Will bounties of jannah be the same as those in this world?
We have worldly wishes and needs in this world. We want to eat good meals, drink, dwell in beautiful houses etc. Will we have such desires in jannah? Will the bounties given there be the same as this world?
There are so many ayahs and hadiths describing jannah. The terms that are used to describe jannah seem so familiar and so similar to those we use for our worldly needs and desires. When we read the ayahs and hadiths, we see that we’ll be given rewards and bounties similar to those in this world.
However;
Bounties of Jannah recall those of this world just in respect of their names
There are so many ayahs and plenty of hadiths telling us about jannah. Even though it is described with very familiar words like “garden, river, fruit, drink, tray etc., human mind cannot fully understand and imagine the essence of jannah and the bounties there; because they are similar to worldly creatures not “apparently” but “namely”.
For example, when we talk about “means of transportation” today, what we get is cars, buses, trains, subways, plains etc. however, what “means of transportation” meant to people of the previous centuries was horses, camels, sledges, gondolas etc. Although meaning of “transportation” is the same, the vehicles they refer to are different in every century.
Similarly, the bounties of jannah and terms relating to akhirah mentioned in the ayahs and hadiths are similar to those we see in this word relating to their names; however they are actually so different in appearance and essence. It is why the hadith says “what no eye has seen and no ear has heard, nor has it occurred to the human heart”.
Jannah is described in many Quranic verses some of which are as following;
Wonderful dwellings which rivers flow beneath
“Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing women gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual abode…” (Surah al Tawba; 72)
Gardens with fruits easy to reach
“And the fruits of the two gardens shall be within reach.” (Rahman, 54)
“And We will aid them with fruit and flesh such as they desire” (Tur, 22)
Trays of gold and goblets; all that souls desire and eyes find sweet
“Enter the Garden, ye and your wives, to be made glad.
Therein are brought round for them trays of gold and goblets, and therein is all that souls desire and eyes find sweet. And ye are immortal therein.
This is the Garden which ye are made to inherit because of what ye used to do.
Therein for you is fruit in plenty whence to eat.” (Surah al Zuhruf; 69- 73)
Delicious drink and “No Trouble”, “No Tiredness”
“White, delicious to those who drink. There shall be no trouble in it, nor shall they be exhausted therewith.” (Surah al Saffat; 46, 47)
“Yes, in accordance with the explicit statement of the verse:
There will be there all that the souls could desire, all that the eyes could delight in (43;71)
man will experience in Paradise in fitting form the physical pleasures with which he is most familiar and samples of which he has tasted in this world. The rewards for the sincere thanks and particular worship each of his members, like the tongue, eye, and ear, offers, will be given through physical pleasures particular to those members. The Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition describes the physical pleasures so explicitly, it is impossible not to accept the apparent meaning, and to make forced interpretations of them.” (Rays, RNC)
Universe is like a flood flowing towards the eternity. As there is certainly a place that any running water collects, there are two pools where the flood of universe gathers, called “jannah” and “jahannam” (paradise and hell). Jannah that is a pool of this world will resemble this world to an extent. Physical and spiritual essentials of this world will be reserved even in jannah. The rewards of the worships which we perform physically will be given in a physical but in a most beautiful way comparing to dunia. For instance, a stomach avoiding haram will be rewarded with the most delicious jannah food. An ear abstaining haram sounds will be awarded with the loveliest sound in jannah.
Jannah is the place where all wishes are accepted
“And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that they shall have gardens in which rivers flow; whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say: This is what was given to us before; and they shall be given the like of it, and they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide.” (Baqara, 25)
Narrated Abu Hurairah:
"The lowest place of any of you in Jannah will be that Allah will tell him to express his wish. He will wish and wish again. Allah will then ask him: `Have you expressed your wish?' He will answer: `Yes, I have.' Allah will say: `You will have what you have wished for and the like thereof along with it.''' (Muslim)