paradise : its people and its blessings is a subject that is never spoken of in public discourse in the
west . although it remains a key teaching of islam and is also found in the christian gospels
in the new testament and in the jewish talmud and i want to continue reading from an essay by
sheikh hamza yusuf which is to be found in " the study quran " a new translation and commentary
edited by Sayed Hossein Nasr
and sheikh hamza yusuf writes in an essay subtitled paradise its people and its blessings
ibn abbas the cousin of the prophet and one of the first great exegetes of the quran stated : there is
nothing in paradise related to this world except the names . in a hadith whose authenticity is widely
attested the prophet said : god says i prepared for my righteous servants what no eye has seen no ear
has heard and what never occurred to the hearts of anyone or recite if you like no soul knows
what comfort is kept hidden for it as a recompense for that which they used to do quoting quran 32 17
despite the unknowable nature of the afterlife import descriptions are given throughout the quran
that both delight and terrify but are clearly meant only to approximate our understanding of
the ineffable when asked of what is paradise made the prophet replied using a symbolic
language bricks of gold and bricks of silver its floor is of pure musk the stones of paradise are
pearls and rubies its earth is saffron . the one who enters it is blessed never experiences suffering
dwells therein eternally and knows no death clothes do not wear out and youth never fades
the essence of paradise is mercy which islamic spirituality identifies with an inner dimension
more apparent in the female nature in this context it should be recalled that the arabic
word for womb is rahim which is cognate with and shares the trilateral root of the word for mercy
which is rahma such realities must be taken into consideration in imagining the spiritual role of
women and their presence as natural inhabitants of paradise in the form of houris h-o-u-r-i-s
as for the structure of paradise it is said in traditions that its gates are eight in number
the prophet stated : none of you performs lustrations before prayer does it well and
then says i testify that there is but one god and that muhammad is his servant and messenger except
that all eight gates of paradise are open for him and he may enter from one anyone he so chooses
the prophet also said : i will come to the gate of the garden on the day of judgment
and request that it be opened. the one charged with it will say and who are you
i will reply muhammad he will then say i was commanded not to open it for anyone before you
the people of paradise are ranked in degrees in surah 56 . it marks them as
the companions of the right and the foremost while the companions of the left mentioned in this surah
are those who are deprived of the paradisal state the foremost are described as the ones brought
nigh in gardens of bliss many of those of old and few of those of latter times upon embroidered
couches reclining upon them facing one another immortal youths wait upon them with goblets
ewers and a cup from a flowing stream where from they suffer neither headache nor stuperfaction and
with fault and with fruits as they choose and the meats of birds as they desire and there shall be
wide-eyed maidens the likeness of concealed pearls as a recompense for that which they used to do .
as for those on the right they are the ones who are given their books in their right hands
the same surah describes them as the companions of the right , and the companions of the right what are
the companions of the right ? among the thornless loach trees clustered plantains and extended
shade gushing water and abundant fruit neither out of reach nor forbidden and upon raised beds
truly we brought them into being as a new creation then made for them virgins amorous peers
for the companions of the right many from those of old and many from those of later times
as they enter the paradisal gardens the believers are greeted by angels who say
enter in peace secure as brothers upon couches facing one another is also said the prophet the
people of paradise hear no idle talk therein nor incitement to sin save that peace . peace is uttered
and that when they reach it its gates will be opened and its keepers will say to them
peace be upon you . you have done well so enter it to abide therein . it's 39 73
the age of the people of paradise is said to be 30 years considered the prime of life in arabia
the prophet stated : whoever dies in this world either young or old will be restored to the
age of 30 in paradise and will never increase in age likewise for the denizens of hell
echoing biblical descriptions the quran describes the garden as having rivers of milk , wine and honey
47.15 its inhabitants also enjoy what is described as a camphor drink and one of ginger as well
76 5. in addition well spring forth when one desires to drink 76 6. though according to most
authorities animals of this world will be turned to dust on their day of judgment those that were
beloved pets of the righteous in this life will also appear in paradise to accompany their owners .
there are other animals in paradise as well , in a sound tradition the prophet describes the horses
of paradise and a man asked : will there be camels ? the prophet replied : in paradise is
whatever pleases you and delights your eye . the food of paradise is described as delicious fruits
such as grapes , pomegranates , bananas and dates . aromatic herbs , drinks and various meats
especially the meats of fowl the body apparently will also have a type of metabolism
as it did in this life the prophet explained that the inhabitants of paradise neither urinate nor
defecate . instead they perspire a perfumed musk scent . what an extraordinary thing
the descriptions of the central delights of paradise in the quran and the hadith
have historically caused many non-muslims much consternation
and although no soul knows what comfort is kept hidden for it as a recompense for that which
they used to do 32 17 . the descriptions seem to indicate that the delights of this world
shall have their counterpoints in kind however different in degree in the next life . the delights
of paradise are likened to the delights of this lower world however because of the interconnection
between all possible states of experience they are unlike them because of the incommensurability
between different dimensions or levels of reality earthly delights are in fact reflections of
paradisal ones the wide-eyed maidens or huri's or paradise as mentioned in several verses are
described as untouched and buxom in 55 56 78 33 they are pure companions for the righteous
some exegetes argue that the huri's are the spouses from this world who are purified
and whose virginity is restored . others maintain that they are uniquely created for paradise . they
represent a loving kindness and are of the same age . the joys of paradise are archetypes of the
joys we experience in the earthly realm including food drink and lovemaking . the joy of sexual union
can even be seen as a symbol and manifestation and earthly manifestation of spiritual union . alcazali
states : man has been made subject to sexual desire for two beneficial reasons . first
of these is that by knowing its delight he is able to draw an analogy which suggests to him
what the delight of the afterlife must be like . for the delight of the sexual act as it were
would be the greatest pleasure of the body just as the pain of a burn is the body's greatest agony
according to the quran therein they shall have whatsoever they will
and with us there is more 50 35. the more mentioned in this verse is the beatific vision
the highest and greatest blessing of paradise is the vision of the divine which scholars of islam
have argued occurs with an eternal non-special and ineffable eye in his creed al-tahawi writes :
the beatific vision is a reality for the people of paradise without enclosure or modality
just as the book of god pronounces faces that day shall be radiant gazing upon their lord 75 22.
its explanation is as god knows it to be and as he intended . now this breaking off from the story here
is really important because many particularly non-muslims get the the impression that islam
just speaks with a " carnal heaven " a carnal paradise experience but that's clearly not
the case . yes there are pleasures of eating and drinking although in their own
kind quite different from our sensation here but the more mentioned in this verse the greatest
and highest blessing of heaven according to the quran is the vision of god and this
idea of the vision of god is found in catholic teaching as well particularly in thomas aquinas
in the catholic tradition . so it's a state that is shared it's understood to exist in
heaven for christians and muslims . sheikh hamza yusuf continues : although the quran
suggests in several verses that people enter paradise as a result of their sacred or their
actions in this world in reality it is ultimately by the grace of god deeds are necessary but not
sufficient . the prophet said : none of you will be saved by his actions . his companions asked :
not even you ? a messenger of god ? he replied : not even me unless god envelops me in his mercy .
now this again another crucial teaching that non-muslims maybe some muslims too get
wrong you don't get into paralyzed by your good work even mohammed didn't get into paradise by
his good works is ultimately that by the grace of god deeds are necessary but they're not sufficient
nevertheless the place of individuals in paradise and their experience of the
afterlife is without contradiction also of course based upon what they have done
and thought in this life . the quran says : those who believe and perform righteous deeds shall be made
to enter gardens with rivers running below abiding therein by the leave of their lord
their greeting therein shall be peace has thou not considered how god sets forth a parable
a good word is a good tree its roots firm and its branches in the sky it brings forth fruit in every
season by the leave of its lord and god sets forth parables to mankind that happily they may wonder
this parable immediately follows a description of paradise for those who
were righteous on earth . the parable is of the tree of belief . the actions that strengthen it
are firmly rooted in this world . however its branches and fruits are celestial and obtained
in the next world . the seeds of otherworldly fruits must be planted in this world but are harvested
in the next . and i think i will leave that there running out of time
i think that's a fascinating insight into the quran's teaching on paradise
and the greatest blessing is the vision of god and also how one enters into it . it's not
by being super good . it is by doing the will of god , good works but ultimately by the mercy of god
one enters into the presence of the lord i think that's beautiful teaching . until next time