PARADISE IN THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET (SAAS) -1In the life of this world, human beings are responsible

for overcoming the impulses

and appetites of their lower selves and living their lives to please God. To do this we
have been given a very short lifespan of sixty or seventy years on average. Following
the life of this world, God has created an endless and perfect life for His servants who
have won His favour. Those people who have shown steadfastness and determination
in displaying moral perfection and remaining as genuine servants to God will obtain a
great reward in the world to come.
God has created human character in such a way that he can only be at ease in Paradise,
the only place where the desires of the heart can be fulfilled. God makes this clear to
His servants in many verses of the Quran. He reminds us that the real life is the life of
the Hereafter and, therefore, every effort should be expended to attain the abode of
endless beauty. One verse of the Quran on this subject is as follows:
The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the
Hereafter that is truly Life if they only knew. (Surat al-Ankabut: 64)
In one hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) gives an example
to show what a great blessing Paradise is for human beings compared to the life of this
world:
A space in the Garden equal to the distance between the middle and the end of a bow
will be better than all that upon which the Sun rises and sets. (Sahih al-Bukhari;
Sahih Muslim)
God has created many proofs to show people that the life of this world is not the true
life. Starting with the body itself, one is confronted almost every day with the
imperfections of this world. You may come face to face with sickness, injury or even
death because of the slightest accident. Beautiful flowers, like the human body, also
fade with time; the most colourful and pleasing roses, tulips and violets wither and
die. The tastiest and freshest looking fruit and vegetables become stale and inedible in
a very short time.
In the face of all this imperfection, a person, in his heart of hearts, wants to live in a
world where perfection is never-ending. With this in mind, he looks for ways to
establish a life within the parameters of this world that is happy and carefree.
However, God tells us in the Quran that this kind of life can only be had in Paradise.
God reveals much in the Quran about the blessings of Paradise because He wants
people to understand that everything they are looking for, longing for and everything

they love is in Paradise. In this film we will look at verses of the Quran and hadith of
our Prophet to see the perfect blessings that our Lord has prepared for us. One of our
purposes is to remind people that the real life is not in this world, but in Paradise, and
what our hearts desire is not here but there. At the same time to explain the splendour
of Paradise, its limitless blessings and the good life that will be lived there. And this
will increase peoples longing for Paradise.
Of course, our capacity to grasp the descriptions of Paradise throughout this film are
limited by the limitations of the human mind. Indeed, the perfection and beauty
announced by God in the Quran and described in the hadith of our Prophet are too
great for a human being to conceive of with his intellect.
Before discussing the blessings of Paradise, it will first be useful to say something
about some errors regarding the Hereafter.
As revealed in the Quran, our Lord, to Whom all justice belongs, will reward everyone
in the Hereafter for his deeds in the life of this world. Some people, however, are
sceptical about the life that follows death, about the existence of Paradise and Hell in
other words. This doubt is described in one verse:
No, their knowledge stops short of the Hereafter. In fact they have doubts about it.
In fact they are blind to it. (Surat an-Naml, 66)
The most important reason for these peoples doubt is that they hold misconceptions
about the true nature of matter. They imagine that matter is absolute and deny the
existence of anything outside matter. These people believe that only the material world
exists, and since they are unable to locate Paradise and Hell within that world they also
refuse to believe in the existence of the Hereafter. However, their beliefs about matter,
which form the basis of their denial, are totally mistaken. God describes the error of
such people in the Quran:
They know an outward aspect of the life of this world but are heedless of the
Hereafter. (Surat ar-Rum, 7)
It has been scientifically proved that the world we experience is not, as the majority of
people think, somewhere consisting of matter. Matter does exist in the outside world,
but everything we see, touch and experience is a collection of perceptions created in
the perception centre at the back of the brain. Therefore, we can only experience this
material world through our perceptions; in other words, we can never have direct
experience of the original matter on the outside. We can clarify this with an example:
You are mistaken if you imagine that you are seeing the screen in front of you with
your eyes, because it is not your eyes that are doing the seeing. The eye is merely an

organ that transmits light reaching it from the outside. It is the brain that sees.
Light rays coming from an object fall on the eye's retina. Here, these light rays are
transmitted into electric signals by certain cells and reach a tiny spot at the back of the
brain, the "centre of vision." When electric signals reach it, it sets up the image of the
screen. In other words, you are seeing the screen at the back of your brain. You
perceive the cup you hold in exactly the same way. The electric signals transmitted to
the brain by the nerve cells in your fingers turn into a sensation of touch in the relevant
centre in your brain. In other words, it is not your fingers that touch and feel the
original of the cup; that feeling arises as a perception in your brain.
For that reason, people can never have direct contact with the original of matter that
exists outside the brain. Everything we see, hear, touch or taste consists of perceptions
forming in the brain. Everything outside a person, everything he imagines to be some
distance away, is actually in his brain. In other words, the entire universe, the entire life
of this world, everything from the stars to the flowers in ones room are created inside
a persons head. Everyone watches, touches and hears a world that forms within his
brain. In conclusion, God shows the material world He creates as an image inside
everyones brains, and causes it to be perceived as reality.
This account is extremely important for those people who imagine they have direct
experience of the material world and who thus doubt the existence of Paradise and
Hell. In addition, anyone who understands how God creates the world inside peoples
minds can also appreciate the creation of Paradise and Hell. That person will realize
that he can never have direct experience of the original of matter in this world and the
Hereafter. When he realizes that everything he experiences is shown to him as an
illusion, it will be impossible for him to continue denying the existence of Paradise and
Hell just because he cannot see them with his eyes nor touch them with his hand.
On the other hand, someone who grasps this significant reality will better appreciate
the omniscience and glorious creation of God. God, Who has created flawless, bright
worlds, identical to their originals, inside the darkness of the heads of billions of
people for thousands of years, has the power to create Paradise and Hell in the same
way. When a person dies, God changes his image of this world and begins showing
him that of the Hereafter. This is a transition, just like a curtain being lifted and
revealing a brand new image behind it.
Let us now speak of the subject matter of this film, the blessings of Paradise, in the
light of the hadith of our Prophet and the verses of the Quran.
THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE

The places that people choose to relax and be comfortable in are often closely
associated with natural beauty: woods, forests, seacoasts and river banks. With their
clean air and open spaces and often near water, these give people a sense of well-being
and happiness. One of the reasons why we human beings look for natural beauty is
because God has created us to take pleasure in the beauties of Paradise. Whether a
person is aware of it or not, he is waiting for the blessings of Paradise. God describes
Paradise to us in the Quran with all the attributes of nature:
But those who have faith and do right actions will have Gardens with rivers flowing
under them. That is the Great Victory. (Surat al-Buruj: 11)
In several hadith, our Prophet describes the trees of Paradise:
In Paradise, there is a tree under whose shade a rider could travel for a hundred years
without covering [the distance] completely. (Narrated by Sahl ibn Sad, Sahih
Muslim)
The trunk of every tree in Paradise is of gold. (At-Tirmidhi)
Many hadith describing the beauties of Paradise speak of the tree called Tuba and of its
characteristics. Our Prophets descriptions of the tree are as follows:
... Tuba is a tree in Paradise, which spreads out as much as a distance that can be
covered in a hundred years. Robes for the dwellers of Paradise will sprout from its
buds. (Ramuz al-Ahadith-2, p. 313/7)
Tuba has matchless features and is very broad. In addition, the hadith say that in
Paradise, where the natural causes of this world no longer apply, clothes are also made
out of this tree.
Rivers are another of the natural beauties of Paradise. The Prophet made frequent
mention of the rivers in Paradise:
The rivers of Paradise spring from mountains or hills of musk. (Mukhtasar Tadhkirah
al-Qurtubi, p. 307/501)
In Paradise there is a sea of honey, a sea of wine, a sea of milk and a sea of water, and
the rivers flow out of these seas. (At-Tirmidhi)
These rivers are described in detail in the Quran:
An image of the Garden which is promised to those who guard against evil: in it
there are rivers of water which will never spoil and rivers of milk whose taste will
never change and rivers of wine, delightful to all who drink it, and rivers of honey
of undiluted purity; in it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from

their Lord. Is that like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling
water to drink which lacerates their bowels? (Surah Muhammad: 15)
In the hadith and verse honey, milk and wine are given as an example. But the milk,
honey and wine referred to here have been created with very different charcteristics,
unique to Paradise, to those in this world. Each one in Paradise is an immaculate,
delicious and restorative drink. The wine in Paradise, for instance, bears no
resemblance to that in this world. The People of Paradise will not get headaches from
them or lose their self-composure. In another verse of the Quran, God reveals:
white as driven snow, delicious to those who drink, which has no headache in it
and does not leave them stupefied. (Surat as-Saffat: 46-47)

WEALTH IN PARADISE
Wealth is another of the blessings our Lord promises to believers in Paradise. The
wealth in Paradise is one comprising great splendour and manifesting the infinite
beauty of Gods artistry. It is a wealth containing the finest aesthetic features and
harmony. Like everything a person possesses in this world, the wealth of this world is
transitory and finite. But the wealth promised to the dwellers in Paradise is
unbounded, and they will have no concerns about it ending or running out.
The infinite abundance of goods and wealth is a feature unique to Paradise. Our
Prophet speaks of the abundance of goods in Paradise as follows in another hadith:
It will take two thousand years for even the lowliest dweller in Paradise to take in
all the goods in Paradise, and he will see the furthest point of these goods as being the
closest (Ramuz al-Ahadith -1, p. 113/8)
As this hadith points out, even a small portion of the blessings of Paradise is enormous
when measured according to worldly standards.
In the Quran, God reveals that there are luxurious items, various jewels and precious
stones in Paradise:
[They are] on sumptuous woven couches. (Surat al-Waqia: 15)
They will enter Gardens of Eden where they will be adorned with gold bracelets
and pearls. (Surah Fatir: 33)

THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE OF PARADISE

In addition to its wealth, the dwellings in Paradise are also most lovely and splendid.
Palaces and mansions are among the most beautiful residences in the world. In the
verses of the Quran that describe Paradise, God often mentions such dwellings that
are pleasing to human beings: mansions, palaces and pavilions.
For example when He describes these mansions of Paradise, God says that rivers flow
beneath them and that they are built on high and secure places:
As for those who have faith and do right actions, We will lodge them in lofty
chambers in the Garden, with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them
timelessly, for ever. How excellent is the reward of those who act. (Surat
al-Ankabut: 58)
The hadith also note that all the materials in the dwellings of Paradise are very
precious. They reveal that emeralds, rubies and pearls will be used instead of gravel:
The mansions of Paradise are made of red rubies, green emeralds and white pearl.
They have no flaws or defects. The dwellers in Paradise will look at them as you look
at the bright stars in the east and west... (Ramuz al-Ahadith -1, p. 225/6)
... its stones are pearls and emeralds, and its soil is of saffron ... (Narrated by Abu
Hurayra, at-Tirmidhi)
The fact that the mansions of Paradise are made of gems such as rubies, emeralds and
pearls, symbols of wealth and splendour, is significant in emphasizing the huge value
of these dwellings.
In another hadith, our Prophet says that the mansions of Paradise are surrounded by
greenery and stand by the banks of water:
There is a mansion in Paradise. It is surrounded by towers, meadows and water. It
has five thousand doors... (Ramuz al-Ahadith -1, p. 125/5)
The hadith also describe another feature of the mansions of Paradise:
There are such mansions in Paradise that he in the inside can see the outside, and he
on the outside can see the inside... (Ramuz al-Ahadith-1, p. 125/9)
It would appear from the hadith that it is the way some of the mansions in Paradise are
built out of glass or some other transparent material that may make it possible for
people to see both the inside and the outside. The floor, walls and ceiling being
transparent are excellent features that will bestow a sense of great well-being and

delight.
Another characteristic of the mansions of Paradise described in the hadith is that they
stand up with no support or props. This certainly indicates a matchless and most
exciting form of beauty. One hadith says:
One day the Apostle of God said, There are such mansions in Paradise that they
have no hooks to suspend them from above nor pillars to hold them up from below.
A companion who heard this asked, O Apostle of God, how will the dwellers in
Paradise enter those mansions? The Apostle of God replied, They will fly in like
birds. (Journey beyond This World, p. 294)
Another of the magnificent buildings in Paradise are palaces. The hadith of our Prophet
also speak of the palaces of Paradise. In one it is revealed that:
There is a palace of pearl in Paradise. There are seventy residences made of red ruby in
that palace. Each residence contains seventy houses made out of green beryl. Each
home has seventy couches on which are seventy beds. Each house contains seventy
tables, on each of which are seventy types of food. And there are seventy servants in
each house (Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 323/554)
The hadith indicate that, as with the mansions, the palaces in Paradise are made of the
most precious stones, are decorated in the finest manner, and contain abundant
blessings. Believers, who do not settle for the life of this world and who are not
deceived by its transitory baubles live for ever in these lovely dwellings of Paradise in
true joy and delight.
Another of the delightful dwellings that Almighty God creates for believers are tents.
The Prophet says the following about the tents in Paradise:
In Paradise there is a tent of pearls, whose height is sixty miles. Its width is also sixty
miles. There will be families of believers there. The believers will visit them one by
one(Sahih al-Bukhari)
Everything in Paradise has been created in the most perfect way and the tents are as
comfortable as possible to give pleasure, comfort and relaxation to believers. The
Messenger of God tells us that these tents are extraordinarily capacious and made of
precious jewels. In the hadith we are told that the people of Paradise live a wonderful
life with their families and friends within broad and lofty pearl. Certainly this is a
wonder from the incomparable creative power and artistry of our Lord.
Markets are also described in the context of the dwellings of Paradise in several hadith.
The markets in Paradise, with their countless variety of blessings and their sights that
create a pleasing sense of abundance, appeal to the desires of the people of Paradise. In

addition, in Paradise many kinds of inconveniences associated with worldly markets

will disappear. For example, when people go through markets in this world, they
quickly become weary even though they enjoy themselves.
Besides those few people who have enough money to buy what they want, most
people cannot purchase everything they desire and there are many who cannot afford
to buy even what they need. As long as they can pay the price they can select what
they want from the abundance. But if they cannot afford it, they must be content only
with browsing in these places. However, the Messenger of God tells us that people can
have as much as they want of everything in the markets of Paradise. There, it will not
be a matter of shopping; everyone will be able to have whatever he likes. There will be
a variety of blessings in these markets that people have never seen or even imagined
before. In His great kindness, God will give everyone what they desire and no one will
want for anything.
This situation is described in the hadith:
and nothing will be sold in it or bought. In that market the people of Paradise will
meet each other There exists noone among them who is deprived of anything so as
to make him annoyed of the garments another person has. Before he ceases speaking,
an even finer raiment will appear upon him. That is because it is not fitting for anyone
to sorrow in it. (Narrated by Abu Hurayra, Sunan Ibn Majah; at-Tirmidhi)
In another hadith, we are told about the pleasant social life in the markets of Paradise
where believers sit in beautiful, fragrant, comfortable places, and meet and converse
with one another:
It is certain that there are such markets in Paradise in which no goods are exchanged.
When the inmates of Paradise arrive there, they will recline on fresh and bright pearly
earth of musk. They will meet with each other as they did in this world. They will
talk of how they were in this world and how they worshipped our Lord, of how they
enlivened the nights in prayer, of how they fasted during the day, of the wealth and
poverty of the world, of death and of how they are the people of Paradise.
(Mukhtasar Tadhkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 326/565)
DELICIOUS FOOD
Almighty God reveals in the Quran that the people in Paradise have a great many
delicious foods to delight them. In particular meat and various fruits will be offered in
abundance to the inmates of Paradise. God tells us in the Quran about the quality of
these gifts to the People of Paradise:

And any fruit they specify and any bird-meat they desire (Surat al-Waqia: 20-21)
The food and fruits of Paradise come to the people there without flaw, and without
effort on their part. God tells us in the Quran that these fruits are very accessible.
Its shading branches will droop down over them, its ripe fruit hanging ready to be
picked. (Surat al-Insan: 14)
In another hadith, our Prophet says that believers who will enter Paradise will be told
to be placed "into the lofty Garden whose fruits are hanging down!" (Great Hadith
Collection-5, p. 413/10120)
A quality of the blessings of Paradise mentioned in both the Quran and the hadith is
their abundance. God reveales in Surah Sad that provision there will be without cost
and will never be used up:
This is what you are promised on the Day of Reckoning. This is Our provision
which will never run out. (Surah Sad: 53-54)
The Messenger of God said the following about this blessing of Paradise:
When opened, each fruit of the lote-tree of Paradise yields seventy-two colours and
types of food, and no colour or type is like any other. (Mukhtasar Tadhkirah alQurtubi, p. 312/517)
The Messenger of God drew attention to the colour and variety of fruit in Paradise. The
fact that they are so different from one another will be pleasing to people.
In addition, our Prophet also says that when a branch bearing fruit in Paradise is
broken off there is no loss in the amount of fruit, and that a new one appears to replace
the old:
... When the fruit of Paradise is broken off, a new one replaces the old. (Ramuz alAhadith-1, p. 98/9)
THE FRAGRANT AROMAS OF PARADISE
Fragrant aromas are a gift that God has given us. In this world, even the most beautiful
scent only lasts a short time. The molecules of a particular scent evaporate into the air
and our noses quickly become used to the scent; this limits the pleasure that we can
obtain from a scent. But the duration of a scent can be as important as the immediate
pleasure it gives. In his hadith the Prophet describes the delight that beautiful aromas
from Paradise can give:

Its scent is experienced from as far as the distance travelled in five hundred years.
(Maliks Muwatta)
If one of the women of Paradise peeped into this world, she would illuminate and fill
with fragrance everything between [heaven and earth]. (Sahih al-Bukhari; Imam
Ghazzali, Ihya Ulum ad-Din, vol. 4)
In another hadith, the Messenger of God told us about the beautiful aromas of the food
in Paradise:
the best smelling and finest foods are produced. (Al-Hafiz ibn ad-Dayba ashShaybani, Taysir al-usul ila Jami al-usul, p. 448/3)
Aroma is an important element in the pleasure we derive from food. The pleasure we
take from the scent of a cake in the oven comes from the aroma of the chocolate and
the vanilla, for example, wafting through the air. In the same way, the pleasure we take
from roasting meat, oranges, tomatoes, coffee or any other food is due to the aromas
they exude. From this point of view, smells are complementary to the pleasure we find
in delicious tastes.
Another hadith mentions the beauty of the aromas of Paradise:
The north wind will blow and will scatter fragrance on their faces and on their
clothes and add to their goodness and beauty. (Narrated by Anas, Sahih Muslim)
Another hadith speaks of plants that are known by their beautiful scents:
Henna [a dye and scent] is the chief scent of Paradise When God created Paradise
He filled it with the scent of sweet basil, and surrounded the sweet basil with the
scent of henna (Mukhtasar Tadhkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 342/619)
Basil, mentioned in the hadith, is one of the plants known for its beautiful scent.
However, the scents we know in this world are only a pale reflection of those in
Paradise, and God knows the truth.
CONCLUSION
We have spoken throughout this film of the blessings of Paradise that God promises to
believers who merit the eternal life of the Hereafter. All these beauties are just a
moment away from all of us. The life of this world, that can come to an end with death
at any moment, is the beginning of the eternal life of the Hereafter. As a manifestation
of the infinite justice of Almighty God, in the Hereafter, people will be held responsible
for all their actions in the life of this world.

People have a responsibility to spend the average of 60 or 70 years they will spend in
this world abiding by the Quran, seeking Gods approval in their every thought and
deed, using their consciences, living virtuously and doing good works. Indeed, in one
verse God describes the purpose of life as follows:
He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action (Surat alMulk: 2)
Another verse in the Quran about this matter is as follows:
Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say, Peace be upon you! Enter the
Garden for what you did. (Surat an-Nahl: 32)
Therefore, it is very important for everyone to remember that one can pass over to the
Hereafter at any moment, to fear the possibility of going to Hell, and to be prepared to
attain the eternal blessings of Paradise.
But there is one highly significant fact that must not be forgotten. We understand from
the Quran that people who enter Paradise will be rewarded with a rank
corresponding to their piety. As revealed in one verse of the Quran:
They have different ranks with God. God sees what they do. (Surah Al Imran, 163)
This is also referred to in a hadith:
... They attain Paradise according to their labour (He who labours much receives a
large share). (Ramuz al-Ahadith-1, p. 198/17)
Of course, no matter what rank a person enjoys in Paradise, he will be content with it
because God has promised happiness for all His servants in Paradise. A person takes
his own particular pleasure from every degree of Paradise. But he does not begrudge
the pleasure enjoyed by another in a higher degree.
Another hadith describes the abundance of blessings enjoyed by the people of Paradise
in every degree:
The least of the People of Paradise in rank is the one who will have eighty thousand
servants and seventy two wives, and for whom will be set up a dome of pearls,
aquamarine and rubies similar in dimensions to the distance between Jabiyah and
San'a. (Sunan Ibn Majah; at-Tirmidhi)
A sincere Muslim must always make effort towards being worthy of the highest rank in
Gods Presence in Paradise. A person who has perfected faith and desires above all to
be close to God is pleasing to Him.