A-Salam
In Saheeh Muslim (187), Ibn Masood narrates from the Messenger of Allah (sal-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) the warming story of the last man to escape Hellfire: His crawl away from Jahannam (Hellfire) is filled with face slips into the dirt, a tremoring walk, and a fire that licks him until he finally escapes. When he is past it, he looks back horrified, and announces with the loudest voice,
"All praise is due to Allah Who saved me from you."
Then he says,
"Verily I have been rewarded with something that no one from the beginning to the end of creation has been blessed with."
At that moment a tree glimpses his eye, a tree that was commanded to be raised for him. He quickly raises his hands,
"O Allah! Allow me to draw near to that tree so that I can cool off under its shade and drink from its water." Then Allah ta'ala calls him:
"O son of Adam! I fear that if I grant you what you ask you shall ask for more."
"Nay, O Allah!" pleads the man and testifies that he shall ask no more.
As the man basks in the glory of the tree, another tree is raised, one more bounteous and lush. The man pleads,
"O Allah! Allow me to draw near to that tree so that I can cool off under its shade and drink from its water."
Allah then says:
"Did you not promise me that you would ask no more? Perhaps if I give it to you, you shall ask for yet more."
The man testifies that he will not and is permitted that tree. Just then, a tree is raised near the doors of Jannah, one bigger and lusher than all the rest. The mans heart sinks.
"O Allah, that tree, that tree, I'll ask for nothing else."
"Did you not promise you would ask for nothing more?"
"After that tree, yaa Allah, nothing more."
He is permitted to draw nearer to the tree and there - as he nears the doors of Jannah - he hears the sounds of its inhabitants and he leaps,
"O Allah! Enter me into Jannah!"
"O son of Adam!" Allah announces, "What shall satisfy you and finish your pleading."
Then Allah offers,
"Will it please you if I give you all the treasures and bounties of the entire world and then double it!"
The man smiles, shuts off and his eyes lock up.
"My Lord, you're the Lord of the universe…Are you mocking me?"
… Ibn Masood started laughing. He told his students, "Ask me why I'm laughing. I'm laughing because Rasulullah (the Messenger of Allah) laughed when he told us this. And he also asked us, 'Do you know what makes me laugh? I'm laughing for Allah's laughter when he said, "You are the lord of the universe…are you mocking me?'"
Allah then tells him,
"I'm am not mocking you, rather I am capable of doing whatever I so wish."
Allahu Akbar!
Turn to almost every page of the Qur'an and you'll find mention of Jannah.
Jannah…
have you ever seen it?
Have you ever smelt it?
Have you ever touched it?
Have you ever tasted it?
The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) taught us that in Jannah is that :
"Which no eye has witnessed, no ear has heard, and that which has never been imagined by any human."
Recite the verse if you wish:
"And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort of the eye (satisfaction) as reward for what they used to do." [Surah As-Sajdah: 17]
Many Muslims tasted the Iman (belief) of Jannah. Bilal (Radi Allahu 'anhu) was one of them. His slave master Umayyah would drag Bilal out to the grilling desert at noontime - the fiercest moments of the day. Umayyah would press Bilal to the scalding ground and place a boulder on top of his chest to increase the torture. As his back would melt away Bilal would say nothing but, "Ahad, Ahad - One, only One."
Later in his life, companions would see Bilal's scarred back, tears would well in their eyes and they would ask him how he survived the punishment. Listen to his answer:
"The pain of punishment mixed with the sweetness of Iman. I tasted both and the sweetness of Iman overcame everything until I felt no more pain."
...
Today, let us sample Jannah, as offered to us in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
The Gates of Jannah
Imagine yourself present on the day when the gates of Jannah open with all the splendor that lies beyond it. Allah tells us in the Qur'an when the Muttaqoon are escorted to the gates of Jannah by the most handsome of Angels:
"And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden in crowds, until - behold - they arrive there. Its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say, 'Peace be upon you! You have done well, so enter (Jannah) and live in it eternally.'" [Surah Az-Zumar: 73]
The Prophet (sal-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) spoke to the Sahaabah (companions) about the gates of Jannah. He mentioned the gate of Prayers, the gate of Jihad, the gate of Siyam, and the gate of Charity.
Abu Bakr asked with the desire that took him to where he reached in Iman,
"…Will anyone be called from all gates?"
Rasulullah (Allah's Prophet) (sal-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
"Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them."
The Shade of Jannah
Imagine yourself in Jannah, cooling shade, water springs surrounding you, and fruits dipping in hands reach.
Allah tells us:
"Indeed, the Muttaqoon will be amid shades and springs, and fruits from whatever they desire, "Eat and drink to your hearts content for what you used to do (in the Dunya). Such we certainly reward the doers of good."[Surah al-Mursalaat 77: 41-44]
The Ambiance of Jannah
Imagine yourself - face shining with joy, glad that you woke up for Fajr all those days, glad you paid your Zakah, and glad you wore Hijaab all those summer days. This is what the atmosphere is like in Jannah:
"Faces that day will be joyful (radiant), satisfied with the effort that put (in the Dunya), in an elevated garden, where they shall hear no unsuitable speech."[Surah Al-Ghaashiyah 88: 8-11]
Jannah doesn't have any gossip, nor will you hear about brother so and so, or did you see what sister so and so is wearing.
Jannah the Greatest Gift
In Masjid an-Nabawee, I had been reciting the Qur'an to Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad Ma'bad for over a year. Finally, when the time of the Khatam al-Qur'an (the end of the Qur'an) came, I brought a recorder to the Halaqah and told him that I wanted to record the Khatam and the du'a for my mother who was in Canada.
When he made Du'a, he prayed for my parents saying, "O Allah! Bless Muhammad's parents with crowns of Noor (Light) on the Day of Recompense!"
A month later in Canada, when I was handing out gifts, for my mother I pulled out this tape. She took it and listened to the entire thing. When my mother heard this Du'a, she sat crying. She told me, "This is the greatest gift I could have gotten."
Truly Jannah is the greatest gift one can get.
"(Indeed Jannah) is the greatest attainment!"
by : Mohammed AlShareef
taken from : www.islamweb.net
