The Embodiment Of Thoughts, Words And Deeds

In paradise and hell every experience that is encountered is governed by the inner state of the individual; as long as the inner state does not change, the outer environment and the quality of man’s life does not improve either. Paradise and hell are like magical realms in which everything that stems from the mind, soul and being of an individual finds an external existence that is real and tangible. This is called the embodiment of deeds (tajassum al-a’mal).

Such a world may be difficult for us to imagine, but we must keep in mind that as we mentioned earlier, Akhira is the culmination of the hierarchy of existence; a world which has developed from primitive beginnings and developed to an unimaginable level of perfection, just as a tiny oak develops into a strong oak tree, “Objects in the realm of the dominion of God (malakut) are like mustard seeds planted in a field. The mustard seed is the tiniest of seeds, yet it matures into a bush that is bigger than others. It becomes as big as a tree and birds nest in its branches.”1

The advice given to Qays ibn Malik by the Prophet (S) is an affirmation of this embodiment, “Know that you have no choice, O Qays, except to be buried with a companion who is alive, while you are dead. If the companion is of noble character, then he will honour you, but if he is of evil character, then he will overpower you. He will only be resurrected with you and you will only come forth with him. You will not be examined except through him. Therefore do not allow your companion to be anything but good, so that you may form a close bond with him, because if he is evil, you will not fear anything more than him… And he is nothing other than the embodiment of your actions.”2

It has been mentioned in many verses of the Qur’an that whatever is received in that world is the product of one’s own hands; it is the acquisition of a character and form that one has shaped himself in the Dunya,

“This is due to what your own hands have sent forth and God is not unjust to His servants” (3:182)

And

“Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment, a Day when man will see that which he has sent forth with his own hands and the disbeliever will cry, “O how I wish that I was dust!” (78:40)

They will find the act itself present, not just a report of it,

“The day when every soul shall find present whatever good it has done and whatever evil it has done” (3:30)

It has also been mentioned repeatedly that when people will return to God, He will inform them of the meaning of their deeds,

“In the end your return is to your Lord and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, he is well aware of what is hidden in the hearts” (39:7)

Therefore, whatever we do in this world and whatever we harbour in our hearts will acquire a different meaning in the hereafter and God will inform us about it. Here, “informing” means showing us its reality in that world, where it will either place us in paradise or in hellfire.

Hell

It is impossible to describe the torments of hell and the wretchedness of its inmates. “The inmates of hell don’t make a sound except to scream and wail, they experience no pleasure, and they know no hope and no relief from sorrow. All doors of escape are closed to them, and they have no saviour from amongst the angels and no consoler from amongst men. God does not pay attention to them and removes their memory from the hearts of others, so that no one ever thinks of them.”3 “It is a place devoid of mercy; no supplication is answered therein, and no grief is dispelled.”4

This relentless torment in this world full of pain and misery springs from the corruption in the hearts of men and the satans who consider themselves above God; and as long as this egoism persists and their existence poses a threat to others, their pain and misery will not cease. The reason hell is devoid of mercy is because of the inmates’ remoteness from God, and every tribulation that ensues is because of this remoteness. Hell is a place where corruptness and impurity is accumulated together and then set on fire, and then time is given to see if their owners are thus purified,

“...and the disbelievers will be gathered together in hell, so that God may separate the impure from the pure” (8:36)

“He will heap the impure one upon another and consign them all to hellfire. Indeed they are the losers” (8:37)

This verse is explained in a beautiful parable by Jesus (‘a); “That which occurs in the dominion of God is the simile of the person who sowed good seed in his field. One night while he was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds amongst his wheat seeds and left. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, the weeds also appeared. His servants asked, “Do you want us to pull out the weeds?” He replied, “No, do not do that because while you pull out the weeds, you might uproot the wheat at the same time. Wait until the time when both are ready for harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters to collect the weeds in bundles and burn them; thereafter, they can bring the wheat in for storage.”5

Hell is a place of torment that actually stems from God’s mercy. With the extraordinary power that human beings acquire in the hereafter, if the inmates of hell were not contained in a fiery prison, not a single moment of peace would remain for anyone. One of the blessings that the dwellers of heaven are constantly thankful for is that those who have still not shed the corruptness of their souls despite all the stations and stages of purification are locked away. If they were left free, they would not hesitate to inconvenience every other creature.

Therefore, heaping all the corrupt souls together and imprisoning them in hell is nothing but an extension of God’s mercy on the rest of His servants. “Once again, the dominion of heaven can be explained with the following parable; fishermen cast a net into the water and catch all kinds of fish. Then they pull it to the shore and separate the good fish from the bad. They place the good fish in baskets and throw away the bad. At the end of the time this is what will happen also. The angels will come and separate the righteous individuals from the corrupt; they will throw the corrupt into hell where they will lay weeping and gnashing their teeth.”6

It is apparent that if any of the inmates of hell abandons his obstinacy and egoism and his existence is no longer a threat to the wellbeing of others, then he will leave hell and enter a life of bliss. The punishments of hell are all designed to dissuade the inmates of hell from their arrogance. It has been narrated from the Prophet (S) that, “On the Day of Judgement anyone who has testified to the creed “there is no god but Allah” and whose heart contains an atom’s weight of virtue will be removed from hell.”7 As for those whose hearts did not even have an atom’s weight of goodness, they would never be able to abandon their arrogance and consequently must remain in hell for eternity.

It has been reported from an exegete of the Qur’an of the first century by the name of Ḍahak that, “I received a narration of the Prophet (S) in which I had doubt; to resolve this I set off for Medina. In the mosque of the Prophet (S) I saw that the people were seated in two groups; at the head of each sat an old man relating the traditions of the Prophet (S). I enquired about these two men and was informed that one of them was Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and the other was Abu Hurayra. I came to Abu Sa’id and said that I had received a report from the Prophet (S) which seemed doubtful to me, and for this reason I had come to Medina to seek its verification. He asked, “What is this report?” I said, “That the Prophet (S) said that, “A group will be brought out of hell after they will have been turned to coal.”

Abu Sa’id pointed to his ear and said, “May both my ears turn deaf if I lie! I have heard the Messenger of God (S) say that mankind will be in different groups on the Day of Judgement; some will enter paradise without accounting, and these will be the Prophets (‘a). Others will have to give an account of their deeds, and if their good deeds outnumber their evil ones, then they too will be taken to paradise; and if their good and evil deeds are equal, God shall be merciful to them and forgive them and they will be taken to paradise; and I or other qualified people shall intercede for some. And if the situation is different from these two, then they will be taken to hell, where they will be punished to the extent of their evil, and then they will be brought to their paradise…they will be brought to a spring which is named the “spring of life” (‘ayn al-hayat) and be instructed to wash themselves in this spring. As they enter the spring all the remaining corruption and arrogance will wash away from their bodies; however, on their forehead there shall remain a sign saying, “These are the servants of God whom He has released from the fire of hell.” When the dwellers of paradise see them, they shall say, “These are the people who have been released from their hells”. God then removes these signs as well, so that they are not embarrassed or discomfited by its presence.8

After this brief introduction, we now present a general discussion about hell as it has been described for us.

The Landscape Of Hell

Hell is a land of plains and deserts, mountains and valleys, precipices and chasms, streams, rivers and seas; its weather is dry and harsh, its waters are hot and foul and its winds are searing and cause the skin to blister. Its skies are cloaked in clouds of black smoke, which cast shadows and darkness everywhere:

“And the people of the left hand, how wretched they are!” (56:41)

“In (a land of) of scorching winds and boiling water,” (56:42)

“And a shade of black smoke” (56:43)

“That is neither cool nor refreshing.” (56:44)

And,

“(They will be instructed) Proceed to that which you used to deny.” (77:29)

“Proceed to the shadow of three columns of smoke,” (77:30)

“That neither gives shade nor relief from the fire of hell.” (77:31)

“Indeed, it throws out sparks as big as forts!” (77:32)

This place will be surrounded by fire from above and below and from the right and the left, like being enclosed in a fiery comet whose heat melts everything in its path,

“They shall have layers of fire above them and layers of fire below them.” (39:16)

More precisely, it is like a land of erupting volcanoes whose burning lava spreads over a vast area,

“We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire that will surround them like towering walls.” (18:29)

For this reason, this land has earned the adjectives of hellfire and Jahannam. Its waters are scalding, its winds are searing, its ground is burning and its inhabitants are roasted from inside and out.

Jesus (‘a) cautioned, “If your eye sins, pluck it out for it is better for you to enter the dominion of God with one eye than to see the fire of hell with both eyes. It is a place where the flesh-eating maggots shall never die and the punishment of the fire shall never ease.”9

The fire that rages across this land has no light and covers everything in a dark pall of smoke,

“God kindled this fire for a thousand years until it was white, and then another thousand years until it became crimson, then another thousand years until it turned black, a blackness whose flames do not emit light.”10 And this is why hell is covered in dense black smoke.

The valleys and plains of this land are each hotter than the other. Here, “There exists a valley called “Lamlam” and the other valleys of hell seek refuge in God from it”11; “Within it exists a pit and if anyone was to stumble into it he would fall for seventy years.”12; “There is a mountain in it called Sa’ud13, next to which is a valley called Saqar, at the bottom of which there is a pit called Habhab; whenever the door of that pit is opened the inmates of hell scream due to its heat. The homes of the tyrants are located in that pit.”14 As for Saqar itself, it is the place where the abodes of the arrogant have been constructed:

“And what do you think Saqar is?” (74:27)

“It does not spare anyone nor leave anything unburnt.” (74:28)

“It roasts the skins of mortals.” (74:29)

Occasionally, Saqar complains to God of its own stifling heat and asks Him for permission to draw breath, and when it draws breath, the entire Jahannam is engulfed in roaring flames.”15 “Within it is a valley called Wayl in which flows a river of pus. If someone falls into it, it would be forty years before he reaches its bottom.”16

In this land there are beaches similar to the coastlines of oceans, with pits filled with insects and snakes as big as camels, and scorpions as big as mules.”17 Due to the severe heat, the inmates of hell will seek relief by coming to these beaches, but the snakes and scorpions will attack them so savagely that burning in the fire will seem more bearable to them. They will prefer to run back towards the heat of the fire.”18

The winds that blow across this land are infested with a variety of sicknesses; “They contain seventy types of illnesses, each of which is drawn from the depths of hell.”19 The Qur’an comments,

“... death will come at him from every direction but he does not die……” (14:17)

The Levels Of Hell

In our discussion about the hell of Barzakh we mentioned that Barahut is divided into two parts: lands covered in darkness and lands full of fire. Those who inhabit the lands in darkness are those who were under impure influences while the lands of fire are inhabited by those who were the actual impure influences themselves, and their entire beings are transformed into impurity.

In the hell of the hereafter, there is a similar division; those who had become the embodiment of impurity will be the fuel that kindles the flames of hell, while those who allowed themselves to be influenced by them will burn in that fire. About the first group God says:

“Indeed, you and that which you worship besides God shall be the fuel of hell; to it you shall all come.” (21:98)

And

“Indeed those who disbelieve, neither their wealth nor their offspring shall avail them anything with God; they shall be the fuel of hellfire.” (3:10)

About the second group God says,

“O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are appointed stern and severe angels; they do not disobey God in what He commands them and do (precisely) what they are commanded.” (66:6)

The address to the believers suggests that it is they who could get caught up and burnt in the fire, which is fuelled by others.

Additionally, depending on the type of corruptness of individuals, there are seven levels in hell, each of which has its own doorway, through which the inmates of that level shall enter. According to the Qur’an,

“It has seven gates, and for each there is a specific group (of sinners).” (15:44)

These divisions are made according to the type and amount of evil within the population of hell. Those who are more vicious will be in the lower levels of hell while those who are less vicious will occupy levels above them. And so, “the doorways of hell are arrayed in levels, one above the other.”20 “The distance between each level will be equal to a journey of seventy years.”21

The inner states of the people of hell will determine the intensity of the punishment that they must endure in order to awaken and abandon their egoism. About the meaning of “specific group” (juz’un ma’lum) in the verse, it has been reported that the Prophet (S) said, “There will be a group of those who associated other deities with God, and another group of those who entertained doubts about God, and a group of those who were heedless of God.”22

In describing these levels it has been narrated that,23 “The uppermost level is Jahim, and when its inhabitants stand on its rocks their brains boil over due to its heat. The next level is Laza, which,

“…is a fierce fire (laza)” (70:15)

“Blistering away the skin” (70:16)

“It invites those who turned their back and averted their face (from the truth)” (70:17)

“And who collected wealth and hoarded it” (70:18)

The phrase, “it invites” (tad’u) in this verse is noteworthy and suggests that the inmates of every one of these levels are naturally drawn there. This attraction is experienced by those who willingly renounced God and turned away from Him. One may ask how someone would go towards a place of such torment of his own volition. The answer is simple; it is exactly like when we abandon the remembrance of God which is the true source of contentment for the heart and purification of the soul, and eagerly chase after possessions and wealth which only leads to discontentment, worry and stress.

This attraction results from man forgetting the remembrance of God or mistaking the true objective of his life. Swedenborg says, “If the pursuit of wealth is for a noble cause, then in the hereafter this sentiment is transformed into happiness and delight. However, it is for the sake of wealth itself then it transforms into filth. The interesting thing is that just as in this world, that type of person was drawn to gold and jewels and money, in the next world he will be enchanted by this filth.”24

This idea has been mentioned in the Qur’an in a beautiful allegory,

“Let not those who hoard that which God has granted them of His bounty imagine that it is good for them; rather, it is worse for them. Soon that which they were miserly with shall form a collar around their necks on the Day of Judgement…” (3:180)

The third level is Saqar, which,

“Does not spare anyone nor leave anything unburnt.” (74:28)

“It roasts the skins of mortals.” (74:29)

The fourth level is “Hutama” which,

“throws out sparks as big as forts” (77:32).

Whoever approaches it is charred as black as coal. However, the soul does not die and every time his skin becomes scorched, it is returned to its former state.” Here also the phrase, “whoever approaches it” is worthy of consideration, because it implies that people will choose to do so willingly.

One might say that the Qur’an contains many verses that indicate that the inmates of hell will ask God for salvation from hell, and will be remorseful for their actions, and will be suffused with an indescribable sorrow and anguish. Why then would they willingly choose to remain in hell? Actually, human beings do the same thing in Dunya also. They want to be free of the trials and afflictions of this world and achieve the happiness and contentment of the pious and righteous; often they pray to God to relieve them of the troubles of Dunya, however, they are so enmeshed in it that they cannot separate themselves from its clutches. Most people realize that the source of all their difficulties is their excessive attention to the trivial matters of Dunya, yet they are not prepared to concern themselves with anything else for even a few moments.

Hutama, which means a fire that consumes the mind, has been mentioned in another chapter in the Qur’an also:

“Woe to every slanderer and back-biter!” (104:1)

“Who constantly collects wealth and counts on it.” (104:2)

“He imagines that his wealth will make him immortal.” (104:3)

“Never! He will be thrown into the consuming fire (hutama).” (104:4)

“And what do you think hutama is?” (104:5)

“It is a fire kindled by God,” (104:6)

“Which consumes the minds (hearts).” (104:7)

“Indeed, it will envelop them entirely,” (104:8)

“in extended columns.” (104:9)

The fifth level is Hawiya, in which there is an angel called Malik in charge. The inmates of hell will plead with him to come to their aid. But he will bring them a vessel of molten metal full of noxious liquid from their own bodies. The liquid will be as hot as molten copper, and when they try to drink from it, its tremendous heat will cause the flesh from the faces to peel away and fall into it. And this is what God has mentioned,

“And if (due to their extreme thirst) they will call out for relief they will be given a drink like molten copper, that will scald their faces. A terrible drink, and a wretched dwelling place.” (18:29)

The sixth level is called “Sa’ir”. Within it are three hundred pavilions of fire, each of which contains three hundred buildings of fire. Each building has three hundred rooms of fire and each room has three hundred varieties of chastisement. They contain fiery snakes and scorpions, and shackles and chains of fire.” It is for this place that God says,

“Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a burning fire.” (76:4)

The seventh level is Jahannam25. It contains a burning pit called Falaq, whose fiery heat stokes the fires of hell every time it is opened. It is the location of the worst punishment in hell.

The various levels of punishment in hell have been described metaphorically in a tradition in this manner: “Some will be in the fire up to their ankles, others up to their thighs, some up to their backs and others up to their collarbones.”26

And in another tradition we read, “The least punishment experienced in hell will be by the one who is made to wear a pair of sandals made of fire; due to its heat his brain will boil over, and this will be accompanied by other punishments. Others will be immersed in the fire up to their thighs, others up to their backs and yet others up to their chests, as well as receiving other punishments. And some will be plunged entirely into the fire.”27

The Emotional State Of The Inmates Of Hell

Gloom And Remorse

The inmates of hell are filled with gloom, sorrow, pain and remorse. However, this remorse can no longer lead to their reform. They intensely regret that they did not change themselves when they had the chance to do so; but now that that opportunity has passed, they can only wail and lament. They do not know when the impurity that permeates their beings will be cleansed so that they can enjoy God’s mercy again and when they can be free of the evil and hate-filled company of their companions in hell.

They constantly remember the wasted opportunities during their days in Dunya and the paradise that they could have had but lost,

“The Day when the wrongdoer shall bite his hand (in regret), saying, “Ah! How I wish I had taken a path with the Messenger!” (25:27)

They will say,

“Ah! How great is our regret over our neglect concerning it!” while they will carry their burdens on their backs. Indeed, evil are the burdens they bear.” (6:31)

They will also say,

“If only we could be returned (to Dunya), we would not belie the signs of our Lord, and we would be amongst the believers.” (6:27)

“But what they used to conceal before has now become manifest before them. And even if they were returned, they would revert back to that which was forbidden – they are indeed liars.” (6:28)

They wish,

“If only I had another chance, I would be amongst those who do good.” (39:58)

And,

“How great is my regret about my neglect in regards to God and that I was amongst the mockers!” (39:56)

And,

“They will call out from the depths of hell, “Our Lord! Remove us so that we may do good, not acting as before.” But did We not grant you enough life for whoever wanted to reflect to think about the admonition, and a Warner came to you also? So taste (the punishment) because there shall be no helper for the wrongdoers!” (35:37)

They will plead,

“...Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us and we went astray.” (23:106)

“Our Lord! Remove us from this hell and then if were to resume (our evil ways) then we are indeed wrongdoers.” (23:107)

“He will say, “Remain in it and do not talk to Me.” (23:108)

“Indeed, there was a group of My servants who would call to Me saying, “Our Lord! We have believed in You, so forgive us and be merciful to us, You are the most Merciful.” (23:109)

“But you mocked them, until they made you forget Me, while you laughed at them.” (23:110)

God’s aloofness and dismissal of their constant pleading is because they need to truly change from within before they can achieve salvation; simply supplicating and making promises of reform is not enough. The hereafter is not a place where lies achieve anything, and the true inner nature is always manifested as an external reality.

This remorse and sense of isolation and profound loss brings with it an indescribable sorrow and anguish,

“(The torment) is not eased for them, and they are plunged into despair.” (43:75)

“And We did not wrong them, but it was they who were the wrongdoers.” (43:76)

It has been reported from the Prophet (S) that, “They will seek refuge in God from the pit of their misery.” He was asked, “What is the pit of misery?” He replied, “It is a valley of hell from which hell itself seeks refuge in God a hundred times daily.”28

And it has also been narrated that, “The weeping of the inmates of hell will become constant and they will weep to an extent that their tears will dry up and then they will weep tears of blood.”29 Their breaths are filled with sobs and groans,

“As for the wretched, they shall be in the fire; for them therein is sighing and wailing.” (11:106)

Mutual Enmity And Belligerence

As we mentioned when discussing Barzakh, there is one trait that is common amongst all the inmates of hell and that is they loathe one another and each desires to gain mastery over the other, seeking to get him to serve his needs. This is a matter that results from their deep-rooted egoism. The only thing that keeps them in check from preying on each other is their fear of retribution and punishment. Angels constantly monitor the internal affairs of hell, and anyone who is tormenting someone beyond limits is severely punished.

“…. boiling water will be poured down over their heads,” (22:19)

“Whereby their skin and their interiors will melt away;” (22:20)

“And in addition, there will be iron hooks prepared for them.” (22:21)

However, the effect of this severe chastisement is short-lived and it does not stop them from their belligerence for long. This is because oppression, cunning and bullying is ingrained in their nature and functions like the instinct in animals. As a result they now undergo two types of punishment; one that they bring on to each other and another, more severe punishment that is visited on them by the angels in order to restrain them from their mischief.

Their enmity for each other rages in their hearts but their fear of each other forces them to a solitary and lonely existence. Each one tries to pass off the burden of his sins to someone else and blames them for his fate,

“Every time a nation enters (hellfire) it curses its predecessors until they have all assembled together. The followers will say about their leaders, “Our Lord! It is these that misled us, so give them a double torment of the fire.” He will say, “Every one of you shall have double but you do not understand.” (7:38)

“And the leaders will say to the followers, “You were no better than us, so taste the punishment for what you earned.” (7:39)

When the leaders of the disbelievers are brought to hell and their followers are brought in behind them, the former will be told,

“This is a group of your followers being herded to join you. (The leaders) will say, “No welcome for them! Indeed they will burn in the fire.” (38:59)

“(Their followers) will say, “It is you who have no welcome! It is you who brought this upon us, what a wretched destination.” (38:60)

“They shall say, “Our Lord! Double the punishment of fire for whoever has brought this upon us.” (38:61)

And,

“And the disbelievers will say, “Our Lord! Show us those who misguided us from the jinn and mankind, we shall crush them under our feet so that they become among the lowest.” (41:29)

Indeed,

“The quarrelling of the people of the fire is most surely true.” (38:64)

Desire For Death Or Escape

Their only desire in hell is to die and that too is denied to them. They say to the angel in charge of hell,

“O Malik! Let your Lord take away our life.” He shall reply, “Indeed, you shall remain.” (43:77)

Although any attempt to escape from the valleys and townships where they are housed is immediately met with severe chastisement, and despite their certainty that they can never cross out of the boundaries of hell, their suffering and misery occasionally compels them to try to escape, but,

“Whenever they seek to get away from it due to their anguish, they are returned to it, (and it is said to them), “Taste the punishment of burning!” (22:22)

Their return is accompanied by a more severe punishment than before and as mentioned in the verse, they are returned to a burning and consuming fire (hariq).

The Life Of The Dwellers Of Hell

The people of hell have disfigured, ugly faces and large, unsightly bodies. It has been reported from the Prophet (S) that, “No one dies except that he is resurrected as a thirty-year-old, whether he died as a miscarried foetus or at an old age. Then, if he is from the people of paradise, he will be resurrected with a body like that of Adam (‘a) and features like that of Yusuf (‘a) and a heart like that of Job (‘a); but if he is of the people of hell, then he will grow in size until he resembles a large shapeless mountain.”30

The large ghoulish creatures are unclothed, except for that which they fashion for themselves out of burning pitch,

“Their garments will be of pitch (qatiran) and their faces will be enveloped by fire.” (14:50)

Pitch is an odorous and combustible material that they rub on their skin to protect them against the heat, but it itself is a source of greater heat and putrefaction for them.

The dwellers of hell live in scattered groups across the towns and valleys that we have already mentioned. Their houses resemble burnt out buildings and collapsed castles, which in fact are embodiments of their innate goodness, which they burned away and ruined by their own actions. The Qur’an states that,

“On the Day when the disbelievers are exposed to the fire, (it will be said to them), “You squandered every goodness that you possessed during your life in the world, and sought your pleasure therein.” (46:20)

Some towns are heavily guarded because the conditions of life there are so extreme that its inhabitants try to escape to other parts of hell. It has been reported from Imam Ali (‘a) that, “There is a city in hell called Hasina (protected). Will you not ask me what the city contains? It houses a group of those who broke their covenant with me (al-nakithun)”31

The houses and townships of hell are full of harmful insects and animals. It has been reported from Imam al-Baqir (‘a) that, “There is a valley in hell called Ghasaq. The valley contains 330 castles, each with 330 rooms and each room has within it 330 scorpions.”32 It has been reported from Jesus (‘a) that he described hell thus, “A place where the flesh-eating maggots never die and the fire is never quenched.”33

The type of food and nutrition that the inmates of hell receive depends on the level that they are assigned to and which valley they reside in. In some places there is nothing to eat except thorns,

“No food for them except bitter thorns (dari’).” (88:6)

Ḍari’ refers to dry thorns that are bitter, foul-smelling and poisonous; they have no nutritious value but only fill the stomach,

“Which neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger.” (88:7)

It has been reported from the Prophet (S) that, “Ḍari’ is a substance in hell that resembles thorns; it is more bitter than poison and more foul-smelling than a dead corpse and more blistering than fire.”34 It is called dari’ because the one who eats it is forced to do so with pain and wailing (tadarru’) due to its unpleasantness and bitterness35; however, he has no choice but to eat it due to his intense hunger, which only increases by eating it.

In some places in hell there is no food to be found at all and its inhabitants are forced to eat their own or each other’s filth and excrement and pus and blood; just as in the world they used each other’s mischief and depravity to achieve their vile goals. This filth is referred to in the Qur’an as Ghislin or sometimes as Ghassaq, which is putrid pus,

“So, there is no friend for him here today.” (69:35)

“Nor any food except for the noxious discharge of wounds (ghislin),” (69:36)

“Which none but the wrongdoers eat.” (69:37)

And,

“This is scalding water and foul pus, so let them taste it.” (38:57)

And other (torments) of the same type!” (38:58)

“Same type” here is an indication that all the food available in that area is of a similar kind.

However, the worst of all is Zaqqum. It is the fruit of:

“a tree that grows from the depths of hell.” (37:64)

“Its shoots are like the heads of demons,” (37:65)

invoking terror and revulsion.

“Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum” (44:43)

“Shall be the food of the vicious sinner!” (44:44)

“It shall boil within the bellies like molten copper,” (44:45)

“Just like the boiling of scalding water.” (44:46)

Due to their intense hunger, the inmates of hell stuff their bellies full of the fruit of Zaqqum, and it begins to ferment and simmer within their stomachs like boiling water. As a result they become intensely thirsty and wander about in search of a spring of water. They can only find hot springs, but they gulp down copious amounts as if they were drinking cool water,

“Then indeed you, O erring ones, O deniers!” (56:51)

“You shall surely eat from a tree of Zaqqum” (56:52)

“And fill your bellies with it” (56:53)

“And drink on top of it boiling water” (56:54)

“And you shall drink like thirsty camels!” (56:55)

These foul springs of scalding water are far from the tree of Zaqqum and after they have found and drunk from the springs, the inmates of hell return to their homes in the valleys of hell,

“Is the welcome received by the people of paradise better or the tree of Zaqqum?” (37:62)

“Indeed, we have made it a torment for the wrongdoers.” (37:63)

“Indeed, it is a tree growing from the depths of hell.” (37:64)

“Its shoots are like the heads of demons.” (37:65)

“And indeed they shall eat from it and fill their bellies with it.” (37:66)

“Then indeed they will have afterwards a drink of boiling water.” (37:67)

“And thereafter indeed, their return will be to the hell fire.” (37:68)

They constantly move between their dwellings in hell and the boiling springs,

“This is the hell which the sinners deny.” (55:43)

“They will continually circle between it and the hot, boiling water.” (55:44)

The environment, the food and drink, and this way of life suit the nature of the inmates of hell; they cannot eat anything else and cannot live anywhere but here. That is not to say that they derive any pleasure from their circumstances, rather it is the only life they can tolerate. When we discussed the dimension of hell in Barzakh, we quoted Swedenborg as saying that as soon as the inmates of the hell of Barzakh come out from it they begin to suffocate and the place becomes so unbearable for them that they quickly return to their Barzakhi hell.

The same thing applies to the hell of the hereafter also. It has been reported by Ibn Abbas that, “The inmates of hell pray for relief from the extreme heat and they are exposed to a cool wind, but its iciness nearly breaks their bones, so they ask for the heat to be restored again.”36 And it has also been reported that, “The inmates of hell ask its supervisor to transport them to the borders of hell. When they are taken there, the intense coldness causes them to swoon and they immediately hurry back to their homes in hell.”37 And this is the same thing that has been reported by Ibn Abbas that, “There is an icy coldness in hell called Zamharir which plucks flesh away from bones, causing people to seek refuge in the fires of hell.”38

The Everlasting Paradise

When an individual enters paradise, he has reached the true objective of his existence and becomes free of every fear and sorrow. In the words of the Qur’an,

“...and whoever is drawn away from hell and admitted into paradise has triumphed...” (3:185)

Paradise heralds the beginning of the life of a perfected human being. It is the end of transience and the beginning of permanence; an opportunity to grow without the danger of slipping or going astray ever again. Life here is not monotonous although it progresses in one direction. There are no concerns or sorrows or fears or anxieties; rather everyone is filled with excitement, longing and love.

Whatever a person wants is made available to him but there is no sign of lethargy and inactivity. Of course, it is difficult for us to imagine such a life, while we have set our goals and ideals in acquiring life’s necessities and amassing wealth, fame and fleeting power. Nevertheless, I will attempt here to depict the picture that has been outlined for us. To begin to analyse life in paradise it will be useful to start by mentioning a somewhat elaborate narration so that we can get an idea of the concepts that we will discuss later.

In his work al-Ikhtisas, Mufid39 records a tradition from Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) who has narrated from the Prophet (S) that when the believers will reach the doors of paradise, “an announcer will call out in a voice loud enough for every person in the hereafter to hear, that “so-and-so, the son of so-and-so has triumphed and will henceforth never face any misfortune.” He will then be admitted to a garden called “Ridwan” which will contain trees casting expansive shade and flowing water and orchards full of fruit. Next to the fruit trees there will be two rivers flowing. He will wash himself in one of them and his face will begin to glow with pleasure and he will drink from the other and all illness and pain will depart from him forever, and this is what God mentions,

“And their Lord shall give them a purifying drink.” (76:21).

“Thereafter, the angels will come to welcome him and say, “Now you have been purified so enter with everyone else.” They will enter into a wide boulevard lined with trees whose trunks will be of pearls and whose branches will be covered in jewels.”

“Now, angels will come forward to greet them with mounts and jewelled robes and heavenly foods. They will say, “O friend of God! Ride on whatever you like, wear whatever you like and eat of whatever you like.” He will choose a robe and mount on a steed of light while his clothes and jewels will be made of light and he will proceed in the land of light. He will be accompanied by angels of light and attendants composed of light to an extent that the angels will be dazzled by his appearance and will say to one another, “Stand aside, the guests of the all-Forgiving, all-Forbearing have come.”

“Then his eyes will fall on the first of the palaces that have been constructed for him; a palace of silver whose walls are edged with pearls and rubies. His wives who live in that palace will come towards him and say, “Welcome! Alight and stay with us.” When he makes a decision to go to his palace, the angels say to him, “O friend of God! Continue on your tour because you have other palaces besides this one.” He continues onwards until he arrives at a palace made of gold whose walls are edged with pearls and rubies. His wives who live in that palace will come towards him and say, “Welcome, O friend of God! Alight and stay with us.” When he decides to go to his palace, the angels say to him, “O friend of God! Continue on your tour because you have other palaces besides these two.”

“Then he will come to a palace made of red ruby whose walls are edged in pearls and rubies. When he decides to enter that palace, the angels once again advise him, “O friend of God! Continue on your tour because you have other palaces besides these.” He will continue in this manner until he has seen a thousand palaces in total. He sees their entire contents from outside and completes the survey of his holdings in less than a blink of the eye. When he reaches the last palace his head droops. The angels ask him, “What is the matter, O friend of God?” He replies, “I swear by God! My eyes are nearly blinded with all this light.” They say, “O friend of God! Know that in paradise there is no blindness and no deafness.”

“Then he comes to a palace whose interior is visible from outside and whose exterior can be seen from inside. It is constructed of slabs of silver, gold, rubies and pearls. Its mortar is made of musk and its walls glitter with a radiant light such that a person can see his own reflection in them.”

“And in paradise there is a river on whose two banks are seated maidens. God reveals to them, “Let My servant hear you praise Me, Glorify Me and eulogize Me.” So their voices ring out with a melody and sweetness the like of which no one has ever heard before, causing the people of heaven to become spellbound.”

“Rivers with sweet and limpid waters flow all across the land of paradise. Some are rivers of ever-fresh milk, which has not come from the udders of animals; there are rivers of pure honey, which has not come from the bellies of bees; and there are rivers of wine of unsurpassed taste, which have not come from grapes crushed by any hand. And as soon as they desire food white birds come to them and raise their wings and the dwellers of heaven eat from them what they want, while they sit or recline. And when they desire any fruit the branches of that fruit tree extend towards them and they eat whichever fruit they like.”

“And the angels approach them from every door saying, “Peace be on you for your steadfastness. And how excellent is the final abode!” (13:24).

They live in this way until when suddenly a voice is heard from below the Throne of God saying, “O inhabitants of paradise! How do you find the place you have returned to?” They reply, “We have returned to the best of places and our reward is the most generous of rewards. However, now that we have heard this voice, we have a keen desire to gaze at Your Magnificence, and that would be the best reward for us and one that You have promised us Yourself, and You never go back on Your word.” So God issues a command and seventy thousand veils are lifted away. The inhabitants of paradise climb onto their mounts, and dressed in luxurious and jewelled garments, ride in the shade of the trees until they reach the abode of peace (dar as-salam) which is the abode of God the abode of light and glory and felicity.”

“And there, when they hear the voice of God, they exclaim, “O our Master! We have heard the sweetness of Your speech, so manifest to us Your light. So God reveals Himself to them and they gaze at His countenance which is hidden from every eye.”40 They cannot help but fall immediately into prostration saying, “Glory be to You! We did not worship You the way You truly deserved, O Most High!”

“God shall say, “O my servants! Raise your heads because this is not a place of deeds and worship, rather it is a place of blessings and petition and benevolence. You will no longer have to toil or endure pain.” They raise their heads while their faces have become seventy times more radiant after being exposed to the countenance of God. At this time God says to the angels, “O my angels! Give them food and drink.” A variety of food is brought for them, of a kind that they had never seen before. The food is as sweet as honey, as white as snow and as soft as cream. And when they eat of it, some of them say to others, “Truly the food that we ate in paradise was nothing compared to this.”41

Then He will say, “O My angels! Perfume them.” So they will bring to them a fragrant breeze that is whiter than snow and is called “Muthira” which passes over their faces, backs and sides. They gaze towards the light of God’s countenance as much as they are able to and say, “Our Master! Hearing Your sweet speech and seeing the light of Your countenance is enough delight for us, we do not desire or seek anything else. But God says, “I know that you are eager to meet with your wives, and they long to see you. “Go now to your wives.”

They ask God to give them an appointment to come to this place again. God says, “You shall have a meeting every Friday. From one Friday to the next there is a span of seven thousand years by your reckoning.” As they leave each is given a green pomegranate containing seventy garments the like of which no eye has seen before. When they return, their attendants go ahead and give the good news of their arrival to their wives who are waiting at the gates of their gardens. As he approaches and his wife looks at his face she hardly recognizes him and says, “My dear! When you departed your face looked different.” He will reply, “My dear! Do not be amazed at my appearance for I have gazed at the countenance of my Lord and my face has become illuminated by His light.” He looks at the face of his wife again and says, “My dear! When I departed from you your face seemed different.” And she will reply, “My dear! Do not be amazed at my appearance for I have looked at the face of one who has gazed at the countenance of God, and my face has become seventy times more radiant as a result. And they will embrace each other.”

“At this time God will summon the Prophets (‘a) to present themselves. A man will come forth escorted by mounted attendants and rows of angels bathed in dazzling light will be arrayed in his honour. The people of paradise will stretch out their necks to get a better view of him and ask each other, “Who is he? Indeed, he must have a great station before God.” The angels will say, “This is the man that God fashioned with His own hands and breathed into him of His soul and taught him all the names. This is Adam who has been given permission to present himself.”

“Thereafter, another man will come forward escorted by mounted attendants and rows of angels bathed in dazzling light will stand in his honour. The people of paradise will stretch their necks to get a better view of him and ask, “Who is he?” The angels will reply, “This is Abraham, the friend of God, who has been given permission to present himself.” Thereafter another man will come forward escorted by mounted attendants and rows of angels bathed in dazzling light will stand in his honour. The people of paradise will stretch out their necks to get a better view of him and ask, “Who is he?” The angels will reply, “This is Moses son of ‘Imran, who conversed with God. He has now been given permission to present himself.” Another man will come forward escorted by mounted attendants and rows of angels bathed in dazzling light will stand in his honour. The people of paradise will stretch out their necks to get a better view of him and ask, “Who is this who has been permitted to present himself?” The angels will reply, “This is Jesus son of Mary, the spirit of God and His word.”

At this time a man will come forward escorted by mounted attendants and rows of angels bathed in dazzling light will stand in his honour. Their number and resplendence will be seventy times greater than those who escorted the previous Prophets (‘a). The people of paradise will stretch out their necks to get a better view of him and ask, “Who is this who has been permitted to present himself?” The angels will reply, “This is the man chosen for the final revelation and trusted with God’s message and the greatest son of Adam. This is Muhammad (S), who has been permitted to present himself.” Finally another man will come forward escorted by mounted attendants and rows of angels bathed in dazzling light will stand in his honour. The people of paradise will stretch out their necks to get a better view of him and ask, “Who is he?” The angels will reply, “This is the brother of the messenger of God, in the world and in the hereafter.”

“At this time all the Prophets (nabiyyun), the veracious (siddiqun) and the witnesses (shuhada) will be granted permission to present themselves. The Prophets (‘a) shall have pulpits of light, the veracious shall have thrones of light and the witnesses shall have chairs of light assembled for them. Then God will say, “Welcome to My guests, visitors and neighbours. O My angels! Give them food because for the longest time they remained hungry while other people ate, they remained thirsty while other people drank, they remained awake while other people slept, and they lived in anxiety while other people were oblivious.”

The foregoing was an account of a lengthy tradition describing paradise and its inhabitants, which presented a lot of information about that life. The salient points can be summarized as below:

1. Although those who enter paradise have passed through all the stages that lead to their perfection and have drunk from the fountain of the prophets (‘a), they still need to drink from the rivers of paradise and bathe in them in order to prepare themselves for their lives there. Even if we take this preparation literally, it appears that the qualities of these rivers are amazing and wondrous and necessary for life there.

A matter that must be always borne in mind is that when we speak of that world and attempt to describe it, it is not different from a foetus in the mother’s womb attempting to describe this world. Just as the complexities and details of the Dunya are beyond its understanding and experience, we too are limited in our appreciation of the realities of the Akhira. Imagine trying to explain to a foetus that when it arrives in this world, it will chew food with teeth, or it will consume food that is similar to its own flesh, or that it will enter a world whose ends it cannot reach no matter how long it travels for, or that it may live there for eighty years, or that it will be able to write poems or fall in love, and so on. It is clear that the foetus would have a very basic and often mistaken understanding of these concepts; therefore, we should constantly remind ourselves that our own understanding of the hereafter could be no more than an approximation of its true realities.

2. As we read in this tradition and as is repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an also, the garments of paradise are typically luxurious and bedecked with jewels and other finery, as mentioned in these verses:

“And eternally youthful servants shall serve them. When you see them, they will seem as scattered pearls.” (76:19)

“And all around, you shall see evidence of God’s bounties and great kingdom. (76:20)

“Their garments will be of fine green silk and brocade. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver.” (76:21)

And,

“They will be adorned with bracelets of gold and they shall wear garments of fine silk and brocade and shall be reclining on thrones.” (18:31)

And,

“Within it are raised thrones,” (88:13)

“And goblets set at hand,” (88:14)

“And cushions placed in rows” (88:15)

“And rich carpets spread out.” (88:16)

And,

“They recline on green cushions and rich carpets.” (55:76)

And,

“Trays and goblets of gold shall be circulated amongst them; therein they shall have whatever the hearts could desire and what delights the eyes.” (43:71)

And,

“They shall be on thrones encrusted with precious stones” (56:15)

“And seated opposite friends” (56:16)

“With eternally youthful servants waiting on them” (56:17)

“With vessels and jugs and a cup from a pure spring.” (56:18)

“They shall not get a headache therefrom nor suffer intoxication.” (56:19)

As we will discuss later, all these descriptions are analogies and metaphors for the material and spiritual life that the inhabitants of paradise will experience. And this is not just true for the bounties of paradise, whose source and composition is unknown, but also true for its habitat and natural environment. For example, “the soil from the rivers of paradise is of fragrant musk and its pebbles are pearls and rubies”42 and, “God has constructed paradise from two types of bricks; bricks of gold and bricks of silver. Its walls are made of ruby and its sky of turquoise and its pebbles of pearls and its soil of saffron and fragrant musk.”43 And in another part of paradise, “there are walls made from bricks of gold, silver and ruby. Its mortar is of fragrant musk and its ramparts are crusted with red, green and yellow rubies.”44

3. The interconnection between the material and spiritual dimensions of life in the hereafter is quite subtle, yet complex. As we read in the narration, “He will choose a robe, and mount on a steed of light while his clothes and jewels will be made of light and he will proceed in the land of light. He will be accompanied by angels of light and attendants composed of light to an extent that he will be dazzled by his appearance.” The question is that what is this light and how does it transform into clothes and jewels and mounts and attendants? This matter can only be properly understood and appreciated in that realm. It is worth noting that in Firdaws - the paradise that is in the closest proximity of God - walls and houses and chambers are all made of light. However, in Eden, the paradise that is lower, they are constructed of red rubies and pearls.45

4. The objects and substances of paradise are not made of materials as we recognize them in our world; rather they originate from the immaterial world (malakut). As we saw in the tradition, “there are rivers of ever fresh milk which has not come from the udders of animals; there are rivers of pure honey, which has not come from the bellies of bees; and there are rivers of wine of unsurpassed taste, which have not come from grapes crushed by any hand.” The source of all these substances is the light of the immaterial world that is manifested in paradise for the use of its inhabitants.

5. The expansiveness of paradise is beyond imagination. The Qur’an states that paradise is,

“... as wide as the heavens and the earth.” (3:133)

If one considers that every inhabitant of paradise has at least a thousand palaces as mentioned in this tradition, or that some may have as many as seventy thousand palaces as mentioned in other reports, then it appears that the domain of each individual would be the size of a large nation in our present world, because each palace would have its own lands. The Gospel of Barnabas quotes Jesus (‘a) thus: God shall say to the one who love Him and worshipped Him sincerely, “O servant of Mine! Consider how many grains of sand there are in the sea. If the sea would give you just one grain of sand, would it not appear trivial to you? Of course it would! But I swear by My Existence, as your Creator, that whatever I have bestowed to all the merchants and kings of the earth is less than a grain of sand compared to that which I shall grant to you in paradise.”46

Although such grandeur may be beyond our comprehension, nonetheless we can still appreciate the great difference in the scale of existence between that life and our lives in this world; and we can begin to imagine the expansiveness of the Akhira in comparison to Dunya. Therefore, we should not be surprised if we hear that in paradise there is a tree that, “A rider can ride for a hundred years and still not leave its shade, and if a bird was to fly up from its base it would not reach its topmost branches until it falls down due to old age.”47

It has been reported that, “The doors of the heavens are opened on the nights of decree (qadr); so there is no worshipper who offers the ritual prayers (salat) that night except that for every single one of his prostrations (sujud), God grants him a tree in paradise such that if a rider travels under it for a hundred years he would still be in its shade.”48 Or that, “Whoever stays awake in the worship of God for an entire night, spending it in the recitation of the Qur’an, in prostration and in the remembrance of God…shall have a light established in his heart and sinfulness and jealousy shall be removed from it… and God shall say to the angels…give him a place in paradise. And he shall have within it one hundred thousand cities; each city shall provide whatever the heart desires and the eyes take delight in and what the mind cannot even imagine. And this is aside from the honour, closeness and abundance he gains in My estimation.”49

All these reports indicate to us that we should not imagine that the realm of the hereafter could be compared in any way to our present world. Moreover, it alludes to the sublime Qur’anic concept of limitlessness in the realm of God,

“There is not a thing but its treasures are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure.” (15:21)

Treasures of God only find measures when they are relegated to the Dunya; there are no measures in the realm of God.

6. These enormous domains and vast distances and the grandeur of the personal property of every individual which include multitudes of servants and attendants, do not prevent the people of paradise from their meetings, social activities and travel. It is true that everyone lives in his own domain as a noble king; however, they socialize and visit one other out of love and friendship and spend time together.

We will speak again about this socializing and its objective; however, at this point we are concerned with the travel across great distances which, according to this narration, is done by travelling on mounts of light. What amount of light is exactly remains to be seen, however this tradition indicates that as the angels show the inhabitants around their properties and holdings, they are mounted on steeds of light and, “complete the survey of their holdings in less than a blink of the eye.”

7. In paradise the praise and glorification of God is the most beautiful and pleasant melody that ears have ever heard. This is not the praise and glorification of worship; rather it is existential, just like love which has no reason but itself. The melody stems from the depths of the being and from sheer delight, “And in paradise there is a river on whose two banks are seated maidens. God reveals to them, “let My servant hear you praise Me, Glorify Me and eulogize Me.” So their voices ring out with a melody and sweetness the like of which no one has ever heard before, causing the people of heaven to become spellbound.”

8. Even greater than this is the feeling of mental ease, total contentment and mutual satisfaction that is enjoyed by the inhabitants of paradise. Firstly, they are overjoyed because they have been given much more than they feel they deserve and in fact, they cannot imagine having anything more, because,

“They shall have therein whatever they desire, while with Us is still more.” (50:35)

This joy at what they have makes them more humble and grateful before God, and their perfect contentment with God’s decree fills their hearts with an indescribable love for Him. And their happiness and contentment becomes complete when they realize that God is pleased with them too, and regards them in the same manner,

“….and the angels approach them from every door saying,” (13:23)

“Peace be on you for your steadfastness. And how excellent is the final abode!” (13:24)

In fact, the sure knowledge of God’s pleasure is the greatest delight and one that gives them abiding tranquillity and contentment.

“God has promised the believing men and the believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they shall abide eternally, and beautiful mansions in the Garden of Eden; but the greatest bliss is the pleasure of God – that is the supreme attainment.” (9:72)

This mutual regard has been mentioned several times in the Qur’an,

“…. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.” (5:119) 50

It should be borne in mind that the substance of physical elements such as gold and silver and pearls in paradise descends from malakut, and is different in nature and properties from what we know of them here in Dunya. Similarly, the nature of mental concepts and emotions such as peace, contentment and love will be quite different in paradise. For example, peace in this Dunya can only be defined negatively as the absence of disturbance, while peace in paradise is a positive existential concept, which we yet have to experience.

9. The greatest gift of all however, is one that is even beyond the imagination of the inhabitants of paradise.

“They shall have therein whatever they desire while with Us is still more.” (50:35)

This reference to ‘more’ is something that God occasionally uses in order to stir their imagination and desire and increase their knowledge and perfection, love and longing, and their bounties and wealth. We read in the tradition that, “They live in this way until suddenly a voice is heard from below the throne of God saying, “O inhabitants of paradise! How do you find the place you have returned to?” They reply, “We have returned to the best of places and our reward is the most generous of rewards. However, now that we have heard this voice we have a keen desire to gaze at Your Magnificence.” And of course, no sooner than they manifest this desire that it is accepted, because paradise is a place of fulfilment of every desire, and whoever longs for more receives greater gifts; “So God issues a command and seventy thousand veils are lifted away. The inhabitants of paradise climb onto their mounts, and dressed in luxurious and jewelled garments, ride in the shade of the trees until they reach the abode of peace (dar as-salam) which is the abode of God the abode of light and glory and felicity.” And what comes to pass here cannot be imagined by any human being in this world or even in paradise either.

10. When they go into His presence, the people of paradise want nothing else except to remain forever witnessing the splendour of God and to be lost in the beauty of His countenance; “They gaze towards the light of God’s countenance as much as they are able to and say, “Our Master! Hearing Your sweet speech and seeing the light of Your countenance is enough delight for us, we do not desire or seek anything else.” However, they do not realize that what is still veiled from them of His Beauty is millions of times greater than what they have seen until now; yet at this moment this is the limit of their capacity to perceive.

To see more they will have to evolve further and to do so, they will have to abide for a while with this new cognizance and rapture; they must experience further delights of paradise so that they may mature further and qualify to be presented again. Therefore, God puts a desire in their hearts to visit their spouses so that they willingly return; “But God says, “I know that you are eager to meet with your wives and they long to see you. Go now to your wives.” They ask God to give them an appointment to come to this place again. God says, “You shall have a meeting every Friday. From one Friday to the next there is a span of seven thousand years by your reckoning.” As they leave, each is given a green pomegranate containing seventy garments the like of which no eye has seen before.” Do not wonder why garments should be in pomegranates because we are discussing a completely different world in which anything could be found in anything else and every single feeling might feel like all feelings.

11. When the inhabitants of paradise return from this journey, they have evolved and grown to such an extent that they seem to be different creatures altogether, and are scarcely recognizable even to their spouses; “As he approaches and his wife looks at his face she hardly recognizes him and says, “My dear! When you departed your face looked different.” He will reply, “My dear! Do not be amazed at my appearance for I have gazed at the countenance of my Lord and my face has become illuminated by His light.”

This evolution and development and new radiance have transformed him and he cannot be compared to his former self. In fact, his previous bounties and possessions no longer befit his new magnificence and are trivial to his new status. Consequently, everything must be enhanced to reflect his new stature and radiance. Everything around him changes as a result of the illumination of his own existence. That is why when he looks again at the face of his wife he says, “My dear! When I departed from you your face seemed different.” And she will reply, “My dear! Do not be amazed at my appearance for I have looked at the face of one who has gazed at the countenance of God, and my face has become seventy times more radiant as a result. And they will embrace each other.”

12. Now he shall live in his new magnificence and capacity and beauty and enjoy the bounties that God has granted to him, until his new cognizance permeates his being completely; once that happens he will be eager to journey to God again. And this desire, love and longing for the Lord, and the excitement and evolution and growth in beauty continue in a pleasant environment for eternity,

“Wherein they shall abide forever. They will not desire to leave therefrom.” (18:108)

And,

“For them there will be therein all that they wish for, and they will abide there eternally.” (25:16)

Physical Pleasures In Paradise

As we have mentioned in the previous sections, in this world the human being has both a material as well as a spiritual dimension. In Dunya the soul perceived, learned and grew by living in a material body, while in Barzakh it did the same in an imaginal body. However, the special quality of the human being in Qiyama is that there, the human soul can simultaneously make use of a physical body – which has been resurrected with vastly upgraded features – as well as the imaginal body. Actually, there is another higher means of perception than these two that the soul can also employ which presently is beyond our understanding. This means that the human being can experience spiritual as well as physical pleasure at the same time; in fact, these two bodies are like two faces of the same coin.

While the imaginal body experiences the greatest pleasure by seeing and hearing the secrets of creation through the parallelism and correspondence (tanazur) that we have talked about at length, the physical body also experiences the highest level of pleasure through all its senses. The eyes see the most beautiful sights, the ears hear the most soothing melodies, the tongue tastes the most delicious food and drink, the touch feels the most pleasurable surfaces, and the nose smells the most delightful fragrances.

Every sensation that can be experienced by the body is amplified to the utmost. Since these experiences are in synchrony with the experience of the imaginal body, which itself draws on the experience of the soul, the greater the soul’s receptiveness to God’s mercy and grace, the more pleasurable will be the experience of the imaginal and physical bodies. In other words, the purer the soul is, and consequently the nearer it is to God, the more intensely it will experience the joys of paradise.

This link between body and soul is not just one way and does not simply come from above; neither do these pleasures simply result in joy and happiness. Just as all pleasures experienced in Dunya had a particular purpose, in paradise also they serve a very important function. In fact, it can be said that the ultimate purpose, which was to display gratitude, is realized in paradise. Gratitude, which gives rise to love, is the highest connection that the human soul can have with God; it requires both true cognizance (ma’rifa) as well as submission (khushu’) and humble reverence (khudu’) in the heart.

The Qur’an states that the true purpose of God’s blessings – including the gift of sight, hearing and intellect – is to bring about gratitude,

“And God brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing, and He gave you hearing and sight and intellect so that perhaps you may give thanks.” (16:78)

Every physical or imaginal experience in paradise creates further submission and appreciation in the soul, which in turn increases the love for God, and brings one even closer to Him; and this in turn intensifies the physical and imaginal pleasures. This mutual cause and effect process between the body and soul continues eternally.

The reason why seeking pleasure in the Dunya has been criticized in the Divine religions is not because of the pleasure itself, because all physical pleasures are creations of God and a part of the bounties He has granted mankind; rather, it is because of the pursuit of illicit pleasures that results in neglect of the remembrance of God. In other words, the real philosophy behind these physical experiences is to bring about appreciation and gratefulness and consequently make man remember God. Conversely, the arrogant and defiant use of these bounties engenders the opposite outcome, and results in ungratefulness and neglect; ultimately these distances one from the Source of all grace and mercy.

In paradise however, these pleasures are solely used to increase man’s development and sublimity, and are free of anything else.

“Say: Who has forbidden the adornment of God and the lawful provisions which He has produced for His servants? Say: They are for those who were believers in their life in the world, and exclusively for them on the Day of Judgement. Thus, We explain our revelation for people who understand.” (7:32)

“Say: My Lord has only forbidden immoral deeds whether committed openly or in secret, and sinful conduct, and wrongful oppression, and that you associate with God that for which He has not sent any authority, and that you speak about God that which you do not know.” (7:33) 51

Evolution In Paradise And Increase Of Joy

Whatever we shall see in paradise will be a representation of our inner state; and because that state will be continually changing as we grow wiser and love God more deeply, the nature, colour and fragrance of everything in paradise will constantly improve and become more amazing and wondrous. The meaning of time in paradise arises from this very evolution within us.

Wisdom and love have always been embedded in every human being because it is through these faculties that man’s eternal soul – which God placed within the human being – is connected to Him. In paradise man explores his soul every day and removes the veils that mask the beauty of that wisdom and love so that he can see himself more clearly, or rather see God more clearly; the two are the same in fact, because his ego does not exist anymore. What he sees now is his true self, which is one with his cognitive soul; and so he will see and know God to the same degree as he knows himself. He is now a mirror that reflects the beauty of God. Whatever he sees inside himself is manifested externally too. It is similar to when the Names of God manifest themselves in the physical realm.

Therefore, with the removal of every inner veil, the flowers and gardens he sees externally are transformed as well. The appearance and decorations of his palaces and the elegance of his garments all take on a new beauty. His interactions with friends and neighbours and spouses change and become even more pleasurable. And all this increase in colour and fragrance and beauty, which he recognizes is from God, increases his delight a hundredfold. His Lord helps him further by giving him nectar spiced with ginger (zanjabil) to drink; this shall fill him with an excitement to see and understand more,

“And they will be given to drink a cup mixed with ginger” (76:17)

“From a fountain called Salsabil.” (76:18)

His excitement will make him restless and even more eager to remove yet another veil and uncover greater wisdom and love. At this time, his Lord gives him wine mixed with soothing camphor to instil calm into his entire being and elevate him to a state of renewed wonderment,

“Indeed, the righteous shall drink from a cup mixed with camphor” (76:5)

“a spring from which the true servants of God shall drink; making it flow in abundance (at will)” (76:6)

The wonders of paradise will never cease. A wonderment that will not be transient like that of Dunya, but one which is accompanied by an abiding contentment and appreciation and an indescribable gratefulness, which in turn increases love and gives true meaning to one’s existence.

These inner and outward transformations are also reflected in the face; the bounties of paradise make the features of its inhabitants more beautiful and more youthful. It has been reported from Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) that, “When the Day of Judgment arrives, two believers, both of whom are destined for paradise, will be stopped for accounting. One of them was poor in the world, while the other was wealthy. The one who was poor will say, “O Lord! Why have I been stopped here? I swear by Your honour, You know well that You had not granted me power and authority in the Dunya, so that You may see whether I acted justly or oppressively. And You had not granted me any wealth either that You may see whether I fulfilled the rights of others or neglected them. My sustenance was meagre, as You know and You Yourself had apportioned for me.” Then God will say, “This servant of Mine speaks truly, permit him to enter paradise.”

But his companion will remain at that station for a long time; in that time he will perspire so profusely that his sweat would be enough for forty thirsty camels to drink from; only then will he be entered into paradise. The poor man who was his companion will say to him, “We were together, what delayed you so much?” The wealthy man will reply, “The length of the accounting. I was asked continuously about my possessions. They were presented one by one, and each time God kept pardoning and forgiving me until He enveloped me in His mercy and forgave me everything! However, tell me, who are you?” The poor man will say, “I am the same poor man who was at your side at the station of accounting.” The wealthy one will say in wonder, “The blessings of paradise have altered your face beyond recognition!”52

The Doors Of Paradise

People will not all enter paradise through one gate or doorway; rather every group of believers will have a gate dedicated just for them,

“And those who were God-wary shall be led towards paradise in groups; and when they come to it, its doors will be already open and its keepers will say, “Peace be upon you; you have done well, so enter and abide therein for ever.” (39:73)

It has been reported from the Prophet (S) that, “Paradise has eight doors and hell has seven”53 And it has been reported from Imam al-Baqir (‘a) that, “Have a good opinion (husn al-dann) of God and know that paradise has eight doors, the width of each would take forty years to cross.54 And normally the size of doors is designed to accommodate the traffic of people who will enter through them.

It is beneficial to recount here a beautiful tradition reported by Bilal that speaks both about the doors of paradise as well as other aspects of that mysterious land. A man called ‘Abdallah ibn Ali reports, “I went from Basra to Egypt for trade and there I saw an old man; he was tall and had dark skin and white hair. He was wearing two worn out garments, one white and the other black. I asked who he was and was informed that he was Bilal, a slave freed by the Prophet (S). So I took a writing tablet and pen and approached him. I greeted him saying, “Salam on you, O Shaykh!” He replied my salutation. I said, “May God have mercy on you, O Shaykh. Would you share with me something that you have heard from the Prophet (S)?” He asked, “How do you know who I am?” I said, “You are Bilal, the muezzin of the Prophet (S).” When he heard the name of the Prophet (S), tears came to his eyes and he wept. I wept also as did the people around me.”

“Then he said, “Write down: In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family say, “The walls of paradise are made of bricks of gold, silver and ruby. Its mortar is of fragrant musk and its ramparts are crusted with red, green and yellow rubies.” I asked how many doors it has. He replied, “It has several doors: the door of Mercy (bab ar-rahma) is made of red ruby…the door of Perseverance (bab as-sabr) is a small single door made from a sheet of red ruby. As for the door of Gratitude (bab as-shukr) it is made of white ruby and has double doors the width of which is a distance of five hundred years’ travel. It keeps calling out resoundingly and plaintively, “O Lord! Bring my people to me.” I said, “Can a door speak?” He said, “Yes indeed, God, the Mighty and Gracious, gives it the ability to speak. Then there is the door of Trial (bab al-bala’).” I asked, “Is the door of trial not the same as the door of perseverance?” He replied, “No.” I asked, “What then is trial?” He said, “Calamities and sickness and disease and leprosy; and this is a single door made of a sheet of yellow ruby, very few people enter through it.”

“As for the Great door (bab al-a’zam), it is a door through which the righteous servants of God enter, those who were people of restraint, pious, eager to please God and intimate with Him.” I said, “May God have mercy on you. Once they enter paradise what do they do there?” He said, “They board boats of ruby with oars made of pearls and travel across the two banks of a river with transparent water. On the boat there are angels of light. They wear garments of an intense green colour.” I asked, “May God have mercy on you. Can light be green?” He replied, “Their clothes are green, however a light from the light of the Lord of the worlds, Most Glorious, radiates from them.” I asked, “What is the name of this place?” He replied. “It is called Jannat al-Ma’wa. (Garden of Refuge)” I asked, “Are there other gardens as well?” He replied, “Yes, Jannat al-’Adn (Garden of Eden) and it lies towards the middle of paradise. Its walls are of red ruby and its pebbles are of pearls.” I asked, “Are there any other gardens besides these?” He replied, “Yes. Jannat al-Firdaws (Garden of Paradise).” I asked, “And what are its walls like?” He said, “Enough! Leave me, you are hurting my heart.” I said, “Rather, it is you who is doing this to me. I will not depart until you complete the description of its walls.” He said, “Its walls are made from light.” I asked, “What about its rooms?” He replied, “They are made from the light of the Lord of the worlds.”55

The first thing that this narration makes clear is that the nature of those parts of paradise that are more proximal to God are more unknown to us; for this reason the construction material of Firdaws has been cryptically called light, whatever that may mean exactly. More familiar materials like red and yellow rubies, pearls, gold and silver have been mentioned as materials used to create the buildings and even trees and steeds found in the lesser levels of paradise; but as we have mentioned, these are correspondences (tanazur), meaning that if we want to put a name from this world for these objects, they would be represented by gold, silver and pearls.

Secondly, the fact that there is a door called the door of Trial (bab al-bala’) means that whoever continues to be steadfast in the face of severe and chronic illness and other difficulties in the life of Dunya, then a special door from the doors of paradise will open itself just for them.

Thirdly, that paradise has several doors due to the different states and qualities of the people who are admitted inside. It is also because of this diversity that paradise has been divided into different sections. In fact, everyone opens a door in paradise that is befitting to the nature of their soul; they proceed to the level they deserve according to the predominant virtue that they possess. It has been mentioned in the traditions that, “When the month of Ramadan arrives, the doors of paradise are opened and the doors of hell are closed.”56

These doors refer to virtuous acts and are opened by the souls of the believers; and because there are many possible such acts, it follows that each of the eight doors of paradise must be able to accommodate a wide variety of virtues. In other words, every good deed comes under one of the eight doors of goodness and virtue in the human soul and becomes a doorway for his entry into paradise. Therefore, it must not come as a surprise if every act or worship and good deed is independently considered as a door from the doors of paradise.

As an example, in Nahj al-Balagha we read, “Indeed, jihad is a door from the doors of paradise which God has opened for His closest servants.”57 In another tradition it is mentioned that, “Be mindful of truthfulness (sidq) because truthfulness is a door from the doors of paradise and beware of lies (kidhb) because lies is a door from the doors of hell.”58 And, “Whoever feeds a hungry believer, God enters him into paradise from a door through which only others who have done the same may enter.”59 And, “For every door from the doors of goodness, there is a corresponding door from the doors of paradise, and the door of the fast is called Rayyan.”60 Naturally, if someone possesses all the good qualities, he may enter from any door that he chooses, “Whoever says La ilaha illalah (there is no god but Allah) in a manner that his heart confirms what his tongue utters, may enter paradise from any of its eight doors that he wishes.”61

Fourthly, the entry from a particular door means living in the region that the door opens into, in the familiar company of other people of paradise of similar dispositions and merits.

The Different Levels And Regions Of Paradise

The levels of people vary from one another in paradise, and in fact, each person is counted as his own level,

“They have varying degrees in the sight of God....” (3:163)

God says,

“See how We have favoured some of them (in provision in Dunya) over others; but in the hereafter there are greater Degrees (of preference) and greater distinctions.” (17:21)

In the words of Imam Ali (‘a), “There are multiple stations and different levels of excellence.”62

It is these multiple levels, which are arranged according to the proximity of a person to God, that make up the various regions and layers of paradise; in fact, the regions that are close to one another become specific colonies in which the inhabitants undergo similar experiences. We find in the traditions that, “Paradise has one hundred levels, each of which is separated by a distance greater than the distance between the heavens and the earth. The highest level of paradise, which is located in its heart, is Firdaws; nothing exists higher than it except the throne of God, and all the rivers of paradise originate from there. So if you seek anything from God, ask Him for Firdaws.”63

These levels themselves are distributed across wide regions, the choicest of which are the paradise of the servants closest to God (muqarrabun) and the paradise of the righteous (ashab al-yamin, lit. people of the right hand). As we mentioned before, the muqarrabun and the ashab alyamin are two groups of believers who differ in their aspect of faith. The faith of the muqarrabun is based on love and the focus of their lives is God. The faith of the ashab al-yamin is based on obedience and the focus of their lives is to follow their beliefs in order to gain favour and protect themselves from harm in the hereafter.

Imam Ali (‘a) says, “A group worshipped God seeking His paradise, and their worship is the worship of merchants; a group worshipped God out of fear of His punishment, and their worship is the worship of slaves; and a group worshipped God out of gratitude, and their worship is the worship of free men.”64 And it has been narrated from Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) that, “Believers are of three kinds; a group who worship God out of fear, this is the worship of slaves; and a group who worship God seeking reward, this is the worship of contractors; and a group who worship God out of love, this is the worship of free men, and the best form of worship.”65

The common factor amongst all these groups is their worship; however, what separates them is the motivation for their worship. The muqarrabun have been cleansed of all egoism and are no longer concerned with thoughts of benefit or harm to themselves; the love of God has saturated their beings, and consequently both in Dunya as well as Akhira they experience God in a manner that is not possible for even the ashab al-yamin. Their worship was always full of humility and reverence and this qualified them for ascent into Firdaws, above which exists nothing but the throne of God,

“Indeed, the believers are successful.” (23:1)

“Those who are humble in their prayers” (23:2)

“And who turn away from vain speech” (23:3)

“And who are payers of the poor-due” (23:4)

“And who guard their modesty” (23:5)

“Save from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands posses, for then they are not blameworthy” (23:6)

“But whoso coveth beyond that, such are transgressors” (23:7)

“And who are the shepherds of their pledge and their covenant” (23:8)

“And who pay heed to their prayers” (23:9)

“They indeed shall be the inheritors,” (23:10)

“Who will inherit Firdaws and dwell therein forever.” (23:11)

In Surah al-Waqi῾a and Surah ar-Rahman, the Qur’an distinguishes between the paradise of the muqarrabun and the paradise of the ashab al-yamin and places the former above the latter. It has been narrated from Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) that, “Do not talk of just one paradise, because God has stated: Some are raised higher in rank than others.”66 The difference in the levels is such that, “When the people of a lower level look towards a level higher than their own, it is like the inhabitants of the earth looking at the stars; they guess the identity of whom they see above the way the people on earth call out the name of the stars.”67

From these descriptions, which are found in many traditions, we can conclude that the people of paradise do not live in gardens next to each other; rather, each garden or group of gardens is separated by unimaginable distances just as the stars and galaxies are distant from each other. This is also mentioned in the Qur’an because according to it, the size of paradise is as wide as the expanse of the heavens and the earth,

“Hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-wary.” (3:133)

In fact, every level is separated from the one below it by the same expanse, and every higher level forms the heavens for the one lower than it.

As we have mentioned, these levels are according to the proximity of its inhabitants to God, and in reality, this is nothing except individual differences in cognizance (ma῾rifa) and love of God. It has been reported from Imam Sajjad (‘a) that, “God enters a group into paradise and bestows so much on them that all their desires are satisfied, while above them there is another group inhabiting a higher level of paradise. When they look at them, they recognize them and say, “O Lord! These were our brothers and we were together in Dunya; on what grounds have you favoured them over us?” They will be told, “How different you were from each other! They used to remain hungry while your bellies were full, they would remain thirsty while you drank, and they would stay awake in the night while you slept.”68

The phrase that “all their desires are satisfied” is worthy of some consideration; it confirms that everyone in paradise will receive bounties according to their desires and aspirations, and everyone will of course only aspire to the extent to their cognizance. However, God extends his aspirations so that he may dwell in His proximity and seek higher favours from Him.

It has also been reported from the Prophet (S) that,

“In paradise the separation of two successive levels is the distance between the heavens and the earth. Sometimes a servant raises his gaze and suddenly sees a shining light that almost blinds him. He is elated at the sight and asks, “What was that?” He is told, “That is the light of your brother from the believers.” He says, “Is that the same brother with whom I stood to worship in Dunya? How has he been elevated so greatly over me?” He is told, “His worship was better than yours.” Then his heart is inspired with gladness and he becomes content.”69

The fact that everyone is completely satisfied within their level in paradise is a very important matter and worthy of deliberation. The reason for this satisfaction is that everyone has received every last thing he could wish for, and cannot imagine or want anything more. In the Gospel of Barnabas it has been mentioned that Bartholomew asked Jesus (‘a), “O Teacher! Will the reward in paradise be the same for everyone? If it is the same then that would be against justice, and yet if it is not the same, the lesser will envy the greater.” Jesus (‘a) replied, “It will not be the same, because God is Just; however, everyone will be content with that which he has received from God, because there is no envy in that realm. O Bartholomew! Will a master who has many servants clothe them all with the same garment? Will the children who wear the clothes of children be saddened that they cannot wear the clothes of the adults? Rather, on the contrary, if the adults desire to clothe them with their large garments the children would become upset because by being forced to wear garments that are not of their size, they would think that they are being mocked. So raise your heart, dear Bartholomew, to God in paradise; you shall see that everyone has their reward, and the fact that it is more for one and less for another will not cause anyone to become envious.”70

As was mentioned, these levels are determined by the cognizance of individuals. It has been reported from Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) that, “I advise you to recite the Qur’an because the levels of paradise are according to the verses of the Qur’an. On the Day of Judgement, the reciter of the Qur’an shall be told, “Recite and ascend higher!” So for every verse he recites, he will be raised one more level.”71 It is obvious that the meaning of recital on that Day is not confined to mere verbal recitation; rather it refers to the cognizance that every verse of the Qur’an inspires within the heart and soul of the individual. In fact, there are many in Dunya who have committed the entire Qur’an to memory but will be unable to recite even a single verse on the Day of Judgement.

However, after reading all this, one must not imagine that the lower levels of paradise are not worthy of appreciation. It has been reported from the Prophet (S) that, “The person in the lowest level in paradise is one whose kingdom would take a thousand years travel to see in its entirety; he himself, however, can survey his entire kingdom in one glance, just as he sees all his spouses, servants and thrones.”72 And it has been reported from Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) that, “The person in the lowest level of paradise will still be able to host the entirety of mankind and jinn and give them food and drink to their fill, without anything substantial being reduced from his possessions.”73

The Levels Of Paradise And Family Life

The Qur’an states:

“Those who believed and their offspring followed them in (weaker) faith, We shall cause their offspring to join them (in paradise) …” (52:21)

This verse raises a question as to how will the members of one family who are in different levels of paradise be joined together in one place? The apparent answer is that this joining comes about by the fulfilment of the desire of the strongest in faith in the higher levels who are able, through the power of their souls, to raise the level of the weaker members in their family. It has been reported from the Prophet (S) that, “Even if the offspring of a righteous believer are located in a lower level of paradise, God allows him to raise them to his own so that his heart is pleased.”74

It has also been reported from him that, “When a person enters paradise, he searches for his father and mother and asks about his family and children. He is told, “They have not reached your level, and they did not have your quality of deeds.” He will say, “O my Lord! Whatever I did, I intended to do for myself and for them.” At that time a command will be issued to join all of them with him.”75

What can be understood from the foregoing is that love and regard for one’s family exists, at least to the same extent if not stronger, in paradise as it did in Dunya; and one of the pleasures of paradise is the coming together of families to live with each other. However, love for those family members who have become inmates of hell is completely erased from the hearts of the people of paradise because they cannot bear any pollution at all.

In addition to family life, paradise also has a social system, which we discussed at length in the section concerning Barzakh.

That About Paradise Which Cannot Be Described

Whatever we have said so far about paradise was about that limited aspect of it that we can understand through the concepts and experiences that we are familiar with in this Dunya; however, there are things that exist there that cannot be described with anything we know from our world or anything that we can imagine in our mind, “In paradise there are realities that no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no human mind has ever conceived.”76 In the words of the Qur’an,

“No person knows what pleasures have been kept hidden for them as a reward for their good deeds.” (32:17)

They remain hidden because, due to the limited capacity of human understanding, these blessings cannot yet be described and made clear.

A Final Word

Whatever you have read in the chapters of this book was just an approximation of what wonders lie in wait for creation in general and human beings in particular to witness and experience of the majesty, mercy and generosity of God. They all allude to one fact; our comprehension of God in this realm of Dunya is by no means proportionate to His greatness, grandeur and glory, and our understanding of ourselves is nowhere near what we really are.

The vast expanse of the universe compared to what will come in Akhira is narrower and darker than the womb surrounding a baby, and the countless talents of humans in this world compared to what they will become in Akhira are like the abilities of a foetus compared to a grown-up human being.

Akhira is a realm that shall transform the entire creation at the same time. It is not a place where human beings enter one at a time, or one that that only human beings go to; rather, the entire universe will enter into it in a single instant. Just like a larva emerges from its cocoon and becomes a beautiful butterfly, or just like a small seed grows from the ground into a strong tree, the universe of Dunya shall one Day shed its skin and emerge into the universe of Akhira.

The characteristics of the new realm will be entirely different; it is as if God has created a new world, or that creation has been recreated anew:

“God originates the creation, then repeats it; then you shall be brought back to Him.” (30:11)

However, just as the butterfly is born from the larva and cannot exist without it, the world of Akhira is also born of Dunya and cannot come about without it.

The qualities of Akhira are completely different from those of Dunya and consequently whatever descriptions we come up with for that world can be no more than metaphors that approximate its reality. It is like trying to explain to a larva in its cocoon what it will be like to sprout wings and fly, or to explain the colour red or green to a blind person.

Everything that transpires before Akhira is a journey that we must undertake, while the world of Akhira represents the destination and journey’s end. We began as dust, became water, then an embryo, then we came into the world, and then we shall leave it; we will thereafter travel along until we will reach Akhira, where we will rest for eternity,

“The hereafter (Akhira) is the home of permanent settlement.” (40:39)

This is why God calls it ‘home’,

“Make a mention of Our servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, men of strength and insight. We chose them for an exclusive quality, the keeping in mind of the final home.” (38:46)

Real life and meaningful existence can only take place in the hereafter; what we experience in this world is a pale shadow and fleeting fragrance of it in comparison. The life of this world is no more than a kind of play, which prepares us for the real life that is to follow:

“And the life of this world is nothing more than diversion and play! And the abode of the hereafter is indeed life, if only they knew.” (29:64)

Of course, just as the playing of children has an important role in the development of their character, the game of life also plays a very important role in shaping the destiny of the human being. In Dunya our souls are in an embryonic state, just as our bodies were when we were in the wombs of our mothers, and the play and diversions of life are essential for the nurturing of this growing soul.

The single factor that grants man a lofty status in the hereafter is the remembrance and reverence of God in this world. It is like a seed that grows and bears its fruit in the soul.

“Do you not consider how God sets forth a parable? A good word is like a good tree: its roots are steady and its branches are in the sky.” (14:24)

“It gives its fruit every moment by the leave of its Lord. God draws these parables for mankind so that they may take admonition.” (14:25)

On the other hand, the single factor that brings about man’s downfall is egoism and self-centredness which disrupts his relationship with the rest of the creation; it makes him give undue importance to the trivial matters of Dunya and ultimately waste the potentials of his soul altogether.

If we wish to live in harmony with the rest of creation and progress into the next stage of our existence with peace and contentment, we have to take away our attention from our lower selves and direct it towards the Creator of all things. This is the way and this is the truth.

• 1. Gospel of Matthew, 13:31-32.
• 2. Saduq, al-Khisal, p. 114.
• 3. Mufid, al-Ikhtisas, p.365, quoting Imam al-Baqir (‘a).
• 4. Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 27.
• 5. Gospel of Matthew. 13:24-30.
• 6. Gospel of Matthew. 13:47-50.
• 7. Mulla Fathullah Kashani, Tafsir Minhaj al-Sadiqin, 5/430.
• 8. Mulla Fathullah Kashani, Tafsir Minhaj al-Sadiqin, 5/430.
• 9. Gospel of Mark, 9:47,48.
• 10. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p. 96.
• 11. Abdallah ibn al-Mubarak, Musnad ibn al-Mubarak, p. 65.
• 12. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p. 122
• 13. The following verse in Surah al-Muddaththir may be a reference to Sa’ud:

  “And soon We will make him ascend Sa’ud (or a slippery slope)” (74:17).

• 14. Barqi, al-Mahasin, 1/123 quoting Imam al-Baqir (‘a).
• 15. Barqi, al-Mahasin, 1:123 quoting Imam al-Sadiq (‘a).
• 16. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p.117, 118.
• 17. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p.142.
• 18. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p.126.
• 19. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p.121.
• 20. Sh Tusi, Tafsir al-Tibyan, 6/338.
• 21. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, al-Takhwif min al-Nar, p. 84.
• 22. Suyuti, Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur, 4/100.
• 23. Qummi, Tafsir, 1/376,377.
• 24. Swedenborg, section 363.
• 25. This name is given to the entirety of Hell as well.
• 26. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min al-Nar, p. 181.
• 27. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min al-Nar, p.181.
• 28. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, al-Takhwif min al-Nar, p. 122.
• 29. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, al-Takhwif min al-Nar, p. 206.
• 30. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, al-Takhwif min an-Nar, p. 177.
• 31. Saduq, al-Khisal, p. 296.
• 32. Husain ibn Sa’id al-Kufi, Kitab al-Zuhd, p. 100.
• 33. Gospel of Mark, 9:48.
• 34. Mulla Fathullah Kashani, Tafsir Minhaj al-Sadiqin, 10/224.
• 35. Tabarsi, Tafsir Majma’ al-Bayan, 10/727.
• 36. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min al-Nar, p. 101.
• 37. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p.101.
• 38. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, at-Takhwif min an-Nar, p.101.
• 39. Mufid, al-Ikhtisas, p. 350-356.
• 40. Clearly the meaning of this seeing is the gaining of new cognizance of the Majesty (jalal) and Beauty (jamal) of God, which had previously been hidden from the inhabitants of paradise. It is obvious that God is not a body with a countenance that can be viewed by the physical eyes.
• 41. This is spiritual nourishment which fills them with new cognizance and increased love for God
• 42. Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, 8/219.
• 43. Saduq, Man la Yahduruhu al-Faqih, 4/355,356
• 44. Saduq, al-Amali, p. 281.
• 45. Saduq, Man la Yahduruhu al-Faqih, 1/296. This narration will be examined in detail later.
• 46. Gospel of Barnabas, 172:1-3.
• 47. Kulayni, al-Kafi, 2/226.
• 48. Hurr al-’Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi’a, 8/21
• 49. Saduq, Thawab al-A’mal, p. 42,43.
• 50. Also Surah at-Tawba (9:100), Surah al-Mujadila (58:22), Surah al-Bayyina (98:8).
• 51. The verse is saying that the correct utilization of the pleasures of Dunya requires faith (iman). Although those with no faith also use these bounties, not only does it not result in anything lasting for them, but they transgress and use them wrongly and commit immoral acts, set up partners with God and became ungrateful.
• 52. Saduq, al-Amali, p. 441.
• 53. Saduq, al-Amali, p. 123.
• 54. Saduq, al-Khisal, p. 408.
• 55. Saduq, Man la yahduruhu’l Faqih, 1/295,296.
• 56. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 23667.
• 57. Sharif Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, sermon 27.
• 58. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 6862.
• 59. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 16374.
• 60. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 23583
• 61. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 155.
• 62. Nahj al-Balagha, sermon 85.
• 63. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 39230.
• 64. Nahj al-Balagha, short sayings, 237.
• 65. Kulayni, al-Kafi, 2/84.
• 66. Muhammadi, Ray Shahri, Mizan al-Hikma, 1/431.
• 67. Mazandarani, Mawla Muhammad Salih, Sharh Usul al-Kafi, 9/79, quoting the Tafsir of Qurtubi.
• 68. Muhammadi, Ray Shahri, Mizan al-Hikma, 1/432.
• 69. Muhammadi, Ray Shahri, Mizan al-Hikma, 1/432.
• 70. Gospel of Barnabas, 176:8-17.
• 71. Hurr Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi῾a, 6/190.
• 72. Muhammadi, Ray Shahri, Mizan al-Hikma, 1/433.
• 73. Muhammadi, Ray Shahri, Mizan al-Hikma, 1/433.
• 74. Fayd al-Kashani, Tafsir as-Safi, 5/79.
• 75. Suyuti, Jalal al-Din, ad-Durr al-Manthur, 6/119.
• 76. Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-῾Ummal, trad. 39241.