Indeed, Paradise is the great reward prepared by Allah to those dutiful people who did their best to conform to His commands and to avoid His prohibition. It is the prize for those winners who understood the truth of this world and realized how to make use of every minute and every second to draw nearer to Allah and to increase their record of good deeds.
For such successful people, Allah has prepared every pleasure in Paradise. They enjoy in Paradise whatever they wish and like. They are showered with Allah’s blessings and favors. All their wishes are fulfilled, all their desires are met, and all their requests are granted.
To perfect the joy and delight of believers in Paradise, Allah brings together the believing members of one family, exalting the ranks of the members of lower grade to the higher grades of their relatives. Also, believers in Paradise enjoy meeting each other and recalling their memories of the world.
To elaborate more on this point, we would like to cite for you the words of Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee. He states:
Allah says: (Whoso obeyeth Allah and the Messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the Prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they! Such is the bounty of Allah, and Allah sufficeth as knower) (An-Nisaa’ 4:69-70).
( Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring: and angels shall enter unto them from every gate (with the salutation): Peace unto you for that ye persevered in patience! Now how excellent is the final home!) (Ar-Ra`d 13:23-24).
( And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of naught of their (life’s) work. Every man is responsible for that which he hath earned) (At-Tur 52:21).
( Lo! those who merit Paradise this day are happily employed, they and their wives, in pleasant shade, on thrones reclining) (Ya-Sin 36:55-56).
Further, a man said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about a man who loves some people but cannot catch up with their good deeds?” Allah’s Messenger said, “One will be with those whom he loves.”
The above texts prove that once a believer is admitted to Paradise, he will not be deprived of anything he desires, whether food, drink, material pleasures, and whatsoever. Actually this involves meeting friends and loved ones, as well as bringing the members of the family together. It does not matter whether such friends are of the same rank in Paradise or not. In fact, the means of communication and transportation are available and accessible in Paradise by Allah’s will.
At-Tabarani reported with a passable chain of narrators that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “I love you more than my own soul and my children. Sometimes, I remember you while I am home, and I cannot help but come and see you. Whenever I recall the fact that when we pass away, you will be admitted to Paradise and your rank will be high with other prophets, I fear that I will not be able to see you (once again).” Thereupon Allah revealed: (Whoso obeyeth Allah and the Messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the Prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they! Such is the bounty of Allah, and Allah sufficeth as knower) (An-Nisaa’ 4:69-70).
Further, it was reported that Ibn `Abbas said, “Allah will elevate the children of a believer in Paradise to his rank, even though their deeds are less than his, so that he may be delighted.” Then Ibn `Abbas recited Allah’s saying: (And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of naught of their (life’s) work. Every man is responsible for that which he hath earned) (At-Tur 52:21).
Indeed, people are held accountable for their deeds on the Day of Judgment; the father is not responsible for his son’s deeds, nor is the son responsible for his father’s deeds. However, when the accounting is over and the believers are settled in Paradise, their joy will be perfected by meeting friends and cherished persons.
So, let’s exert our efforts to be among those blessed by entering Paradise; let’s be careful in choosing friends, for one will come on the Day of Judgment with his loved ones, and those who love each other for the sake of Allah will be shaded by Allah Almighty. This, in fact, is the ultimate success.
For more elaboration we would like to cite for you the following:
Allah tells us that the people of Paradise will talk to each other and that they will ask each other about some of the things that went on during their worldly lives. Allah says: (And some of them draw near unto others, mutually questioning. A speaker of them saith: Lo! I had a comrade. Who used to say: Art thou in truth of those who put faith (in his words)? Can we, when we are dead and have become mere dust and bones, can we (then) verily be brought to book? He saith: Will ye look? Then loo
keth he and seeth him in the depth of hell. He saith: By Allah, thou verily didst all but cause my ruin, And had it not been for the favour of my Lord, I too had been of those haled forth (to doom)) (As-Saffat 37:50-57).
In his commentary on the Qur’an, Ibn Khathir discusses these verses, saying:Allah tells us that the people of Paradise will approach each other and question each other about their lives on the earth, discussing how they used to be and the difficulties that they used to face. This will be their topic of discussion while they take drinks and meet together, socializing and reclining on couches, while servants attend to them, bringing them all goodness in the form of food, drink, and apparel, the likes of which no one has ever before seen, heard, or even imagined.
Allah says: (And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of naught of their (life’s) work. Every man is responsible for that which he hath earned) (At-Tur 52:21).
In this verse Allah says that He will bless the believing family members, that He will bring them together in Paradise. This will take place by raising the status in Paradise of the children who fell short of their parents’ status. This is by Allah’s immense generosity and favor.
Ibn Kathir relates that Ibn `Abbas said regarding the above verse, “These are the children of the believers who die in (a state of) belief. Then, if their fathers attained a higher level in Paradise than they did, they will follow their fathers, and none shall have any of their good deeds reduced.”
Abu Nu`aym relates that Hamid ibn Hilal said, “It has been conveyed to us that the denizens of Paradise, the higher and lower grades from among them, shall visit each other.”
There are several hadtihs about the people of Paradise visiting one another. However, all of those hadiths are weak. They are mentioned by Abu Nu`aym in Sifat Al-Jannah (258-260) and by Ibn Al-Qayyim in Hadi Al-Arwah ila Bilad Al-Afrah (332-336).
Thus, these are glad tidings and great incentives to all Muslims. It is a cherished wish, in fact, by every Muslim to see the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), meet him, and talk with him. We all look forward to meeting our great predecessors who did their best to convey to us the noble message of Islam and to transmit to us its teachings as intact as they were revealed. Really, we still have the chance to achieve this dear hope. We only have to follow in their footsteps and render our love to them into deeds and acts.