Jannat

In the Afterlife, those who are Mindful of God

and do good deeds

will enjoy a Garden

as wide as heaven and earth (57.21)

with rivers flowing beneath it

and filled with every kind of provision imaginable (25.16)

And we are told that the pleasures of Jannat

are experienced in all the ways that pleasure can be enjoyed.

Physical comfort is suggested by soft surfaces to recline on,

couches, cushions and carpets (88.13-16)

There will be no burning heat or bitter cold (76.13)

no weariness or pain (15.48)

no ageing and death (44.56)

just eternal youthful vigour.

Physical pleasures are enjoyed with perfect sexual partners (44.54)

and hunger is satisfied with whatever kinds of food can be desired (52.22)

though God's provision is overwhelmingly represented by

the idea of all kinds of fruit hanging within reach (76.14)

All kinds of sweet drinks are there (38.51)

as well as the fountain of Silsabil (76.18)

and a pure drink from a spring that brings delight (37.45-46)

served in crystal goblets by ageless youths, all as beautiful as scattered pearls (76.19)

But for those who are in Jannat there is more than physical pleasure.

There is a feeling of being honoured (37.42)

and beautiful (18.31)

everyone being shown their true beauty (22.23)

dressed in brocades and silk (18.31)

and wearing gold and pearls (35.33)

Their minds will be at ease with no fear

no insult no name calling or bullying,

and no-one will feel lonely.

They will enjoy the companionship of friends and family,

but with all grudges stripped away (15.47)

For those in Jannat there will be no lying gossip (78.35)

just loving conversation,

with everyone guided to beautiful speech (22.24)

It is a place of safety (44.51)

in which they feel no sorrow (35.34)

because God throws light and joy upon them (76.11)

it is the finest of homes to return to (38.49)

and provision without end (38.54)

All this is part of the experience of Jannat,

and all of it is summed up in the idea of a garden.

To the Arabs of the time of the Revelation,

surrounded by baking desert

it would be hard to imagine anywhere more paradisiacal than a lush garden,

laden with all kinds of fruits,

with fountains fed from below by a copious and everlasting flow of water,

and cool shade to protect them from the burning heat of the sun.

But what are the chances of someone in Scotland

putting cool shade very high on their list of

preferred options for Paradise?

We think of the sun in a different way,

more likely to yearn for a promise of warm sunshine

than for protection from the burning heat of sunlight,

but still we can understand a paradise of beauty and abundance,

filled with physical, emotional and psychological ease,

comfort and pleasure.

Our imagination may not have the same specificities,

but the human experience of joy and satisfaction will always be comparable,

even in a completely different historical and geographical context.

Everyone will have their own idea of what paradise means to them,

their own personal idea of pleasure,

and the Qur'an makes clear that there are many different types of experience to be had in Jannat,

with the description of the Garden

we are given just a glimpse of God's unbounded and unimaginable provision.

But although the ayats describing Jannat are scattered throughout the Qur'an,

it is the Sura named after the Fount of All Mercy

that is best known for its descriptions of not one but several gardens.