Which Husband will a Woman Be With in Jannah

There was a question about a woman who is divorced or widowed – who will she be with in Jannah? First of all, if a man is married to a woman and they are both going to Jannah, they will both be in Jannah, even if they are different in Jannah. How will that affect their statuses? Allahu ‘Alam, but the lower level will jump up to the higher level, because Allah, out of His Mercy, will not lower anyone in Jannah. Allah says, “Gardens of perpetual bliss. They shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers their spouses, and their offspring: and angels shall enter unto them from every gate.” (13:23) And Allah says, “They and their wives, in pleasant shade, on thrones reclining.” (36:56)

Allah says: “Enter ye the Garden, ye and your wives, in (beauty and) rejoicing.” (43:70) So they will all be greeted into Jannah.

Now, what happens in the situation where a man passes away and his wife marries after him? For the other scenario, where the wife passes away and the man remarries, he will be with his first wife and his second wife. In this case, where the woman remarries, who will she be with in Jannah? 

Asmaa` bint Abi Bakr was married to AzZubayr ibn Al-Awwaam – one of the ten promised Jannah. She went to her father (Abu Bakr) and complained to him about her husband being too strict with her. AzZubayr ibn AlAwwaam was a very strong man – a knight. He was amongst the strongest in the Sahabah. The other Muslim soldiers once told him that he had such a powerful sword; AzZubayr got mad and said not to give credit to the sword, it was his arm. There are numerous stories telling about AzZubayr’s courage and his strength; it was legendary even amongst the sahabah. AzZubayr was very strict in his dealing with his wife, Asmaa` as well. Abu Bakr didn’t have a problem with her complain; it was valid. AzZubayr had her do laborious work and was strict with her. Abu Bakr said to her, “O my daughter please be patient, because a woman, if she has a righteous husband and then he dies, and she does not marry after him, Allah will bring them together in Jannah.” Abu Bakr knew she was going through tough times, but he wanted her to be patient because Abu Bakr knew that AzZubayr would have one of the highest statuses in Paradise, so he wanted for her that to be in the same high status as AzZubayr in Jannah. It is not all about this life.

This is also an advice to the brothers and sisters – if you don’t like something in your spouse, but they are righteous, be patient. It is not about dunya.

A woman came to ‘Umar ibn AlKhattab and said, “O ‘Umar, I do not love my husband.” ‘Umar looked at her and said, “Marriages are not all based on love.” It is a cooperation in al-dunya, and then we are going to pass away. It’s not all romantic love; it’s about a house that they are establishing, raising a Muslim family and bringing up children in a good household. There needs to be some compassion. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, Don’t be harsh with your spouses, because if you don’t like something in them, then there is something else good in them that you love in them, and it should compensate.

We are not going to get our pleasure and reward in dunya; we are going to get it in the akhirah inshaAllah.

The other narration is from when Hudhayfah was dying. He said to his wife, “O my beloved wife, if you want to be my wife in akhirah, in Jannah, then do not marry anyone after me, because I heard RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say that you will be with your last husband.”

WHY do the people of Jannah eat

AlQurtubi says, The people of Jannah do not eat to relieve themselves of pain of hunger; they do not drink to quench themselves of thirst; they do not put on perfume to eliminate bad smell. The reason that they do these things is because they want to have continuous pleasures. And he says to look at the two verses where Allah tells Adam in Jannah: “There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked.” (20:118) 

So we’re not putting clothes on in Jannah to cover our nakedness; we’re not eating to relieve ourselves from hunger; nor are we suffering from thirst. So everything in Jannah is for the purpose of pleasure and pleasure alone. Then he [AlQurtubi] says, Everything that people used to like in this world, similar will be given to them in Jannah, but then Allah is hiding from them things we don’t even know about.

The Wine of Jannah

You’ll go back home and have a cup of wine from Jannah. ‘Round will be passed to them a cup from a clear, flowing fountain, baydaa`oo - crystal white, of a taste delicious to those who drink it. Neither they will have Ghoul (any kind of hurt, abdominal pain, headache, a sin, etc.) from that, nor will they suffer intoxication there from.” (37:45-46)

Ibn Kathir says, it will not cause them headache, nor will it make them lose their minds. Ibn ‘Abbaas says that there are four negative aspects of alcohol: drunkenness, headaches, increased urination and nausea and vomiting. These are four negative side effects of drinking. Ibn ‘Abbaas says that Allah has purified the wine of Jannah from all four of these things. The people of Jannah will drink a lot of wine, but it will not make them drunk, it will just give them pleasure. Everything in dunya is a mixture of pleasure and pain – there is nothing completely good or completely bad. This world is not good enough to be Jannah or bad enough to be Hell. Alcohol comes with all of these side effects, that is why it is made haraam in Qur’an. Allah says that there are some good aspects from it, but the sin coming from it is greater. In Jannah, all of these side effects will be gone and it will be pure pleasure.

How can you increase your share in the trees of Jannah

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam met with Ibraheem ‘alayhis salaam in Israa` wa miraaj. Ibraheem is the father of this Ummah; he wants the best for this Ummah. Even though he died thousands of years before Muhammad, and is so detached from this Ummah (in terms of time span), he was still so eager to help us. He tried to help Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and so he said to him: “O Muhammad, give your Ummah my salaam, and tell them that Pardaise is beautiful – it’s water is pure, and it’s soil is clean, and tell them it is vast, huge pieces of land. The trees of Jannah are subhaanAllah, walhamdulillah, wa laa ilaaha ilallah, wAllahu Akbar.” It’s that easy – just saying that makes a tree grow in Jannah for you. Use your time in dunya to grow acres of these trees. You don’t want to find empty land when you go there.

If you want to have some treasures in Paradise: la hawla wa la qu watta ilallah billah. That is of the treasure of the treasures of Paradise.

What about the animals and the birds of Jannah? RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was asked about the rivers of al-kawthar. So he said, it is a river that Allah has given to me. It is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. There are some birds that drink from it, and their necks are like the necks of camels; these birds are so huge and well fed from drinking from al-kawthar. They are organic, however, because sometimes we associate size with growth hormones. ‘Umar ibn AlKhattaab was in the audience and he said, subhaanAllah, they must be having a lot of fun! RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that the ones who will eat them will have more fun [the people of Jannah].

Allah subhaana wa ta’aala says: “And the flesh of birds, any that they may desire.” (56:21) Say you see a bird that really opens up your appetite – you just make a request and point towards it; it will be there for you immediately for you to eat.

You’re with your wife, going from one restaurant to another, spending days on end out of your mansion. [For parents this is truly bliss...because with kids the work just seems endless and as if you never have a few hours to spend with your spouse as you did when you were newlyweds...] You realize that this is endless. You will go back home and rest to continue your journey later on. Imagine – if the lowest Jannah is 10 times this earth, how much time will it take to look at your property?!

Trees in Jannah

So you’re still following your guide. You see a huge tree; you ask your guide what it is. He tells you that this tree was described by the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (in Bukhaari), “There is a tree in Paradise (which is so big and huge that) a rider could travel in its shade for a hundred years. And if you wish, you can recite: ‘In shade long extended’ (56:30) and a place in Paradise equal to an arrow bow of one of you, is better than (the whole earth) on which the sun rises and sets.” [Bukhaari, 4/54/475]

Then you go to other places and see other trees. The trees look very different. There are trees with all silver branches, all gold branches, some that produce fruit, some that produce clothes…etc etc…

Your guide will also show you Sidratul-Muntaha. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw this tree when he went to Jannah. In a hadith, [see Muslim, 1/309], the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Then I was taken to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha whose leaves were like elephant ears and its fruit like big earthenware vessels. And when it was covered by the Command of Allah, it underwent such a change that none amongst the creation has the power to praise its beauty.”

Once, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was speaking about Jannah. A man asked RasulAllah, “O Messenger of Allah, are the clothes of Jannah created or are they woven?” The Sahabah laughed; they thought it was a stupid question. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked, Why are you laughing? Are you laughing because he is ignorant and he is asking somebody who knows? In other words, RasulAllah was saying that there is no question that is stupid. RasulAllah told the man, The clothes of Jannah come out from the trees of Jannah.

Now you are wearing these clothes of Jannah and you go to these trees. You just point towards a fruit from the tree and get a new pair of clothes. You get a few new pairs of clothes. Of course, your wife will get more, obviously she’ll take a lot of clothes. You move on and obviously you don’t have to carry them – one of the servants will have a shopping cart and will carry them.

You’ll go to another tree and it will have some oranges. The servant will ask, do you want some oranges? You’ll say, no, I just had oranges a few days ago. The servant will say, I’ll give you some more because these oranges are different. So you grab one of these huge oranges and taste it – it tastes different! And every orange that you have tastes better than the one before.

Allah says: “Every time they are fed with fruits there from, they say: ‘Why, this is what we were fed with before,’ for they are given things in similitude.” (2:25) You can see how picky the people of Jannah become; they don’t want to have the same food again. They will realize that it only gets better.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in a hadith in at-Tirmidhi, the trees of paradise, the branches and the trunk of it, are made of gold.

Day and Night in Jannah

All of these tours are taking you years to complete. You start noticing something – there is no sun or moon. There is no darkness; there’s no shadow; no winter, fall or spring. You start wondering how long the day is - is there day and night? You find out that it is constant daylight. The only way you recognize if its day or night is by a beam coming from the Throne of Allah. Otherwise, it is all light in Jannah.

AlQurtubi says, “There is no night or day in Paradise, but it is continuous light.” Ibn Taymiyyah says, “There is no sun, moon, night or day, but you know the morning from the afternoon from night from a beam of light that is coming from underneath the Throne of Allah.”

Allah says: “And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.” (19:62)

Your Rivers of Jannah – FOUR

You will have a guide for you since the property is so big. As soon as you leave your mansion, you’ll smell this wonderful smell. You’ll look for the source and discover that it is the soil of Jannah. You’ll pick it up and see that it is musk. You’ll go and find that this soil – white, pure musk – the soil of Jannah, everywhere.

Then you will hear the sound of water. You’ll ask your guide, what is this? He will tell you that it is a river, located right beneath your palace. You’ll wonder, I have a river underneath my palace?! And then he will tell you this river belongs to you – it’s all yours. You’ll go to visit it. You’ll ask the guide, what is this? The guide will tell you, it’s a river of water. You’ll take a cup and keep drinking – it is nothing like the water of this world. Now, you’re in Jannah, you’re not drinking because you are thirsty. If you are in Jannah, you already had a drink of al-kawthar, and that will satisfy you for eternity.

On the Day of Judgment, an extension of al-kawthar will come to where the Day of Judgment is being held. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam will be standing next to this pool/lake, and he will be pouring water for his followers. He will do it with his own hands. If you are one of the Muslims and he is making shafa’aa` for you, he will invite you and provide you water and feed it to you. That cup of water that you will drink from the Prophet’s hands will be sufficient for you. So the people of Jannah drink for pure pleasure.

You’ll keep drinking from this water – it just decipitates. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that it will come out as a burping – but it is the smell of musk. Your guide will say, what are you doing? You’ll say that this water tastes wonderful; I just want to keep drinking from it. He will say, that’s up to you, I’m your guide, I’ll do whatever you want. But tell you what – you have another river that is better than this.

So you’ll say, let’s go visit this other river. You, your wife and your guide will travel about 1,000 miles to your other river. Of course there are other forms of transportation in Jannah and you can go as fast or slow as you want. Your guide will tell you this is milk; it will not taste, look or smell like the milk of this world. You and your wife will take cups and keep drinking here as well. Your guide will tell you that there is a third river that is better than this.

You will travel to this third river. You’ll ask, what is this? He will tell you, this is the river of honey. You’ll have some to drink. Your guide will take you to your last river, then. And that is the river of wine. You’ll spend some time drinking from the wine from that river.

Then you’ll have a tour of the springs. Allah says, “(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…” (47:15)

Your guide will ask you, do you want us to visit your springs? You will say, yes. The guide will say, but I have something better for you – how about we go and visit the river that belongs to RasulAllah? That is the river of al-kawthar. You will ask, is it ok for me to visit it? The guide will say yes. All of the Ummah of Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam have permission to drink from it. It is the best river in Paradise, and it originates from under the Throne of Allah. It goes all the way down, penetrating through Paradise.

Then you will go to al-kawthar. The Prophet said: “While I was walking in Paradise (on the night of Mi’raj), I saw a river, on the two banks of which there were tents made of hollow pearls. I asked, ‘What is this, O Gabriel?’ He said, ‘That is the Kauthar which Your Lord has given to you.’ Behold! Its scent or its mud was sharp smelling musk!” [Bukhaari, 8/76/583]

You may be wondering, will I really have a guide? When RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam went to Jannah, Jibreel (Gabriel) was his guide. So it’s perfectly fine that when you go to Jannah, you will have an angel as your guide, showing you around. Remember that everyone in Jannah is there to serve you. So your guide will take you to al-kawthar and give you a drink from there.

This tour wasn’t for summer, nor did it cost anything. It took you a long time. Now you go to your springs. Allah says: “As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur, A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.” (76:5-6) So you’ll go and join other believers there and drink with them. Then you’ll have a chat with them and drink and then move on to others.

Allah says: “Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss: On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things): Thou wilt recognize in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss. Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed: The seal thereof will be Musk: And for this let those aspire, who have aspirations: With it will be (given) a mixture of Tasnim. A spring, from (the waters) whereof drink those Nearest to Allah.” (83:22-28)

And Allah also says: “And they will be given to drink there a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabil (ginger, etc.) A spring there called salsabil.” (76:17-18)

Entering Your Palace

Now you’ve spent all of these years staring with your wife – then you will enter into your mansion. Everything is new to you. Everything is an experience. You look at the furniture in your mansion – the quality, the arrangement, etc. You go from room to room, saying alhamdulillah. This is an insult to call it furniture, because there is no comparison.

Allah says: “Therein will be Thrones (of dignity), raised on high. Goblets placed (ready), and cushions set in rows.” (88:13-15) They are not just beautiful, but the way the furniture is arranged is special. Imagine that an angel that is a specialist and specially prepares this for you. So you and your wife will go around and be amazed by the taste and art of the angels, and comparing it to your house in dunya and the difference. So you’ll go and have a seat and touch the fabric, impressed with everything.

Allah says: “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.” (52:20) So you’ll spend a few months, enjoying the pleasure of these cushions and this beautiful palace. Don’t think that this is an exaggeration – in Jannah you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything; you have unlimited time. You could leave your palace and see a rose and sit there watching this rose for a year. There is nothing rushing you; you don’t have work. You can do whatever you want. Everything can wait. You can talk to your wife for a long time, talking about the tough moments of the grave, the Day of Judgment, etc.

Then your wife will tell you to look at the rest of your property. You will say, no, I enjoy it here, this couch is nice. She will say, listen, you kept me at home in dunya. Let’s go out and take a look at what Allah has given us. In dunya you worked and had me at home, and now in Jannah you want to keep me here? Then the two of you will go out and look at your property.

In the lowest Jannah, you will have 10 times of this dunya and everything in it. The levels in akhirah in huge – so imagine how much more a person in a higher rank will have! So this is humongous real estate in Jannah.

Before you look at your property with your wife, you will have something to eat and drink. You will have youth running around your palace, dressed in wonderful colours, they’re all smiling and serving you all of these things you have never seen before.

Ibn Kathir says, the people of Jannah will be served by youth that live for eternity. They never change or grow in age. If you see how many they are and how willing they are to serve you and how bright and beautiful their faces are, smiling all the time, and you look at the colours of their clothes and the jewellery they are wearing, they appear to be scattered pearls.

Allah says, “And round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness): If thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered Pearls.” (76:19) Your wife doesn’t have to do anything; it is pure enjoyment for both of you. So you’re sitting there and being served by these wonderful servants. You’ll have something to eat and drink and then you’ll leave.

Your Spouses in Jannah

So you are walking towards your palace in Paradise and you see your wife. Whether it is your wife from dunya or your wife from Jannah – but you will see her face and just be frozen in his tracks because of her beauty. 

Allah says about them, “Companions of equal age” (78:33) and He says, “We have created (their Companions) of special creation, And made them virgin – pure (and undefiled), Beloved (by nature), equal in age.” (56:35-37)

One of the scholars said that this man will just stand there and stare at her for 40 years. These women are not beautiful because they were voted in by a panel of men at a beauty contest :) Allah said that they are beautiful, and it is enough for us that Allah said they are beautiful. Allah says, “In them will be fair companions, good and beautiful.”

Anas ibn Maalik narrated that RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, in a hadith in Bukhaari, “If one of the women of Jannah would just appear to the people of this world, the distance of the heavens and the earth would be filled with light and her scent will cover the whole distance, and the scarf that she has on her head is better than the world and everything in it.” This sun of ours that lights up this earth is very close to us. If we go further away in the solar system, the sunlight barely penetrates other parts of the universe. And we have a woman of Jannah, at a much farther distance, and her light will fill the heavens and the earth. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that a piece of cloth on her head (her scarf) is better than the earth and everything in it.

Once, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam received a piece of cloth as a gift and the sahabah were quite impressed with it – they were passing it around and touching it. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam smiled and he said, “It seems that you are impressed by the quality of this cloth. The handkerchiefs of Mu’aadh ibn Jabl in Paradise are better than this.” So the quality of things in Jannah is better than anything in this world.

Allah says, about the Hur al ‘ayn, that they have a special creation. The same goes for men - they will have the height of Adam ‘alayhis salaam, which is about 90 yards; the beauty of Yusuf ‘alayhis salaam [who was the most beautiful man]; the age of ‘Eesa [Jesus] ‘alayhis salaam - which was 30 years. Men in dunya will be impotent compared to the men of akhirah. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, in a hadith in at-Tirmidhi, that a man in Jannah will have the strength of 100 men in this world. Everything is better in Jannah.

Allah says of the women of Jannah: “(In beauty) they are like rubies and coral.” (55:58)

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in another hadith that the women of Jannah will be so beautiful that you will be able to see the marrow in the bone from behind the clothes. I keep thinking – How could this be a sign of beauty? Keep in mind that RasulAllah has seen this and he is trying to convey it to us. Our minds are unable to grasp this different dimension in Jannah and we cannot understand it.

How can we increase our property in Jannah

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever built a mosque, Allah would build for him a similar place in Paradise.” [Bukhaari, 1/8/441]

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, If you pray 12 rak’ah of sunnah on a daily basis, Allah will give you a palace in Paradise. What are the sunnah prayers? Two before fajr; four before dhuhr & two after dhuhr; two after maghrib and two after isha. Every day, you could be building yourself a new house in Jannah. While it could take you years to build a house for yourself in this dunya, but in akhirah you can get it for these prayers every day. Let us take advantage of this reward.

Walking to Your Palace in Jannah

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in the hadith that we talked about earlier that you will know your place in Jannah more than you knew your house in dunya. Instinctively, you will know where your residence is in Jannah.

So you get to this huge mansion that is yours. One brick is gold and one brick is silver; wonderful colours. Architecture is something that we don’t know of in this world. In Jannah, there is no limitation of gravity, the material of Jannah is not restricted as it is in dunya; there’s no concrete or tile in Jannah. The palaces are of gold and silver.

You’re getting closer and closer to your palace, and you see something that makes you freeze in your tracks. You become immobile and you cannot move any further, because of the stunning beauty of what you see – your wife in Jannah.

Before we talk about that, let’s talk about your palace in Jannah. Allah says in the Qur’an: “But those who fear Allah and keep their duty to their Lord (Allah), for them are built lofty rooms; one above another under which rivers flow (i.e. Paradise). (This is) the Promise of Allah: and Allah does not fail in (His) Promise.” (39:20) There’s a lot of emphasis in Jannah of things above each other. Things are in all directions; it is not like the surface of this earth. Only Allah knows if Jannah is limited to the three dimensions. This is just speculation, but Jannah is different. The rivers are flowing beneath them.

Everything that we have in dunya, there is something that resembles it in akhirah. But that is the only thing that is the same – the name. There is Fire in dunya and Fire in akhirah. But the fire in akhirah is different. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that hell fire was burned for 1,000 years until it turned red. Then it was burned for 1,000 years more until it turned white. And then it was burned for 1,000 years more until it turned dark. Imagine black fire. There is fire in dunya in fire and akhirah, but they are different.

Similarly, there is water, milk and wine in Jannah. The only thing that they have in common with the things in this dunya is the name. The quality and quantity is completely different. Just as there are tents in this dunya, there are tents in Jannah. Allah says: “Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions.” (55:72) You have these huge pavilions.

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that Gabriel said, “Here is Khadija coming to you with a dish of food or a tumbler containing something to drink. Convey to her a greeting from her Lord (Allah) and give her the glad tidings that she will have a palace in Paradise built of Qasab wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue (trouble).” [Bukhaari, 9/93/588] The imam said of Khadija’s palace: “One pearl that is hollowed from the inside.”

In another hadith in at-Tirmidhi RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that there are rooms in Jannah where you can see the outside from the inside and from the inside you can see the outside. How can that be possible? We don’t know. One Bedouin asked RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam who these rooms would belong to. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that they are for those who speak good words, feed the poor, they fast and they pray at night when people are sleep.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “A tent (in Paradise) is like a hollow pearl which is thirty miles in height and on every corner of the tent the believer will have a family that cannot be seen by the others.” [Bukhaari, 4/54/466].

The Lower and Higher Statuses

The last Man who enter in to Jannah

Ibn Mas’ud reported: Verily the Messenger of Allah said:

“The last to enter Paradise would be a man who would walk once and stumble once and be burnt by the Fire once. Then when he gets beyond it, he will turn to it and say: ‘Blessed is He Who has saved me from thee. Allah has given me something He has not given to any one of those in earlier or later times.’ Then a tree would be raised up for him and he will say: ‘O my Lord I bring me near this tree so that I may take shelter in its shade and drink of its water.’ Allah, the Exalted and Great, would say: ‘O son of Adam, if I grant you this, you will ask Me for something else.’ He would say: ‘No. my Lord.’ And he would promise Him that he would not ask for anything else. His Lord would excuse him because He sees what he cannot help desiring; so He would bring him near it, and he would take shelter in its shade and drink of its water.

“Afterwards a tree more beautiful than the first would be raised up before him and he would say: ‘O my Lord! Bring me near this tree in order that I may drink of its water and take shelter in its shade and I shall not ask Thee for anything else.’ He (Allah) would say: ‘O son of Adam, if I bring you near it you may ask me for something else.’ He would promise Him that he would not ask for anything else. His Lord will excuse him because He would see something he cannot help desiring. So He would bring him near it and he would enjoy its shade and drink its water.

“Then a tree would be raised up for him at the gate of the Paradise, more beautiful than the first two. He would say: ‘O my Lord! Bring me near this (tree) so that I may enjoy its shade and drink from its water. I shall not ask Thee for anything else.’ He (Allah) would say: ‘O son of Adam! Did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me anything else?’ He would say: ‘Yes, my Lord, but I shall not ask Thee for anything else.’ His Lord would excuse him for He sees something the temptation of which he could not resist.

“He (Allah) would bring him near to it, and when He would bring him near it he would hear the voices of the inhabitants of the Paradise. He would say: ‘O my Lord! Admit me to it.’ He (Allah) would say: ‘O son of Adam, what will bring an end to your requests to Me? Will it please you if I give you the whole world and a like one along with it?’ He will say: O my Lord! Art Thou mocking at me, though Thou art the Lord of the worlds?’”

Ibn Mas’ud laughed and asked (the hearers): “Why don’t you ask me what I am laughing at.” They (then) said: “Why do you laugh?” He said: “It is in this way that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam laughed.” They (the companions of the Prophet) asked: “Why do you laugh, Messenger of Allah?” He said: “On account of the laugh of the Lord of the universe, when He would say: “I am not mocking at you, but I have power to do whatever I will.” [Muslim, 1/361]

Allah will tell him, “Son of Adam, what will please you? If I give you the equivalent of the earth and everything in it inside Jannah, will that satisfy you?” The man will say, “Yes.” Allah will say, “I will give you that and similar to it and similar to it and similar to it….” So Allah will multiply it 5 times. So the man will stop Allah subhaana wa ta’aala and say, “That’s enough, Allah! I am pleased! I am pleased!” Allah will say, I will give you all of that times 10, and I will give you all that will please your eyes and satisfy your heart (in addition to that.) This the lowest level of Jannah! This is the reward for a man burned in hell for years and the last person to enter Jannah – subhanAllah!

What about the highest level of Jannah? 

It is like a pyramid – the people in lower levels are more and there are less and less on top. At the very top is only one person.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “Whoever after listening to the Adhan says, ‘O Allah! Lord of this perfect call (of not ascribing partners to You) and of the regular prayer which is going to be established! Kindly give Muhammad the right of intercession and superiority and send him (on the Day of Judgment) to the best and the highest place in Paradise which You promised him)’, then intercession for me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhaari, 1/11/588]

 Allah reserved this place for Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. His place is right beneath the Throne of Allah. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is right next to the Creator – Allah.

There are other people who are high – the messengers.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was asked who are the best of shuhadaa`. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that when they die, Allah will smile at them. And if Allah smiles at anyone, they will not go through reckoning. They are going to be in the highest mansions of paradise.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also says, The one who looks after the orphan, whether he is a relative or not, I and he will be together in Jannah like this. [Two fingers next to each other].

Also, people will realize that they are getting to an elevated status in Jannah. They will ask why they are being elevated in status, and they will be told: Because your children used to make istighfaar for you. If you want to be dutiful towards your parents, make du’aa` for them. And teach your children to make du’aa` for you as well.

Difference of Levels of Jannah

So now you have had your meal and now you are heading straight for your property in Jannah. You are travelling through your instincts and you are seeing all of this wonder around you – breathtaking scenes.

We know that Jannah is divided into different levels. Allah says: “See how We have bestowed more on some than on others; but verily the Hereafter is more in rank and gradation and more in excellence.” (17:21) Allah is saying that people in this world have differences in wealth and health; people have different provisions. Similarly, the people in Jannah will have greater and larger differences. In Jannah, the differences will be huge. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that people who are in a lower level will see people in the level above them as you see stars – that is the tremendous difference between them. Remember that Jannah is huge.

Allah says: “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 of the earth, prepared for the righteous.” (3:133) That is the width of Paradise, not the length.

There are seven heavens. We are living in the lowest heaven, and this heaven, compared to the one above it, is like a ring in a desert. How large is the heaven we are in? Every star that we see and every galaxy that is discovered are all within the lowest heaven. Allah says: “Verily! We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty).” (37:6) 

We are talking about light years of distance – the sun is about 8 minutes in light years. And the closest star is 4.25 light years. And we know the speed of light. Imagine how far and vast the universe is, subhanAllah! And each heaven is like a ring in a desert compared to the one above it. And the seventh heaven, compared to the al-Kursi of Allah is like a ring in a desert, and the Kursi compared to the Throne is like a ring in a desert.

All of humanity is fighting over this earth and it is not like a speck compared to Jannah.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone…” [see Muslim, 33/6441 for rest of hadith]

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “The inmates of Paradise would see the inmates of the apartment over them just as you see the shining planets which remain in the eastern and the western horizon because of the superiority some have over others.” [see Muslim, 40/6790 for complete hadith] So small deeds in this world will have a big leverage in akhirah.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said that those who recite Qur’an will be told to recite when they enter Jannah. And with every ayah that they recite, they are going to go up one level. Very small deeds in dunya make a big difference in akhirah.

Allah talks about two groups of people in surah Ar-Rahman. Allah says: “But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment Seat of) their Lord, there will be two Gardens.” (55:46) Allah then says: “And below them both [in excellence] are two [other] gardens.” (55:62) So you have a high status and a lower status beneath them.

Your First Meal in Jannah

You’ve spent a lot of time waiting on the Day of Judgment, standing in the heat, with no food or water. You’re hungry and thirsty. As soon as you get to the gates of Jannah, you will be treated. So what will be the first meal of Jannah and what will you drink? This meal will start with an appetizer, move onto a main dish and then following that, you will have something to drink. Remember that you’re very hungry and thirsty, so this will be one of the tastiest foods you have ever had.

The appetizer will be fish liver. I don’t know if that is your favourite in liver – or if any of you love to have fish in the first place – but keep in mind that anything you get in Jannah will be good. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam called it fish liver, but trust me, it’s going to be good :) [see Bukhaari, 6/60/7]

The main course is going to be a good steak. The hadith doesn’t say steak, but it says in the hadith that it is an ox – a steer. This steer is alive right now – in Jannah. It is eating in Jannah. As it is the tradition of the ambiya, if they ever had an animal to slaughter, they would do that as an honoring for their guest (like it is mentioned about Ibraheem ‘alayhis salaam in the Qur’aan, in which he slaughtered the calf for his guests). Since you are entering into Jannah, and you are a new guest in paradise, the angels are going to prepare this special treat for you. So this ox/steer that has been feeding in Jannah for a very long time, it will be slaughtered, and you will have its meat in Jannah. [see Bukhaari, 8/76/527 and Muslim, 39/6710]

What will you drink?

The drink that will be along with this food is from a spring called salsabil. We have no idea what salsabil is. It sounds very good and will taste very good. Thauban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: While I was standing beside the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, one of the rabbis of the Jews came and said: “Peace be upon you, O Muhammad.” I pushed him back with a push that he was going to fall. Upon this he said: “Why do you push me?” I said: “Why don’t you say: ‘O Messenger of Allah?’” The Jew said: “We call him by the name by which he was named by his family.” The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said [out of kindness]: “[Yes] My name is Muhammad with which I was named by my family.”

The Jew said: “I have come to ask you (something).” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Should that thing be of any benefit to you, if I tell you that?” He (the Jew) said: “I will lend my ears to it. [I cannot guarantee that I will benefit, but I will lend my ears to it].” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam drew a line with the help of the stick that he had with him and then said: “Ask (whatever you like).”

Thereupon the Jew said: “Where would the human beings be on the Day when the earth would change into another earth and the heavens too (would change into other heavens)? [referring to the day of judgment]. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “They would be in darkness beside the Bridge.”

He (the Jew) again said: “Who amongst people would be the first to cross (this bridge)?” He sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “They would be the poor amongst the refugees [muhajireen].”

The Jew said: “What would constitute their breakfast [it is translated as breakfast here, but tuhfa is an appetizer or treat] when they would enter Paradise?” He (the Holy Prophet) replied: “A caul of the fish-liver.” He (the Jew) said. “What would be their food after this?” He (the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “A bullock which was fed in the different quarters of Paradise would be slaughtered for them.” He (the Jew) said: “What would be their drink?” He (the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: They would be given drink from the fountain which is named Salsabil.” [see Muslim, 3/614 for the rest of the hadith]

A Tour of Jannah

Imagine that you are taking a tour of Jannah – the true wonderland. No matter how great you imagine jannah, that won’t be a fraction of the real thing. Imagine yourself in the position of experiencing everything. The more you are attached to paradise, the more you fear hell, and the closer you will be to Allah.

Allah talks about the righteous in the Qur’an and says: “…they call on their Lord, in Fear and Hope…” (32:16)They fear the punishment of Allah, and they are also expecting the ajr of Allah.

A Bridge of Purification

On the Day of Judgment, this person will be to a bridge that leads to Jannah – the only road that goes there. He will be stopped. All of the believers that he used to know in dunya and he owes them something – whether it is financial or whether he’s hurt, abused or spoken ill about any of them – they will be bought together on this bridge. Everything that happened between them will be evened out. They will go through a process of purification on this bridge. If you slapped someone in dunya, you’ll get that back. If you spoke ill about someone, you will have to be paid back for on that bridge.

Allah is pure and He accepts nothing that is not pure. Because Jannah is pure, no one can enter until they are 100% pure. The purification process that a person goes through begins in dunya. Any pain or suffering you go through in this world is a purification, and the pain of death, the pain in the grave and the waiting of the day of judgment – all are purification.

In a hadith in Bukhaari, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted into Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world.” [Bukhaari, 3/43/620] 

Instinctively, you will know where you belong. You will know where your house is better than you knew your house in dunya. This is because you are a son of Adam and Adam’s (‘alayhis salaam) original house was Jannah. He did not belong to certain country in this world; he did not have a nationality. He didn’t have a pride of belonging to a country; his homeland was Jannah. And his children who are righteous their homeland is Jannah.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, be in this world as a wayfarer – a traveller.

Just READ & Imagine yourself to be that place and ask Allah to give us such a highest status in Jannha...

Your First Meal in Jannah
Difference of Level in Jannah
The Lower & Highest Status in Jannah
Walking to your places in Jannah