SAMPLE OF HEAVENLY CHAMBERS
According to Quranic commentary the Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "There is a palace made of pearls in paradise, in that palace there are seventy apartments made of red topaz, in every apartment seventy halls made of Emeralds. In every hall there are seventy thrones. On every throne there are seventy carpets of various colours. There is a Hourie on every carpet. In every hall there are seventy dining tables. Tasty eatables of seventy kinds are served on every table. There are seventy maids in every hall. Almighty God will grant the faithful strength enough to enjoy all these bounties."
CHAIRS, CARPETS AND VESSELS IN PARADISE
Reclining therein on raised couches; excellent the recompense and goodly the resting place. (18:31)
He says in Surah Waqiah :
On thrones decorated,
Reclining on them, facing one another.
He says in Surah Rahman :
Reclining on beds, the inner coverings of which are of silk brocade; and the fruits of the two gardens shall be within reach.
The Holy Quran has named some heavenly attires such as Israbraq, Hareer, Sundus, Rafraf, Namaariq and Zarabiyya which can only be seen and enjoyed as their description is beyond words and description.
Regarding the heavenly vessels or containers. Almighty Lord says :
Round about them shall go youths never altering in age,
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With goblets and ewers and a cup of pure drink; (56:17-18)
In paradise handsome lads will be taking rounds with goblets of gold, silver and various jewels for the people of the paradise. Their containers will be overflowing with the wine of grapes. They will enjoy the 'pure drink'.
It is mentioned in Surah Dahr :
And there shall be made to go round about them vessels of silver and goblets which are of glass, (76:15)
The people of paradise will be served drinks in cups made of silver and flint glass, that is, those containers will have the clarity and sheen of flint and softness and whiteness of silver.
HEAVENLY WOMEN AND HOURIES
Since the greatest physical bounty in paradise are houries the Holy Quran makes a mention of them on various occasions. The houri is called a houri because it denotes a female having a fair body and Ten' means a large-eyed lady. As both these specialities are found in houries they are called Hourul Een. It also may be so because the whiteness in their eyes will be extremely white and the blackness extremely black and it will make them highly attractive. The reason of naming them Houries can also be that eyes will become hairaan' (spellbound) by looking at them.
Almighty Allah says :
And Hoorun Eenun (pure, beautiful ones),
The like of the hidden pearls: (56:22-23)
Meaning: The Houries will be like pearls hidden in shells. There will be no dust on them. Neither any man nor jinn will have touched them.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is reported to have said that, in paradise, light would flash. The people of paradise will exclaim, "What radiance is this?" A voice will ring, "A Hourie has just smiled to her husband. This light spread from her teeth."
The Lord Almighty also said :
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Surely We have made them to grow into a (new) growth,
Then We have made them virgins, (56:35-36)
Meaning: We have created these Houries with Our perfect might (without parents) and We have made them ever youthful.
The Houries would love their husbands. They will be sweet- voiced having pleasing gestures. All of them will be 16 years old. So men in the paradise will be of 33 years of age.
Almighty Allah says :
In them shall be those who restrained their eyes; before them neither man nor jinni shall have touched them. (55:56)
Meaning : There are Houries in heavenly gardens who keep their eyes lowered except before their husbands. They have not been touched by anyone from men or jinn except by their husbands. All of them will be as if carved in Ruby and Pearls.
As though they were rubies and pearls. (55:58)
It is reported that despite wearing seventy robes the inner part of the calf of the Houries will be visible as a white lining is visible from behind a Ruby.
HOURIES ARE VERY FAR FROM IMPURITIES
The Lord of the Universe says :
And they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide. (2:25)
Meaning: For the faithful and righteous people there are Houries in paradise who are pure and clean in every sense. They do not menstruate. They are always free from impurity and uncleanness. They are also not proud and self-centred and they do not envy one another.
It is reported that on the right hand of the houri is written in shining letters :
"Praise be to Allah who has fulfilled what He promised."
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And on her left hand :
"Praise be to Allah who has relieved us of grief."
HEAVENLY WOMEN ARE MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL
AND ATTRACTIVE
It must not remain unmentioned that the beauty and charm of those faithful ladies who will die with perfect faith and will enter paradise will have a charm and beauty far more surpassing that of Houries of Paradise. While explaining the meaning of the verse:
In them are goodly things, beautiful ones. (55:70)
It is said that there will be women in the gardens of paradise who will have the best of bodily charm and the best of spiritual excellence. Thereby it is meant only those faithful Muslim and believer women who will be entitled to paradise.
Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) has narrated Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that 'goodly things' means faithful, knowledgeable Shia women who will enter paradise and who will be married to the believers.
THE MARRIAGE OF THE WOMEN OF PARADISE
WILL BE OF THEIR OWN CHOICE
It is related that those women who did not marry in this world, or those women whose husbands had not entered Paradise, will be given the freedom to choose the believer whom she desires, and they shall be married to them. But if a woman's husband is present in Paradise, she will be permitted to marry him with her consent. If in the world she married more than once, the man who has the greatest status (in Paradise) and has performed more good deeds will be chosen for her.
FLOWERS AND SCENTS IN PARADISE
In Surah Rahman Allah refers to that person who fears standing in front of his Lord for accounting (for his deeds), and thus refrains from sinning :
And for him who fears to stand before his Lord are two gardens. (55:46-47)
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It means that one who fears of standing in front of his Lord (that is for the accounting in Qiyamat as mentioned earlier and who will not have sinned) will get two gardens in paradise wherein will be all kinds of bounties and various vegetables, flowers and fruits.
Allamah Majlisi narrates from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that he said, "If one of the 'houries' of Paradise descends on the first heaven on a dark night and looks down towards the earth, the entire universe will be filled with her fragrance."
It is related from Imam Ja' far as-Sadiq (a.s.) that the fragrance of the perfume of Paradise will reach upto the distance equal to a thousand years. The sand of Paradise is of musk. It is related in many traditions that the walls, doors, and the floor of Paradise are covered with grass of saffron. Fragrance will be emitting from it, and the effect of its fragrance will be such that an old man proceeding towards Paradise will reach such a place which is far from Paradise at a distance of a thousand years, yet he will turn young by just the fragrance.
LIGHT IN PARADISE
The Lord Almighty says :
They shall find therein neither (the severe heat of) the sun nor intense cold. (76:13)
Which means that people in paradise will not see the sun and its heat nor will they experience cold and chill, that is, they will dwell in a moderate atmosphere. They will not require sun or its heat. Rather their own light of faith and good deeds will be enough for them as has been mentioned earlier.
It is related that the light of the 'houries' will be more than the light of the sun, they will be like walking lanterns. Palaces of Paradise adorned with pearls, corals, rubies, topaz and emeralds will emit a colourful light and make a pleasant environment. The floor, vessels, and dresses will be scattering light, and these glowing lanterns will turn Paradise into an illuminated place.
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SONGS AND VOICES IN PARADISE
The bounties of various kinds which we see in this world and so also all the good tastes and feelings are but only an atom of what is available in the paradise. This applies to good sound and voice too. The best and perfect of it all is found in paradise only. If even a single song of paradise is made to be heard in this world the residents of this world will not be able to hear it and they will die. The voice of the Prophet Dawood (a.s.) is well known as called as 'Lahne Dawudi'. Though this voice was in this world none was able to bear it. When he was reciting Zaboor different kinds of animals used to gather around him and were fainting together and some even died.
PROPHET DAWOOD (A.S.) AND THE SINGING
HOURIES OF PARADISE
Describing the events of messengers (a.s.) Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) says in one of his speeches in Nahjul Balagha: In Paradise Prophet Dawood will entertain its inhabitants with his pleasant voice, and will be a reciter of Paradise.
It means that he will make the people of paradise hear his recitations. Of course it will be a melodious song of paradise and those in paradise will have the ability to hear it.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is reported to have been quoted in Majmaul Bayan: The best of the songs of paradise will be those sung by the houries for pleasing their husbands. Their voice will be so wonderfully pleasing that none before would have ever heard like it. It will not be in the tune of musical instruments but would be based on the glorification and praising of the Lord of the universe, Only One God.
REWARD OF DISCARDING SINGING IN THIS WORLD
It is mentioned in narrations that the birds of paradise will sing in the best of voices.
People once asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.), "Will there be music and songs in the paradise?" He replied, "There is a tree in paradise. God will
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order the winds of paradise to move. It will make the tree give out various kinds of songs. The sounds will be such as never heard by anyone in this world from neither any singer nor any musical instrument." Then the Imam said, "This is the reward of discarding music and songs for fear of God in this world."
SPIRITUAL FAVOURS AND TASTES
There also will be various kinds of spiritual bounties to imagine which, is beyond our power of understanding. One of them is that veils will be lifted off the eyes, that is, eyes will here witness what we had only known to exist. What one had wished to know from Divine Truths, one would gain it here, especially the sight of and meeting with Muhammad and Aale Muhammad (a.s.).
In Tafsir Safi, in explanation of the Holy verse :
Then shall some of them advance to others, questioning each other. (37:50)
It is mentioned that the people of paradise will discuss matters about knowledge and Grace of God and the Holy Prophet with one anther.
Among all other bounties will also be the respect and honour granted by God. For example, everyone who will be fortunate to enter paradise will, by his intercession, keep his parents, wives and children with him, provided they had died with faith and were entitled for paradise.
This will be as a respect to the true faithful, though his parents and wives and children etc were not entitled to the high status. Hence the Lord of the universe says in the Holy Quran :
The gardens of perpetual abode which they will enter along with those who do good from among their parents and their spouses and their offspring; (13:23)
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GREETINGS BY ANGELS AND THE HONOUR OF COMMUNICATING
WITH THE LORD OF UNIVERSE
When the righteous people will reach their respective places in paradise. God Almighty will appoint one thousand angels for visiting them. They will give them greetings. There will be a palace for the believer and that palace will have a thousand doors. There will be an angel at every door to salute the faithfuls.
And the angels will enter in upon them from every gate :
Peace be on you because you were constant, how excellent, is then, the issue of the abode. (13:23-24)
The highest honour available to the faithful will be the honour of communicating with the Lord of the universe. There are many narrations in this respect. But what the Lord in Surah Yasin mentions is sufficient :
"Peace! A word from a Merciful Lord." (36:58)
In Tafsir Minhajus Sadiqeen a narration of Jabir bin Abdullah has been quoted according to which the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said that the people of paradise will be immersed in the bounties of gardens when a light will suddenly flash on then giving out a voice 'As Salaamo Alaikum Yaa Ahlal Jannah'. Hence it is said that all those bounties which were available only to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) in the world, including having a word with the Almighty Lord, will be made available, to the people of paradise also in the Hereafter.
There are detailed traditions about the divine lights in volume two of Biharul Anwar, one of them being the 'Position of Satisfaction' (Maqame Rizwan), which is mentioned in the Holy Quran too :
Their Lord gives them good news of mercy from Himself and (His) good pleasure and gardens, (9:21)
And best of all is Allah's goodly pleasure- that is the grand achievement. (9:72)
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NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE PROPHET AND HIS PROGENY
Among all other bounties of paradise is the neighbourhood of Muhammad and Aale Muhammad (a.s.) and meeting with them. The Holy Prophet has said, "0 Ali! Your Shias will be sitting with bright faces on the pulpits of light and all of them will be my neighbours in paradise."
Also among the said bounties is permanent dwelling in paradise. When the faithful will know that these highly precious bounties will never end (nor will they be diminished) they will experience a wonderful delight in their hearts, which is indescribable.
One of the spiritual bounties is that one will be meeting frequently with the messengers, the righteous and faithful persons. Almighty God says in the Holy Quran :
On thrones, facing each other. (37:44)
Meaning they will be sitting on thrones facing one another happily.
DAILY FEASTS HOSTED BY THE MESSENGERS (A.S.)
It is mentioned that the people of paradise will be going to visit a Messenger (a.s.) daily and they will be their guests. Of course, on every Thursday, they will be the guests of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), the Last Prophet. On every Friday they will be invited to the nearness of the Highest One.
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ADMONITION — WHY Do WE NOT TRY TO GET PARADISE?
Above was a brief narration of the bounties of paradise. We will have to fairly think, will any wise man want to deprive himself of the said spiritual joys and pleasures and high positions?
How much trouble a man takes for getting the worldly positions and ranks even though it is not always certain that he will attain the
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1 What is meant by this week long hosting? We could not know it because these our worldly weeks will not be there in Hereafter. May be the timing is explained according to our system of calculation.
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same. Even if he gets them after suffering and undergoing a lot of difficulties and hardships, there is every possibility of being deprived of the same due to his death. But the same person does not make any effort for getting the exalting places and everlasting bounties even though here it is certain that if he strives he would reach his goal. The reason for this carelessness is man's lack of courage and his drowning in the engagement in the world's short-lived pleasures, passions, lusts and greed even though there are thousands of impurities in them as mentioned in the Holy Quran :
Nay! man desires to give the lie to what is before him. (75:5)
PARADISE AS DESCRIBED BY THE EVER-TRUTHFUL,
AMIRUL MO-MINEEN (A.S.)
Ali (a.s.) says in one of his sermons in Nahjul Balagha :
"(0 Lord!) I believe You are pure and clean of all those things which are not fitting Your greatness. You are the Creator of all the creation and You are, in the sight of Your creation, the Owner of all secrets concerning nice taste. Accordingly You have created a place named Paradise. Therein You have provided, for Your guests, all niceties of feasts and of dining and beautiful houries and handsome servant boys and highly comfortable apartments, extremely pure and clean springs and rivers of tasty drinks and green fields and gardens and delicious fruits. Then You raised Your representative Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.s.) who goes on inviting people to the said paradise of lasting pleasures. So (it was the misfortune of mankind that) they neither responded to the true caller towards Truth nor did they incline towards the things You called them to nor did they like what You desired them to like and long for. On the contrary, they remained stuck to fraudulent and dead world as a result of which they became disgraced. They befriended one another on the basis of their connection with this valueless world. So whoever befriended this untrustworthy world and became mad after it, became totally blind, so blind that he does not understand what is detrimental and a loss for him. His heart became sick for what was beneficial to him and befitting to him. So he sees with weak and sickly eyes and hears with unhealthy ears. Doubtlessly, worldly desires have made his
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heart and soul dead and destroyed his intelligence. He has become a slave of this world and also of everyone who owns anything from the worldly wealth."
In spite of the fact that there are only two paths before us — no third alternative — man will either to go to Paradise or to hell — Now if one does not take and follow God's path He will not only be deprived of all the bounties mentioned by us above briefly, his dwelling place forever will also be only hell which is full of pains. Only an iota of its pain and troubles are described in the following pages.
THE HELL
Hell is a fathomless, wide and spacious pit. God's anger will turn into fire in it. It is the last prison wherein will be various kinds of punishments, chastisements, pains, troubles, hardships and calamities. They will be such that we cannot even imagine them. We cannot even understand them. In fact it is exactly opposite to paradise. In paradise, there will be every kind of comfort, pleasure and joy and not even an iota of pain or trouble. But in hell, there will be nothing except hardships, troubles, sorrows, griefs and sufferings. There will be no room at all for peace, happiness and comfort. Here are some of the tortures being meted out to offenders in hell as mentioned in the Holy Quran :
Then shall you, 0 you who err and call it a lie!
Most surely eat of a tree of Zaqqoom, (56:51-52)
And fill (your) bellies with it; (56:53)
That is due to sheer hunger you will have to fill your stomachs with it.
Then drink over it of boiling water; (56:54)
That is you will have to drink extremely hot water (due to extreme thirst you will have no alternative but to drink it).
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PUNISHMENT OF HUNGER AND THIRST IN HELL
It is mentioned in traditions that the people of hell will be given the punishment of hunger so that they will willy-nilly eat the fruit of the Zaqqoom. Thereafter they will be made to taste the chastisement of thirst so they may drink more and more from Hameem (boiling hell water) :
Like those who abide in the fire and who are made to drink boiling water so it rends their bowels asunder. (47:15)
That water will be so hot that it will tear their intestines into bits. It is related that if a drop of that water be put on a mountain (in this world), it will be reduced to dust.
And drink as drinks the thirsty camel. (56:55)
They will drink that water like a camel who is thirsty for many days, and drinks whilst shivering. 'Heem' (the water referred to in this verse) is the plural of 'Aheem' which means a camel suffering from a disease. This disease is equivalent to dropsy, which usually happens to a camel, in which it keeps drinking water but is not satiated until it dies. this will be the state of the dwellers of hell.
This is their entertainment on the day of requital. (56:56)
This 'Zaqqoom' and 'Hameem' will be given to them in Qiyamat as an introduction to Allah's wrath. And whatever is destined in hell (for the disbelievers) is far more harsh and beyond description.
ZAQQOOM - BURNING FOOD FOR SINNERS
The Lord of the universe says :
Surely the tree of the Zaqqoom,
Is the food of the sinful
Like dregs of oil; it shall boil in (their) bellies,
Like the boiling of hot water. (44:43-46)
It is said that they will be unbelievers and inimical fellows and that Zaqqoom is a thing, which will be melted in fire like copper. It is also said that 'Muhl' will be the boiling olive oil, which will boil in -stomach like boiling water.
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IT WILL MELT THE OUTER AND THE INNER
BODIES OF THE OFFENDERS
Zaqqoom will boil in the stomachs of unbelievers like water boiling on fire or like olive oil heated on fierce fire. Then this boiling water will be shed on their heads, which will melt all the outer and inner organs of the sinners :
Then (as to) those who disbelieve, for them are cut out garments of fire, boiling water shall be poured over their heads. (22:19)
It means that We have huge shackles which cannot be unlocked and fiercely leaping fire and foods which will get stuck up in throats and very a painful punishment.
Imam Baqir (a.s.) is reported to have said that the tree of Zaqqoom will rise up from the deep pit of hell. Its leaves, thorns and fruits all will be of fire. It will be bitter than Aloes and worse than a stinking corpse and harder than iron.
GHISLEEN, ZAREE, SADEED AND GHASSAQ
Ghisleen is one of the food to be given in hell :
Nor any food except refuse, (69:36)
It is mentioned in Tafsir Majmaul Bahrain that whatever will come out the stomachs of the people of hell after eating Zaqqoom will be their food once again.
One of the hell foods will also be Zaree. It is said that it will be like a thorn, bitter than aloes and worse smelling than a corpse or carcass and more inflammable than fire itself.
One more hell food is Sadeed :
Hell is before him and he shall be given to drink of festering water (Sadeed): (14:16)
It will be the dirty blood and pus flowing from the private parts of the adulterers in hell.
Another hell food will be Ghassaq :
But boiling and intensely cold water (Ghassaq), (78:25)
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Some commentators have written that it is a spring in hell. Poisons of various poisonous animals flow in it.
DRESS OF THE PEOPLE OF HELL
Then (as to) those who disbelieve, for them are cut out garments of fire, (22:19)
Clothings of fire have been prepared for the people of hell. It is said that it will be a dress made up of molten copper.
Almighty Allah says :
Their shirts made of pitch and the fire covering their faces. (14:50)
Pitch is a black foul-smelling thing, which grows in the skin of a camel afflicted by a disease-causing itch. It is being burnt along with the afflicted part of the animal's skin and it burns out very swiftly.
It is mentioned that if such a dress of hell is made to hang between the sky and earth its foul smell and heat will kill all on the earth.
DISCHARGE, SHACKLES AND CHAINS
The guilty shall be recognized by their marks, so they shall be seized by the forelocks and the feet. (55:41)
It means that the sinners will be identified by their facial signs, which will be blue eyes and black cheeks. At that time they will be dragged towards hell by catching hold of their forelocks and sometimes their legs; or that some would be caught by their forelocks and some by their legs and flung into hell.
When the fetters and the chains shall be on their necks; they shall be dragged.
Into boiling water, then in the fire shall they be burned; (40:71-72)
And on the day of resurrection you shall see those who lied against Allah; their faces shall be blackened. (39:60)
The fire shall scorch their faces, and they therein shall be in severe affliction. (23:104)
It means that fire will burn their faces and they will become very
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ugly. Like the burnt down heads of sheep their teeth will be visible and their lips hanging.
GUARDIANS OF HELL
Over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are commanded. (66:6)
It means that the Guardian angels of hell will be harsh who will never be kind or soft to the people of hell. They will never do anything against the command of God, which is their duty.
And for them are whips of iron. (22:21)
There will be iron clubs with which they will hit those trying to flee from hell.
About the weight of the said club it is mentioned that even if all the men and jinns join together to lift that club they will not be able to lift it.
It is also mentioned that both the eyes of the said guards of hell will be dazzling like lightning flashes and their pointed teeth will be as big as mountains and flames of fire will be leaping out of their fearsome mouths. The distance between their two shoulders will be equal to a year's journey. They are able to throw seventy persons in hell with one hand at a time.
HELL AND ITS GATES
It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them. (15:44)
Sinners will enter hell through these gates as fixed for them. According to Ali (a.s.) the seven gates of hell are as under :
The last and the lowest level is 'Jahannam'. The zone above it is 'Lazzaa', above it 'Hutamaa', above it 'Hutamaa', above it 'Saqar' and above it 'Jaheem'. Above it is 'Saeer' and above it 'Haaviyah'. There is no doubt that chastisements in all of them will be different in harshness and pain.
