The pleasures of paradise (2)

The pleasures of paradise -(2)

 

[The first part of this article ran here.  This is the second and concluding part]

 

The lowest of those who dwell in paradise will be able to see all their gardens, wives and servants at all times.  Those of the highest status will see Allah Most High day and night.

 

The lowest among those who dwell in paradise will have 70,000 servants.  One thousand of them will be assigned different tasks each.  A full ten thousand of them will be assigned the task of serving food.  They will have 2 plates each.  Each plate will have a new dish whose taste will be different from others.  Thus, at any time 20,000 new dishes will be ready.  The real pleasure likes in the fact that there will be no change in the taste of the dishes for the eaters.  In this world, when we have eaten our fill no matter how tasty the dish, we don’t like it and in fact, it becomes repugnant to us.  There, it will not be like this.

 

Then 300 kinds of drinks will be presented.  Their tastes will be different from one another.  The pleasure of the first cup and last cup will be the same.

 

The dwellers of paradise will enter their houses.  After about 8 days, they will be summoned to the presence of the Lord Almighty.  In His presence, there will be pulpits and chairs of gold, silver, pearls, rubies, emeralds, radiance, etc.  As per their status (with Him), people will sit on them.  They will have the vision of Allah Most High and will make speech with Him. 

 

The Lord Almighty will address someone by name and say:  Do you remember, in the material world, what you had said on so-and-so occasion?

 

That person will entreat:  O Lord!  Have I not been forgiven?

 

The reply will be:  Of course, you have been forgiven!  You are here because of the pardon only.

 

They will be engaged in this when a cloud will materialize over them.  Such a fragrance will rain over them that none will have smelt such a beautiful fragrance ever.

 

After this, the Lord Almighty will say:  Now end this.  Whatever honors and bounties that We have granted you, take of them – as much as you want to.

 

From there, everyone will go to the market where there will be a multitude of angels.  There will be many many kinds of bounties there the like of which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and it has not entered into anyone’s thoughts either.  In that market, there will be no buying and selling.  Instead, there will be a general permission to take whatever one wants to.  Here, all the dwellers of paradise, low and high, will meet each other. 

 

If someone’s clothes catch our fancy, our clothes will immediately change into those clothes so that no one is saddened as there is no place for sorrow and sadness in paradise.

 

When they will return home, their wives will ask them:  Why has your beauty increased so much?  They will reply:  We had the honor of being in the presence of the Lord Almighty today.  This should be the effect of it.  Then about every Friday, they will get to see Allah Most High.

 

Once, Allah Most High will ask:  Are you pleased?  They will say:  O Lord of ours!  You have given us such bounties that none have ever had it.  Even now, will we not be pleased?

 

The Lord Almighty will say:  We give you a bounty better than all these bounties.

 

They will entreat:  O Lord!  What can be better than all these bounties?

 

The Lord Almighty will say:  We are pleased with you and will never be angry with you.

 

This will gladden the dwellers of paradise infinitely.

 

When they will want to meet their friends, sometimes their couches will carry them or if they want to they can travel on camels and horses which will take them to their destinations instantly.  There, they will talk about the incidents of this world and describe their own experiences.

 

In paradise, one can fulfill all kinds of wishes.  If one desires a child, then within the space of a moment, pregnancy and delivery will occur and the child will reach adulthood.  If someone desires farming, then as soon as they sow the seeds, the crops will spring up, bear fruits and become ready for harvest.  The piles of this produce will be like mountains.

 

All in all, whatever one desires will be provided for there.  Allah Most High says:

 

The plates and drinking cups made of gold will be passed around amongst them, and all those things which the hearts will long for, and (that which) will cool the eyes will be available there. And you will dwell there forever.  Surah Zukhruf (43:71)

 

Whatever disturbs our pleasures like exhaustion, calls of nature, boredom, sleep, etc. will be nonexistent there.

 

[Excerpted from Maqasid Ul Islam, Vol. 5]