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Reading Islam
» Ask About Islam
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Last Update: 01:45 GMT, Monday, Feb. 08, 2010
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| Question and
Answer Details |
| Name of Questioner |
Ansaar
- Afghanistan
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| Title: |
Questions about Paradise |
| Date |
24/Aug/2004 |
| Question |
I have some inquiries about what we are told on the Islamic perspective on Heaven or Paradise: 1. Is it true that out of every thousand people only one will attain Paradise? I read this on another Web site.
2. Will anyone who believes in a personal God achieve Paradise?
3. I read that all of them will get everything they desire, but what if some desire something that is not considered good in this life? I mean that generally they were good Muslims but there was this desire at the back of their mind.
4. Not everyone has the same desires, so will people get the same or different things? I mean to say if a man who doesn't have much sexual desire, will he be entitled to something other than houris?
5. Why don't we hear much about women's rewards? Will they be entitled to many boys/men? I hope my questions don't seem too rhetorical or seem as if I'm making a judgment that I think I'm going to heaven. I just feel I want to know more with some details, as a lot of what I've read seem to be superficial and seem to generalize, while people are different. I have trouble believing some of what I read and this is a very good Web site, so I hope you will enlighten me.
Thank you very much.
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| Topic |
Islamic Creed
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| Name of Counselor |
AAI Editorial Staff
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| Answer
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This answer was kindly provided by Brother Yahia Hamed, a member of Ask About Islam Editorial Staff.
Salam, Ansaar.
Thank you for your question.
It is mentioned in more than one hadith that out of every one thousand people only one will be able to enter Paradise.
Abu Sa`id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Allah, the High and Glorious, would say: O Adam! and he would say: At Your service, at Your beck and call, O Lord, and the good is in Your hand. Allah would say: Bring forth the group of (the denizens of) Fire. He [Adam] would ask: Who are the denizens of Hell? It would be said: They are out of every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. He [the Prophet] said: It is at this juncture that every child would become white-haired. As the Qur’an says what means: *{… and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the torment of Allah.}* (Al-Hajj 22:2)
He [the narrator] said: This had a very depressing effect upon them [upon the Companions of the Prophet] and they asked: Messenger of Allah, who among us would be [that fortunate] person [who would be admitted to Paradise]? He said: Good tidings for you, Gog and Magog would be those thousands [who would be the denizens of Hell] and a person [selected for Paradise] would be among you.
He [the narrator] further reported that he [Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him] again said: By Him in Whose hand is my life, I hope that you would constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Paradise. We extolled Allah and glorified [Him]. He [the Prophet] again said: By Him in whose Hand is my life, I wish you would constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Paradise. We extolled Allah and glorified [Him]. He [the Prophet] again said: By Him in Whose hand is my life, I hope that you would constitute half of the inhabitants of Paradise. Your likeness among the people is the likeness of a white hair on the skin of a black ox or a strip on the foreleg of an ass. (Reported by Muslim.) So according to the previous hadith, nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every one thousand will be in fire, but Muslims do not need to be afraid from this as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Gog and Magog would represent the nine hundred and ninety-nine and he (peace be upon him) hoped that Muslims would represent half of the inhabitants of Paradise.
Answering your second question, anyone who says that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger sincerely from his heart will not last in fire. The hadith says:The Prophet said: If anyone testifies [sincerely from his heart] that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Bondsman and His Messenger, Allah immunizes him from Hell. He [the narrator] then added: I asked the Messenger of Allah: Should I then give the tiding to the people? He [the Prophet] said: Do not tell them this good news, for they would depend on this alone. (Reported by Muslim.) Your third and fourth questions are a bit similar. In Paradise, it is reported that everyone will get what they desire. Actually, I do not know what you mean by “something that is not considered good in this life” but if it is haram (prohibited) like wine, for example, in our earthly life, it will not be forbidden in Paradise, as God Almighty says in the Qur’an what means: *{[Here is] a parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and grace from their Lord. [Can those in such bliss] be compared to such as shall dwell forever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels [to pieces].}* (Muhammad 47:15)
Pleasures in Paradise are different and they are not the same, so everyone will get what he or she desires. For example, those who were not granted children in their lives can desire to have children in Paradise and they will get what they desire.
As for women and the blessings they will have in Paradise, it was stated that they would be prettier than houris, and except for men having houris in Paradise, both men and women are equal in the blessings they will enjoy. Regarding having more than one husband, no hadith has stated this whatsoever; it is against the nature of women and the modesty women enjoy.
I hope that answers your questions. Thank you again for your questions and please keep in touch.
Salam.
Useful Links: A Short Hint about Gog and Magog Is There Hell for Muslims? Heavenly Rewards For Pious Women? Why the Forbidden Is No more Forbidden in Paradise?
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