The Qur'an announces that the people of Paradise are blessed with the
finest food and various drinks. But since these people require no
nourishment, we can understand that such foodand drink have been
created only to give pleasure.
This food resembles the food of this world. The people of Paradise
will express this similarity in the following way:
Give the good news to those who believe and doright actions, that they
will have Gardens with rivers flowing under them. When they are given
fruit there as provision, they will say:"This is what we were given
before." But they were only given a simulation of it. They will have
there spouses of perfect purity, and will remain there timelessly,
forever. (Surat al-Baqara, 25)
Many foods in this world address people's appetitesand give pleasure
by theirappearance and taste. Of course Allah can easily create
similar foods in Paradise to give pleasure to believers. But, unlike
with earthly food, there will be no need to worry about gaining
weight, cholesterol, overeating, and so on, for Allah tells them: "Eat
and drink with relish for what you did" (Surat al-Mursalat, 43) Being
able to eat and drink beyond any reckoning is a delightfully pleasant
reward.
In order to attain Paradise, people are tested in this earthly life.
Believers show great effort and zeal in order to please our Lord, for
they turn to Him sincerely, thank Him continually, pray to Him, and
repent oftheir sins. As a reward, Allah offers them the blessings of
Paradise.
Leading all of the food mentioned in the Qur'an is meat. In Paradise,
Allah gives believers "any kind of fruit and meat that they desire"
(Surat at-Tur, 22), and will offer them"any bird-meat they desire"
(Surat al-Waqi'a, 22). Moreover, their food will "never run out"
(Surah Sad, 54), because believers will"enter Paradise, provided for
in itwithout any reckoning" (Surah Ghafir, 40).
They will be able to eat asmuch as they want, for the amount and types
of food available will never decrease, and no one will be forced to
stop eating due to being full or feeling sick.
Fruit is perhaps the food most often mentioned in the Qur'an. In
Paradise, believers receive whatever type of fruit they desire. The
Qur'an describes this:
Its shading branches will droop down over them, its ripe fruit hanging
ready to be picked. (Surat al-Insan, 14)
Thus, we understand that fruits of Paradise grow ontrees in natural
surroundings and that believers can easily pick and eat them. Surat
al-Waqi'a 28-29 mentions""fruit-laden lote-trees with thorns removed"
and "[banana] trees layered [with fruit]," meaning that the fruit
canbe obtained easily due to Paradise's infinite blessings.
The fruit it so plentiful that the tree branches cannot bear its
weight, and it is easy to reach because the branches bend down to the
ground.
This fruit may be offered freely on golden and silver trays and
tastefully designed plates to believers, who are sitting on thrones
and conversing with one another. Certainly all seeds and traces of rot
and bruising that annoy people in this world have been removed, as
befits Paradise. All fruits are offered to believers freely,with their
eye-catching beauty and without blemish.
Fruit also adds further color and aesthetic beautyto Paradise. The
sight of trees laden with all sorts of colorful fruits lends even more
beauty to the wonderful landscape. The predominant color is green, and
within that green are yellows, oranges, and reds that form a beautiful
view thatstrikes the human eye. As an indication of Allah's mighty
artistry, this view is another cause for thanksgiving.
Certainly, many kinds of drinks are also desirable. For instance,
Surat as-Saffat, 45 mentions "a cup from a flowing spring passing
round among them." In Paradise, believers are given "the choicest
sealed wine to drink, whose seal is musk"(Surat al-Mutaffifin, 25-27).
As these verses state, whatever they drinkis also sweet-smelling and,
of course, this wine isunlike any earthly wine.
The people who drink it will not become intoxicated or have their
awareness impaired. Allahsays that these drinks willbe offered in
glasses. Theywill not cause headaches, a loss of control of
themselves, or any alteration in their minds. Young men whom Allah
appointed for this service freely offer these drinks.
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