Explore the mystery of the heavenly language: Is Arabic the eternal language in heaven? Discover the views of scholars in this in-depth article."Heaven and Its Mysterious Language
Heaven, promised as an afterlife reward for the faithful, has always been an intriguing and mysterious topic. One aspect that is often discussed is the language spoken by its inhabitants. Is it true that Arabic is the lingua franca in heaven?
Heaven in Islam: Definition and Description
In Islam, heaven is referred to as 'jannah' or 'jannat', which means garden or paradise. Heaven is described as a beautiful and captivating place, a concept explained in the Qur'an and Hadiths.
Hadiths and Verses: Windows to Heaven
Several Hadiths and Quranic verses provide insights into heaven. For example, in Surah Ali 'Imran verse 133, heaven is described as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous.
Arabic: The Language of Heaven?
One Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas RA reveals that the language spoken by the inhabitants of heaven is Arabic. The Hadith states,
أحبوا العرب لثلاث لأني عربي ، والقرآن عربي ، وكلام أهل الجنة عربي
Meaning: "Love the Arabs for three reasons: because I am an Arab, the Quran is in Arabic, and the language of the people of paradise is Arabic." (Narrated by Thabrani).
However, there is a difference of opinion among scholars and hadith scholars regarding the status of this Hadith. According to Imam Uqoilu in Ad Dhu'afa, translated by Pustaka Ilmu Sunni Salafiyah - KTB in the book Tanya Jawab Islam, the Hadith is considered hasan li ghoirihi, meaning the narrator is evaluated as weak.
Some consider the Hadith to be slightly weak. However, Imam as-Suyuthi in Jami'us Shaghir, as quoted by Hafidz Muftisany in Fikih Keseharian, considers the Hadith to be authentic. This is supported by the explanation of the Hadith in the book Al Bidayah wan Nihayah, which quotes a Hadith from Ibn Abbas about the use of Arabic as the language of the inhabitants of heaven.
In Shifat Al-Jannah wa ma 'A'adda Allahu li Ahliha min An-Na'im by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jauziyyah and Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya, another Hadith strengthens the idea that the inhabitants of heaven speak Arabic. The Hadith states,
"Harun bin Sufyan told us, Muhammad bin Umar informed us, Abdurrahman bin Abdil Aziz informed us, he said, 'I asked Az-Zuhri about the language of the inhabitants of paradise. He replied, 'It has reached me that the language of the inhabitants of paradise is Arabic.'"
Another Hadith that supports this is also narrated by Anas bin Malik RA. He quoted the Prophet Muhammad SAW as mentioning Arabic as the language of the inhabitants of paradise. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said,
يدخل أهل الجنةِ الجنةَ على طول آدم عليه السلام ، ستون ذراعا بذراع الملك ، على حسن يوسف ، على ميلاد عيسى ثلاث وثلاثون سنة ، وعلى لسان محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ، جرد مرد مكحلون
Meaning: "The inhabitants of paradise will enter paradise in the image of Adam, 60 cubits tall, with the beauty of Joseph, the age of Jesus (33 years old), and speaking the tongue of Muhammad (Arabic). The people of paradise will be handsome, with kohl-rimmed eyes." (Narrated by Ibn Abi Dunya)
The beauty of paradise as a reward for His servants who always do good deeds is mentioned in Surah Muhammad verse 15.
مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ لَبَنٍ لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ خَمْرٍ لَذَّةٍ لِلشَّارِبِينَ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ عَسَلٍ مُصَفًّى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ
Meaning: "The description of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is that in it are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord..."
Imam Shamsuddin Al-Qurthubi in At-Tadzkirah Volume 2, translated by Anshori Umar Sitanggal, explains that the inhabitants of heaven are good people with pure hearts, free from envy and malice. This is because Allah has removed various heart diseases from them. This is explained in Surah Al Hijr verse 47.
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُتَقَابِلِينَ
Meaning: "And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other."
Quoted from the book Fikih Keseharian by Hafidz Muftisany, the activities of the inhabitants of heaven are briefly described in Surah Yasin verses 55-58, which mean,
اِنَّ اَصْحٰبَ الْجَنَّةِ الْيَوْمَ فِيْ شُغُلٍ فٰكِهُوْنَ ۚ ٥٥ هُمْ وَاَزْوَاجُهُمْ فِيْ ظِلٰلٍ عَلَى الْاَرَاۤىِٕكِ مُتَّكِـُٔوْنَ ۚ ٥٦ لَهُمْ فِيْهَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَّلَهُمْ مَّا يَدَّعُوْنَ ۚ ٥٧ سَلٰمٌۗ قَوْلًا مِّنْ رَّبٍّ رَّحِيْمٍ ٥٨
Meaning: "The companions of Paradise, that Day, are [in] a better settlement and better resting place. And [mention] the Day when He will say, "Where are the partners [you attributed to Me]?" Those upon whom [destruction] is decreed will say, "Our Lord, these are the ones we led astray. We led them astray just as we were astray. We declare our disassociation [from them] to You. They did not used to worship us." And it will be said, "Invoke your 'partners'". And they will invoke them, but they will not respond to them; and they will see the punishment. If only they had followed guidance!" (Surah Al A'raf 7:56-59)
Conclusion: The Language of Heaven Remains a Mystery
Despite the Hadith mentioning the use of Arabic language in heaven, the debate among scholars indicates that this topic remains a mystery. Whether Arabic is indeed the language of heaven, or whether heaven has its own universal language, remains an intriguing question to ponder.
This article offers a deeper and detailed perspective on the concept of language in heaven in Islam, by delving into religious texts and scholarly debates. Thus, readers can gain a broader understanding of this complex and often mystical topic.
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