CLASS 3
THE TREES, FRUITS & FOOD
I N P A R A D I S E
Its trees and fruits are of many kinds and everlasting
The trees of Paradise are abundant and good and of many kinds. Allaah has told us that there are grapevines, date-palms and pomegranate trees in Paradise, as well as lotus trees and acacia trees:
"Verily, for the muttaqoon, there will be a success [Paradise], gardens and grape yards" [78:31-32]
"in them [both will be fruits, date palms and pomegranates" [55:68]
"And those on the Right Hand - who will be those on the Right Hand? [They will be] among thornless lote-trees, Among Talh trees with fruits piled one above another, In shade long-extended, By water flowing constantly, And fruit in plenty" [56:27-32]
The lotus tree [ad-Sidr] is a thorny plant, but in Paradise it will be thornless. at-Talh [acacia tree] is a tree of Hijaaz, a kind of 'idah [a fair sized thorny shrub], but in Paradise its fruits will be ready to eat, with no effort required.
What Allaah (swt) has told us about the trees of Paradise is only a small part of what Paradise contains. Hence Allaah told us "In them [both] will be every kind of fruit in pairs" [55:52]
Because of its abundance, people will be able to leave what they want and take what they want:
"...and therein they will call for fruits in abundance and drinks". [38:51]
"With fruits, any that they may select" [56:20]
"Verily the Muttaqoon shall be amidst shades and springs, And fruits - such as they desire" [77:41-42]
In short, Paradise contains all kinds of fruits and other joys that one's heart could desire:
"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them, [there will be] therein all that one's soul could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and you will abide therein forever" [43:71]
Ibn Katheer had said some profound words about the greatness of the fruits of Paradise, and concluded that by means of understatement, Allaah (swt) conveyed the abundance and greatness of those fruits. He said, "The lotus tree [as-Sidr] does not bear any fruit other than some insignificant, inferior fruits, and it is thorny. The acacia tree [at-Talh] is only used for shade in this world [not for fruit] but in Paradise there will be many of them, growing beautifully, and bearing such abundant fruit that a single fruit will have seventy kinds of taste and colour that resemble one another.
So how do you think the trees that are grown for their fruit on earth will be in Paradise, like apple trees, date palms, grape vines and so on? How do you think the flowers will be? In short, there will be what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can comprehend and we ask Allaah (swt) to grant us some of this, by His Grace" [an-Nihaayah, 2/262]
The trees of Paradise bear fruit constantly, unlike the trees of this world, which bear fruit only at certain times or seasons. The trees of Paradise always bear fruit and offer shade:
"The description of the Paradise which the Muttaqoon have been promised! -Underneath it rivers flow, its provision is eternal and so is its shade" [13:55]
"And fruit in plenty, whose season is not limited, and their supply will not be cut off" [56:32-33]
The supply is continuous and the people of Paradise are never denied. one of the delights that the people of Paradise will enjoy is finding that its fruits are similar in appearance, but different in taste: "Everytime they will be provided with a fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before", and they will be given things in resemblance [i.e. in the same form but different in taste]" [2:25]
The trees of Paradise are of rich and lush foliage - "With spreading branches" [55:48], and they are intensely green - "dark and green [in colour]" [55:64]. The intensity of the colour is because of the density of the trees in Paradise.
The fruits of the trees will be low-hanging, in easy reach of the people of Paradise: "Reclining upon the couches lined with silk brocade, and the fruits of the two Gardens will be near at hand" [55:54]
The shade of these trees will be as Allaah (swt) says:
"..and We shall admit them to shades wide and ever deepening". [4:57]
"In shade long-extended" [56:30]
Some of the trees of Paradise
The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ told us wondrous things about some of the trees of paradise which indicates that they are so amazingly huge that trying to imagine them makes one's head spin. We shall quote some examples here:
a) A tree whose shadow it takes one hundred years to cross. This is a huge tree, whose true size is known only to its Creator. The Prophet ﷺ conveyed an impression of its size when he said that "In Paradise there is a tree which the rider of a swift horse would need one hundred years to pass beneath" [al-Bukhaari]
(b) Sidrat al-Muntaha. There is a tree in paradise which Allaah has mentioned in a clear and unambiguous revelation. Allaah (swt) told us that our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw Jibreel in the form in which Allaah created him at that tree. He also told us that it was veiled with something known only to Allaah (swt) when the Prophet ﷺ saw it: "And indeed he [Muhammad] saw him [Jibreel] at a second descent [i.e. a second time] near Sidrat al-Muntaha [the Lote-tree of the utmost boundary beyond which none may pass] near it is the Paradise of Abode. When that covered the lote-tree which covered it! The sight of [Muhammad] turned not aside [right or left], nor did it transgress beyond [the] limit [ordained for it]" [53:13-18]
The Prophet ﷺ told us about what he saw of this tree: "Then I was taken up until I reached Sidrat al-Muntaha and I saw its Nabq [fruits] which looked like the clay jugs of Hajar, its leaves were like the ears of elephants, and one of these leaves could cover the whole of this ummah. It was veiled in colours indescribable. Then I entered Paradise, and its lights were pearls and its soil was musk". [Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 4/82, no. 4075, al-Bukhaari and Muslim; see also al-Bukhaari, Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and Muslim, Saheeh al-Jaami', 3/18, no. 2861]
(c) Tooba. This is a huge tree which produces the fabric for the clothing of the people of Paradise. Ahmad Ibn Jareer and Ibn Hibbaan report from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, "Tooba is a tree in Paradise, as big as a hundred year's journey; the clothes of the people of Paradise comes from its calyces [the outer parts of its flowers]" [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 4/639, no. 1985, the isnaad is hasan]
Narrated by Ahmad from 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr, who said, "A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, tell us about the clothes of the people of Paradise; are they created or are they woven?" Some of the people laughed. The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, "Why are you laughing? Because someone who does not know has asked someone who does know?" Then he turned and asked, "Where is the one who asked the question?" The man said, "Here I am, O Messenger of Allaah". He said, "No, they are produced by the fruits of Paradise" three times" [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 4/640]
The trunks of the trees of Paradise are of Gold.
One of the wondrous things that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ told us is that the trunks of the trees are gold: "There is no tree in Paradise that does not have a trunk made of gold" [Ibn Hibbaan, at-Tirmidhi]
The best aromatic plants in Paradise.
Allaah told us that in Paradise there are aromatic plants: "[there is for him] rest and provision [Rayhaan - literally - sweet smelling plants, here used as symbolical of complete satisfaction and delight]" [56:89]
In Mu'jam at-Tabaraanee al-Kabeer, a report from 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr whose isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari and Muslim states that the Prophet ﷺ said, "The best of the aromatic plants of Paradise is henna." [SilSilah as-Saheehah, 3/407, no. 1420]
How can the Believer increase his/her share of the trees of Paradise?
Al-Khaleel ar-Rahmaan and the Father of the Prophets, Ibraaheem (as) asked our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on the night of the Israa' to convey his greetings to this ummah and to tell them the way in which they could increase their share of the trees of Paradise. at-Tirmidhi reported with a hasan isnaad from Ibn Mas'oud that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "I met Ibraaheem...and he said, "O Muhammad, tell your ummah that Paradise is a a land whose soil is good and its water is sweet. It is an empty plain, which will be planted with SubhaanAllaah, al-Hamdulillaah, and Allaahu Akbar" [Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 5/34, no. 5028]
Also it was narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says Subhan Allah il ‘azeem wa bi hamdihi (Glory and praise be to Allah, the Almighty), a palm tree will be planted for him in Paradise.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, classes as sahih by Albani)
The Animals and Birds of Paradise
The kinds of birds and animals that exist in Paradise are known only to Allaah. He ta'ala told us that among the delights enjoyed by the people of Paradise will be:
"..and the flesh of fowls any that they may desire" [56:21]
at-Tirmidhi reports from Anas that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was asked, "What is al-Kawthar?" He said, "That is a river that Allaah has given me... and in it are birds with necks like the necks of camels". 'Umar said, These birds will be in bliss". The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, "Those who eat them will be more blissful"". [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/91]
The Food & Drink of the People of the Paradise
We have already discussed the trees and fruits of Paradise, including the ripe fruits, which hang within easy reach, so that the people of Paradise may pick whichever fruits they desire. The people will also have whatever food and drink they desire:
"Any fruit [any] that they may choose, And the flesh of fowls that they desire" [56:20-21]
"...there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that the eyes could delight in." [43:71]
Allaah (swt) will permit them to take whatever they want of the good food and drink of Paradise: "Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!" [69:24]
We have also covered before that in Paradise there will be a sea of water, a sea of wine, a sea of milk and a sea of honey, and the rivers of Paradise will flow out of these seas. There will be also many springs in Paradise, and its people will drink from these seas, rivers and springs.
(i) The Wine of the People of Paradise
One of the drinks that Allaah will bestow on the people of Paradise will be wine. The wine of Paradise is free of all the troubles and problems that characterise the wine of this world, which makes people lose their minds, and causes headaches, stomach aches and other physical disorders, or which may have something wrong in the way it is made, or its colour, etc. But the wine of Paradise is free from all such faults; it is pure and beautiful: "Round them will be passed a cup of pure wine; white, delicious to the drinkers. Neither will they have ghoul [any kind of hurt, abdominal pain, headache, etc] from that, nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom" [37:45-47]
(ii) The first food of the people of Paradise
The first food which Allaah (swt) will present to the people of Paradise will be the caudate [extra] lobe of fish-liver. al-Bukhaari reports that 'Abdullaah ibn Salaam asked the Prophet ﷺ a number of questions when he first came to Madinah, one of which was, "What is the first thing that the people of Paradise will eat?" He said, "The caudate [extra] lobe of fish liver" [Ibn Katheer, an-Nihaayah, 2/270]
The food and drink of the people of Paradise does not produce any impure excrement.
It might cross one's mind that the food and drink of Paradise might produce the same as the food and drink of this world, namely excrement, urine, mucus, saliva, and so on. But this is not the case. Paradise is a place that is free from all impurities, and its people are free of all the blemishes of people of this world. A hadith reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah clearly rejects such a nation: the Prophet ﷺ said, "The first group to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon; they will not spit or blow their noses." [al-Bukhaari]
This does not only apply to the first group to enter Paradise, all those who enter will be similarly pure. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, It might be asked where will the waste produces go? This question was posed to the Prophet ﷺ by his Sahabah and he replied, "[It will come out as] burps which are like musk." [Muslim in 4/2180, no. 2835]. Other parts the excretions will be turned into sweat like musk that will come out of their bodies.
Why Will the People of Paradise Eat and Drink and Comb their Hair?
If the people of Paradise are to abide there forever, and it is free form all discomfort, pain and sickness, if there is no hunger or thirst there, and no impurities or dirt, then why will the people of Paradise eat and drink, and wear perfume and comb their hair?
al-Qurtubee answered this question in at-Tadhkirah [p. 475, see also al-Fath, 6/325]: "The luxuries and clothing of the people of Paradise will not be for the purpose of warding off potential pains; they will not eat because of hunger or drink because of thirst, or wear perfume because of some offensive odour, because Paradise is a never-ending succession of delight and joy. Do you not remember the words of Allaah (swt) to Aadam?
"Verily you have [a promise from Us] that you will never be hungry therein nor naked. And you [will] suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun's heat." [20:118-119]
The wisdom behind it [food and drink, etc] is so that Allaah will introduce Paradise to them in ways similar to the good things that they enjoyed on earth, but He will increase it in ways known only to Him."
The Vessels and Cups of the People of Paradise
The vessels from which the people of Paradise will eat and drink will be of gold and silver. Allaah (swt) says:
"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them.." [43:71] i.e. cups of gold.
"And amongst them, will be passed round vessels of silver and cups of crystal, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure thereof according to their wishes." [76:15] i.e it will combine the purity of crystal with the whiteness of silver.
TIPS OF TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the descriptions.
Remember how to increase the number of trees.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
Invite atleast 15 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
Implement atleast 3 deeds that will be discussed in Class 5. 4 Marks
Talk about any 3 topics/Sunnahs/simple deeds and their great rewards covered in this week’s classes with atleast 3 people. 3 Marks.
Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
JOIN FOR FREE VIA whatsapp
Pls read our FAQs to get the details and to know how we go about things if U have any further Qs pls feel free to ask...
FAQs: - https://learn-islam.org/faqs-monthly-courses
Happy Learning... JazakAllah Khair...
As Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh :)
SUPPORT LEARN ISLAM
If you benefit from courses by LEARN ISLAM and want to support us, please do so by buying the book FORGOTTEN SUNNAHS written by Abu Sahl Al Ansari (the founder and admin of LEARN ISLAM).
FORGOTTEN SUNNAHS : https://learn-islam.org/forgotten-sunnahs-book