Fifth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.
The importance of Taqwa and what it means to us
the people of the right and what Allah has prepared for them of immense bliss
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The importance of Taqwa and what it means for our eternal future in the Hereafter remains our subject, as we seek the guidance of the blessed verses in Surah Al-Waqi'ah.
We reached Allah's saying, {'And the people of the right, what people they are!'}. In the context of classifying people into three groups, only two groups of the three groups will be the ones who enjoy success and deliverance : the pioneers and the people of the right.
Examples of the immense bliss prepared for the people of the right
Allah spoke about the virtue of the pioneers and what He promised them, and He here speaks about the people on the right. They are called at the beginning of the categorization the people on the right, but when He gave a detailed description of what He prepared for them and the success, prosperity, and victory they will enjoy, He called them the people of the right. All of this means that they are the people of blessings, goodness, success, and prosperity and that they will be given their records in their right hands. Allah's saying, {'What people they are!'} is a magnification of the immense bliss and great honour that they will attain.
To enjoy that bliss in Jannah and attain Allah's pleasure and Jannah is a great blessing and huge bounty and reflects a great honour. All levels of honour there are of great significance and outstanding merit, even though they are different in terms of significance. Indeed, the status of the people of the right will not be equal to the status of the pioneers, but the fact remains that the world of Jannah is an outstanding world of great significance where bliss and happiness go beyond what one can imagine.
{'They will be among thornless lote trees'}. Just as the case with the previously mentioned groups, He here mentions some examples of the bliss they will enjoy and what He has prepared for them, and He makes other similar mentions in other blessed verses and surahs of the Holy Quran that shed light on other examples and different types of bliss. One of the top examples He presents to shed light on their reality in Jannah is His saying, {'They will be among thornless lote trees'}. Lote trees are well-known trees in our world. In some countries, lote trees are called by different names such as 'Al-Ilb', 'Al-'Arj', and 'An-Nabq'. Lote trees are perennial, sturdy trees known for their delicious honey, which is produced when bees rely on these trees for nectar. They are also known for their fruit, their cleaning properties, and the strength of their leaves. However, lote trees in Jannah are different from lote trees in our world, as is the case with all trees and blessings in Jannah—there is a huge difference!
The first thing He mentions about lote trees in Jannah is that they are {'thornless lote trees'}, so they are without thorns! In this world, many lote trees are full of thorns that can be harmful and annoying; however, lote trees in Jannah have no thorns. A person can enjoy their lofty shade, as one of their qualities even in this world is their distinctive and lofty shade. In Jannah, lote trees are characterized by their safety from thorns, their exceptional fruits that are distinguished from the fruits of lote trees in this world, and their freshness and excellence in every aspect. They are much better than lote trees in this world.
{'And clustered talh trees'}—it is said that talh is another name for banana trees. There is also a tree called talh and also known for its shade, greenery, and freshness; however, there are those who call banana trees as talh. {'Clustered'} here means piled one above another: The leaves and fruits of these trees are abundant and piled one upon the other. Banana trees are also known as lush, green trees with large, beautiful leaves, and they provide delicious and good fruit beneficial for man.
{'Extended shade, flowing water'}—one, there, will know no suffering from heat or sun due to the abundance of trees and their different types: {'Never seeing scorching heat or bitter cold'}. This is the opposite of the condition experienced by the people of the Fire: Such people will live in conditions where the heat is so extreme, with their bodies always in fire and suffering from extremely hot temperatures that never decrease, even for a second. In contrast, the people of Jannah will enjoy shade and comfort and experience no extreme heat: The climate is not extremely hot nor extremely cold, as it is always cool. Therefore, they will not suffer from extremely hot or cold climate, not even during a specific season. In this life, some areas suffer from extremely hot or cold climate, while in Jannah, even the climate is always cool and good, with no irritants caused by extremely hot or cold temperatures: {'never seeing scorching heat or bitter cold'}.
{'Extended shade'} means throughout its various regions, not just in limited places. In other words, it is not restricted to certain areas while the rest of the regions and surroundings are like deserts on the earth, where shade is available only in limited and scarce places. In most places on the earth, shade is not available, and one needs to seek refuge in a shelter, a building, or any other means to find shade. However, in Jannah, shade extends to all its regions and corners. Shade is available everywhere, and this is a great blessing. When people move and travel in Jannah, they don't worry about not finding shade because a moderate climate is only available in limited areas, where they can find protection from the harm of intense heat.
To illustrate, in some countries in this world—even with how rich their people are and how great their capabilities are—a person can possess air conditioners inside his home, helping him to reduce the temperature, to relax, and to enjoy mild climate. However, as soon as he goes out of the house, everything is gone: Hot climate surrounds him, and it can be too hot. Some countries experience record-breaking temperatures that are harmful, annoying, exhausting, tiring, and dangerous. In fact, in some countries, many deaths occur due to extreme heat and very hot climate. We hear in the media about several deaths resulting from this.
In contrast, the bliss of Jannah is accompanied with a mild and good climate, everywhere in Jannah, with temperatures never rising to extremely hot levels that cause harm or disturbance. In every place in Jannah and during their movements, trips, and visits, the climate is suitable, appropriate, and comfortable.
{'Flowing water'}—water is available there, and it is pure, good, and free from any harmful substance or impurity. There are huge amounts of water in the world of Jannah, as rivers flow beneath it. Also, there may be special springs with fresh water of the best quality, purity, and deliciousness for people to drink from, not to mention the stunning views of the various rivers (of all kinds and forms) flowing there. Water is available there, and it does not go spoiled, change, or contain what may make it dirty or affect it. It is permanently available: There is no water crisis or problem. The opposite of this is the scalding water that burns faces and cuts the intestines: the kind of water drunk by the people of the Fire (We seek refuge in Allah).
{'And a lot of fruits'}—Fruits are available for the people of the right. Numerous varieties of fruits abundantly exist there (various types of fruits), so there is no fruit crisis, acute shortage in their availability, or lack of some of them. With their varieties and many different types, they are also available all the time.
{'And a lot of fruits, neither interrupted nor prohibited'}—fruits there are not seasonal so that they are found in a certain season and then they are not found. All varieties and types of fruits are available at all times. They are available constantly, not just in a particular season, as is the case in the earthly life. In this world, a kind of fruit is available in a certain season; another kind in a different season; other kinds in other season; and so on. In fact, the fruits of Jannah are continuous, and their abundance never ceases.
{'Nor prohibited'}—there is nothing to prohibit them, including in the way of getting them. How to get the fruits is not difficult, for they are within reach, and people can pick them easily. Also, there are servants who provide them. However, even for the people of the right, when they want to pick for themselves, that will be effortless. In this world, some types of fruits require human effort to obtain them. To make it clear, those who reap them pay a lot of effort and tire themselves to get them: A person climbs the tall, high, towering palm to get to its top and get some of its fruits or reap its fruits; the same applies with other trees. In contrast, there is no effort or difficulty in getting fruits there because {'whose fruit will hang within reach'}.
In addition, there is no health impediment in Jannah that makes one, for example, get harmed when eating one fruit with another particular fruit—eating the two kinds of fruit at a time—or get harmed from eating a particular type of fruit; so he looks at fruit in the branches of Jannah's trees hanging low within his reach, but he cannot eat because of its harm to his health, as what happens in this life: For fear of getting affected by eating this or that type of fruit that is bad for their health, a lot of people become unable to eat such fruit due to their health conditions.
In the world of Jannah, there is no health impediment—as Allah said in the blessed verse, {'There they will call for every fruit in serenity'}—indeed, there will not be any type of fruit (or rather all types) that may harm some of them or affects their health. There will be no impediment to get that fruit.
There are no hard circumstances: You do not need to get money to buy these fruits, for they have already been paid for through your good deeds, through what you have sent forth in this life and spent in the cause of Allah and that good path He guided you to, through your striving to remain on His presented way, through your obedience to Him (the Almighty), and through His grace and bounty.
{'And elevated furnishings'}—when Allah spoke about the pioneers, He mentioned couches; but in the context of the people of the right, He mentioned furnishings. These furnishings in Jannah are of a luxurious, excellent, and high quality because they are soft and indeed extremely wonderful and amazing; Allah spoke about them and described them and their various types in a great way in other verses.
The Quranic astonishing description of the maidens with gorgeous eyes
{'Indeed, We have created them of special creation, making them virgins, loving, and of equal age'}. After speaking about the furnishings and dwellings, Allah spoke in a marvelous way about the maidens with gorgeous eyes whom He created for the people of the Right. {'We have created them of special creation'}: Allah (Glory be to Him)—in His amazing power, being the Shaper, the Inventor, and the Creator—created and prepared them in an outstanding and wonderful way.
{'Indeed, We'} signifies that it is Allah—with His great power and generosity, the One knowing and capable of how to create—who created them in a very outstanding way, with distinctive and charming creation and brilliant and supreme beauty. This demonstrates the greatness of that production at the level of creation, beauty, and creativeness: {'Indeed, We have created them of special creation'}—an impressive expression.
{'Making them virgins'}: Allah created them in the prime of youth and in a state of purity , freshness, and beauty. {'Loving, and of equal age'}—this is a description of their physical qualities and morals, as additional descriptions exist in other verses and surahs. It is the method of the Holy Quran to seek brevity and present one example in this surah, another one in another surah, and so on. The word 'loving' shows the maiden's state of passion, love, intimacy, and kindness in treating, addressing, impressing, and talking with their husbands—this is the meaning of 'loving' which refers to their morals, to the way of dealing and being intimate with their husbands and of their kindness in expression, and to the level of their being impressive and attractive to their husbands.
{'And of equal age'} indicates how they are similar and how they are equal in age and beauty. In other words, there is no one who is very old and another one who is young or one who is extremely charming and beautiful and one who is different. There might be differences in the level of beauty, yet they are slight differences, not one is ugly and one is very beautiful; they are parallel and equal in that.
{'For the people of the right'}: These various kinds of bliss through which all requirements of a pleasant, happy, good, comfortable life are provided, are meant for the people of the right. And indeed, they are only examples of that bliss, including food, drinks, homes, and wives.
Everlasting bliss, eternal immortality, and safety from all irritants!
In other surahs and verses, there are discussions about the other types of blessings in Jannah. For example, regarding their food, it is mentioned in another verse: {'Golden trays and cups will be passed around to them. There will be whatever the souls desire and the eyes delight in. And you will be there forever'}. If Allah, in His infinite wisdom, had intended to provide a detailed account of everything in Jannah, it would require a huge book to describe all the details. Instead, He presents examples and indications that provide us with a comprehensive and grand image of the reality there.
Life there is as expressed in the comprehensive statement of the blessed verse, {'There will be whatever the souls desire and the eyes delight in. And you will be there forever.'} It includes all types of blessings that humans long for, as well as all that the eye delights in and brings comfort, joy, and pleasure upon witnessing it. It is a vast and magnificent bliss.
This also comes together with peace, as Jannah is the abode of peace. This is one of its attributes, and Allah refers to it in the Holy Quran, in Surah Yunus: {'And Allah invites to the Home of Peace'}. It is a state of peace from all evils, harms, and adversities. There is no sickness, ageing, pain, sorrow, grief, fatigue, worries, distress, boredom, or weariness. The psychological state of a person within that materialistic bliss is incredibly serene.
However, the state in this life is different: Some people may have financial means at a certain level, but how many irritants that taint ? How many worries, psychological problems, irritants, annoyances, etc. do they really suffer from? In contrast, there , along with the material bliss available at the highest level, everything is of the utmost excellence: dwellings, food, and beverages. The world of Jannah itself is, certainly, not as the one of this life where many people may reside in a desert, an ordinary place, at the top of a hanging mountain, or anywhere. The entire world of Jannah is of a very attractive and delightful geographical nature, where one can find comfort—whatever he sees, will bring him joy. In this realm, one will be pleased by everything he sees, and will feel comfortable with everything he watches: all the atmospheres, views, and everything he sees will bring happiness, comfort, and pleasure to his heart. Also, long time has no effect on one's psychological and physical well-being.
{'And you will be there forever'}—an eternal life without ageing and without a change that wears down the body, as is the case in this worldly life. The longer you live here, the more your body changes on a psychological level, on the level of your senses, and on the level of mental and physical abilities. All of that gets affected. However, in Jannah, nothing affects humans. They remain in the freshness of youth, perfect in health. They enjoy that eternally. Their senses, abilities, and all the health they possess are never diminished. They never experience illness under any circumstances, nor do they face worries or grief. They do not encounter any problems, disputes, conflicts, or any kind of harm from others: {'There they will never hear any idle or sinful talk'}; {'where no idle talk will be heard'}—wherever in the world of Jannah.
Comfort and happiness there cannot be greater! Life there is good and perfect in every sense of the word, and it knows no end whatsoever. Even boredom does not exist there, and they enjoy the kind of life and blessings that keep renewing, as Allah (Glory be to Him) has prepared different kinds of wonderful bliss for them: {'So no one knows the delight of eyes that has been reserved for them in secret, as a reward of what they used to do'}—what brings them pleasure and comfort. We do see in this life various kinds of new products and models in all areas of life and encounter new life requirements. Likewise, Allah will prepare for them many various things that bring them pleasure and comfort
In addition, it is a vast and huge world in which they move around. They have the freedom to travel within Jannah: {'We can dwell in Jannah where we will'}. They do not need to go through complicated procedures such as visas, passports, travel expenses, or the complexities that people face in the world when traveling from one country to another. Currently, one of the most challenging aspects of human life is the issue of international travel and moving from one country to another. However, in Jannah, they say, {'We can dwell in Jannah where we will.'} It is an immensely vast world:{'And a Jannah as wide as the heavens and earth'}. It is not a small place where one would become bored with eternal stay. You can go here and there, freely moving in the vast and huge world of Jannah, exploring its wide territories and lands that surpass our imagination. We cannot fathom the level of spaciousness in Jannah and what it contains. Furthermore, there is no need for any toil or trouble in maintaining what you have in Jannah. Unlike in this earthly life, where you need to be vigilant about documents, evidence, and safeguarding your possessions, in Jannah there is no dispute, no danger of someone encroaching upon your rights or attempting to take what you have or disturb you. There is complete stability in their lives, absolute tranquility, and not a single hardship or adversity to be found.
All this bliss is within your reach. So what are you waiting for?!
The deeds required for obtaining this bliss that Allah offers are within our capability and capacity. They are easier even than the deeds that lead people to the Fire. The path to the Fire is described by Allah in the Quran as difficult: {'We will facilitate for them the Way of Hardship'}. Indeed, this leads to the Way of Hardship. As for the deeds that Allah has guided and directed us towards, they are for our well-being and the betterment of our lives in this world, as well as for our comfort, happiness, and eternal success in the Hereafter. This matter is within the reach of every individual. It is not specific to a particular group of people. Even the extremely poor and destitute can strive to become among the people of this great bliss, which is greater than any wealth in this world.
The reality of the lowest-ranked person in Jannah, in terms of position, bliss, and reward, surpasses the state of all the people in this world, with all their capabilities. They do not possess the same level of bliss, the eternal happiness that he possesses in Jannah. They do not possess anything. A place the size of a whip in Jannah is better than the entire world and everything in it. So what makes us neglect and ignore this divine offering? We overlook it, neglect it, and do not pay attention to it. We do not care about it! How beautiful is the statement of Imam Ali (PBUH) when he said, 'I wonder how he could sleep who seeks Jannah, how he could sleep who flees from the Fire.' It is a state of negligence and disregard for a great matter, a truly great matter! The matter of Jannah and what Allah has prepared in it is extremely great, with the pleasure of Allah and the spiritual honour that surpasses even the bliss of Jannah. A person feels that what is in Jannah is by the mercy, grace, and pleasure of Allah, for He is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. It expresses the pleasure of Allah and His love.
Different kinds of honour will even be granted in Jannah. One of them is these visits angels will make, for humans will be able to see them and speak and talk to them, as they will be the ones entrusted with arranging the affairs of Jannah and the Fire, as well. In Jannah, there will be keepers from angels; in other words, they will be responsible for arranging the affairs of its people, as they will be the managers there and the ones who play a supervising role and are in charge. The same goes for the Fire, as there will be keepers in the Fire.
So what causes a person to be negligent, to be indifferent, to ignore, even though if they do not strive for Jannah, their inevitable destiny is the Fire (May Allah protect us)?! It is not a matter where it can be said to someone, for example, 'You can go back home.' No, the matter is that if you are not destined for Jannah, then you are destined for the Fire (May Allah forbid). There is no third place. Either you perform the deeds of Jannah, or you automatically perform the deeds of the people of the Fire, and then you are destined for the Fire (May Allah forbid). This is a very important motivation for a person to strive for Taqwa and to strive for the deeds that lead to success, prosperity, and salvation.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to accept our fasting, nights of worship, and good deeds.
O Allah, have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.