What is there for the Ladies in Paradise?

Outline

• Introduction
• Being Curious About Paradise
• Description of Paradise
• What’s there for Men in Paradise?
• What’s there for Women in Paradise?
• Let’s Be Submissive to God
• Call to Action
• Conclusion

Introduction

Alhamdulillah… Infinite praises and thanks are due to the Almighty Allah. May His Peace and Blessings be upon Habibi Muhammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path till the Day of Judgement.

I received a message, which curiously asked about what’s there for the good ladies in Paradise. Apparently, I understood that some women (if not all) do have similar questions back in their minds. Hence, this article touches on the description of heaven and what are promised for the male and female inhabitants, in the Gardens of eternity.

For some, thinking about the pleasure in Paradise is one of the main motivations that bar us from committing major sins in this life. No doubt, some of us refrain from evil deeds, some times, due to our fear from the torment of the Hell Fire. In addition to having an ultimate love for God, His Pleasure can also be sought through striving for the enjoyments of Paradise or refraining from all, that leads to the Hell Fire.

So, are we allowed to create curiosity about Paradise?

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Being Curious About Paradise

Every single verse in the Qur’an was revealed for us to ponder, reflect, take heed where applicable and apply where applicable.

Additionally, some companions, radhiya Allahu ‘anhum, did ask the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alaihi wasallam, questions regarding Paradise. Some of them were curious enough to ask about the walls and groundings of the mansions of Heaven. The Prophet happily responded to all those questions based on the divine revelations that were descended upon him, salla Allahu ‘alaihi wasallam.

It’s therefore not prohibited, for one to think and to have questions regarding the Paradise, especially that the Qur’an has inspiring stories about the glamours of the eternal home for the righteous, in several verses and Prophetic sayings.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the descriptions of Heaven, in the Qur’an and in the Sunnah.

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Description of Paradise

There are several verses in the Qur’an, which give close imaginary picture of Paradise. This section will present a few of them.

On the size of your piece of land, on which your mansions will be built (for you), the Qur’an says the width of the smallest is like the width of the heavens and earth, which we live in today.

سَابِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

It means, “Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers.” [Surah Al-Hadeed,  57:21]

How big is the biggest hacienda in this world today? The smallest garden for the lowest ranking inhabitant of Paradise will be bigger than this whole world. Hold on! That’s not all…

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا، نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ

It means, “We shall lodge forever those who believe and do good works in the mansions of Paradise beside which rivers flow. How excellent is the reward of those who labour.” [Surah Al-Ankabout, 29:58].

The verses above have clearly indicated, that every dweller of the Paradise will own his mansion forever. The quality of which, do not decline as time passes by. They don’t require maintenance either.

To give further details about these mansions, the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu ‘alaihi wasallam, said to the companions, radhiya Allahu ‘anhu, when they asked him to describe for them the structure of the mansions of Paradise:

لَبِنَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، وَلَبِنَةٌ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ، وَمَلاطُهَا المِسْكُ، وَحَصْبَاؤُهَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَاليَاقُوتُ، وَتُرَابُهَا الزَّعْفَرَانُ

It means, “The walls are made of bricks of gold and silver. The mortar is made from musk. Its gravels are from pearls and rubies. The sands are from saffron.”

If you want to be close to someone, feed him. Don’t you enjoy eating and drinking? As for me, I do… In Paradise, you are going to eat, drink and have fun, as much as you desire. No matter how much you eat or drink, you are not going to overeat or get drunk. Did I say you won’t get drunk? Yes… Because there will be streams of wine in Paradise for your pleasure.

مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ، تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ، أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا

It means, “Such is the Paradise, which the righteous are promised: it is watered by running streams: eternal is its fruit, and eternal is its shade.” [Surah Al-Ra’d, 13:35]

To be honest, I’m already excited… I just can’t wait… My excitement keeps blooming, as we go to the next verse in Surah Muhammad, 47:15, where Allah says:

مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ، فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشَّارِبِينَ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى، وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ

It means, “Here is a description of the Garden promised to the righteous: therein are rivers of water which is forever pure; and rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; and rivers of wine, a delight to those who drink it, and rivers of pure honey. And in it they will have all kinds of fruit, and will receive forgiveness from their Lord.”

Not many of us have the comfort of soft mattresses. Not many of us have the comfort of air conditioners at home and office. Don’t worry… Just stay focused righteous, and we shall be compensated with them, in Paradise, insha Allah. In addition, you’ll be provided with servants who will serve you forever. Listen to what Allah says:

وَجَزَاهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا ﴿١٢﴾ مُّتَّكِئِينَ فِيهَا عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ، لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًا وَلَا زَمْهَرِيرًا ﴿١٣﴾ وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَالُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًا ﴿١٤﴾ وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِآنِيَةٍ مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَا ﴿١٥﴾ قَوَارِيرَ مِن فِضَّةٍ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيرًا ﴿١٦﴾ وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا ﴿١٧﴾ عَيْنًا فِيهَا تُسَمَّىٰ سَلْسَبِيلًا ﴿١٨﴾ وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَّنثُورًا ﴿١٩﴾ـ

It means, “And their reward for being patient will be a Garden and silk [clothing]. (12) Reclining upon couches, they will find therein neither the heat of the sun nor bitter, biting cold, (13) the shading branches of trees will come down low over them, and their clusters of fruit, will hang down where they are the easiest to reach. (14) Vessels of silver and goblets of pure crystal will be passed round among them (15) and gleaming silver goblets which have been filled to the exact measure, (16) and they will be given a cup to drink flavoured with ginger, (17) from a flowing spring called Salsabil. (18) They will be attended by youths who will not age — when you see them you will think them to be like sprinkled pearls — (19) wherever you look, you will see bliss and a great kingdom: (20) they will wear green garments of fine silk and rich brocade. They will be adorned with silver bracelets. And their Lord will give them a pure drink. (21)” [Surah Al-Insaan, 12-21].

I bet; the best world-class hotel doesn’t, and can never afford to offer all these types of services, even for a price. In Paradise, not only you’re going to have them, you also don’t have to be rich to attain them. All you need is righteousness.

Usually, we imagine described things in a better vision than they are in reality But for Heaven, our imagination about heaven today, will always fall short, to its reality. This is understood from the verse of Surah Al-Sajdah, 32:17:

فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

It means, “No soul knows what joy is kept hidden in store for them as a reward for their labours.”

Allah also says in a Hadeeth Qudsi, narrated by Abu Hurairah, radhiya Allahu ‘anhu, and authenticated by Imam(s) Al-Bukhari and Muslim:

أَعْدَدْتُ لِعِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحِينَ مَا لا عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ وَلا أُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ وَلا خَطَرَ عَلَى قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ

It means, “I have prepared for My pious servants, what neither an eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard of, and it has never come across the mind of a man.”

This is to say, no matter how we think of Paradise; it is still going to be more fun and enjoying. So, all the description given in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, are given in the way that suits our human capacity of understanding. But the real heaven is going to be overwhelming.

Anyone, male or female believer, who does righteous deeds, shall enter Paradise.. This statement takes us to exploring what’s there for men, in Paradise, followed by what’s there for women.

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What’s there for Men in Paradise?

The abundant goodness for the dwellers of the heaven is equally felt, or rather, it’s in accordance to their respective ranking of honour, regardless of their gender. We understand this form the verse of Surah Al-Nisaa, 4:124; where Allah says:

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا

It means, “Anyone who performs good deeds, whether it be a man or woman, provided that he is a believer, shall enter Paradise. No one shall suffer the least injustice.” [Surah Al-Nisa, 4:124].

Another verse, in Surah Ghafir, 40:40, also supports the verse above, where Allah says:

وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

It means, “But whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, will enter the Garden; where they will be provided for, without measure.”

Whatever reward men are going to achieve in Paradise, women too, are going to achieve rewards similar to that. The similarity of such rewards may not be in physical forms, but rather in their value, suitability for the respective genders, and the satisfaction they bring to both men and women accordingly.

The Qur’an has mentioned, that men will be entitled for more than one wife each. These wives will be a mixture of those from this Dunya and Hurun Een (the fair maidens with large, lustrous eyes) of Heaven. This, to some people, seems unfair, and triggers in them, the sense of inequality against women.

So what do women get, in there?

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What’s there for Women in Paradise?

As I mentioned earlier, based on the verses from the Qur’an, men and women will be entitled for the same rewards, which may physically differ; to suit their respective genders and satisfaction. This means, men having more women doesn't mean that men are better than women. It doesn’t also mean inequality. It rather means that Allah, the Master and the Creator, has decreed it to be that way.

However, some women shall be ranked higher than some men, and this will be based on their piety, love and fear for God and their sincerity. This is among the reasons why the Prophet advised men to search for women of religion (piety) when they are set to start a family, so in the Hereafter, if the man is low ranked, the wife can intercede to uplift him.

Remember what Allah says, in Surah Al-Tour, 52:21:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ، كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ

It means, “To those who have attained to faith We shall unite their offspring who have also followed them in faith, and We shall not let any of their good deeds go unrewarded; every human being is a pledge for whatever he has earned.”

Now, is there an issue with men having more than a wife in paradise, when every woman are only entitled for one man?

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Let’s Be Submissive to God

There’s no problem at all; that a man, in Paradise, will be entitled for more than one woman, and that every woman will be entitle to one man. It’s not an issue because, neither men are responsible for this distribution, nor are women. The One in-Charge is the Creator and the Master. We are accountable for what we do, but He is not. He decides on what He wants to Create, when and how. No questions asked.

لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ

It means, “He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.” [Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:23].

He decided to create our father Adam, and later created our mother Eve from his rib. He could do it the other way round; by creating Eve first, and creating Adam from her rib. In fact, he could have created them equally at the same time, from the same clay, if He wanted. Instead of you and me, He could have created a total different creation.

لِّلَّـهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ

“To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what he wills” [Al-Shura, 42:49].

Human being is by a sensitive creature, by nature. That sensitivity results in heart illnesses, which are, among others, selfishness, jealousy, sense of discrimination and unfairness, and sense of inequality. This kind of negative feelings towards Allah's decisions happens in this world (certainly) but will not happen in the Hereafter. In this world, one needs to develop a proper Iman, to come to contentment and satisfaction towards Allah’s descrition. If he achieves that successfully, and makes it to Jannah (Paradise), all that will be matters of the past…

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ﴿٤٥﴾ ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ آمِنِينَ ﴿٤٦﴾ وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَابِلِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾ لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ﴿٤٨﴾ـ

It means, “Indeed, the righteous will be within gardens and springs. [Having been told], “Enter it in peace, safe [and secure].” And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other. No fatigue will touch them therein, nor from it will they [ever] be removed.” [Surah Al-Hijr, 15:45-48]

So, what are we supposed to do?

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Call to Action

The important thing to us is to strive to be entitled for Paradise. While striving to be entitled for a place in Paradise, we also aim for the possible highest reward in there.

If one achieves that successfully, he will be certainly contented with whatever he receives in there. Remember that, in Paradise, those feelings which cause hatred, sense of inequality will not exist. Thus, a woman, who shares a husband with nine hundred and ninety-nine other women, will have no problem to that sharing.

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Conclusion

Allah may have something for women that is more dear to them than having equal number or men, similar to the number of women a man may be entitled for. The satisfaction they will gain from that, will equal the satisfaction men will gain from multiple wives. It’s a matter of satisfaction more than it’s matter of figures and numbers. This is in addition to the fact that, God is the Boss, and decides.

Entering paradise itself, regardless of one’s entitlement is a great blessing, and that alone will cause us forget our struggles in this life. It’s therefore important for us to constantly remember that, the admission to it is attained with righteous deeds, not with hopes and demand for equality.

May Allah grant us Paradise and anything that will lead us to it. May Allah guide us to the right path, protect us and strengthen us to be righteous and work hard to achieve His Ultimate Pleasure. Ameen.

I would like to hear from you. I welcome your comments, feedback, suggestions and questions. Remember to share this piece with your loved ones.

Allah knows best.

Allahu Hafiz 🙂

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