The Description of Paradise – III

The Soil of Paradise
Describing the soil of Paradise, the Prophet Muhammad said:
"I entered Paradise, where I saw lights of pearl, its soil was musk."
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Ibn Sayyaad asked the Messenger about the soil of Paradise. He said,
"It is a fine white powder of pure musk." [Muslim and Ahmad]
Abu Hurayrah said: "I asked, 'O' Messenger of Allaah, 'From what are
people created?' He said: "From water." We (present Companions) asked,
'From what is Paradise built?' He said, 'Bricks of gold and silver and
mortar of fragrant musk; its pebbles are pearls and rubies, and its
soil is saffron. Whoever enters it is blessed with joy and will never
bemiserable; he will remain there forever and will never die; his
clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade away.'"
[Ahmad and others]
The Rivers of Paradise
Allaah, the Most High and Exalted,has told us that rivers flow from
beneath Paradise. He Says in the Quran (what means):
{And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds
that they will have gardens[in Paradise] beneath which riversflow.}
[Quran 2: 25]
Allaah also Says (what means): {Those will have gardens of perpetual
residence; beneath them rivers will flow.} [Quran 18: 31]
The Prophet has told us clearly about the rivers of Paradise. He said
that during his Mi'raaj' (miraculous Ascension to the heavens):
"...I saw four rivers flowing out from beneath Sidrat Al-Muntaha (the
Lote Tree in the seventh heaven), two visible and two hidden. I asked,
'O Jibreel (Gabriel), what are these rivers?' He said, 'The two hidden
rivers are rivers of Paradise, and the two visible rivers are the Nile
and the Euphrates." [Muslim]
Imaam Al-Bukhaari reported from Anas Ibn Maalik that theMessenger of
Allaah said: "I was shown As-Sidrah (Lote Tree), where I saw four
rivers, two visible rivers and two hidden rivers. The two visible
rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates, and the two hidden rivers are
rivers inParadise."
Moreover, the Messenger of Allaah said: "Seehaan and Jeehaan (the
Euphrates and the Nile) are all from the rivers of Paradise." [Muslim]
Shaykh Al-Albaani said: "Perhaps what is meant is that these rivers
originated from Paradise just as mankind did; thisHadeeth does not
contradict the well-established fact that these rivers spring forth
from known sources on earth. If this is not in fact the meaning of
this Hadeeth,then it is one of the matters of the Unseen (Al-Ghayb),
which we must believe and accept because the Prophet has told us
aboutit." [Silsilat Al-A Haadeeth As-Saheehah, 1/18]
Al-Qaari said: "These four rivers are considered to be among the
rivers of Paradise, because they are so sweet and digestive, so fresh
and wholesome. They contain blessings from Allaah, and are honored by
the fact that the Prophet came to them and drank from them." [Mishkaat
Al-Masaabeeh 3/80
Another of the rivers of Paradise is Al-Kawthar which Allaah, the
Almighty has given to His Messenger according His Saying (which
means):
{Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], Al-Kawthar.} [Quran 108: 1]
The Prophet saw it during his Ascension and told us about it. He said:
"Whilst I was walkingin Paradise, I saw a river whose banks were domes
of hollow pearls. I asked, 'What is this, O' Jibreel?' He said, 'This
is Al-Kawthar which your Lord has given to you.' Its scent - or its
mud - was of fragrant musk." Hudbah [one of the narrators] was not
sure if he said Teeb (scent) or Teen (mud). [Al-Bukhaari]
On the other hand, Ibn Katheer compiled a number of Ahadeeth in which
the Prophet spoke about A1-Kawthar, such as the Hadeeth narrated by
Muslim from Anas, which states that when the verse (which means): "
{Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], Al-Kawthar.} , was
revealed, the Prophet said:
"Do you know what Al-Kawthar is?" They said, "Allaah and His Messenger
know best." He said, "It is a river that Allaah has promised to me,
and in it is muchgoodness." [Muslim]
He also quoted the Hadeeth narrated by Ahmad from Anas according to
which the Prophet said:
"I have been given Al-Kawthar, which is a river flowing across the
face of the earth; its banks are domes of pearl and it is not covered.
I touched its mud with my hand, and found that it was fragrant musk,
and its pebbles were pearls." [Ahmad]
According to another Hadeeth, also narrated by Ahmad from Anas the Prophet said:
"It is a river that Allaah has given to me in Paradise. Its mud is
musk and its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Birds
with necks like the necks of camels drink from it." [Ahmad]
The rivers of Paradise do not contain just water. There are rivers of
water, of milk, of wine and of clear honey. Allaah, the Most High and
Exalted, Says (whatmeans):
{Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised,
wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of
which never changes,rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and
rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of]
fruits and forgiveness from their Lord, like [that of] those who abide
eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will
sever their intestines.} [Quran 47: 15]
Moreover, the Messenger of Allaah said: "In Paradise thereis a sea of
honey, a sea of wine, a sea of milk and a sea of water, and the rivers
flow out of these seas." [At-Tirmithi]
He also told us of a river called Baariq, which flows by the gate of
Paradise. During the period of Barzakh (the time between death and the
Day of Resurrection), the martyrs will bebeside this river. Ahmad,
At-Tabaraani and Al-Haakim reported from Ibn 'Abbaas that the
Messenger of Allaah said:
"The martyrs are in a green domebeside the river of Baariq, by the
gate of Paradise, from which provision comes to them morning and
evening." [Al-Jaami']