Allocation in Paradise

Syed Sharfuddin

Paradise is mentioned in the Quran by many names. It is called Jannah, Jannah al Firdous, Jannat al Moalla, Jannaat un Naeem, Jannaat ul Alfafa, Jannat Mukramoon, Jannat wa Nahr and Jannat wa Üyün. A detailed description of Jannah is given in Surah Rahman and Surah Al Tür.

We learn from the holy Quran and Ahadith that Jannah has seven entry gates and consists of many different levels of luxury and comfort for its inhabitants. There is Jannah to begin with, then Jannatul Adan, Jannat al Firdous, and Jannat al Firdous al Moalla which is the highest level of Jannah. Even higher than this level is the sector of Jannah where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and other Messengers of Allah will be residing, and finally in Jannah there is the Throne of Allah which is called the Arsh.

Those lucky ones who will be assigned their residential level and sector in Jannah will be living in fully furnished and fully-serviced palaces, lofty multi-story apartments and green farmhouses, and quite possibly a combination of all in their selected localities. Even in this world we see that man is not content with one house or apartment and desires to have two or three houses, each exalted in quality and facilities. So, it is possible that in Jannah man will have a choice of owning as many homes as he desires depending on his rank and reach. The entry of the inhabitants of Jannah to their allotted estates will be sorted out on the Judgement Day in such a way that there will be no commotion or queues. We already see a glimpse of this organised arrangement in our mortal world where computers are used extensively to make reservation, allocate hotels and suites, and enable biometric entry of approved and vetted guests. The Jannatees will enter Jannah from the specific gates of Jannah assigned to them by Allah, based on a combination of their good deeds, Prophet Muhammad’s intercession on their behalf and Allah’s abundant mercy. The gates of Jannah will be opened for them by the appointed angels to give them a personal welcome from where they will be escorted to their place of final abode. This processing will be automatic and tailored to each person’s rank and file.

To understand this better, take the example of the seating arrangement in the Haramain Al Sharifain in Makkah and Madinah. At the entrance gates of these two holy mosques, pilgrims find some gates opened and others closed. If an entrance is closed, pilgrims are automatically directed to another entrance. Upon entry in these mosques, pilgrims are directed to different corridors that lead them to a section of the mosque which is not yet full. When that section fills up, the route in the corridor changes and pilgrims are directed to another section. All these points are watched by the security guards to keep discipline and peace. Until the worshippers are finally seated, they do not know which section of the Haram they will end up for offering their prayers. But the mosque management knows what it is doing. It has planned it that way to ensure smooth filling up of the mosque and avoid overcrowding. At the same time, there are ways in these holy mosques that lead directly to the Mataaf area or Rowda Rasool. Only those who are authorised to take these ways are allowed entry by the Haram guards.

In the above example, the management and processing of millions of pilgrims relies on the skills Haram human guards who are naturally prone to mistakes or shortcomings. Their management is never preferential but only to avoid overcrowding and stampedes. But in Jannah the managers and guards will never make any mistake because they are angels who have been instructed to act according to the divine plan. They will be kind to the people of paradise and unkind to the people of hell. Imagine how smooth the processing of Jannatis will be after they have entered the gates of paradise and been welcomed with greetings of peace. They will then be sorted out according to their ranks as Ashab Yameen, Sabiqoon al Awwalun and those who will join them later from Araaf.

The qualities of the people of Jannah are enumerated in Surah Al-Ma’Arij, Verses 22-34. The people of Jannah are those:

1) who offer prayers and are punctual and regular in timings.
2) who know that there is a share in their wealth for poor who ask for help and the dispossessed who do not ask to keep their dignity.
3) who believe in the Day of Judgement.
4) who fear the chastisement of their Lord.
5) who guard their sexual parts and relations.
6) who fulfil their trusts and covenants.
7) who are upright in their witness testimonies, and
8) who perform their prayers with utmost care and attention.