What can you do in Heaven? (Jannah/Paradise)

[Guest Ahmad]

Asalam Alaykum everyone,

It may be a childish question but please answer I'm very curious.

In heaven, what do you do exactly? I know there is gardens and beautiful luxurious houses etc., but can you do things like fly, teleport, super speed, etc.?

What age do you enter in? I heard we all enter in as adults, so babies like Imam Hussain's (a) son will enter heaven as an adult, and so will Mohsen ibn Ali (a)

I heard we will all enter in the form of Nabi Adam (a), and the females in the form of Hawaa (eve). Is this true? If so how will we recognize prophet from prophet or imam from imam, or loved one from loved one?

Also, when you go to heaven; do you still have relations with your family members? (mom,dad, children, etc.)

And when you are in heaven, I know there are 7 levels/stages of heaven, does this mean if you are in any level other than 7, you cannot meet or see a prophet or imam, or holy personality?

I hope this isn't the case, I really hope it isn't. That would be so terrible for me.

Can you meet or request to see someone on a higher or lower level than you?

SubhanAllah...

[Ashvazdanghe 5,178]

Salam everything is possible in heaven it described as it in Holy Quran  & Hadiths that people can Imagine a part of it. 

we enter in heaven in our best mode & form so everybody can recognize every body else & when we are young which is our best mode & form 

which we enter as Adam (as) & Hawwa (sa) not means that we will be same in appearance it is as they created at first by Allah in best mode 

if we be obey what Allah says ,we can do intercession for our family & beloved ones 

the 7 is code & heaven is not a physical construction like as Games if you upgrade your level so you will earn more specific rewards.

It is said that Shia of Imam Ali (as) will give water from kouthar to all of them so we will see them & they see us . 

[Hamodiii 628]

I am courious about this as well!

Will we worship Allah in heaven as well? I mean I don't mind! I am prepared to as well.

Just out of curiousity.

[shia farm girl 755]

Salaamun aleikum, i have read and heard various ideas as well. I have heard the soul is sexless, that gender (male/female) is a function of being a human and is a necessity for procreation while we are in the physical human state, but in Jannah, there wont be a need for such a thing in the exact way we know it here. That our experience with our mates will be of a different type and quality than what we know here.I dont know how true this is, but ive heard it from well known scholars.

I have also heard that out of Allahs mercy for us, that in Jannah, He will wipe our "memory" in such a way that we will not feel at loss or miss the relations we have had in the dunya that wont make it to Jannah. Barzakh is different, in the sense that we can still feel regret for things we shoulda coulda woulda done, but didnt do. This ayat points to us experiencing regret in Barzakh-I have heard this particular ayat disected and any confusion lies in  the translation of the word that is usually translated in english to "paradise". In the actuall Jannah, there will be no regret or suffering, otherwise it wouldnt be Jannah, lol, so Barzakh must be what is being refered to here:   

     قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ۖ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ - 36:26     It was said, "Enter Paradise." He said, "I wish my people could knowبِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ - 36:27 Of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored."

Perhaps in Barzakh,we will be shown  how our bad behaviors as well as good ones that we committed while we were were in this dunya have persisted long after out death, like, say for example, you have passed a bad behavior onto your child through bad rearing-part of your Barzakhi experience may be you seeing how that bad influence has negatively affected your child as they continue on in their life, and how your child has also spread that bad behavior to others, and how others have suffered. This suffering will be atonement for our sins prior to judgement. If and when we make it to Jannah, there will be no suffering there, so things that would have caused us suffering (memories,etc) will be wiped to prevent that, once thay have been  atoned for and we have been spiritually purified by the atonement.

 I tend to think that by the time we  reach Jannah, in sha Allah, that we would be more spiritually evolved enough to look back at all our actions, good and bad, and to not experience them emotionally, but see them constructively, or non emotionally. Please forgive me,I cant think of the correct word to express what i am trying to say, but  this is conjecture on my part anyway.

 What i DO know and believe, is that while we are here, our mission and job is to eradicate bad behaviors and at the same time, induct positive  spiritual attributes into our soul, in other words, making them 1st nature, so we are prepared spiritually to enter the afterlife, which the first stage is the Barzakh, before judgement. The condition of our soul in Barzakh will depend on how successful we were at inducting these behaviors and transforming ourselves prior to our death. The more we have spiritually refined ourselves, the better our mithali (Barzakhi) body will be and the better our experience will be while we await judgement. Our Barzakh can be a place of torment or of enjoyment. It depends on what we do while we are here now. The Quran says no soul can comprehend what awaits us in  Jannah, so the descriptins that are given are at a level we CAN comprehend and understand, just like a math professor wouldnt try to explain calculus to a first grader. A basic understanding of numbers and math is necessary at that stage, such as the very basic and elementary understanding we have of spirituality im this dunya.

Also, when you go to heaven; do you still have relations with your family members? (mom,dad, children, etc.)

Regarding this queation, i have head relationships such as the ones you mention here, have no real existence on their own, that they are merely mental constructs that are created by humans in order for us to function in society. Another mental construct is "ownership".

 

Here is an extremelly interesting link:

https://www.al-islam.org/resurrection-maad-quran-ayatullah-ibrahim-amini/purgatory-barzakh

W/s

[shadow_of_light 1,320]

I personally think that those who died in childhood will be still children on the Day of Judgement and then will grow up in paradise.

According to Quran, believers will go to paradise along with their children and wives.

[Hamodiii 628]

4 hours ago, shadow_of_light said:

I personally think that those who died in childhood will be still children on the Day of Judgement and then will grow up in paradise.

According to Quran, believers will go to paradise along with their children and wives.

What if you want more than one wife?

Nah, just joking, the beauty of marriage is to have a woman that you love truly.

[Sumerian 5,633]

On 1/31/2018 at 3:59 PM, shia farm girl said:

Salaamun aleikum, i have read and heard various ideas as well. I have heard the soul is sexless, that gender (male/female) is a function of being a human and is a necessity for procreation while we are in the physical human state, but in Jannah, there wont be a need for such a thing in the exact way we know it here. That our experience with our mates will be of a different type and quality than what we know here.I dont know how true this is, but ive heard it from well known scholars.

Absolutely incorrect. We believe that we will be ressurected in our physical bodies in both Jannah and Jahannam.

And that the people of Jannah will experience the pleasures of eating, drinking and intercourse (atleast for men). That's why their will be Hoor Al-Een, for example.

The ones who claimed otherwise were the Sufis and those of their ilk. The Verses of the Holy Qur'an are clear in this regard and so are the hadiths of the Ahlulbayt.

This is the Shi'a view;

Quote

The reward of the dwellers in Paradise is to enjoy the delights of eating, drinking, pleasant scenes and marriage, and every pleasure of the senses to which their natural inclination leads them with which they will achieve their desires. Hence, in Paradise there is no human being who enjoys pleasure without eating, drinking, or gratification of the senses. The claim of him who alleges that in Paradise there are some who find pleasure in exalting and glorifying Allah without enjoying food or drink is, in fact, foreign to the religion of Islam.

It is an imitation of the Christians who allege that those who obey God in their lifetime will be transformed into angels who neither drink, nor eat, nor are married. Allah, the Exalted, declares this assertion a lie in His Book, when He promises to those who do good eating, drinking, and marriage, and the Almighty says:

Its produce is eternal, and its shade. That is, the requital of the godfearing [13:35].

And He, the Almighty, says:

Therein are rivers of sweet water [47:15].

And He, the Exalted, says:

Houris, cloistered in pavilions [55:72].

And He, the Sublime, says:

And wide-eyed houris [56:22].

And He, the Exalted, says:

And We shall espouse them to wide-eyed houris [44:54].

And He, the Almighty, says:

And with the maidens of equal age restraining their glances [38:52].

And He, the Sublime, says:

Verily, the inmates of Paradise shall on that day be busy rejoicing, they and their spouses [36:55-56].

And He, the Exalted says: . . .

that they shall be given in perfect semblance; and there for them shall be spouses purified; therein they shall dwell forever [2:25].

How, then, do some hold it permissible to maintain that in Paradise there is a group of human beings who do not eat or drink, and that they take delight in what is an affliction to (the rest of) humanity, whereas the Book of Allah disclaims this; and the consensus of opinion is against it, whether it is in imitation of some whom it is relying on spurious traditions .not permissible to imitate, or As for Hell, it is the abode of those who have not known Allah, the Exalted.

https://www.al-islam.org/emendation-shiite-creed-shaykh-al-mufid/28-concerning-paradise-and-hell-al-jannah-wa-n-nar

[AmirAlmuminin Lover 1,248]

Salaam Alaykum

Ayatollah Ghazy said:" If we wouldn't do Salaah in heaven, then what should we do?"

He used to wake up at nights frequently just for doing Salaah. Salaah gives you pleasure. I love it.

Edited February 1, 2018 by AmirAlmuminin Lover

[Husayni 1,096]

Amazing things to wonder about.

If vacation resorts in this world which were built by people impress you, imagine a place that was constructed by Allah.. wow

[The Light 265]

Salam,

A lot of people give personal opinions in regards to Jannah, and even ignore what the Quran and Ahlul bayt (as), have said about it.

According to what I have heard from scholars who talk about jannah, is that it is going to be physical and spiritual. People who will live in there, will experience physical pleasures, such as eating, drinking, relaxing, intercourse etc, which is far more greater than the pleasures we experience in this world. In addition, there will also be spiritual pleasures and according to scholars I've listened to, is that spiritual pleasures are more better than physical pleasures in Jannah.

And according to one of our classical scholars, it is wrong to believe that Jannah, is a place where we are all souls, because that is a Christian belief that, God will turn us humans into angels in Paradise. It is unislamic to have that kind of perception of Paradise, because it is important to believe in a physical resurrection.

 I don't remember which scholar it was. I had a link to the book, but cannot find it. If anyone has the link, then please post it.

[Sumerian 5,633]

38 minutes ago, The Light said:

Salam,

A lot of people give personal opinions in regards to Jannah, and even ignore what the Quran and Ahlul bayt (as), have said about it.

According to what I have heard from scholars who talk about jannah, is that it is going to be physical and spiritual. People who will live in there, will experience physical pleasures, such as eating, drinking, relaxing, intercourse etc, which is far more greater than the pleasures we experience in this world. In addition, there will also be spiritual pleasures and according to scholars I've listened to, is that spiritual pleasures are more better than physical pleasures in Jannah.

And according to one of our classical scholars, it is wrong to believe that Jannah, is a place where we are all souls, because that is a Christian belief that, God will turn us humans into angels in Paradise. It is unislamic to have that kind of perception of Paradise, because it is important to believe in a physical resurrection.

 I don't remember which scholar it was. I had a link to the book, but cannot find it. If anyone has the link, then please post it.

The link and quote is in my post above. It is the saying of Shaykh Al-Mufid (rah). 

[shia farm girl 755]

On 1/31/2018 at 3:59 PM, shia farm girl said:

That our experience with our mates will be of a different type and quality than what we know here.I dont know how true this is, but ive heard it from well known scholars.

As sallamun aleikum, i see what you are saying  @Sumerian which is why i said in my post          "i dont know how true it is.."

Allahسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى has promised us many things in Jannah, and as The Light mentioned above, there will be some sort of physical pleasure, theres no doubt in that, the only thing is, if here we are given the choice to abstain from certain pleasures willingly, why would it be wajib for us to enjoy them in Jannah if we dont choose to? Sure, theyre available to us there, but what if someone isnt all that interested in filling their bellies for an unlimited amount of time, or having unlimited intercourse?  What if their desire is to obtain further knowledge of Allahsسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى wisdom and creation and continue worshipping? If its Jannah and we can truly have whatever we want, then that would include NOT having something as well, otherwise, it would be an imposition on us. I mean, its obviously ok if someone wants one or the other, or both, but i also i dont see a problem with them choosing to abstain. 

   @TheLight     And wow, that thing about christians believeing they turn into angels when they die? Thats total news to me-i never heard that concept in all my years in Catholic school, or years later,durring the period of time i re-confirmed myself as a christian, right before I was lead to Islam, alhamdulilah, but there are many different sects of christianity and it is my admission i dont know much about the others. Maybe one of the  christian members on this site can shed some light on this matter?  @Christianlady and i think @Son of Placid is a christian as well? Please forgive me if i have mis-tagged anyone.

Im posting this video link because in this lecture, many lofty scholars are refered to, some that were mentioned previously in this thread, along with others such as Ayatollah Hassan Zadeh Amoli, Javadi amoli, Faidh Kashani, im pretty sure Ayatollah Khomeini,  (but could be wrong) and their stance on what our situation in barzakh will be, such as us being in a semi immaterial state. Its pretty long, i apologize. I know some people wont have the time or the tolerance for it, but to each their own.

W/s

[Sumerian 5,633]

@shia farm girl abstaining from pleasures is not a good thing even in this dunya. It is even makrooh to abstain from certain pleasures for the sake of worship, or even haram. And some of these pleasures are mustahab, in and of themselves.

If you read Surat Al-Insan, the righteous (al-abrar) will be given these great rewards.

https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-19/surah-al-insan-chapter-76

One can make the case that even the Imams and Prophets will partake in these rewards.

So it doesn't make sense to say some will abstain, what one can do is continue to learn and worship while enjoying themselves.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Sumerian

[shia farm girl 755]

As salaamun aleikum,  

You have a point, and a balance needs to be struck for each individual, but not everyone is the same in the sense that they should partake in pleasures simply for the sake of it. Such is the case with tempory marriage, which is a mustahab, but not everyone wants to engage in it. In fact, it may cause an individual more harm than good, so it may be better to abstain in that case for an individual. Also,  as we age, certain things become less important to us than they were when we were younger. Our priorities change as we mature, and some people may choose to engage in a marriage that is devoid of certain intimacies but provides the companionship that so many older (senior) people crave at that lonely time of their lives. Intercourse is not always going to be the most important thing in a persons life. Once a person reaches this stage, is it somehow haram to choose to abstain?

Food as another  example, can be seen as a pleasure here, but its not really an option. If we dont eat, we will become malnourished and die. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there is an epidemic in many parts of the world of people who are sick from overindulging in not just food, but the harmful fake foods that fill grocery stores and restaurants. Contrast this  with starving people elsewhere, and it most likely would be more liked by Allahسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى for a person to abstain from that pleasure and to have fed another, or donated the money to a good cause.

Voluntary fasting is mustahab-it has a very positive effect on the soul, one of the reasons why it has been prescribed for us. It is haram if it is harmful to the individual.For some people, fasting is a good way to get their nafs under the control of their aql. Its a very bad situation when the nafs controls the aql. The nafs is capable of driving a person quickly to their grave if they are constantly succumbing to it, so Allahسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى has provided us with the ways and means of mastering it, so im not seeing why it would be a bad thing to fast as much as is necessary for the individual withoit going outside the bounds of Islams guidelines. That is one of the main things we are tasked with while we are here, is getting our nafs under control.

I guess at the end of the day, as long as its halal, not makhrooh or haram in anyway shape or form, what bad comes from not indulging in everything that Alllahسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى has made halal? I mean, MANY things are permissable, but that doesnt mean it is advisable or desirable for an individual to engage in. For me, the mere smell of fish makes me gag to the point where i will vomit. Fish is halal, but i will never eat it:/

I can marry a man for one night, wait out my iddah, marry another for a night, wait out my iddah, and go on and on, but this is not something i personally want to put my soul, emotions or mind through no matter how halal it is, however, another individual may decide that is perfect for them.Ultimately it is up to the individual to use the guidelines set out by Islam in the best manner possible that will help  them attain the best spiritual qualities possible before we pass from this brief world, and for some, this will include abstaining from particular pleasures.

Thanks for the link, amd i will also refer to the surah you have mentioned.

W/s

[Son of Placid 1,180]

Not an angel now, never will be. Don't know anyone who thinks they'll become an angel or wants to. I am often amazed at what Muslims think Christians are supposed to believe. 

According to the Bible, (words of Jesus) we will be given a new body and a new name, and a helper. We will not be married, nor given in marriage, every tear wiped, and the descriptions are rather physical. I could imagine the body being of the original perfect form of Adam. No mention of gender. Heaven also sounds physical, although does not describe earth unless there are some drastic changes in the future.

Main difference is "Hoor Al-Een". I believe the literal translation is big eyes, the Bible calls them helpers, the rest is conjecture. It's seems the Islamic concept of heaven is all the sins of earth can be rampant in heaven...for men.    Women are still objects.

If Hoor Al-Een is as intoxicating as fine wine, you may as well have the wine to go with her. You better be in the best of form if you have to satisfy 72 of them while drinking wine. If that sounds like a problem then you may have to curb your good deeds as that seems to lead to even more virgins. Jesus got an extra 40 for standing in the rain. Are these perpetual virgins, or do you only get one run?  Then what?