The description of Paradise and its people

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "O people! Weep (out of the fear of Allah), and if you cannot weep, then at least take on the appearance of weeping (that is, try to bring weeping upon yourselves), for indeed the people of Hell will weep so much in the Fire that their tears will flow down their cheeks as though they were small streams, until, when their tears are completely exhausted, blood will begin to flow (in place of the tears), which will wound and injure their eyes."
(Takhrij and grading): Imam Ibn Majah recorded this hadith in his Sunan (Book of Zuhd, chapter on the description of the Fire, hadith no. 4324) and Imam Abu Ya'la in his Musnad (hadith no. 4216); the narrator Yazid al-Raqashi in its chain is weak, but there are other supporting reports and narrations about the weeping of the people of Hell and their shedding tears of blood that support its meaning.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), in the explanation of this saying of Allah Almighty: "And those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups" [Surah al-Zumar: 73], that: "When they reach Paradise, they will find a tree there at a gate of Paradise; (the narrator Ma'mar says) from its trunk, (while al-Thawri says) from its root, two springs will flow. They will turn to one of them, as though they had been commanded to do so; (according to Ma'mar) they will bathe in it, (while according to al-Thawri) they will perform ablution from it. After that their hair will never be dishevelled and their skin will never change, as though they had been anointed with oil and made radiant, and the freshness of bliss will spread over their faces. Then they will turn to the other spring and drink from it, and it will purify their insides completely, so that no filth, harm or impurity will remain in their stomachs except that all of it will be expelled. At the gate of Paradise the angels will receive them, saying: 'Peace be upon you; you have become pure, so enter it to abide therein forever.' And they will be received by the youths (serving boys) who will be like hidden and scattered pearls; they will inform them of the blessings that Allah Almighty has prepared for them. They will go around them just as in the world people go around a loved one with joy when he returns from a journey. They will say: 'Glad tidings to you! Allah has prepared such and such honours for you.' Then one of these serving boys will go to one of the wives of this man of Paradise and say: 'So-and-so (by the name by which he used to be called in the world) has come.' That wife will be so overjoyed that she will come and stand on the threshold of her door and ask (eagerly): 'Have you really seen him?' Then that man of Paradise will come into his palace and look at its foundations, which will be laid upon rocks of pearl of green, yellow, red and every colour. Then he will sit (on a couch) and find there exquisite carpets spread out, cushions set in rows, and goblets and cups placed in order. Then he will raise his head and look at the ceiling of his palace, and had Allah Almighty not (according to Ma'mar) decreed for him the strength for it, (and according to al-Thawri) made it subservient to him, his sight would almost have been snatched away, for that ceiling will be (bright) like the flash of lightning. Then he will say: 'All praise is for Allah, who guided us to this' [Surah al-A'raf: 43]."
This hadith is sahih (authentic), and it has the ruling of a marfu' report (that is, it will be counted as a saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)), because there is no room for personal opinion in unseen matters like this; Imam al-Baghawi also recorded it in al-Ja'diyyat and Abu Nu'aym in Sifat al-Jannah.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people of the Jews came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Will there be fruits in Paradise?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, in it there will be fruits, date-palms and pomegranates [Surah al-Rahman: 68]." They asked: "Then will the people of Paradise eat there just as they eat in the world?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, and indeed far more than that (many times over)." They asked: "Then will they need to relieve themselves there (urine and stool)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No; rather they will sweat and moisture will seep from their bodies, through which Allah Almighty will remove all the waste and impurities of their stomachs."
Imam Abd bin Humayd and al-Harith bin Abi Usamah recorded this hadith; its chain contains a narrator named Husayn bin Umar, who is weak and matruk (abandoned); however, the theme of the people of Paradise digesting their food through sweat and being purified of bodily impurities is established with an authentic chain in other authentic hadith (for example, Sahih Muslim: 2835).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Will the people of Paradise have intimate relations with their wives?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, with a male organ that will never feel weariness or fatigue, with a private part that will never be affected (by friction), and with a lasting desire that will never be cut off."
Imam al-Bazzar (may Allah have mercy on him) also reported this narration with this same chain, through Muhammad bin Ma'mar from al-Muqri'.

It is narrated from al-Haytham al-Ta'i and Sulaym bin Amir that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about marital relations and sexual union in Paradise, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, there will be a most desirable and delightful repose there, and such manly vigour will be granted in which there will never be weariness or weakness. And indeed a man of Paradise will remain reclining on his couch there for a period equal to forty years, neither moving from it nor feeling any tedium or boredom, and in this very state everything his soul desires and that delights his eyes will be provided to him."
Imam al-Harith bin Abi Usamah recorded this hadith in his Musnad (Bughyat al-Bahith: 1113); because of a break in its chain this narration is mursal, and because of scholarly criticism of some of its narrators it has been declared weak; however, there are other reliable supporting reports about the delights of Paradise.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Will the people of Paradise have intercourse (with their wives)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, they will unite with one another with the utmost vigour, intensity and full desire, but there (in the form of ejaculation) no semen will be emitted, nor will there be death (for anyone)."
Imam Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili recorded it in his Musnad; the chain of this narration contains a narrator named Khalid bin Abi Malik, whom some hadith scholars have criticised; however, intercourse in Paradise and its delights are also mentioned in other authentic hadith and supporting reports, which support the point that the delights of Paradise will be free of worldly impurities and fatigue.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that it was said (to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)): O Messenger of Allah! Will we be alone and intimate with our wives in Paradise just as we go in to them in the world? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in whose Hand of power is the soul of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Surely a man (in Paradise) will go in to a hundred virgins in the span of a single morning."
The chain of this narration contains Zayd bin Abi al-Hawari, who is a weak narrator according to the imams of hadith; for this reason Allamah al-Haythami and other researchers have declared its chain weak, although some supporting reports of this meaning are found in other narrations. (Takhrij: al-Mu'jam al-Awsat of al-Tabarani: 2362, Musnad Abi Ya'la: 2542.)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that a bedouin came into the blessed presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "Will our garments in Paradise be such that we weave them with our own hands?" At this the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (may Allah be pleased with them) laughed (at the bedouin's simplicity), and the bedouin said: "Why do you laugh at an ignorant man who is asking an eminent scholar a question to quench his thirst for knowledge?" Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O bedouin! You have spoken the truth, (but there will be no toil of weaving garments there;) rather they will come forth from the fruits of the trees of Paradise."
The chain of this hadith contains Mujalid bin Sa'id, who is weak; however, there are supporting reports for it in other books of hadith, from which it is known that the garments of Paradise will come out of the fruits (the openings) of the trees.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Amir bin Hidhyam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If one woman among the large-eyed, beautiful houris of Paradise were to put out her hand (towards the world), every living being on the face of the earth would perceive her (pure and enchanting) fragrance. So should I leave them for your sake? It is more fitting that I leave you for their sake."
[Takhrij: Musnad Ahmad: 4608, 16047; Allamah Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut declared the chain of this hadith strong, and all its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy). This hadith is based on encouraging sincerity in the path of Allah and longing for the blessings of Paradise.]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed the large-eyed houris (of Paradise) will sing in Paradise, saying these words (in their songs): 'Nahnu khayyiratun hisanun khubbi'na li-azwajin kiram' (We are wives of the best qualities, exceedingly beautiful, who have been specially kept safe (behind the veil of the unseen) for noble and honoured husbands)."
Imam Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili recorded this hadith in his "Musnad"; although the names of some narrators in its chain are not stated explicitly, its meaning is established by the supporting evidence of other authentic hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said (while describing the states of the people of Paradise) that the people of Paradise will say (to one another): "Come with us to the market (of Paradise)." So they will set off towards lofty pulpits made of mounds of musk or mountains of musk. Then, when they return to their wives, their wives will say (delighted): "We find a (sweet) fragrance from you that we never perceived up until you left us." And they (the men of Paradise) will also say: "And we too find a (fragrant) scent from you that we never found up until the time we departed from you," or as the narrator stated it (with some slight variation in wording).
This hadith is sahih (authentic), and its basis is found in Sahih Muslim (2833), where the market of Paradise and the increase in the beauty and fragrance of the people of Paradise there are mentioned in detail.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the nature of Paradise, what it is like. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever enters Paradise will attain (such an eternal life) that death will never come to him, and he will live in such luxury and bliss that no hardship or distress will ever afflict him; his garments will not wear out and his youth will never pass away." It was said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! How has it been built? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One brick of it is of silver and one brick of gold; its mortar (plaster) is strongly fragrant musk, its pebbles are pearls and rubies, and its soil is saffron."
Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah recorded this hadith, and there are supporting reports for it in other books of hadith (for example, Musnad Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi) which strengthen its meaning.

It is narrated from Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) that, about the "Gardens of Eden" [Surah al-Tawbah: 72] mentioned in the speech of Allah Almighty, he said: "It is the butnan of Paradise." I asked what is meant by the "butnan" of Paradise, and Sulayman explained: "It means the middle of Paradise (that is, its central, midmost and very best part)."
Imam Musaddad bin Musarhad recorded it in his Musnad; all its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy) and this narration is sahih (authentic) in its chain; Imam al-Bukhari also mentioned it in Sahih al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form (without a connected chain).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed in Paradise there are lofty pillars made of ruby upon which are built upper chambers of chrysolite; their doors are open, and they shine and glow just as a brilliant star shines." It was said: O Prophet of Allah! Who will dwell in them? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Those who love one another purely for the sake of Allah, who sit with one another for the pleasure of Allah, and who spend their wealth on one another for the sake of Allah alone."
Imam Ahmad bin Mani' and Imam Abd bin Humayd recorded it through the route of Muhammad bin Abi Humayd.
This narration is weak in its chain.

It is narrated from Abu al-Khayr (may Allah have mercy on him) that Ka'b al-Ahbar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The river Nile is the river of honey in Paradise, the river Tigris is the river of milk in Paradise, the river Euphrates is the river of wine in Paradise, and the river Sayhan is the river of (pure, clear) water in Paradise." He further said: "Then Allah Almighty concealed their (special, Paradise) light and splendour (in the world) so that they may be made part of Paradise again (on the Day of Resurrection)."
Imam al-Harith bin Abi Usamah recorded this report in his Musnad (Bughyat al-Bahith: 4614); its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), and it is a saying of Ka'b al-Ahbar (mawquf).

Not present in the book.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Paradise was presented to me, and I intended to pluck a bunch (of grapes) from it so that I could show it to you, but a barrier was placed between me and it." At this a man asked: O Messenger of Allah! Are the grapes of Paradise just like (the grapes of the world)? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Equal to the largest leather bucket your mother has ever made."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this hadith, and it has been declared sahih (authentic) on the basis of its supporting reports.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, you will see a bird in Paradise and a desire (to eat) it will arise in your heart, and it will immediately fall before you, roasted."
Imam Abu Ya'la and Imam al-Bazzar recorded this hadith through the route of Khalaf bin Khalifah; Imam al-Bazzar stated explicitly that the chain of this hadith is known only through this route, and that the narrator in it, Humayd al-A'raj (Humayd bin Ata, a Kufan), is weak.
I (Ibn Hajar) say: We heard this hadith with a high chain ('uluww) in the Juz' of al-Hasan bin Arafah.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "Of the blessings that will be available in Paradise, nothing exists in the world (in its true nature and reality) except their mere names."
[Takhrij: Imam Musaddad bin Musarhad reported this narration in his Musnad; Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari also recorded it in his Tafsir (1/392) and Imam al-Bayhaqi in al-Ba'th wa al-Nushur (341) with an authentic chain; this report is sahih (authentic) in its chain.]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will ask (them): "Shall I not give you something even better than these (blessings)?" They will say: "O our Lord! What could possibly be better than these?" Then Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will say: "It is My pleasure and good favour."
The chain of this hadith contains eminent and trustworthy imams such as Yahya bin Sa'id al-Qattan, Sufyan al-Thawri and Muhammad bin al-Munkadir; Imam al-Bazzar recorded it in his Musnad (3123), and its basic content is established by the authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari (6549) and Sahih Muslim (2829) in which Allah Almighty is reported to say to the people of Paradise: "I bestow My pleasure and good favour upon you, and after this I will never be displeased with you."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "Shall I not tell you about the person of the lowest rank in Paradise?" The people said: Of course (do tell us). He said: "He will be a man who enters through the gate of Paradise, and his servants will receive him and say: 'Marhaban bika ya sayyidana, qad ana laka an ta'uba' (Welcome to you, O our master; the time has come for you to return to your true abode). The narrator states: Then carpets will be spread out in his honour over a distance of forty years. Then he will look to his right and his left and see nothing but gardens upon gardens. He will ask: For whom is all this? He will be answered: All of this is for you. Until, when he reaches his destination, a magnificent palace of red ruby or green emerald will be raised up before him, which will have seventy sections, in every section seventy upper chambers, and every upper chamber will have seventy doors. It will be said to him: 'Keep reciting and keep climbing.' So he will keep rising until, when he reaches the throne of his kingdom, he will recline on it. The breadth of this throne will be a mile by a mile, and besides it he will have still more blessings. Seventy thousand bowls of gold will be brought to him, the colour of each bowl different from the other, and he will find in its last morsel the same delight that he felt in the first morsel. Then drinks of many colours will be presented to him and he will drink of them whatever he likes. Then the servants will say: Now leave him alone with his wives. (Abu Shihab says: I think he also said:) Then the servants will withdraw from him, and suddenly he will see one of the large-eyed houris seated on the throne of her kingdom; (she will be such an embodiment of beauty that) he will see the marrow of her shin through the flesh and blood. He will ask her: Who are you? She will say: I am one of the large-eyed houris who were kept hidden (especially) for you. Enchanted, he will keep looking at her for forty years and will not take his gaze off her. Then he will raise his gaze towards the upper chambers above and see there another houri, even more beautiful than the first, and she will say to him: Has the time not come for us to have some share of your attention as well? So he will rise up to her and keep looking at her (in wonder and delight) for forty years, not turning his gaze away from her. Until, when the people of Paradise reach the utmost limit of all their blessings and begin to think that nothing more excellent than them remains, the Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, will manifest Himself to them. They will behold the radiant Face of the Most Merciful, and before that sight they will forget all the blessings they had witnessed before. Then Allah Almighty will say: 'O people of Paradise! Declare My Oneness and uniqueness, "halliluni"'; so all of them together will call out the tahlil (La ilaha illa Allah) in loud voices. Then Allah Almighty will say: 'O Dawud! Proclaim My greatness and glory just as you used to in the world.' So Sayyiduna Dawud (peace be upon him) will proclaim the glory of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic."
Ahmad bin Yunus says: I asked Abu Shihab: Is this narration of Khalid bin Dinar containing the description of Paradise marfu' (attributed to the Prophet)? He replied: Yes.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah Almighty will separate the people of Paradise from the people of Hell. And when it is Monday and Thursday, pulpits of light will be set up around the Throne, and pulpits of chrysolite and ruby will also be placed. The angels appointed over them will say: O our Lord! For whom have You set up these pulpits? Then it will be put into their hearts: they are for the 'strangers' (that is, those who lived as strangers in the world for the sake of Allah). The angels will say: O Lord! Who are these strangers? They will be answered: They are the people who loved one another for the sake of the greatness of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, though they had not seen Him (in the world). Then, meanwhile, each one of them will come forward knowing his sitting place in Paradise even better than any of you knows the place of the tent beside his wife in his worldly home, and their nearness to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will be according to their ranks in Paradise. When all the people have reached their places and are complete, the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, will say: O My servants, My creation, My guests, and you who loved one another for the sake of My greatness and majesty though you had not seen Me! (Today) feed them. So they will be fed. Then Allah Almighty will say: Present them with fruits; so they will be presented with fruits containing every kind of desire, delight and fine fragrance. Then the Most Generous Lord will say: Give them drink; so vessels will be presented to them such that the onlooker will be amazed whether the vessel is whiter and more shining or the drink inside it. Then Allah Almighty will say: Clothe them; so they will be presented with fruits (of a tree) hanging down to the ground like the breasts of virgin women, in every fruit there will be seventy garments, no garment resembling another. Then the Lord of Majesty will say: Perfume them; so a wind will blow that will scent them with the most intense and excellent musk, the like of which no human being has ever smelled before. Then Allah will say: Remove the veils from before them. Remember that between Allah Almighty and the nearest of His creation to Him there are seventy thousand veils of light; not even a close angel among His creation has the strength to raise his head towards the lowest of these veils. Then all those veils will be lifted, and those people will fall down in prostration upon seeing the greatness of Allah Almighty. Then the Lord of Majesty and Perfection will say: Raise your heads; you are no longer in the abode of deeds (the house of toil and labour), rather you are in the abode of bliss and the everlasting dwelling. For you is everything you are in, and indeed as much again will be granted along with it. Then the Lord will ask: O My servants! Are you pleased? They will say: 'Radina rabbana in radita 'anna' (O our Lord! We are pleased, provided that You are pleased with us). Then those people will return to their dwellings, while their beauty, their wives and the delights of their food and drink will have been multiplied many times over, and every affair of theirs will be in keeping with that same glory. Meanwhile something will shine beside them that will illuminate even the passages of their hearing, and it will be matchless in beauty and splendour. They will ask: Who are you? It will say: I am the 'more' (the additional reward) about which Allah Almighty has said: 'And with Us is more' [Surah Qaf: 35]. Meanwhile seventy thousand angels will come to every servant, each angel having a vessel that does not resemble another's, containing a blessing different from the other's; the angels will be consulting among themselves which gift should be presented first. They will say: Your Lord has sent this to you and He sends you His greetings of peace. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There are no two servants who established brotherhood with each other for the sake of Allah except that their houses will face each other; a servant will be able to see to the farthest end of his brother's house. However, when they desire their wives, veils will be let down between them."
Imam Abu Bakr bin al-Muqri' mentioned this narration in the Ziyadat (additions) to Musnad Abi Ya'la; however, its chain contains Amr bin Khalid al-Wasiti, who is a kadhdhab (liar), and Suwayd bin Abd al-Aziz, who is matruk al-hadith (abandoned in hadith), on account of which this narration is mawdu' (fabricated) or extremely weak; moreover, Zayd bin Ali's narrating from his forefathers has also been regarded as questionable by the imams of narrator criticism (al-jarh wa al-ta'dil).