إِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تُزَخْرَفُ لِرَمَضَانَ مِنْ رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ إِلَى الحَوْلٍ القَابِلٍ، قَالَ: فَإِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ يَوْمٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ هَبَّتْ رِيحٌ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ نَشَرَتْ مِنْ وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ عَلَى الْحُورِ الْعِينِ، فَيَقُلْنَ: يَا رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ عِبَادِكَ أَزْوَاجًا تَقَرُّ بِهِمْ أَعْيُنُنَا وَتَقَرُّ أَعْيُنُهُمْ بِنَا
Translation: Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ has narrated that the Nabi of mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the most Generous and Kind صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘Indeed, Heaven is decorated for the blessed month of Ramadan from the beginning of the year to the next year.’ He صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has further stated, ‘On the first day of Ramadan, a breeze blows from beneath the ‘Arsh and reaches the trees of Heaven as well as the big-eyed maidens of Heaven. They say, ‘O Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Make such bondmen of Yours our husbands who will feast their eyes on us, and we will feast our eyes on them.’
(Shu’ab-ul-Iman, vol. 3, pp. 312, Hadees 3633)
Hadees background
On the occasion of the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, the Greatest and Noblest Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم once said, ‘If bondmen had known what Ramadan is, then my Ummah would wish that Ramadan had remained the whole year.’ Then a person from the Banu Khuza’ah (tribe) respectfully said, ‘O Nabi (صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) of Allah! Please tell us.’ Therefore, the Beloved and Blessed Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم described it. (Shu’ab-ul-Iman, vol. 3, pp. 313, Hadees 3634)
Reason of decorating Heaven for Ramadan
‘Allamah ‘Ali Qaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated: In this blessed month, bondmen are forgiven and their ranks are elevated so abundantly that this abundance does not take place before and after Ramadan. For the same reason, Heaven is decorated throughout the year in wait for the arrival of Ramadan. (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 4, pp. 458, Taht-al-Hadees: 1967)
When and how is Heaven decorated, and by whom?
As soon as the moon of Eid-ul-Fitr appears, the decoration of Heaven starts for the next Ramadan. The angels continue to decorate it all year round. As for the way of decorating it, there is a long Hadees related to this topic and included in the book ‘Attargheeb Wattarheeb’ [التَّرْغِیْب والتَّرْ ھِیْب]. The Hadees states, ‘Fragrant smoke (like that of frankincense) is spread in Heaven.’ ‘Allamah Ali Qaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated: Heaven is decorated with gold. In fact, only Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ knows how it is actually decorated. Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na’eemi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated: Heaven is already decorated; but it is decorated even more by the angels. So how greatly and glamorously it is decorated! Its decoration is beyond our thoughts and ideas. (Attargheeb Wattarheeb, vol. 2, pp. 60, Raqm 23; Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 4, pp. 458, Taht-al-Hadees: 1967; Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 4, pp. 142)
A blessed Hadees contains words like these, ‘When the first night of Ramadan comes, the gates of Heaven are opened and none of them is closed throughout the month. And all the gates of Hell are closed and none of them is opened throughout the month.’ (Shu’ab-ul-Iman, vol. 3, pp. 304, Hadees 6063) The gates of Heaven are opened so that the angels are made aware of the honour and glory of the Ummah of Muhammad صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم as well as those of Ramadan. This is also aimed at making the angels aware of the reward given to Sawm-keeping Muslims and of the eternal favours of Heaven. (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 4, pp. 458, Taht-al-Hadees: 1967)
Necessary clarification
The gates of Heaven are opened not only in Ramadan but also on other occasions but there is a difference between the opening of gates in Ramadan and on any other occasion. On the occasion of the arrival of Ramadan, the gates of Heaven are opened and those of Hell are closed. Moreover, in other months except for Ramadan, the gates of Heaven are sometimes opened and at times closed. But the gates of Heaven remain open and those of Hell remain closed throughout the month of Ramadan. (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 4, pp. 458, Taht-al-Hadees: 1967)
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na’eemi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated: The truth is that the doors of the skies are also opened in the month of Ramadan through which special Divine mercies descend on the earth. And the gates of Heaven are also opened, informing the beautiful maidens and boys of Heaven that Ramadan has arrived in the world and causing them to engage themselves in supplications for Sawm-keeping Muslims. Besides, the gates of Hell are closed, due to which the heat of Hell does not reach the graves of sinners and even those of disbelievers in this month. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 3, pp. 133)
A gentle breeze
When the first day of Ramadan comes, a breeze starts blowing from the ‘Arsh and reaches the maidens of Heaven after being scented with the trees and flowers of Heaven. This (breeze) might be that fragrance of the mouth of a Sawm-keeping person which is purer than even musk in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. This breeze is made to blow, making the maidens of Heaven interested in Sawm-keeping Muslims. (Fath-ul-Ilah fi Sharh-il-Mishkat, vol. 6, pp. 451, Taht-al-Hadees: 1967; Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 3, pp. 143)
In another blessed Hadees, the following words are mentioned, ‘When the first night of Ramadan comes, a breeze called ‘Museerah’ [مُثِیرَہ] blows beneath the Divine ‘Arsh, swaying the leaves of heavenly trees, causing the doors to move and making an extremely pleasant sound that no one had heard before.’ (Attargheeb Wattarheeb, vol. 2, pp. 60, Raqm 23)
Maidens of Heaven
(The sound or breeze reaches) such maidens of Heaven who have big eyes, fair complexion and silver-made bodies. The white of their eyes is brilliant white and the blackness of their eyes is very black. It has also been narrated that the eyes of these maidens of Heaven [حُوْر] will be completely black like those of the deer. Among the offspring of Aadam (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام), none is a maiden of Heaven. However, in the Arabic language, a beautiful-eyed woman is described as ‘Hoor-ul-‘Uyoon’ [حُوْرُ الْعُیُوْن], i.e. the woman with beautiful eyes like those of a female deer. (Ashi’a-tul-Lam’aat, vol. 2, pp. 81, Mukhtar-us-Sihah, vol. 1, pp. 167)
Request from maidens of Heaven in the Divine court
(When the breeze blows and reaches the maidens of Heaven, they make supplication): ‘O our Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Make us enter into Nikah (marriage) with pious bondmen, Sawm-keeping ones and Qiyam-performing ones so that they become our husbands and we become their wives.’ Remember! A certain male Heaven-dweller and a certain maiden of Heaven will already have been chosen to get married with each other. However, the Nikah will take place after the male Heaven-dweller has reached Heaven; or the Nikah will already have taken place but the maiden of Heaven will be given away after the Judgement Day. (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 4, pp. 459; Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 3, pp. 143)
Feasting our eyes on theirs and vice versa
The above blessed Hadees contains the word ‘تَقَرُّ’. It may have been derived from ‘قُرٌّ’ which means coolness. Normally, it is as if one feels coolness in his eyes and gains pleasure when he sees his beloved. And he feels as if his eyes burn or hurt when he sees his enemy. The word mentioned in the Hadees may also have been derived from ‘قَرٌّ’ which means solace and comfort. When the eye of a person falls on his beloved, it fastens on him and does not roam right and left. (Ashi’a-tul-Lam’aat, vol. 2, pp. 81)
May Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ bless all the devotees of Rasool with entry into Heaven without accountability for the sake of His Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم!
اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
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