Paradise in Islam: description, name, levels

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

A lot has been written about paradise in Islam, information on this topic can be found in both sunnahs and hadiths. For a devout Muslim, getting into paradise is rather not an end in itself, but the result of his actions throughout his life. According to the Quran, even one unrighteous act can completely change the balance of good and evil on the scales on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, with the help of the description of paradise in Islam, the believers are motivated to lead a righteous lifestyle. Every day must be lived by a Muslim in spiritual and physical purity, as the Prophet Muhammad bequeathed to do. Only if all religious rules are observed, men and women are promised the road to paradise.

In Islam, the description of paradise life is given in different texts, but many theologians believe that its description is extremely generalized and raises a lot of questions, which, in turn, become a topic for serious disputes. But in general, every Muslim, after reading the sacredSunnah, will be able to at least roughly understand what kind of existence awaits him on the other side of life under the shadow of the hand of Allah. We will consider a detailed description of paradise in Islam, making it as clear as possible for any person, regardless of their religious requirements.

What is paradise: a brief description

Is there a paradise in Islam? New converts often ask this question, as various parts of the Qur'an describe in detail the Day of Judgment and the hellish torment that sinners will undergo. A lot is also written about paradise in the holy book, but the information on this topic is a little veiled, and it will take quite a lot of effort to put it together.

So what to say to a Muslim who is interested in whether there is a paradise in Islam? Of course yes. Allah created such a place in heaven so that the faithful, jinn and angels receive extraordinary benefits and pleasures. It is difficult to describe in human language what awaits the souls that have come here. After all, theologians say that the laws of physics will not operate in paradise, and therefore it is difficult to imagine how exactly it will work, and what miracles await those who will be awarded the right to enter its gates.

In Islam, the description of paradise is identical in general terms, but may differ in details. They are usually distinguished during the debates of theologians, who often argued about the peculiarities of the existence of the soul after the end of its earthly path. Thus, the belief arose that paradise is located under the seven heavens and has several levels. Interestingly, in the descriptions of heaven and hell in Islam, such acharacteristic as "infinite". Although the number of souls who will enjoy their time in heaven and those who will end up in a world of torment for their sins is limited, heaven has no beginning and no end. It will have its own laws and rules, many of which the average person will not even be able to realize.

The most important distinguishing feature of paradise is the absence of evil spirits in any of its manifestations. It is believed that the faithful will be able to enjoy the most delicious dishes they can imagine, and the overcooked food is transformed into light hiccups and sweat, which has a very pleasant smell, reminiscent of incense. Also, in the description of paradise in Islam, it is mentioned that the life of the faithful will be filled with joy and we alth. Everyone will be beautiful and young, and feelings such as fatigue and sadness will disappear forever.

The name of paradise in Islam

Interestingly, Muslims have several words for paradise. Theologians divide them into two groups, each of which includes a large number of definitions.

Paradise in Islam is spoken of as a garden or gardens, which is why they designate it with the Arabic word "jannat". In many sacred texts, Jannat is used precisely in the meaning of "Garden of Eden" in all its variety of forms. Muslims very often, when designating a place where their soul will find eternal peace and joy, use stable phrases in speech. They can be seen as the names of paradise as well as its characteristics. Interestingly, each of these expressions uses the word"jannat". For example, paradise is often referred to as the "garden of refuge." In Arabic, this will sound like "jannat al-mawa." If we consider a different name - "the garden of eternity", then in the original sound it is read and pronounced as "jannat al-huld". Theologians are very fond of using the names of paradise from this category in their speech, as they consider them to be the most fully revealing its essence.

In the Sunnahs and the Koran, paradise is often presented in the sense of a monastery, the place where the main life of every believer begins. The fact is that, according to the ideas of Muslims, his existence in this world is just a preparatory stage. After him, the soul enters the akhirah - the other world, for the sake of which a person did good deeds, trying to deserve eternal life. Therefore, paradise is considered an abode, which in Arabic sounds like a “gift”. With this word, combinations are formed, which are variants of the names of paradise and its characteristics by analogy with the previous version. For example, in the texts one can often find such a phrase as “dar as-salam”, which literally means “abode of peace”. If you come across the name "dar al-mukama", then know that it also refers to paradise, but is translated as "the abode of eternal residence."

In general, Muslims have at least ten names for paradise, and all of them are used quite widely. At first, this confuses believers who have recently converted to Islam. However, over time, they recognize that such an abundance of names and epithets is fully justified, since it allows you to get the most complete picture of whatlife awaits them in paradise.

Islamic paradise: nuances of the afterlife of the righteous

What kind of life in paradise according to Islam awaits the righteous who did only charitable deeds and became famous for good deeds? Every Muslim asks himself this very important question at least once, because the expectation of an eternal happy life after the end of his journey in this world inspires and supports in difficult times. So what do the faithful need to know, observing all the rules drawn up by the prophet Muhammad?

Every Muslim should understand that, despite the frequent use of the plural and the varied description, hell and heaven in Islam are specific places. There are no several types of paradise - it is one, but located at different levels. This nuance must be understood first of all, so as not to be confused in the future in the descriptions of paradise life given in the Qur'an and Sunnahs.

Theologians say that eternal bliss awaits Muslims in paradise. Their life will be like a dream come true. Every righteous person will receive everything that he wanted to have in life. He will have gold and jewelry with precious stones, clothes made of silk and brocade, and philosophers and those who have also earned the right to be in paradise will sit next to him. Interestingly, in Islam it is generally accepted that a person in paradise will need everything the same as in life. Only to receive it it will be the most unusual way. For example, a man who enters heaven will find himself there not alone, but with his wives. With them he willhave intimate relationships, but children from this connection will not be able to appear. In addition to wives, houris of divine beauty will be able to come to the righteous, there is no prohibition on close relations with them. Nuances like these make the difference between Christian and Muslim descriptions of paradise.

Why does Islam attach so much importance to this side of the issue? Theologians argue on this topic quite often, but usually they state that Allah loved people so much and wished to reward them for a righteous life that he created a paradise where everyone gets everything that was deprived in the world. Here you can taste the most delicious dishes, enjoy communication with the most beautiful women, and those who are lucky enough to get to the highest level of paradise will be able to see Allah. It is considered the most desired reward for a righteous life for every Muslim.

It is interesting that all souls in paradise will have the same age. No matter how old a person left the mortal earth, on the other side of the line he will always be thirty-three years old. This rule applies to both women and men.

Muslims in paradise will be able not only to taste unusual dishes, but also to drink wine. It cannot intoxicate, and the taste of the drink is difficult to compare even with the finest wine ever created by human hands.

Today, ideas of how life in paradise will look like are used in Islam during the sermon. When theologians are faced with the problem of attracting new followers, they resort to a colorful description of the heavenly life prepared for the righteous. Often such descriptions are used in their sermons andopponents of Islam. Using passages of text from the Koran, they present Islam as a crude and mundane religion, without trying to delve into the features of this movement.

What does heaven look like?

A lot has been written in Islam about what heaven looks like. This topic is given serious attention in all sacred texts. We have already mentioned that paradise is an endless garden, located on several levels. It has no end and edge, however, the souls placed on different levels can meet and communicate with each other if they wish.

Everyone who gets here will enjoy the benefits forever. The same is destined for sinners - they are destined to endlessly spend time in torment. Heaven and hell cannot be destroyed, they will exist even after the death of the world in the form in which we know it. This feature is connected with the fact that even before the creation of all things, Allah made efforts to create these two places. Therefore, they are eternal and do not succumb to the laws and rules known to people.

According to what is taught in Islam, there are 8 doors in paradise. They are guarded by angels, the main one in the angelic guard is Ridvan. All the righteous after the Day of Judgment will be divided into categories and, in accordance with them, placed on different levels. However, I can see souls regardless of my permanent location.

One of the hallmarks of paradise is a comfortable temperature - the righteous will not suffer from heat or cold. Theologians claim that the entire Garden of Eden consists of bricks smelted from gold and silver. They willproduce a pleasant, musk-like fragrance. The Qur'an also lists the trees that grow in gardens. According to the description, they are similar to ordinary fruit trees, but devoid of their shortcomings. For example, if a plant has thorns that can hurt you, then there won't be any in heaven.

Often, theologians draw an analogy between the description of the Gardens of Eden and the ideas of pleasure and the highest good that have developed among the ancient nomadic tribes living in the East. However, many peoples had similar descriptions of paradise. This is typical for Jews, Christians and other older religious movements.

At different stages of the formation of Islam, the characteristics of Jannat were supplemented and expanded. If initially there were more emotions in the descriptions, then as the religion strengthened, the images acquired clarity and distinctive features.

About rivers and gardens

Since paradise is an endless and incredibly beautiful garden, it is natural to assume that it is full of rivers, ponds, lakes and backwaters. The righteous can choose for themselves rivers with flowing honey or wine, and if they wish, milk rivers can also be found in paradise.

Theologians are still arguing about the division of the garden into several parts. They are sure that there are several gardens in it:

• Adn.
• Firdaus.
• Mava.
• Name

Everyone is meant for one or another righteous person. The most beautiful of these places is Adn. However, not all theologians agree with this distribution of the territory of the Garden of Eden. According to them, Adn is a specific place in paradise. It is not known what it isriver, city, palace or tent. But in any case, the righteous will experience incredible bliss here.

The rivers of the garden also have their own names:

• Salsabil.
• Tasmeem.
• Main.
• Kausar.

The latter is considered the most full-flowing and the most beautiful. Kausar is designed specifically for the Prophet, all the other rivers of the Garden of Eden flow into it.

It is not known exactly how rivers can flow through all levels of paradise at the same time. The Qur'an does not mention this, but none of the theologians can explain the location of the levels relative to each other. Most likely, they do not obey the laws of physics and can even be in different dimensions. Why does Islam in the description of paradise not reveal this issue? Theologians believe that Allah is great and there is no limit to his miracles. This means that a person does not need to try to find explanations for everything.

Degrees of Paradise in Islam

Each level of the Garden of Eden has its own name and gate. They are intended to accommodate the righteous of different categories, these groups are mentioned in the Qur'an. We will celebrate each heavenly step:

• Dar al-huld. The righteous will not be able to leave this part, because it is not without reason that it is called “the dwelling of eternity”. Allah has rewarded the souls who have come here with the highest bliss that will last forever unless He decides otherwise.
• Dar as-salam. Here all the righteous are in peace, as they are protected from troubles and troubles. Allah helps them in any undertakings and calls for being in this place.
• Dar al-mukama. ATdwelling place of the righteous are protected from weariness and weariness. They will forever be full of strength and intentions to do good deeds.
• Jannat al-mawa. Muslims call this part of paradise "the garden of the shelter" and it is one of the most beautiful.
• Jannat Adn. This garden can be considered a complete analogue of the biblical Eden.
• Al-Firdaus. Much is written about this part of paradise in the sacred texts. Everything the human mind can imagine is here. Therefore, it is here that all Muslims strive to get to, especially since the Throne of Allah is located higher and everyone on this level will have the right to contemplate the Creator.
• Jannat un-na. Those who did only good deeds in their earthly life will be sent to the gardens at this level.
• Al-maqam. Here Allah intends to place God-fearing people. Those who did not do evil deeds out of love and fear of the Almighty will forever be in this garden.
• Al-Amin. The name of this Garden of Eden has several meanings in Arabic, but all of them are related to security.
• Makad sidk. This garden is considered the abode of truth, where true desires are fulfilled. If you want to receive love, then this will be your reward in paradise. However, the desire must be the strongest.

Theologians have no idea how and by what the levels are separated. However, they are sure that only Allah has the right to decide who and where will be sent, and also whether a person will be able to leave the boundaries of a particular Garden of Eden.

Paradise forrighteous women

It is almost impossible to find differences in descriptions of paradise for women and men in Islam. However, some significant differences can still be observed. After death in their earthly form, the righteous go to heaven at the age of thirty-three. However, this is not the only change that Allah has prepared for them.

All wives who honored the Koran during their lifetime, followed all the rules, and also kept love and fidelity to their husbands, will be reborn in paradise in an incredible guise. Their beauty will be perfect, and they will be able to surpass even the houris, who are billions of times more beautiful than earthly women. The righteous, walking in the Garden of Eden, will become its real decoration, and their aroma and charm will be a reward for their husbands.

Each of the righteous will receive the gift to amaze everyone around her with her wise speeches and sharpness of mind. The singing of women will be able to delight the ears of even the most captious critic. And if we add spiritual and physical purity to this, it becomes clear how beautiful the righteous will fill the Garden of Eden with Allah.

The sacred texts say that all wives, without exception, will gain attractiveness, femininity and sensuality after rebirth. Intimacy with them will turn into an extraordinary pleasure, moreover, every night for their husbands they will turn into virgins.

Allah promises husbands and wives eternal love in the Gardens of Eden. Lovers will accompany each other everywhere and illuminate with their light the plants and trees, as well as all the inhabitants of paradise. If a woman had several husbands during her life, then in paradise she will be able to choose oneof them. And it is with him that eternal love will last.

There is a category of Muslim women who fell in the struggle for faith in Islam. What awaits in paradise for women from this group? Such righteous women have a slightly different fate. Seventy-two young men are prepared for them in paradise, who will surround women with love and care. In beauty, they can compete with houris, but in essence they are their likeness only in male form.

If we compare Christianity and Islam in the two most striking categories "Hell" and "Garden of Eden", then the differences between the two most ancient religious movements in relation to the afterlife will become clearly visible. In Orthodoxy and Catholicism, it is not customary to give separate characteristics of paradise for men and women. You can verify this by reading the Holy Scriptures. In Islam, a paradise for women is replete with colorful details of the gifts received, pictures of blessings and pleasures that will await the righteous woman after the end of her life.

Are there animals in the Gardens of Eden?

Animals accompany a person throughout his life. He becomes so attached to some that he experiences real longing after the death of a living being. Therefore, sooner or later, every Muslim has thoughts about whether there are animals in paradise.

Islam is unequivocal on this score - on the Day of Judgment they will also be resurrected and subjected to judgment. However, animals do not have the same degree of intelligence as humans, therefore they are deprived of understanding of good and evil, as well as other categories by which Allah evaluates the deeds of each soul. But still, the Qur'an mentions that animals willapply its own measure. If they have fully fulfilled their earthly destiny, then they are en titled to a reward, the features of which are not written in the sacred texts. It is known that after the Day of Judgment all the bodies of animals will turn to dust, but their souls have immortality just like human ones.

In general, the fate of their souls is not determined, so it is difficult to say what is in store for them. This is known only to Allah, but there are ten animals that managed to earn a place in paradise by helping the righteous or protecting them from evil. We will not list all of them, but only note a few. This list includes the bull of Ibrahim, the ant of Suleiman, the camel of Salih, and so on.

In addition to this category of animals, those that were sacrificed to Allah are intended for life in paradise. They are en titled to a reward in the form of being in luxurious gardens along with the righteous and the righteous.

A few words about genies

The sacred texts speak not only about people, but also about jinn. These creatures also have a soul and a mind, which means will and the right to choose. On the Day of Judgment, they, like people, will appear before Allah, who will decide their fate.

Jinns can be believers. In this case, they adhere to a righteous life and do whatever is necessary to get to heaven. But there are those who do evil and will be sent by Allah to hell.

Muslim Road to Paradise

Most believers worry daily about how to earn heaven. In Islam, there are many ways to do this, and all of them are voiced in the Koran. That's whyeveryone can use the hint and secure an eternal life full of pleasures. Muslims know that throughout human life, the Almighty tests them, and therefore has prepared not a single opportunity to go to heaven.

A lot of attention in the Qur'an is paid to the payment of zakat. It is a kind of alms, but it must be given regularly and not only to those who ask. Rather, on the contrary. Every true believer should know who and what of his neighbors is in need. Therefore, giving money should be easy and joyful. Today, many Muslims prefer to forget about the full payment of zakat. But they, too, will end up on the Day of Judgment, where they will have to answer for their indifference. Theologians say that those who care about the well-being of other people and help them from the bottom of their hearts will definitely go to heaven.

There are several more ways to get to heaven. Islam gives a person many opportunities to avoid hellish torment after death. For example, a Muslim who believes in the Almighty, fasts in Ramadan and prays daily, has every chance of getting into the Gardens of Eden.

The Qur'an states that eternal bliss is promised to those who built a mosque during their lifetime in honor of Allah and those who believe in him. Theologians say that for such righteous people in paradise, tents of the same size as the mosque they built will be built. The Almighty will adorn them with pearls and precious stones and cover them with brocade embroidered with gold.

Particularly honorable places in the Gardens of Eden will be awarded to the righteous who pray in cold weather, as well as those who go tothe mosque with the desire to defend and read several prayers to Allah at once.

Separately, the Almighty mentioned Muslims who keep themselves from sin. This implies two types of unseemly deeds: swear words and sexual promiscuity. In Islam, both of these acts are elevated to the same degree of sin.

Before death, a Muslim also has a chance to open his way to paradise. If a true believer leaves for another world without resentment towards loved ones and people he has ever met by chance, without having a debt - moral and monetary, and also without a sense of arrogance towards human souls, animals and genies, then he will fall into Jannat.

Every Muslim who wants to find eternal bliss must repeat all the names of Allah. The Almighty has ninety-nine of them and you need to call them in prayer daily. Better yet, devote time to this activity twice a day.

Muhammad said that any Muslim who does good deeds for other believers can go to heaven. Even a single act can be highly appreciated by Allah and become a reason for traveling to the Gardens of Eden.

If you carefully read this section, then we think you understood that the Almighty on Judgment Day will take to paradise those who did good, kept themselves and their loved ones from sin, performed all prayers and followed all the rules listed by the Prophet.