Stages and Gates of Paradise

Question: Mufti, I was at the Monroe Road Mosque on Friday and I found
your lecture very inspirational on Brotherhood in Islam. One part of
your lecture concerning a Hadith in which themiddle part of Jannah was
mentioned, you described that Jannah is not like seven levels ofa
building, where the middle part would be the greatest part or
Jannat-ul-Firdous. Can you shed more light into this area since I used
to always think of Jannah as seven levels like one on top the other. I
would also like you to clarify the following for me:
There are eight doors of Jannah.These are eight grades of Jannah:
i) Jannatul Mava
ii) Darul Maqaam
iii) Darul Salaam
iv) Darul Khuld
v) Jannat-ul-Adan
vi) Jannat-ul-Naeem
vii) Jannat-ul-Kasif
viii) Jannat-ul-Firdous
Jannatul Mava is in the lowest, Jannat-ul-Adan is the middle
andJannat-ul-Firdous is on the highest.
Answer: With respect to the amount of gates in Jannah, it is evident
that there are eight of them. In a tradition, Sahl bin Sa'ad(r.a)
reported that the Prophet (s.a.s) said, 'Paradise has eight gates, and
one of them is called ArRayyan. None will enter it except those who
observe fasting.' (Bukhari)
In another tradition, Umar bin Khattab (r.a) narrates that the Prophet
(s.a.s) said, 'Anyone of you who performs wudu and says Ash'hadu an la
ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lahu wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadan
abduhu wa rasuluhu, all the eight gates of Jannah would be open for
him.' (Muslim)
This hadith shows that there are eight gates in Jannah and one who
does the above act would befortunate to gain entry into these gates.
The Prophet (s.a.s) has further given details regarding these gates
and has mentioned some of their names.
In a tradition narrated by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (s.a.s) is
reported to have said, 'Whoever spends in the path of Allah two things
of the same kind would be called to Paradise and it will be said, 'O
Servant of Allah.' One whohad been offering salaah would be called
from the gate of salaah; the man of Jihad would be called from the
gate of Jihad; the man offasting would be called from the gate of
Rayyan.' Upon hearing this, Abu Bakr (r.a) said, 'May my parents be
sacrificed for you, will there be anyone who would be called from all
these gates?' The Prophet (s.a.s) said, 'Yes! and I hope you are one
of them.' (Recorded by Tirmizi).
While commenting on this hadith, the great scholar of hadith and
commentator of Sahih Al Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani writes,
'This hadith tells of four gates (1) Babus Salaah (the gate of
Salaah); (2) Babul Jihad (the gate of Jihad);(3) Babus Sadaqah (the
gate of charity; (4) Babur Rayyan (the gate of the fasting people. It
seems that one gate is also named Babul Hajj (the gate for those who
performed Hajj) and one more for those who suppresstheir anger.
Similarly, one gate Babul Aiman will be fixed for those totally
relying on Allah and they will enter the gate without their account
being taken. There would also be a gate named Babuz Zikr which has
been referred to in a hadith recorded by Tirmizi.'
The above mentioned traditions spoke of the eight different gates in
Jannah and also highlighted their names. Along with the different
gates in Paradise, it is also evident that there are ranks and storeys
in Paradise. The Holy Quran and the traditions tell us that based on
the great amount of good deeds of a person, he would be placed in a
high and lofty place in Paradise while other believers will be placed
in a lower rank or storey.
In this regard, the Holy Quran has stated, 'Those are the ones that
will be rewarded with the highestplace in Paradise, because of
theirpatience.' (25:76). At another place it states, 'As for those who
feared their Lord, for them will be lofty mansions, one above the
other, which have been built and beneath them rivers flow.' (39:20)/
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