Heaven and earth will change on Resurrection Day

16-5-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will - a bestowal uninterrupted.} [Quran 11:107] Based on this, will you please answer the following questions:
1- After life has become eternal in Paradise, would be there earth and skies? What would be the rationale behind creating them after life has become eternal either in Paradise or Hell?
2- Does the exception here mean leaving Paradise?3- What is the ruling on saying "Allaah says the truth" after finishing recitation of the Quran?
Answer:

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.

 

The Quranic verse that you mentioned includes evidence that, according to Al-Hasan Al-Basri may Allaah have mercy upon him the existence of  the heavens and earth in Paradise is different from the worldly ones, as referred to in the verse that says (what means): {[It will be] on the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth.} [Quran 14:48]

Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with him narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that Paradise is built of bricks of alternate gold and silver and between each couple of bricks is pure musk. Its pebbles are pearls and corundum, its dust is saffron, and anyone who enters it will enjoy endless delights, eternal life, and will never die, his clothes will never wear out and his youth will never perish. [Ahmad. ‘Abd ibn Humayd in his Musnad. At-Tirmithi, Ibn Hibbaan. Al-Bayhaqi]

 

This indicates that the earth of Paradise is different from that of the worldly life.

 

Abu Sa‘eed may Allaah be pleased with him narrated that Ibn Sayyaad may Allaah be pleased with him asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, about the soil of Paradise, and he told him that it is of pure white flour and pure musk. [Muslim]

There are many evidences and sayings from a group of the Companions, Taabi‘oon (their successors) and their successors establishing this point. You can find them in the books on Tafseer (Quranic exegesis) in the commentary on this verse and in books on Hadeeth in the description of Paradise and Hell.

The existence of such heavens and earth are eternal in Paradise and Allaah The Almighty created them for a reason that He alone knows, because he never created anything for no avail. However, we are not permitted to indulge in arguments about things that we do not know about, or about things with no consequent obligatory practice.

This, however, does not mean that a Muslim should not ask about the rationale behind anything when it is possible to know it, for such knowledge enhances faith. Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah (the mainstream Muslim majority) agree that Paradise and Hell are everlasting.

The exception in the verse, as indicated in this part {Abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will - a bestowal uninterrupted}, can be interpreted in two ways: 

First, it may be applied to sinners from among the non-repenting believers who suffer punishment until Allaah The Almighty releases them from Hell, based on intercession or otherwise. Anas may Allaah be pleased with him narrated that some people will enter Hell and be punished for the sins which they have committed. Then, they will be released to be admitted into Paradise out of the favor and mercy of Allaah. [Al-Bukhari, Ahmad and Ibn Khuzaymah]

Second, the exception may indicate warning people against the idea that Paradise is a deserved right to them that Allaah has to fulfill. On the contrary, enjoyment of these delights is one aspect of the favor and mercy of Allaah.  According to the Arabic syntax, this kind of exception is not applicable; that is, it may or may not occur. Divine promises indicate that Allaah The Almighty will not expel the dwellers of Paradise from it: no matter which course of events will take place, once the people of Paradise are admitted into it they will enjoy eternal delights, as highlighted in the description of the bestowal as "uninterrupted".

With regards to the dwellers of Hell, the exception does not indicate extinction of Hell or the disbelievers' coming out from it. Rather, this applies to the sinners among believers who enter Hell and remain for a period of time and then leave it. Ibn Katheer, the Shaafi'i scholar may Allaah have mercy upon him said that this is a point on which the scholars expressed different opinions. He chose the opinion reported about Ibn ‘Abbaas Allaah be pleased with him and Al-Hasan may Allaah have mercy upon him that the exception is applied to the sinful from among the monotheistic Muslims whom Allaah The Almighty will release from Hell by virtue of the intercession of sins.

Ibn Katheer may Allaah have mercy upon him went on to say that Allaah The Almighty, out of His mercy, releases those who never did good deeds but said one day, "La ilaaha illa Allaah (I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah),” as indicated in many prophetic Hadeeths, relevant such ones are narrated on the authority of Anas, Jaabir, Abu Sa‘eed, Abu Hurayrah and other Companions may Allaah be pleased with them.

As for Hell, then no one will remain there except those who are doomed to be there forever, which is what many early and contemporary scholars said when they commented on this verse.

Allaah Knows best.

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