is also said: in fear and awe, as birds are the most fearful and startled of animals, as Allah says: “Indeed, among His servants, only the scholars fear Allah” [Fatir: 28]. It is also said: in reliance, as narrated: “If you relied on Allah with true reliance, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds, which go out hungry and return full.” Allah says: “And how many a creature carries not its provision. Allah provides for it and for you, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing” [Al-’Ankabut: 60]. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “I will bestow My pleasure upon you, etc.”: The meeting follows from the Lord’s pleasure, which stems from the servant’s contentment with the decree, leading to eternal existence after achieving annihilation. Ibn al-Malik said: The hadith indicates that Allah’s pleasure with the servant surpasses admitting him to Paradise. Al-Tayyibi said: Because when the servant knows his Lord is pleased with him, it is greater in his estimation than all other blessings, and he only enjoys them through His pleasure, while His displeasure diminishes them, no matter how great. Al-Tayyibi also said: The greatest form of honor is seeing Allah, Exalted is He. I say: Perhaps the pleasure is greater, as it encompasses attaining the meeting and all forms of blessings. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “he wishes and wishes”: The apparent meaning of the repetition is to indicate abundance. Al-Tayyibi said: His statement “is that he is told” is the predicate of “that,” meaning the lowest station of any of you in Paradise is that he attains all his wishes, leaving no wish unfulfilled. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “eighty of which are from this nation”: This does not contradict his saying, “I hope you will be half of the people of Paradise,” as it is possible that he initially hoped for that, then was increased and given glad tidings of more from Allah afterward. Al-Tayyibi’s suggestion that the eighty may be equal in number to the forty is unlikely. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)