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.”