Bismillaahir RaHmaanir Raheem
Description of Paradise
by Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim, Rahimahullaah
Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the
delights that it contains:
"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and
saffron.
And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.
And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.
And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and
silver.
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except
that its trunk is made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter
than honey.
And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.
And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does
not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and
rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.
And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will
choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.
And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.
And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made
of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one
of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.
And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have
within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be
travelled in a thousand years.
And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a
concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.
And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings
that have rivers running underneath them.
And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining
star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the
eyesight cannot possibly reach.
And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and
gold.
And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out
in the highest of its levels.
And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they
are like the image of the Moon.
And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the
image of Adam, the father of humanity.
And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their
wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the
Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the
Worlds.
And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting
youth who resemble scattered pearls.
And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and
full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun
runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her
teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding
the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if
he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her
muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill
what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths
of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything
between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be
shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as
the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face
of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects
all the exists.
And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and
she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord,
childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy
things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be
created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become
bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him,
just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his
desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched
her before of either humans or Jinn.
And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the
all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or
likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full
Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O
People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him,
so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!'
Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and
none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and
Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will
emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of
them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on
the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are
sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of
Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!'
So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces
bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from
the Fire?'
And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all
of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is
He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified
them and said: 'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will
not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and
from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!' So the
Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise!
Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day
of Increase!'
So, they will all give the same response: 'We are pleased, so be pleased with
us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I
would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they
will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!'
So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify
them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had
not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.
And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord
- the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did
this and that?' and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy
life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of
course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my
forgiveness.'
So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes
by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...
{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord...}
(al-Qiyaamah:22-3)
[from the amazing and beautiful book Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by
Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193]
\EXCERPTS\bnyineng
Extract: Etiquette
of Dhikr
Extract:
Al-Ma'thurat
(CD)
Compiled by Imam Shahid
Hasan al-Banna
Dhikr & Dua Recited by Shaykh Khaled Badawi
Dhikr is not only limited to words; repentance
is dhikr, reflection is dhikr, seeking knowledge is dhikr, seeking lawful
provisions (provided that the intention is correct) is dhikr and generally,
every lawful act during which the presence of Allah is felt is dhikr. For dhikr
to bear fruit, the following etiquettes of dhikr should be observed:
i) Humility,
sobriety and pondering over the meanings of the dhikr and the du'a.
ii) Lowering
one's voice as much as possible so as not to disturb others but at the same time
one must be completely awake. As Allah says: "And remember your Lord by
your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words
in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are
neglectful."
iii) Abiding by
the sequence of the group if the dhikr is performed collectively. One should not
be too fast nor too slow in observing the sequence; but rather keep up with the
pace of the group.
iv) Cleanliness
and respectability of clothes and the place of dhikr. By observing these
guidelines, one will find happiness in his heart, light in his soul and
blessings from Allah.
Imam Hasan Al-Banna born in
Egypt (1906-1949). He is the founder of al Ikhwan al-Muslimun (The Muslim
Brotherhood) - the largest Islamic Movement of our time. He studied Hadith, Fiqh
and other Islamic Sciences under his father Shaykh Abdur Rahman al-Banna and under
many other notable scholars. He graduated from Darul Ulum, Cairo and worked for
many years as a teacher. Due to his dawah and revival efforts Imam al Banna is
considered by many Muslim scholars and thinkers as the mujaddid (reviver)
of the 20th Century. He was assassinated and martyred in 1949
Dhikr is not only
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