Would you describe Heaven and Hell according to the Islamic doctrine?
The sections of this article are:
- Heaven in Islam.
- Heaven is the Home of Peace.
No evil will exist in it.
- What is the size of it?
- Who lives beside humans in Paradise?
- Servants and Houris.
- Unity with our families.
- We will enjoy the Presence of Allah Almighty.
- Will time in Heaven ever end?
- What about women in paradise. Will they too have Companions and Servants?
- Hell in Islam.
- The levels of Hell.
- The food and drink in Hell.
- Hell according to Islam will eventually be
empty.
Well, according to Islam, both Heaven and Hell have different levels of pleasure and punishment respectively.
Heaven in Islam:
I was told by a Muslim scholar and minister at the Mosque that Allah Almighty created Heaven with 500 levels. The highest level will have the Prophets, the Martyrs and the most righteous, loving and pious believers the world ever had. The lowest level of paradise will be for those who barely made it to Heaven.
The portion each person will have in the lowest level will be five times bigger than the size of the planet earth.
All people from the highest to the lowest levels will be able to communicate with each others. However, no one will be able to live or enjoy the pleasure of the higher levels than what he already has. He can go to the lower levels, but he can't go to the higher ones:
"They will recline (with ease) On Thrones (of dignity) Arranged in ranks; And We shall join them To Companions, with beautiful Big and lustrous eyes. And those who believe And whose families follow Them in Faith -- to them Shall We join their families: Nor shall We deprive them (Of the fruit) of aught Of their works: (Yet) is each individual In pledge for his deeds. (The Noble Quran, 52:20-21)"
Even though the winners of Paradise will be "arranged in ranks", as I mentioned above with the 500 different levels of Paradise, but they will still be joined with their families and loved ones from the Companions.
So, let's say we have a mother and a son. The mother was admitted to level 256, and the son was admitted to level 310. Both the mother and the son can still see each others, but she won't be able to enjoy the things her son is enjoying, nor will he be able to share them with her.
It is similar to us here on earth, where if we have two friends, one is a multi millionaire and the other is a poor fellow. Both men can still be friends and go out together, but the millionaire guy most probably eats better food, drives a better car, lives in a much fancier and bigger house, lives in a much better and more expensive and fancier neighborhood, wears better and more expensive cloths, wears better smelling perfumes, vacations to better and more fun places and expensive places, etc....
No dung, piss, bad body odor, bad breath, or bad sweat smell will exist in Heaven. The food and the drinks that we consume into our bodies will turn into great smelling musk. The higher the person's level in Paradise the better his smell will be.
Also in Paradise, all people will be pure in the heart. No jealousy or bad feelings will exist. Allah Almighty will cause everyone to be happy for what he/she has.
Heaven is the Home of Peace. No evil will exist in it:
As Allah Almighty said in the Noble Quran, Heaven will be the Home of Peace. Not even an atom of evil of any kind will exist in it:
"For them will be a Home Of Peace in the presence Of their Lord: He will be Their Friend, because They practised (righteousness). (The Noble Quran, 6:127)"
"But Allah doth call To the Home of Peace: He doth guide whom He pleaseth to a Way that is straight. (The Noble Quran, 10:25)"
"And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury;- beneath them will be rivers flowing;- and they shall say: 'Praise be to God, who hath guided us to this (felicity): never could we have found guidance, had it not been for the guidance of God: indeed it was the truth, that the apostles of our Lord brought unto us.' And they shall hear the cry: 'Behold! the garden before you! Ye have been made its inheritors, for your deeds (of righteousness).' (The Noble Quran, 7:43)"
"And they will say: 'Praise be to Allah, Who has removed from us (All) sorrow: for our Lord Is indeed Oft-Forgiving Ready to appreciate (service). (The Noble Quran, 35:34)"
"Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those Who claim sanctity For themselves? Nay -- but Allah Doth sanctify Whom He pleaseth, But never will they Fail to receive justice In the least little thing. (The Noble Quran, 4:49)"
"O ye who believe! Follow not Satan's footsteps: If any will follow the footsteps Of Satan, he will (but) command What is shameful and wrong: And were it not for the grace And mercy of Allah on you, Not one of you would ever Have been pure: but Allah Doth purify whom He pleases: And Allah is One Who Hears and knows (all things). (The Noble Quran, 24:21)"
According to the Noble Verses above, Heaven is the Home of Peace where the winners of Paradise will live in peace and harmony with each others and with Allah Almighty. He will remove all evil from their hearts and purify them.
What is the size of it?
Even though Allah Almighty never gave the exact area of it, but He did give us valuable information about it's size:
"Be ye foremost (in seeking) Forgiveness from your Lord, And a Garden (of Bliss), The width whereof is As the width of Heaven and earth, Prepared for those who believe In Allah and His messengers: That is the Grace of Allah, Which He bestows on whom He pleases: and Allah is The Lord of Grace abounding. (The Noble Quran, 57:21)"
"Be quick in the race For forgiveness from your Lord, And for a Garden whose width Is that (of the whole) Of the heavens And the earth, Prepared for the righteous. (The Noble Quran, 3:133)"
In Arabic the plural and singular of the word "heaven" can be the same depending on the use of the word in the sentence. In Noble Verse 57:21, Allah Almighty used the word "heaven" for the Universe, and in Noble Verse 3:133, He used the word "heavens".
Allah Almighty mentioned that He created seven heavens to form the universe. We are living in the lowest heaven, or heaven number 1. If the width of Paradise is as equal as the width of the universe starting from the earth and ending in the seventh heaven, then this should give us a very clear picture that the size of Heaven is unbelievably huge!
Who lives beside humans in Paradise?
Angels, Jinns and Humans and the Servants and Houris of Paradise will live there. All inhabitants of Heaven will be able to communicate with each others, whether they are Jinns with Humans or Humans with Angels or Jinns with Angels. But since each one of them is created differently from the others, their will be limitations to some of the communication there such as marriage and sex. Humans for instance can't marry or have sex with the Angels or the Jinns, and vise versa to the rest.
Anyway, each human person in Paradise will have his own world. In his world he will have lofty mansions, beautiful nature, great food; plenty of tasty meat, fruits, vegetables, rivers of honey and milk, and other great gifts of anything he desires from Allah Almighty:
"But it is for those Who fear their Lord, That lofty mansions, One above another, Have been built: Beneath them flow Rivers (of delight): (such is) The promise of Allah: Never doth Allah fail in (His) promise. (The Noble Quran, 39:20)"
"But those who believe And work deeds of righteousness -- To them shall We give A Home in Heaven -- Lofty mansions beneath which Flow rivers -- to dwell therein For aye -- an excellent reward For those who do (good)! -- Those who preserve in patience, And put their trust In their Lord and Cherisher. (The Noble Quran, 29:58-59)"
"And We shall bestow On them, of fruit and meat, Anything they shall desire. (The Noble Quran, 52:22)"
"(To them will be said:) 'Eat and drink ye, With profit and health, Because of your (good) deeds. (The Noble Quran, 52:19)"
"Therein will they Recline (at ease): Therein can they Call (at pleasure) For fruit in abundance, And (delicious) drink; (The Noble Quran, 38:51)"
"(Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)? (The Noble Quran, 47:15)"
Servants and Houris:
Every winner of Paradise's world will also be filled with Servants and virgin Houris. All winners of Paradise will enjoy the service of the young Servants and virgin Houris:
"Round about them will (serve) Youths of perpetual (freshness), With goblets, (shinning) beakers, And cups (filled) out of Clear-flowing fountains: No after-ache will they Receive therefrom, nor will they Suffer intoxication. (The Noble Quran, 56:17-19)"
"Round about them will serve, (Devoted) to them, Youths (handsome) as Pearls Well-guarded. They will advance To each other, engaging In mutual enquiry. (The Noble Quran, 52:24-25)"
"And round about them Will (serve) youths Of perpetual (freshness): If thou seest them, Thou wouldst think them Scattered Pearls. (The Noble Quran, 76:19)"
"We have created (their Companions) Of special creation, And made them Virgin-pure (and undefiled) -- Beloved (by nature) Equal in age -- For the Companions Of the Right Hand. (The Noble Quran, 56:35-38)"
"And besides them will be Chaste women; restraining Their glances, with big eyes (Of wonder and beauty). As if they were (Delicate) eggs closely guarded. (The Noble Quran, 37:48-49)"
"And beside them will be Chaste women restraining Their glances, (companions) Of equal age. Such is the Promise Made to you For the Day of Account! Truly such will be Our Bounty (to you) It will never fail. (The Noble Quran, 38:52-54)"
"As to the Righteous (They will be) in A position of Security. Among Gardens and Springs; Dressed in fine silk And in rich brocade, They will face each other; Moreover, We shall Join them to Companions With beautiful, big, And lustrous eyes. There can they call For every kind of fruit In peace and security. Nor will they there Taste Death, except the first Death; and He will preserve Them from the Penalty Of the Blazing Fire. (The Noble Quran, 44:51-56)"
"They will recline (with ease) On Thrones (of dignity) Arranged in ranks; And We shall join them To Companions, with beautiful Big and lustrous eyes. And those who believe And whose families follow Them in Faith -- to them Shall We join their families: Nor shall We deprive them (Of the fruit) of aught Of their works: (Yet) is each individual In pledge for his deeds. (The Noble Quran, 52:20-21)"
"In them will be (Maidens), Chaste, restraining their glances, Whom no man or Jinn Before them has touched. (The Noble Quran, 55:56)"
"In them will be Fair (Companions), good, beautiful. (The Noble Quran, 55:70)"
"Companions restrained (as to Their glances), in (goodly) pavilions. (The Noble Quran, 55:72)"
"And (there will be) Companions With beautiful, big, And lustrous eyes -- Like unto Pearls Well-guarded. A Reward for the Deeds Of their past (Life). (The Noble Quran, 56:22-24)"
"Gardens enclosed, and Grapevines; Companions of Equal Age; And a Cup full (To the Brim). (The Noble Quran, 78:32-34)"
Unity with our families:
Even though each person will be rewarded a certain level in Paradise, but as I said everyone will be able to communicate with the others. The People of Paradise will be like one big loving family, with different goods for each person. Allah Almighty promised the Believers that they will be reunited with their believing families in Paradise:
"They will recline (with ease) On Thrones (of dignity) Arranged in ranks; And We shall join them To Companions, with beautiful Big and lustrous eyes. And those who believe And whose families follow Them in Faith -- to them Shall We join their families: Nor shall We deprive them (Of the fruit) of aught Of their works: (Yet) is each individual In pledge for his deeds. (The Noble Quran, 52:20-21)"
Narrated Anas: "A man asked the Prophet about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet said, "You will be with those whom you love." We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., "You will be with those whom you love.") Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Companions of the Prophet, Volume 5, Book 57, Number 37)"
Even though the winners of Paradise will be "arranged in ranks", as I mentioned above with the 500 different levels of Paradise, but they will still be joined with their families and loved ones from the Companions as clearly shown in Noble Verses 52:20-21 and the Hadith (Saying) of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
We will enjoy the Presence of Allah Almighty:
The greatest things that will happen to us in Heaven is that Allah Almighty will be present there. We will be able to directly communicate with Him, and He will be our friend, and we will be able to live near Him:
"For them will be a Home Of Peace in the presence Of their Lord: He will be Their Friend, because They practised (righteousness). (The Noble Quran, 6:127)"
"There will be for them Therein all that they wish -- And more besides In Our Presence. (The Noble Quran, 50:35)"
"And Allah sets forth, As an example To those who believe, The wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: 'O my Lord! build For me, in nearness To Thee, a mansion In the Garden, And save me from Pharaoh And his doings, And save me from Those that do wrong' (The Noble Quran, 66:11)"
"Verily, for the Righteous, Are Gardens of Delight, In the Presence of their Lord. (The Noble Quran, 68:34)"
Will time in Heaven ever end?
The following information was taken from the "What does "forever" really mean?" section in the Hell according to Islam will eventually be empty article:
"Those who are wretched shall be in the Fire: There will be for them therein (nothing but) the heaving of sighs and sobs: They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as thy Lord willeth: for thy Lord is the (sure) accomplisher of what He planneth. And those who are blessed shall be in the Garden: They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as thy Lord willeth: a gift without break. (The Noble Quran, 11:106-108)"
Notice in these Noble Verses that the time limit that Allah Almighty had set for Paradise is endless and is a "gift without break", while the time for Hell is limited to "the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as thy Lord willeth". It is clear that the time in Hell in the Noble Quran is limited and the time in Paradise never ending.
Notice the assurance of Allah Almighty about the time of Paradise being infinite, while He didn't make the same claim about the time of Hell. In fact, He left the time of Hell open and unclear, which clearly proves that Hell will eventually be empty according to Islam, or to say the least, it will not be infinite in time as Paradise.
What about women in paradise. Will they too have Companions and Servants?
I wrote a detailed article before that covered the topic and gifts for women in Paradise:
Does Paradise in Islam really have Lesbianism in it?
Hell in Islam:
Hell according to Islam is a purifying place that Allah Almighty will use for punishing those whom He Wills for their sins, and to purify all of those who are badly corrupted by Satan's dirt from temptations and evil intentions toward others such as envy, insolence, and other evil things.
All of those who will enter Paradise shall be purified. Please read the "Heaven is the Home of Peace. No evil will exist in it" sub section above for more details.
Also please visit Where do Martyrs go after death? And will they be judged for their good and bad deeds?
How does a Muslim get to Heaven, saved, reach a state of perfect harmony with God?
The levels of Hell:
It appears from the Noble Quran that Hell will have 7 levels with 19 Guards:
"And verily, Hell Is the promised abode For them all! To it are seven Gates: For each of those Gates Is a (special) class (Of sinners) assigned. (The Noble Quran, 15:43-44)"
"Over it are Nineteen (i.e., guards). And We have set none but angels as Guardians of the Fire; and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers,- in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, 'What symbol doth God intend by this?' Thus doth God leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind. (The Noble Quran, 74:30-31)"
There are certainly levels of punishment in Hell. The hypocrites will be in the most painful one:
"The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire: no helper wilt thou find for them; (The Noble Quran, 4:145)"
Please visit Muslims be careful from the Muslim hypocrites.
The food and drink in Hell:
Let us look at what Allah Almighty said in the Noble Quran:
"Is that the better entertainment Or the Tree of Zaqqum? For We have truly Made it (as) a trial For the wrongdoers. For it is a tree That springs out Of the bottom of Hellfire: That shoots of its fruit-stalks Are like the heads Of devils: Truly they will eat thereof And fill their bellies therewith. Then on top of that They will be given A mixture made of Boiling water. Then shall their return Be to the (Blazing) Fire. (The Noble Quran, 37:62-68)"
The Noble Verses are pretty much self explanatory. Life in Hell is really Hell! The food the that will be offered is from the Tree of Zaqqum, which fruits-stalks look like heads of devils, and the drinking water will be a boiling water.
Hell according to Islam will eventually be empty:
I've written a long article about this, backed with so many Noble Verses from the Noble Quran that clearly and directly and unquestionably prove that Hell will be empty.
Please visit Hell according to Islam will eventually be empty.
Allah, Islam, Quran, Muhammad questions and answers.
What is the place of Jews, Christians and non-Muslims in Islam.
Hell according to Islam will eventually be empty.
Please email me at Osama Abdallah
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