Translated from Khutbaat e Hakeemul Ummat: Volume 31- Rahmate Doh Aalam
A student posed the following question:
In Akhirath, Muslims will receive the highest degree of recompense. They will not be subject to any harm, nor will any pleasure be withheld from them. It is also understood that there will be different ranks among the inhabitants of Jannat. Some will be at the highest level of Jannat while others will be at a lower stage. If the recompense and reward in Jannat has no constraints, then it must be that there is no higher or lower rank, rather everyone’s rank is equally at the highest. However, there will be ranks and the difference between the ranks can be none other than one’s recompense being greater while another’s recompense being partial. This is the argument at hand.
Before hearing the answer, listen to one comparison.
There are two worlds – one of this life, and the other of Akhirath. What is the relationship between the two? In Hadith Shareef, the relationship has been explained through an example as follows. If one finger is placed in the ocean, some water of the ocean will remain on the finger. This is the same relationship that this life has when compared to Akhirath. The comparison between the water on this finger, versus the water left in the ocean is obvious – and that is nothing. If we were to calculate this difference, it would take a million years to even create any ratio between the two. For example, if that water left on the finger measured an ounce, and then one ounce was regularly taken from the whole ocean, we could then evaluate some ratio between the two amounts. It is also obvious that many lifetimes will not even suffice to complete this task!
Allahu Akbar! The ocean is such a great entity! It has surrounded the entire world. When travelling on the ocean, one realizes that the dry portion of the world is much less than the wet portion. Researchers have proven that water has surrounded three quarters of the earth, while land is only one quarter. This is just its vastness. Then if we look at the depth, at some places the depth is several miles deep. So when contemplating removing water, an ounce at a time, from such a large body of water, one will need many years. You may have approximated the ratio between the water on this wet finger versus the water left in that ocean.
So, this is the same relationship between this world and Akhirath. And this example is just to help us understand, in reality it is even less than that. In actuality, this world does not even have such a relationship with Akhirath. The reason is that the water on that finger, no matter how insignificant and trivial compared to the water in the ocean, both of them, the water in the ocean and this water, are still finite. If someone were to work hard and take out one ounce at a time, our minds cannot deny that the water in the ocean will indeed finish at some point or another in this way. A ratio, no matter how small, will certainly result from the two amounts of water.
On the other hand, this life and the Akhirath have a relationship of finite and infinite. This life is going to end, while Akhirath will never end. Ehle Haqq believe that this world will finish one day while Akhirath has no limit. After this world, there will be no such thing as ‘limitation’ – not in Jannat nor in Jahannam. This was an argument, whose answer is that nothing in Akhirath has limit. So the answer to the question is that it is agreed upon that the inhabitants of Jannat will have rank but the smallest rank therein will still be better than this world and everything it contains – and it will be without limit. It turns out that the meaning behind the lowest ranking Jannati receiving whatever he desires is that he will desire only that which is according to his rank and in this rank will be those things which are better than those in this world or a thousand such worlds. So much so that there is not even any relation between the things in this world versus the things in Jannat because the world has boundaries, while Jannat has no boundaries. This is why Jannat has been referred to as ‘khayr’ and ‘baqaa’ (fine and everlasting).
When this is the case, then there will be no comparison of standard and below standard among the pleasures therein. Rather there will be a comparison of the highest ranked and lower ranked. So this is the answer to the question.
Although there are two parts of Akhirath, one of pleasure and one of pain, Jannat and Jahannum, and we can’t say this about both parts, then what is the meaning of ‘khayr’ and ‘baqaa’? So, I intend to only lecture on one of these parts – Jannat. And often Haqq Ta’ala has also referred to ‘Akhirat’ with this meaning (of Jannat).
والآخره خئرؤا ابقإ
This ayat is showing that the meaning of Akhirath is in reference to this part – Jannat. The reason being that the other part, Jahannum, has no ‘khayr’ therein. In the same way, this usage of ‘Akhirath’ has been used only to mean Jannat. Now it is also appropriate to understand the meaning behind ‘khayr’ and ‘baqaa’.
So, it is worthy to note the meaning of ‘baqaa’ to be everlasting. While the meaning of ‘khayr’ is that the things inclusive are comparatively much better than those in this world, even though the names are like the names used to refer to the things in this world. The two have no comparison with each other despite the same name to reference.
فاكهته ؤنخل ؤرمان
In other words, Jannat will have fruits, and there will be date trees, and there will be pomegranate, and there will be rivers of water, and rivers of milk, and rivers of honey, and rivers of wine. The names of all these things are like the names of the things in this world, but those things will not be like the things in this world. The fruit there will not be like the fruit here, nor will the date there be like the dates here, nor will the pomegranate be like the pomegranate here, nor will the water there be like the water here. The quality of those things is referred to as ‘Aasan’- never rotting. The water in this world spoils after some time – the water there will never spoil. Nor will the milk in Jannat resemble the milk here. The milk in this world spoils after some time – the milk in Jannat will never spoil. Even after thousands of years it will remain the same. May Haqq Ta’ala grant us all the highest rank of Jannat. Ameen.
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