of the
Authorized
English translation of the Quran by
Dr.
Rashad Khalifa
Heaven and
Hell
The descriptions of
Heaven and Hell throughout the Quran are allegorical. And the Quran tells
us so whenever such descriptions occur as independent statements, not within
a general subject. See
2:24-26,
13:35, and
47:15.The word
"Mathal" (allegory) is used in these verses.
Linguistically, the
word "Mathal" in these verses can be removed, and we still have perfect
sentences. But it is there because the descriptions of Heaven and Hell are
allegorical.
What Heaven and Hell
are really like is far beyond our comprehension. Hence the need for
allegory.
How can one describe,
for example, the taste of chocolate to a person who never tasted chocolate?
Allegory will have to be used. The
person has to wait to actually taste chocolate in order to know what chocolate
tastes like. Whatever allegory we use to describe the taste of chocolate
can never approximate the real thing.
Heaven already exists,
since Adam and Eve were placed in it during their days of
innocence(2:35). We learn from
Sura 55 that there are two "High Heavens"
- one for the humans
and one for the jinns
- and two "Lower
Heavens"
- one for the humans
and one for the jinns
(see
Appendix 11 for more details).
Hell is not created
yet. It will be created on the
Day of Judgment (69:17
&
89:23)
More
details are given in
Appendix 11.
The
High Heaven vs The Lower Heaven
There are profound differences between the
High Heaven and the Lower Heaven. Allegorically, water in the High Heaven
flows freely
(55:50), while
the water of the Lower Heaven needs to be pumped out
(55:66).
Allegorically, the High Heaven has all kinds
of fruit
(55:52),
while the Lower Heaven has a limited
variety of fruits
(55:68).
Allegorically, the pure spouses readily join
their spouses in the High Heaven
(55:56), while
the dwellers of the Lower Heaven must go fetch their
spouses(55:72).
Yet, even the Lower Heaven is an incredibly
fantastic prize for those who are fortunate enough to escape Hell and end
up in the Lower Heaven (3:185)- going to the
Lower Heaven is a great triumph. People who depart this life before reaching
their 40th birthday, and did not sufficiently develop their souls, will go
to the Lower Heaven (46:15,
Appendix 11
&
32).The High Heaven is
reserved for those who believed, led a righteous life, and developed their souls sufficiently.
Whoever succeeds in
barely missing Hell, and is admitted into Heaven,
has attained a great
triumph. [3:185]
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