Misconception Surah 83 · Ayah 12
How old will people be in Paradise
How old will people be in Paradise
Question
How old will everybody be in paradise and will they grow or remain the same as they were when they first enter paradise? And please can you tell me why? Thank you very much!!! I will really apppreciate it!
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
We put this question to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allaah preserve him), who answered as follows:
Praise be to Allaah, the Most High (al-‘Aliy), the Almighty (al-‘Azeem), the Most Great (al-Kabeer), the Most High (al-Muta’aal). Glory be to Allaah, the Almighty (al-‘Azeem). There is no god but Allaah, and Allaah is Most Great. And peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions…
One of the things which it is obligatory to believe in is that Allaah is the Most High (al-‘Aliy, al-A’laa) and that He rose over the Throne, as He has told us about Himself in His Book. He, may He be glorified and exalted, is above all things. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in his du’aa’: “You are the Most High (al-Zaahir) and there is nothing above You.”
We are also obliged to believe that He is the Most Great (al-Kabeer), and that He is greater than all things, and that He is the Almighty (al-Azeem), and there is nothing mightier than Him. Part of the perfection of His might and power is that He will grasp the heavens and the earth in His two Hands on the Day of Resurrection, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They made not a just estimate of Allâh such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him!” [al-Zumar 39:62]
It must be noted that because Allaah is perfect in His Highness and Power, He cannot reside in anything that He has created. So it cannot be said that He is in Paradise. On the contrary, He is above the Throne which is the roof of al-Firdaws, and al-Firdaws is the highest part of Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you ask Allaah for Paradise, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise and it is in the middle of Paradise, and its roof is the Throne of the Most Merciful.”
It is not permissible for the Muslim to think about the essence of Allaah, or to try to imagine His might, for the human mind is incapable ot comprehending the real essence and attributes of the Lord, and how they are. As Imaam Maalik said, when he was asked about how Allaah rose over the Throne: “We know that He rose over it, but we do not know how. Believing in it is obligatory and asking about it is bid’ah.”
Allaah has prepared Paradise as a reward for His close friends who obey Him in this world and who are patient in following His commands and heeding His prohibitions. He has placed therein everything that is dear to them, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“(there will be) therein all that inner‑selves could desire, and all that eyes could delight in and you will abide therein forever”
[al-Zukhruf 43:71]
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said (that Allaah said): ‘I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has never entered the mind of man.’ Recite if you wish:
“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do”
[al-Sajdah 32:17]
(al-Bukhaari, 3244; Muslim 2824).
Therefore we believe that the condition of those who enter Paradise will be the best and most perfect condition in all senses, whether we know the details of that or not. Knowing some of these details is something that makes the Muslim more interested and more motivated to do good deeds.
One of the aspects of this perfect condition has to do with the ages of the people of Paradise. There is a hadeeth which states that they will enter Paradise “aged thirty-three years” (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Takhreej al-Mishkaat, 5634). Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning this age: “There is obvious wisdom behind this, for it is the most perfect age at which one is most able to enjoy physical pleasures, and the age at which one's health and strength are most perfect.” (Haadi al-Arwaah, p. 111).
With regard to whether they will grow older, there are some ahaadeeth which do not confirm that they will not age. What has been proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is that they “will never lose their youth.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2539; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2062). Whatever the case, it is certain from the principle established above that they will be in the most perfect condition, so they will remain young for ever and ever, and their delight will increase and never decrease, and they will live a good life and nothing will ever spoil their joy.
We ask Allaah by His grace and mercy to make us, you and all the Muslims among the people of that abode, and to help us to act in accordance with His religion and for the sake of His religion, until we meet Him when He is pleased with us, for He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
Where is Paradise and where is Hell?
Where are Paradise and Hell located? Some people say that Hell is in the interior of the earth. Is that true?
Praise be to Allah.
What has been stated by the scholars is that Paradise is in the seventh heaven and Hell is in the lowest level of the earth.
Al-Bukhaari (7432) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you ask of Allah, then ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is the middle of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Gracious.”
Al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Ba‘th wa’n-Nushoor (455), with a da‘eef isnaad from Ibn Mas‘ood that he said: Paradise is in the seventh, highest heaven and Hell is in the seventh, lowest earth. Then he recited the verses (interpretation of the meaning): “Nay! Verily, the Record (writing of the deeds) of Al-Abrar (the pious who fear Allah and avoid evil), is (preserved) in ‘Illiyyeen” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:18] and “Nay! Truly, the Record (writing of the deeds) of the Fujjar (disbelievers, sinners, evil-doers and wicked) is (preserved) in Sijjeen” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:7]. Al-Bayhaqi said immediately after that: The hadith of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib and Abu Hurayrah about the punishment of the grave, and what they narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the location of the soul of the believer and of the disbeliever are indicative of that. End quote.
Al-Haakim (8698) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Salaam that Paradise is in the heaven and Hell is in the earth. Classed as saheeh by al-Haakim, and adh-Dhahabi agreed with him.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
‘Atiyyah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: Paradise is in the seventh heaven and Hell is in the seventh earth. This was narrated by Abu Nu‘aym.
Ibn Mandah narrated from the hadith of Abu Yahya al-Qattaat from Mujaahid, who said: I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas: Where is Paradise? He said: Above seven heavens. I said: Where is Hell? He said: Beneath seven seas, one above the other.
Ibn Abi’d-Dunya narrated with his isnaad from Qataadah who said: They used to say that Paradise was in the seventh heaven and that Hell was in the seventh earth.
Some of them quoted as evidence for that the fact that Allah, may He be exalted, told us that the disbelievers will be shown to the Fire morning and evening, i.e., during the barzakh period [between death and the resurrection] and He told us that no gates of heaven will be opened to them. This indicates that Hell is in the earth.
End quote from at-Takhweef min an-Naar (p. 62-63).
Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Where are Paradise and Hell?
He replied: Paradise is in the highest of ‘Illiyyeen and Hell is in as-Sijjeen, and as-Sijjeen is in the lowest earth, as it says in the hadith: “When the person is dying, Allah, may He be exalted, says: ‘Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen in the lowest earth.’” As for Paradise, it is above, in the highest of ‘Illiyyeen. It is proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that “The Throne of the Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, is the roof of Jannat al-Firdaws.”
End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (4/2)
The shaykh also said:
The location of Hell is in the earth, but some of the scholars said that it is the oaceans, and others said that it is in the centre of the earth. What appears to be the case is that it is in the earth, but we do not know exactly where it is in the earth.
The evidence that Hell is in the earth is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says: (interpretation of the meaning): “Nay! Truly, the Record (writing of the deeds) of the Fujjar (disbelievers, sinners, evil-doers and wicked) is (preserved) in Sijjeen” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:7]. Sijjeen is the lowest earth, and Hell is in the earth.
There are hadiths that have been narrated concerning this, but they are da‘eef (weak). There are also reports from the early generations, such as Ibn ‘Abbaas and Ibn Mas‘ood, and this is the apparent meaning of the Qur’an. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, those who belie Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and treat them with arrogance, for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle (which is impossible)” [al-A‘raaf 7:40]. Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and are too arrogant to believe in them will undoubtedly be in Hell.
End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (3/174-175)
See also the answer to question no. 14526
And Allah knows best.