Paradise

Paradise is the destination of the ultimate happiness and joy that Allah prepared for the believers who feared Him, believed in what He required from them to believe and obeyed Him and His Messenger. They are the ones who were sincere to Allah and followers of His Messenger. 

Allah said,

"Verily, those who believe (in Allah) and do righteous, good deeds, they are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord is Gardens of Eternity, underneath which rivers flow, they will abide therein forever, Allah Well-Pleased with them, and they with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord." [98:7-8]

Paradise is the aim and the hope of every Muslim. But like trying to attain any goal, in order to achieve success, one must have a well-defined plan, and it must be implemented to be successful.

Allah says,

"O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful." [5:35]

Allah says,

"Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and for Paradise, whose width is as the width of the heavens and the earth, which has been prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers…." (Quran, 57:21) 

Bounties of the paradise

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: `I have prepared for my righteous slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and the mind of no man has conceived.’ If you wish, recite: `No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.’ " (32:17) [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. 

Al-Bukhari reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "The first group to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon. They will not spit, blow their noses or excrete. Their vessels will be of gold, their combs of gold and silver, their incense o aloe, and their sweat of musk. Each of them will have two wives, the marrow of whose leg-bones will be visible through their flesh because of their extreme beauty. There will be no differences or hatred among them (the people of Paradise ); their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify Allah (swt) morning and evening". (Kitaab Bid’ al-Khalq, Baab Ma Jaa’ fi Sifaat al-Jannah, Fath al-Baari, 6/318; Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)

Allah the blessed and most High said about the bounties of paradise,

"Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds), and all that they will ask for. (It will be said to them): "Salamun" (Peace be on you), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful." [36:55-58] 

"There will be an announcer [in Paradise ] who will make this announcement, ‘Verily, there is in store for you [everlasting] health. You will never fall ill, and you will live [forever] and never die. You will remain young and never grow old. You will always live in affluent circumstances and never become destitute.’ [This is explained in] the words of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,

‘And it will be announced to them, ‘This is the Paradise you have been made to inherit for what you used to do.”[7:43]" [Muslim] 

Abu Hurayrah reported that Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: "He who gets into Paradise [will be made to enjoy such an everlasting] bliss that he will neither become destitute nor will his clothes wear out nor will his youthfulness decline." [Muslim] 

Allah the blessed and most High said about the bounties of paradise,

"We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for. ‘An entertainment from (Allah), the oft forgiving, most merciful’". Surah Fussilat 41:31-32) 

And the Blessed and the most High said,

"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them, (there will be) therein all that the one’s inner-selves could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and you will abide therein forever." (Surah az-Zukhruf 43-71) 

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Whoever spends two things in the way of Allah will be called from the gates of Paradise and will be addressed, ‘Oh slave of Allah, here is prosperity!’ So whoever was among the people who used to offer their prayers will be called from the gate of the prayer; and whoever was among the people who used to participate in jihaad will be called from the gate of jihaad; and whoever was among those who used to observer fasts will be called from the gate of ar-Rayyaan; and whoever was among those who used to give charity will be called from the gate of charity." Abu Bakr said, "Let my parents be sacrificed for you, oh Allah’s Apostle! No distress or need will befall him who will be called from those gates. Will there be anyone who will be called from all these gates?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "Yes, and I hope you will be one of them." [al-Bukhaari]

Not the Muslims but the Muttaqoon in paradise! 

Always in the Qur’an when Allah mentions those who will attain Paradise , He mentions the Muttaqoon, not the Muslims. He, subhanahu wa ta’ala, says,

"Indeed the Muttaqoon will be amongst the Gardens and water-springs." [15:45] 

He also says,

"Verily, the Muttaqoon will be in a place of security, among Gardens and Springs, dressed in fine silk and (also) in thick silk, facing each other. This is how it shall be, and We shall marry them to Houris with wide, lovely eyes. They will request therein for every kind of fruit in peace and security." [44:51-55] 

So who are the Muttaqoon and how do we become one of them? Allah says,

"They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and they strive with one another in hastening to good deeds, and those are among the good." [3:114] 

Hell 

As for Hell, it is the destination of torment and punishment that Allah prepared for the unjust disbelievers. They are the ones who disbelieved in Him and disobeyed His Messengers. Hell contains kinds of punishment and torment that no one could ever imagine.

Allah said,

"And fear the Fire, which is prepared for the disbelievers." [3: 131]

"We have prepared for the wrongdoers, a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them. And if they ask for help (relief, water etc.) they will be granted water like boiling oil that will scald their faces. Terrible the drink, and an evil dwelling." [18: 29] 

and,

"Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers, and has prepared for them a flaming Fire (Hell). Wherein, they will abide forever, and they will find neither a protector nor a helper. On the Day when their faces will be turned and rolled form all sides in the Fire, they will say: "Oh, would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger ." [33:64-66] 

"And Verily, the Fujjar (wicked, disbelievers, sinners and evil-doers) will be in the blazing Fire (Hell)" [Glorious Quran, Ch 82: V 14 ] 

Everlasting Life & No death 

Abu Sa`eed reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
"Death will be brought on the Day of Resurrection in the form of a white-colored ram." [Abu Kuraib made the addition, "Then it will be made to stand between Paradise and Hell." So far as the rest of the hadeeth is concerned, there is perfect agreement between narrators.] "It will be said to the people of Paradise , ‘Do you recognize this?’ They will raise up their necks, look towards it and say, ‘Yes, it is death.’ Then a command will be given to slaughter it, and it will be said, ‘O people of Paradise , there is everlasting life for you and no death.’ Then [addressing] the people of Hellfire, it will be said, ‘O people of Hellfire, there is everlasting life for you and no death.’" Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) then recited the following verse pointing wit his hand to this [material] world: "Warn them of the day of regret, when their affairs will be decided. They are unmindful, and they do not believe." [19:39] [Muslim]

Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree and Abu Hurayrah both narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: 

"But those who have faith and work righteousness, they are companions of the Garden, abiding in it eternally." [2:82] 

"There, no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shay they [ever] be evicted." [15:48] 

"They will not taste death therein, except the first death, and He will preserve them from the penalty of the Blazing Fire. [It will be] a bounty from your Lord. That will be the supreme achievement!" [44:56-57] 

"As for those who believe and work righteous deeds, they will have the gardens of Paradise as hospitality. Eternally therein, they will not desire any other [place]." [18:107-108] 

"Their Lord gives them glad tidings of a mercy from Himself and good pleasure and of gardens for them wherein is lasting enjoyment." [9:21] 

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"It will be said to the people of Paradise, ‘O people of Paradise , eternity [for you] and no death!’ To the people of the Fire [it will be said], ‘O people of the Fire, eternity [for you] and no death!’" [Al-Bukhaari] 

The Way to Paradise is Very Hard & The way to Hell is very easy

Paradise is very high, and ascending to lofty places takes a great deal of effort. The way to Paradise is filled with things that go against human wishes and inclinations. This needs strong determination and willpower.

In a hadith narrated by Bukhari from Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said: "Hell has been veiled with desires, and Paradise has been veiled with hardships." 

Prophet (pbuh) said "The most miserable man in the world of those meant for Paradise will be dipped once in Paradise . Then he will be asked, "Son of Adam, did you ever face any misery? Did you ever experience any hardship?" So he will say, "No, by God, O Lord! I never faced any misery, and I never experienced any hardship." Saheeh Muslim, #2807, and Mosnad Ahmad, #12699.

An-Nisa’i, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud report from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said:
"When Allah created Paradise , He told Jibril, ‘Go and look at it.’ So he went and looked at it, then he came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, no one will hear of it but he will enter it." So He surrounded it with hardships and said, ‘Go and look at it.’ So he went and looked at it, then came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, I fear that none will enter it." [Jami al-usul, 10/520, no. 8068.] 

An-Nawawi commented on the hadith:
"This is an example of the beautiful, eloquent and concise speech of which the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, was capable, in which he gives a beautiful analogy. It means that nothing will help you to reach Paradise except going through hardships, and nothing will lead you to Hell but whims and desires. Both are veiled as described, and whoever tears down the veil will reach what was hidden behind it. The veil of Paradise is torn down by going through hardships, and the veil of Hell is torn down by giving in to whims and desires. Hardship includes striving consistently and patiently in worship, restraining one’s anger, forgiving, being patient, giving in charity, being kind to those who mistreat you, resisting physical desires, etc." [Sharh an-Nawawi `ala Muslim, 17/165]

Jazak’Allah Kh’air to Br. Moosal Al-Qualim.