Have You Ever Tasted Jannah?

Author : Muhammad Alshareef

In Saheeh Muslim, Ibn Masood narrates from RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam the warming
story of the last man to escape Hellfire:
«His crawl away from Hellfire is filled with his face sliping 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, most proud, “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 catches 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’aala 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 he 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 than
the first. 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 even 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 and the
man’s 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 bounty of the entire world and
then double it!”

The man’s smile 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 said to his students, “Ask me why I’m laughing. I’m laughing because
RasulAllah 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 the man said, ‘You are the lord of the universe…are you
mocking me?’”

Allah then tells him, “I am not mocking you, rather I am capable of doing whatever I so wish.” Allahu
Akbar!» [Reported by Muslim]
‫ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻳﻤﺸﻲ ﻣﺮة وﻳﻜﺒﻮ ﻣﺮة«آﺧﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺪﺧﻞ اﻟﺠﻨﺔ رﺟﻞ‬.‫ وﺗﺴﻔﻌﻪ اﻟﻨﺎر ﻣﺮة‬.‫ ﻓﺈذا ﻣﺎ ﺟﺎوزﻫﺎ اﻟﺘﻔﺖ إﻟﻴﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻓﻘﺎل‬.‫ ﺗﺒﺎرك اﻟﺬي ﻧﺠﺎﻧﻲ‬:
‫ ﻟﻘﺪ أﻋﻄﺎﻧﻲ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻣﺎ أﻋﻄﺎه أﺣﺪا ﻣﻦ اﻷوﻟﻴﻦ واﻵﺧﺮﻳﻦﻣﻨﻚ‬.‫ ﻓﺘﺮﻓﻊ ﻟﻪ ﺷﺠﺮة‬.‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل‬.‫ أي رب‬:‫! أدﻧﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬه اﻟﺸﺠﺮة‬
‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﺰ وﺟﻞﻓﻸﺳﺘﻈﻞ ﺑﻈﻠﻬﺎ وأﺷﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﺋﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻳﺎ اﺑﻦ آدم‬:‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل! ﻟﻌﻠﻲ إن أﻋﻄﻴﺘﻜﻬﺎ ﺳﺄﻟﺘﻨﻲ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ‬.‫ ﻻ‬:‫ ﻳﺎ رب‬.‫! وﻳﻌﺎﻫﺪه‬
‫ ﺛﻢ ﺗﺮﻓﻊ ﻟﻪ ﺷﺠﺮة‬.‫ ﻓﻴﺴﺘﻈﻞ ﺑﻈﻠﻬﺎ وﻳﺸﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﺋﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻓﻴﺪﻧﻴﻪ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻷﻧﻪ ﻳﺮى ﻣﺎ ﻻ ﺻﺒﺮ ﻟﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬.‫ ورﺑﻪ ﻳﻌﺬره‬.‫أن ﻻ ﻳﺴﺄﻟﻪ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ‬
‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮلﻫﻲ أﺣﺴﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻷوﻟﻰ‬.‫ أي رب‬:‫ ﻻ أﺳﺄﻟﻚ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ! أدﻧﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬه ﻷﺷﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﺋﻬﺎ وأﺳﺘﻈﻞ ﺑﻈﻠﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل‬.‫ ﻳﺎ اﺑﻦ آدم‬:‫! أﻟﻢ‬
‫ ﻷﻧﻪ ﻳﺮى ﻣﺎ ﻻ‬.‫ ورﺑﻪ ﻳﻌﺬره‬.‫ ﻟﻌﻠﻲ إن أدﻧﻴﺘﻚ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﺗﺴﺄﻟﻨﻲ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ ؟ﻔﻴﻌﺎﻫﺪه أن ﻻ ﻳﺴﺄﻟﻪ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ‬:‫ﺗﻌﺎﻫﺪﻧﻲ أن ﻻ ﺗﺴﺄﻟﻨﻲ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ ؟ﻔﻴﻘﻮل‬
‫ ﻓﻴﺴﺘﻈﻞ ﺑﻈﻠﻬﺎ وﻳﺸﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﺋﻬﺎﺻﺒﺮ ﻟﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻓﻴﺪﻧﻴﻪ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﺛﻢ ﺗﺮﻓﻊ ﻟﻪ ﺷﺠﺮة ﻋﻨﺪ ﺑﺎب اﻟﺠﻨﺔ ﻫﻲ أﺣﺴﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻷوﻟﻴﻴﻦ‬.‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل‬.:
‫ ﻻ أﺳﺄﻟﻚ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ! أدﻧﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬه ﻷﺳﺘﻈﻞ ﺑﻈﻠﻬﺎ وأﺷﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﺋﻬﺎأي رب‬.‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل‬.‫ ﻳﺎ اﺑﻦ آدم‬:‫! أﻟﻢ ﺗﻌﺎﻫﺪﻧﻲ أن ﻻ ﺗﺴﺄﻟﻨﻲ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ؟‬
‫ ﺑﻠﻰﻗﺎل‬:‫ ﻳﺎ رب‬.‫ ورﺑﻪ ﻳﻌﺬره ﻷﻧﻪ ﻳﺮى ﻣﺎ ﻻ ﺻﺒﺮ ﻟﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ! ﻫﺬه ﻻ أﺳﺄﻟﻚ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ‬.‫ ﻓﻴﺪﻧﻴﻪ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻓﻴﺴﻤﻊ أﺻﻮات أﻫﻞ‬،‫ ﻓﺈذا أدﻧﺎه ﻣﻨﻬﺎ‬.
‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل‬،‫ أي رباﻟﺠﻨﺔ‬:‫ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل! أدﺧﻠﻨﻴﻬﺎ‬.‫ ﻳﺎ اﺑﻦ آدم‬:‫ ﻳﺎ رب! ﻣﺎ ﻳﺼﺮﻳﻨﻲ ﻣﻨﻚ؟ أﻳﺮﺿﻴﻚ أن أﻋﻄﻴﻚ اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ وﻣﺜﻠﻬﺎ ﻣﻌﻬﺎ ؟ﻘﺎل‬:!
‫ ﻫﻜﺬا ﺿﺤﻚ‬:‫ ﻣﻢ ﺗﻀﺤﻚ؟ ﻗﺎل‬:‫ أﻻ ﺗﺴﺄﻟﻮﻧﻲ ﻣﻢ أﺿﺤﻚ؟ ﻓﻘﺎﻟﻮا‬:‫ ﻓﻀﺤﻚ اﺑﻦ ﻣﺴﻌﻮد ﻓﻘﺎل‬." ‫أﺗﺴﺘﻬﺰئ ﻣﻨﻲ وأﻧﺖ رب اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻴﻦ‬
‫ أﺗﺴﺘﻬﺰئ ﻣﻨﻲ‬:‫ ﻣﻢ ﺗﻀﺤﻚ ﻳﺎ رﺳﻮل اﻟﻠﻪ ؟ﻘﺎل " ﻣﻦ ﺿﺤﻚ رب اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻴﻦ ﺣﻴﻦ ﻗﺎل‬:‫ ﻓﻘﺎﻟﻮا‬.‫رﺳﻮل اﻟﻠﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬
‫ وﻟﻜﻨﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ أﺷﺎء ﻗﺎدروأﻧﺖ رب اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻴﻦ؟ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل‬،‫ إﻧﻲ ﻻ أﺳﺘﻬﺰئ ﻣﻨﻚ‬:".»
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?

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us that in Jannah there 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 [As-Sajdah: 17].
َ‫}}ﻓَﻠَﻼ ﺗَﻌْﻠَﻢُ ﻧَﻔْﺲٌ ﻣَّﺎ أُﺧْﻔِﻲَ ﻟَﻬُﻢ ﻣِّﻦ ﻗُﺮَّةِ أَﻋْﻴُﻦٍ ﺟَﺰَاءً ﺑِﻤَﺎ ﻛَﺎﻧُﻮا ﻳَﻌْﻤَﻠُﻮن‬
Transletration: Fala taAAlamu nafsun ma okhfiya lahum min qurrati aAAyunin jazaan bima kanoo
yaAAmaloona

Many Muslims tasted the eman of Jannah, and Bilal radi Allahu anhu was one of them. His slave
master, Umayyah, would drag Bilal out to the grilling desert at noontime – the fiercest moment 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, when 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 eman. I tasted both and the sweetness of eman 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 will be opened with all of the splendor
that lies beyond it. Allah tells us in the Qur’an about 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.” [Az-Zumar: 73]
َ‫}}وَﺳِﻴﻖَ اﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ اﺗَّﻘَﻮْا رَﺑَّﻬُﻢْ إِﻟَﻰ اﻟْﺠَﻨَّﺔِ زُﻣَﺮًا ﺣَﺘَّﻰ إِذَا ﺟَﺎءُوﻫَﺎ وَﻓُﺘِﺤَﺖْ أَﺑْﻮَاﺑُﻬَﺎ وَﻗَﺎلَ ﻟَﻬُﻢْ ﺧَﺰَﻧَﺘُﻬَﺎ ﺳَﻠَﻼمٌ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻜُﻢْ ﻃِﺒْﺘُﻢْ ﻓَﺎدْﺧُﻠُﻮﻫَﺎ ﺧَﺎﻟِﺪِﻳﻦ‬
Transliteration: Waseeqa allatheena ittaqaw rabbahum ila aljannati zumaran hatta itha jaooha
wafutihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha salamun AAalaykum tibtum faodkhulooha khalideena

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam spoke to the Sahaabaa about the gates of Jannah. He
mentioned the gate of prayers, the gate of jihaad, the gate of siyaam, and the gate of charity.

Abu Bakr asked with the desire that took him to where he reached in eman, “Will anyone be called
from all gates?”

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.”

The Shade in Jannah

Imagine yourself in Jannah’s 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” [Al-Mursalaat: 41-44].
‫﴾ إِﻧَّﺎ ﻛَﺬَٰﻟِﻚَ ﻧَﺠْﺰِي‬٣٤﴿ َ‫﴾ ﻛُﻠُﻮا وَاﺷْﺮَﺑُﻮا ﻫَﻨِﻴﺌًﺎ ﺑِﻤَﺎ ﻛُﻨﺘُﻢْ ﺗَﻌْﻤَﻠُﻮن‬٢٤﴿ َ‫﴾ وَﻓَﻮَاﻛِﻪَ ﻣِﻤَّﺎ ﻳَﺸْﺘَﻬُﻮن‬١٤﴿ ٍ‫}إِنَّ اﻟْﻤُﺘَّﻘِﻴﻦَ ﻓِﻲ ﻇِﻠَﻼلٍ وَﻋُﻴُﻮن‬
﴾٤٤﴿ َ‫}اﻟْﻤُﺤْﺴِﻨِﻴﻦ‬
Transliteration: Inna almuttaqeena fee thilalin waAAuyoonin (41) Wafawakiha mimma yashtahoona
(42) Kuloo waishraboo haneean bima kuntum taAAmaloona (43) Inna kathalika najzee almuhsineena
(44)

The Ambience in Jannah

Imagine yourself in Jannah. Jannah doesn’t have any gossip; no, “Did you hear about brother so and
so,” or “Did see what sister so and so is wearing.” Your face is shining with joy and you’re so glad that
you woke up for Fajr all those days, glad you paid your zakah, glad you wore hijab all those summer
days. This is what the atmosphere is like in Jannah:
“Faces that day will be joyful (radiant) / Satisfied with the effort they put (in the dunya) / In an
elevated garden / Where they shall hear no unsuitable speech”. [Al-Ghaashiyah: 8-11]
١١﴿ ً‫﴾ ﻟَّﻻ ﺗَﺴْﻤَﻊُ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﻟَﻼﻏِﻴَﺔ‬٠١﴿ ٍ‫﴾ ﻓِﻲ ﺟَﻨَّﺔٍ ﻋَﺎﻟِﻴَﺔ‬٩﴿ ٌ‫﴾ ﻟِّﺴَﻌْﻴِﻬَﺎ رَاﺿِﻴَﺔ‬٨﴿ ٌ‫}}وُﺟُﻮهٌ ﻳَﻮْﻣَﺌِﺬٍ ﻧَّﺎﻋِﻤَﺔ‬
Transliteration: Wujoohun yawmaithin naAAimatun (8) LisaAAyiha radiyatun (9) Fee jannatin AAa
liyatin (10) La tasmaAAu feeha laghiyatan (11)

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 Khatm Al-Quran came, I brought a recorder to the halaqah and told
him that I wanted to record the Khatm 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 Repayment!”

A month later in Canada, when I was handing out gifts, I pulled out this tape for my mother. 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. As Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala says:

“Indeed Jannah is the greatest attainment!”

PART II

Regarding the inhabitants of Jannah:

“You can tell in their faces the radiance of the blessing.” [Al Mutaffifin: 24]
ِ‫}}ﺗَﻌْﺮِفُ ﻓِﻲ وُﺟُﻮﻫِﻬِﻢْ ﻧَﻀْﺮَةَ اﻟﻨَّﻌِﻴﻢ‬
Transliteration: TaAArifu fee wujoohihim nadrata alnnaAAeemi

The inhabitants of Jannah shall be in:

“Gardens and rivers.”

The inhabitants of Jannah are:

“Most pleased with what Allah gave them from His bounty.”
ِ‫}}ﻓَﺮِﺣِﻴﻦَ ﺑِﻤَﺎ آﺗَﺎﻫُﻢُ اﻟﻠَّـﻪُ ﻣِﻦ ﻓَﻀْﻠِﻪ‬
Transliteration: Fariheena bima atahumu Allahu min fadlihi

Dear brothers and sisters, Jannah is the fruit of a seed planted in this dunya; it is the retirement
package that you save up in all your years of work.

There once lived a pious man who was enslaved to a wicked master. The righteous slave wanted to
teach his master a lesson that he would not forget; a lesson that would make him change his ways.

The master told him one day to plant wheat. The slave took the opportunity and went and collected
seeds of barley and planted them instead. As the season drew near, the master was enraged to see
that after all this work and time, the slave had planted the wrong seed. In his thrashing rage, he
scolded the slave saying, “Why did you do this?”

The righteous slave said, “I had hoped that the barley seeds would come out as wheat.”

The master said, “How can you plant barley seeds and expect it to come out as wheat?”

The slave stopped and said quietly, “How can you disobey Allah and expect for His bounteous mercy?
How can you openly challenge his deen and hope for Jannah.”

The master was stunned and silent. He understood. “You have taught me something today that I had
never realized. You are free for the sake of Allah.”

A poet once wrote:

There is no home for a man after death

Except that which he used to build before he died.

If he built it with bricks of good deeds,

Then the architecture shall come out beautiful.

And if he built it with evil,

Its architect will fall into ruin.

Dear brothers and sisters, do you know what the greatest blessing for the inhabitants of Jannah is?
Don’t let any laziness in Salah block you from being here. Don’t let anything anything stand between
you and this blessing. RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam told us:
«When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah will ask them all, ‘Is there anything more that I
can give you?’ They will say, ‘Have you not illuminated our faces? Have you not entered us into
Jannah? Have you not saved us from Hellfire?’
Then Allah will uncover the veil (and all shall see Allah). After that moment there would be nothing
more beloved to them than seeing their Lord"» [Reported by Muslim].

‫ ﻗﺎل ﻳﻘﻮل اﻟﻠﻪ ﺗﺒﺎرك وﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ‬،‫ ﺗﺮﻳﺪون ﺷﻴﺌﺎ أزﻳﺪﻛﻢ؟ ﻓﻴﻘﻮﻟﻮن«إذا دﺧﻞ أﻫﻞ اﻟﺠﻨﺔ اﻟﺠﻨﺔ‬:‫ أﻟﻢ ﺗﺒﻴﺾ وﺟﻮﻫﻨﺎ؟ أﻟﻢ ﺗﺪﺧﻠﻨﺎ اﻟﺠﻨﺔ‬:
‫ ﻗﺎل ﻓﻴﻜﺸﻒ اﻟﺤﺠﺎبوﺗﻨﺠﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺎر‬.‫ ﻓﻤﺎ أﻋﻄﻮا ﺷﻴﺌﺎ أﺣﺐ إﻟﻴﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﻈﺮ إﻟﻰ رﺑﻬﻢ ﻋﺰ وﺟﻞ‬..»
Let’s go home today driving towards Jannah...

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