Reality of Heaven and Hell (Part 2)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمر

نحمده ونصلى على رسوله الكريم

Continuing right away from my previous post, I now move on to a discussion of the importance of Bait al-Maqdis (Holy Land), known as Jerusalem. As mentioned in the Christian Apocalypse, there will be a new Jerusalem coming down from Heaven which will be Paradise on Earth.

Allah Most High says in the Holy Qur’an:

وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَالَمِينَ

And We delivered him (Abraham) and Lot to the Land which We have blessed for the worlds

(Surah 21:71)

Similarly, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) is quoted as saying to those among his people who were granted salvation:

يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ

“O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has written for you and do not turn back, thus becoming losers.”

(Surah 5:21)

These Verses clarify the fact that it is the Holy Land (Jerusalem) which is the Jannah (Paradise) promised for the Believers.

The Prophetic traditions ellucidate that Jerusalem will be the place of resurrection and gathering in the Hereafter:

عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ مَوْلَاةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَتْ : قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، أَفْتِنَا فِي بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ ، قَالَ : " أَرْضُ الْمَحْشَرِ وَالْمَنْشَرِ ، ائْتُوهُ فَصَلُّوا فِيهِ ، فَإِنَّ صَلَاةً فِيهِ كَأَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ فِي غَيْرِهِ " ، قُلْتُ : أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ أَتَحَمَّلَ إِلَيْهِ ، قَالَ : " فَتُهْدِي لَهُ زَيْتًا يُسْرَجُ فِيهِ ، فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ كَمَنْ أَتَاهُ

Maimunah the freed slave of the Prophetﷺ said: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, tell us about Baitil-Maqdis (Jerusalem).” He said: “It is the land of the Resurrection and the Gathering. Go and pray there, for one prayer there is like one thousand prayers elsewhere.” I said: “What if I cannot travel and go there?” He said: “Then send a gift of oil to light its lamps, for whoever does that is like one who goes there.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " تُحْشَرُونَ هَا هُنَا وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى الشَّامِ مُشَاةً

The Messenger of Allahﷺ said: “You will be gathered to there, and he pointed to Al-Sham (the Holy Land) with his hand.”

It is reported in a Hadith Qudsi:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ : يَا شَامُ ، أَنْتِ صَفْوَتِي مِنْ بِلادِي ، أُدْخِلُ فِيكِ خَيْرَتِي مِنْ عِبَادِي

Allah says: “O Sham, you are the choicest of My lands, I shall inhabit you with the best of My servants.”

(Musnad al-Shamain of Imam Tabarani)

عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " عُمْرَانُ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ خَرَابُ يَثْرِبَ ، وَخَرَابُ يَثْرِبَ خُرُوجُ الْمَلْحَمَةِ ، وَخُرُوجُ الْمَلْحَمَةِ فَتْحُ قُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةَ ، وَفَتْحُ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ خُرُوجُ الدَّجَّالِ ، ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى فَخِذِ الَّذِي حَدَّثَ أَوْ مَنْكِبِهِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : إِنَّ هَذَا لَحَقٌّ كَمَا أَنَّكَ هَاهُنَا أَوْ كَمَا أَنَّكَ قَاعِدٌ يَعْنِي مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The flourishing state of Jerusalem will be when Yathrib is in ruins, the ruined state of Yathrib will be when the great war comes, the outbreak of the great war will be at the conquest of Constantinople and the conquest of Constantinople when the Dajjal (Antichrist) comes forth. He (the Prophet) struck his thigh or his shoulder with his hand and said: This is as true as you are here or as you are sitting (meaning Mu'adh ibn Jabal). (Sunan Abi Dawud)

To be continued…(In Sha Allah)