Paradise is the ultimate achievement, the epitome of success and the greatest of rewards. Allah rewards His obedient servants with Paradise-a reward we only earn through His Mercy. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will bring Jannah in the presence of the Believers. After enduring the hardships of this worldly life and the grave, then seeing the horrors of the Day of Judgment, Allah eases the hearts of the Believers by bringing their final destination close to them before they enter it. Allah says:
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
“And has decreed your Lord, that (do) not worship except Him Alone and to the (be) good. Whether reach with you the old age one of them, or both of them, then (do) not say to both of them a word of disrespect and (do) not repel them, but speak to them a word noble.” (Surah Al-Isra 17:23)
Muslims believe in the death and eternal life which comes after death. For leading a good life what actions and qualities are desirable, what impact will be in our hereafter life due to our actions and deeds in this life, we should know about the concept of heaven and hell. We Muslims believe on Judgment Day after that Allah Almighty will decide based on individual deeds were to send in Jannah or Jahannam. Allah says:
انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلًا
“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.” (Surah Al-Isra, 17:21)
All of those who will enter Paradise shall be purified. Whoever does good deeds in this life will enter in Jannah and the wrongdoers will enter in Jahannam. We should try to do good deeds in this life so we will enter into Heaven in the hereafter. Allah says:
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُوا لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ آنِفًا أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ
“And among them, (are some) who listen to you, until when they depart from you, they say to those who were given the knowledge, “What (has) he said just now?” Those – (are) the ones Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and they follow their desires.” (Surah Muhammad, 47:16)
Throughout our lives, we compete to believe and serve Allah Almighty so that we can gain Jannah in the hereafter. We can just imagine how paradise will be look alike.
Only Allah Almighty knows it but He describes it for us in the Holy Quran:
- Allah’s Pleasure: The greatest reward in Jannah is the pleasure and mercy of Allah Almighty. This great reward is for those who believe in Allah and work hard for the pleasure of Allah (SWT). Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “Say: Shall I give you glad tidings of things far better than those? For the righteous are Gardens in nearness to their Lord… and the good pleasure of Allah? For in Allah’s sight are (all) His servants.” (Quran, 3:15)
- Gardens: The most important or convincing definition of paradise is a beautiful garden with greenery and flowing water. Allah (SWT) said in the Holy Quran: “But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow” (Quran, 2:25)
- Family: In Jannah, many families will be reunited.
- Food and Drink: The description of Heaven in the Quran includes unlimited food and drink, without any feelings of intoxication. In Holy Quran, Allah Almighty described in these words: “Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent forth (good deeds) in days past!”(Quran, 69:24)
- Eternal Home: Heaven is the everlasting place to live life according to Islam where believers will stay forever in peace and happiness. Holy Quran describes the eternal home in these words: “But those who have faith and work righteousness, they are companions of the garden. Therein shall they abide forever.” (Quran, 2:82)
The concept of Hell in Islam
Hell in Islam is not a mere state of mind or a spiritual entity. The horrors, pain, anguish, and punishment are all real, but different from their earthly counterparts. Hell is the ultimate humiliation and loss, and nothing is worse than it. Allah says:
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَن يُحَادِدِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَأَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا فِيهَا ذَٰلِكَ الْخِزْيُ الْعَظِيمُ
“Do not they know that he who opposes Allah and His Messenger, [then] that, for him, (is the) Fire (of) Hell, (will) abide forever in it? That (is) the disgrace the great.” (Surah At-Tawbah 9:63)
Those who are wrongdoers and disbelievers will go to Hell or Jahannam. We should also know about hell and what people will enter into hell. Those who don’t believe in Allah Almighty and religion Islam will surely go to Jahannam but also those who believe in Islam and Allah Almighty but do bad deeds will also get punished for their actions.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
- “And Hellfire will be brought forth for the deviators,” (Quran 26:91)
- “And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Jahannam […]” (Quran 67:6)
- “Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent forth (good deeds) in days past!” (Quran 69:24)
- “No! He will surely be thrown into al hutamah. And what can make you know what is al hutamah? It is the fire of Allah, [eternally] fueled.” (Quran 104:4-6)
- “And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all. It has seven gates: to each of those gates is a specific class of sinners assigned.” (Al Hijr, 15: 43-44)
- “Our Lord! Surely, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed You have disgraced him, and never will the wrongdoers find any helpers.” (Quran 3:192)
- “The unbelievers will be led to Hell in crowds until, when they arrive there, its gates will be opened..” (Az-Zumar, 39: 71)
- “But those who reject Our signs are the companions of the left hand – on them will be fire vaulted over.” (Al Balad, 90: 19-20)
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. Allah says:
قِيلَ ادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ
“To them will be said, ‘Enter you the gates of Hell to dwell therein. And how evil is this abode of the arrogant.” (Surah Az Zumar, 39: 72)
Accepting the reality of Jannah and Jahannam is one of the basic six beliefs of the religion Islam. Hell is the place for sinners after the death on Judgment Day. In the Holy Quran, the word “Jahannam” and also “Al-Naar” is mentioned the most.
The Gates of Hell
Holy Quran also mentions who will enter hell. For sure disbelievers in Lord and especially if they die in that state of, hypocrites, idolaters, the arrogant, those who treat religion as a pastime, have broken the treaty, made fun of Allah’s Messengers or on the reality of Day of Judgment. Also, murderers, ones misappropriating inheritance especially of orphans, slandering chaste women or claiming divinity for themselves on their own will reside in hell.
Social Relationships
As for the remorse felt due to a rift in personal relationships, people will never hear any evil or hurting comments or speech in Paradise. They will only hear good words and words of peace. There will be no enmity between people nor ill-feelings: Allah says:
وَأُزْلِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ
“And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far.” (Surah Qaf, 50:31)
People will have the best of companions in the Hereafter, who were also the best people in the world. The hearts of the people of Paradise will be pure, their speech will be good, their deeds righteous. There will be no hurtful, upsetting, offensive or provocative talk there, for Paradise is free of all worthless words and deeds. If we were to discuss all the causes of anguish in this life, we would surely find its absence or opposite to be true in Paradise. Allah says:
وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا
“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger then those (will be) with those whom Allah has bestowed (His) Favor upon them – of the Prophets, and the truthful, and the martyrs, and the righteous. And excellent (are) those companion(s).” (Surah An-Nisa 4:69)
At most of the places where Hell is mentioned, the beauty and peace of Heaven are also mentioned to show the contrast between them. So Muslims are obligated to pray five times a day and ask forgiveness and protection from hellfire in each prayer from Allah.
