Will the things that are haram in this world be halal in Paradise? Alcohol and wine are haram here but rivers of wine are mentioned in Paradise.

Dear Brother / Sister,

Things that are regarded as sins in the world will not exist in Paradise, which is a pure and clean place and where only clean and good things exist.

“Not frivolity will they (people of Paradise) hear therein, nor any taint of ill.” (al-Waqia, 56/25),

“No vanity shall they hear therein, nor Untruth.” (an-Naba’, 78/35)

The verses above express clearly that let alone deeds that are regarded as sins, even unnecessary talks will not exist in Paradise. 

Muttaqis (pious people) who avoided those deeds in the world though they did not see Allah and who will be in the presence of their Lord in Paradise will never do the bad deeds that caused Allah’s wrath and the elimination of various tribes and deeds that will remind them.

According to the view of some people who think that some deeds that are regarded as sins in the world will be permissible in Paradise, those deeds will be nice deeds in Paradise and they can be imagined now.

Such a person will regard such major sins as simple and those who did them in the world will be regarded as "hustlers".

The rivers in Paradise are often mentioned in the hadiths of the Prophet (pbuh):

Rivers of Paradise originate from mountains or hills of musk." (Tadhkiratul-Qurtubi, p. 307/501)

In Paradise, there are seas of honey, wine, milk and water. The other rivers will originate from them. (Tirmidhi, Büyük Hadis Külliyatı-5, p. 409/10097)

It is stated in the hadith that there are seas of honey, milk and wine in Paradise. However, the milk, honey and wine mentioned here are different from the ones in the world, with properties peculiar to Paradise. Each of them is a clean drink that provides flavor and comfort in Paradise. For instance, the wine presented in Paradise does not resemble the wine in the world. It will not intoxicate people. The wine Allah prepared for Paradise is described as follows in the verses of the Quran: 

"Crystal-white, of a taste delicious to those who drink (thereof), Free from headiness; nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom." (as-Saaffat, 37/46-47)

Besides, those examples – rivers of milk, honey and wine – indicate that there may be different beautiful things waiting for Allah’s slaves with whom He is pleased with. Milk is a food item that turns bad very easily but the existence of seas and rivers of milk is a remarkable example of the perfectness of the boons there.  

The use of the words "river and sea" while those boons are described emphasizes the abundance in Paradise. People see those boons in limited amounts in the world. It is an exciting boon and beauty for the people of Paradise who bought them in jars and bottles or different packages in the world to see them as a spring in Paradise without going bad or getting dirty and to be offered to them abundantly and with perfect flavor.  

The properties of those rivers are mentioned in detail in the Quran:

"(Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord..." (Muhammad, 47/15)

Some boons like milk, honey and wine are given as examples in the verse. However, it is also possible for any boon that one likes to flow like a river, be abundant and clean like water and remain without going bad. Besides, Allah states that the drinks will be presented in cups in Paradise, that they will not cause headache and that the believers will not lose their consciousness. Allah states the following in another verse: "Round will be passed to them a Cup from a clear-flowing fountain..." (as-Saaffat, 37/45) The following has been prepared for believers in Paradise: "Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed: The seal thereof will be Musk: And for this let those aspire, who have aspirations: With it will be (given) a mixture of Tasnim." (al-Muttaffifin, 25-27) (Tasnim: the name of a fountain in Paradise)

As it is stated in the verses, those drinks also contain nice smells. On the other hand, there may be extraordinary beauties that we cannot imagine under the seas and at the bottom of the rivers in Paradise. Allah may enable the people He wishes to plunge without having a problem of breathing and to watch the beauties under the sea with the naked eye and with a crystal-clear vision. The beauties under the sea that people can be aware of only through documentaries can be in a form that believers can see easily and take ample pleasure.

Houris will serve the people of Paradise like slaves or servants. So will ghilmans (boys). The women from the world will not be like servants; they will be the wives of the men and they will be served. The states in Paradise should be evaluated based on the conditions of Paradise  .

The Prophet (pbuh) describes the people of Paradise as follows:

"Every one of them (People of Paradise) will have two wives; the marrow of the bones of the wives' legs will be seen through the flesh out of excessive beauty. They ( i.e. the people of Paradise) will neither have differences nor hatred amongst themselves; their hearts will be as if one heart and they will be glorifying Allah in the morning and in the evening." (Bukhari, Bad'ul-Khalq, 59, Sifatul-Jannah)

The women who believed in the world and became virtuous slaves are superior to "houris" because they had to struggle against both devils and their own souls. They won this struggle, attained Allah’s consent and deserved to enter Paradise. Houris did not enter Paradise based on their own deeds. Allah created them for the people of Paradise like the other boons. The following hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) confirm it:

Once, Umm Salama asked the Prophet (pbuh) "O Messenger of Allah! Are the women in the world or houris superior?" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) answered: "The superiority of the women in the world is like the superiority of the fabric to the lining." When Umm Salama asked "Why?", the Prophet (pbuh) answered as follows: "Because the women in the world perform prayers, fast and do many other deeds of worship." (from Tabarani, Mawdudi, Tafhimul-Qur'an Translation, VI. 81)

Houris are very beautiful women of Paradise that the All-Compassionate created for the men in Paradise and put under the women’s order. Many verses mention and describe them.

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