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[Paradise_lover]

                    Salam alikom

The people of Paradise will remember the life of this world

Question :


In Paradise will the servants of Allah remember the Previous world, and therefore, be able to desire Things that they desired on earth?


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

There is evidence in the Qur’aan that the people of Paradise will remember the life of this world. For example, in Soorat al-Toor, Allaah tells us (interpretation of the meaning):

"And some of them draw near to others, questioning, saying: ‘Aforetime, we were afraid with out families (of the punishment of Allaah). But Allaah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire. Verily, we used to invoke Him (Alone) before. Verily, He is the Most Kind, the Most Merciful." [al-Toor 52:25-28]

They will also remember the evil people who tried to make the people of faith have doubts and called them to kufr. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Then they will turn to one another, mutually questioning. A speaker of them will say, ‘Verily, I had a companion (in the world), who used to say, "Are you among those who believe (in resurrection after death), (that) when we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed (be raised up) to receive reward or punishment (according to our deeds)?" [al-Saffaat 37:50-53]

They will remember the trials and tribulations they went though in this world, with regard to themselves, their children, their families and their wealth, and they will say joyfully: "… ‘All praise and thanks be to Allaah, Who has removed from us (all) grief. Verily, our Lord is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense).’" [Faatir 35:34]

They will also be reminded of this life when they see the fruits which will resemble those which they used to eat in this world, but whose size and taste are different. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "… Every time they will be provided with a fruit therefrom, they will say: ‘This is what we were provided with before,’ and they will be given things in resemblance (i.e., in the same form but different in taste)…" [al-Baqarah 2:25]

They will also recall their du’aa’s in times of hardship, when they raised their hands to heaven asking for their deeds to be accepted and for help to do righteous deeds and to be included among those who would inherit blessings. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And some of them draw near to others, questioning, saying: ‘Aforetime, we were afraid with out families (of the punishment of Allaah). But Allaah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire. Verily, we used to invoke Him (Alone) before. Verily, He is the Most Kind, the Most Merciful." [al-Toor 52:25-28]

As regards the matter of them desiring something like the blessings of this world, they will in fact desire something better than that, because even the person who is the lowest in status in Paradise will enjoy something like ten times the joys of this world. ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood said: "The Messenger of Allaah  (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘I know who will be the last person to be brought out of Hell and the last person to enter Paradise. It will be a man who will come out of Hell crawling. Allaah will say to him, "Go and enter Paradise." So he will go there and think that it is full, so he will come back and say, "O Lord, I found it full." Allaah will say to him a second time, "Go and enter Paradise." So he will go there and think that it is full, so he will come back and say, "O Lord, I found it full." Allaah will say to him, "Go and enter Paradise, for there you will have something like the world and ten times more." The man will say, "Are You making fun of me (or are You laughing at me), and You are the King of all?"’ - and I saw the Messenger of Allaah  (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) smiling so broadly that his back teeth could be seen. He used to say, ‘That is the person who is lowest in status in Paradise.’" [Agreed upon; this version is reported by Muslim, no. 272]

Everything that the people of Paradise desire will be theirs, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "… (there will be) therein all that one’s inner-self could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and you will abide therein forever." [al-Zukhruf 43:71]

A number of ahaadeeth state that the people of Paradise will have their desires for children or to grow things fulfilled, without having to wait for them.

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet  (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) was speaking about the people of Paradise one day when a Bedouin was present. He described how a man of the people of Paradise will ask his Lord’s permission to grow some plants. (In Arabic, the past tense is used here to show that this will undoubtedly happen). Allaah will ask him, "Do you not already have all that you want?" He will say, "Yes, but I like to grow things." So he will go and plant his seeds, and within the blinking of an eye they will grow, ripen, be harvested and piled up like mountains. Allaah will say, "Here you are, O son of Adam, nothing makes you satisfied!" The Bedouin said, "O Messenger of Allaah, you will find that he is either from Quraysh or the Ansaar, for they are the ones who like to grow things; we don’t like to grow anything!" The Prophet  (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) smiled broadly. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6965).

Ibn Hijr reported the following hadeeth in Fath al-Baari; from it we learn that whatever worldly desires one wishes for in Paradise can be fulfilled.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allaah  (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "If the believer in Paradise wishes for a child, it will be conceived and delivered, and will grow to the desired age in an instant." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2487. Abu ‘Eesaa said: This is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6649)

We ask Allaah to make us among the people of Paradise by His Grace and Mercy. And Allaah knows best.



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)                    

[Sister Kamillah]

                    asalamu alaikum,
I have put together over 100 ayats describing al jannah  with Sahih Ahadeeth that I did for a halaqa, write me and I will email you it...Insha-Allah teacherofislam@yahoo.com
kamillah                    

[Paradise_lover]

                    Salam alikom

Do the dead visit or feel or see one another in their graves?

Question :


I have been wondering for some time now about the condition of the grave. I wanted to know if dead people actually visit or see or feel each other whilst in the grave.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.  

Yes, it is proven that the souls of the believers meet and visit one another. There follow some of the ahaadeeth which indicate that, as well as some of the fatwas of the scholars on this matter.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the believer is dying, the angels of mercy come to him with white silk and say: ‘Come out content and with the pleasure of Allaah upon you to the mercy of Allaah, fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry.’ So it comes out like the best fragrance of musk. They pass him from one to another until they bring him to the gate of heaven, where they say: ‘How good is this fragrance that has come to you from the earth!’ Then the souls of the believers come to him and they rejoice more over him than any one of you rejoices when his absent loved one comes to him. They ask him: ‘What happened to So and so, what happened to So and so?’ They say: ‘Let him be, for he was in the hardship of the world. When he says, ‘Did he not come here?’ They say: ‘He was taken to the pit (of Hell).’ When the kaafir is dying, the angers of punishment come to him with sackcloth and say: ‘Come out discontent and subject to divine wrath to the punishment of Allaah. So it comes out like the foulest stench of a corpse. They bring him to the gates of the earth, where they say: ‘How foul is this stench!’ Then they bring him to the souls of the kuffaar.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1833; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2758.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: Does his soul meet with the souls of his family and relatives? According to the hadeeth narrated from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari and others of the salaf, and narrated by Abu Haatim in al-Saheeh from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):  “When his soul is taken up it is met by the souls who ask him about the living and they say to one another: ‘Let him rest.’ And they say: ‘What happened to So and so?’ And he says: ‘He did a righteous deed.’ They say: ‘What happened to So and so?’ and he says: ‘Has he not come to you?’ They say: ‘No.’ They say: ‘He was taken to the Pit (of Hell).’”

And because the deeds of the living are shown to the dead, Abu’l-Darda’ used to say: “O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from doing any deed that would shame me before ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Rawaahah.” This is how they meet when he comes and they ask him questions and they answer him.

With regard to where they settle, that depends on their status before Allaah. For the one who is among those who are close to Allaah (al-muqarrabeen – cf. al-Waaqi’ah 56:88), his status will be higher than those of the Right Hand (cf. al-Waaqi’ah 56:90). The one who is higher may descend to the one who is lower but the one who is lower cannot ascend to the one who is higher, thus they will gather when Allaah wills as they used to gather in this world, despite their differences in status, and they will visit one another.

That will happen whether their places in which they are buried in this world are far apart or close together. Souls may meet even though their places of burial are far apart, or they may be separated even though their places of burial are close together. A believer may be buried beside a kaafir, but the soul of the former will be in Paradise whilst the soul of the latter is in Hell. Two men may be sitting or sleeping in the same place, but the heart of one is blessed and the heart of the other is tormented, and there is no connection between the two souls. As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Souls are troops collected together and those who got along with each other (in the heaven from whence they come) would have an affinity with one another (in this world) and those amongst them who opposed each other (in heaven) would also be divergent (in the world).” Narrated by Muslim, 2638; Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 24/368.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

The second issue is whether the souls of the dead meet one another, visit one another and talk to one another.

This is a good question. The answer is that souls are of two types: those that are punished and those that are blessed.  Those that are punished are too preoccupied with the torment that they are facing to visit and meet one another, but the souls that are blessed are free and are not detained, so they meet one another, visit one another and talk about what they used to do in this world and what happened to the people of this world. So each soul will be with its friends who did similar good deeds. The soul of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is with the highest companions. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoso obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As‑Siddeeq), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!”

[al-Nisa’ 4:69]

This togetherness is confirmed in this world, in al-Barzakh and in the abode of reward (Paradise), and “A man will be with those whom he loves” in these three realms… Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“(It will be said to the pious — believers of Islamic Monotheism): ‘O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction!

28. ‘Come back to your Lord,—  well‑pleased (yourself) and well‑pleasing (unto Him)!

29. ‘Enter you then among My (honoured) slaves,

30. ‘And enter you My Paradise!’”

[al-Fajr 89:27-30]

i.e., enter among them and be one of them. This is said to the soul at the time of death… And Allaah has told us that the martyrs are: “are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:169]; they “rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:170] and “They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allaah” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:171]. This indicates that they will meet one another in three ways: (1) they are with their Lord and are given provision, and if they are alive then they meet one another; (2) they rejoice at the arrival of their brothers and their meeting with them; and (3) the word yastabshiroon (translated as “rejoice”) implies that they pass the good news to one another.  Al-Rooh, p. 17, 18.

There are ahaadeeth which state that the dead visit one another and we are commanded to make their shrouds beautiful because of that, but none of these ahaadeeth are saheeh. For example, the hadeeth of Abu Qataadah according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes the responsibility of preparing his brother for burial, let him make his shroud beautiful, for they visit one another in them.” Shu’ab al-Eemaan, 7/10.

Its isnaad includes Salam ibn Ibraaheem al-Warraaq whom Ibn Mu’een and al-Dhahabi classed as a liar, as did others.

And Allaah knows best.



Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)                    

[Paradise_lover]

                    Salam alikom

The believer’s family joining him in Paradise

Question :


Will the people who go to Heaven be reunited with their loved ones who go to Hell? Is it possible to take loved ones out of Hell, since all requests in Heaven are granted (assuming they know about their fate)?  
Can we also be reunited with our Loved ones in this world who are non-mahrum to us? This includes those that we loved but could not marry.

Answer :


Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly, you say, “does this include those whom we loved but could not marry?”  

The answer to this is that it is not permissible for a Muslim man to form a relationship with a non-mahram women, or for a Muslim woman to form a relationship with a man or to have an emotional attachment to him, except for her husband. See Questions nos. 9465, 5445, 1200.  

Secondly, you say, “Will the people who go to Heaven be reunited with their loved ones who go to Hell?”  

The answer is, yes, the people of Paradise will be reunited with their loved ones who went to Hell, if they were believers in Tawheed (the oneness of Allaah). That will be by virtue of their intercession for them to be brought forth from Hell and admitted to Paradise. The evidence for that was narrated by al-Bukhaari in Kitaab al-Tawheed, no. 7440:  

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: “We said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?’ He said, ‘Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon when the sky is clear?’ We said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘So you will have no difficulty in seeing your Lord on that Day, just as you have no difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon (in a clear sky). …Then the bridge will be laid across Hell.’ We said, "O Messenger of Allaah! What is the bridge?’ He said, ‘It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and (hooks like) thorns which are wide at one side and narrow at the other and have bent ends. A plant with such thorns is found in Najd and is called al-Sa'daan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, or fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell (Fire). The last person will cross by being dragged (over the bridge). You (Muslims) cannot be more pressing in claiming from me a right that has been clearly proved to be yours than the believers in interceding with Almighty Allaah for their (Muslim) brothers on that Day, when they see themselves safe.  

They will say, “O Allah! (Save) our brothers (for they) used to pray with us, fast with us and also do good deeds with us.” Allah will say, “Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in whose heart you find faith equal to the weight of one (gold) Dinar.” Allah will forbid the Fire to burn the faces of those sinners. They will go to them and find some of them in Hell (Fire) up to their feet, and some up to the middle of their legs. So they will take out those whom they will recognize and then they will return, and Allah will say (to them), “Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in whose heart you find faith equal to the weight of one half Dinar.” They will take out whomever they will recognize and return, and then Allah will say, “Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in whose heart you find faith equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant),” and so they will take out all those whom they will recognize.’” Abu Sa’eed said, “If you do not believe me, read, if you wish, ‘Surely, Allaah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it...’ [al-Nisaa’ 4:40 – interpretation of the meaning].” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Then the Prophets and Angels and the believers will intercede, and (last of all) the Almighty (Allah) will say, ‘Now remains My Intercession. He will then hold a handful of the Fire from which He will take out some people whose bodies have been burnt, and they will be thrown into a river at the entrance of Paradise, called the water of life. They will grow on its banks, as a seed carried by the torrent grows…”  

But for those who believed in shirk, no intercession will benefit them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  

“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills”

[al-Nisaa’ 4:48]  

Note that intercession is of two types:  

“The first type is the kind of intercession that is the exclusive preserve of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is of varying kinds, the greatest of which is the Great Intercession in the Station of praise and glory (al-maqaam al-mahmood) which Allaah has promised to him in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

‘And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salaah (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Qur’aan in the prayer) as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer Nawaafil) for you (O Muhammad). It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqaam Mahmood (a station of praise and glory, i.e., the honour of intercession on the Day of Resurrection)’

[al-Israa’ 17:79]  

This intercession means that he will intercede for the people who are standing on the Day of Resurrection, so that the distress they are suffering will be reduced for them.  

The second type is general intercession on the part of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for all the believers. This is of various kinds:

(i)                                        Intercession for those who deserve Hell, so that they will not enter it. This is indicated by the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “There is no Muslim who dies and forty men who do not associate anything with Allaah pray the funeral prayer for him, but Allaah will accept their intercession for him.” (narrated by Muslim, 2/655).

(ii)                                      Intercession for those who have entered Hell, so that they will be brought forth from it. It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘By the One in Whose hand is my soul,

You (Muslims) cannot be more pressing in claiming from me a right that has been clearly proved to be yours than the believers in interceding with the Almighty for their (Muslim) brothers on that Day, when they see themselves safe.  

They will say, “O Allah! (Save) our brothers (for they) used to pray with us, fast with us and also do good deeds with us.” Allah will say, “Go and take out (of Hell) everyone whom you recognize.” Allah will forbid the Fire to burn the faces of those sinners. So they will bring forth many people who were  in the Fire up to their calves or their knees.” (Narrated by Muslim,269)  

(iii)                                    Intercession to raise the believers in status. This is because of the du’aa’s of the believers for one another, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, making du’aa’ for Abu Salamah: “O Allaah, forgive Abu Salamah, raise him in status among those who are guided, make his grave spacious for him and fill it with light, and protect his family who are left behind.” And there is the du’aa’ for intercession as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who dies and forty men who do not associate anything with Allaah pray the funeral prayer for him, but Allaah will accept their intercession for him.”  

Reference: al-Qawl al-Mufeed, vol. 1, p. 332



Reference: al-Qawl al-Mufeed, vol. 1, p. 332 (www.islam-qa.com)