Paradise & Hell in Light of the Qur'an & Sunnah

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*Episode 2*
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*Part 2(A): Paradise and Hell Have Already Been Created*

At-Tahhaawi said, in his book on al-'Aqeedah al-Salafiyyah (correct belief in accordance with that of the early generations of Islam) that is known as al-'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah.

_"Paradise and Hell have already been created. They will never come to an end or cease to exist. Allah ﷻ created Paradise and Hell before the rest of creation, and He ﷻ created inhabitants for each of them. Whoever He ﷻ wishes (will enter) Paradise by His grace and mercy, and whoever He ﷻ wishes (will enter Hell) as a result of His ﷻ justice. Every person will behave according to that for which he was created, and his destiny will be that for which he was created; good deeds and evil deeds are foreordained for all men"._

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Abul-'Izz al-Hanafi remarked, in his commentary on
this text:

_"With regard to his saying that Paradise and Hell have already been created, Ahl as-Sunnah agree that Paradise and Hell have been created and are in existence at the present moment. Ahlus-Sunnah continued to hold this view, until some odd ideas of the Mu'tazilah and Qaadariyyah came along, which denied that. These groups said: "Allah will create them (ie Paradise and Hell) on the Day of Resurrection." They said this because of their false arguments by means of which they seek to improve regulations on what Allah ﷻ should do; (they say) it befits Allah ﷻ to do this, or it does not befit Allah ﷻ to do that. They compare Him to His creation and their actions. This is a kind of anthropomorphism with regard to deeds; they have allowed the ideas of Jahmiyyah (a sect of Mu'tazilah named after the deviant, Jahm ibn Safwan) to creep into their thinking, and have become mu'attalah (those who deny that Allah can see). They said, "It does not make sense for Paradise to be created before the time of reward, because it will not be used or inhabited for a very long time. They rejected the aayaat and reports that contradict these false notions they seek to project onto Allah ﷻ. They misinterpreted the texts and accused those who disagreed with them of going astray and concocting bid'ah"._

Proofs from the Qur'an in support of this are, for example:

_*"Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord, and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He is pleased with. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty". (57:21)*_

_*"...for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for al-Muttaqun" (3:133)*_

_*"And fear the fire, which is prepared for the disbelievers"(3:131)*_

_*"And indeed he (Muhammad) saw him (Jibreel) at a second descent (ie another time), near Sidrat al-Muntahaa (lote tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass), near it is the Paradise of Abode" (53:13-15)*_

_To be continued In Sha Allah_

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