Paradise: Spiritual or Physical?
Here is an interested read from an answer for question Paradise: Spiritual or Physical? from ReadingIslam.com its long but worth reading.
*{What is the life of this world but amusement and play? but verily the Home in the Hereafter,- that is life indeed, if they but knew.}* Al-Ankabut 29:64)
The next life is really what matters. It is eternal, without end. If we end up in a good state — Paradise — the pleasures of this life will be nothing in comparison to it. If we end up in a bad state — Hellfire — the troubles of this life will be nothing compared to its torment.
I ask Allah to protect us from the torment of Hellfire. But what is the reality of the next life? What does Allah tell us? What does Prophet Muhammad have to say?
You refer to many verses from the Quran so I will do my best to address their messages.
*{Here is a parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and grace from their Lord. Can those in such bliss be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels?}* (Muhammad 47:15)
At first glance we may think that this is a contradiction to the laws of Allah in this life regarding the consumption of wine. But we need to take the message of Allah in its entirety, not to pick and choose which parts of His Message we will follow. The following verses clarify this issue:
*{Round about them will serve youths of perpetual freshness, With goblets, shining beakers, and cups filled out of clear-flowing fountains: No after-ache will they receive therefrom, nor will they suffer intoxication: And with fruits, any that they may select: And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire. And there will be companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes, like unto pearls well-guarded — a reward for the deeds of their past (life). Not frivolity will they hear therein, nor any taint of ill,- Only the saying, "peace! peace"*} (Al-Waqi`ah 56:17-26)
As you can see, the word "wine" is not used here, but it is implied because this type of drink in Paradise, although similar to wine, is much better in that it does not cause intoxication nor does it leave the drinker with the after-ache of a "hang-over".
Now this leads us to another apparently confusing description of Heaven in Islam. Isn't Heaven a spiritual place of bliss? Yes it is, but it is also a physical existence.
Paradise in Islam is similar to the pleasures of this life but far better and everlasting. We do not subscribe to the beliefs of other religious traditions that preach that we will move on to a purely spiritual realm in the next life. This would cause us to assume that physical existence is inherently evil, which Islam rejects.
Allah created us as both physical and spiritual beings. Angels are spiritual creatures only in that they were created from light. They are seen by other religious traditions as being superior to human beings. But even the angels are servants of Allah as we are.
Some humans, prophets for example, are superior to some angels in many ways. When Allah created Adam (peace be upon him) he commanded the angels to bow down to him.
*{Were We then weary with the first Creation, that they should be in confused doubt about a new Creation?}* (Qaf 50:15)
Allah created us all from the elements of the earth beginning with the creation of our father Adam, then in the form of sperm and egg, again basically from nothing. The elements of the universe were created by His Will alone. Only Allah can create from nothing.
Is it difficult for Him to create us again from our bones? Or even from nothing again? Of course, Allah is able to do as He pleases and we are not the ones to ask why or why not.
Regarding the verses about female companions and wives in Paradise, we can use a similar argument. If Allah has blessed us with wives in this life, does it seem right to remove this blessing in the next life? I would dare to say that there are few men in this life that would say no to having many wives in this life if they were sure they could manage it financially and emotionally. The problems we run into in having many wives in this life stem from our shortcomings as men and women. Allah advises us in this matter:
*{You are never able to be fair and just as between women, even if it is your ardent desire, but turn not away from a woman altogether, so as to leave her as it were hanging in the air. If you come to a friendly understanding, and practice self- restraint, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.}* (Al-Nisaa' 4:129
In Paradise, however, these shortcomings and ill-feelings will disappear.
*{And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury: (they will be) brothers (joyfully) facing each other on thrones of dignity.}* (Al-Hijr 15:47)
Paradise is a place where no one will experience any type of worry or annoyance. No feelings of jealousy or ill-will would be found among the hearts of its inhabitants. There is no aging and no death, only happiness and enjoyment of the finest things of life, human life. The greatest reward, however, is to be able to look upon Allah as He really is and to have Allah's pleasure.
Prophet Muhammad taught us more than any other prophet, peace be upon them all, about Paradise and Hell:
Abu Said Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with them) both reported Allah's Messenger as saying:
"There will be an announcer in Paradise who will make this announcement: "Verily there is in store for you everlasting health and that you should never fall ill and that you live for ever and do not die at all. And that you would remain young and never grow old. And that you would always live in affluent circumstances and never become destitute, as words of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, are: *{And it will be announced to them: This is the Paradise. You have been made to inherit it for what you used to do."}* (Al-A`raf 7:43) (Muslim)
This is not a description of a spiritual existence only. Will we have a youthful appearance and fine clothing?
The Prophet continued, saying:
"Then He would say: Enter the Paradise; whatever you see in it is yours. They would say: O Lord, you have bestowed upon us favors which you did not bestow upon anyone else in the world. He would say: There is with Me a favor for you better than this. They would say: O our Lord! Which thing is better than this? He would say: It is My pleasure. I will never be angry with you after this." ( Muslim)
Finally, I would like to repeat that we need to take Islam as a whole. It is a comprehensive faith that leaves out nothing in offering the best guidance to mankind in achieving success in this life and the next.
*{He it is Who has sent down to you the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental of established meaning; they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the message except people of understanding.}* (Aal `Imran 3:7)
Source: http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221720585796&pagename...
Gypsy/Arien: I wouldn't blame religion but humans, afterall, we are the responsables for all those acts that are "supposably" made in name of God, it's our fault that we believe that a Human could carry the true message of God exactly as it is because we are limited, so we can't absorb God's message and we do mistakes when we don't understand it AND THE RESULT IS CONTRADICTIONS ON gOD'S MESSAGE.
(Sorry caps)
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Quote -- Gypsy
''I see it religion encourages people to do more bad in this world then good''
Unquote
I completly agree with you ther.. just live in the culture we are born in, and be good and responsible to the people and soceity, thats it.
Religion..huh gime a break..
of course i know its unimaginable you and me coming same page on a religious issue :).
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Guess I don't need help to be a good person realsomeone, and as I see it religion encourages people to do more bad in this world then good.
Gypsy religion and promise of after life helps you do good in this world. when you have borders to control you and set of rules to follow its easier to be on the good side.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Personally I believe we should be good people in this life, not because of some promise of an afterlife, but because by doing so we make this world better, we make ourselves better and we help others to have a better life.
Well said Nadt.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
"Perhaps its the carrot and stick syndrome.. However, I assure you that once you start to do something good, fore what ever reason, you it will become a habit and soon you will be doing it because you like it.."
Fully agree with you
Nadt: All depends on your intentions, showing to be pious but not fealing it wont help, it's just fooling ourselfs.
UKEng: Do you know the difference between "legal" sex and "illegal" sex?
A: USD 50,00
Sorry folks, couldn't resist ;)
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
fun.
A small example of this and small quote from one of RS many threads that, Making love to your wife is fun, doing that outside of wedlock is also fun. But the difference is that yoou are with th wife because of your religious beliefs and been someone ouside means that you are going against your religious beliefs. Sex in marriage gets you in Paradise and outside of wedlock you will make you endup in hell. The difference only being your belief.
That is the same argument being made here. Is Pradise Spiritual or Practical. So as there is no one in this world who has seen Paradise so it can only therefore classified as spiritual.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
I dont understand why being pious means you have no fun? I wouldn classify my self as completely pious but i try to practice my religion as much as possible, and i can say i am having fun in my life. i have also lived a period where i wasnt religous at all and did many things that wouldve have been against my religion, and i cant say i was always having fun. Define what is fun? We all have different defintions of fun! People seems to assume if you follow a particular religion, then you are missing out on something.
Whatever u do, do it coz u like it, not because you were taught to do it or because ur supposed to do it or because u expect to be rewarded... is what i think.
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
Perhaps its the carrot and stick syndrome.. However, I assure you that once you start to do something good, fore what ever reason, you it will become a habit and soon you will be doing it because you like it..
britex, thats what i dont get- "we strive to be good human beings in this life IN ORDER TO experince the benefits of the "next life"".
Why do u do something for a reward? WHy not do it becasue u like doing it? That was my question to realsomeone.
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
The simple fact is that we strive to be good human beings in this life in order to experince the benefits of the "next life", whether physical or spiritual..
thanks someonenew ;)
UKEng: I must admit that an Iman saying that, kinda surprised me in a positive way, on other words i agree with him, and i also agree with Gypsy and RS, each one of them is right but in different ways.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
These were the world of a Imam that heard, this guys was quite open minded. He described pious people prisoners of their belief, there were bound by the do and don'ts and rarely had the option to do the don'ts.
After all these years I agree with him. Yes everyone will be judged by the way they feel as well as their action.
So I fully support Gypsy hesitence, incase you find out at the end of the day that the prison life meant nothing and that there was no freedom or paradise at the end..
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HE WHO DARES WINS
You have a great evening realsomeone and plato:)
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
c u later buddy
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Yeah ok realsomeone just wanted to tell u that's what i thought after reading ur post, thats all...
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
have a good night everyone. time to go offline
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Well someoneone, i am 100% happy with my way of life, and also by worshiping Allah of course we expect him to reward us for what he promised for us (paradise) and to protect us from (Hell). that is the purpose of life.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Lol someonenew, i think that the main difference between gypsy and Realsome is the way both were educated, each one of them belives that he/she is right and each one does what they were tought that was right, but i do agree that what counts the most is the intention and not the action.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
See thats the differnce between gypsy n u - although both of u protect ur respective beliefs fiercly only gypsy does it becasue she likes doing it and because she thinks its fun, u just do it becasue ur expecting god to reward u later, not becasue u like doing it.
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
She's just kiddin plato:)
Realsomeone so according to u being pious is fun or not? What I'm trying to say is that geniunely pious people would have answered that differently. See what's fun for gypsy may not be fun for you and thats what u shud've said. You said "Sure gypsy it will suck if that was the case but we are trying to be pious because we firmly know that afterlife exists without any doubt." means u agreed it wud suck if u found out that what gypsy is saying is true, so ur intention for being pious is not genuine- ur doing it so that u will be rewarded in ur after life not becasue u really like being pious or think its fun being pious.
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
Janey: I'll take your reply as being ironic, i could feal kinda offended if i would take it seriouslly.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Platao, good on you! I always knew there was something not normal about you!
The internet is our revenge machine
Lol :)
Janey: So what? I have medium powers, so, i have spoken to the spirits (only the body dies) ;)
Gypsy: Until we reach perfection, there's still a long way to go, but as Mohamed Ali said once, do good and no matter your religion, you'll be rewarded ;)
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
me too, very confident. :)
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Actually realsomeone I'm quite confident that I am following the true path. :)
janeyjaney i mean i met them alive...and they believe they were wrong about God. it doesnt take to go afterlife to understand the existence of God it takes research and willingness to change.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
I'm not going through anything realsomeone, I'm quite happy with my beliefs. I'm just trying to get to admit that it would suck if you were wrong.
They understood that they were wrong? How did you know? Did they contact you when they were already living their afterlife?
FANTASTIC!
The internet is our revenge machine
I know what you are going through i already have met some people who have the same ideas of yours but finally understood that they were wrong thank God that is while they are in this world.
but being someone who cares about humans i would advise you to keep trying instead of regretting later that "I was wrong" you are alive now so you should act now. i dont mean you should convert to Islam etc but i mean search the truth.its good adventure.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
I'm not doubting your faith realsomeone and I admire it. But I'm just thinking in my head how bloody pissed off I'd be (and will be if there does turn out to be an afterlife and god and such) if I was wrong.
I mean, I'm just picturing this guy in utter blackness going "WELL %$*(@WY$YIO#UO!@$Y&$!
no i dont agree, i only was answering to gypy's definition not my own understanding and experience.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
I'd rather live my life with a little doubt and have a little fun then go and find out I was completely wrong.
realsomeone so u do agree that being pious is no fun eh??? hehehehahahah
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
Sure gypsy it will suck if that was the case but we are trying to be pious because we firmly know that afterlife exists without any doubt.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Gypsy: Lol, gladly i ain't that religious, we can never that we are humans, so we do have limitations.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Wouldn't it suck if you spend all your life pious and having no fun only to discover there is no afterlife?
Rs: No prob buddy :) In spiritism, we consider Paradise as a state of the soul after it reaches perfection :)
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Platao thanks buddy, i think everything i would have said about paradise being spiritual or physical is already mentioned in the article and that is how Islam sees paradise.
dmigty i agree there are lots of similarities between Islam & Christianity, but there are also major differences specially regarding Jesus(pbuh).
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
have a lot of similarity in practice and belief, difference only is I am Christian and you are called Muslim. We believe in the Bible and you believe in Quran. As I understand it, you believe in the Old Testament but not the New Testament. You believe Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), while we believe in Christ. Your views about paradise and hell is same as mine. Your belief that there is only one God is same as mine. I would presume that the teachings of Christ and the Apostles have a lot of similarities with the Hadith and Sunni writings (forgive my mispellings), but definitely there are certain teaching of Islam that is contrary to our belief, in particular, having more than one wife and the eating of pork. In our religion, the food forbidden to be eaten is classified into three, first, blood. Second, animals that died where blood did not come-out and third, foods that were offered to gods and idols.
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
Before i start, i would like to congratulate Realsome for this topic, should be interesting :)
I belive that Paradise is spiritual. Plato, the greek philosopher, says in one of his works that Spirits used to live freelly in the universe but due to a sin commited they were punished to carry a physical body with senses that fool the soul.
UKEng: According to the Bible and the Torah, Adam and Eve hided their nudity from God, after eating the forbidden fruit
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Only to give as the desire to re-enter it after spending time in this world..
I have tried hard to understand why Adam was not created and put on Earth from the beginning. He was created and then left in Heaven/Paradise.. Then he was sent to earthonly to repent for his mistake.. Our we paying a price of the mistake of our father?
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HE WHO DARES WINS