Every earthly desire will come true in Jannah... or so I thought

[zizi_00]

Ive been lurking in the shia subreddit for some time and came across this post which had the same thoughts as me

https://www.reddit.com/r/shia/s/Cb1N0eq5HA

I've always been taught that jannah will have literally ANYTHING we'd want and desire. Everything we couldn't have done here in this Dunya will come true in Jannah. Whether it's creating your own world, reliving an alternative life you wished to have done on earth, or as silly as wishing for a chocolate fountains like kids would sometimes joke about for fun...

But in those replies when someone mentioned whether women could walk around without hijabs, someone else tried to refute it by saying that because jannah is preserved for the righteous and religious Muslims or mumineem that no woman shall walk around without her hijab among non mahrams. The link under has got a sacred who said the same thing.

https://al-islam.org/ask/can-men-and-women-be-friends-in-heaven-or-is-it-still-prohibited-if-so-would-women-still-be-required-to-wear-hijab-in-heaven

Now here's my problem... why is it that we've been taught that jannah is pretty much unlimited and a realm which is just beyond the imagination of any human being... sounds so limiting with rules such as these? If I've got my own spot in jannah, why wouldn't it be possible to wish for something along the lines of "Oh Allah, I wish to roam along the lands with my hair and limbs feeling the air, but look modest with a hijab in the eyes of non mahrams"? Or even better... summon a world of my own with my own rules? A simulation or even asking for a piece of land where there are no man to worry about. See what I'm getting at?

I hope it's true we'll still have all of our memories of the dunya in Jannah too. Because I've got like a whole wishlist of things I'd want to do in Jannah. Endless things even that are not meta physically possible here, or even trying alternative life choices or stories I've made up and wanting to come to life as an artist and writer. And these comments of other people unfortunately make me a bit anxious by how jannah still supposedly has "rules".

Maybe it's because everyone desires a different type of jannah, with different goals such as meeting the ahlulbaty ((عليه السلام)), unraveling Islamic histories or other wonders... perhaps that's why they say these things.

 

I've got my own set of desires and it makes me feel kind of guilty and weird to admit that my desires aren't in line with whatever other musslims say. Cause in all.honesty, I try to do as much good and hold up my obligations so I could end up in jannah where following the sharia, hijab, and other rules and obligations won't be needed anymore. 

I can not and will not believe that I'll be a totally different person in jannah (except for feeling happy and at peace at last for not wanting to worry about the dunya anymore) who'll still need to somehow uphold Islamic modesty in a world where I could pretty much shape it however I like... because it's literally jannah lol.

Idk, I know I should be focusssing on the present instead of the akhira like that, but I'm allowed to know if my sacrifices will eventually pay off right?

[Abu Hassanain]

On 12/27/2025 at 5:51 PM, zizi_00 said:

Ive been lurking in the shia subreddit for some time and came across this post which had the same thoughts as me

https://www.reddit.com/r/shia/s/Cb1N0eq5HA

I've always been taught that jannah will have literally ANYTHING we'd want and desire. Everything we couldn't have done here in this Dunya will come true in Jannah. Whether it's creating your own world, reliving an alternative life you wished to have done on earth, or as silly as wishing for a chocolate fountains like kids would sometimes joke about for fun...

But in those replies when someone mentioned whether women could walk around without hijabs, someone else tried to refute it by saying that because jannah is preserved for the righteous and religious Muslims or mumineem that no woman shall walk around without her hijab among non mahrams. The link under has got a sacred who said the same thing.

https://al-islam.org/ask/can-men-and-women-be-friends-in-heaven-or-is-it-still-prohibited-if-so-would-women-still-be-required-to-wear-hijab-in-heaven

Now here's my problem... why is it that we've been taught that jannah is pretty much unlimited and a realm which is just beyond the imagination of any human being... sounds so limiting with rules such as these? If I've got my own spot in jannah, why wouldn't it be possible to wish for something along the lines of "Oh Allah, I wish to roam along the lands with my hair and limbs feeling the air, but look modest with a hijab in the eyes of non mahrams"? Or even better... summon a world of my own with my own rules? A simulation or even asking for a piece of land where there are no man to worry about. See what I'm getting at?

I hope it's true we'll still have all of our memories of the dunya in Jannah too. Because I've got like a whole wishlist of things I'd want to do in Jannah. Endless things even that are not meta physically possible here, or even trying alternative life choices or stories I've made up and wanting to come to life as an artist and writer. And these comments of other people unfortunately make me a bit anxious by how jannah still supposedly has "rules".

Maybe it's because everyone desires a different type of jannah, with different goals such as meeting the ahlulbaty ((عليه السلام)), unraveling Islamic histories or other wonders... perhaps that's why they say these things.

 

I've got my own set of desires and it makes me feel kind of guilty and weird to admit that my desires aren't in line with whatever other musslims say. Cause in all.honesty, I try to do as much good and hold up my obligations so I could end up in jannah where following the sharia, hijab, and other rules and obligations won't be needed anymore. 

I can not and will not believe that I'll be a totally different person in jannah (except for feeling happy and at peace at last for not wanting to worry about the dunya anymore) who'll still need to somehow uphold Islamic modesty in a world where I could pretty much shape it however I like... because it's literally jannah lol.

Idk, I know I should be focusssing on the present instead of the akhira like that, but I'm allowed to know if my sacrifices will eventually pay off right?

Salam

the post by ethics on Reddit is most inline with reality and our school of thought as well as Islam and most religions in general 

see pg 883 bottom

Whole of pg 888

bottpm of pg 915 top of pg 916 

Although the tax goes on page 882 to 800 to 916 on the topic of paradise

found in the text here are most permanent did they issue you asked

https://alkarbala.org/team/uploads/Haqqul Yaqeen - Allama Baqir Majlisi.pdf
 

In the kindest and most respectful of way, I think a lot of thinking of people on this issues are due to immaturity of a soul
 

Are thinking it would be a little different once we develop more spirituality 

The food, the drink, the women all these things are for those who did not enjoy enough of these bounties in the world. The real level is to go beyond these things and worship and untold ways. It means numerous narrations indicators. This

A person who was always poor and may want to enjoy good food and drink a person from the desert, where there was a lot of water may want to enjoy a rivers, a person who could never marry may want to enjoy women and there’s nothing wrong with that other, who have these things may want to enjoy them more, but this is the lower aspect of paradise, not the higher aspect

Wallahu Alam 

[zizi_00]

On 12/28/2025 at 10:29 AM, Abu Hassanain said:

Salam

the post by ethics on Reddit is most inline with reality and our school of thought as well as Islam and most religions in general 

see pg 883 bottom

Whole of pg 888

bottpm of pg 915 top of pg 916 

Although the tax goes on page 882 to 800 to 916 on the topic of paradise

found in the text here are most permanent did they issue you asked

https://alkarbala.org/team/uploads/Haqqul Yaqeen - Allama Baqir Majlisi.pdf
 

In the kindest and most respectful of way, I think a lot of thinking of people on this issues are due to immaturity of a soul
 

Are thinking it would be a little different once we develop more spirituality 

The food, the drink, the women all these things are for those who did not enjoy enough of these bounties in the world. The real level is to go beyond these things and worship and untold ways. It means numerous narrations indicators. This

A person who was always poor and may want to enjoy good food and drink a person from the desert, where there was a lot of water may want to enjoy a rivers, a person who could never marry may want to enjoy women and there’s nothing wrong with that other, who have these things may want to enjoy them more, but this is the lower aspect of paradise, not the higher aspect

Wallahu Alam 

Alright I'm definitely late to this reply given circumstances... but I kinda feel like the more the world of jannah gets explained by people or ahadiths, the harder it gets for me to motivate myself to do better.

 

Maybe it's just wishful thinking that whatever I wished to have achieved in this life, I hope to perhaps simulate or imagine a second life in Jannah. One I could entirely build myself. That's probably really weird for other members to imagine what I mean, but the things I've heard thus far to the point where it kind of makes it out to be that we are gonna change completely. Our minds our desires... the fact that we will only speak Arabic in jannah or that we still have to obey by some rules there. It's strange and very limiting. 

 

Cause let's say I'd die tomorrow at a young age. When my mind and soul are still immature, why wouldn't I ask Allah to at least not make Jannah the way that I want? I've got a lot of silly and childish requests, even other worldly desires... then what? Who says I'd want my heaven to be full of people who once lived in the same Dunya as I have? Maybe I'd rather want my stories, since I'm an author to functional stories, to come true as well as it's worldbuilding I've made. And maybe I'd just want to roam around an empty landscape without a headscarf where no former Muslim is present? I could practically make my own husband there if I never gotten one in this life? 

Other than wanting to worship Allah, and follow islam (which I've been struggling to hold on to lately the more I read about all sorts of topics), I do not wish me and my wishes to get altered in the afterlife. If that happens that means the person I currently am never existed... they'll forever dissapear. And that's terrifying. 

[zizi_00]

1 minute ago, zizi_00 said:

Maybe it's just wishful thinking that whatever I wished to have achieved in this life, I hope to perhaps simulate or imagine a second life in Jannah. One I could entirely build myself. That's probably really weird for other members to imagine what I mean, but the things I've heard thus far to the point where it kind of makes it out to be that we are gonna change completely. Our minds our desires... the fact that we will only speak Arabic in jannah or that we still have to o

Just to correct or add something: I mean a second life where I was able to pursue anything I could ever wish to do or accomplish had it not been for the grey reality I've been living in. Like I'm studying medicine at the moment even though I never liked it and would've rather imagined myself a traveler, a successful author or artist. You know? Ambitions and hobbies manifesting into real life? I'm not exactly very *sane* since I do have something called chronic daydreaming where I'd rather daydream my days away with the stories of my worldbuilding and characters I write. Something that genuinely brings me more joy than real-life? Id genuinely be upset if that wouldn't be granted to me in the hereafter. Especially if I do my obligations and sunnah. Why else would I sacrifice my own joy?

[Guest Soleus]

You’re assuming your earthly desires will still exist when you’ve shed your body.

When the veils have dropped and God is a greater reality to you, and you are only a soul, and you feel His presence in Jannah, that in itself may fill the void your current desires are searching to fill.

”why else would I sacrifice my own joy” 

For God, for truth. Not so you could do it all later.

yes God entices believers with rewards in the Qur’an (and He will certainly be true in His promise)…but at the end of the day the goal or idea of our religion is to sacrifice here for Him.

[zizi_00]

12 hours ago, Guest Soleus said:

You’re assuming your earthly desires will still exist when you’ve shed your body.

When the veils have dropped and God is a greater reality to you, and you are only a soul, and you feel His presence in Jannah, that in itself may fill the void your current desires are searching to fill.

”why else would I sacrifice my own joy” 

For God, for truth. Not so you could do it all later.

yes God entices believers with rewards in the Qur’an (and He will certainly be true in His promise)…but at the end of the day the goal or idea of our religion is to sacrifice here for Him.

Ngl, that doesn't feel like a good answer to me. No believer has gotten the same desires as everyone else. Especially if those desires are haram for them to be forfeited in the after life.

 

Genuinely, what's the point in erasing your desires in the afterlife after making so many sacrifices in the Dunya? I'm not sacrificing my time and energy for worship just for the sake of it. But because I realize that I may do them after my death so I'd make enough room for worship. That's the type of sacrifice I'm striving for. Not wasting my time and energy on things that may not mean anything religiously, so I could worship Allah. And if that pays off I can do them all in the afterlife.

If there are no such things as languages other than Arabic in jannah, does that mean I'd need to learn every language humanly possible given how they'll be basically gone later? Just write my novel stories and draw everything I could do in case that desires may dissapear?? Or even fantasize my days away which I so much treasure because I won't be doing that anymore?

 

[notme]

Why are you thinking it will be just like life? It's an entirely different thing, with no pain, no injustice, no loss! Desire is rooted in suffering. How can we conceptualize it in terms of earthly desires?

Edited January 25 by notme
Removed extraneous word.

[Guest Soleus]

@zizi_00 You’re treating Heaven like a second Earth or a second chance at life, to do the things you didn’t do in the first life.

That’s not the point of Heaven. It wasn’t supposed to be a place for the creation to do what it wanted to do the first time round on Earth. 

It’s an eternal reward for the believer…and you will get granted way more than whatever you’re hoping for now. 

And again - you literally won’t care about all these activities you’re talking about right now. It will be the least of your interests. They won’t interest you in the least bit - it’s your body or nafs that wants all this, and you won’t have that anymore. 

the meaning of religion isn’t, ‘sacrifice now so you can do it all later‘.

But that isn’t to say you can’t pursue halal desires in this world. Sure, learn languages. And if it’s within halal limits, art and novels aren’t an issue. Especially if it’s a good stress relief for you (As med person myself I get your struggle). And if you happen to produce something that’s good / has a good effect or does good in the world in some way for others, you get the reward for it.  

Ever heard of the phrase “Die before you die”, from the Prophet?

or, I’m not sure if you’ve experienced this, but for myself by the end of Ramadhan, those last handful of nights…I’m not interested in anything anymore, as in with food, entertainment etc. I guess fatigue plays a role, but when you are in a state of fasting or worship, basically as you move close to God and cut off your interests…you just won’t care about material things anymore. Dunya and its lures aren’t interesting. What you want now, maybe within life itself you’ll realize you’re not so crazy about it as you used to be. It’s not God being unfair to you…it’s simply your nafs wanting things. And you eventually realize, whether in life or in the grave, that the one thing your soul needs or wants is God Himself.

[zizi_00]

5 hours ago, notme said:

Why are you thinking it will be just like life? It's an entirely different thing, with no pain, no injustice, no loss! Desire is rooted in suffering. How can we conceptualize it in terms of earthly desires?

I'm not thinking it'll be like life. It's just that I wish to do such things. Wanting to find out the different timelines if I had made different choices in life. A sense of pure curiosity to be honest. Cause with the career and personal life I'm gonna lead from now on, I won't be able to do other things beside them just because of the sheer lack of time, money or opportunities and circumstances. 

I personally do not have the same type of wants like wanting to try wine, have as much intercourse or anything like that like its written in ahadiths or the Quran. If heaven is described as anything my heart desires, then surely I'll get anything I want minus all the bad memories or emotions that come along.

[zizi_00]

1 hour ago, Guest Soleus said:

@zizi_00 You’re treating Heaven like a second Earth or a second chance at life, to do the things you didn’t do in the first life.

That’s not the point of Heaven. It wasn’t supposed to be a place for the creation to do what it wanted to do the first time round on Earth. 

It’s an eternal reward for the believer…and you will get granted way more than whatever you’re hoping for now. 

And again - you literally won’t care about all these activities you’re talking about right now. It will be the least of your interests. They won’t interest you in the least bit - it’s your body or nafs that wants all this, and you won’t have that anymore. 

the meaning of religion isn’t, ‘sacrifice now so you can do it all later‘.

But that isn’t to say you can’t pursue halal desires in this world. Sure, learn languages. And if it’s within halal limits, art and novels aren’t an issue. Especially if it’s a good stress relief for you (As med person myself I get your struggle). And if you happen to produce something that’s good / has a good effect or does good in the world in some way for others, you get the reward for it.  

Ever heard of the phrase “Die before you die”, from the Prophet?

or, I’m not sure if you’ve experienced this, but for myself by the end of Ramadhan, those last handful of nights…I’m not interested in anything anymore, as in with food, entertainment etc. I guess fatigue plays a role, but when you are in a state of fasting or worship, basically as you move close to God and cut off your interests…you just won’t care about material things anymore. Dunya and its lures aren’t interesting. What you want now, maybe within life itself you’ll realize you’re not so crazy about it as you used to be. It’s not God being unfair to you…it’s simply your nafs wanting things. And you eventually realize, whether in life or in the grave, that the one thing your soul needs or wants is God Himself.

So by your logic... what is there to do in heaven then? If not for the things we think of now? Honestly for me, I crave for the early years when I was a kid. When I didn't need to taste the adult life yet and be completely guilt free of fantasizing and playing around. Now life seems so bleak and depressing to be honest. I'd be completely fine to die soon if I were to make it to hajj, umrah and other ziyaret first. The mundane life like marrying and settling for kids means nothing to me at this point because of the state of this rotten world and the fact that we'll see WW3 soon. And again, who knows I'll die much sooner than expected. Surely Allah knows why I've been crying lately: I don't wish to reach a certain age of adulthood in case I'll die in disbelief or doubt because of how overwhelming my life as an adult is beginning to look like. Sure I'll become a doctor soon... but that was because of my poor upbringing and that I won't be able to make a living if I won't make myself independent. But I'm growing tired... and the things I desperately want in jannah are nonstop in my head. 

And tbf, Ramadan was never easy for me. I can't do anything because of chronic fatigue to the point I either travel far away so I wouldn't fast or call in sick because my body just won't move. Even such obligations are weighing heavy lately the older I get... so I don't get to have the same type of reflections like other Muslims and haven't been able to for years. It's because of that that Ramadan is actually one of my least favorite months because I can't get myself to do any good deeds that require some kind of effort. 

Maybe and hopefully that'll make it all clear to you why such "limiting sounding" comments regarding jannah scare me. It won't motivate me any better in my worship. 

Edited January 25 by zizi_00

[notme]

5 hours ago, zizi_00 said:

what is there to do in heaven then?

Do? 

Does a tree feel discontent for lack of things to do? 

There is no need to constant striving.  

[zizi_00]

@notme 

I don't think that answers my question though? And I don't think bringing up more metaphors or proverbs/sayings makes up for a sufficient answer either. My question isn't that weird or odd for it to be answered like this. As long as it's not immoral, why can't I wish for such a thing? 

Cause again, what can your possibly do in jannah? Yes we will never get bored and we'll never feel unhappy or dissatisfied. But if it is nothing like this life like you say it is, no wordly ambitions or certain things you'd like to try that's impossible right now, and instead we'll basically just eat, drink and whatever normal activity in Jannah... what's the true difference then except for peace and eternal life? It would be quite boring if all of our desired and minds get erased and think all the same, dress/act the same and speak the same languages... basically no individuality.

Even if it's still beyond our comprehension of what heaven entails like our books say, it is quite odd to say that my proposed ideas of what I'd wish to do there are... not what's gonna be out there.

That's probably not what the masses want but that sure is of mine. I'm not asking for things like idk... consume alchohol or do drugs to try and get intoxicated for the first time, for such "desires" to be removed from our minds in jannah. Obviously not, that's common sense.

I'm not gonna go into detail of EVERYTHING I wish to have in jannah, but I can assure that if jannah is everything we ever desire, where we don't have to follow rules anymore like we do now in this world, that I doubt I'll not get what I want. Especially if let's say I'd die one day after all of my bad deeds were cleansed, yet my head still full and hopeful of the things I can finally receive in the afterlife as my reward.

It may all sound like I'm worrying for nothing... but knowing that my life will play out quite uninteresting, following such a bleak routine of just working as a doctor, with no time to either explore more of the outside world, my hobbies which will probably never become more than just a part-time thing after work hours, since I still need to make hours of worship given how I'm just filled with sins from within, this is not how I wished my life to play out.

Cause imagine if I don't receive the things I want jannah, which I once thought will be the place where I could try EVERYTHING that's mindblowingly impossible here... and it will just be the things everyone is telling me it is... I fear I'll get too attached to this Dunya and the things that seem insignificant, useless and a waste of time. Leaving mustahab acts to spend hours on my ambitions and interest if I knew they'd dissapear in heaven. If that's not the case and I can TRULY do whatever I want or wish for in jannah, and I mean literally everything one can imagine... I'd happily spend more time on worshipping and become a better muslim. I'll not have the fear of missing out on these wordly desires if I could first pass the test and have all of it back in heaven, but a thousand times better in experience and joy. I could maybe finally simulate a "life" where I'm living as a world famous artist or author? I'm dying to know what that feels like. Cause it for sure is too late for me to pursue that career. If others would like to find out about some mysteries about this world or unsolved cases in heaven like I've heard some Muslims say, then why wouldn't mine be answered?

That's what I mean. That's what I'm trying to say by this scary description of limiting the heaven I have in mind and what i have thought to be like. I want my sacrifices to be answered... I do not want them to be altered or removed. Not if they're unharmful, and even "stupid" to others.

 

 

 

Edited January 26 by zizi_00

[Abu Nur]

12 hours ago, zizi_00 said:

I'd happily spend more time on worshipping and become a better muslim

As long it is not immoral (actually you can never do immorality acts, because it would never anymore cross in your mind and heart), you will get what you wished in this dunya. But you will taste it very differently, in its perfectness and you will also see how Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) create in front of you manifesting His Attributes directly without cause and effect. 

As for the Hijab, it is only applying for this dunya life, because it was a test from Allah. This applys to all other religions duties, praying, fasting. 

“They will have whatever they desire, and with Us is more.”
(Qur’an 50:35)

[Abu Nur]

11 hours ago, zizi_00 said:

So by your logic... what is there to do in heaven then? If not for the things we think of now?

Heaven is manifesting and witnessing the infinite of names and attributes of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) forever. You will literally expirence constantly new things and beyond what you expirenced in this life forever. So that the dunya life will be felt as nothing at all. 

Edited January 26 by Abu Nur

[Guest Soleus]

You're putting your finger on the wrong problem - it's not how you are viewing what heaven is supposed to be that's the issue, it's how you are viewing your current life that's the issue.

You're limiting your view on how your life will play out, and playing a fatalistic vision simply because you are not getting what you want right now. How do you know you won't get pursue creative writing in the future after you are established in medicine? Or eventually travel or learn more languages? How do you know you might not get into certain activities that will make you happy? Do you pray to God for eventually allowing you to explore certain things in this dunya - He may provide your answer in years to come. Why not explore at least some stress relieving activities (what time can allow) to at least give yourself some happiness and motivation, if they are halal?

You're thinking "because I did not get to do what I want right now, I will never get it in my life, therefore I am unhappy, and therefore I must get this in Heaven"

You have no idea what your future has in store. Additionally there is the power of du'a - some people attain their wish after years. Keep asking God.

And finally - I can guarantee you that as you age or as years go by, you won't be so severely desiring what you are desiring now. That's the nature of the human or the nafs, and many find what they might have wanted years ago, so badly, they don't care about it anymore. Or the things that you think will make you happy now, you'll find it will be other things that make you happy years later instead.

As someone who is also wearing your shoes, who was pushed to medicine due to not having any generational wealth and no guarantee of a provider, I understand your upset at not pursuing the initial career you would have wanted. I wanted journalism.

A lot of people in medicine, after practicing for some years, find they dislike it, and have the finances to pursue what they want. Or they find they can pick up what they like to do on the side. Personally I hope to explore further Islamic studies once I've been appropiately established. You're not alone, and even those who are not in the medicine also agree with you in that life didn't go as expected, or what they wanted, and no doubt they miss freedom of childhood. It's simply the nature of this dunya/it's not meant to be happy or be that eternal bliss that Heaven provides. 

If you find that the idea of not having to explore all the things you wanted to explore in dunya not being in heaven as very discouraging on your worship, maybe you need to look into or developing better reasons for your worship, to help you become more stronger in faith. For instance, let's say some people find they need to rationalize their faith in order to be more encouraged in worship (i.e it's the truth, that's what motivates them). Maybe you need to examine the strong faith of those who have had absoloutley zero chance at anything in life and yet they have the strongest of faith - i.e, people in Gaza who have seen pieces of their family members. Find something else that helps you or motivates you.

And before you say you're in medicine and you have no time - no one is telling you to spend ages or become scholar material to do what I'm saying above. Just a moment in your day, or if not day, in your week. 

All I meant by mentioning Ramadhan is that a month of lack of food and optimal sleep makes you want things less. You don't have to do extensive worship in Ramadhan to notice that. And that is a concept in probably most religions, be it Buddhism or Islam - provide yourself less bodily comfort, find yourself wanting less. At least if you're not stubbornly or angrily stuck on something!

And as it has been said in this thread - God will compensate you and give you what you want in Heaven provided it's not immoral. If that gives you assurance - you will get whatever you want!!

 But to be very honest, as I mentioned before, I just don't see you wanting any shallow earthly things as a soul, it doesn't make sense in my mind..you yourself say this dunya is rotten, so to want to relieve it the way you would have wanted it sounds baffling. Heaven is this unlimited place...why earthly wants, which are full of limits, would be there, or why you as a soul would even consider it makes no sense to me. Once you're a soul and close to God, you're happy. And at the end of the day, that's clearly the biggest thing that you want - to be happy.

 

TLDR; You'll get what you want, but to improve your worship and your current mental state, change the way you are looking at your life and your religion.