will be left over. There, Allah will populate three hundredand sixty
worlds, each one of which is larger than the world from its creation
to its end. (Ahmad Diya ad-Din al- Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith,
vol. 1, p. 30/5)
As the Prophet points out in this hadith, there is vast spaciousness
in the Garden. Contrary to the narrow restriction ofthe Fire described
in the Qur'an, the Garden is expansive. It has been created in this
way so that the human spirit may delight in open horizons and take
pleasure in its expanse. Allah, in the Qur'an, describes the breadth
of the Garden in these words:
Race each other to forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden as wide as
the heavens andthe earth, prepared for the people who have taqwa.
(Surah Al 'Imran: 133)
Allah expands provision to anyone He wills and restricts it. They
rejoice in the life of this world. Yet the life of this world,
compared to the akhira, is only fleeting enjoyment. (Surat ar-Ra'd:
26)
Fragrant aromas are a gift that Allah has given us. In this world, the
most beautiful scent onlylasts a short time. The molecules of a
particularscent evaporate into the air and our noses quicklybecome
used to the scent; this limits the pleasure that we can obtain from a
scent. But the duration of a scent can be as important as the
immediate pleasure it gives. In his hadith theProphet describes the
delight that beautiful aromas from the Garden can give:
If one of the women of the Garden peeped into this world, she would
illuminate and fillwith fragrance everything between [heaven and
earth]. (Sahih al-Bukhari; Imam Ghazzali, Ihya Ulum ad-Din, vol. 4)
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah told us about the beautiful
aromas of the food in the Garden:
… the best smelling and finest foods are produced. (Al-Hafiz ibn ad-
Dayba ash-Shaybani, Taysir al-usul ila Jami al-usul, p. 448/3)
Aroma is an important element in the pleasure we derive from food. The
pleasure we take from the scent of a cake in the oven comes from the
aroma of the vanilla and the chocolate, for example, wafting through
the air. In the same way, the pleasure we take from roasting meat,
oranges, tomatoesor any other food is due to the aromas they exude. If
we had no sense of smell we would not be able to distinguish the foods
weeat in this particular fashion and we would not experience their
tastes in quite the same way. From this point of view, smells are
complementary to the pleasure we find in delicious tastes.
Another hadith mentionsthe beauty of the aromas of the Garden:
The north wind will blow and will scatter fragrance on their faces and
on their clothes andadd to their goodness and beauty. (Narrated by
Anas, Sahih Muslim)
Another hadith speaks ofplants that are known bytheir beautiful scents:
Henna [a dye and scent] is the chief scent of the Garden… When Allah
created the GardenHe filled it with the scent of sweet basil,
andsurrounded the sweet basil with the scent of henna… (Mukhtasar
Tadhkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 342/619)
Basil, mentioned in the hadith, is one of the plants known for its
beautiful scent. However, the scents we know in this world are only a
pale reflection of those in the Garden, andAllah knows best.
All aromas in the Garden have been created as blessings to please the
senses of the believers, and none of the unpleasant odours we often
encounter in this world will be found there. Those foul odours remind
people of the imperfections of this world and make them long for the
Garden. There will be no such imperfections in the Garden and every
place will be redolent of the sweet aromas that please the human
spirit. In one of his hadith, the Prophet says the following of the
Garden:
… its mortar is of strongly scented musk … (At-Tirmidhi)
Among the reasons why those who live in this world without the
teachings of the Qur'an are sad and anxious is because they always
have to deal with conversations that are filled with apprehension,
pessimism, dishonesty and negativity. Even the slightest negativity in
conversations can make the best environment uncomfortable. On the
other hand, a heartfelt compliment, a word spoken to honour someone, a
word that evokes pleasure, courage and hope, or anhonest and sincere
conversation are sometimes more important than the material blessings
surrounding us. In this world, we often encounter conversationsthat
make us uncomfortable. However, Allah tells us that there will be no
such things in the Garden; believers will have delightful
conversations with one another in comfortable surroundings. Along with
the great blessings of sincere converse that Allah's beloved slaves
will have in the Garden, believers will also be far removed from lies
and empty, negative chatter. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that this
will be a wonderful gift for His slaves:
Where they will hear no prattle and no denial, a recompense from your
Lord, a commensurate gift.Where they will hearno prattle and no
denial,a recompense from your Lord, a commensurate gift. (Surat
an-Naba': 35- 36)
The Messenger also tells us about the beauty of the conversations in the Garden:
Allah will fill the ears of the person of the Garden with people's
praise of him, which he will hear. Allah will fill the ears of the
person ofthe Fire with people's evil remembrance of him, which he will
hear. (Ahmad Diya ad-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al- Ahadith, vol.
1, p. 155/2)
Some hadith also indicate that the sincere converse that believers
have in this world will continue in the afterlife. Another hadith
tells us that, in their conversations in the Garden, believers will
recall what they have done in their earthly lives:
When the people of the Garden settle in the Garden some brothers will
wish to see each other. One will go to one side of a couch and the
other to the other. When they meet they will remember and speak
together of the things between them in this world. One will say, "My
brother, do you remember how we prayed to Allah in such and such a
mosque in the world? And Allah has forgiven us." (Ahmad Diya ad-Din
al- Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol. 1, p. 29/12)
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