Heaven vs Jannah: Assessing the Dilemma
Keith Thompson
Both the Christian and the Muslim were promised an afterlife as a reward for accomplishing their objectives as a human being. A paradise, described by Jesus, and within the other Biblical records; as well as a paradise described by Muhammad in the Quran and Hadith literature. However, there are major and fundamental differences between the two conceptions of paradise. Jannah, the Islamic paradise, is nothing like the established Biblical Heaven that was promised. This is very significant because if one can prove that the there are promises unique to the Quran, as well as demonstrate that Muhammad believed that the Bible was the word of God in the 7th century, we can conclude that because the two concepts of paradise are polar opposite, and that the Bible of the 7th century is true, according to Muhammad, then Islam is false and Allah is not the God of the Bible. We prove that the Christian conception of Heaven is the original and the Islamic conception of Jannah is a later distortion. Indeed if Allah was the same God of the Gospels (Injil), we would expect the same details regarding the established Heaven. The Gospels and Quran/Hadith should have similar promises of an afterlife if Allah was responsible for both revelations. However, this is not the case.
Let us first examine some of the major differences, and then we will prove that Muhammad granted the Bible of today as genuine. Thus proving the Biblical Heaven is the original established Heaven and that the Islamic conception of Jannah must be abandoned as a later type of imposing forgery. According to the 1st century record as well as the ancient prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was to have profound glory and authority in the after life. In Mark 14 Jesus confirms that Daniel 7:13-14 is a prophecy about him. By confirming this he is also acknowledging that his rule in Heaven is eternal.
"Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" Mark 14:60-63
The prophecy Jesus was attributing to himself is the following:
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." Daniel 7:13-14
So according to both the ancient Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament as well as the ancient 1st century New Testament documents, Jesus Christ occupies God's thrown, as the right hand, and is given an everlasting kingdom with everlasting dominion and worship. The Islamic documents, however, did not affirm that Jesus Christ is a co-occupant of God's throne. Nor did they affirm that Jesus Christ will have this kind of rule and dominion of Heaven, while receiving worship. Instead Allah is the eternal occupant of the throne. Christ (Isa) will return, defeat the dajjal, teach Islam, get married, have children, live for about 40-45 years then die and get buried near Mohammad's grave in al-Madinah; as opposed to the Biblical account.
"... Certainly, the time of prayer shall come and then Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary would descend and would lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allah would see him, it would (disappear) just as the salt dissolves itself in water and if he (Jesus) were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely, but Allah would kill them by his hand and he would show them their blood on his lance..." (
Sahih Muslim, Book 041,
Number 6924)
"He (Jesus) will live for forty years during which he will marry, have children, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage)." (Wali ad-Din,
Miskat Al-Masabih, (tr. James Robson), Vol.II, p.1159;
Sahih Muslim, Vol.1, p.92).
"Jesus (pbuh) will descend and will practice our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) law." (Imam Rabbani,
Letters of Rabbani, vol. 2, p. 1309)
"Jesus will marry and have a child after he returns. After he dies, the Muslims will perform his funeral prayer and bury him at the Rauza-i-Aqdas." (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami,
Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, 65)
"Jesus will die after living for 40 years. After he dies, the Muslims will perform his funeral prayer and bury him." (
Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, 498-499)
"After his dissension on earth, Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will marry. He will have children, and he will remain on earth 19 years after marriage. He will pass away and Muslims will perform his Janaza Salaat and bury him next to Rasulullah." (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). (
Tirmidhi)
As you can see there is no room for harmonization between the two accounts of what will happen. What does this mean? It means someone is in serious error and one of the revelations is false. One of the religions is false and not from God. Another major difference with respect to Heaven and Jannah is that the 1st century New Testament documents say there will be no marriage and sexual activity in paradise. Jesus answers the Sadducee's on the topic of marriage in heaven. Mark 12:23-25 states:
"At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven."
It is clear that Jesus Christ in the 1st century record repudiated the idea that there would be marriage in God's Holy Kingdom. However, in the Islamic documents, namely Quran, and Hadith, Men will have wives and sex partners. The description of the Islamic Janneh is extremely graphic as opposed to the established Heaven that Jesus taught.
"Enter the Garden, ye and your wives, to be made glad." S. 43:70 Pickthall
"They and their wives, in pleasant shade, on thrones reclining;" S. 36:56 Pickthall
"...they shall have Azwâjun Mutahharatun [purified mates or wives] and We shall admit them to shades wide and ever deepening." S. 4:57 Dr. Mohsin
"And near them [shall lie the virgins of paradise], refraining their looks ... having large black eyes," S. 37:48 Sale
"Wherein both will be those (maidens) restraining their glances upon their husbands, whom no man or jinn yatmithhunna (has opened their hymens with sexual intercourse) before them. Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men) deny? (In beauty) they are like rubies and coral." S. 55:56-58 Hilali-Khan
With respect to 55:55,69-71, Ibn Kathir, in his commentary (Tafsir), states,
"Verily, the first group that will enter Paradise will look like the moon when it is full, and the next batch will be as radiant as the radiant star in the sky. Each one of them will marry two wives. The marrow of the bones of their shins will be seen through the flesh. None will be unmarried in Paradise.) This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs ... "Verily, in Paradise, the believer will have a tent from a hollow pearl, the width thereof is sixty miles. In each corner of it there are wives for the believer that do not see the other wives, and the believer will visit them all.) In another narration the Prophet said that this tent is thirty miles wide. Muslim recorded this Hadith and in his narration, the Prophet said," (
Source)
At-Tirmizi, vol. 2, states on page 138:
The Prophet Muhammad said "Every man who enters paradise shall be given 72 (seventy-two) houris; no matter at what age he had died, when he is admitted into paradise, he will become a thirty-year-old, and shall not age any further. A man in paradise shall be given virility equal to that of one hundred men".
"gardens and vineyards; and girls with swelling breasts of the same age as themselves, and a brimming cup;" S. 78:32-34 Palmer
And al-Bukhari reports:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The first group of people who will enter Paradise, will be glittering like the full moon and those who will follow them, will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. They will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions. Their combs will be of gold, and their sweat will smell like musk. The aloes-wood will be used in their >s. Their wives will be houris. All of them will look alike and will resemble their father Adam (in statute), sixty cubits tall." (
Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55,
Number 544)
In fact Osama Abdullah, the Muslim "apologist," even admitted that the Muslim will receive around 70 virgins, as sex objects. He stated:
"Note: The exact number of 70 Houris is not mentioned in the Noble Quran. It is only mentioned in the Hadith's (collections of the Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). But Houris were mentioned in the Noble Quran. So the number is most likely true, even though the Hadiths were collected centuries after the natural death of the Prophet. In other words, the possibility of the Hadith being corrupt... is slim because the Noble Quran supports the narration by mentioning the Houris as shown at the end of the article." (
Source)
There are many more sources and much more graphic material within the Islamic sources regarding Jannah. However I think we have seen enough for now. What a degrading view for the women. Being a sex object for a man along side 70 other women. Sex slaves indeed! Interestingly the Bible says nothing of the sort. Instead we read that there will be no marriage. Thus no sex. We also read that Heaven is not fully conceivable in its greatness.
"However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9