[Jannah: The Garden from the Qur'an and Hadith ] - 11 Precious Stones and Metals & 12 The Beauty of the Dwellings of the Garden

11. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals that there are luxurious items,
various jewels and precious stones in the Garden. "[They are] on
sumptuous woven couches" (Surat al-Wa'qia: 15)ve "They will enter
Gardens of Eden where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and
pearls." (Surah Fatir: 33)These jewels that are mentioned in the
Qur'an and in the hadith in relation to the Garden have been
expressions throughout human history of wealth and splendour. Everyone
appreciates these adornments of diamonds, pearls, rubies,gold and
silver, and takes pleasure in seeing things decorated with them.
They will have Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them. They
will be adorned in them with bracelets made of gold and wear green
garments made of the finest silk and rich brocade, reclining there on
couches under canopies. What an excellent reward! What a wonderful
repose! (Surat al-Kahf: 31)
There are some hadith, such as those below thatmention pearls as a
blessing of the Garden:
Those who dwell in the Garden of Eternity will wear crowns encrusted
with pearls, the radiance of the smallest of which will illuminate the
space separating the east fromthe west! (At-Tirmidhi)
'Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying that
the [Yemeni]Corner and the Station [of Ibrahim] are two of the
precious stones of the Garden, whose light has been extinguished by
Allah. If He had not extinguished their light,it would illuminate
everything between theeast and the west." (At-Tirmidhi, 804)
Pearls are a good example of the rare value of the blessings of the
Garden. Divers must go down several times into the dangerous depths of
the sea to bring them up, and this adornment is found in only a few of
the many oysters that are collected. Besides its beauty, what gives
valueto this little object is, as we said above, the effortrequired to
obtain it andits great rarity.
"Are these the people you swore that Allah's mercy would never reach?"
"Enter the Garden. You will feel no fear and know no sorrow. (Surat
al-A'raf: 49)
Much time, effort and expense is required in this world to obtain the
pearl, but they are abundant in the world to come. The fact that such
a rare and valuable object of beauty is plentiful will doubtless
produce a particular excitement in the humanspirit. Moreover, the
blessings of the Garden revealed in the Qur'an will have a beauty that
isbeyond our capacity to imagine. The hadith mention a pearl that
illuminates everything between East and West, but we cannot completely
picture the brilliance and splendour of such a pearl in our
minds._______________________________________________
12. Palaces and mansions are among the most beautiful residences in
the world. When people describe the beauty of these residences, they
always mention, for example, their views, valuable furnishings,
beautiful décor, columns, and gilded woodwork.
In the verses of the Qur'an that speak of the Garden, Allah often
mentions such dwellingsthat are pleasing to human beings: mansions,
palaces and pavilions. These dwellings are rare in thisworld, but they
are numerous and in perfectand splendid condition in the Garden and
Allah'sbeloved slaves will live in them.
Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them
timelessly, for ever. That is the reward of those who purify
themselves. (Surah Ta Ha: 76)
Some of the hadith in which the wealth and abundance of these
dwellings are described are as follows:
We asked: "What is the Garden made of?" The Prophet said: "A brick of
gold and a brickof silver, its mortar is of strongly scented musk, its
stones are pearls and emeralds, and its soil is of saffron. Those who
enter it will be in affluent circumstances and will not be
destitute,they will live for ever and not die, their garments will not
wear out, and their youth will not pass away." (Narrated by Abu
Hurayra, at-Tirmidhi)
The walls of the Garden are built of bricks of gold and silver,its
dust of saffron… (Imam Ghazzali, Ihya Ulum ad- Din, vol. 4)
The hadith point out that the dwellings of theGarden are made from the
most valuable materials, and, instead of common gravel and pebbles,
there will be pearls and rubies.