101 Reasons Why We Left Islam – Chapter 6: Afterlife in Islam – Reason 64
The Quran describes paradise (Jannah) with imagery of comfort, including shades and reclining chairs or couches, in several verses.
- Quran 4:57:
“…We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally… and We will admit them to [cool, refreshing] shade.”
This verse highlights “shade” as a symbol of comfort and protection in paradise. - Quran 56:30-32, “extended shade, water flowing constantly, and abundant fruits” in paradise, complementing the imagery of comfort and reclining places.
- Quran 13:35:
“The example of paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is [that] beneath it rivers flow. Its fruit is lasting, and its shade…”
Here, shade is described as enduring, emphasising the eternal tranquillity of Jannah. - Quran 36:56:
“They and their spouses – in shade, reclining on adorned couches.”
This verse explicitly links shade with reclining on couches, portraying a scene of restful luxury. - Quran 76:13 “Reclining therein upon couches, they will find there neither [the heat of] a sun nor bitter cold.”
These verses collectively paint a picture of paradise as a place of eternal comfort, with reclining couches and shaded, serene environments, rewarding the believers. Of course, there are many issues to raise here. First, why shade from the Sun? Was there still supposed to be a strong and powerful Sun in Paradise? Didn’t the Quran in 81:1-2 and 75:8-9 say that when the end of time comes, Allah will be folding the Sun and the Moon away! And even if you argue that maybe Allah will recreate the Sun in heaven for light, why does it need to be hot that you need to shade away from it? Out of five verses, four emphasise ‘shade’ as being a key feature of Paradise. What are humans shielding from? Getting Sunburn? Getting skin cancer? We again go back to how the description fits a 6th-century desert dweller who seems to project heaven, which helps them escape their everyday challenges, that is heat and direct Sun impact on their biological body. A body that has a heat tolerance system that finds excessive heat exhausting and harsh. In the afterlife, we would have shed our biological bodies and existed as souls. An all-knowing God would have explained that in the afterlife, souls will not be affected by the sensations of hot or cold. It would enjoy the Sun without feeling the sensation of overheating or exhaustion. Are you starting to build a picture here? Wait until you read the next one!