Are there rivers, mountains, planets and stars in the Hereafter?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Believing in Paradise is an obligation upon all Muslims. It is part of believing in the Last Day that is mentioned in the well-known Hadeeth that was reported on the authority of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab . In this Hadeeth Jibreel (Archangel Gabriel) asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, about the meaning of Islam, Eemaan (faith), Ihsaan (excellence) and about the exact time of the Hour. [Muslim]

Paradise is part of the Unseen that we are required to believe in without exceeding our limits in asking about details when there is not enough knowledge of Sharee‘ah texts on which to draw such details. Allaah The Exalted and His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, informed us about some of the characteristics of Paradise in order to define it and make people long for it. However, it should be known that the objects of Paradise resemble those of this world in name only, but they are distinctively different in essence and Allaah The Almighty alone knows what they are really like. Therefore, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said in a Qudsi (sacred) Hadeeth that Allaah The Almighty prepared for His righteous servants what has never been seen, nor heard, nor could be imagined. He added that the bounties that we were not informed about are much more than those that we know about. He then recited the verse (what means): {And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.}[Quran 32: 17][Al-Bukhari and others]

In another verse, we are told that there are rivers in Paradise; Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment.}[Quran 85: 11]

In the Hadeeth in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, described what he had seen during the night of Israa’ and Mi‘raaj (the Night journey via Jerusalem to the heavens), he said that he had seen four rivers which flowed from the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat Al-Muntaha): two manifest rivers and two hidden ones. When he asked Jibreel about these rivers, he told him that the two hidden rivers were in Paradise, and that the two manifest ones were the Nile and the Euphrates. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Moreover, we have been informed by way of revelation about the soil of Paradise, its dust and its structures. It was reported that Ibn Sayyaad asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, about the description of the soil of Paradise and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told him that it was similar in color to extremely white flour and that it emitted a fragrance similar to that of Musk. [Muslim]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was also asked about the structures in Paradise and he said that they were made from bricks of gold followed by bricks of silver; and instead of mud or cement there is a very fragrant musk that is used to hold the bricks together. He added that its pebbles are like diamonds and rubies in color and clarity, and its soil is saffron. Its dwellers enjoy everlasting bliss without receiving the least suffering and all their needs are taken care of. They enjoy everlasting life, their garments never wear out and their youth is never affected by the passage of time. [At-Tirmithi; Al-Albaani: Saheeh (Authentic)]

There are pavilions and palaces in Paradise. It was reported on the authority of Abu Maalik Al-Ash‘ari that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that in Paradise there are rooms whose inside could be seen from the outside and the outside could be seen from the inside. Allaah The Exalted prepared them for those who provide food for others, are well-mannered in their dealing with others, fast regularly and pray at night while people are asleep. [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi; Al-Albaani: Saheeh (Authentic)]

Allaah The Almighty also Says (what means): {Hoor [Maidens] reserved in pavilions.}[Quran 55: 72]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that in Paradise there would be a pavilion made of a single hollowed pearl, sixty miles wide, and there would be a group of people in each corner who would not be able to see those in the other corners because of the vastness of its width. [Muslim]

In addition to the aforementioned bliss, Allaah The Exalted and His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, have informed us further about the bliss of Paradise in the Quran and the Sunnah.

According to the relevant texts, the sun and the moon do not exist in Paradise, as transmitted by Al-Qurtubi and mentioned by Abu Al-Faraj ibn Al-Jawzi . Ibn Al-Jawzi mentioned that in Paradise there would be neither day nor night; rather its dwellers would be in a perpetual state of light. They would recognize night by when curtains are drawn and the doors are closed; and recognize the day when the curtains are removed and the doors are opened. Likewise, Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah stated that there is neither sun nor moon, nor night nor day in Paradise. Rather, its people would recognize morning and evening through a light that is emitted from the direction of the Throne.

We did not find reliable texts to prove or disprove the existence of mountains and plateaus in Paradise, except the general meaning of the verse (what means): {And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally.}[Quran 34: 71]

And Allaah Knows best.