Is Paradise and Heaven the same place? (Jesus Christ, Earth, Eden)

[Zsr1973]

Paradise and heaven were not originally the same place.

Biblically, the Hebrew/Aramic word used for heaven is "Shaw-mah-yeem" which refers to the skies. these are the literal skies above our heads. and why shouldn't the literal skies above be where God dwells? After all, many biblical references have God "looking down" as in the tower of Babel story, or flying "above" in a cloud as in the hebrews being led in the desert story.
According to Webster's New World Dictionary, heaven refers to:
1. the visible sky; firmament
2. a state or place of supreme happiness, etc. attained by the good after death
3. any place of great beauty or state of great happiness

By the time this story reaches the Arabs & the Qur'aan, men had already changed the original Hebraic meaning of "the skies" to be a mythical place which refers to paradise.
According to Webster's New World Dictionary, paradise refers to:
1. the Garden of Eden.
2. "heaven" [the mythical place]
3. any place or state of happiness.

So when the Hebrews of the old Testament said they saw God in the heavens, it was refering to the literal sky above, not a mythical paradise.

[Peace4all]

Originally Posted by Nehustan

I think to quickly answer this question I will refer to an article I put in that section of RF....

"It seems appropriate at this point to briefly consider the Islamic concept of Tawheed or Unity, which can be considered the foundation of monotheism upon which the five pillars of Islam, Arkan ul Islam, (Sarwar, 1984, p.40) stand. We will look at how the Islamic cosmology is figured in relation to the absolute and infinite beyond the creation, considering selected ayat from the quran, and hadith directly in relation to these ayat. The first ayat to be considered is ‘Ayat al Kursi’ (2:255), which may be considered one of the most recited verses of the Quran. Although the word ‘Kursi’ is often translated as ‘Throne’ it is considered more correct in its Quranic context to consider it as ‘footstool’

Allah! There is no god but He, The Living, The Self-subsisting, Supporter of all, No slumber can seize Him nor Sleep. His are all the things in the heavens and on earth. Who is thee can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to his creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of his knowledge except as He willeth. His Footstool doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and he feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is Most High, The Supreme (in glory). (Quran, Surah 2, Ayat 255)


This when considered in light of modern scientific cosmology (Ar Rahaman At Tarjumana, 1980), could signify that the Footstool extends over the heavens and certainly was considered historically, as with Ibn ‘Arabi, to provide a single unifying symbolic framework for the full range of practical spiritual questions and theoretical issues (ontological, cosmological, theological, etc.)’ (Morris, 1987, p.630). The ‘heavens’, may indeed be taken to mean our own created universe. If the universe exists, as posited by modern scientific paradigm, as spherical, then the Kursi that extends over it must encompass it. ‘Al-Arsh’ or ‘The Throne’ is considered to lie at an unperceivable distance beyond ‘Al-Kursi’, beyond what is referred to as a sea, and just as the Kursi extends over the creation, so does the Arsh extend over Paradise. Despite being unable to verify this cosmology via scientific method, when asked of the relation between the Kursi and the Arsh;

It is confirmed from Abu Dharr that the Prophet said; “The seven heavens are to the Kursi but like a ring thrown in a desert land. And the superiority of the Arsh compared to that of the Kursi is like the superiority of that desert compared to the ring. (Al-Sa‘di, 2003, p.274, note 147)

‘Firdaws’, the highest part of paradise is described thus,

The highest of the degrees of Paradise is al-Firdaws, as it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “… When you ask of Allaah, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is in the middle of Paradise and is the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it spring forth the rivers of Paradise.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2637; Muslim, 2831. (The degrees and levels of Paradise and Hell, Web Resource)

The Quran states that Allah, ‘The Most Gracious is firmly established over the throne.’ (Quran, Sura 20, Ayat 5), and Islamic scholarly edict makes plain the separation between Allah and his creation with Imam `Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi renowned statement ‘Whoever believes that Allah permeates the Heavens and the Earth, or that He is a body sitting on His Throne, is a disbeliever, even if he thinks he is a Muslim.’ (Kabbani, 1996, p.86)."

To what extent is the medieval Western preconception about Muhammad still existent?

Here can be seen that for Muslims there is more than one heaven, in fact it may be that the 1st heaven is in fact what we now call space. Allah is not within his creation, he is absolute and infinite without partner and beyond contriction by dimesion. He supports the heavens, in fact rather than his throne (Al Arsh) supporting him as with say a mundane King, he even sustains and supports his throne. He is dependent on naught, but all is despendent on him. I recently added a piece of artwork to my mysticism thread which builds on the above passages, so I may as well place it here as an attempt to summarise the Islamic concept of cosmology in an accesible format...

Frubals

[Booko]

Originally Posted by Unes

So paradise is somewhere on this Earth, that nobody can find it?

I found Paradise on this Earth just fine, and in fact was there this summer with the family.

Paradise is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's not far from Whitefish Point on Lake Superior.

I know you didn't ask about Hell, but it's also located in Michigan, Northest of Ann Arbor. It is also due North of Jerusalem.

Check it out on Mapquest for yourself.