need. In them thereare all kinds of food and other articles. People go
to these places looking forward to eating good food, trying different
tastes, buying stylish clothes and appliances to make their work
easier; they buy things they like which they think will make them
comfortable. So, if people enjoy this blessing even a little in this
world, Allah will make it perfect in the Garden. The markets in the
Garden, with their countless variety of blessings and their sights
that create a pleasing sense of abundance, appeal to the desires of
the peopleof the Garden. In addition, in the Garden many kinds of
inconveniences associated with worldly markets will disappear. For
example, when people go through markets in this world, they quickly
become weary even though they enjoy themselves. Most people do not
have as much time as they wouldlike to go around in them. Besides
those few people who have enough money to buy what they want, most
people cannot purchase everything they desire and there are many
whocannot afford to buy even what they need. As long as they can pay
the price they can select what they want from theabundance. But if
they cannot afford it, they must be content only with browsing in
these places. However, the Messenger of Allah tells us that people can
have as much as they want of everything in the markets of the Garden.
There, it will not be a matter of shopping; everyone will be able to
have whatever he likes. There will be a variety ofblessings in these
markets that people have never seen or even imagined before. In His
great kindness, Allah willgive everyone what theydesire and no one
will want for anything.
As for those who believe and do right actions, We will lodge them in
lofty chambers in the Garden, with rivers flowing under them,
remaining in them timelessly, for ever. How excellent is the reward of
those who act. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 58)
This situation is described in the hadith:
So we will come to a market surrounded by angels in which there is
that which eyes have never seen the like of, the ears have never heard
and which has never occurred to human hearts. That which we desire
will be carried to us, and nothing will be sold in it or bought. In
that market the people of theGarden will meet each other, so that a
man of high rank will come forward and meet those who are lesser than
himself [and none of them will be low people]and the clothes he has on
will amaze and delight him. Before he ceases speaking, an evenfiner
raiment will appear upon him. That isbecause it is not fitting for
anyone to sorrow in it. (Narrated by Abu Hurayra, Sunan Ibn Majah;
at-Tirmidhi) There is in the Garden a market wherein there will be no
buying and selling, but forms of menand women. So when a man wishes a
form, he will enter into it. (Narrated by Ali, at-Tirmidhi)
Another blessing mentioned in the hadith is the physical features of
men and women. To be able to change one's style at will and to appear
wearing different fashions is something that many people in this world
dream about. Most people would like to have a beautiful, healthyand
unblemished face and body. From birth, people have been given a
certain hair colour, iris colour, facial features, skin tone, and
height and body type. However,in the Garden there is noworldly sense
of monotony from the existence of one kind of beauty; a person's looks
change when and however he may desire, as in this hadith containing
the transformation of the man's clothing in an instance. This is
another blessing.
Platters and cups of gold will be passed around among them and they
will have there all that their hearts desire and their eyes find
delight in. You will remain in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat
az-Zukhruf: 71)
In another hadith, we are told about the pleasant social life in
themarkets of the Garden where believers sit in beautiful, fragrant,
comfortable places, and meet and converse with one another:
It is certain that thereare such markets in the Garden in which no
goods are exchanged. When the inmates of theGarden arrive there, they
will recline on fresh and bright pearly earth of musk. They will meet
with each other asthey did in this world. They will talk of how they
were in this world and how they worshipped our Lord, of how they
enlivened the nights in prayer, of how they fasted during the day, of
the wealth and poverty of the world, of death… and of how they are the
people of the Garden. (Mukhtasar Tadhkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 326/565)
But those who have taqwa of their Lord will have high-ceilinged Halls,
and more such Halls built one above the other, and rivers flowing
under them. That is Allah's promise. Allah does not break His promise.
(Surat az-Zumar: 20)
The Food of the Garden
In both the Qur'an and the hadith we are told that there are many
delicious foods in the Garden. In particular meat and various fruits
will be offered in abundance to the inmates of the Garden. Allah tells
us in the Qur'an about the quality of these gifts to the People of the
Garden:
And any fruit they specify and any bird-meat they desire… (Surat
al-Waqi'a: 20-21)
… as recompense for what they did. (Surat al- Waqi'a: 24)
We are also told that some of the blessings offered to the People of
the Garden resemble things in this world. In one verse, Allah says:
Give the good news to those who have iman and do right actions
thatthey 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 willremain there
timelessly, for ever. (Surat al-Baqara: 25)
Every kind of food offered in the Garden is aesthetically pleasing and
delicious. Especially wonderful are the appearances of the fruitsand
their colours, smells and particular tastes.
For example, many people like the taste andsmell of strawberries. In
spite of this, some people have an allergic reaction when they eat
them. This is one of the drawbacks of this life. Like all the
blessings of this world, fruit also has imperfections. They haveto be
grown, bought, washed and cleaned. In spite of this care they
sometimes go bad and sometimes have no taste. In short, when we eat
food, we must deal with some problems anddeficiencies. As usual in
this world, food is created with some imperfections so that people
will yearn for real blessings. No matter how much a person appreciates
a particular food, the delight in its taste diminishes if he eats it
constantly.
The food and fruits of the Garden come to the people there without
flaw, and without effort on their part. Allah tells us in the Qur'an
that these fruits are very accessible. "Its shading branches will
droop down over them, its ripe fruit hanging ready to be picked."
(Surat al-Insan: 14)When they are picked from the trees they are not
dusty but already clean and have a wonderful taste. In another verse,
Allah says the following about the fruits of the Garden:
That is the Garden you will inherit for what you did. There will be
many fruits in it for you to eat. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 72-73)
In the Garden, food is not eaten out of necessity, but as a blessing
and free gift from Allah. People will be freed there from weaknesses
such as hunger and thirst.
A quality of the blessingsof the Garden mentioned in both the Qur'an
and the hadith is their abundance. Allah revealed in Surah Sad that
provision there will be without cost and will never be used up:
This is what you are promised on the Day of Reckoning. This is Our
provision which will never run out. (Surah Sad: 53-54)
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