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]