Paradise 4 of 15

The levels of Paradise

Paradise consists of different gardens of different levels and its inhabitants will be in different categories:

Allah explains how He gives more of his bounty in this world or the next, as He wills and His Bounty is not withheld [forbidden] from either the righteous or the sinful. Then He says”

“See how We prefer one above another [in this world] and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preference.” [17:21]

Allah explains that the differences between people in the Hereafter will be greater than the differences between them in this life, and the difference between the levels or ranks of the Hereafter is greater than the differences here in this life

Allah also differentiates between His Prophets as He does between the rest of His believing slaves, Allah says:

“And indeed We have preferred some of the Prophets above others..” [17:55]

Muslim reports that the Prophet (saws) said:

A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak one although both are good..”

Also: “If a judge seeks to form an independent judgment [ijtihad] and is correct, he will have two rewards; if he seeks to form an independent judgment and is wrong he will have one reward.”

Also Allah speaks in many verses how we are not all the same in closeness to Him:

“Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquest [of Makkah] with those among you who did so later. Such are higher in degree that those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all, Allah has promised the best [reward].” [57:10]

“Not equal are those of the believers who sit [at home] except those who are disabled [by injury or are blind to lame etc] and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit [at home].”

So thus paradise has different levels. The Prophet said:

“Paradise has 100 levels which Allah has reserved for the mujahidin who fight in his cause and the distance between each of the two grades is like the distance between the heavens and the earth. So when you ask Allah for something, ask for al-Firdaws which is the best and highest part of Paradise. Above it is the throne of the Most Merciful, and from it originate the rivers of Paradise.”  [Bukhari]

More Proof of the levels of Paradise:

Umm Harithah came to the Prophet (saws) when her son Harithah had been martyred at Badr, killed by an arrow. She said,

“O Messenger of Allah you know how dear Harithah was to my heart. If he is in Paradise I will not week over him, but if he is not there, you will see what I do.” He said, “Is there only one Paradise?” There are many Paradises and he is in al-Firdaws, the Highest.” [Bukhari]

The people will be in different levels of paradise in accordance to the deeds performed here in earth. The Prophet said:

“The people of Paradise will look at the people dwelling in the chambers above them in the same way that people look at a brilliant star shining far away on the horizon, in the East or West because of their superiority [in reward] over them.”

The people asked,

“O Messenger of Allah are these the dwellings of the Prophets which no one else can attain?”

He replied,

“No by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, they are for the men who believed in Allah and also in His Messenger.” [Bukhari]

Also the Prophet said:

“The people in the higher levels will be seen by those below them as if they were looking at a star rising on the horizon. Abu Bakr and Umar will be among them; what good people they are!” [Sahih al-Jami]

Al-Qortubi explained:

Know that these chambers will differ in height and appearance according to the deeds of their occupants. Some of them will be higher than others. 

When the Prophet (saws) said,

“Know by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, they are for the men who believed in Allah (swt) and also in His Messengers; He did not mention deeds or anything other than faith and belief in the Messengers with no doubts or questions.

Otherwise how could these chambers be reached through the faith and belief of the ordinary people? If that were the case then all Muslims would reach these high levels and that is impossible” as Allah says,

“Those will be rewarded with the highest place [in Paradise] because of their patience..” [25:75]

So thus- The inhabitants of the highest levels of Paradise will enjoy greater pleasures than the people below them.

Allah (swt) has promised two gardens to those who fear Him:

“But for him who fears the standing before his Rabb there will be two gardens [55:46] 

Allah described these Gardens, then He said, “And besides these two, there are two other Gardens [i.e. in Paradise]” [55:62]

The Prophet said:

“Two gardens of silver, their vessels and everything in them and two gardens of gold, their vessels and everything in them and there will be nothing between the people and their seeing Allah, except the garment of pride over His Face in the Paradise of And [Jami al-Usul]