Experiencing the Joy of the Garden

One of the greatest blessings for Muslims is the hope they have of attaining the Garden in the Hereafter. Allah created the world so that believers would feel a longing for the Garden. Everyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day will always remember the Garden when experiencing the good things of this world. Knowing that these good things are transitory, they will desire the real and permanent blessings there. So, the longing and enthusiasm of such a person to attain the Garden will be reflected in his behaviour, conversation and his sincere efforts to live a good life.

Because believers long for the Garden, they are always in a state of excitement. And together with their excitement and eagerness, those whom our Lord has made heirs of the incomparable blessings of the Garden live in a state of pleasure and joy as they await the promised Garden.

A person who thinks of the Garden with the intelligence and awareness that comes from faith will live with the awareness of this blessing in the depths of his spirit. In one hadith the Prophet tells us that the Garden is more important and valuable than anything else:

And the measure of the bow of any of you or the space of a foot of the Garden is better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

And the measure of the bow of any of you of the Garden will be better than all that over which the sun rises or sets. (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim; at-Tirmidhi)

Throughout this book we have considered descriptions from the Qur’an and the hadith from which we can say that everything pertaining to the Garden is absolutely perfect in itself and when compared with the things of this world. This superiority of the Garden and its perfection are wonderful things for which human beings search this world throughout their whole lives without success. Therefore, to feel a longing for the Garden, to hope to be worthy of it and to experience the joy of our Lord’s promise of the Garden are all very great blessings.