Jannat

To denote paradise, the words jannah ("garden"), an-na'im ("grace"), al-firdaus ("paradise"), 'illyun ("sublime") ^[1] , etc. are used.

The Arabic word jannah means "garden." It is also used in the plural - jannat ("gardens"). Most often, it is used in stable phrases that combine the main signs of the Koranic paradise:

• “Gardens of Grace” - Jannat an-na'im
• The Gardens of Eden - Jannat 'Adn ^{[2] [3]}
• Gardens of Eden - Jannat Al-Firdaus
• The Garden of Eternity - Jannat Al-Huld
• “Gardens of the refuge” - Jannat al-ma'va
• “The sublime garden” - jannatun 'aliya ^{[4] [5]} .

To denote paradise, the word gift is also used - “the abode”, more precisely, “the abode of the righteous” in the other world ( achirat ). The following phrases are used in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad in relation to paradise:

• "Abode of the world" - a gift to as-salam
• "The abode of the God-fearing" - a gift from al-Muttakin
• “The abode of [eternal] stay” is the gift of al-mukama ^[5] .

After Judgment Day (kiyamat), believers will go to heaven, and unbelievers will burn forever in hell . In paradise, people will forever enjoy the blessings that God has prepared for them. The main reward for the inhabitants of paradise will be the contemplation of the Lord ^[6] . Allah created paradise and hell before the creation of creations, and they will not be destroyed. ^[7] . Paradise is guarded by angels led by an angel named Ridwan .

Paradise is enormous ^[8] and has several levels for various categories of the righteous. It will be neither cold nor hot. It is made of silver and gold bricks with a fragrant smell of musk ^[9] . Hadiths mention the tree of paradise Tuba ^[10] and many other trees whose trunks are made of gold ^[11] . In the Qur'an, the Talch trees (acacia), “hung with fruits” ^[12] and “cider” without their thorns ^[13] are mentioned. Crowns paradise tree " Sidrat al-Muntaha " (Lotus extreme limit) ^[14] .

It can be said that the Islamic picture of paradise continues the ancient Eastern tradition of ideas about the Last Life ( achirat ) with the inclusion in it of the characteristics of the idea of ​​higher enjoyment, characteristic of the inhabitants of the desert. Parallels of the Islamic image of paradise can be found in Jewish, Christian and ancient Mesopotamian texts. In the Meccan period, the image of paradise was more emotional, in the Medina period it was more specific. In the Medina suras , detailed descriptions of paradise rivers, the “black-eyed” huries, etc. appear ^[15] .

Paradise Gardens and Rivers

The Koranic paradise is shady gardens with numerous springs, canals and ponds ^[16] . There are 4 gardens in paradise ('Adn ^[2] , Firdaus ^[17] , Ma'va ^[18] , and Na'im ^[19] ) and 4 rivers ^[20] ( Salsabil ^[21] , Tasnim ^[22] , Ma 'in ^[23] and Kausar ^[24] ).

The Arabic word 'adn means' eden .' 'Adn is one of the most beautiful places of paradise, in which the prophets , martyrs and other righteous will abide in eternal bliss. The legend says that in the gardens of hell, the righteous will be able to contemplate the Face of Allah ^{[25] [26]} . Some interpreters of the Qur'an (al-Zamahshari, al-Baidawi) believed that 'adn is the name of a particular place in paradise (city, palace or river). Others believed that this is the name of a part of the paradise gardens or the whole paradise in general ^[27] .

At the highest level is Firdaus, above which the Throne of Allah ( 'Arsh ) already begins. Sometimes the various names of paradise are interpreted as the names of its different parts ^[5] .

Water, milk, paradise wine and honey flow in paradise rivers ^[27] . Among the water bodies, Kausar is especially distinguished, designed specifically for the Prophet Muhammad, and in which all the paradise rivers flow ^[5] .

Paradise Good

In Islamic tradition, there is evidence that all the inhabitants of paradise will receive what is impossible to imagine and describe in words ^[28] . Islamic theologians ( ulama ) believe that the descriptions in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of heaven and hell reflect only approximate representations at the level of human concepts, and their true essence is incomprehensible and will be clarified only after God's judgment. All ideas about the afterlife are accepted by Muslims, with the proviso that the true essence of all this is known only to Allah ^[27] .

For the righteous who are in paradise, food, drink ^[29] , coolness, peace, luxurious clothes, forever young spouses from paradise maidens and from their own wives ^[5] are prepared. Any food they wish will be given to them. Among the treats there will be “fruits, and palm trees, and pomegranates,” as well as paradise wine that will not intoxicate ^[30] . Feces will come out of people through a special sweat, like musk ^[31] .

The Quranic images of heavenly pleasures were widely used for preaching purposes ( dawat ). In modern Islamic sermons, the concrete imagery of paradise is sometimes intertwined with a symbolic interpretation, and highlighting various aspects depends on the audience and tasks. Anti-Islamic propaganda uses the same images as evidence of the “immorality” and “rudeness” of Islam ^[15] .

The vision of Allah

The Qur'an also mentions the vision of Allah: “Persons that day are shining, looking at the Lord” ^[6] . Sunni theologians (ulama) consider it obligatory to believe that the righteous will see Allah in paradise. The collections of hadiths of al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and at-Tirmizi give similar versions of the hadith, which says: “You will see your Lord as you see the moon, and you will not have any difficulties in this. And there will be no barriers between Him and you ” ^[32] . The possibility of seeing Allah will be the pinnacle of paradise ^[33] .

The righteous will be in paradise at the age of 33 years. In paradise they will not experience any problems and difficulties ^[34] . They will not idle talk and sin ^[5] .

Marriage will exist in paradise ^[35] , but children will not be born ^[36] . Paradise houses are like gigantic tents made of yachts , pearls and other stones ^[37] . The righteous will be dressed in clothes made of silk , satin and brocade . They will also be decorated with gold ^[38] .

The inhabitants of paradise lie on the "embroidered lodges", on the "spread out carpets". They are served by “forever young boys,” similar to “scattered pearls,” which will bypass the righteous “with vessels of silver and goblets of crystal.” In retribution for the deeds that they have done, they will be given to the spouse ( guria ) “black-eyed, big-eyed, like pearls kept”, “virgins, loving husbands, peers”, “black-eyed, which neither man nor the genie touched them " ^[5] .

The Qur'anic description of paradise gave rise to several theological problems, among which the question of its creation and creation time. According to a widespread Sunni view, paradise is created and exists, but the bulk of heavenly pleasures will be granted only after the Day of Judgment . The specific sensuality of the Quranic descriptions of paradise often confused Islamic theologians. Some of them raised the question of the possibility of their symbolic interpretation and argued about the predominance of intellectual and spiritual pleasures over bodily ones ^[5] .

The basis of the Sunni creed was the provision that the main pleasure of the righteous in paradise will be "the sight of Allah." Unlike the Sunnis, the mutazilites denied any opportunity to contemplate God, but most Sunnis emphasize the reality of contemplating the “face of Allah” without specifying how Allah might look ^[5] .