Paradise: Safe and Sound

Paradise and Hell Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII

After enduring the hardships of the dunya (this world) and the horrors of the grave and Last Day, Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) will bless the believers with something that will make their worries and fears disappear: a safe, secure and everlasting home. A home where they will never endure or even encounter the emotions of fear, sadness, regret, unhappiness and anxiety. A home where their Lord will welcome them by saying, “O My servants, no fear will there be concerning you this Day, nor will you grieve,” (Qur’an, 43:68).

One of Allah’s greatest blessings, in this life and the next, is safety and security. It is an easily forgotten blessing because we are so accustomed to having a safe home and country. As we saw with recent events in the Middle East and in London, chaos erupts when the blessing of safety is taken away.

This blessing is even greater in the hereafter, when people will not have a safe haven or someone to protect them. That is why Allah (swt) highlights the quality of safety in Paradise by saying, “Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure place [al-maqam al-ameen],” (Qur’an, 44:51).

The word ameen is from amn, an inclusive word used to describe all types of peace and safety. The dwellers of jannah (paradise) will be safe from all types of diseases, from physical harm and distress, from emotions other than happiness and joy, and from ever leaving Paradise. They will never again suffer physical pain such as headaches, injuries, illnesses, or the pains of menstruation, fatigue, nausea, and exhaustion. They will never again endure mental pain such as depression, sadness, fear, anxiety, heart-break, anger, or envy.

Paradise will be completely free of any harm in any form. Jibreel (Gabriel) `alayhi salaam (peace be upon him) once came to the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) and told him, “O Allah’s Apostle! This is Khadija coming to you with meat soup. When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of a palace in Paradise wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue,” (Bukhari). Jibreel (as) depicted Paradise as a place of rest and peace of mind.

Allah (swt) says about the righteous, “They will call therein for every [kind of] fruit – safe and secure [amineen],” (Qur’an, 44:55). Allah (swt) describes their situation as embodying all aspects of safety—in their bodies, minds and surroundings. Allah (swt) will also bless them with another level of safety mentioned in this verse—the security from lack of food. This verse also means that they will be safe from becoming sick from these foods.  Allah (swt) granted them safety in their surroundings as well as safety in their sustenance. Allah (swt) says, “Indeed, this is Our provision; for it there is no depletion,” (Qur’an, 38:54).

Allah (swt) calls jannah, “a bestowal uninterrupted,” (Qur’an, 11:108). Jannah will be a place of peace of mind—the believers will never have to worry about worrying! Everything from their food to their mental health will be flawless. And the best part of it all? “Nor from it will they [ever] be removed,” (Qur’an 15:48).

The Believers will never leave jannah because they will never die again. Allah (swt) says, “They will not taste death therein except the first death, and He will have protected them from the punishment of Hellfire / As bounty from your Lord. That is what is the great attainment,” (Qur’an, 44:56-57). Death is a terrifying experience, and Allah (swt) will not make the Believers go through it again after they have faced it in the dunya. Allah (swt) said, “I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him,” (Bukhari). Death is a constant fear that is always in the back of our minds: When will we leave this earth? How will we leave? What will I go through in the next life? But these questions and fears will never go through the minds of the righteous in Paradise. Allah (swt) protects them from the physical aspect of death as well as the mental distress it brings.

The Believers will say after entering Paradise and grasping the fact that they will never go through any distress, “Praise to Allah who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative – He who has settled us in the home of duration out of His bounty. There touches us not in it any fatigue, and there touches us not in it weariness [of mind].” (Qur’an 35:34-35).

Their immediate reaction to learning of their complete safety—not including the physical bounties and pleasure of Paradise—is genuine gratefulness and thanks to their Lord. The Believers specifically call upon Allah (swt) with two of His Beautiful Qualities, Ghafoor (All-Forgiving) and Shakoor (Ever-Appreciative). These two Names capture the gratitude of the Believers in this moment—for their Lord has forgiven their sins and overlooked their wrongdoings, while appreciating their good deeds by blessing them with a gift beyond their imagination. As believers we experience the Mercy of Allah (swt) in this worldly life, but we hope to be of those who experience the full extent of their Lord’s Infinite Mercy and Compassion in the hereafter.