The Description of Paradise – III

The Soil of Paradise
Describing the soil of Paradise, the Prophet Muhammad said:
“I entered Paradise, where I saw lights of pearl, its soil was musk.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Ibn Sayyaad  asked the Messenger  about the soil of Paradise. He  said, “It is a fine white powder of pure musk.” [Muslim and Ahmad]
Abu Hurayrah  said: “I asked, ‘O’ Messenger of Allaah, ‘From what are people created?’ He said: "From water." We (present Companions) asked, ‘From what is Paradise built?’ He said, ‘Bricks of gold and silver and mortar of fragrant musk; its pebbles are pearls and rubies, and its soil is saffron. Whoever enters it is blessed with joy and will never be miserable; he will remain there forever and will never die; his clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade away.’” [Ahmad and others]
The Rivers of Paradise
Allaah, the Most High and Exalted, has told us that rivers flow from beneath Paradise. He Says in the Quran (what means):
{And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow.} [Quran 2: 25]
Allaah also Says (what means): {Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow.} [Quran 18: 31]
The Prophet  has told us clearly about the rivers of Paradise. He said that during his Mi'raaj’ (miraculous Ascension to the heavens):
“...I saw four rivers flowing out from beneath Sidrat Al-Muntaha (the Lote Tree in the seventh heaven), two visible and two hidden. I asked, ‘O Jibreel (Gabriel), what are these rivers?’ He said, ‘The two hidden rivers are rivers of Paradise, and the two visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.” [Muslim]
Imaam Al-Bukhaari  reported from Anas Ibn Maalik  that the Messenger of Allaah  said: “I was shown As-Sidrah (Lote Tree), where I saw four rivers, two visible rivers and two hidden rivers. The two visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates, and the two hidden rivers are rivers in Paradise.”
Moreover, the Messenger of Allaah  said: “Seehaan and Jeehaan (the Euphrates and the Nile) are all from the rivers of Paradise.” [Muslim]
Shaykh Al-Albaani  said: “Perhaps what is meant is that these rivers originated from Paradise just as mankind did; this Hadeeth does not contradict the well-established fact that these rivers spring forth from known sources on earth. If this is not in fact the meaning of this Hadeeth, then it is one of the matters of the Unseen (Al-Ghayb), which we must believe and accept because the Prophet  has told us about it.” [Silsilat Al-A Haadeeth As-Saheehah, 1/18]
Al-Qaari  said: “These four rivers are considered to be among the rivers of Paradise, because they are so sweet and digestive, so fresh and wholesome. They contain blessings from Allaah, and are honored by the fact that the Prophet  came to them and drank from them.” [Mishkaat Al-Masaabeeh 3/80
Another of the rivers of Paradise is Al-Kawthar which Allaah, the Almighty has given to His Messenger  according His Saying (which means):
{Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], Al-Kawthar.} [Quran 108: 1]
The Prophet  saw it during his Ascension and told us about it. He said: “Whilst I was walking in Paradise, I saw a river whose banks were domes of hollow pearls. I asked, ‘What is this, O’ Jibreel?’ He said, ‘This is Al-Kawthar which your Lord has given to you.’ Its scent - or its mud - was of fragrant musk.” Hudbah  [one of the narrators] was not sure if he said Teeb (scent) or Teen (mud). [Al-Bukhaari]
On the other hand, Ibn Katheer  compiled a number of Ahadeeth in which the Prophet  spoke about A1-Kawthar, such as the Hadeeth narrated by Muslim from Anas, which states that when the verse (which means): " {Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], Al-Kawthar.} , was revealed, the Prophet  said:
“Do you know what Al-Kawthar is?” They said, “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “It is a river that Allaah has promised to me, and in it is much goodness.” [Muslim]
He also quoted the Hadeeth narrated by Ahmad  from Anas according to which the Prophet  said:
“I have been given Al-Kawthar, which is a river flowing across the face of the earth; its banks are domes of pearl and it is not covered. I touched its mud with my hand, and found that it was fragrant musk, and its pebbles were pearls.” [Ahmad]
According to another Hadeeth, also narrated by Ahmad from Anas the Prophet  said:
“It is a river that Allaah has given to me in Paradise. Its mud is musk and its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Birds with necks like the necks of camels drink from it.” [Ahmad]
The rivers of Paradise do not contain just water. There are rivers of water, of milk, of wine and of clear honey. Allaah, the Most High and Exalted, Says (what means):
{Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised, wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord, like [that of] those who abide eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines.}[Quran 47: 15]
Moreover, the Messenger of Allaah  said: “In Paradise there is a sea of honey, a sea of wine, a sea of milk and a sea of water, and the rivers flow out of these seas.” [At-Tirmithi]
He  also told us of a river called Baariq, which flows by the gate of Paradise. During the period of Barzakh (the time between death and the Day of Resurrection), the martyrs will be beside this river. Ahmad, At-Tabaraani and Al-Haakim  reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas  that the Messenger of Allaah  said:
“The martyrs are in a green dome beside the river of Baariq, by the gate of Paradise, from which provision comes to them morning and evening.”[Al-Jaami'] 
By: Umar Sulaymaan Al-Ashqar